The Annual General Meeting of Svenska Handelsbanken
At the annual general meeting on 23 April 2002, Handelsbanken's board was re-elected with the exception of Dr Bo Rydin who had declined re-election.
New members elected to the board were Fredrik Lundberg, Djursholm, and Sverker Martin-Löf, Stockholm.
At the subsequent first board meeting, Arne Mårtensson was appointed chairman of the board, Hans Larsson and Anders Nyrén, vice chairmen and Lars O Grönstedt, president and group chief executive.
The board members are listed on the next page.
Dividend
The annual general meeting adopted the board's proposal for a dividend of SEK 4.50 per share. The record day for dividend is Friday 26 April 2002. The dividend is expected to be distributed by the VPC on Thursday 2 May 2002.
Buyback and disposal of shares
In accordance with the board's proposal, the annual general meeting authorised the board to resolve on purchase of the Bank's own class A and/or B shares during the period until the annual general meeting in 2003 on the following conditions:
- The purchase must be made on OM Stockholmsbörsen.
- The Bank may purchase a total of no more than 20 000 000 class A or B shares.
- The shares must be paid for at the market price applicable at the time of purchase.
The meeting also decided to authorise the board to resolve on a) disposal of the Bank's own shares, deviating from the shareholders' preferential rights, as payment in connection with future acquisition of a company or business, and b) with or without preferential rights for the shareholders, to resolve on disposal of the Bank's own shares in some other way than through OM Stockholmsbörsen in order to finance acquisition of a company or business. In cases where disposal is made deviating from the shareholders' preferential rights, the remuneration for shares sold must correspond to an estimated market value and may be payable in other forms than cash. In other respects, the following terms shall apply:
- The authorisation can be utilised on one or more occasions until the next annual general meeting.
- The authorisation covers all class A or B shares in Handelsbanken held by the Bank at the time of the board's resolution.
Members of the Board 2002
PIRKKO ALITALO, Helsinki
LOTTY BERGSTRÖM, Ekerö
TOMMY BYLUND, Ljusdal
GÖRAN ENNERFELT, Upplands Väsby
DR PER-OLOF ERIKSSON, Sandviken
LARS O GRÖNSTEDT, Stockholm,
HANS LARSSON, Stockholm
FREDRIK LUNDBERG, Djursholm
SVERKER MARTIN-LÖF, Stockholm
ARNE MÅRTENSSON, Djursholm
OLLE PERSSON, Östersund
ANDERS NYRÉN, Bromma
PROFESSOR BENGT SAMUELSSON, Djursholm
The full Press Release is available to download from the enclosed link.