Adnkronos Milan, 07 Feb. – (Adnkronos) – On the takeover bid launched by Bper on Pop Sondrio, "we spoke with Unipol; they have reserved the right to evaluate the numbers and then they will decide". This was stated by Bper CEO Gianni Franco Papa, answering reporters' questions during the press conference to present the voluntary public exchange offer promoted by the Group on all the shares of Banca Popolare di Sondrio.
The Group led by CEO Cimbri is the reference shareholder by virtue of a 19,8% stake in Bper and 19,7% in Pop Sondrio. "Obviously - warns Papa - they have a Board of Directors, they will then have all their procedures to follow". Our hope "is that the operation is well accepted". In any case, at the moment "they have not expressed themselves and therefore I cannot say what they will decide". However, he concluded, "being an industrial operation, we pay a premium on the share, Unipol should be neutral".
The takeover bid launched by Bper on all the shares of Banca Popolare di Sondrio "is a great strategic lever; we believe that this is an operation with a strongly industrial and non-financial character". The operation, explains Papa, "combines the capabilities of two banks that share their history, because they both come from the world of popular banks; they have similar characteristics with regard to the way in which they carry out their respective business and the attention that is paid to the needs of the territories. This is a point on which I want to pay close attention because for us, being a national bank with a strong traditional presence is the element of strength, it is what characterizes us and it is what has allowed us, even in 2024, a year that is certainly not easy, to continue the results that we have achieved thanks to our relationship".