Atlantia opens, exclusive to Cdp to sell 88% of Aspi

 Atlantia opens to Cdp, granting an exclusivity period for a possible proposal to purchase the entire 88.06% stake in Atlantia in Aspi.

This is the step forward with which the holding is trying to meet the demands of the government, which has returned in recent weeks to threaten the revocation, if the path established with the agreement of 14 July had not been returned to.

    The latest move was decided in the board of directors which met on Monday and announced today in the evening.

    "The Board of Directors of Atlantia confirmed its willingness to evaluate a possible proposal by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti - together with other national and international investors - for a possible agreement, relating to the purchase of the entire share package (equal 88.06%) of the subsidiary Autostrade per l'Italia, capable of ensuring adequate market valuation of the investment itself ", reads the note, in which it emphasizes that" this hypothesis is consistent with the letter sent by Atlantia to the Government last July 14 and in line with the resolutions of the board of directors ".

Cassa is therefore granted an "exclusivity period" until Sunday 18 October.

The new meeting of the Atlantia board has already been set for the following day and will therefore be called upon to evaluate any offer from Cdp.

    Atlantia also has the appointment of 30 October already scheduled in the coming weeks, when the shareholders' meeting is called to vote on the 'dual track' process carried out up to now.

    That some gap had opened in the negotiations had become evident in the last few days, when Atlantia and the CDP re-established contacts, with interlocutors at various levels.

This way of selling the entire 88% of Atlantia to CDP and institutional investors of its choice is one of the two options already envisaged by the agreements of July 14 (the other was the demerger).

    However, the situation is still very fluid and the next few days will be decisive for understanding the outcome of the negotiations.