Atos shares rose on the stock market on Friday following reports that the group is in "advanced" talks with Airbus, the aircraft manufacturer showing interest in Atos' cybersecurity division with a view to its takeover.

On the Paris Bourse, Atos shares were up 16.78% at 7.608 euros at 12:03 pm GMT on Friday, while the SBF 120 was up 0.62% at the same time.

A source confirmed reports in Le Figaro on Thursday that Airbus was once again interested in buying Atos' Big Data and Security (BDS) division. Last March, the world's leading aircraft manufacturer decided to put an end to its plan to acquire a 29.9% stake in Atos' future digital and cybersecurity activities.

However, even as Airbus withdrew from the agreement, Guillaume Faury, the group's CEO, declared that he remained open to a strategic partnership with Atos.

Last year, Atos announced plans to spin off and combine its coveted Big Data and Security (BDS) division and other assets into a new entity called Evidian.

The Evidian entity has already whetted the appetites of several players, including Thales and the Onepoint group.

Airbus did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Atos declined to comment.

Including Friday's rise, Atos shares have lost 15.34% since the start of the year. (Written by Augustin Turpin, with contributions from Dagmarah Mackos and Michal Aleksandrowicz, edited by Jean-Stéphane Brosse and Tangi Salaün)