Havas, whose parent Vivendi is preparing to float off the global advertising group, has made a big pitch to investors, promising growth, much of it by way of acquisitions.
At a Capital Markets Day, Havas presented a 150 page deck, a strategic plan to drive growth in key creative, media and health communications business lines.
The presentatiion tagline: Powered by humans, supercharged by data, tech and AI.
"The decision to seek an independent listing for Havas marks an exciting new chapter for our group,” said CEO Yannick Bolloré, who runs a company with 23,000 people across 100 markets.
“This milestone underscores our commitment to long-term growth and value creation and would provide added flexibility to support the implementation of our converged strategy.
“It would also allow the group to more swiftly pursue innovation efforts and targeted acquisitions thanks to increased agility.
“Today, we present our vision to continue evolving as a world leader in the communications and marketing sector, supported by a robust financial foundation and a talented team."
Havas in 2023 reported consolidated revenue of €2.872 billion, with net revenue of €2.695 billion.
The company, founded in 1835, is aiming to generate contributions to net revenue from new acquisitions averaging between €40 million and €50 million per year over the medium term.
In the year to December 2024, Havas is forecasting flat to negative 1% in net revenue.
But in 2025 the company believes it can grow net revenue by more than 2%.
Havas is on track to become a publicly traded entity, on Euronext Amsterdam, with shares distributed to Vivendi shareholders on a one-for-one basis.
Trading is expected to begin on December 16, pending shareholder approval at Vivendi’s AGM December 9.
A slide form the Havas pitch:
And the Havas strategy:
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