DGAP-Adhoc: Axel Springer AG secures majority stake in StepStone ASA, Oslo / Mandatory offer intended

 | Source: EQS Group AG EQS Group AG 

Axel Springer AG / Offer/Acquisition

02.09.2009 

Dissemination of an Ad hoc announcement according to § 15 WpHG, transmitted by
DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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Axel Springer AG secures majority stake in StepStone ASA, Oslo / Mandatory
offer intended

  - Increase of participation of Axel Springer AG in StepStone ASA, Oslo,
    from approx. 32.97 % to an aggregate amount of 52.27 %

  - Intended mandatory offer to all remaining shareholders of StepStone ASA

Today, Axel Springer AG, Berlin, entered into agreements for acquisition of
24,879,998 shares in StepStone ASA, Oslo.  The purchase price for this
participation amounts to NOK 213,967,982.80 (EUR equivalent 24,629,408.09,
based on NOK/EUR FX rate of 8.6875), with a price of NOK 8.60 per share
(EUR equivalent 0.9899, based on NOK/EUR FX rate of 8.6875). Following the
completion of this acquisition, the participation of Axel Springer AG in
StepStone ASA will increase from approximately 32.97 % to 52.27 %. In
addition, Axel Springer AG has purchased a right to receive 725,757 new
shares in StepStone to be issued December 31, 2009.

Through completion of this acquisition Axel Springer AG passed the
threshold of one third of the shares triggering a mandatory offer under
Norwegian takeover law.  Therefore, Axel Springer AG will make a mandatory
unconditional cash offer to acquire the remaining outstanding shares of
StepStone ASA at an offer price of NOK 8.60 per share (EUR equivalent
0.9899).

StepStone is an international provider of e-recruiting solutions engaging
in the business areas 'Online' (jobmarkets) and 'Solutions'
(talent-management-software). One substantial asset of StepStone ASA is its
participation of 50.1 % in the JV StepStone Deutschland AG, in which Axel
Springer AG already holds a share interest of 49.9 %.

Berlin, September 2, 2009

Axel Springer AG
Axel-Springer-Str. 65
10888 Berlin
Germany


Investor Relations contact:
Claudia Thomé
+49 (0)30 2591-77421
claudia.thome@axelspringer.de




02.09.2009  |[![CDATA[|[a href="http://www.dgap.de"|]Financial News transmitted by DGAP|[/a|]]]|]

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Language:     English
Company:      Axel Springer AG
              Axel-Springer-Straße 65
              10888 Berlin
              Deutschland
Phone:        +49 (0)30 2591-77421
Fax:          +49 (0)30 2591-77422
E-mail:       ir@axelspringer.de
Internet:     www.axelspringer.de
ISIN:         DE0005501357, DE0005754238
WKN:          550135, 575423
Indices:      SDAX
Listed:       Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
              in Berlin, München, Hannover, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart
 
End of News                                     DGAP News-Service
 
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