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2014-04-02 15:32:00 CEST 2014-04-02 15:32:38 CEST REGULATED INFORMATION Pohjola Pankki Oyj - Tender offerPreliminary result of OP-Pohjola Group Central Cooperative's public voluntary bid for all the shares in Pohjola Bank plcPohjola Bank plc Stock exchange release 2 April 2014, 4.30 pm NOT TO BE RELEASED OR DISTRIBUTED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA, HONG KONG OR IN ANY OTHER STATE IN WHICH THE TENDER OFFER WOULD BE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW. Preliminary result of OP-Pohjola Group Central Cooperative's public voluntary bid for all the shares in Pohjola Bank plc The offer period for the public voluntary bid (the "Bid") made by OP-Pohjola Group Central Cooperative (the "Offeror") for Pohjola Bank plc ("Pohjola") Series A and K shares not held by the Offeror (the "Shares") expired on 1 April 2014, at 4.00 pm (Finnish time). According to the stock exchange release issued today by the Offeror regarding the preliminary result of the Bid, the Shares tendered in the Bid represent approximately 42.21 per cent of all Pohjola shares and approximately 27.55 per cent of the votes conferred by the shares. The tendered Shares, together with the shares that OP-Pohjola has purchased on the market, increase the Offeror's ownership to approximately 94.05 per cent of all Pohjola shares and approximately 96.78 per cent of all votes conferred by the shares. According to the stock exchange release issued today by the Offeror, all of the conditions for completion of the Bid have, based upon the preliminary result, been satisfied. Among other things, the Offeror's proportion of the shares and votes in Pohjola has, based upon the preliminary result, exceeded the threshold of 90 per cent. The Financial Supervisory Authority has not had any objections against the completion of the Bid based upon the notification procedure concerning the acquisition of a holding, as referred to in the Finnish Act on the Financial Supervisory Authority, nor does the completion of the Bid, in the Offeror's view, require any other regulatory approvals. The Offeror has decided to complete the Bid in accordance with its terms and conditions regardless of the final result of the Bid. The final result of the Bid will be confirmed and announced on or about 4 April 2014. In connection with the announcement of the final results, the Offeror will extend the offer period by an extra offer period, as referred to in the terms and conditions of the Bid, the specific terms and conditions of which will be announced on or about 4 April 2014. Pohjola Bank plc Carina Geber-Teir Chief Communications Officer DISTRIBUTION NASDAQ OMX Helsinki LSE London Stock Exchange SIX Swiss Exchange Major media pohjola.com, op.fi FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Vesa Aho, CFO, tel. +358 (0)10 252 2336 Niina Pullinen, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations, tel. +358 (0)10 252 4494 Pohjola is a Finnish financial services group which provides its customers with banking, non-life insurance and asset management services. Our mission is to promote the sustainable prosperity, security and wellbeing of our customers. Profitable growth and an increase in company value form our key objectives. Pohjola Group serves corporate customers in Finland and abroad by providing an extensive range of financial, investment, cash-management and non-life insurance services. The Group offers non-life insurance and private banking services to private customers. Pohjola Series A shares have been listed on the Large Cap List of the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki since 1989. The number of shareholders totals around 32,000. Pohjola's consolidated earnings before tax amounted to 473 million euros in 2013 and the balance sheet total amounted to 44 billion euros on 31 December 2013. Pohjola is part of OP-Pohjola Group, the leading financial services group in Finland with 4.3 million customers. www.pohjola.com THIS RELEASE IS NOT A TENDER OFFER DOCUMENT AND AS SUCH DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OR AN INVITATION TO MAKE A SALES OFFER. INVESTORS SHALL ACCEPT THE TENDER OFFER FOR THE SHARES ONLY ON THE BASIS OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE TENDER OFFER DOCUMENT. OFFERS WILL NOT BE MADE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE EITHER THE OFFER OR PARTICIPATION THEREIN IS PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR WHERE THE TENDER OFFER DOCUMENT WOULD HAVE TO BE PUBLISHED OR REGISTERED OR THE OFFER WOULD BE SUBJECT TO OTHER REQUIREMENTS IN ADDITION TO THOSE UNDERTAKEN IN FINLAND. THE TENDER OFFER IS NOT BEING MADE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW AND, WHEN PUBLISHED, THE TENDER OFFER DOCUMENT AND RELATED CONSENT FORMS WILL NOT AND MAY NOT BE DISTRIBUTED, FORWARDED OR TRANSMITTED INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW. IN PARTICULAR, THE TENDER OFFER IS NOT BEING MADE, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO, OR BY USE OF THE POSTAL SERVICE OF, OR BY ANY MEANS OR INSTRUMENTALITY (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION, TELEX, TELEPHONE OR THE INTERNET) OR THROUGH A NATIONAL SECURITIES EXCHANGE OF THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA OR HONG KONG. THE TENDER OFFER CANNOT BE ACCEPTED BY ANY SUCH USE, MEANS OR INSTRUMENTALITY OR FROM WITHIN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA OR HONG KONG. [HUG#1773849] |
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