Deutsche Börse AG has announced that more than 75% of Deutsche Börse shares have been tendered under the exchange offer of HLDCO123 PLC (HoldCo) as at 16:00 hrs (CEST) and thus prior to the expiration of the additional acceptance period on August 12, 2016. On June 1, 2016, HoldCo published its voluntary public takeover offer in the form of an exchange offer to the shareholders of Deutsche Börse for acquiring all registered no-par-value shares in Deutsche Börse AG.
Gregor Pottmeyer, Deutsche Börse
Gregor Pottmeyer, Chief Financial Officer of Deutsche Börse AG, said:
We welcome that a large majority of our shareholders has approved the industry-defining merger of Deutsche Börse Group and London Stock Exchange Group. This high acceptance level is a strong vote of confidence and a major milestone. We will now focus to receive regulatory approvals.”
Shareholders, who have not tendered so far, can still participate in the exchange offer, which has been recommended by the Management Board and Supervisory Board of Deutsche Börse. The additional acceptance period will expire on August 12, 2016, 24:00 hours (CEST). The final tender results of the exchange offer are expected to be published on August 17, 2016.
The transaction is still subject to a number of conditions including merger control clearance by the EU Commission as well as the approval by financial, securities and other regulatory authorities. As a result, Deutsche Börse and London Stock Exchange Group expect the transaction to close in the first half of 2017.