Corporate Press Release Evonik, RAG Foundation + CVC: Evonik prepares for listing

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Evonik Industries AG is resuming its preparations for its planned listing in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The move is prompted by the improved capital market environment as well as investors’ growing interest in the shares of successful companies. As part of these preparations, the owners of Evonik – RAG Foundation and funds advised by CVC Capital Partners – have placed a part of their shares with institutional investors in advance. Both owners have disposed of an equal amount of shares representing less than 10 per cent of the company in a private placement advised by MainFirst Bank AG.

The broadening of the shareholder base marks a first step towards the intended stock exchange listing. The new shareholders consist of selected German and international institutional investors. The parties agreed to maintain confidentiality on the purchase price, which is in line with the valuation of comparable European specialty chemicals groups and significantly exceeds the indicative prices from the listing originally planned in June 2012.

"For RAG Foundation, the sale of shares in Evonik has two advantages: We have achieved a good result while making further headway towards the planned listing of the company," said Werner Müller, Chairman of RAG Foundation’s Executive Board.

Christian Wildmoser, partner at CVC, added: "After four and a half years of close cooperation, CVC and RAG Foundation have used this private placement to open Evonik to responsible new investors. Interest was already very strong at the time of the planned listing in 2012, when market conditions in the end were too volatile. The private placement puts us in a more positive position towards achieving an intended stock exchange listing with less effort and makes us less dependent on what is a volatile market environment."

Klaus Engel, Chairman of the Executive Board of Evonik, commented: "Investors’ strong interest testifies to the success of our growth strategy. We look forward to continuing along this path together with the existing and the new shareholders."

Broadening of shareholder base supports continuation of successful growth strategy

The management of Evonik has systematically positioned the company in the profitable, high-growth segment of specialty chemicals. Evonik is now one of the world’s leading specialty chemicals companies and has a well-balanced portfolio. With over 80 percent of the company’s sales generated through leading market positions, Evonik focuses on high-growth megatrends – notably health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization.

Supported by a broader group of shareholders, Evonik will continue to pursue its distinct innovation and growth strategy and plans investments exceeding six billion euros between 2012 and 2016. A substantial amount of these funds will be dedicated to fast-growing emerging economies. 
 

RAG Foundation is a civil-law foundation established in 2007. Its purpose is to build up Foundation assets by 2018 in order to fund long-term liabilities in German coal mining from 2019 onwards. Under the Foundation’s Statutes, this objective is to be achieved by means of an initial public offering of Evonik Industries AG.

For further information on the RAG Foundation, please see http://www.rag-stiftung.de/en/.

CVC Capital Partners is one of the world's leading private equity and investment advisory firms. Founded in 1981, CVC today employs some 280 people in 21 offices throughout Europe, Asia and the US. CVC has raised over US$ 44 billion and completed in total over 300 investments. Today, CVC funds are invested in over 60 companies worldwide which employ over 400,000 people and generate combined annual sales of ca. US$130 billion.

CVC has been operating in Germany since 1986 already. The private equity portfolio in the German speaking region currently consists of three companies in Germany (Evonik, Flint Group, ista) and one in Switzerland (Sunrise). Together, these companies employ close to 50,000 people and generate overall revenues of over €18 billion.

For further information on CVC Capital Partners, please see www.cvc.com.

Evonik, the creative industrial group from Germany, is one of the world leaders
in specialty chemicals. Profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company form the heart of Evonik’s corporate strategy. Its activities focus on the key megatrends health, nutrition, resource efficiency and globalization. Evonik benefits specifically from its innovative prowess and integrated technology platforms.

Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In fiscal 2012 more than 33,000 employees generated sales of around €13.6 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of about €2.6 billion.

These materials may not be published, distributed or transmitted in the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan. These materials do not constitute an offer of securities for sale or a solicitation of an offer to purchase securities (the "Shares") of Evonik Industries AG (the "Company") in the United States, Germany or any other jurisdiction. The Shares of the Company may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The Shares of the Company have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act.

This publication constitutes neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation to buy securities. In the case of a public offering, the offer would be made solely by means of, and on the basis of, a securities prospectus which would have be published. In the case of a public offering, an investment decision regarding any publicly offered securities of Evonik Industries AG should only be made on the basis of the securities prospectus. The securities prospectus would be published promptly upon approval by the Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin) and would be available free of charge from Evonik Industries AG, Rellinghauser Strasse 1-11, 45128 Essen, Germany, or on the Evonik Industries AG website.

In the United Kingdom, this document is only being distributed to and is only directed at persons who (i) are investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended) (the "Order") or (ii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.) (all such persons together being referred to as "Relevant Persons"). This document is directed only at Relevant Persons and must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not Relevant Persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available only to Relevant Persons and will be engaged in only with Relevant Persons.

In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.