ProSieben shares hit as investors question digital asset strategy

By Isabel Demetz and Klaus Lauer

(Reuters) -Shares of ProSiebenSat.1 tumbled on Thursday, a day after the German media group said it was in talks with General Atlantic (GA) to regain full ownership of two of its units.

The shares fell 8% by 1257 GMT, after falling as much as 14.3% earlier in the session, on track for their worst daily decline in a year.

The company said on Wednesday it was looking to buy GA's minority stakes in its internet holding NuCom Group — excluding price comparison website Verivox and perfume e-retailer Flaconi — and online dating platform ParshipMeet Group.

That would make ProSiebenSat.1 the only owner of NuCom and ParshipMeet, as it seeks third party buyers for Verivox and Flaconi.

"That's just not what people want to hear," a German trader said, "investors want the divisions to be sold."

ProSieben's management came under pressure last year to sell its non-broadcasting business, in a campaign led by its top two shareholders, Italy's MFE-MediaForEurope and Czech investment group PPF.

Investors were thus expecting disposals from ProSiebenSat.1, not large mergers and acquisitions, Barclays analysts said in a note.

A potential deal could be taken badly unless realised at the same time as the disposal of Flaconi and Verivox, the analysts added.

Under the possible deal, GA would be paid either through a convertible bond or ProSiebenSat.1 shares, the company said.

"We hope that the deal with investor General Atlantic will give us more flexibility to drive forward the sales of Verivox and Flaconi," CEO Bert Habets said during a press conference.

Finance chief Martin Mildner added that the planned deal would not represent a "poison pill" for a possible takeover by MFE.

ProSiebenSat.1 also reported a 3.6% drop in its annual core earnings on Thursday, as customers' lower spending on TV advertisements hit results for a third year in a row.

The company, which last month announced it was planning an additional savings programme, said it was targeting gross savings of around 80 million euros in 2025 and more than 100 million euros starting from 2026.

($1 = 0.9256 euros)

(Reporting by Isabel Demetz, Bernadette Hogg and Klaus Lauer; Editing by Milla Nissi)