UNIQA approves capital increase of approx. 8.6%

 

UNIQA Versicherungen AG will increase its share capital by issuing new shares by somewhat more than a nominal €11.3 million or approximately 8.6%. This action will strengthen the capital base in the face of continued uncertainty as to the development of the global economy and the related volatility of the capital markets; it will also create the conditions necessary for continued, strong, organic growth.

 

UNIQA is targeting approximately €150 million in revenue from the capital increase.

 

By partially using the capital already approved at the Annual General Meeting in 2005 (currently up to €38,104,808 ), the Management Board of UNIQA Versicherungen AG, with the approval of the Supervisory Board, decided today to increase its share capital by around 8.6%, from €131,673,000 to €142,985,217, by issuing 11,312,217 new, no-par bearer unit shares with voting rights to a proportionate share of the equity capital of €1 each. Only existing shareholders are entitled to purchase these shares in the ratio of 11:1 (existing: new shares), which can only be exercised during the subscription period from 27 November 2009 to 11 December 2009. The maximum purchase price is set at €18.00. The placement of the complete issue volume is secured (independently of the level to which the subscription rights are exercised) through commitments of the key shareholders, both to exercise their subscription rights and to purchase any remaining shares. Because of the 11:1 purchase ratio, key shareholders have agreed to reduce their subscription rights in the event that existing shareholders should exercise their subscription rights to an extensive degree. The extent of this reduction will be the amount necessary to ensure the complete allocation of new shares to the public according to the purchase ratio.

 

The new shares will have full dividend rights for the 2009 financial year. Furthermore, the new shares should be available for official trading (Prime Market segment) on the Vienna Stock Exchange on 16 December 2009. Other details on the increase in capital will be included in the Subscription Brochure to be published shortly. As the new shares are not being offered publicly but rather can only be purchased by existing UNIQA Versicherungen AG shareholders and as the capital increase is less than 10% of the UNIQA shares issued and authorised for stock market trading, no prospectus is required to comply with the Austrian Capital Market Act or Stock Market Act.

 

Issuer: UNIQA Versicherungen AG. 

Volume of issue: up to 11,312,217 new shares. 

Purchase ratio: 11 existing shares entitle the bearer to the subscription of 1 new share. 

Subscription rights trading: The subscription rights are not intended for trade. 

Subscription period: 27 November 2009 to presumably 11 December 2009. The company reserves the right to end the subscription ahead of time or extend it. 

Maximum purchase price: €18.00 per share. 

Value date: anticipated 16 December 2009. 

Dividend rights for new shares: from 1 January 2009. 

IPO: The new shares are expected to be listed for official trading on the Vienna Stock Exchange (Prime Market segment) from 16 December 2009.

 

This message contains statements that refer to future developments in the UNIQA Group Austria. These statements are appraisals that are made based on all information available to us at the current point in time. If the assumptions on which they are based do not occur, the actual events may vary from the results currently expected. For this reason, we cannot accept liability for these statements.

 

Vienna, 24. November 2009