The value of shares of Ubisoft, the maker of video games, on Friday, October 4, showed an increase of more than 30%.
The sharp upward dynamic of the mentioned indicator is because the media released information according to which Tencent and the Guillemot family, Ubisoft founders, are considering a buyout of the company.
The video game maker declined to provide media representatives with comments on the specified information. The Guillemot family also refrained from making any statements on the matter.
According to LSEG, the mentioned family owns 15% of Ubisoft shares. At the same time, the Chinese gaming giant Tencent owns just under 10% of the company’s securities.
It is worth noting that Ubisoft shares have fallen in price by 54% for the year. The corresponding dynamic is because the company cut its guidance and postponed the release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows by three months. The market capitalization of the firm currently stands at about 1.8 billion euros ($2 billion).
It is also worth noting that the video game maker is currently facing pressure from activist investor AJ Investments, who called for a change of chief executive officer and said that the firm should become private or be sold. Last week, this investor stated that it had gathered support from 10% of its shareholders.
Midcap Partners analyst Charles-Louis Planade says that the interest in Ubisoft is not surprising. According to the expert, this company is a unique asset in the industry and has mastered the action/adventure genre perfectly, which other firms have tried to penetrate.
It is worth noting that several private equity firms, including Blackstone and KKR & Co., have been studying potential bids for Ubisoft in 2022.
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