Caixabank to assess possible bid for BNP's Cetelem, newspaper reports

MADRID, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Spanish lender Caixabank has hired Morgan Stanley to assess a potential acquisition of Cetelem, the Spanish and Portuguese consumer lending business 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 of Cetelem's consumer finance business 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)