A statement by Antoine Zacharias, the chief executive of Vinci, could signal that the French construction firm intends to buy a stake in Autoroutes du Sud de la France (ASF), the motorway operator, direct from the French Treasury, rather than building it up in the open market.

Vinci, the French construction group, has told shareholders that it is keen to increase its stake in ASF, which was recently privatised. Vinci owns 16%, while the French government still holds a 51% stake.