European Event-Driven Analyst

Jesus Rodriguez Aguilar

Jesús is an Insight Provider (Event-driven) on the Smartkarma network, where he looks across sectors at opportunities arising from securities mispricing (both credit and equity), share classes, bid announcements, prospective bids, and special situations. He has served as Economic and Business Advisor at the Spanish Congress in Madrid. Prior to that, he has worked in the City of London: as a Credit Analyst at Bloomberg; Event-driven associate at former boutique European Research; and doubled as Special Situations and Equity-linked VP (convertible bonds) at Merrill Lynch. Jesús has an MBA from the London Business School, a BA (Hons.) degree in Economics from the Complutense University in Madrid, and a BA (Hons.) in Law from U.N.E.D., also in Madrid.

Vivendi/Lagardère: A Good Deal for Bolloré

Event-Driven

<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/vivendi-sa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21076:1" rel="noopener">Vivendi SA (VIV FP)</a> will increase its stake in <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/lagardere-sca" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:21508:1" rel="noopener">Lagardere SCA (MMB FP)</a>, which implies the mandatory launch of a takeover bid for the whole share capital of Lagardere.
Vivendi has agreed to purchase a 17.9% stake from of Amber Holdings in Lagardere, thus raising its stake to 44.9%. Therefore Vivendi will exceed the 30% threshold that requires launching a full takeover bid.
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Both the 17.9% acquisition and the subsequent takeover bid are launched at a price of €24.10/share.
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The premium paid amounts to 23.6% (18.4% to the 3-month VWAP).
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The implied equity value is €3,401.3 mn.
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It was foreseeable that Vivendi would bet on inorganic growth after the UMG spin-off. However, the premium paid seems at first glance high for a business with a net loss forecast (Capital IQ consensus) for 2021 of c. €(22) mn and an estimated 2022e EBITDA and EPS of €515.2 mn and €1.0, still lower than the pre-pandemic levels (€610 mn and €1.46 respectively). This is mainly due to the performance of the travel retail division (4th largest travel retailer globally), which accounted for 59% of revenues and 40% of gross operating profit in 2019. In fact, the premium implies paying a 2022e P/E of c. 24.1x vs. 20.5x for Vivendi (source: Capital IQ consensus).
The deal will need approval from the competition authorities and will not be fully executed until the end of FY 2022. However, some significant shareholders, such as the Qatar Investment Authority, with 11.5% of the company appear to be willing to sell. At this price they will not hesitate to do so, in my view. Completion is expected by 15 December 2022.
Gross spread is 3.5%, a bit on the low side considering the 15 months to complete. Long MMB FP, TP €24.1.

Vivendi SA (VIV FP) will increase its stake in Lagardere SCA (MMB FP), which implies the mandatory launch of a takeover bid for the whole share capital of Lagardere.
Vivendi has agreed to purchase a 17.9% stake from of Amber Holdings in Lagardere, thus raising its stake to 44.9%. Therefore Vivendi will exceed the 30% threshold that requires launching a full takeover bid.


Both the 17.9% acquisition and the subsequent takeover bid are launched at a price of €24.10/share.


The premium paid amounts to 23.6% (18.4% to the 3-month VWAP).


The implied equity value is €3,401.3 mn.


It was foreseeable that Vivendi would bet on inorganic growth after the UMG spin-off. However, the premium paid seems at first glance high for a business with a net loss forecast (Capital IQ consensus) for 2021 of c. €(22) mn and an estimated 2022e EBITDA and EPS of €515.2 mn and €1.0, still lower than the pre-pandemic levels (€610 mn and €1.46 respectively). This is mainly due to the performance of the travel retail division (4th largest travel retailer globally), which accounted for 59% of revenues and 40% of gross operating profit in 2019. In fact, the premium implies paying a 2022e P/E of c. 24.1x vs. 20.5x for Vivendi (source: Capital IQ consensus).
The deal will need approval from the competition authorities and will not be fully executed until the end of FY 2022. However, some significant shareholders, such as the Qatar Investment Authority, with 11.5% of the company appear to be willing to sell. At this price they will not hesitate to do so, in my view. Completion is expected by 15 December 2022.
Gross spread is 3.5%, a bit on the low side considering the 15 months to complete. Long MMB FP, TP €24.1.

Vivendi/Lagardere: Mandatory Friendly Offer