The Airbus group has ended discussions with Atos with a view to acquiring its “Big Data” and security activities, further plunging the French IT group into uncertainty, the two groups announced on Tuesday.
“After careful consideration of all aspects of a possible acquisition of the BDS (Big Data and Security) branch of Atos, Airbus has decided to no longer pursue discussions with Atos on this potential transaction,” the aircraft manufacturer said. European in a press release.
In a separate statement, Atos confirmed the decision. He specifies that he “analyzes the situation” that results and “actively evaluates strategic alternatives which will take into account the sovereignty imperatives of the French State”.
Postponement of the publication of 2023 annual results
Immediately, this news leads to the sine die postponement of the publication of the company’s 2023 annual results, scheduled for Wednesday and already postponed for the first time at the end of February after the announcement of a failure concerning the discussions between Atos and the Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky to sell him one of his branches.
This new episode makes the future of the group even more unclear, whose restructuring project – with a split into two entities – was announced in the summer of 2022. It has been slipping since then and its shares have lost nearly 70 % of its value on the Paris Stock Exchange since the start of the year. Tuesday morning, it still dropped almost 18% shortly after the opening and was now worth only 1.77 euros, its historic low.
These disposal projects were in fact crucial for Atos, whose level of debt is panicking investors, with 3.65 billion euros of loans and bonds to be repaid or refinanced by the end of 2025.
The group announced at the beginning of February the appointment of an ad hoc agent, Hélène Bourbouloux, who was notably responsible for the Casino and Orpea files. This was entrusted with the mission of negotiating with 22 banking establishments, under the watchful eye of Bercy.
Atos in fact owns supercomputers, particularly used in the defense and nuclear sectors, which pose sovereignty issues. “We are closely following the negotiations with the group’s financiers,” indicated the Secretary of State for Digital Affairs, Marina Ferrari, interviewed in the National Assembly at the end of February.