The Extraordinary General Meeting approved the Board of Directors’ proposed resolutions as set forth in the notice of the Extraordinary General Meeting issued on May 28, 2010, and the final terms of the rights issue and terms for a Board authorization to issue consideration shares to Vale Austria Holdings where the Board’s proposals were announced earlier today.
The Hydro share will, for trades subject to the ordinary T+3 settlement in the Norwegian Central Securities Depository (VPS), consequently trade exclusive of the right to receive subscription rights in the rights issue from and including tomorrow, June 22, 2010. Detailed terms of the rights issue will be included in the prospectus, expected to be published on or about June 25, 2010.
The minutes of the Extraordinary General Meeting are attached, and are also available on www.hydro.com/rightsissue.
Investor contact
Contact Stefan Solberg
Cellular +47 91727528
E-mail Stefan.Solberg@hydro.com
Press contact
Contact Halvor Molland
Cellular +47 92979797
E-mail Halvor.Molland@hydro.com
*********
This announcement is not an offer for sale of securities in the United States or any other country. The securities referred to herein have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), and may not be sold in the United States absent registration or pursuant to an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act. Hydro does not intend to register any portion of the offering of the securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of the securities in the United States. Any offering of securities will be made by means of a prospectus that may be obtained from Hydro and that will contain detailed information about the company and management, as well as financial statements. Copies of this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan or any other jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful or would require registration or other measures.
In any EEA Member State that has implemented Directive 2003/71/EC (together with any applicable implementing measures in any member State, the "Prospectus 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.
This announcement is only directed at (a) persons who are outside the United Kingdom; or (b) investment professionals within the meaning of Article 19 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order"); or (c) persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order; or (d) persons to whom any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity can be communicated in circumstances where Section 21(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 does not apply.
Certain statements included within this announcement contain forward-looking information, including, without limitation, those relating to (a) forecasts, projections and estimates, (b) statements of management's plans, objectives and strategies for Hydro, such as planned expansions, investments or other projects, (c) targeted production volumes and costs, capacities or rates, start-up costs, cost reductions and profit objectives, (d) various expectations about future developments in Hydro's markets, particularly prices, supply and demand and competition, (e) results of operations, (f) margins, (g) growth rates, (h) risk management, as well as (i) statements preceded by "expected", "scheduled", "targeted", "planned", "proposed", "intended" or similar statements.
Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, these forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and forecasts that, by their nature, involve risk and uncertainty. Various factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from those projected in a forward-looking statement or affect the extent to which a particular projection is realized. Factors that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to: our continued ability to reposition and restructure our upstream and downstream aluminium business; changes in availability and cost of energy and raw materials; global supply and demand for aluminium and aluminium products; world economic growth, including rates of inflation and industrial production; changes in the relative value of currencies and the value of commodity contracts; trends in Hydro's key markets and competition; and legislative, regulatory and political factors.
No assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Hydro disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
: June 21, 2010