Ratos's Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 9 April at
17.30 CET in Berwaldhallen, Stockholm. The complete notice of the
meeting is available at www.ratos.se where attendance can also be
notified. Complete AGM documentation will be available at Ratos's
head office and on the company's website www.ratos.se from 12 March.
Board of Directors
The Nomination Committee proposes re-election of Board members Olof
Stenhammar, Lars Berg, Staffan Bohman, Göran Grosskopf, Arne Karlsson
(CEO), Annette Sadolin, Jan Söderberg and Per-Olof Söderberg. Göran
Grosskopf has declined re-election. Olof Stenhammar is proposed as
Chairman of the Board. Olof Stenhammar is also proposed as Chairman
of the AGM.
Of the proposed Board members, Olof Stenhammar, who has been on the
Board of the company for more than 12 years, and the company's CEO
Arne Karlsson are non-independent Board members. Two Board members,
Jan Söderberg and Per-Olof Söderberg, are non-independent of major
shareholders. The remaining three Board members are independent of
Ratos and its management.
A more detailed presentation of proposed Board members and the work
of the Nomination Committee is provided on the company's website
www.ratos.se.
Proposed dividend
The Board proposes an ordinary dividend of SEK 9.00 per share
(5.50+5.50) of class A and B. The record date for the right to
received dividends is proposed as 14 April and dividends are expected
to be paid on 17 April.
Purchase of treasury shares
The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual General Meeting gives
the Board a mandate to decide, during the period until the next
Annual General Meeting, on repurchase of a maximum number of shares
so that the company's holding of treasury shares does not exceed 7%
of all the shares in the company. The purpose of the buy-backs is to
give the Board more room for manoeuvre in its work to create value
for the company's shareholders.
Incentive programme
The Board proposes a decision to issue a maximum of 750,000 call
options on repurchased Ratos-shares to be transferred at a market
premium to key people within Ratos. The intention is that option
purchases should be partly subsidised. It is further proposed that
the Annual General Meeting decides on a transfer of a maximum of
750,000 shares in the company when the above-mentioned options are
exercised.
In addition, the Board proposes that the Annual General Meeting
decides to introduce a cash-settled option programme related to
Ratos's investments in new holdings. It is proposed to carry out the
programme through issuance of synthetic options which key people
within Ratos will be entitled to acquire. The programme is
essentially identical to the 2007 Option Programme decided at the
2007 Annual General Meeting.
For further information, please contact:
Olof Stenhammar, Chairman of the Board, +46 8 700 17 45
Sarah McPhee, Chairman of the Nomination Committee, +46 8 696 31 04
Financial calendar from Ratos:
Annual General Meeting 11 April 2007
Interim report January-March 9 May 2007
Interim report January-June 21 August 2007
Interim report January-September 9 November 2007
Ratos is a listed private equity company. The business concept is to
maximise shareholder value over time by investing in, developing and
divesting primarily unlisted companies. Ratos offers investors a
unique investment opportunity. The equity of Ratos's investments is
approximately SEK 12 billion and a market capitalisation of
approximately SEK 31 billion. Ratos's holdings include AH Industries,
Anticimex, Arcus Gruppen, Bisnode, Camfil, Contex, DIAB, EuroMaint,
GS-Hydro, Haendig, Haglöfs, HL Display, HÅG/RH/RBM, Hägglunds Drives,
Inwido, Jøtul, Lindab, MCC, Medifiq Healthcare, Superfos and Other
holdings.
