HSE: The State of Finland sold Kemira shares to domestic investors


Government Communications Unit
Press Release  219/2007

29.8.2007




The State of Finland sold Kemira shares to domestic investors

On Wednesday, 29 August, the State of Finland sold 32.1 per cent of its Kemira
Oyj shares to Finnish investors. The sale price was EUR 16.35 per share, a
total sum of EUR 655.6 million. 

After this transaction Kemira's main shareholder is Oras Invest Oy and its
owners, members of the Paasikivi family. Oras Invest is a Finnish family-owned
company and an industrial owner which aims to achieve long-term value increase
through its operations. 

The shares sold today are divided between buyers as follows:

Oras Invest Oy 15.6 per cent
Jari, Jukka and Pekka Paasikivi 1.5 per cent (0.5 per cent each)
Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company 8.00 per cent
Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company 3.60 per cent
Suomi Mutual Life Assurance Company 1.92 per cent
Sampo Life 1.45 per cent

”The Government carries out an active market-oriented ownership policy. The
development potential of the companies and their ownership base is evaluated
continuously and the State always takes the overall effect of sales of shares
into account. After this transaction, Kemira's main shareholder is a stable
industrial owner which makes long-term investments. Oral Invest has good
prerequisites for taking responsibility for continuous development of the
Kemira Group. The State still remains a significant owner of Kemira”, describes
Jyri Häkämies, Minister responsible for ownership steering of state-owned
companies. 

”I am particularly pleased that the biggest owner of Kemira now is Oral Invest
and the Paasikivi family. We are talking about a well-known Finnish industrial
owner of high repute. Experiences in its operations demonstrate great
persistency and responsibility. In addition, two largest pension insurance
companies in Finland achieved significant holdings of the company and two major
life insurance companies are now among the shareholders as well. With all this
in view, the State has a good reason to anticipate the company's development to
generate a rise in its share value and thus an increase in the value of the
state-owned shares as well.” 

As a result of the sale transaction, holding of the State of Finland in Kemira
Oyj decreased by 32.1 percentage units to 16.5 per cent of the share capital.
In consequence of the sale of Kemira shares, the State's revenue from sales of
shares in 2007 amounts to EUR 863 million. 


Further information:  Pekka Timonen, Director General, tel. +358 9 1602 3000
and Ilkka Puro, Senior Financial Counsellor, tel. +358 9 1606 3006, Prime
Minister's Office