* To close 8 PC City stores in Sweden

* 19 of 23 Markantalo stores in Finland also to close

(Adds detail, background)

LONDON, April 3 (Reuters) - DSG International Plc (DSGI.L), Europe's No.2 electrical goods retailer, plans to close 27 stores in Sweden and Finland, it said on Friday, in a move likely to lead to just under 500 job losses.

DSG, which runs Currys and PC World stores in Britain, said it was closing two loss-making brands, PC City in Sweden and Markantalo in Finland, to focus on its main chains in both countries.

In Sweden, where DSG also operates as El Giganten, all eight PC City stores will be closed, leading to an expected 230 job losses.

In Finland, 19 of the 23 Markantalo stores will be closed with the expected loss of 256 jobs. The four remaining stores will be converted into DSG's other Finnish brand, Gigantti.

DSG has been hit hard by a downturn in consumer spending across Europe and is in the midst of overhauling its store portfolio, including investing in new store formats in the UK and Nordic countries.

At 1420 GMT, DSG shares were up 6 percent at 26-1/2 pence, valuing the business at about 479 million pounds ($702 million). (Reporting by Mark Potter; Editing by David Holmes)

- Reuters