Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company S.A. (Coca-Cola HBC, CCHBC, Company) announced that the Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company's shareholders took place today.
Three hundred two (302) shareholders representing two hundred three million three hundred thirty one thousand eight hundred thirty (203.331.830) shares, out of a total number of two hundred forty two million sixty seven thousand nine hundred sixteen (242,067,916), namely 83,99% of the Company's share capital were present or represented and voted at the Meeting.
The General Meeting adopted resolutions on the following items:
(a) Increase of CCHBC's share capital by Euro sixty million five hundred sixteen thousand nine hundred seventy nine (60.516.979) through the capitalization of amounts from the account 'share premium'.
The capital increase will be effected by issuing one hundred twenty one million thirty three thousand nine hundred fifty eight (121.033.958) new bearer shares of a nominal value of Euro 0,50 each and the delivery for free of one (1) share for every two (2) existing shares.
Following the above share capital increase, the share capital of the Company amounts to Euro one hundred eighty one million five hundred fifty thousand nine hundred thirty seven (181.550.937), divided into three hundred sixty three million one hundred one thousand eight hundred seventy four (363.101.874) shares of a nominal value of Euro 0,50 each.
Provided that the required permits are granted by the local authorities, the right will detach and the share price of the Company will adjust. Shareholders holding CCHBC shares at the end of the Athens Stock Exchange (ATHEX) session on the third trading day following ATHEX's approval for the admission to trading of the new shares shall have the right to receive the newly issued shares. According to ATHEX's Regulation, the right's detachment will take place on the fourth trading day following ATHEX's approval for the admission to trading of the new shares. The exact date of the right's detachment will be announced to our shareholders in accordance with article 308 of the ATHEX Regulation.
The new shares are expected to be admitted to trading on the ATHEX in November 2007.
(b) Amendment of article 3 and codification of the Company's articles of incorporation in one single document.
Coca-Cola HBC is one of the world's largest bottlers of products of The Coca-Cola Company and has operations in 28 countries serving a population of 540 million people. CCHBC shares are listed on the Athens Exchange (ATHEX: EEEK), with secondary listings on the London (LSE: CCB) and Australian (ASX: CHB) Stock Exchanges. CCHBC's American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CCH).