Espoo, Finland ( BMZ REPORT )
The French stock market authority, Autorité des Marchés Financiers (the “AMF”), today published the final results of the initial offer period of Nokia’s public exchange offer for Alcatel-Lucent securities in France and in the United States (the “Offer”).Company Press Release reveled.
2,052,812,101 outstanding Alcatel-Lucent ordinary shares, 264,183,778 American depositary shares, 206,784,349 OCEANE 2018 convertible bonds, 37,880,652 OCEANE 2019 convertible bonds, and 16,138,206 OCEANE 2020 convertible bonds have been tendered into the French and/or U.S. offers. As a consequence, Nokia should hold, following the settlement of the offer, 76.31% of the share capital and at least 76.01% of the voting rights of Alcatel Lucent, 89.14% of the OCEANEs 2018 outstanding, 24.34% of the OCEANEs 2019 outstanding, and 15.11% of the OCEANEs 2020 outstanding. This equates to Nokia holding 70.52% of the share capital on a fully diluted basis.
As announced on January 4, 2016, the minimum tender condition set at more than 50% of Alcatel-Lucent’s fully diluted share capital has been met and the Offer is successful.
Assuming conversion of the OCEANEs tendered into the Offer at the improved conversion ratio, Nokia would hold, following settlement of the Offer, 79.32% of the share capital and at least 78.97% of the voting rights of Alcatel-Lucent, as mentioned in the AMF’s notice published today.
Nokia will accept today all the Alcatel-Lucent shares, OCEANE convertible bonds and ADSs validly tendered into the Offer. The newly issued Nokia shares will be delivered to the tendering Alcatel-Lucent securities holders and start trading on Nasdaq Helsinki, Euronext Paris and, for the Nokia ADSs, on the New York Stock Exchange on January 8, 2016. The first day as an operationally combined group will be January 14, 2016.
In accordance with Article 232-4 of the AMF General Regulation, the offers in France and in the U.S. will be reopened at the same exchange ratios within 10 French trading days. The AMF will publish the timetable of the reopened Offer. Nokia believes it is in the best interests of Alcatel-Lucent shareholders to tender their remaining securities, and invites the remaining Alcatel-Lucent securities holders to tender their shares, ADSs or OCEANE convertible bonds into the reopened Offer.
If Nokia reaches 95% ownership of the share capital and voting rights of Alcatel-Lucent, it intends to squeeze out the remaining shares. In addition, if Nokia reaches 95% ownership of Alcatel-Lucent’s fully diluted shares, it intends to squeeze-out the remaining OCEANE convertible bonds.
In addition, Nokia reserves the right, subject to applicable law to cause Alcatel Lucent to redeem at par value, plus, as applicable, accrued interest from the date the interest was last paid, to the date set for the early redemption all of the outstanding OCEANEs 2018, OCEANEs 2019 or OCEANEs 2020, if less than 15% of the issued OCEANEs of any such series remain outstanding.