(In §6 read “alongside Gabriel Naouri” and not “alongside Jean-Charles Naouri”)
PARIS (Reuters) – Vesa Equity Investment, the investment holding company of Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky, now owns more than 10% of the capital of Casino, shows a notice published on Tuesday by the Financial Markets Authority.
Vesa, which until now owned just under 7% of Casino shares according to Refinitiv data, has increased its stake through market purchases of securities, the statement added.
The holding company clarified that it planned to continue to increase its stake in the retail group but that it did not intend to take control within six months, specifies the AMF.
Vesa also plans to seek “one or more” seats on the board of directors of Casino, controlled by Jean-Charles Naouri via his holding company Rallye.
Entering in 2019 on the round table of the owner of Monoprix and Naturalia, Daniel Kretinsky strengthened his ties with the group the following year by agreeing to refinance derivatives transactions concluded by Rallye when Casino had just completed a backup plan.
The Czech investor is also a shareholder in several other players in the European distribution market, including the British Sainsbury’s and the French Maisons du monde, alongside Gabriel Naouri, son of Jean-Charles Naouri, in the latter’s case.
Correction: Read “next to Gabriel Naouri” in the 6th paragraph and not “next to Jean-Charles Naouri”
(Written by Marc Angrand)
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