French IT hardware maker 2CRSi's shares drop 43% after Grizzly says it shorts stock

June 18 (Reuters) - Shares in French IT hardware manufacturer 2CRSi fell by 43% on Thursday after U.S.-based short-seller Grizzly Research said in a statement that it had shorted the stock.

2CRSi said in its own statement later in the day that it disputed the content of Grizzly's report and was preparing a "substantiated response". It did not address Grizzly's specific claims.

2CRSi shares briefly opened after a one-hour delay before being suspended for most of the session in Paris. The last trade was at 0807 GMT, according to stock exchange operator Euronext.

Grizzly Research, which did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment, has not disclosed the size of its short position in the French firm.

2CRSi, which makes computer servers, asked Euronext to suspend trading in its shares.

(Reporting by Mateusz Rabiega and Gianluca Lo Nostro; editing by Alexander Smith, Kirsten Donovan)