Vivendi Makes Peace With Minority Shareholder, Agrees to New Dividend

By Sam Schechner 

PARIS-- Vivendi SA said it will propose an additional dividend of EUR2 a share, boosting its cash return to shareholders as part of an agreement to quell a public spat with a minority shareholder ahead of the media conglomerate's annual meeting.

Vivendi and U.S. hedge fund P. Schoenfeld Asset Management LP said Wednesday that they have in recent days struck a deal to end their public feud, with Vivendi promising new dividends that will push Vivendi's overall cash return to shareholders to EUR6.75 billion.

In return, PSAM has agreed to withdraw two resolutions the company had proposed to force Vivendi to pay out EUR9 billion to shareholders, the two companies said.

The agreement puts an end to a battle that broke out last month, over what Vivendi should do with the roughly 10 billion euros in will have on its balance sheet when it completes a recent spate of recent asset sales. In the last two years, Vivendi has sold off assets that accounted for more than half of its revenue, including videogames maker Activision Blizzard and telecommunications companies in France and Morocco--leaving it focused on media.

The French group's chairman and single largest shareholder, Vincent Bolloré--who has a reputation in France for being a savvy investor but also tightly controlling companies he gets involved in--has said little about his plans, besides pledging to create more synergies between the units and building a France-based global media group.

In recent weeks, PSAM has said that Vivendi lacked a strategy, and should instead return cash to shareholders. On Wednesday, however, PSAM said it endorsed the company's growth strategy when combined with the new dividends.

"Mr. Bolloré has demonstrated his sensitivity and willingness to respond to shareholder concerns," the firm said in a statement.

As part of the deal Vivendi will propose the new dividend in a shareholder meeting after it completes all of its pending sales, including its telecommunications company in Brazil and its remaining stake in French telecommunications operator SFR.

If approved, it will be paid in two tranches, one in the fourth quarter of 2015 and the other in the first quarter of 2016.

Write to Sam Schechner at [e-mail]

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