OM Gruppen's CEO Per E. Larsson says - "We intend to establish a new global standard for exchange services"

"At present, we stand at the watershed between the old world and the new. The exchange market is divesting itself of its old monopolistic structure and is in the process of becoming a modern service sector." In his speech at the Annual General Meeting at Grand Hotel in Stockholm on March 8, OM Gruppen's CEO Per E. Larsson announced that OM's objective is to be amongst the winners on this new services market: "Our strategy, both in terms of our exchange activities and technology, is based on OM's technological leadership. If we maintain the tempo of our progress-and can exploit our technological head-start-our future does look very exciting." In his speech, Per E. Larsson also concluded that OM had good prospects of generating a 20 per cent return on equity in 1999. Dividends were declared at SEK 4.50 (4.00) per share, with the record day for dividends 11 March 1999. Dividends are expected to be paid through the Swedish Central Securities Depository (VPC) on 18 March 1999. Johan Björkman, Thomas Franzén, Lars Irstad, Per E. Larsson, Arne Mårtensson, Bengt Rydén and Olof Stenhammar we re-appointed as Board Members, while Sven Nyman joined the Board for the first time. Björn Fernström and Stephan Tolstoy were re-appointed Ordinary Auditors. Gunnar Widhagen and Hans Jacobsson were appointed to serve as Deputy Auditors for another term.