Sale Of DGAP To EquityStory AG - Transaction Due For Conclusion By The End Of The Year

The three partners, Deutsche Börse AG, Reuters AG and vwd Vereinigte Wirtschaftsdienste GmbH are to sell DGAP (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ad-hoc-Publizität mbH) to EquityStory AG. The online investor relations specialist has also been a provider of ad-hoc disclosures since 2004. In the course of the transaction, EquityStory AG will acquire 100 percent of DGAP shares, which were previously held in equal proportion by the three partners. The parties have agreed to keep the sale price confidential. The transaction is due to be concluded by the end of this year.

“DGAP has undergone a dynamic development from infrastructure provider for price-relevant news to end-to-end service provider for financial communication,” said Edmund J. Keferstein, Chairman of the Advisory Board at DGAP. “We are convinced that DGAP will realize growth opportunities and expand its product offering under the new ownership structure.”

Deutsche Börse, Reuters and vwd established DGAP on 1 March 1996 with the aim of introducing electronic distribution for ad-hoc disclosures in Germany, thereby setting the market standard. This goal was achieved: In 2004, DGAP disseminated around 76 percent of all ad-hoc disclosures in Germany. DGAP also publishes corporate news, directors’ dealings, and press releases.

DGAP mbH
As an end-to-end service provider for financial communications, DPAG disseminates ad-hoc disclosures, corporate news, directors’ dealings and press releases in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Since 1996, the company has established itself as a central newspool for ad-hoc disclosures. DGAP provides services to around 800 issuers in Germany and abroad. The company, which employs a staff of 11, generated sales of around €2.5 million in fiscal 2004.

EquityStory AG
EquityStory AG is an online investor relations specialist, providing a comprehensive range of services for more than 250 listed companies in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland covering disclosure duties, financial portals, audio and video broadcasts of investor events, interactive financial reports, and outsourced IR websites. EquityStory AG generated sales of around €1.1 million in 2004, with around €1.5 million projected for 2005. For further information: www.equitystory.de.