Volkswagen controls 99.57 percent of the shares in Scania and does not further extend the acceptance period
The offer referred to in this press release is not being made, whether directly or indirectly, in Canada, New Zealand or South Africa or in any other jurisdictions where such offer pursuant to legislation and regulations in such relevant jurisdictions would be prohibited by applicable law. Shareholders not resident in Sweden who wish to accept the Offer (as defined below) must make inquiries concerning applicable legislation and possible tax consequences. Shareholders should refer to the offer restrictions included in the section titled “Important notice” at the end of this press release and in the tender offer document which has been published on Volkswagen’s website www.volkswagenag.com/ir. Shareholders in the United States should also refer to the section titled “Special notice to shareholders in the United States” at the end of this press release.
Press release
12 June 2014
On 21 February 2014, Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (“Volkswagen”) announced a public offer to the shareholders of Scania Aktiebolag (“Scania”) to tender all shares in Scania to Volkswagen at a price of SEK 200 in cash per share, regardless of share class (the “Offer”). Volkswagen announced on 13 May 2014 that the Offer will be completed. Volkswagen has initiated compulsory acquisition of the remaining shares in Scania.
The shares tendered in the Offer up until the end of the second extension of the acceptance period on 5 June 2014, together with the shares already held or otherwise controlled by Volkswagen, amount to in aggregate 796,560,206 shares in Scania, comprising 398,721,189 A shares and 397,839,017 B shares, corresponding to 99.57 percent of the shares and 99.66 percent of the voting rights in Scania.
Volkswagen has decided not to further extend the acceptance period and does not intend to acquire shares in Scania outside the compulsory acquisition process.
Prior to announcement of the Offer, Volkswagen held or otherwise controlled in aggregate 501,089,097 shares in Scania, comprising 380,315,018 A shares and 120,774,079 B shares, corresponding to 62.64 percent of the shares and 89.18 percent of the voting rights in Scania.
At the end of the second extension of the acceptance period on 5 June 2014, the Offer had been accepted by shareholders representing in total 293,059,489 shares in Scania, comprising 18,395,230 A shares and 274,664,259 B shares, corresponding to 36.63 percent of the shares and 10.42 percent of the voting rights in Scania. Settlement for shares tendered during the second extension of the acceptance period up until 5 June 2014 is expected to take place on or around 17 June 2014.
In addition, Volkswagen has, as from 7 May 2014, during the first extension of the acceptance period, outside the Offer acquired in total 2,411,620 shares in Scania, comprising 10,941 A shares and 2,400,679 B shares, corresponding to 0.30 percent of the shares and 0.06 percent of the voting rights in Scania. None of these shares have been acquired at a price which exceeds the price in the Offer.
Volkswagen does not hold any financial instruments in Scania that provide a financial exposure equivalent to a holding of shares in Scania.
Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
For additional information, please contact:
Christine Ritz, Head of Group Investor Relations / Spokesperson for Finance, Volkswagen
Tel: +49 (0) 53 61 94 98 40, e-mail: christine.ritz@volkswagen.de
Marco Dalan, Spokesperson for Finance, Volkswagen
Tel: +49 (0) 53 61 97 11 21, fax: +49 (0) 53 61 97 94 44, e-mail: marco.dalan@volkswagen.de
This information was submitted for publication on 12 June 2014 at 8:30 am (CET).
Information about the Offer:
www.volkswagenag.com/ir
Important notice
The Offer is not being made, directly or indirectly, in or into Canada, New Zealand or South Africa by use of mail or any other means or instrumentality (including, without limitation, facsimile transmission, electronic mail, telex, telephone and the Internet) of interstate or foreign commerce, or of any facility of national security exchange, of Canada, New Zealand or South Africa, and the Offer cannot be accepted by any such use, means, instrumentality or facility of, or from within, Canada, New Zealand or South Africa. Accordingly, this press release and any documentation relating to the Offer are not being and should not be sent, mailed or otherwise distributed or forwarded in or into Canada, New Zealand or South Africa.
This press release is not being, and must not be, sent to shareholders with registered addresses in Canada, New Zealand or South Africa. Banks, brokers, dealers and other nominees holding shares for persons in Canada, New Zealand or South Africa must not forward this press release or any other document received in connection with the Offer to such persons.
Statements in this press release or in the offer document relating to future status or circumstances, including statements regarding future performance, growth and other trend projections and the other benefits of the Offer, are forward-looking statements. These statements may generally, but not always, be identified by the use of words such as “anticipates”, “intends”, “expects”, “believes”, or similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements due to many factors, many of which are outside the control of Volkswagen AG. Any such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Volkswagen AG has no obligation (and undertakes no such obligation) to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except for in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
Special notice to shareholders in the United States
The Offer referenced in this press release is made for shares of Scania AB, a company incorporated under Swedish law, and is subject to Swedish disclosure and procedural requirements, which are different from those of the United States. The Offer is made in the United States in compliance with Section 14(e) of, and Regulation 14E under, the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “U.S. Exchange Act"), subject to the exemptions provided by Rule 14d-1(d) under the U.S. Exchange Act and otherwise in accordance with the requirements of Swedish law. Accordingly, the Offer is subject to disclosure and other procedural requirements, including with respect to withdrawal rights, the offer timetable, settlement procedures and timing of payments that are different from those applicable under U.S. domestic tender offer procedures and laws.
To the extent permissible under applicable law or regulation, Volkswagen AG and its affiliates or brokers (acting as agents for Volkswagen AG or its affiliates, as applicable) may from time to time, and other than pursuant to the Offer, directly or indirectly purchase, or arrange to purchase, shares of Scania AB, that are the subject of the Offer or any securities that are convertible into, exchangeable for or exercisable for such shares. To the extent information about such purchases or arrangements to purchase is made public in Sweden, such information will be disclosed by means of a press release or other means reasonably calculated to inform U.S. shareholders of Scania AB of such information. In addition, the financial advisors to Volkswagen AG, may also engage in ordinary course trading activities in securities of Scania AB, which may include purchases or arrangements to purchase such securities. Volkswagen AG and/or its affiliates or brokers purchased shares of Scania AB in the first extension of the offer period after the original offer period had ended on 25 April 2014.
NEITHER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY U.S. STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION OR REGULATORY AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THIS OFFER, PASSED UPON THE FAIRNESS OR MERITS OF THIS PRESS RELEASE OR DETERMINED WHETHER THIS PRESS RELEASE IS ACCURATE OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE IN THE UNITED STATES.