Trading in the shares of Ekspress Group started on the Tallinn Stock Exchange

05.04.2007 TLN

“Investors demonstrated their confidence in the long-term future vision of the company during the public offer of shares in Ekspress Group. It is the first media company on the Baltic securities market and it gives the investors a good possibility to diversify their investments across different sectors,” said Andrus Alber, Chairman of the Management Board of the Tallinn Stock Exchange. “I believe that the success of Ekspress Group encourages other companies to go public, despite the adjustment of prices on the securities market at the beginning of the year,” Alber added.

“During the subscription, the interest in the shares was great, therefore I hope that investors with a longer-term vision who did not get enough shares during the offer will buy more of them on the market,” said Hans H. Luik, member of the supervisory board of Ekspress Group “The structure and large number of shareholders of Ekspress Group is in my opinion a good example of a public and transparent company – all the more because it is a media company.”

1877 transactions with the shares of Ekspress Group were made on the first trading day; the day’s turnover was MEEK 137 (MEUR 8,8). In the course of the stock exchange transactions, 1 252 682 shares exchanged their owner during the first day; the market capitalisation of EEG was BEEK 2,1 (MEUR 134,7).

Since today, the list of EEG shareholders is available for examination on the website of the e-Register (www.e-register.ee). Ekspress Group has altogether 6028 shareholders and the shares in free circulation comprise 32% of the share capital of EEG. In Ekspress Group, the number of shareholders who are Estonian residents is the largest (5994 or 99,44%), followed by Finland and Luxembourg residents, respectively 7 (0,12%) and 5 (0,008%).

Like the other companies listed on the OMX Group stock exchanges, Ekspress Group was awarded the international GICS (Global Industry Classification Standard) classification, which is applicable since April 2007 – 25401040 (Publishing). The share of EEG will be added to the Tallinn Stock Exchange’s general index OMX Tallinn and to other Baltic securities market indexes from April 10th 2007.

Ekspress Group is a media group whose products are consumed by over 60% of the Estonian population. The group comprises the following subsidiaries: Eesti Ekspressi Kirjastuse AS, Rahva Raamat AS, AS Printall, AS Ekspress Hotline with its subsidiaries, UAB Ekspress Leidyba, and OÜ Ekspress Internet. Related companies include Eesti Päevalehe AS, AS SL Õhtuleht, AS Ajakirjade Kirjastus, AS Express Post, OÜ Netikuulutused, AS Linnaleht and UAB Medipresa. According to non-audited information, the turnover of Ekspress Group in 2006 was MEEK 929 and the net profit was MEEK 94. The Group employs nearly 2000 people.

The organisers of the public offer of the shares in Ekspress Group were AS Suprema Securities and AS Hansapank.

During the next week, all those interested can observe the EEG share’s trading information in real time at the website http://ekspress.omxgroup.ee. Usually the trading information is available on the Baltic market information page with a 15 minute lag.