First-half sales fell by 0.6% in constant currency terms from a year earlier to 5.56 billion euros ($5.64 billion), in line with a median estimate of 5.52 billion from 10 analysts canvassed by the company.
The group burnt 555 million euros in the first half and said it expected to burn up to 450 million euros in the full year. It said now expects its full-year operating margin to be in the lower end of the 3% to 5% range it previously expected.
The first six months of the year were particularly turbulent for the group formerly headed by the European Union industry's chief Thierry Breton, as it went through two governance reshuffles and a painful downgrade of its debt to junk status by ratings firm S&P.
The difficult period reached its climax in June with the sudden departure of Rodolphe Belmer following a rift with the board over strategy, just a few months after his nomination as CEO.
Belmer announced he would leave the group on the day Atos presented its plan to split-up the company in two groups, with the aim to spin off and combine its most juicy assets, including its cybersecurity division BDS.
Atos said it had secured the 1.5 billion euros worth of financing needed for the plan, which include investments and restructuring costs both upcoming entities, with final documentation to be signed with banks "in the next few days".
($1 = 0.9855 euros)
(Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Kim Coghill)
By Mathieu Rosemain
