By Leo Marchandon

Oct 14 - French advertising firm Havas HAVAS.AS reported 3.8% organic growth in the third quarter and raised its financial outlook for 2025, citing a strong performance in the United States.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

Havas is bolstering its media capabilities through Horizon Global, a joint venture with U.S.-based Horizon Media, combining AI-driven platforms and agency networks to target multinational accounts led by U.S. clients.

The partnership will enable U.S. customers to utilize Horizon's domestic network and Havas' international networks, with both companies sharing revenues and profits from joint accounts.

KEY QUOTES

"Our Converged.AI strategy continues to drive measurable impact", Havas CEO Yannick Bolloré said in a statement.

"Horizon is a major American player, exclusively American. Customers increasingly want global solutions," Havas CFO François Laroze said during a call with journalists.

"Horizon did not have the capacity to offer them a single service, so they approached us with this partnership proposal. This is something that can bring us new global customers outside the U.S. on an international scale," he added.

CONTEXT

Havas completed its spin-off from Vivendi in December 2024 and began trading on Euronext Amsterdam in a move aimed at unlocking its shareholder value. The company has invested in its Converged AI platform and agency acquisition and now seeks to benefit from Horizon Global to win global media accounts.

BY THE NUMBERS

The company now projects organic net revenue growth in the range of 2.5% to 3.0%, up from its previous forecast of above 2.0%. Adjusted EBIT margin is expected to improve to approximately 12.9%, compared to the prior range of 12.5% to 13.5%.

(Reporting by Leo Marchandon; Editing by Matt Scuffham)

((leo.marchandon@thomsonreuters.com))