BBP stalking regional banks 13 March 2008 5:28PM Ian Rogers BRED Banque Populaire yesterday disclosed that it now held a stake of 7.4 per cent in Bank of Queensland after buying a further 1.5 million shares over the last couple of weeks. The French regional bank, owned in turn by a network of credit cooperatives, first emerged as a significant shareholder in BOQ in late February. The bank is obviously keeping its options open, since Banque Populaire has also acquired a lesser stake in Bendigo Bank. Management of Bendigo confirmed the foreign bank's investment to AAP but, surprisingly, left this explanation out in responding to an ASX query in relation to the bank's nine per cent rise in its share price on Monday (that may have as much to do with a short covering rally).The Herald Sun today reported that Banque Populaire owned about five million shares in Bendigo, making it the second-largest shareholder on the company's register.