Barclays
ANALYSTS
AND
INVESTORS
Mark
Merson +44 20
7116 5752
James
S Johnson +44
20 7116 2927
MEDIA
Stephen
Whitehead
+44 20 7116 6060
Alistair
Smith +44
20 7116 6132
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.
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