The long-running and sometimes bitter battles over the future ownership of France’s leading financial dailies came to an end this week, as luxury goods group LVMH officially took control of Les Echos and agreed a deal to sell the number-two newspaper La Tribune.

LVMH and Pearson, owner of the Financial Times, on Christmas Eve signed the final agreement transferring leading French financial daily Les Echos to the luxury goods group for a price of €240m ($346m).