STOCKHOLM, Sweden, April 24, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Annual General Meeting of Shareholders in Nordea AB (publ) 2002
Today's Annual General Meeting of Nordea AB (publ) approved the income statement and balance sheet for 2001. The General Meeting decided on a dividend payment in the amount of EUR 0.23 per share and that the record date would be 29 April 2002.
The right to dividends for holders of shares registered with Vaerdipapircentralen in Denmark will apply to those shareholders who on 30 April 2002 were shareholders registered with Vaerdipapircentralen in Denmark. It is expected that payment will be effected 7 May 2002.
The Board and the President were discharged from liability for the year 2001.
Maija Torkko, born 1946, was elected member of the Board for a period of two years. She is Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller with Nokia and also a board member of International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).
Kjell Aamot, Hans Dalborg, Bernt Magnusson and Joergen Hoeeg Pedersen were re-elected as board members for a period of two years. Vesa Vainio declined re-election.
Consequently, the Board now comprises the following persons: Kjell Aamot, Dan Andersson, Edward Andersson, Harald Arnkvaern, Hans Dalborg, Thorleif Krarup, Claus Hoeeg Madsen, Bernt Magnusson, Joergen Hoeeg Pedersen, Timo Peltola and Maija Torkko. Employee representatives are Bertel Finskas, Liv Haug and Lene Haulrik with Kaija Roukala-Hyvarinen as deputy. At the subsequent constituent meeting of the Board Hans Dalborg was elected Chairman of the Board
The General Meeting decided, for the time period extending until the next Annual General Meeting, to authorise the Board to acquire the Company's own shares on stock exchanges where the shares are listed, or pursuant to an acquisition offer to the Company's shareholders, up to such a number of shares equalling no more than one tenth of all shares in the Company at any one time. Acquisition on stock exchanges may only take place at a price that is registered in the interval between the highest purchase price and the lowest selling price. Acquisition of shares pursuant to an acquisition offer directed to all shareholders may be transacted at a maximum price corresponding to the stock exchange price at the time of the offer with a maximum addition of 30 percent. Following authorisation by the Annual General Meeting 2001 Nordea AB (publ) repurchased 17,000,000 own shares in April 2001.
Moreover, the General Meeting decided to authorise the Board, for a maximum time period extending until the next General Meeting, to decide on the conveyance of the Company's own shares on stock exchanges where the shares are listed, or by alternative means, up to the number of shares which are at any one time held by the company. Conveyance on stock exchanges may only take place within the registered interval between the highest purchase price and the lowest selling price. Shares in the Company, which are not transferred through a stock exchange, may be transferred without consideration to the preferential rights of shareholders.
Also, amendments were made to the wording of the Company's Articles of Association mainly concerning the Company's English name (parallel company name). The Board withdrew its proposed amendment to the Articles of Association concerning the right to participate in General Meetings from Helsinki and Copenhagen.
For further information:
Erik Evren, Head of Group Media Relations, +46 8 614 8611
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