Following a flagging notification by the financial services group Exista hf. (“Exista”) to the Finnish Financial Supervision Authority and Sampo Oyj (“Sampo”) on 15 May 2008, Sampo has announced today to the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Stock Exchange that the total number of Sampo A shares controlled by Exista remains at 19.98% of Sampo's issued share capital. This is in accordance with a reference to possible cancellation of Sampo shares, which appeared in Exista's first-quarter interim report, dated 29 April 2008. As was announced by Sampo on 7 May 2008, the Board of Directors of Sampo decided to cancel 6,715,000 own shares and thereby increase the share of existing holdings on a pro rata basis. Exista has been authorised by the Finnish Insurance Supervisory Authority to hold up to 20% of share capital in Sampo. Exista has divested 1,350,000 Sampo A shares and cancelled an equity swap agreement in order to maintain its holding at 19.98% of total issued share capital in Sampo following the cancellation of shares. Sampo Oyj owns and administers the insurance subsidiaries If, a leading property and casualty insurance company in the Nordic region; and Sampo Life, a life and pension insurance company with primary operations in Finland and the Baltic countries. Sampo is also a significant investor on a Nordic scale. Sampo Oyj is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Stock Exchange. For further information on the interim accounts, please contact: Sigurdur Nordal Managing Director Group Communications tel: +354 550 8620 (ir@exista.com) About Exista Exista is a financial services group with operations in the areas of insurance, asset finance and investments. The company is a leading insurance underwriter in Iceland, as well as the country's largest provider of asset finance products. As an international investor, Exista has strategic holdings in several companies, including Sampo Group, Kaupthing Bank, Bakkavör Group, Storebrand and Skipti (Iceland Telecom). Exista is listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange in Iceland, and its shareholders number around 30,000. Information on Exista hf. can be found on the Group's website: www.exista.com.