Fnac Darty Shares Surge 17% at Close Following EP Group's Takeover Bid
French retailer Fnac Darty saw a significant increase of 17.02% this Monday, January 27, 2026, closing at 35.40 euros. This surge followed the announcement of a public takeover offer submitted by EP Group, controlled by Czech billionaire Daniel K?etínský. The bid, presented after market on Friday, January 23, values each share at 36 euros in cash and also targets convertible bonds at a price of 81.09 euros. This offer represents a premium of 19% over the last closing price and 24% and 26% over the one and three-month volume-weighted averages respectively.
Ownership and Strategic Intentions
Vesa Equity Investment, a subsidiary of EP Group, currently holds 28.5% of the capital and voting rights of Fnac Darty. The billionaire now aims to take control of the retail group without delisting it from the Paris Stock Exchange. EP Group has stated that it does not intend to request the implementation of a mandatory withdrawal procedure following the offer.
The board of directors of Fnac Darty has unanimously welcomed this proposal. An ad hoc committee has been set up, composed mainly of independent directors and chaired by Sandra Lagumina, and also includes Olivier Duha, Jean-Marc Janaillac, and Jacques Veyrat, while the firm Ledouble has been appointed as the independent expert. The final submission of the offer to the Financial Markets Authority is scheduled before the end of the first quarter of 2026. This move comes as the group's second-largest shareholder, German Ceconomy, holding 21.9% of the capital, is about to be acquired by Chinese tech giant JD.com.
Market Dynamics and Analyst Perspectives
With a closing price set at 35.40 euros, the retailer's stock now trades close to the offered price of 36 euros, which has become a de facto technical resistance. The stock has surpassed its previous resistance level at 35.40 euros and now shows a substantial lead over its reference moving averages. TP ICAP Midcap, however, considers the premium offered to be quite low, noting that its target price stands at 40 euros.
Technical indicators reflect a resurgence of momentum. The RSI has reached 72, indicating an overbought zone that reflects investors' enthusiasm for this capitalistic move. The MACD remains positively oriented with a histogram of 0.43, confirming the strength of the upward movement. Operationally, the group recorded a growth of 0.7% on a like-for-like basis in 2025, achieving a turnover of 10.33 billion euros, while the current operating result stood at 203.1 million euros compared to 200.4 million in 2024.
