Worldline Secures Financial Foundation with Major Capital Raise

The French payments processor Worldline SA has successfully concluded the final and largest component of its €500 million capital strengthening initiative. This move provides the company with the essential financial flexibility to pursue its comprehensive transformation strategy, known as "North Star 2030."

Strategic Capital Injection Finalized

Following a subscription period that closed last Friday, Worldline has raised approximately €392 million through a rights issue. To ensure the measure's success, the company adopted a highly competitive pricing strategy. New shares were offered at just €0.202 each, representing a discount of nearly 86% compared to the share price level before the details were announced. Existing shareholders were granted the right to purchase six new shares for every one held. This aggressive pricing was deemed necessary to complete the total half-billion-euro package, which followed a reserved capital increase of over €108 million executed in early March.

Key Shareholders Provide Solid Backing

The stability of this capital measure was underpinned by commitments from major strategic partners and core shareholders. Entities including Bpifrance, Crédit Agricole, and BNP Paribas fulfilled their subscription obligations. In a significant show of confidence, Banque Fédérative du Crédit Mutuel entered as a new investor, taking over the subscription rights of SIX Group AG. The participation of these influential institutions is intended to restore market confidence and solidify the company's balance sheet.

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Summary of the Capital Measure:
- Total Volume: Approximately €500 million
- Subscription Price: €0.202 per share
- Rights Ratio: 6 new shares for every 1 existing share
- Primary Goal: Reduce net debt to below two times adjusted EBITDA

Focusing on Debt Reduction and Operational Targets

The immediate pressure on Worldline's finances has been alleviated with the completion of this capital raise. The freshly acquired funds will primarily be used to strengthen the balance sheet, with a clear objective to significantly lower net debt by 2026.

This financial restructuring runs parallel to the operational "North Star 2030" transformation plan, designed to stabilize business performance. Company management indicates that an improved order intake by the end of 2025, coupled with planned divestments of non-core activities, will support this strategic direction. The current priority now shifts to the operational execution of efficiency targets and the announced debt reduction plan leading up to 2026.

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