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.