UBS is set to make a profit of Sfr350m (€225m) from the sale of a majority stake in Motor-Columbus, the Swiss holding company for energy assets, to a consortium including minority shareholders and Electricité de France.

The Swiss banking group, which has sold its 55.6% stake in Motor-Columbus to the consortium for Sfr1.3bn, said it will complete the deal at the start of next year at the earliest, adding that it expects to book the pre-tax gain in its industrial holdings division in the first quarter of 2006.