Diligentia's Annual General Meeting approves cash dividend

Diligentia's Annual General Meeting approves cash dividend Dividend Diligentia's Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, April 13 has approved a cash dividend of SEK 2.50 per share for the financial year 1998. In total, SEK 157 million will be distributed to the shareholders. The record date is April 16 for the cash dividend, which is expected to be paid on April 23, 1999. Forecast for 1999 Following today´s Board of Directors´meeting, Diligentia issued a forecast for full-year income after net financial items, excluding capitalgains, of SEK 250 million for 1999. Tis is an improvment of 25 percent compared with 1998 income. Strategy for the future "Diligentia's balance sheet has changed greatly since 1996, and so have interest rates," states Mats Cederholm. "As a result, we can operate today with a lower equity/assets ratio than before. But it is very important to point out that we always maintain a stable, positive cash flow from operations. And we consider the interest coverage ratio an important measure of our financial strength. "We are now focusing on further developing our operations so that income and appreciation in value continue to rise," he continues "We are also striving to optimise our capital structure." Amendment to articles of association The Annual General Meeting approved an amendment to Diligentia's articles of association in accordance with the Board of Directors' proposal. The new article of association is available from Diligentia and on Diligentia's web page. Board of Directors and Auditors The Annual General Meeting reelected the board: Leif Almstedt, Björn Edgren, Bernt Johansson, Sven Nyman, Lars Trane, Mats Cederholm and Anders Rydin. In addition, the following Auditors were reelected: Göran Jacobsson, Öhrlings PricewaterhouseCoopers AB, and Thomas Thiel, KPMG Bohlins AB, along with Deputy Auditors Ulf Westerberg, Öhrlings PricewaterhouseCoopers AB, and Magnus Jacobsson, KPMG Bohlins AB. The Managing Director's address in its entirety are accessible on Diligentia's web site: www.diligentia.se Stockholm, April 13, 1999 For further information, please contact: Mats Cederholm, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Diligentia AB telephone: +46-8-5875 8110 or +46-70-426 8110, e-mail: mats.cederholm@diligentia.se Göran O. Westerberg, Head of Group Communications and Investor Relations, telephone: +46-8-5875 8120 or +46-70-426 8120, e-mail: goran.westerberg@diligentia.se www.diligentia.se, e-mail: diligentia@diligentia.se ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/04/13/19990413BIT00450/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/04/13/19990413BIT00450/bit0002.pdf