CDC Ixis, the French investment and corporate investment bank, will be floated off next year by its parent Caisse des Dépots et Consignations (CDC), in a deal which could be valued at up to €2bn ($1.8bn).

CDC, the French state savings bank, has confirmed that it plans to float CDC Ixis as and when market conditions permit. It first raised the possibility of a float in the summer when CDC joined forces with Caisse d'Epargne, a mutual savings bank, to create a joint venture holding company called Alliance. CDC is expected to present the plan to the French Treasury this month.