Danone intends to sell its stake in Mengniu
Press release – Paris, May 12, 2021
Danone intends to sell its stake in Mengniu
Danone launches today the strategic sale, via an accelerated bookbuilding process, of its approximately 9.8% stake in China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited (“Mengniu”), a leading Chinese manufacturer and distributor of dairy products, which is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
This transaction follows the announcement on February 28, 2021, of the conversion of Danone’s long-term indirect stake in Mengniu into a direct holding which completed on April 16, 2021.
A further announcement with regards to the success of the sale and proceeds received will be made by Danone in due course.
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Note: This release is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe for any securities in Hong Kong, the United States or any other jurisdiction. This release does not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States. The securities referred to above have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements under the Securities Act and under the securities laws of any state of other jurisdiction of the United States.
About Danone (www.danone.com)
Danone is a leading multi-local food and beverage company building on health-focused and fast-growing categories in 3 businesses: Essential Dairy & Plant-Based products, Waters and Specialized Nutrition. With its ‘One Planet. One Health’ frame of action, which considers the health of people and the planet as intimately interconnected, Danone aims to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking practices. To accelerate this food revolution and create superior, sustainable, profitable value for all its stakeholders, Danone has defined nine 2030 Goals, and paved the way as the first listed company to adopt the “Entreprise à Mission” status in France. With a purpose to bring health through food to as many people as possible, and corresponding social, societal and environmental objectives set out in its articles of association, Danone commits to operating in an efficient, responsible and inclusive manner, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. By 2025, Danone aims to become one of the first multinational companies to obtain B Corp™ certification. With more than 100,000 employees, and products sold in over 120 markets, Danone generated €23.6 billion in sales in 2020. Danone’s portfolio includes leading international brands (Actimel, Activia, Alpro, Aptamil, Danette, Danio, Danonino, evian, Nutricia, Nutrilon, Volvic, among others) as well as strong local and regional brands (including AQUA, Blédina, Bonafont, Cow & Gate, Horizon Organic, Mizone, Oikos, Prostokvashino, Silk, Vega). Listed on Euronext Paris and present on the OTCQX market via an ADR (American Depositary Receipt) program, Danone is a component stock of leading sustainability indexes including the ones managed by Vigeo Eiris and Sustainalytics, as well as the Ethibel Sustainability Index, the MSCI ESG Indexes, the FTSE4Good Index Series, Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, and the Access to Nutrition Index.
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
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Although Danone believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. For a detailed description of these risks and uncertainties, please refer to the “Risk Factor” section of Danone’s Universal Registration Document (the current version of which is available on www.danone.com).
Subject to regulatory requirements, Danone does not undertake to publicly update or revise any of these forward-looking statements. This document does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy Danone securities.
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