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Telefónica seeks buyer for its Mexican business: Report

Telefonica aims to finalize the sale before its annual shareholders’ meeting, typically held in April or May

Spanish telecommunications giant Telefónica has hired investment bank JP Morgan to oversee the sale of its Mexican business, according to a report by financial newspaper Cinco Días, which cited unnamed financial sources.

According to the Spanish paper, the company aims to finalize the sale before its annual shareholders’ meeting, typically held in April or May.

The report noted that this move comes amid Telefónica’s broader strategy to divest assets in Latin America as it works to reduce debt and fund investments in 5G mobile networks. In recent years, the company has sold several regional assets, and it is also accelerating efforts to sell a majority stake in its Colombian subsidiary to Millicom Tigo,

Telefónica is reportedly in the final stages of negotiations, with the deal valued at approximately $400 million. The process has been progressing positively in recent weeks, though it still requires regulatory approval, Colombian press reported.

Meanwhile, Telefónica has also put its Argentine operations on the market, with JP Morgan managing the sale process. Reports indicate that interest in acquiring Telefónica’s Argentine operation has intensified in recent weeks, with at least five potential buyers emerging. Among them are Mexican telecom giant América Móvil, French telecom company Iliad, and Liberty Media, which may partner with Millicom. Additionally, local firms such as the Werthein Group and media conglomerate Clarín are also reportedly considering bids.

Any potential sale to América Móvil or Clarín would require regulatory approval, given that both companies directly compete with Telefónica’s mobile brand, Movistar. America Movil operates in the local mobile market through its Claro brand while Grupo Clarin owns mobile operator Personal.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Juan Pedro Tomás
Juan Pedro Tomás
Juan Pedro covers Global Carriers and Global Enterprise IoT. Prior to RCR, Juan Pedro worked for Business News Americas, covering telecoms and IT news in the Latin American markets. He also worked for Telecompaper as their Regional Editor for Latin America and Asia/Pacific. Juan Pedro has also contributed to Latin Trade magazine as the publication's correspondent in Argentina and with political risk consultancy firm Exclusive Analysis, writing reports and providing political and economic information from certain Latin American markets. He has a degree in International Relations and a master in Journalism and is married with two kids.