Swedish Match announces reduction of shares and share capital

Swedish Match announces reduction of shares and share capital The resolution by the General Meeting of Shareholders of October 27, 2000, concerning the reduction of share capital in Swedish Match has been registered at Patent- och Registreringsverket. The reduction concerns 17,350,210 repurchased shares which implies that the shares now have been cancelled. After the reduction the shares in the Company amounts to 386,596,181 and Swedish Match currently holds 20,742,877 shares in the Company. According to the General Meeting of Shareholders resolution Swedish Match's holding of shares in the Company may amount to 10 percent of the total number of shares in the Company, which means that another 17.9 million shares can be repurchased within the framework of the mandate. Swedish Match is an international group with headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. The company manufactures a broad range of non-cigarette tobacco products, matches and disposable lighters which are sold in approximately 140 countries. Sales for the twelve month period ending December 31, 2000 amounted to 11,533 MSEK. For further information, please contact: Lennart Sundén, President and Chief office +46 8 658 01 75 Executive Officer Sven Hindrikes, Executive Vice office +46 8 658 02 82 President and Chief Financial Officer Bo Aulin, Senior Vice President, office +46 8 658 03 64 Secretary and General Counsel mobile +46 70 558 03 64 Emmett Harrison, Vice President, office +46 8 658 01 73 Investor Relations mobile +46 70 938 01 73 ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/03/19/20010319BIT00810/bit0002.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2001/03/19/20010319BIT00810/bit0002.pdf