Tokmanni Group Corporation: Announcement of a change in shareholding according to Chapter 9, Section 10 of the Finnish Securities Market Act

Not for publication, distribution or release, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa or Singapore.

Tokmanni Group Corporation - Announcement of a change in shareholding according to Chapter 9, Section 10 of the Finnish Securities Market Act

Tokmanni Group Corporation                  Company Announcement    27 May 2016          17:30 EET

Tokmanni Group Corporation (the "Company") has today received a notification from Cidron Disco S.à r.l. ("Cidron", a company ultimately owned by Nordic Capital Fund VII¹, together with associated co-investment vehicles) according to which Cidron's direct holding in the Company will increase to 45.78 percent and Cidron's holding in the Company through financial instruments will fall below the threshold of 5 percent as a result of the partial exercise of the over-allotment option by Goldman Sachs International ("Goldman Sachs") on 27 May 2016 granted by Cidron in connection with the initial public offering of the Company. 

Total positions of Cidron:

Notified details of the resulting situation on the date on which the threshold was crossed or reached:

A: Shares and voting rights

_________
1              "Nordic Capital Fund VII" refers to Nordic Capital VII Alpha, L.P. and Nordic Capital VII Beta, L.P., for which Nordic Capital VII Limited acts as General Partner. 

Cidron has on 29 April 2016 entered into a share lending agreement with Goldman Sachs to cover the over-allotments in the initial public offering of the Company. Under the share lending agreement, Cidron lent to Goldman Sachs 3,532,124 existing shares. Goldman Sachs has an obligation to return the lent shares by 30 May 2016, unless Goldman Sachs wholly or partially exercises its over-allotment option granted by Cidron in connection with the initial public offering, which exercise will offset the obligation to return on a share-for-share basis. On 27 May 2016, Goldman Sachs notified Cidron that it has decided to exercise the above-mentioned over-allotment option in respect of 1,100,000 shares, which will take effect on 1 June 2016. Goldman Sachs will return to Cidron the remaining 2,432,124 borrowed shares in accordance with the above-mentioned share lending agreement. As a result, Cidron's direct holding in the Company will increase to 45.78 percent and Cidron's holding in the Company through financial instruments will fall below the threshold of 5 percent.

For further information

Joséphine Mickwitz, Head of IR and Communications, tel: +358 20 728 6535

Tokmanni in brief

Tokmanni is the largest general discount retailer in Finland measured by number of stores and revenue. In 2015, Tokmanni's revenue was EUR 755 million and on average it had approximately 3,200 employees. Tokmanni is the only nationwide general discount retailer in Finland, with 156 stores across Finland as at 31 December 2015.

Distribution:

Nasdaq Helsinki

Key Media

Important Notice

The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. No reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy, fairness or completeness. The information in this announcement may be subject to change.

Neither this announcement nor the information contained herein is for publication, distribution or release, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Australia, Canada, the Hong Kong special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa or Singapore or any other jurisdiction where to do so would constitute violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction.

This announcement is not a prospectus for the purposes of Directive 2003/71/EC (such directive, as amended, together with any applicable implementing measures in the relevant member state of the European Economic Area under such Directive, the "Prospectus Directive"). A prospectus prepared pursuant to the Prospectus Directive and approved by the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority has been published and can be obtained from the Company and other places indicated in the prospectus. Investors should not subscribe for or purchase any securities referred to in this announcement except on the basis of information contained in the prospectus.

This announcement does not contain or constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, any securities in the United States. The securities referred to herein may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The Company does not intend to register any of the securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of the securities in the United States.

This announcement is directed only at: (A) persons in member states of the European Economic Area who are "qualified investors" within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive (the "Qualified Investors"); (B) in the United Kingdom, Qualified Investors who are persons who (i) have professional experience in matters relating to investments and who fall within the definition of "investment professionals" in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended) (the "Order"); or (ii) are high net worth entities falling within Article 49 of the Order; and (C) other persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "Relevant Persons"). Any investment activity to which this communication relates will only be available to and will only be engaged with, Relevant Persons. Any person who is not a Relevant Person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.

None of Goldman Sachs, Nordea Bank Finland Plc, Merrill Lynch International or Carnegie Investment Bank AB, Finland branch (together, the "Managers") or any of their respective affiliates, directors, officers, employees, advisers or agents accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for/or makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from the announcement) or any other information relating to the Company, its subsidiaries or associated companies, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith.

The Managers are each acting exclusively for the Company and for no-one else in connection with any transaction mentioned in this announcement and will not regard any other person (whether or not a recipient of this announcement) as a client in relation to any such transaction and will not be responsible to any other person for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients, or for advising any such person on the contents of this announcement or in connection with any transaction referred to in this announcement. The contents of this announcement have not been verified by the Managers.

FCA/ICMA Stabilisation

This announcement does not constitute a recommendation concerning the offering. The price and value of securities and any income from them can go down as well as up. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. Information in this announcement or any of the documents relating to the offering cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance. There is no guarantee that the listing on Nasdaq Helsinki will occur and you should not base your financial decisions on the Company's intentions in relation to the listing at this stage. Potential investors should consult a professional advisor as to the suitability of the offering for the entity concerned.

Each of the Managers and any of their respective affiliates, acting as investors for their own accounts, may purchase shares and in that capacity may retain, purchase, sell, offer to sell or otherwise deal for their own accounts in such shares and other securities of the Company or related investments in connection with the offering or otherwise. Accordingly, references in the final prospectus to the shares being offered, acquired, sold, placed or otherwise dealt in should be read as including any offer, sale, acquisition, placing or dealing in the shares by any of the Managers and any of their affiliates acting as investors for their own accounts. In addition, certain of the Managers or their affiliates may enter into financing arrangements and swaps in connection with which they or their affiliates may from time to time acquire, hold or dispose of shares. None of the Managers intends to disclose the extent of any such investment or transaction otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligations to do so.

No representation or warranty, express or implied, is given by or on behalf of the Managers or any of their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, agents or advisers or any of such persons' affiliates, directors, officers or employees or any other person as to the fairness, accuracy, completeness or verification of the information or the opinions contained in this announcement, and no liability is accepted for any such information or opinions. Each of the Managers or any such persons' directors, officers, employees or affiliates or any other person disclaim all and any responsibility and liability whatsoever, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies in such information or opinions or for any loss, cost or damage suffered or incurred howsoever arising, directly or indirectly, from any use of this announcement or its contents or otherwise in connection with this announcement.