Daimler AG and the consortium of private and public-sector investors have confirmed to continue the agreement reached on February 9, 2007 concerning the equity interests and voting rights in the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS). At Germany’s Federal Chancellery on March 16, 2010, Daimler and the investors stated their willingness to continue the existing agreement without any changes.
As a result, Daimler continues to hold 22.5% of the voting rights in EADS while its economic interest is still 15%. Thus, the existing balance of voting rights between German and French shareholders remains unchanged.
“The confirmation of the voting-rights structure gives EADS the stability to consistently pursue its strategic goals. Ten years after EADS was founded, Daimler still plays a crucial role in the continuation of this success story of European integration,” stated Bodo Uebber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of EADS N.V.
The ownership structure was worked out under the coordination of the Federal Chancellery and was agreed upon on February 9, 2007. At that time, Daimler placed its entire 22.5% equity interest in EADS into a company in which the investor consortium holds a one-third interest through a special purpose entity. This is equivalent to the investor consortium holding a 7.5% equity interest in EADS.
The agreement includes an option for Daimler to end this structure as of July 1, 2010. Following consultation with the investor consortium, Daimler will not make use of this option. The existing ownership structure and other arrangements remain unaffected.
The investor consortium consists of 15 investors: seven in the private sector and eight in the public sector. The private-sector investors hold 60% of the special-purpose vehicle and the public-sector investors hold 40%.
The private-sector investors are Allianz, Commerzbank, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs, each of which holds 10% of the special-purpose vehicle, as well as Morgan Stanley and Sal. Oppenheim, each of which holds 5%.
On the side of the public sector, the KfW banking group holds 13%, HGV Hamburger Gesellschaft für Vermögens- und Beteiligungsverwaltung (State of Hamburg) holds 10%, Hannoversche Beteiligungsgesellschaft (State of Lower Saxony) holds 5%, Bayerische Landesbodenkreditanstalt, Anstalt der Bayerischen Landesbank holds 3.5%, LfA Förderbank Bayern holds 1.5%, Landesbank Baden-Württemberg and Landeskreditbank Baden-Württemberg – Förderbank (L-Bank) each holds 2.5%, and Bremer Investitions-Gesellschaft (State of Bremen) holds 2%.
