SAS rights issue oversubscribed
Preliminary results of SAS AB’s (“SAS”) rights issue, for which the subscription period ended 6 April 2009, indicate that approximately 98.6 percent of the offered shares were subscribed for with subscription rights and approximately 24.7 percent were subscribed for without subscription rights. Thus, the rights issue is oversubscribed by approximately 23.3 percent, and the underwriting commitments do not need to be utilised.
Through the rights issue SAS will receive proceeds amounting to approximately SEK 6 billion before transaction costs.
“We are pleased that our shareholders, as well as new investors, have shown their confidence in and support for SAS and our new strategy, Core SAS. We will use the rights issue proceeds to strengthen our capital structure and to facilitate the implementation of Core SAS. After the implementation of Core SAS, we will have a more focused commercial offering, a more cost and decision efficient organisation, and be better positioned for improved profitability and to meet future challenges.”, says Mats Jansson, President and CEO of SAS Group.
Those who have subscribed for new shares without subscription rights will be allocated shares as described in the prospectus published on 17 March 2009.
The final results of the rights issue will be published on or around 15 April 2009, and subscribers who have been allocated shares subscribed for without subscription rights will be notified shortly thereafter.
The final day for trading in the BTA 1 is expected to be on or around 17 April 2009. Trading in the new shares subscribed for with subscription rights on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm, NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen and Oslo Børs is expected to commence on or around 20 April 2009. The first day of trading in the BTA 2 is expected to be on or around 21 April 2009 and the final day of trading in the BTA 2 is expected to be on or around 30 April 2009 on NASDAQ OMX Stockholm and on or around 1 May 2009 on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen.
J.P. Morgan, Nordea and SEB Enskilda acted as Joint Lead Managers and Joint Bookrunners for the rights issue.
For further information, please contact
Sture Stølen, Head of SAS Group Investor Relations, +46 8 797 14 51
SAS Group Investor Relations
SAS discloses this information pursuant to the Swedish Securities Market Act and/or the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was provided for publication on 8 April 2009, at [7:00] a.m. CET.
Disclaimer
This document is not being distributed to persons in any state or jurisdiction where the offer or sale of the Rights or Shares is not permitted.
These materials are not an offer for sale of securities in the United States. Securities may not be sold in the United States absent registration with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The issuer of the securities does not intend to register any part of the offering in the United States or to conduct a public offering of the Rights or the Shares in the United States.
This document is only being distributed to and is only directed at (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom or (ii) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order”) or (iii) high net worth companies, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons in (i), (ii) and (iii) above together being referred to as “relevant persons”). The Rights and the Shares are only available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such securities will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.
This document is an advertisement and is not a prospectus for the purposes of Directive 2003/71/EC (such Directive, together with any applicable implementing measures in the relevant home Member State under such Directive, the “Prospectus Directive”). A prospectus prepared pursuant to the Prospectus Directive will be published, which, when published, can be obtained from the SAS Group. Investors should not subscribe for any securities referred to in this document except on the basis of information contained in the prospectus.
In any EEA Member State that has implemented the Prospective Directive, this communication is only addressed to and is only directed at qualified investors in that Member State within the meaning of the Prospectus Directive.