PSA's shares were down 2.4 percent in early session trading, in sharp contrast to Renault which surged 12 percent.

"Near term, both Renault and FCA shares should perform well today while Peugeot, previously seen as the top candidate for a tie-up with FCA, should underperform," wrote brokerage Oddo in a note.

(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Blandine Henault; Editing by Bate Felix)