Telefonica Sells 7.08 Percent Stake in El Pais Owner Prisa for 34 Million Euros

Telefonica Sells 7.08 Percent Stake in El Pais Owner Prisa for 34 Million Euros
The logo of Spanish Telecom company Telefonica is seen at its headquarters in Barcelona, Spain, on May 12, 2022. (Nacho Doce/Reuters)
Reuters
5/19/2022
Updated:
5/19/2022

MADRID—Spanish telecom firm Telefonica said on Thursday it agreed to sell a 7.08 percent stake in the media group Prisa, the publisher of El Pais newspaper, for 34 million euros.

Telefonica agreed to sell the stake with a 17 percent premium over the closing price on Wednesday to privately held Spanish firm Global Alconaba. Telefonica will retain a 1.95 percent stake in Prisa, it said in a filing to the stock market regulator.

Prisa, which owns the influential newspaper El Pais, has recently posted a small quarterly profit after posting losses in 2021.

The main shareholder in Prisa is activist fund Amber Capital, led by French investor Joseph Oughourlian, with a 29.84 percent stake, Refinitiv Eikon information shows.

French media group Vivendi holds a 9.94 percent stake.

By Inti Landauro and Christina Thykjaer