Duke Street Capital, the UK private equity company, has sold its 30% stake in Métaux Spéciaux (MSSA), a French producer of alkaline metals, to Royal Bank Private Equity for approximately Ffr198m (€30m).

Duke Street acquired its stake in MSSA in a management buy-out from Pechiney, the manufacturing group, in 1997 for Ffr16m. The investment was made in partnership with the French venture capital groups NATEXIS Banques Populaires and Parcom Ventures, which each also took a 30% stake. The company's management retained the remaining 10% of shares.