Convenient investor plan is first of its kind among Swiss companies
Basel, Switzerland, September 2, 2004 - Novartis announced today that it will offer a Direct Share Purchase Plan (DSPP) to investors in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, France and the United Kingdom, marking the first time such a program has been offered by a Swiss company. The plan enables investors to minimize transaction costs to acquire Novartis Registered Shares and to hold shares free of charge in a Share Deposit Account.
"Novartis is pleased to offer this innovative program to investors in these four countries," said Dr. Daniel Vasella, Chairman and CEO of Novartis. "Our new Direct Share Purchase Plan offers current and potential investors an inexpensive way to invest in Novartis Registered Shares. We are proud to be the first Swiss company, and among the first European companies, to offer such a plan to investors."
The DSPP is a way for long-term investors to more easily acquire and hold Novartis Registered Shares without paying high commissions and deposit fees. Additional features of the plan include automatic reinvestment of dividends in additional Novartis shares, low purchase and sale transaction fees, and share safekeeping. Direct share purchase programs are popular in the United States - though not yet well known in Europe. Novartis introduced a DSPP for investors of Novartis American Depositary Shares in the United States in 2001.
The new DSPP is available only to residents of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, France and the United Kingdom. Investors participating in the DSPP may invest up to CHF 200,000 per calendar year in additional Novartis Registered Shares and/or apply their dividends from Novartis AG for the acquisition of further Novartis Registered Shares. The plan extends solely to Novartis Registered Shares (Securities Number 1200526, ISIN No. CH0012005267), and investors cannot acquire any other securities through the Direct Share Purchase Plan.
The DSPP is operated by Novartis in cooperation with S A G SIS Aktienregister AG, which manages the Plan on behalf of Novartis. Credit Suisse is the designated broker. It replaces the existing Novartis Share Deposit Plan managed by S A G, which ended on August 31, 2004. Shareholders who already hold Novartis Registered Shares under the existing Share Deposit Plan will have their share plans automatically transferred to the new DSPP.
More information about the Novartis Direct Share Purchase Plan is available at www.novartis.com/investors or www.sag.ch/dspp/novartis.
About Novartis
Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) is a world leader in pharmaceuticals and consumer health. In 2003, the Group's businesses achieved sales of USD 24.9 billion and a net income of USD 5.0 billion. The Group invested approximately USD 3.8 billion in R&D. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis Group companies employ about 80,000 people and operate in over 140 countries around the world.
For further information please consult http://www.novartis.com.
Important legal notice
The information published by Novartis in the above media release, on the Novartis website or any other document related to the Novartis Direct Share Purchase Plan does not constitute a solicitation or offer, or recommendation, to buy or sell Novartis shares, to effect any transaction, or to conclude any legal act of any kind whatsoever.
The following applies, among others, to the United States of America and to US persons:
This offer is not made in the United States of America and to US persons and may be accepted only by non-US persons and BY PERSONS outside the United States. Offering materials with respect to this offer may not be distributed in or sent to the United States and may not be used for the purpose of solicitation of an offer to purchase or sell any securities in the United States.
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Contacts
John Gilardi
Novartis Global Media Relations
Tel +41 61 324 3018 (direct)
or +41 79 596 1408 (mobile)
john.gilardi@group.novartis.com
Bruno Hofer
Novartis Global Media Relations
Tel +41 61 324 3860 (direct)
or +41 61 324 2200 (mobile)
bruno.hofer@group.novartis.com
