FöreningsSparbanken acquires additional 5% of Estonia's Hansapank

FöreningsSparbanken acquires additional 5% of Estonia's Hansapank FöreningsSparbanken has acquired an additional 4 million shares, or slightly over 5%, in Estonia's Hansapank through the exercise of a call option. The acquisition, which comprises the Polish Bank Handlowy's entire shareholding in Hansapank, raises FöreningsSparbanken ownership interest in Hansapank from 52.65% to 57.72%. Hansapank is the largest bank in Estonia, with operations in Latvia through Hansabanka and in Lithuania through Hansabankas. Hansapank - with total assets of 41 billion Estonian kroon, 164 branches, 3,300 employees, 1.1 million private customers and 85,000 business customers - has as its goal to be the leading financial institution in the Baltics. For further information, please contact: Staffan Salén, Executive Vice President and Head of Information&Investor Relations, phone +46 (0)70 531 0111 Olov Lydén, Company Secretary, phone +46 (0)8 585 915 66 ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/12/28/20001228BIT00420/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/12/28/20001228BIT00420/bit0002.pdf