Amsterdam,
18 July
2007
Update
on
potential offers for ABN AMRO
ABN
AMRO acknowledges that it has received a revised proposed offer
from the
Consortium of Fortis, RBS and Santander, which it will discuss
with
representatives of the consortium.
Under
the terms of
the Merger Protocol dated 23 April 2007, ABN AMRO will also discuss
with
Barclays their offer and the implications of the Consortium's revised
proposed
offer.
ABN
AMRO confirms that its Managing and Supervisory Boards will act
in the best
interests of all stakeholders, including shareholders, and will
assess the
proposed offers in a fair and transparent manner. ABN AMRO also
confirms that it
has no intention of making any major asset disposals at the current
time.
Further
announcements will be forthcoming in due course.
Press
contact: +31 20 6288900
IR
contact:
+31 20 6287835
This
is an
announcement pursuant to article 9b paragraph 1 of the Dutch Securities
Markets
Supervision Decree (Besluit toezicht effectenverkeer 1995).
This
document shall
not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer
to buy any
securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities, in any jurisdiction
in
which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior
to registration
or qualification under the securities laws of any such
jurisdiction.
Cautionary
statement
regarding forward-looking statements
This
announcement
contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements
are statements
that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs
and
expectations. Any statement in this announcement that expresses
or implies our
intentions, beliefs, expectations or predictions (and the assumptions
underlying
them) is a forward-looking statement. These statements are based
on plans,
estimates and projections, as they are currently available to the
management of
ABN AMRO Holding N.V. ("ABN AMRO"). Forward-looking statements
therefore speak only as of the date they are made, and we take
no obligation to
update publicly any of them in light of new information or future
events.
Forward-looking
statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of
important
factors could therefore cause actual future results to differ materially
from
those expressed or implied in any forward looking statement. Such
factors
include, without limitation, the consummation of our proposed merger
with
Barclays PLC ("Barclays"); the completion of our proposed disposition
of
LaSalle; the conditions in the financial markets in Europe, the
United States,
Brazil and elsewhere from which we derive a substantial portion
of our trading
revenues; potential defaults of borrowers or trading counterparties;
the
implementation of our restructuring including the envisaged reduction
in
headcount; the reliability of our
risk
management policies, procedures and
methods; the outcome of ongoing criminal investigations and other
regulatory
initiatives related to compliance matters in the United States
and the nature
and severity of any sanctions imposed; and other risks referenced
in our filings
with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information
on these
and other factors, please refer to Part I: Item 3.D "Risk Factors" in our Annual
Report on Form 20-F filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission
and to
any subsequent reports furnished or filed by us with the US Securities
and
Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements contained in
this
announcement are made as of the date hereof, and the companies
assume no
obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements contained
in this
announcement.
Additional
Information and Where to Find
it
In
connection with the proposed business
combination transaction between Barclays and ABN AMRO, Barclays expects
that it will file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission
a Registration
Statement on Form F-4 which will contain a prospectus, a Tender
Offer Statement
on Schedule TO and other relevant materials. In addition, ABN AMRO expects
that it will file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission
a
Solicitation/Recommendation Statement on Schedule 14D-9 and other
relevant
materials. Such documents, however, are not currently
available.
INVESTORS
ARE URGED TO READ ANY
DOCUMENTS REGARDING THE POTENTIAL TRANSACTION IF AND WHEN THEY
BECOME AVAILABLE,
BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
Investors
will be able to obtain a free
copy of such filings without charge, at the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov)
once such documents are filed with the SEC. Copies of such documents
may also be
obtained from Barclays and ABN AMRO, without charge, once they are filed
with the SEC.
The
publication and distribution of this
document and any separate documentation regarding the intended
Offer, the making
of the intended Offer and the issuance and offering of shares may,
in some
jurisdictions, be restricted by law. This document is not being
published and
the intended Offer is not being made, directly or indirectly, in
or into any
jurisdiction in which the publication of this announcement and
the making of the
intended Offer would not be in compliance with the laws of that
jurisdiction.
Persons who come into possession of this announcement should inform
themselves
of and observe any of these restrictions. Any failure to comply
with these
restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws
of that
jurisdiction.