At the headquarters of Vivendi, we assure that the news is not surprising. This Thursday evening, the stock exchange operator Euronext announced the departure on June 16 of Vivendi from the CAC40, after twenty-four years of presence on the flagship index of the Paris Stock Exchange. “Arnaud de Puyfontaine and I knew full well that the spin-off from Universal Music Group (UMG) (in September 2021, editor’s note) would put us in this position”, comments to Le Figaro Yannick Bolloré, chairman of the media giant’s supervisory board. and communication (Canal, Havas, Prisma Media, etc.).
Since the split of UMG, listed in Amsterdam, Vivendi’s place within the index was indeed weakened. Its capitalization had melted from 35 billion euros to less than 10 billion in the months following the operation. “We are nevertheless very happy with this transaction, which creates value for all stakeholders, and to remain in the CAC40 ESG index (created in March 2021, editor’s note)”, he adds.
Today, Vivendi’s stock market valuation has reached 9.19 billion euros. Since May 23 and the sale of numerous shares by Vincent Bolloré (via Compagnie de Cornouaille), it has fallen by nearly 15%. But these movements were not taken into account in the analysis of the independent scientific council of Euronext, which ended in mid-May.
From now on, beyond the CAC40 ESG index, the group also remains listed on Euro Stoxx Media and Euro Stoxx 50.
Vivendi is impatiently awaiting the European Commission’s decision regarding its takeover bid for Lagardère (Hachette, Europe 1, Le Journal du Dimanche, Paris Match, travel retail, etc.), which must take place before June 14. “We are currently focused on finalizing our operation with the Lagardère group, which will change our dimension if confirmed by Brussels,” explains Yannick Bolloré.
