SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
Report of Foreign Issuer
Persuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Report on Form 6-K dated April 27, 2005
Swedish Match AB
(Translation of Registrant’s Name into English)
Rosenlundsgatan 36
S-118 85 Stockholm, Sweden
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.)
Form 20-F X Form 40-F
(Indicate by check whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.)
Yes No X
(If “Yes” is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b);82- )
Enclosure: Swedish Match shareholders approve dividend hike to 1.90 SEK
SIGNATURES
Persuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
| Swedish Match AB | ||||
| Date: April 27, 2005 | By: | /s/ Bertil Raihle | ||
| Bertil Raihle | ||||
| Vice President Corporate Control | ||||
Stockholmsbörsen: SWMA
PRESS RELEASE
27 April, 2005
Swedish Match shareholders approve dividend hike to 1.90 SEK
Major items approved by today’s Annual General Meeting include:
| • | Dividend will increase from 1.70 SEK/share to 1.90 SEK |
| • | Election of Kersti Strandqvist and Sven Hindrikes to the Board |
| • | Mandate to repurchase up to 10 percent of all shares in the Company prolonged |
| • | 12 Million shares repurchased by the Company are authorized to be withdrawn |
| • | Approval of reduction of the share’s nominal value to 1.20 SEK |
| • | Approval of reduction of the parent company’s legal reserves by 114 MSEK |
At the Annual General Meeting of Swedish Match on April 27th, it was resolved in accordance with the proposal of the Board of Directors to pay a dividend per share of 1.90 SEK. The record date for the dividend entitlement was set at 2 May, 2005. The dividend is expected to be distributed on 6 May, 2005, through VPC.
Shareholders have re-elected Bernt Magnusson (Chairman), Jan Blomberg, Tuve Johannesson, Arne Jurbrant, Meg Tivéus and Karsten Slotte and elected Kersti Strandqvist and Sven Hindrikes as new members to the Board of Directors.
Furthermore, the shareholders approved an authorization for a reduction in the Company’s share capital by 28.8 MSEK through withdrawal of 12,000,000 shares in the Company. The shares in the Company to be withdrawn have been repurchased by the Company in accordance with previous shareholder authorization. The shareholders also approved a reduction of the parent company’s share capital by a reduction of the shares nominal value from 2.40 SEK to 1.20 SEK as well as a reduction of legal reserves by 114 MSEK. Along with this reduction, 532 MSEK will be transferred from restricted equity to unrestricted equity. The released funds will be used for share repurchases.
Shareholders approved an authorization to decide, prior to the next Annual General Meeting, to acquire a maximum of as many shares as may be acquired without the Company’s holding at any time exceeding 10 percent of all shares in the Company. The shares shall be acquired on the Stockholmsbörsen at a price within the price interval registered at any given time (market price).
The meeting also resolved to allow the Company to issue up to 907,408 call options to a combined value of 9.8 MSEK, which corresponds to the value of options allocated in accordance with the Company’s options program for 2004.
The meeting further adopted a stock option program for senior officials in the Company for 2005. The total value of the stock options allocated shall not exceed a limit of 25.2 MSEK.
In addition, shareholders approved all other proposals made by the Board of Directors as outlined in the published notice of the Annual General Meeting for Swedish Match AB.
Swedish Match is a unique company with its range of market-leading brands in the product areas of snuff and chewing tobacco, cigars and pipe tobacco – tobacco’s niche products – as well as matches and lighters. The Group’s global operations generated sales of 12,973MSEK for the twelve month period ending March 31, 2005. Swedish Match shares are listed on Stockholmsbörsen (SWMA).
Swedish Match AB (publ), SE-118 85 Stockholm
Visiting address: Rosenlundsgatan 36, Telephone: + 46 8 658 02 00
Corporate Identity Number: 556015-0756
www.swedishmatch.com
For further information, please contact:
Sven Hindrikes, President and Chief Executive Officer
Office +46 8 658 02 82, Mobile +46 70 567 41 76
Lars Dahlgren, Chief Financial Officer
Office +46 8 658 04 41, Mobile +46 70 958 04 41
Bo Aulin, Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel
Office +46 8 658 03 64, Mobile +46 70 558 03 64
Emmett Harrison, Vice President, Investor Relations (IR)
Office +46 8 658 01 73, Mobile +46 70 938 01 73
Richard Flaherty, CFO North America Division, US Investor Relations contact
Office +1 804 302 1774, Mobile +1 804 400 1774