Groupe BPCE agreed to buy Portuguese lender Novo Banco from its majority owner Lone Star for 6.4 billion euros ($7.41 billion) in the latest cross-border deal in European banking.The French retail bank on Friday said it signed a memorandum of understanding to buy the 75% stake held in the group by Dallas-based private equity group Lone Star in cash.

France’s BPCE has agreed a 6.4 billion euros ($7.39 billion) deal to acquire Portugal's Novo Banco, including a 75% stake held by U.S. private equity firm Lone Star, BPCE and Lone Star said on Friday.

French banking group BPCE agreed to acquire Lone Star’s Novo Banco, the Portuguese lender led by former AIB chief financial officer (CFO) Mark Bourke, in a deal worth an estimated €6.4 billion in what’s set to be a key cross-border acquisition for Europe.