Volvo makes public bid for Nissan Diesel

March 1, 2007
AB Volvo's board of directors has decided to make a public offer to acquire the Japanese truck manufacturer Nissan Diesel. The offer, which is supported

AB Volvo's board of directors has decided to make a public offer to acquire the Japanese truck manufacturer Nissan Diesel. The offer, which is supported by Nissan Diesel's board of directors, means that Volvo offers JPY 540 in cash per share and the total value of Volvo's offer amounts to SEK 7.5 billion. Volvo already owns a 19% holding in Nissan Diesel and preference shares which can be converted to an additional 27.5%, after full dilution.

Volvo's offer for Nissan Diesel represents a premium of 32% based on the average prices during the past three months. The offer is open through March 23 and is not conditional upon a lowest level of acceptance, but is dependent on the necessary approvals from the anti-trust authorities. If the offer for Nissan Diesel is implemented, Volvo will have paid a total of SEK 13 billion for all shares, corresponding to JPY 469 per share.

In 2005, Nissan Diesel sold approximately 42,000 trucks and buses. In Japan, Nissan Diesel holds a market share of about 24% in heavy trucks and 15% in the medium-heavy segment. Sales in 2005 amounted to about SEK 32.5 billion. The company has 8,900 employees.