Nokia Announces €7B Program to Pptimize Capital Structure; Accelerates €900M Synergy Target Ahead of Alcatel-Lucent Acquisition

Nokia

today announced a planned EUR 7 billion program to optimize Nokia's capital structure and return excess capital to shareholders. This program would consist of approximately EUR 4 billion in shareholder distributions and approximately EUR 3 billion of de-leveraging. In addition, Nokia today accelerated its annual operating cost synergy target related to the Alcatel-Lucent

transaction. Nokia now targets to achieve approximately EUR 900 million of operating cost synergies in full year 2018, compared to its earlier target to achieve approximately EUR 900 million of operating cost synergies in full year 2019. "Nokia is approaching the opening of its public exchange offer for Alcatel-Lucent securities from a position of strength," said Rajeev Suri, Nokia President and CEO. "We announced strong third quarter results today and raised our outlook for the full year performance of Nokia Networks. I believe that our performance, combined with the announcement of a new capital structure optimization program and accelerated synergy target, will give Alcatel-Lucent shareholders confidence in exchanging their securities for shares of Nokia." By combining with Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia expects to create an innovation leader in next generation technology and services for an IP connected world. After the closing of