Pohjola Pankki Oyj - Major shareholder announcements

Announcement under Chapter 9, Section 5 of the Securities Markets Act: OP-Pohjola Group Central Cooperative's shareholding in Pohjola Bank plc

OP-Pohjola Group Central Cooperative
Stock exchange release
24 March 2014, 3.00 pm

Announcement under Chapter 9, Section 5 of the Securities Markets Act: OP-
Pohjola Group Central Cooperative's shareholding in Pohjola Bank plc

In accordance with Chapter 9, Section 5 of the Securities Markets Act, OP-
Pohjola Group Central Cooperative hereby announces that it has purchased Pohjola
Bank plc shares with the result that its holding exceeds 50% of all Pohjola Bank
plc shares.  OP-Pohjola Group Central Cooperative alone holds 50.28% of Pohjola
Bank plc shares and 68.38% of the votes conferred by the shares. Together with
controlled corporations' holdings, OP-Pohjola Group Central Cooperative holds
50.34% of Pohjola Bank plc shares and 68.41% of the votes conferred by the
shares.

In accordance with Chapter 9, Section 5 of the Securities Markets Act, OP-
Pohjola Group Central Cooperative has furthermore announced that its proportion
of the total votes conferred by Pohjola Bank plc shares would exceed 90%, if the
bid were completed. The acceptances by those who have issued their acceptance of
the bid by 21 March 2014 would increase the total shareholding of OP-Pohjola
Group Central Cooperative in Pohjola to 82.07% of all Pohjola shares and the
votes conferred by the shares to 90.29% of all the votes, if the bid were
completed.

OP-Pohjola's bid for Pohjola shares will extend until 1 April 2014. Shareholders
may accept the bid by sending a completed acceptance form to their account
operator or any OP-Pohjola Group cooperative bank branch by 1 April. More
information on the bid can be found at www.op. or www.pohjola.com.



OP-Pohjola Group Central Cooperative

Carina Geber-Teir
Chief Communications Officer

DISTRIBUTION
NASDAQ OMX Helsinki
London Stock Exchange
Major media
pohjola.com, op.fi

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Harri Luhtala, CFO, tel. +358 (0) 252 2433
Carina Geber-Teir, tel. +358 (0)40 502 4607


OP-Pohjola Group is Finland's leading financial services group providing a
unique range of banking, investment and insurance services. The Group's mission
is to promote the prosperity, well-being and security of its owner-members,
customers and operating regions through its local presence. Its objective is to
offer the best and most versatile package of loyal customer benefits on the
market. OP-Pohjola Group consists of some 180 member cooperative banks and the
Group's central institution, OP-Pohjola Group Central Cooperative, with its
subsidiaries and closely-related companies, the largest of which is the listed
company Pohjola Bank plc. The Group has a staff of 12,000. OP-Pohjola Group
posted earnings before tax of EUR 705 million in 2013 and had total assets of
EUR 101 billion on 31 December 2013. The Group has 4.3 million customers.

www.op.fi


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