Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/12/27
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Leica Camera AG announced today [Dec. 27,2006] that its controlling stockholder -- ACM of Austria --was offering to buy Leica shares it does not already own at ?12.5 [or about $16.41usd] a share. It added that ACM Projektentwicklung GmbH, of Salzburg, Austria, its majority stockholder, had bought 5,427,677 shares , or 36.2 percent, of Leica previously owned by Herm?s International SCA and that, therefore, ACM now held more than 75 percent of Leica's voting stock. Leica said that ACM now holds 13,971,407 shares of Leica Camera AG, or about 93.14 percent of Leica's share capital. ACM , it added, is a 100 percent subsidiary of Socrates Privatstiftung of Vienna. ACM had agreed last September to buy the Hermes block of Leica stock and that the Hermex block was not part of its current offer. ########################################################################### Here is the Leica announcement: Dear Leica friends, we have prepared the following item for you this time Subjects _Change in shareholder structure and announced tender offer_ (mip://03907fb8/default.html#128) Change in shareholder structure and announced tender offer Leica Camera AG hereby announces that on December 27, 2006 ACM Projektentwicklung GmbH has decided to extend a voluntary public offer to the shareholders of Leica Camera AG to purchase their shares against payment of a cash amount of ? 12.50 per share, and that ACM Projektentwicklung GmbH has informed the Board of Management of Leica Camera AG of its decision on the same day. Further terms of this offer may be indicated in the offer document. The detailed offer of ACM Projektentwicklung GmbH will not be published before approval has been given by the Bundesanstalt f?r Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin ? German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority). The Board of Management of Leica Camera AG believes that the valuation of the Company?s share made in the public tender offer of ACM Projektentwicklung GmbH is fair and that the purchase price offered, amounting to ? 12.50 per share, is attractive. Leica Camera AG hereby further announces that ACM Projektentwicklung GmbH, Salzburg, Austria, on December 27, 2006 has informed the Company that it has purchased from Herm?s International SCA a total of 5,427,677 shares of the Company and that it has therefore passed the threshold of 75 % of the voting rights. According to information given by ACM Projektentwicklung GmbH this company now holds 13,971,407 shares of Leica Camera AG, pertaining to the same number of voting rights. This corresponds to a proportional interest of approximately 93.14 % of the Company?s share capital. ACM Projektentwicklung GmbH itself is a 100 % subsidiary of SOCRATES Privatstiftung, Vienna, Austria; consequently, SOCRATES Privatstiftung, as an indirect shareholder of Leica Camera AG, has also issued the corresponding statement in accordance with the prescriptions of the Wertpapierhandelsgesetz (WpHG ? German Securities Trading Act). The aforementioned purchase represents the in rem execution of the share purchase agreement between Herm?s International SCA and ACM Projektentwicklung GmbH that was announced by the ad-hoc release published September 14, 2006, 1:30 pm. Leica Camera AG Corporate Communication --------------------------------- To unsubscribe the Leica newsletter, please click on the link below: _http://www.leica-corporate.com/investor_relations/unsubscribe_newsletter/conf irmation.html?code=6de58d453493926c581b1f2a002859eb_ (http://www.leica-corporate.com/investor_relations/unsubscribe_newsletter/confirmation.html?code=6de58d 453493926c581b1f2a002859eb) _If this email will not be shown correctly, please click here:_ (http://newsletter.leica-camera.com/eb30f5b983a4bb820a421b8ba8deedf3/html.php?link=http://w ww.leica-corporate.com/investor_relations/unsubscribe_newsletter/confirmation. html&code=6de58d453493926c581b1f2a002859eb)