French IT company Atos has confirmed that it is in discussion with Airbus over the potential sale of its data and cybersecurity business BDS for $1.97 billion, including debt.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, Atos said it is in preliminary negotiations with the French aircraft maker. Airbus also confirmed that it had submitted a nonbinding proposal for the acquisition but clarified that there is no certainty that discussions will result in a transaction.
The report comes almost a year after Airbus tried to acquire a 29.9 percent stake in Atos’ Eviden unit, which included BDS. The company pulled out its offer at that time after hedge fund manager Chris Hohn, who heads TCI, a major Airbus stakeholder, opposed the transaction.
Atos is facing serious financial challenges as it anticipates its debt of over $2.41 billion to mature in 2025. The company is also in discussions to sell its Tech Foundations division to EP Equity Investment.