Investor Relations
Investor Relations
Supplementary Information for Investors and Analysts
2008 First Quarter Results
Supplementary Information for Investors and Analysts
2008 First Quarter Results
Financial highlights
First quarter 2008
· Pre-tax operating profits before write-downs were NOK 1.5 billion (3.8)
· Profit for the period was NOK 1.1 billion (2.9)
· Return on equity was 5.7 per cent (17.2)
· Earnings per share were NOK 0.79 (2.11)
· Expenses represented 74.3 per cent of income (49.8)
· The core capital ratio, including 50 per cent of interim profits, was 7.0 per cent (7.6)
First quarter 2008
The Annual General Meeting in DnB NOR ASA on 30 April 2008 approved the Board of Directors' proposal for the 2007 annual report and accounts, including the distribution of a dividend for 2007 of NOK 4.50 per share to registered shareholders as at 30 April 2008, to be distributed as from 15 May 2008. The shares in DnB NOR ASA will be quoted ex-dividend on 2 May 2008. The Annual General Meeting authorised the Board of Directors of DnB NOR ASA to acquire own shares for a total face value of up to NOK 1,332,653,615, corresponding to 10 per cent of share capital. The shares may be purchased through the stock market. Each share may be purchased at a price between NOK 10 and NOK 150. The authorisation will be valid for a period of 12 months from 30 April 2008. Acquired shares shall be sold in accordance with regulations on the reduction of capital. An agreement has been signed with the Ministry of Trade and Industry for the redemption of a proportional share of government holdings to ensure that the government's percentage ownership does not change as a result of the redemption of repurchased shares. The General Meeting also endorsed the recommendation from the Board of Directors and Supervisory Board and elected the auditing firm Ernst & Young AS new auditor for DnB NOR ASA with effect from 2008. In addition, the General Meeting approved the Board of Directors' proposed amendment to Article 6-1 of the Articles of Association to read as follows: "The Election Committee shall consist of up to five members. The Chairman of the Supervisory Board shall be a permanent member and will chair the Election Committee. The other members shall be elected by the General Meeting for a term of two years."
Bjørn Sund, board member in DnB NOR, has 30.04.2008 sold 15524 shares in DnB NOR ASA at a share price of NOK 71,-. The shares are sold to Bjørn Sund Invest AS, org. nr. 989124137, a 100 % owned company by Bjørn Sund. After this transactionBjørn Sund owns 0 shares in DnB NOR ASA.
The shares in DnB NOR ASA will be traded ex dividend NOK 4.50 as from today, 02.05.2008.
The Supervisory Board will elect members to the Board of Directors of DnB NOR ASA on 18 June 2008. Board chairman Olav Hytta has announced that he will not stand for re-election. The Election Committee recommends the following composition of the Board of Directors (shareholder-elected members): Anne Carine Tanum, board chairman (up for election) Bjørn Sund, board vice-chairman (up for election) Bent Pedersen, board member (up for election) Tore Olaf Rimmereid, board member (new member) Trine Sæther Romuld, board member (not up for election) Siri Pettersen Strandenes, board member (not up for election) Benedicte Berg Schilbred is chairman of the Election Committee.
DnB NOR has signed an agreement with Oslo S Utvikling (OSU) to lease a new head office which is to be built in Bjørvika in Oslo, in the so-called Barcode Row. The new head office will provide approximately 80 000 square metres of office space. "Our vision to be the most attractive financial services house in the Nordic region does not only refer to the building, but also to our entire organisation. Coordination, cooperation and the streamlining of operations will promote the development and modernisation of the entire organisation. By gathering our employees in Oslo in one office complex, we will reduce time and costs now spent on transport between the different units and achieve more effective service functions," says Rune Bjerke, group chief executive. DnB NOR's new head office will consist of three buildings totalling approximately 80 000 square metres. The agreement with OSU regards the leasing of the buildings and includes a future purchase option. "Bjørvika is a completely new, innovative part of Oslo, a result of ambitious city planning. This is the location of the recently opened new opera building, and we have all seen how people are flocking to Bjørvika. When Bjørvika is completed, the variety of activities will create a dynamic environment both day and night. In addition, Bjørvika is a very central location with respect to public transport," says Liv Fiksdahl, group executive vice president in DnB NOR. The new head office will house more than 4 000 employees who are now working in several different locations in Oslo. Centralising staff in one, new effective office complex will halve the bank's office space requirements in Oslo. The commencement of the project is scheduled for the first quarter of 2009, and the first building phase will be completed in 2012. "DnB NOR is a multifaceted financial services group, which will fit well into Oslo's urban landscape in the future Bjørvika. This new part of Oslo will have a good mix of commercial businesses, cultural instititutions and housing," says Paul E. Lødøen, managing director of OSU. Contact persons: DnB NOR ASA: Eivind Grønstad, senior vice president, mobile: (0047) 920 31 505 Liv Fiksdahl, group executive vice president, tel. (0047) 22 94 46 32 Oslo S Utvikling AS: Paul E. Lødøen, managing director, mobile: (0047) 911 25 760