UBS has marked the company out as a potential target, giving Aegis a buy rating, encouraging investors to snap up shares now. UBS says that shares could be worth as much as 235p if a bid should go ahead. Shares in the company were trading at 142.25p.
In its report, UBS goes on to say that it thinks the other major ad groups WPP Group, Omnicom and Publicis Groupe would be interested in acquiring Aegis. UBS went on to say: "We think management may be tempted by recent digital transactions to push for a higher sale price, especially as they are aware of the strategic importance of Aegis to both WPP and Publicis."
UBS has published its commentary on Aegis weeks after Bollore, who is also chairman of Havas, said that he was planning a fifth attempt to gain two seats on the Aegis board.
While the management of Aegis, headed by chief executive Robert Lerwill, would presumably welcome the departure of Bollore, having spent a not insignificant amount of time rebuffing the persistent Frenchman, it may not be so keen on another period of uncertainty brought on by the sale of his stake.
In the autumn of 2005, Aegis was the subject of attention from the WPP and venture capital group Hellman & Friedman, as well as rival French ad group Publicis.
Publicis withdrew from bidding first, but Aegis eventually requested intervention by the Takeover Panel, and to get potential bidders to put up or shut up. They chose the latter, although WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell has long maintained that Aegis will not remain independent.
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