Airbus to Sell 17.5-Percent Stake in Dassault Aviation

Airbus Group is preparing to sell a 17.5-percent stake in Dassault Aviation by April 24 in a move that will reduce its holding to around 24.5 percent. On March 25, the European aerospace and defense group announced it would sell a 15-percent stake, but later the same day increased this to 17.5 percent, involving the sale of 1.61 million shares. In November 2014, Airbus reduced its holding in Dassault from 46.3 percent to 44.11 percent.

Dassault Aviation has indicated that it is willing to buy up to 5 percent of its share capital at a maximum price of €980 per share. As of March 25, the French government had yet to indicate whether it will exercise its first right of refusal to buy the Dassault shares being released by Airbus. Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault, which is controlled by the Dassault family, holds a 55.55-percent stake in Dassault Aviation.