DGAP-News: GRENKELEASING AG: The GRENKE Board of Directors

DGAP-News: GRENKELEASING AG / Key word(s): AGM/EGM GRENKELEASING AG: The GRENKE Board of Directors reports on a successful execution of the corporate strategy - Shareholders resolve a dividend EUR 1.00 per share 10.04.2014 / 17:07 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Not for distribution, publication, or dissemination in the USA, Canada, Australia, or Japan, or any other countries in which such a publication may be unlawful The GRENKE Board of Directors reports on a successful execution of the corporate strategy - Shareholders resolve a dividend EUR 1.00 per share - GRENKE shareholders resolve a dividend of EUR 1.00 per share - For the first time, there is the option to receive the dividend in cash or in the form of shares - Shareholders may decide for the scrip dividend in the period from April 11 to April 28, 2014 - The Board of Directors and Supervisory Board were discharged Baden-Baden, April 10, 2014: At today's Annual General Meeting, the shareholders of GRENKELEASING AG resolved the distribution of a dividend for fiscal year 2013 in the amount of EUR 1.00 per share (previous year: EUR 0.80). For the first time, GRENKE shareholders have the option to choose whether to receive the dividend exclusively in cash or partly in cash and partly in the form of shares of GRENKELEASING AG (Scrip Dividend). Shareholders may decide for or against the scrip dividend in the period from April 11 to April 28, 2014. Shareholders who decide against the scrip dividend or who take no action will receive the customary cash dividend presumably on May 6, 2014. Delivery of the new shares is planned for May 8, 2014. The Annual General Meeting discharged the members of the Board of Directors and the Supervisory Board for fiscal year 2013. In the appointment of the auditor for the year 2014, the Annual General Meeting approved the recommendation of the management. The shareholders present, however, did not approve the agenda item which provided for the creation of new authorised capital. "As a globally operating company, GRENKE's intention in creating new authorised capital was to preserve the flexibility it needs to take action, particularly concerning the acquisition of franchise partners on the basis of granting shares. Authorised capital is also important for scrip dividends, which give shareholders the opportunity to strengthen the financial position and equity base and thus support the Company's growth strategy by reinvesting their dividends in the Company," commented Wolfgang Grenke, Chairman of the Board of Directors. In his speech, in which he reflected on the successful 2013 fiscal year, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Wolfgang Grenke, summed up the past year as follows: "During the past years, we have grown to become the market leader in our segment in Central Europe. In doing so, we concentrate on providing efficient services for leasing and factoring. Today, we have extensive coverage in Europe and have also started to successfully position ourselves globally. In the past two years, we have already embarked on the first steps by entering the markets of Brazil, Dubai, and Canada. In 2014, we intend to establish an initial presence in Chile. Naturally, we will not neglect our European core markets and this year plan to enter the markets of Croatia and other cell divisions in five European countries including Germany. We are confident that we will be able to position the GRENKE Group and its business model in a sustainable manner in the years ahead. As a growth company, we want to strengthen the financial power and equity of the GRENKE Group and consider this planned scrip dividend as an attractive and innovative opportunity for our shareholders to increase their commitment in GRENKE." The Company's Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Jörg Eicker, added: "With its solid financial resources, strong positioning in the capital markets, and long standing and proven risk-appropriate pricing policy, the GRENKE Consolidated Group is excellently positioned to continue the steady growth path of the recent years also in the future. We are exceptionally positioned through our broad range of refinancing instruments and we pay special attention to maintaining our reputation on the capital markets. Furthermore, we have expanded our offers of finance solutions. Our factoring business experienced favourable growth rates in 2013 and recorded a rise of 46%. The development of our relatively new offers in start-up financing and the provision of development loans are similarly dynamic. Deposit volumes at GRENKE BANK AG also saw substantial growth in 2013 with an increase of 22% to EUR 255.6 million". Approximately 300 shareholders took part in the Annual General Meeting. The shareholder presence at the time of voting was 84.8%. The Company had invited a number of pupils to its Annual General Meeting: the winners of Sparkasse Baden-Baden-Gaggenau's stock exchange business game, pupils of the Markgraf-Ludwig High School Baden-Baden and the Richard-Wagner High School Baden-Baden - as part of its ongoing "Wirtschaft macht Schule" cooperation, as well as the pupils of the Goethe High School Gaggenau. The Board of Directors Should you have any queries, please contact: Renate Hauss Tel.: +49 7221 5007-204 Fax: +49 7221 5007-4218 E-mail: investor@grenke.de Internet: http://www.grenke.de, http://www.grenkeleasing.de, http://www.grenkebank.de, http://www.grenkefactoring.de The GRENKE Group The GRENKE Group is a broadly diversified provider of IT-based services in Small-Ticket-IT-Leasing, Factoring and Banking for small and medium-sized companies. In addition, the GRENKE Bank offers its classic online services also to private customers. The GRENKE Group is independent of vendors and banks and holds a leading market position in Europe in the field of small-ticket IT leasing for products such as PCs, notebooks, copiers, printers, or software of relatively low asset value. The GRENKE Group operates in 27 countries and employs more than 800 staff. GRENKELEASING AG is listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and is included in the SDAX. GRENKELEASING AG shares are listed in the SDAX on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange with the code GLJ, ISIN DE0005865901. Information on the GRENKE Group and its products is available at http://www.grenke.de This document is not for publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States. This document does not constitute or form part of an offer of securities or subscription rights for sale or solicitation of an offer to purchase securities or subscription rights in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan or in any other jurisdiction where such offer may be restricted. The securities and subscription rights referred to in this document have not been, and will not be, registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to or for the account or benefit of US persons (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act), except on the basis of an applicable exemption from registration or in a transaction not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act. There will be no public offering of securities and subscription rights in the United States or anywhere else, except for Germany. End of Corporate News --------------------------------------------------------------------- 10.04.2014 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. DGAP's Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: GRENKELEASING AG Neuer Markt 2 76532 Baden-Baden Germany Phone: +49 (0)7221 50 07-204 Fax: +49 (0)7221 50 07-4218 E-mail: investor@grenke.de Internet: www.grenke.de ISIN: DE0005865901 WKN: 586590 Indices: SDAX Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, München, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News-Service --------------------------------------------------------------------- 262728 10.04.2014