Italy’s state lender and Macquarie Group Ltd. have launched an offer for Telecom Italia SpA’s landline network, setting up a takeover battle with KKR & Co.
(Bloomberg) — Italy’s state lender and Macquarie Group Ltd. have launched an offer for Telecom Italia SpA’s landline network, setting up a takeover battle with KKR & Co.
Cassa Depositi e Prestiti SpA, also known as CDP, said in a statement that its board of directors gave the green light for a bid for Telecom Italia’s “infrastructure network” as well as Telecom Italia’s submarine cable business, Sparkle. The bid is valid until March 31, the statement added.
The new bid matches KKR’s €20 billion ($22 billion) valuation for the fixed-line network, but offers more in cash, people familiar with the matter said. Bloomberg News reported earlier that CDP, and Macquarie were nearing an offer for Telecom Italia’s grid.
CDP and Macquarie decided to counter KKR’s bid after initially exploring a joint-offer with the US investment firm, the people said.
READ MORE: Italy’s CDP, Macquarie Said Set For Telecom Italia Grid Offer
Telecom Italia said last month that it was seeking better terms from KKR by March 31, after a preliminary review of the non-binding offer. In 2021 the phone carrier rejected an approach from the US firm to buy the entire company.
Support from the Rome-based government is crucial for any potential investor in Telecom Italia, a former state monopoly that’s under pressure to slash a 20 billion-euro debt load. State-controlled CDP owns almost 10% of Telecom Italia and has a majority stake in smaller rival Open Fiber SpA.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has signaled that she considers Telecom Italia’s network a strategic asset that must remain under public oversight. Italy’s government retains the right to veto deals involving assets deemed to be of strategic value, and Rome’s desire to safeguard the 40,000 jobs at the company means any offer without state backing would face significant hurdles.
The CDP-Macquarie offer meshes with the government’s goal of building a single national network through a merger of Telecom Italia and Open Fiber, and promises to preserve a strategic asset and accelerate the country’s digitalization, according to people familiar with the matter.
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