Atos suddenly took off in the middle of the afternoon, climbing more than 8%, to 35.10 euros. According to information relayed by the Reuters agency, Thales has contacted financial investors with a view to acquiring the cybersecurity division of the digital services company, an operation estimated at around 3 billion dollars (2.7 billion euros). euros), which could however face political obstacles, sources told the news agency.
Thales, advised by Centerview Partners, has sounded out several private equity groups, including Bain Capital, to study the feasibility of a joint offer on Atos which would allow it to get its hands on its cybersecurity business, Big Data & Cybersecurity (BDS ), said the sources on condition of anonymity. This subsidiary would be valued between 2 and 3 billion euros. It generates around half of Atos’ global turnover. Thales would offer 2.7 billion euros.
Such an operation, however, seems very difficult to envisage in the midst of the presidential campaign, estimates Reuters. ” The French government would strongly oppose a breakup of Atos at this time said one source.
An action at the bottom
On the stock market, the capitalization of Atos amounts to 3.8 billion euros. Despite the rebound of the day, the action still fell by 45% over one year, weighed down recently, in mid-January, by a new alert on the objectives, on the turnover as on the operating margin for the financial year. 2021. Targets which had already been lowered in July, which had caused another plunge in action.
The group reported on January 10 unaudited annual revenue of 10.8 billion euros, down around 2.4% at constant exchange rates, while it had said count on stable invoicing over one year. More importantly, margins have also been revised downwards, to around 4% of sales in terms of operations, the most followed measure in the sector, against a target of around by 6%.
Deviations from the initial ambitions, which can be explained in particular by an unforeseen increase in costs linked to a financial services contract in the United Kingdom, postponements of projects from the end of 2021 to 2022 and postponements of final agreements to 2022 , explained Atos in a press release. Cash flow was also very disappointing, negative by 420 million euros for the year, whereas it was expected to be positive. The 2022 objectives will be communicated on February 28 when the final 2021 results are published.