adidas-Salomon AG Intends to Place approximately 4.5m Shares
Herzogenaurach, November, 3 – Following approval by the Supervisory Board, the Executive Board of adidas-Salomon AG today decided to increase the company’s share capital against contribution in cash, with the exclusion of shareholders’ pre-emptive rights. The company intends to increase its capital by issuing approximately 4.5 million adidas-Salomon AG common shares by way of an accelerated bookbuild offering to German and international institutional investors (including a placement to qualified institutional buyers in the U.S. in reliance on Rule 144A under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933).
The proceeds of the offering, which amount to approximately € 640 million, will contribute to the financing of the acquisition of Reebok International Ltd, which is planned for completion in the first half of 2006.
The size of the offering equates to approximately 10% of the company’s outstanding share capital. Deutsche Bank AG and Merrill Lynch International have been appointed to act as Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners. Dresdner Bank will be the co-lead manager. Pricing and allocation of the new shares is expected to occur on November 4, 2005.
The adidas Group is one of the global leaders within the sporting goods industry and offers a broad range of products with brands such as adidas and TaylorMade in its portfolio. Headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Germany, the Group had 14,217 employees and reached sales of € 5.9 billion in 2004. adidas-Salomon AG will remain the company’s legal name until the change of the name to adidas AG has been approved by the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting in May 2006.