Renault’s majority control of AvtoVAZ, the Soviet-era maker of Ladas, and reliance on Russia for about 12 % of its income at the moment are issues of investor concern.
Chopping ties with the enterprise would come at an incredible price, and prospects for a broader financial stoop throughout Europe danger derailing its already-tenuous turnaround efforts.
“It could be completely reputable for Renault to contemplate an exit from AvtoVAZ,” stated Jefferies analyst Philippe Houchois. “Renault might take the loss, however an exit can be a troublesome resolution.”
Russia accounted for about 5 billion euros ($5.5 billion) of Renault’s income final yr, and roughly 315 million euros of working revenue could possibly be in danger, Bloomberg Intelligence estimates. Renault shares have plummeted since final week to commerce at their lowest since November 2020.
As a flood of firms worldwide pull again and unload property in Russia, Renault, and the French authorities — its strongest shareholder — have stored mum on AvtoVAZ. So has the opposite accomplice within the enterprise, Rostec State, a Russian government-owned protection conglomerate headed by Sergey Chemezov, an in depth ally of Putin.
“Renault has promised to abide by sanctions,” Gabriel Attal, the French authorities spokesman, stated Thursday on France Data radio. A spokesman for AvtoVAZ declined to remark past operational points. Renault continues to observe the state of affairs, based on a spokesman.
