Criteria increases its stake in Naturgy to 28.5%.

BarcelonaCriteria, the investment arm of La Caixa, has taken advantage of GIP-BlackRock's accelerated placement of 11.4% of Naturgy's share capital to strengthen its stake in the energy company. The holding company with the largest portfolio of business investments in Spain acquired 2.5% of this placement, thus reinforcing its position as the largest shareholder with 28.5% of the capital. Criteria invested a total of €611 million in this operation, in which the shares were sold at €25.20. Naturgy, which fell 7.40% on Tuesday to €24.78, is part of Criteria's portfolio of significant investments, along with Telefónica (9.99%), ACS (9.36%), and the French company Veolia (5%), among others. Following this transaction, CVC is the second largest shareholder in Naturgy, with 18.8%. followed by the Australian fund IFM, with 15.169%, the March family's Corporación Financiera Alba, with 5%, and the Algerian company Sonatrach, with 3.85%. Criteria, owned by the La Caixa Foundation, states that the purchase "demonstrates its commitment to Naturgy's future." GIP-Blackrock, which with this placement has exited Naturgy's capital, began its divestment last December, when it placed 7.1% for approximately €1.8 billion. At that time, Criteria, chaired by Isidro Fainé, increased its stake to 26%. With the placement of 11.4% of the energy company's capital, GIP-Blackrock has pocketed €2.791 billion. As a result, the seller, which invested over €3.8 billion in Naturgy's capital, will have received approximately €4.5 billion from the sale of its stake, not including dividends received.