Ipsos preps €200m share issue to fund Synovate buy

Almost 11m new shares will be issued at a price of €18.25. A subscription period begins next week, running until 22 September with the new shares expected to be issued, cleared and settled and admitted to trading on the Euronext Paris by 30 September.

In total, eight new shares are being issued for every 25 of the company’s existing shares.

With the €200m raised, that would leave approximately €396m left to pay to satisfy the Synovate acquisition price of €596m (£525m). €250m will come from a new syndicated loan with the rest covered by existing credit lines and available cash.

The takeover is expected to be completed by the end of September. Shareholders in Aegis, Synovate’s parent company, agreed to the sale in mid-August and the deal received early clearance from US anti-trust officials last week.