Caixabank to assess possible bid for BNP's Cetelem in Spain and Portugal, newspaper reports

(Corrects to make clear potential deal is for Cetelem's business in Spain and Portugal, not the whole of Cetelem)

MADRID, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Spanish lender Caixabank has hired Morgan Stanley to assess a potential acquisition of Cetelem's consumer lending business in Spain and Portugal, owned by BNP Paribas, financial newspaper Expansion reported on Thursday.

• Caixabank, Spain's largest lender by domestic assets, would strengthen its consumer lending activities with the deal.

• Spanish consumer lending has recovered to highs not seen since before the global financial crisis, reflecting a shift in focus from mortgages to more profitable but riskier credit.

• Caixabank, BNP Paribas and Cetelem declined to comment on the report.

• Morgan Stanley representatives were not immediately available to comment.

• Expansion said that BNP Paribas launched the sale as part of a strategic refocusing and invited prospective bidders to submit non-binding offers over the summer.

• Expansion said that the market estimates the value of the deal at between €900 million ($1 billion) and €1 billion.

(Reporting by Jesús AguadoEditing by David Goodman)