VTBR.L Regulatory News (VTBR)

30 Oct 2008 07:12

30 October 2008

VTB completes 100 per cent consolidation of VTB North-West shares

On 24 October 2008, JSC VTB Bank completed the consolidation of 100 per cent holding of OJSC Bank VTB North-West shares. The consolidation was launched in November last year when CJSC Bank VTB24, a member of VTB Group, announced an offer to purchase VTB North-West shares with a nominal value of RUR 1 for RUR 41.72 each or to exchange them for JSC VTB Bank shares at the rate of 1:361. The second stage of the consolidation process was the acquisition by JSC VTB Bank of VTB North-West shares under a statutory offer from April to June 2008 in compliance with Article 84.2 of the Joint Stock Company Law. Under this statutory offer, VTB North-West shareholders could sell the VTB North-West shares they held for RUR 45 each. 

The statutory offer resulted in JSC VTB Bank having acquired during the statutory offer more than 10 per cent of VTB North-West shares and having totally gained more than 95 per cent of VTB North-West shares. Acting in compliance with the applicable legislation, JSC VTB Bank demanded from VTB North-West that its minority shareholders should sell the remaining shares to JSC VTB Bank for RUR 45 each.

Consolidation of 100 per cent of VTB North-West shares is an important step within the program of the bank's integration with VTB Group.

VTB CEO and Chairman of the Board Andrei Kostin said: "The 100 per cent consolidation of VTB North-West shares will facilitate its efficient management and have its business fully integrated into VTB Group. Besides, it will enable us to most promptly and least costly complete the legal merger of VTB North-West with JSC VTB Bank once the necessary amendments relating to bank reorganization are made into the applicable Russian legislation. This will allow us to achieve the further development of our banking business in the North-West region according to VTB Group's development strategy".

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Enquiries:

Investor Relations:

Tel.: +7 495 775 71 39

Email: investorrelations@vtb.ru

Media Relations: 

Tel.: +7 495 783 1717

Email: pr1@vtb.ru

For reference:

VTB Group is a leading Russian financial group with a strong history tradition in Russia and the CIS, and a presence in 17 countries around the world. The Russian Government is VTB's majority shareholder, with a 77.5% holding. The remaining 22.5% of the shares are traded on the RTS and MICEX in Russia, and VTB's global depositary receipts are traded on the London Stock Exchange. VTB offers a wide range of services in corporate, retail and investment banking in Russia, some other CIS states and a number of countries in Western Europe, Asia and Africa. As of 1 July 2008, VTB was the second largest financial group in Russia by assets (USD 99.2 bln.) and by customer accounts (USD 43.6 bln.). VTB Group is among the top three national retail banks with a network of 932 outlets in Russia and the CIS. In 2008, VTB launched its Investment Banking business, which operates from Moscow, London and Singapore offices. For more information visit our website www.vtb.ru