(new: losses widened, record low, analysts)

FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - The impasse over the planned sale of its Southeast Asia activities caused turbulence for Delivery Hero on Friday. The share price of the food delivery service sank to a record low. Most recently, the discount amounted to almost 12 percent to just over 19 euros. The shares thus continued their rapid slide. At times on Friday, they had cost just 18.72 euros.

Traders cited a report in the "Business Times" from Singapore as the impetus for the share price slide, according to which a deal to sell the Foodpanda business in South East Asia had fallen through due to differing price expectations. The sum demanded by Delivery Hero was considered too high by the Singaporean prospective buyer Grab Holdings, the report said, citing insiders.

Analyst Giles Thorne from Jefferies expressed his surprise in an initial reaction, as he had previously firmly believed in a sale this year. The report was a disappointment, as the deal would have fundamentally changed Delivery Hero's financial profile and made the food delivery service a more investable company again. Before giving up hope, however, he noted that an ad hoc announcement would require confirmation.

Thorne emphasized that should the impasse continue, the existing liquidity and current cash inflow would guarantee the company financial flexibility. Nevertheless, the equity of the food delivery service will inevitably suffer under the burden of its balance sheet.

Asia is the most important, but also a difficult region for Delivery Hero. As already known, the Group intends to divest its Southeast Asia division on the way to achieving its profitability targets. It intends to sell its Foodpanda brand in a number of countries in the region, as the MDax-listed company had already announced in mid-September. Instead, the Middle East and North Africa region is increasingly coming to the fore.

Delivery Hero recently sold its stake in the British food delivery service Deliveroo, albeit at a loss of millions./tih/edh/jha/