Le Figaro reported today that Publicis was on the verge of a formal offer for Aegis, saying that Maurice Levy, chairman and chief executive of Publicis Groupe, met with Robert Lerwill, CEO of Aegis, last Tuesday, and that due diligence had already begun.
It adds that an announcement about a possible £1.56bn bid could be forthcoming in the next few days, even as soon as this afternoon.
However, Publicis has denied the report of due diligence, which was sparked partly by reports yesterday of a "standstill agreement" with Aegis, indicating that Publicis would not be making a hostile takeover bid. Originally it had thought that a bidding war may begin over Aegis, but this has not materialised.
Le Figaro also reports that Havas chairman Vincent Bollore may be ready to sell the stake in Aegis that he has acquired in recent weeks to Publicis. Separately, in a press conference this morning Bollore has said he views the Aegis investment as a short-term investment, according to reports.
Bollore upped his stake in the British media buying and research firm earlier this week. As well as Carat, Aegis also owns media network Vizeum.
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