Apr 6, 2010
Amsterdam, the Netherlands – Ahold commences the € 500 million share buyback program announced on March 4, 2010. The purpose of the share buyback program is to return value to shareholders. The program will be executed by intermediaries through open market purchases and is expected to be finalized within 12 months.
The program will be executed within the limitations of the existing authority granted by Ahold’s Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) on April 28, 2009 and, if granted, of the authority as proposed to Ahold’s AGM on April 13, 2010.
The program does not include repurchases of Ahold’s American Depositary Receipts (ADRs). Ahold may cancel all or part of the common shares acquired through the program.
Ahold will provide updates on the progress of the program by means of weekly press releases.
Cautionary notice
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, plans for a share buyback, the methods and timing thereof and Ahold’s expectations of an adequate authority from Ahold’s Annual General Meeting of Shareholders and meeting the applicable timing and price restrictions. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including the market prices for Ahold’s shares. Many of these risks and uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond Ahold’s ability to control or estimate precisely. Many of these and other risk factors are detailed in Ahold’s publicly filed reports. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Ahold does not undertake any obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Outside the Netherlands, Koninklijke Ahold N.V., being its registered name, presents itself under the name of “Royal Ahold” or simply “Ahold”.
