Warner Music targets a major French acquisition

Article Excerpt

We like Warner Music’s competitive prospects in its niche market—and a big French acquisition would just add to its attractive outlook. WARNER MUSIC GROUP, $33.20, is a buy. The company (Nasdaq symbol WMG; TSINetwork Rating: Average) (www.wmg.com; Shares outstanding: 515.7 million; Market cap: $17.6 billion; Dividend yield: 2.1%) recently approached Believe SA, a global digital music company headquartered in France, to initiate takeover talks for Believe. Warner is reportedly willing to make a bid of at least 17 euros ($18.52) per share for Believe, valuing the French digital music company at 1.65 billion euros ($1.8 billion) and topping an earlier takeover bid of 15 euros per share from a consortium of Believe’s largest shareholders. Home to music labels such as TuneCore, Naïve and Nuclear Blast, Believe was founded in 2005 by Denis Ladegaillerie. It mainly targets lesser-known singers outside the ranks of top global stars. Warner Music is now awaiting some due diligence information before submitting a formal proposal. We’ll keep an eye on the progress of…