Saint Gobain Or Regulatory News (COD)

31 Oct 2005 07:36

Compagnie de Saint-Gobain31 October 2005 Not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, in, into orfrom Australia, Canada or Japan 31 October 2005 Compagnie de Saint-Gobain Cash Offer for BPB plc Extension of the Offer and Level of Acceptances 1. Extension of the Offer The Offeror announces that the Offer is being extended and will remain open foracceptance until 1:00 p.m. (London time) on 13 November 2005. 2. Level of acceptances and ownership As at 1:00 p.m. (London time) on 30 October 2005, being the second closing date,valid acceptances of the Offer had been received in respect of 3,545,473 BPBShares, representing approximately 0.70 per cent. of the issued BPB Shares (1). Enquiries Saint-Gobain (for analysts and investors) Florence Triou-Teixeira, Head of IR Tel: +33 1 47 62 45 19Alexandre Etuy, Deputy Head of IR Tel: +33 1 47 62 37 15 BNP Paribas (joint financial adviser to Saint-Gobain) Thierry Dormeuil Tel: +33 1 42 98 12 34Oliver Ellingham Tel: +44 20 7595 2000 UBS Investment Bank (joint financial adviser and broker to Saint-Gobain) Charles-Henri Le Bret Tel: +33 1 48 88 30 30Liam Beere Tel: +44 20 7567 8000 Brunswick (PR adviser to Saint-Gobain) John Sunnucks Tel: +44 20 7404 5959Sophie Fitton Tel: +44 20 7404 5959 Notes (1) As disclosed in the Offer Document, prior to the commencement of the OfferPeriod, BNP Paribas and its affiliates, who are acting in concert with theOfferor, held (through BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC) a long position of 8,000,000BPB Shares, representing 1.59% per cent. of the issued BPB Shares, as a hedge inrelation to an open interest in an equity swap that consists of a basket ofshares which includes 8,000,000 BPB Shares. As the equity swap matured on 5September 2005 and its hedge was unwound, the 8,000,000 BPB Shares were sold andBNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC no longer hold the long position. Copies of the Offer Document and the Form of Acceptance are available forcollection (during normal business hours) from Capita Registrars at PO Box 166,The Registry, 34 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 4TH. Further information on Saint-Gobain is available on Saint-Gobain's websitewww.saint-gobain.com Terms used in this announcement shall have the meaning given to them in theOffer Document. The Offer in the United States is made solely by the Offeror and neither BNPParibas, UBS nor any of their respective affiliates is making the Offer into theUnited States. The Saint-Gobain Directors and the Offeror Directors accept responsibility forthe information contained in this announcement. To the best of the knowledge andbelief of the Saint-Gobain Directors and the Offeror Directors (who have takenall reasonable care to ensure that such is the case), the information containedin this announcement for which they are responsible is in accordance with thefacts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of suchinformation. BNP Paribas and UBS are acting exclusively for Saint-Gobain and the Offeror inconnection with the Offer and no one else, and will not be responsible to anyoneother than Saint-Gobain and the Offeror for providing the protections affordedto respective clients of BNP Paribas and UBS nor for providing advice inrelation to the Offer or any other matter referred to herein. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or an invitation topurchase any securities or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange