Havas CEO denies being in deal talks with WPP, Bloomberg reports

After The Times of the UK and AdAge reported that Havas, a WPP competitor, along with private equity firm’s Apollo (APO) and KKR (KKR), have explored bids for WPP (WPP) or parts of its business, Benoit Berthelot reports for Bloomberg that Havas CEO Yannick Bollore denied being in talks with WPP about a potential investment in the British advertising firm. In a note sent to employees seen by Bloomberg News, Bollore is quoted as having written: “It’s our policy not to comment on market rumors, however, given the recent press coverage amplifying these rumors and the questions we’ve received from colleagues and clients, we want to clarify that we are not in discussions with WPP.” Bollore is reported to have added in the memo: “While we could consider a larger acquisition aligned with our strategy, as stated in our Q3 earnings announcement a few weeks ago, there are currently no ongoing discussions of that nature.”