Enskilda Securities wholly owned by SEB
04 Abril 2003 - 2:00AM
UK Regulatory
Enskilda Securities wholly owned by SEB
SEB has reached an agreement with Orkla to acquire Orkla's 22.5 per cent
holding in the investment bank/broker Enskilda Securities. This makes
SEB 100 per cent owner of Enskilda Securities.
Orkla will receive SEK 807 M (NOK 689 M) for its 22.5 per cent holding
in Enskilda Securities. Orkla received the shares in Enskilda Securities
as consideration when SEB acquired the Norwegian broker Orkla Finans
(Fondsmegling) in 2000. SEB has exercised a share option allowing it to
buy back the stock.
Annika Bolin, Executive Vice President, SEB, and Chairman of the Board,
Enskilda Securities, says: "The original purpose behind the arrangement
with Orkla, namely to establish a strong Norwegian presence, has been
achieved and we will continue to further develop our Norwegian
operation. This deal symbolises the ongoing commitment of SEB to its
investment banking activities."
Orkla's CEO Finn Jebsen says: "Orkla's involvement in Enskilda
Securities was financial. Orkla will concentrate on the continuous
development of the wholly owned entity Orkla Finans, focusing on
advisory services and products within asset management, insurance
brokerage and pension planning."
The name of the Norwegian operation will within six months be changed to
Enskilda Securities.
SEB is a North European financial Group that is focused on large
companies, institutions and private individuals, with 675 branch offices
around Sweden, Germany and the Baltic States. SEB has a total of 4
million customers, of whom a little over one million are e-banking
customers. On 31 December 2002, the Group's total assets amounted to SEK
1,241 billion. The Group is represented in some 20 countries around the
world and has a staff of approximately 20,000. Read more about SEB at
www.seb.net.
For further information, please contact:
Gunilla Wikman, Head of Group Communications SEB, +46 8 763 8125,
+46 70 763 8125
Per Anders Fasth, Head of Group Investor Relations SEB, +46 8 763 9566,
+46 70 573 4550