Regulatory News:
UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) (SWX:UBSN) announced today that it is making a cash
tender offer in relation to certain euro and Italian lira denominated
senior unsecured securities for a maximum aggregate principal amount of
EUR 2.25 billion, and a cash tender offer in relation to certain US
dollar denominated senior unsecured securities for a maximum aggregate
principal amount of USD 2.5 billion. The offers correspond in total to
approximately CHF 5 billion, based on yesterday's exchange rates, and
are subject to increase and other conditions as set out in the tender
offer memoranda.
Following the announcement in October 2012 of the accelerated
implementation of our strategy, we have reduced balance sheet and
funding needs. We have, therefore, generated capacity within our
liquidity and funding position to be able to execute these tender offers.
Our actions to prudently manage the composition of our liabilities will
lower interest expense in the future. These actions could lead to a
tightening of our credit spreads, and as a result, we could see
significant own credit charges in the first quarter.
The tender offer period relating to euro and Italian lira denominated
securities will end on 19 February 2013. The tender offer period for the
US dollar denominated securities will end on 5 March 2013, with an early
participation date set on 19 February 2013. The tender offer periods can
be extended, re-opened, amended or terminated as provided in the tender
offer memoranda.
OFFER AND DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTIONS
This announcement and the tender offer memoranda produced in connection
with the offers described therein (the "Tender Offer Memoranda" and the
"Offers" respectively) do not constitute an offer or an invitation to
participate in the Offers in any jurisdiction in which, or to any person
to or from whom, it is unlawful to make such offer or invitation or for
there to be such participation under applicable laws. The distribution
of this announcement and the Tender Offer Memoranda in certain
jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession
this announcement and/or the Tender Offer Memoranda come are required by
each of UBS AG (the "Offeror"), UBS Limited (the "Dealer Manager") and
Lucid Issuer Services Limited (the "Tender Agent") to inform themselves
about and to observe any such restrictions.
United States
The Offers for certain euro and Italian lira denominated securities (the
"European Offer") are not being made and will not be made, directly or
indirectly, in or into, or by use of the mails of, or by any means or
instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce of, or of any
facilities of a national securities exchange of, the United States. This
includes, but is not limited to, facsimile transmission, electronic
mail, telex, telephone and the internet. The securities subject to the
European Offer may not be tendered in any Offer by any such use, means,
instrumentality or facility from or within the United States or by
persons located or resident in the United States. Accordingly, copies of
this announcement, the Tender Offer Memorandum for the European Offer
and any other documents or materials relating to the European Offer are
not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly, mailed or otherwise
transmitted, distributed or forwarded (including, without limitation, by
custodians, nominees or trustees) in or into the United States or to any
persons located or resident in the United States. Any purported tender
of securities in an Offer resulting directly or indirectly from a
violation of these restrictions will be invalid and any purported tender
of securities made by a person located or resident in the United States,
or any agent, fiduciary or other intermediary acting on a
non-discretionary basis for a principal giving instructions from within
the United States will be invalid and will not be accepted.
Each holder participating in the European Offer will be deemed to
represent that it is not located or resident in the United States and is
not participating in such European Offer from the United States or it is
acting on a non-discretionary basis for a principal located outside the
United States that is not giving an order to participate in such
European Offer from the United States. For the purposes of this and the
above paragraph, "United States” means the United States of America, its
territories and possessions, any state of the United States of America
and the District of Columbia.
United Kingdom
The communication of this announcement, the communication of the Tender
Offer Memoranda and any other documents or materials relating to the
Offers has not been approved by an authorised person for the purposes of
section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the "FSMA”).
Accordingly, such documents and/or materials are not being distributed
to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United
Kingdom. The communication of such documents and/or materials is exempt
from the restriction on financial promotions under section 21(1) of the
FSMA on the basis that it is only directed at and may only be
communicated to (1) those persons who are existing members or creditors
of the Offeror or other persons within Article 43(2) of the Financial
Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, and (2)
any other persons to whom such documents and/or materials may lawfully
be communicated in circumstances in which section 21(1) of the FSMA does
not apply to the Offeror.
France
The Offers are not being made, directly or indirectly, to the public in
France. Neither this announcement, the Tender Offer Memoranda nor any
other documents or offering materials relating to the Offers, has been
or shall be distributed to the public in France and only (i) providers
of investment services relating to portfolio management for the account
of third parties (personnes fournissant le service d'investissement
de gestion de portefeuille pour compte de tiers) and/or (ii)
qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés) acting for their
own account, other than individuals, all as defined in, and in
accordance with, Articles L.411-1, L.411-2 and D.411-1 of the French Code
monétaire et financier, are eligible to participate in the Offers.
The Tender Offer Memoranda have not been submitted to the clearance
procedures (visa) of the Autorité des marchés financiers.
Belgium
Neither this announcement, the Tender Offer Memoranda nor any other
documents or materials relating to the Offers have been submitted to or
will be submitted for approval or recognition to the Financial Services
and Markets Authority (Autorité des services et marchés financiers /
Autoriteit voor financiële diensten en markten) and, accordingly,
the Offers may not be made in Belgium by way of a public offering, as
defined in Articles 3 and 6 of the Belgian Law of April 1, 2007 on
public takeover bids as amended or replaced from time to time.
