Nasdaq, Inc. (Nasdaq: NDAQ) (“Nasdaq”), announced today that it1 has purchased 844,071 shares in Oslo Børs VPS (NOTC: OSLO/OTCMKTS: OSBHF) (“Oslo Børs VPS”). The acquisitions are made in line with the terms of the offer (the “Offer”) set forth in the offer document published on February 4, 2019, as amended by announcements of March 4 and 25, 2019 (the “Offer Document”), in which Nasdaq AB, an indirect subsidiary of Nasdaq, describes the terms of its offer for all of the issued shares of Oslo Børs VPS. As a result of the purchases, which were made at NOK 158 per share, equal to the Offer Price (as defined in the Offer Document and increased by Nasdaq on March 4, 2019), over 37 per cent of Oslo Børs VPS shares are owned by Nasdaq or are subject to pre-commitments to accept the Offer.
Nasdaq is committed to combining with Oslo Børs VPS and is confident that the Offer represents the best solution for supporting the vibrant Norwegian capital market and uniting a strong Nordic financial ecosystem for long term, sustainable growth.
On April 8, 2019, the recommendation to the Ministry of Finance by the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway to approve Nasdaq as a qualified owner of Oslo Børs VPS was announced.
“As we continue to pursue our ambition to acquire Oslo Børs VPS, we are pleased to have been deemed fit and proper by the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority,” said Lauri Rosendahl, President Nasdaq Nordic. “Based on the support by the board and key stakeholders, we remain confident that our offer is the best alternative for the continued long-term success of the Norwegian financial markets, and we look forward to the final decision of the Ministry of Finance.”
The Board of Oslo Børs VPS has unanimously recommended Nasdaq’s Offer. In addition, shareholders representing more than one-third of the shares in Oslo Børs VPS, including the two largest shareholders in Oslo Børs VPS and its President and Chief Executive Officer, have recently reaffirmed their support for the Offer as the best solution for Oslo Børs VPS and the Norwegian capital market.
For additional information on the Offer – please visit http://business.nasdaq.com/oslo-bors