Atos to give out 23.4% of Worldline’s share capital to shareholders

Atos has announced its project to distribute 23.4% of Worldline’s share capital to Atos’ shareholders, leading to the creation of two listed global pure play leaders. As a consequence, while continuing their industrial and commercial partnership, Atos will reinforce its focus as a leading digital pure player, and Worldline will benefit from a strengthened equity profile and enhanced ability to pursue consolidation opportunities.

During 2018, the Group completed two transforming acquisitions – Syntel, a €0.9 billion revenue company in the digital services market, and SIX Payment Services, a €0.5 billion revenue company in electronic payments. The change in size and business mix has led the Group to build a 3-year plan to the horizon of 2021 taking into account its new structure.

On the occasion of an Investor Day in its headquarters in Bezons (France), the Group has launched ADVANCE 2021, its new three-year plan, building on its reinforced global profile in digital services.

Chairman & CEO Thierry Breton says, “In 2018, Atos strengthened its digital services global profile and capabilities with the acquisition of Syntel and enhanced Worldline’s position as the undisputed payment leader in Europe through the acquisition of Six Payment Services. The project to distribute 23.4% of Worldline’s share capital to Atos shareholders will create two pure play global leaders with increased strategic and financial flexibility.”

He confirms that with ADVANCE 2021, Atos will be well positioned to support its customers as they face the disruption created by the digital shockwaves and meet the challenge to securely manage and leverage the value of their data to create new business insights.

With that purpose, Atos will strengthen its customer centricity through a reinforced vertical go-to-market approach pulling through all of Atos’ capabilities and mobilizing its people skills and key talents.

After deconsolidation of Worldline, Atos’ three-year plan intends to create substantial value for all of its stakeholders over the next three years with a revenue organic growth CAGR reaching +2% to +3% CAGR, a profitability between 11% and 11.5% in 2021, and a free cash flow generation between 0.8 and 0.9 billion Euros. With its increased financial flexibility, Atos will be very well positioned to participate in the consolidation of the industry, expand its customer base, and strengthen its key technological capabilities.

Without deconsolidation of Worldline, the plan would deliver a revenue organic growth CAGR between +3% and +4% over the next three years, a profitability at circa 13% in 2021 and a free cash flow reaching 1.2 to 1.3 billion of euros.