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12.12.2023
Worldline Bond Yields Shift on Credit Agricole Stake Buyout
Worldline Bond Yields Shift on Credit Agricole Stake Buyout
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Credit Agricole's interest in acquiring a stake in Worldline led to a decrease in bond yield, as the French lender aims to stabilize its struggling payments partner facing challenges from an economic slowdown and cybercrime.

The WLN 1.625 13-SEP-2024 EUR (FR0013281946) bond witnessed a notable shift in its yield, experiencing a 73 basis points decrease to 5.6% within the week.

Yield curve illustration showing the performance of the WLN bond (FR0013281946), with a 1.625% coupon, due on September 13, 2024, in Euros.

The decline in yield is linked to Credit Agricole's exploration of acquiring a stake in Worldline. Following a media report on December 1, 2023, indicating Credit Agricole's interest, Worldline shares surged by almost 12%. The French lender aims to stabilize its struggling payments partner, which faced a substantial loss in stock value in late October due to a cut in full-year financial targets.

Worldline's challenges are rooted in the economic slowdown, particularly in Germany, leading to a decrease in consumer spending and caution. To mitigate risks, the company severed ties with some merchants citing a rise in cybercrime. The joint venture between Credit Agricole and Worldline, announced earlier in the year, is positioned as a strategic move to provide payment services, with expectations of approval by year-end and launch in early 2024.

The company's senior unsecured debt is currently assigned a 'BBB-' rating by S&P.

About Worldline

Worldline SA specializes in providing payment and transactional services, catering to retail and merchant clients, financial institutions, manufacturing, transport, and public sectors. Its operations are organized into three segments: Merchant Services, Financial Services, and Mobility and e-Transactional Services. The Merchant Services segment offers various solutions like commercial acquiring, terminal services, omnichannel payment acceptance, private label card, loyalty services, and digital retail services. The Financial Services segment includes services such as issuing processing, acquiring processing, digital banking, and account payments. The Mobility and e-Transactional Services segment encompasses trusted digitization, e-ticketing, contact and consumer cloud, and connected living and mobility. The company was founded on July 31, 1990 and is headquartered in Paris, France. Worldline SA has a market capitalization of €4.41 billion as of December 8, 2023.

This article does not constitute investment advice or personal recommendation. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bondfish does not recommend using the data and information provided as the only basis for making any investment decision. You should not make any investment decisions without first conducting your own research and considering your own financial situation.