14/03/2006
Posten has announced an offer today on all shares in Stralfors. The Board of Stralfors is unanimous in their recommendation to the shareholders to accept the offer.
For each Stralfors share, A as well as B shares, Posten offers 95 Swedish kronor in cash. The compensation also includes right to dividend, which means that in case dividend will be decided by the general meeting of Stralfors shareholders and paid to the shareholders before compensation has been paid, the compensation will be reduced by a corresponding amount. The offer equals a bid premium of about 31.0 percent based on the latest prices paid on the Stockholm Stock Exchange for the Stralfors B-share of 72.50 Swedish kronor on 10 March 2006. Based on the volume-weighte average prices paid for the Stralfors B-share during the last 30 business days until March 10, the offer equals a bid premium of about 35.2 percent.
The Stralfors A-share is not listed on the stock exchange.
The Stralfors Board is of the opinion that Posten’s acquisition of Stralfors is favourable from an industrial and financial perspective.
Carnegie Investment Bank, which on behalf of the Board has evaluated the offer, consider the offer as fair from a financial point of view.
The Parkander family, with a total holding of shares corresponding to 81.7 percent of the number of votes and 69.3 percent of the share capital in Stralfors, has committed themselves to accept the offer with all their holding in Stralfors (1 600 000 A-shares and 13 225 300 B-shares). The option runs from the date of announcement until the end of the acceptance period, and under certain conditions some additional time. Further, the second large owner of Stralfors after the Parkander Family, Skandia Liv, which controls 7.1 percent of the share capital and 4.2 percent of the votes, consider the offer as positive.
With regard to the acceptance period stated by Posten the company will give a preliminary report of the first quarter on April 11 and, as earlier communicated, an ordinary quarterly report on April 26.
Further the Board has decided, considering this offer, to postpone the annual meeting of the shareholders to take place on May 16, 2006. Further information about the annual meeting is referred to in a separate notice.
Ljungby, March 14, 2006
Strålfors AB (publ.)
The Board
The vice chairman of the Board, Björn Parkander and the deputy member of the Board, Anna Parkander, have with regard to the option agreement, not participated in the decision or the handling of the statement of the Board.
For further information, please contact:
Åke Fredriksson
Chairman of the Board
Telephone: +46 705 75 81 15