Bollore says no takeover yet as he raises Havas stake

LONDON – French corporate raider Vincent Bollore is to raise his stake again in Havas, but says that he does not plan to seek control of the advertising group just yet.

Earlier this month, Bollore increased his stake in the company to 10.4%, sparking speculation that Havas will become a takeover target.

In a brief statement published in French daily Les Echos this morning, Bollore said that he would ask for several seats on Havas's board.

He is known to have had discussions with Alain de Pouzilhac about the issue of seats on the Havas board.

De Pouzilhac said last week that Havas was looking at Bollore's request. "We are looking at this, we are reflecting about putting representatives on the board. It seems legitimate to me that this shareholder is asking to be represented," he said.

Bollore's elevation to the board would spell more trouble for De Pouzilhac, who could face calls to step down after Havas's failed bid for Grey, which was not supported by the ad network's bank Societe Generale. The bank has a seat on the company's board.

Bollore came out publicly against Havas making a bid for Grey, which many believed was risky and a move the group could ill afford after its painful restructuring process.

With Bollore set to increase his stake further, the move will only add to speculation that Havas is set to become a takeover target.

Although dismissed by some, a successful bid for Grey was seen as Havas's last chance to take on the big four -- Omnicom Group, WPP Group, Interpublic Group and Publicis Groupe. With that chance gone, few see it as having an independent future.

Bollore began building his stake in Havas earlier this year, when he bought as much as 5% of the company in July. Last week, he announced he had increased this stake to 10.4%, suggesting a takeover could be close at hand.

The news follows Havas yesterday saying that it had issued a €404m (£226m) rights issue to pay off debts and strengthen its financial structure.

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