ALPHA SERVICES AND HOLDINGS S.A.
NOTIFICATION ON A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE NUMBER OF VOTING RIGHTS
Alpha Bank (the"Bank") announces that, pursuant to a notice delivered on 11.3.2011, Morgan Stanley notified that, through Morgan Stanley and Co. International PLC and Morgan Stanley and Co. Inc. New York, holds indirectly, an aggregate percentage of voting rights and number of shares which is below 5.0%, compared to a previous notification made on 11.3.2011 (the "Previous Notification" and jointly with the notification made on 18.3.2011, the "Notifications") on holding a percentage of voting rights and number of shares which amounted to 5.109% or 27,295,565 shares and an equal number of voting rights.
Furthermore, Morgan Stanley, by way of the same above-said notification made on 18.3.2011, clarified that "Morgan Stanley, Morgan Stanley and Co. International PLC and Morgan Stanley and Co. Inc. New York ("MSCO") have the power to exercise at their discretion voting rights attaching to only a small number of the 27,295,565 shares referred to in the Previous Notification. The voting rights attaching to the remainder of the shares referred to in the Previous Notification, which represents less than 5% of the total voting rights in Alpha, were deemed to be held by various third party clients of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley and Co. International PLC (the "Clients"), in accordance with article 10 of Greek Law 3556/2007. Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley and Co. International PLC act as custodians on behalf of the Clients and have no discretion over the exercise of such voting rights, as they may exercise them only in accordance with the written instructions provided by the Clients."
In light of the above, the Hellenic Capital Market Commission notified in writing to Morgan Stanley that the requirements for the submission of the Notifications were not met in the first place and requested the latter to immediately retract such Notifications. Morgan Stanley, acting in full compliance with the above, and by way of a letter sent on 21.3.2011, retracted said Notifications.
Furthermore, Morgan Stanley, by way of the same above-said notification made on 18.3.2011, clarified that "Morgan Stanley, Morgan Stanley and Co. International PLC and Morgan Stanley and Co. Inc. New York ("MSCO") have the power to exercise at their discretion voting rights attaching to only a small number of the 27,295,565 shares referred to in the Previous Notification. The voting rights attaching to the remainder of the shares referred to in the Previous Notification, which represents less than 5% of the total voting rights in Alpha, were deemed to be held by various third party clients of Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley and Co. International PLC (the "Clients"), in accordance with article 10 of Greek Law 3556/2007. Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley and Co. International PLC act as custodians on behalf of the Clients and have no discretion over the exercise of such voting rights, as they may exercise them only in accordance with the written instructions provided by the Clients."
In light of the above, the Hellenic Capital Market Commission notified in writing to Morgan Stanley that the requirements for the submission of the Notifications were not met in the first place and requested the latter to immediately retract such Notifications. Morgan Stanley, acting in full compliance with the above, and by way of a letter sent on 21.3.2011, retracted said Notifications.