Swedish Match Annual General Meeting 2015
Major items approved by today’s Annual General Meeting include:
- Dividend of 7.50 SEK per share
- Mandate to repurchase up to 10 percent of all shares in the Company
- Withdrawal of 4,000,000 repurchased company shares with a simultaneous bonus issue without issuing any new shares
- Re-election of KPMG AB as auditor
At the Annual General Meeting of Swedish Match AB (publ) on April 23, it was resolved, in accordance with the proposal of the Board of Directors, to pay a dividend of 7.50 SEK per share. The record day for the right to receive a cash dividend is April 27, 2015 and payment through Euroclear Sweden AB is expected to be made on April 30, 2015.
Andrew Cripps, Conny Karlsson, Wenche Rolfsen, Meg Tivéus and Joakim Westh were re-elected as members of Swedish Match’s Board of Directors and Charles A. Blixt and Jacqueline Hoogerbrugge were elected as new members of the Board. Conny Karlsson was re-elected as Chairman of the Board and Andrew Cripps was re-elected Deputy Chairman of the Board. The Annual General Meeting further approved the proposed remuneration to the members of the Board of Directors as set out in the notice and the principles for remuneration to members of the executive management.
Furthermore, the Annual General Meeting approved the Board of Directors’ proposal that it be authorized to resolve on acquisition of the Company’s own shares, on one or several occasions prior to the next Annual General Meeting, provided the Company’s holding does not at any time exceed 10 percent of all shares in the Company. The shares shall be acquired on Nasdaq Stockholm at a price within the price interval registered at any given time, i.e. the interval between the highest bid price and the lowest selling price. Swedish Match owns 5,253,479 treasury shares as per April 23, 2015.
In addition, the Annual General Meeting resolved to reduce the Company’s share capital by 7,770,880 SEK by means of withdrawal of 4,000,000 previously repurchased shares held in treasury, with a simultaneous bonus issue, without issuing any new shares, of a corresponding amount to restore the share capital. The shareholders further approved the proposal that the reduction will be allocated to a fund for use pursuant to a resolution adopted by the Annual General Meeting.
The Annual General Meeting re-elected KPMG AB as auditor until the end of the Annual General Meeting 2016.
The Annual General Meeting approved all other proposals made by the Board of Directors and the Nominating Committee. The proposals are outlined in the published notice of the Annual General Meeting.
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Contacts:
Lars Dahlgren, President and Chief Executive Officer
Office +46 8 658 0441
Marlene Forsell, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Office +46 8 658 0489
Emmett Harrison, Senior Vice President Investor Relations and Corporate Sustainability
Office +46 8 658 0173
Richard Flaherty, President US Division, US Investor Relations contact
Office +1 804 787 5130
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Swedish Match develops, manufactures, and sells quality products with market-leading brands in the product areas Snus and moist snuff, Other tobacco products (cigars and chewing tobacco), and Lights (matches, lighters, and complementary products). Production is located in six countries, with sales concentrated in Scandinavia and the US. The Group’s global operations generated sales of 13,305 MSEK for the twelve month period ending 31 December 2014. The Swedish Match share is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (SWMA).
Swedish Match’s vision is a world without cigarettes. Some of its well-known brands include: General, Longhorn, White Owl, Red Man, Fiat Lux, and Cricket.
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Swedish Match AB (publ), SE-118 85 Stockholm, Sweden
Visiting address: Sveavägen 44, 8th Floor. Telephone: +46 8 658 0200
Corporate Identity Number: 556015-0756
www.swedishmatch.com