Accordingly, the Offers may not be advertised and the Offers will not be
extended, and neither this announcement, the Tender Offer Memoranda nor
any other documents or materials relating to the Offers (including any
memorandum, information circular, brochure or any similar documents) has
been or shall be distributed or made available, directly or indirectly,
to any person in Belgium other than "qualified investors” in the sense
of Article 10 of the Belgian Law of June 16, 2006 on the public offer of
placement instruments and the admission to trading of placement
instruments on regulated markets, acting on their own account. This
announcement and the Tender Offer Memoranda have been issued only for
the personal use of the above qualified investors and exclusively for
the purpose of the Offers. Accordingly, the information contained in
this announcement and the Tender Offer Memoranda may not be used for any
other purpose or disclosed to any other person in Belgium.
Italy
None of the Offers, this announcement, the Tender Offer Memoranda or any
other documents or materials relating to the Offers has been or will be
submitted to the clearance procedure of the Commissione Nazionale per
le Società e la Borsa ("CONSOB”), pursuant to applicable Italian
laws and regulations.
The Offers are being carried out in the Republic of Italy ("Italy”) as
an exempted offer pursuant to article 101-bis, paragraph 3-bis of the
Legislative Decree No. 58 of 24 February 1998, as amended (the
"Financial Services Act”) and article 35-bis, paragraph 4 of CONSOB
Regulation No. 11971 of 14 May 1999, as amended (the "CONSOB
Regulation”). The Offers are also being carried out in compliance with
article 35-bis, paragraph 7 of the CONSOB Regulation.
Holders or beneficial owners of the securities located in Italy can
offer the securities through authorised persons (such as investment
firms, banks or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such
activities in Italy in accordance with the Financial Services Act,
CONSOB Regulation No. 16190 of 29 October 2007, as amended from time to
time, and Legislative Decree No. 385 of 1 September 1993, as amended)
and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations or with
requirements imposed by CONSOB or any other Italian authority.
Each intermediary must comply with the applicable laws and regulations
concerning information duties vis-à-vis its clients in connection with
the securities or the Offers.
Switzerland
Neither this announcement, the Tender Offer Memoranda nor any other
offering or marketing material relating to the securities constitutes a
prospectus as such term is understood pursuant to article 652a or
article 1156 of the Swiss Federal Code of Obligations or a listing
prospectus within the meaning of the listing rules of the SIX Swiss
Exchange. Accordingly, the investor protection rules otherwise
applicable to investors in Switzerland do not apply to the Offers. When
in doubt, investors based in Switzerland are recommended to contact
their legal, financial or tax adviser with respect to the Offers.
Singapore
Neither this announcement, the Tender Offer Memoranda nor any other
documents or materials relating to the Offers has been or will be
registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The
Offers do not constitute a public tender offer for the purchase of notes
or a public offering of securities in Singapore pursuant to Section
273(1)(e) of the Securities and Futures Act (Chapter 289) of Singapore
(the "SFA”). Accordingly, the Offers are not being made, and the Tender
Offer Memoranda and any other documents or materials relating to the
Offers are not to be circulated or distributed, whether directly or
indirectly, to persons located or resident in Singapore other than to
(i) an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA, (ii) a
relevant person as defined in Section 275(1) of the SFA, or to any
person as referred to in Section 275(1A) of the SFA, and in accordance
with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii)
otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any
other applicable provision of the SFA.
The People’s Republic of China
This announcement and the Tender Offer Memoranda may not be circulated
or distributed in or into the People’s Republic of China (the "PRC”) and
the Offers may not be made, directly or indirectly, to any resident of
the PRC except to the extent consistent with the applicable laws and
regulations of the PRC.
General
The Offers do not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an
offer to sell securities in any circumstances in which such offer or
solicitation is unlawful. In those jurisdictions where the securities or
other laws require the Offers to be made by a licensed broker or dealer
and the Dealer Manager or, where the context so requires, any of its
affiliates is such a licensed broker or dealer in that jurisdiction, the
Offers shall be deemed to be made on behalf of the Offeror by the Dealer
Manager or such affiliate (as the case may be) in such jurisdiction.
In addition to the representations referred to above in respect of the
United States, each holder participating in an Offer will also be deemed
to give certain representations in respect of the other jurisdictions
referred to above and generally as set out in "Procedures for
Participating in the Offers” in the Tender Offer Memoranda. Any
tender of securities for purchase pursuant to an Offer from a holder
that is unable to make these representations may be rejected. Each of
the Offeror, the Dealer Manager and the Tender Agent reserves the right,
in their absolute discretion, to investigate, in relation to any tender
of securities for purchase pursuant to an Offer, whether any such
representation given by a holder is correct and, if such investigation
is undertaken and as a result the Offeror determines (for any reason)
that such representation is not correct, such tender may be rejected.
