Amsterdam, Prague & Budapest 29 August 2007 - AAA Auto Group N.V., a company registered in the Netherlands and sole shareholder in operating companies belonging to AAA AUTO GROUP, one of the leading used-car dealerships in the CEE, has announced its intention to sell up to 28.1% of its shares in an initial public offering (the “IPO”) with listing and trading of the shares on both the Prague Stock Exchange in the Czech Republic (the “PSE”) and the Budapest Stock Exchange in Hungary (the “BSE”).
The subscription period will commence on 10 September 2007 and will close on 21 September 2007. Conditional trading of the shares of AAA Auto Group N.V. on the PSE is expected to commence on 24 September 2007. There will be no conditional trading on the BSE. The first regular trading day on both the PSE and BSE is expected to be 26 September 2007.
The offering by AAA Auto Group N.V. will consist of an offer of up to 19,533,663 shares of AAA Auto Group N.V., including the offer by AAA Auto Group N.V. of up to newly issued 17,757,875 shares, and up to an additional 1,775,788 newly issued shares offered under an over-allotment option granted by AAA Auto Group N.V. to Patria Finance, a.s., by way of a public offering in the Czech Republic and Hungary to retail investors and a concurrent international private placement to institutional investors in certain jurisdictions outside of the Czech Republic and Hungary, in each case outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act.
The prospectus prepared in connection with the IPO by AAA Auto Group N.V. has been approved by the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets on 28 August 2007. AAA Auto Group N.V. has filed applications to admit and list all of its shares to trading on the main markets of the PSE and BSE. The maximum offer price of the shares has been set at € 2.25 (approximately CZK 62.36// HUF 579.67).
“By means of conducting an IPO, our group shall acquire the capital we need for business and development of new trading opportunities in our current markets in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Poland, as well as for our planned expansion to Southern and Eastern Europe,” said the Founder and Chairman of the Board of AAA AUTO Group N.V. Anthony James Denny.
“The initial public offering of the AAA Auto Group N.V.’s shares represents a milestone for medium Czech companies, as it confirms the possibility and suitability for such companies of raising capital on capital markets,” indicated Tomáš Klápště, Managing Director Corporate Finance at Patria Finance, the chief underwriter of the offering.
Electronic copies of the prospectus prepared by AAA Auto Group N.V. are available at its website (www.aaaauto.cz/investor-relations/), Patria Finance’s website (www.patria.cz), Patria Direct’s website (www.patria-direct.cz) and (98 EUR, -0,49%) Securities’s website (www.kbcsecurities.hu).
The global coordinator and bookrunner and co-lead manager of the issue is Patria Finance, a.s., based in Prague, with Securities N.V., based in Brussels and Securities Hungarina Branch Office, based in Budapest, acting as the co-lead managers. Czech and Hungarian Listing Agents are Patria Finance, a.s. and Securities Hungarian Branch Office, respectively. White & Case, advokátní kancelář has acted as outside legal counsel for AAA Auto Group N.V. on Czech law, Réczicza White & Case LLP on Hungarian law, and Loyens & Loeff N.V. on Dutch law. Clifford Chance is advising the issue managers.
The AAA AUTO GROUP has been in operation for almost 14 years, gradually expanding from its headquarters in the Czech Republic to other countries in the CEE region. Currently, the Group coordinates a network of 38 branches in 5 countries - Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary and Poland. According to consolidated results, the AAA AUTO GROUP sold 61,939 used and new cars in 2006, reaching a turnover of € 348 million, while the number of its employees increased to 3,400 in August 2007. The Group is planning to expand its business activities to the Balkan Peninsula and the former USSR countries.
Patria Finance