Abu Dhabi Firm Buys 9.1% Of Daimler

戴姆勒公司(Daimler AG)将向一家阿布扎比投资公司出让9.1%的股份，此举意在支撑其资产负债表，打消股东维权人士可能要求公司实施战略转移这一隐忧。戴姆勒为梅赛德斯-奔驰(Mercedes-Benz)的母公司。总部位于德国斯图加特的戴姆勒将从这桩交易中获得26.5亿美元。Aabar Investments PJSC通过该交易将成为这家汽车生产商最大的股东，大大增加中东股东在戴姆勒的持股数量。这桩交易于周日宣布，此前科威特是戴姆勒最大股东，持有约7.6%的股份。Associated Press戴姆勒公司首席执行长Aabar Investments的董事长Khadem Al Qubaisi说，最好的投资时机就是人们恐慌的时候；我们这次买到了高质量资产。他在接受采访时还表示，Aabar将收购戴姆勒股份的交易视为长期投资。但Al Qubaisi说他根本没计划投资陷入困境的美国汽车生产商，说自己对此没兴趣。虽然戴姆勒还没有经历其一些美国同行那样的业务疲软，但这家德国公司最近几个财季也因在一些地区销量大幅下滑而承受着财务压力。戴姆勒说，公司将会在一些领域寻求合作，如电动汽车，用于汽车生产的创新性复合材料，以及在阿布扎比建立培训中心，对年轻人进行汽车行业的岗位培训等社会项目。Aabar在阿布扎比证券市场(Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange)上市，投资能源基础设施房地产汽车及金融服务等多个领域。该公司的最大股东是由阿布扎比政府控股的国际石油投资公司(International Petroleum Investment Co.)。Aabar将获得戴姆勒新发行的股票。新股发行价为每股20.27欧元，将为戴姆勒增资约10%。戴姆勒股票上周五在法兰克福收于21.34欧元，下跌1.8%。这家汽车生产商将发行约9,640万股新股；股东大会已于去年批准增资括股。戴姆勒称，增资后，公司迄今最大股东科威特的持股比例将从此前的7.6%左右降低至6.9%。戴姆勒的总股本中自由流通股占了92%左右，人们近几个月来担心这种情况会导致股东维权人士持股戴姆勒，从而推动该公司实施战略转移，比如剥离卡车业务。Christoph Rauwald相关阅读豪华车销售低迷 年底前难有改观 2009-03-04戴姆勒获准在中国提供汽车租赁服务 2009-02-27梅塞德斯-奔驰1月份中国大陆销量上升 2009-02-26戴姆勒和福田汽车签署合资意向书 2009-01-30 本文涉及股票或公司document.write (truthmeter('2009年03月23日11:50', 'DAI'));Daimler AG总部地点：德国上市地点：纽约证交所股票代码：DAIdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年03月23日11:50', 'DAI'));戴姆勒公司英文名称：Daimler AG总部地点：德国上市地点：纽约证交所股票代码：DAIdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年03月23日11:50', 'AABAR.AD'));Aabar Investments PJSC总部地点：阿联酋(United Arab Emirates)上市地点：ADSM股票代码：AABARdocument.write (truthmeter('2009年03月23日11:50', 'DAI.XE'));Daimler AG总部地点：德国上市地点：德国证券电子交易平台股票代码：DAIGn


Daimler AG, the owner of Mercedes-Benz, will cede a 9.1% stake to an Abu Dhabi investment firm in a move that shores up its balance sheet and tamps down fear that activist shareholders could push for a strategic shift.The deal, worth $2.65 billion to Daimler, will set Aabar Investments PJSC as the largest single stakeholder in the Stuttgart-based auto maker, raising the amount of Middle Eastern ownership of the company significantly. When the deal was announced Sunday, Kuwait was the company's largest shareholder, with a stake of about 7.6%.'The best time to invest is when people panic,' said the chairman of Aabar Investments, Khadem Al Qubaisi. 'We're buying a high-quality asset here,' he said, adding in an interview that Aabar views the Daimler deal as a long-term investment.But Mr. Al Qubaisi said he has 'no plans at all' to invest in one of the troubled U.S. auto makers. 'I'm not interested,' he said.While Daimler hasn't experienced the same weakness as some of its U.S. counterparts in the auto industry, the German company has been under financial pressure in recent quarters due to deep sales declines in several regions.Daimler said the cooperation will focus on joint initiatives in the areas of electric vehicles, the development of innovative compound materials to be used in automotive manufacturing and social projects such as the establishment of a training center in Abu Dhabi to educate young people for positions in the auto industry.Aabar is listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and invests in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, real estate, automotive and financial services. Its largest shareholder is the International Petroleum Investment Co., or IPIC, which is owned by the government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.Aabar will take its stake as Daimler issues additional share capital.The issue price of the new stock, representing a capital increase of around 10%, is 20.27 euros per share. On Friday, Daimler shares closed at 21.34 euros in Frankfurt, down 1.8%. The auto maker will issue about 96.4 million new shares; shareholders last year had approved the capital increase.Daimler said the stake of Kuwait, so far the company's largest shareholder, will decrease to 6.9% from its previous level, around 7.6%, following the capital increase.Daimler's large free float of around 92% had fueled concerns in recent months over activist shareholders possibly taking a stake and pushing for a strategic shift, such as a potential spin-off of the truck division.Christoph Rauwald