Grupo Catalana Occidente køber Atradius aktier fra Swiss RE

Barcelona 19 September 2005 - Den spanske forsikringsgruppe Grupo Catalana Occidente køber flere Atradius aktier.

The Spanish insurance group Grupo Catalana Occidente today announced that it bought 3.969.466 (7.01%) of Atradius shares for € 49 million from Swiss Re, the largest shareholder of Atradius.

This acquisition makes Grupo Catalana Occidente the third largest shareholder of Atradius, a global leader in credit insurance, recoveries and collections. With a 34.95% stake, Swiss Re is the largest shareholder in Atradius.

Grupo Catalana Occidente became a shareholder in Atradius in 2003 and at the same time acquired the option to buy an additional stake of 7.01% from Swiss Re. The company now owns 12,96% of Atradius shares. 

José Mª Serra, President of Grupo Catalana Occidente, stated: "We have a strong belief in the growth of the global credit insurance industry and Atradius is well positioned to capitalise on this growth throughout the world. We see a bright future for the group, based on their new strategy and focus on growth and cost control. This is reflected in Atradius' strongly improved results."

For more information:

Marijke Van Hooren 
Tel. 00 31 (0)20 553 2260
Mob. 0031 (0)6 5379 5867
Fax. 00 31 (0)20 553 2212
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John Blackwell
Tel. 00 31 (0)20 553 2003
Mob. 0031 (0)6 5354 6659
Fax. 00 31 (0)20 553 2212
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