Analysts at Smith Barney have amended a research note on Sodexho Alliance after the French catering group complained of 'false information' and called for an investigation by financial regulators.

The incident was seen by bankers as a second blow in as many days to analysts' independence in France, after the Paris commercial court ruled on Monday that Morgan Stanley had published "biased and misleading" research on LVMH-Möet Hennessy Louis Vuitton and ordered the US bank to pay €30m in damages to the French luxury group.