PARIS (Reuters) - French reinsurer Scor (SCOR.PA: Quote, Profile , Research) reporteda surge in net profits on Wednesday that beat market forecastsand said it was determined to pursue its bid for Swiss rivalConverium (CHRN.S: Quote, Profile , Research).

Scor said its underlying net profit last year rose 92percent to 252 million euros ($337 million) before adding back54 million euros of "badwill" linked to its acquisition ofGerman reinsurer Revios last year.

Scor has bought a 32.9 percent stake in Converium and hasmade an offer to acquire control of the company. Its bid valuesthe whole of Converium at just over 3 billion Swiss francs($2.5 billion).

Scor is offering 0.5 Scor shares and 4 Swiss francs pershare in Converium, which has rejected the bid and has said itis looking for a rival to make a counterbid.

"The combination of Scor and Converium rests on theconviction that such a project represents a unique strategicopportunity to create the fifth largest multi-line reinsurer inthe world," Scor's chairman and chief executive, Denis Kessler,said in a statement.

Scor shares closed up 2.5 percent at 21 euros on Tuesday.Based on that price, the stock has fallen around 6 percentsince the start of 2007, underperforming a 1 percent rise inthe DJ Stoxx European insurance sector .

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