(News Bulletin 247) – The title of the advertising group peaked with an increase of more than 5% in a market that was nevertheless deleterious. This because of press information evoking a potential interest of Vincent Bolloré.

A flash jump for the Publicis action. While the market is suffering this Thursday with a CAC 40 down 1.6%, Publicis was the only value in the index to experience a clear rise, even though it was very short-lived. The title peaked at more than 5% before falling very quickly. The action only takes 0.7% around 11:50 am.

As spotted by Reuters, this market jump is linked to an article published by the magazine Challenges and devoted to Vincent Bolloré who, via Groupe Bolloré, owns more than 29% of the capital of Vivendi.

>> Access our exclusive graphic analyses, and enter into the confidence of the Trading Portfolio

“Publicis takes off on takeover rumors mentioned in an article in Challenges, even if the information remains to be taken with a grain of salt,” Lucas Excoffier, head of European equity trading at Oddo BHF Corporate, told the agency. Markets.

This article quotes two investment bankers who believe that the businessman could “return the Publicis theme to the study”, which would amount to bringing Publicis closer to Vivendi or Havas, a communications consultancy subsidiary of Vivendi.

A sea serpent

“Today by bringing Havas he has the means (to buy Publicis, editor’s note). But you have to have the courage to face the Badinter myth”, explain these bankers, according to comments reported by Challenges. Daughter of founder Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, Elisabeth Badinter and her family own 6.6% of the capital of Publicis and 8.45% of the voting rights.

Contacted by News Bulletin 247, spokespersons for Vivendi did not comment, while a spokesperson for Publicis was not immediately available.

A market intermediary is skeptical: “the article simply evokes statements by investment bankers for whom selling ‘deals’ (mergers and acquisitions, editor’s note) is still the job”. “Financially, the feasibility of the file depends on the assembly. But more concretely, I find it hard to see the management of Publicis and Elisabeth Badinter accepting an operation, but the agencies are still a people’s job. So if the management does not follow it is not possible ” , he develops.

The chairman of the supervisory board and former boss of Publicis, Maurice Lévy, was questioned at the end of May on BFM Business about the possibility of a merger between Vivendi and Publicis. “Today Publicis weighs about twice Vivendi (..) I think it would be a big mistake to imagine that there is the possibility of making a large group”, he had then replied to Hedwige Chevrillon .

Such an operation has been mentioned many times in the past without there being any very strong signs of materialization. In March 2021, BFM Business had thus reported that discussions had previously taken place between Vivendi and Publicis resulting in an inadmissibility of the group led by Arthur Sadoun.