Vivendi makes €2bn and rewards investors
French media group Vivendi surprised investors with a larger than expected dividend yesterday and signalled it is hunting for acquisitions that will give it new digital revenue streams. Vivendi, whose assets include Universal Music, the Canal Plus pay TV business and France's second biggest mobile operator, SFR, announced a €2.1bn (£1.4bn) profit for 2005. The result was due to better than expected profits from its business units and increased contribution from investments such as NBC. Revenues rose 7% to €19.5bn.