Banco Bpm is prepared to evaluate potential mergers and acquisitions should UniCredit decide to withdraw its offer for the Piazza Meda-based bank.
This was stated by Massimo Tononi, Chairman of Banco Bpm, on the sidelines of Consob's annual meeting.
"Today, we are under the passivity rule. If the passivity rule were to disappear because UniCredit decides to step back, we would still be the country's third-largest bank, and we would look around," Tononi responded when asked about the bank's possible moves should UniCredit's takeover bid fail.
Earlier today, in an interview with la Repubblica, UniCredit's CEO said that if the bank does not receive the requested clarifications from the Italian government regarding the Golden Power regulation, UniCredit will withdraw its offer for Banco Bpm, considering this scenario "likely."
(Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro, editing by Andrea Mandalà and Antonella Cinelli)