ABN AMRO has acquired the final 25% of Bouwfonds shares that were still held by Dutch municipal authorities. ABN AMRO consequently now owns all Bouwfonds shares and the company will become a wholly-owned ABN AMRO subsidiary.
ABN AMRO has also decided to exercise its right, on 1 April 2005, to acquire the Bouwfonds cumulative preference shares issued to Dutch municipal authorities and Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten. On that date, ABN AMRO will gain full legal control of Bouwfonds, in addition to the economic interest acquired in 2000.
Bouwfonds´ activities were combined with ABN AMRO´s property activities into a new company, ABN AMRO Bouwfonds Nederlandse Gemeenten NV, at the end of 1999. Since January 2000, ABN AMRO has been the economic owner of Bouwfonds and is entitled to dividends. It was agreed at the time of the acquisition that, via the cumulative preference shares, the Dutch municipal authorities would retain a legal majority interest in Bouwfonds until 2005. ABN AMRO has the right to acquire these cumulative preference shares by exercising its call option as from 31 December 2004.
Source: ABN AMRO
