SFR could launch IPO in July, says Vivendi CEO

Vivendi-owned French service provider SFR could launch its IPO as early as July, according to press reports.

Vivendi CEO Jean-Yves Charlier, speaking on the margins of a conference organised in Paris, was reported by Reuters as having said the company is well advanced in its preparations for the spin-off.

Pressed on the date, Charlier said the process could kick off at the beginning of July.

Vivendi has last year indicated that an SFR IPO would likely be launched by the end of this year or the beginning of 2015.

French cable operator Numericable’s principal owner Altice, the investment vehicle of Patrick Drahi, reportedly recently began a fresh move  to acquire SFR, putting together an all-cash offer of between €10-13 billion raised from a mix of debt and cash raised from Numericable and Altice’s own IPOs.