BBVA
acquisition approved
by
Compass
Stockholders
Francisco
González: “With the
addition of Compass to the Group, BBVA takes
a significant step in its
commitment to building a strong U.S.
franchise in the Sunbelt
region”
|
Francisco
González, BBVA Chairman and
CEO, declared today: “The approval of the BBVA acquisition by Compass
Bancshares, Inc. stockholders is exciting news for the BBVA Group.” In a special
stockholders meeting in Birmingham,
Compass Bancshares’ stockholders
approved the BBVA acquisition of Compass, a transaction that will be closed
during September. This will be the largest acquisition in the history of
BBVA,
amounting approximately to $9.6b Compass stockholders may choose to receive
either cash or BBVA shares in the form of ADSs, or a combination of
both.
BBVA
announced today that Compass
Bancshares, Inc. stockholders approved the BBVA acquisition of Compass
Bancshares, pursuant to which Compass will become a wholly-owned subsidiary
of
BBVA. At the special meeting of stockholders in Birmingham, Alabama,
approximately 97
% of the Compass
stockholders voted to approve the transaction, constituting approximately
64 %
of the outstanding
shares. BBVA expects that the transaction will close in September
2007, subject to the
receipt of all remaining regulatory approvals and the fulfilment or waiver
of
other customary closing conditions. The transaction has
received the approval of the necessary bank regulatory agencies in the United
States and Spain and BBVA’s shareholders.
Francisco
González
said, “With the addition of
Compass to the
Group, BBVA takes a significant step in its commitment to building a strong
U.S.
franchise in the Sunbelt region. Compass is the ideal complement to
our current franchise in the United States,
offering a unique opportunity to grow,
to create more value and to move forward in our strategy to become a global
group. BBVA’s franchise in the U.S.
will reach $47 billion in assets, $32
billion in loans and $33 billion in deposits.”
Pursuant
to the transaction agreement,
Compass stockholders may elect to receive either 2.8 BBVA shares (in the
form of
American Depository Shares) or $71.82 in cash per Compass common share, an
option which is subject to proration. Compass began mailing election forms
to
stockholders on August 1st,
whereby stockholders may elect the
form of consideration that they desire to receive in the transaction. If,
as is
currently expected, the transaction will close on September 7th
2007, the deadline
for the return of election forms will be August 30, 2007. The
election deadline will be announced in a press release at least 10 business
days
in advance of the deadline.
 |
Press
Release
08.08.2007
|
Forward-Looking
Statements
This
document may include “forward-looking statements”
within the meaning of the “safe harbor”
provisions of the United
States Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of
words such as “anticipate,”“believe,”“expect,”“estimate,”“plan,”“outlook,”
and “project”
and other similar expressions
that predict or indicate future
events or trends or that are not statements of historical
matters. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements
with respect to revenues, earnings, performance, strategies, prospects
and other
aspects of
the businesses of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya
Argentaria, S.A. (“BBVA”),
Compass Bancshares, Inc.
(“Compass”)
and the combined group after
completion of the proposed transaction are based on current expectations
that
are subject to risks and uncertainties. A number
of factors could cause actual
results or outcomes to differ materially from those indicated by such
forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited
to, the
following risks and uncertainties: those set forth in BBVA’s
and Compass’s
filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (“SEC”),
the failure to obtain and retain
expected synergies from the proposed transaction, failure of Compass
stockholders to approve the transaction, failure of BBVA stockholders to
approve
the related
capital increase, delays in
obtaining, or adverse conditions contained in, any required regulatory
approvals, failure to consummate or delay in consummating the transaction
for
other reasons, changes in laws or regulations and other similar
factors. Readers
are referred to BBVA’s
and Compass’s
most recent reports filed with the
SEC. BBVA and Compass are under no obligation to (and expressly
disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter their forward-looking
statements whether as a result of new information,
future events or
otherwise.
Additional
Information and Where to Find
It
This
document may be deemed to be
solicitation material in respect of the proposed transaction involving
BBVA and
Compass. In connection with the proposed transaction, BBVA has filed with
the SEC a registration
statement on Form F-4 (File no. 333-141813) (the “Registration Statement”)
to register the BBVA ordinary shares
to be issued in the proposed transaction and that includes a definitive
proxy
statement of Compass dated
June 29, 2007 that also constitutes a
prospectus of BBVA. BBVA and Compass have also filed, and intend to continue
to
file, additional relevant materials with the SEC. The Registration Statement
and
the related proxy statement/prospectus contains and will
contain important information about
BBVA, Compass, the proposed transaction and related matters. SHAREHOLDERS
OF
COMPASS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT
DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, INCLUDING THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS,
BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT
INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and security
holders may obtain a free copy of the disclosure documents (including the
Registration Statement) and other documents filed by BBVA and Compass with
the
SEC at the SEC’s
website at www.sec.gov,
from BBVA’s
Investor Relations department or from
Compass’s
Investor Relations
department. BBVA has also filed certain documents with the Spanish
Comisión Nacional del
Mercado de Valores in
connection with its June 21, 2007 shareholders’
meeting held in connection with the
proposed transaction, which are available on the CNMV’s
website at www.cnmv.es.
Participants
in the
Transaction
BBVA,
Compass and their
respective directors
and executive officers and other members of management and employees may
be
deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of
the
proposed transactions. Information regarding BBVA’s
directors and executive
officers is available in
BBVA’s
annual report on Form 20-F/A, which
was filed with the SEC on June 28, 2007, and information regarding
Compass’s
directors and executive officers is
available in Compass’s
proxy statement for its 2006 annual
meeting
of shareholders, which was filed with
the SEC on March 17, 2006. Additional information regarding the
interests of such potential participants is also included in the Registration
Statement and in the definitive proxy statement/prospectus for the
proposed
transaction and the other relevant
documents filed with the SEC.