/Not for distribution to news wire services or for dissemination in
Australia or Japan. The Offer is not being made to persons whose
participation requires further prospectuses, filings or other measures in
addition to those required under Swedish and U.S. law./
Stock Symbols: AEM (NYSE)
AGE (TSX)
TORONTO, Aug. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited
announced that it has mailed to shareholders of Riddarhyttan Resources AB
(publ), a Swedish public company, a formal offer to exchange 0.1137 shares of
common stock of Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited for each outstanding share of
Riddarhyttan not currently owned by Agnico-Eagle. The offer will be open for
acceptance until September 9, 2005. Shareholders who do not receive the offer
documents within a reasonable period of time may contact Agnico-Eagle, 145
King Street East, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5C 2Y7, (416) 947-1212,
Enskilda Securities, Nybrokajen 5, 103 36 Stockholm, Sweden, 46 8 52 22 95 00
or SEB Issues & Part-ownership Programmes, Rissneleden 110, 106 40 Stockholm,
Sweden, 46 8 639 2750. The deadline for returning forms to participate in the
offer is 4:00 p.m. (CET) (10:00 a.m. EDT) on September 9, 2005.
The offer values each Riddarhyttan share at SEK 10.25 based upon the
closing price of Agnico-Eagle common shares on the New York Stock Exchange and
of the Riddarhyttan shares on the Stockholm Stock Exchange on May 11, 2005,
the last trading day before the announcement of the offer. Based upon the
closing prices and exchange rate on August 5, 2005, the offer currently values
each Riddarhyttan share at SEK 11.28.
In connection with the offer, Agnico-Eagle filed with the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission a registration statement on Form F-4 containing the
offer document regarding the offer. The registration statement was declared
effective by the SEC on August 2, 2005. The offer document has also been
registered with and approved by the Swedish Financial Services Authority.
The Board of Directors of Riddarhyttan unanimously recommends that
Riddarhyttan shareholders accept this offer. The Board's recommendation is
supported by a fairness opinion from the financial advisor to the Board,
Standard Bank London Limited.
The shares of Agnico-Eagle are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and
the Toronto Stock Exchange. The shares of Riddarhyttan are listed on the
O-list of the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Agnico-Eagle currently owns 14,763,669
Riddarhyttan shares, representing approximately 14% of the shares of
Riddarhyttan.
U.S. Shareholders
Agnico-Eagle has filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form F-4
containing an offer document regarding the offer. This press release does not
constitute an offer to purchase or sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell
or purchase shares of Riddarhyttan or Agnico-Eagle to any person in the
United States of America, its possessions and other areas subject to its
jurisdiction or to, or for the account or benefit of a U.S. person (as defined
in Regulation S under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended).
The offer will be made to those persons solely under the offer document that
is part of the registration statement. Investors and stockholders are advised
to read the offer document and other documents relating to the offer carefully
because they include important information regarding the offer. Investors and
stockholders may obtain a free copy of the offer document and certain other
documents relating to the offer from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Free
copies of these documents can also be obtained by directing a request to
Agnico-Eagle. YOU SHOULD READ THE OFFER DOCUMENT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING
TO THE OFFER CAREFULLY BEFORE MAKING A DECISION CONCERNING THE OFFER.
UK Information
This press release has been approved solely for the purposes of Section
21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 by Citigroup Global Markets
Limited of Citigroup Centre, 33 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5LB.
Citigroup Global Markets Limited is acting for Agnico-Eagle and no one else in
connection with the Offer and will not be responsible to any other person for
providing the protections afforded to clients of Citigroup Global Markets
Limited or for providing advice in relation to the Offer.
Forward-Looking
Statements Certain statements contained in this news release constitute
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this news release, the words
"anticipate", "expect", "estimate", "forecast", "plan" and similar words and
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such
statements reflect Agnico-Eagle's views at this time with respect to future
events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many
factors could cause the actual results to be materially different from those
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among
others, those discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the offer document
filed as part of the Registration Statement on Form F-4 and in Agnico-Eagle's
Annual Information Form and Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended
December 31, 2004. Agnico-Eagle does not intend, and does not assume any
obligation, to update these forward-looking statements.
About Agnico-Eagle
Agnico-Eagle is a long-established Canadian gold producer with operations
located in northwestern Quebec and exploration and development activities in
Canada, the United States and Mexico. Agnico-Eagle's LaRonde Mine in Quebec is
Canada's largest gold deposit. The Company has full exposure to higher gold
prices consistent with its policy of no forward gold sales. It has paid a cash
dividend for 25 consecutive years.
SOURCE Agnico-Eagle Mines Limited
CONTACT: David Smith; Director, Investor Relations,
(416) 947-1212
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