Alcatel gains on CEO speculation

Alcatel-Lucent SA, the world's largest supplier of fixed-line phone networks, gained for a second day in Paris trading on speculation the company will hire former executive Mike Quigley to head it.

Alcatel-Lucent rose as much as 6 percent, adding to yesterday's 4.7 percent advance. The nomination committee of the Alcatel-Lucent board wants to name Quigley as chief executive officer, replacing Patricia Russo, according to Le Canard Enchaine, a Paris-based weekly newspaper. Russo and Chairman Serge Tchuruk said last month they're leaving Alcatel-Lucent, which is based in the French capital.

Quigley, 55, had been considered for the CEO job at Alcatel SA before the company bought Lucent Technologies Inc in 2006. Tchuruk said in April 2005 that Quigley was in a "good position" to head the French company. Quigley left Alcatel-Lucent a year ago and returned to his native Australia.