Assured Guaranty Ltd. Announces Results of Shareholders' Vote; Approval Also Received from New York State Insurance Department for the Acquisition of Financial Security Assurance Holdings, Ltd.HAMILTON, Bermuda -- Assured Guaranty Ltd. ("Assured" or "the Company") (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :AGO) announced that the Company's shareholders have approved both proposals submitted for approval at the Company's Special General Meeting held today, March 16, 2009 in Hamilton, Bermuda. Shareholders approved the issuance of Assured's common shares to Dexia Holdings, Inc. (or its designated affiliate) in connection with Assured's acquisition of Financial Security Assurance Holdings Ltd. ("FSA FSA Financial Services Authority FSA Food Standards Agency (UK) FSA Farm Service Agency (USDA) FSA Financial Services Agency (Japan) ") as well as the issuance of Assured's common shares to the WLR WLR Water and Land Resources (King County, WA) WLR Wholesale Line Rental WLR Weekly Law Reports (UK) WLR Wafer Level Reliability WLR Weapons Locating Radar WLR Buoy Tender, River Recovery Fund IV, L.P. and/or its affiliated funds in connection with the financing of Assured's acquisition of FSA, if Assured's management and its Board of Directors decides to utilize this commitment for funding the acquisition. Over 99% of Assured's shareholders present at the meeting voted in favor of the two proposals. Assured also announced that the Company received today regulatory approval from the New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of State Insurance Department for the acquisition of FSA. Completion of the transaction remains subject to approval by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is also contingent on confirmation from Standard & Poor's, Moody's Investors Service Moody's Investors Service A leading global credit rating, research and risk analysis firm. Moody's Investors Service A leading firm engaged in credit rating, risk analysis, and research of fixed-income securities and their issuers. and Fitch Ratings Fitch Ratings An international rating agency for financial institutions, insurance companies, and corporate, sovereign, and municipal debt. Fitch Ratings has headquarters in New York and London and is wholly owned by FIMALAC of Paris. that the acquisition of FSA would not have a negative impact on Assured's or FSA's financial strength ratings. The transaction is expected to close in second quarter 2009. "We are pleased to have received both of these approvals, which were necessary for us to move forward with our acquisition of FSA," stated Dominic Frederico, President and Chief Executive Officer of Assured Guaranty Ltd. "We are working to finalize the remaining requirements for this transaction on a timely basis and will continue to evaluate our options for funding the cash portion of the purchase price beyond the use of the existing equity commitment." Information on the proposals voted on by Assured's shareholders today can be found in the Investor Information section of the Company's website at www.assuredguaranty.com. Assured Guaranty Ltd. is a Bermuda-based holding company. Its operating subsidiaries provide credit enhancement Credit Enhancement A method whereby a company attempts to improve its debt or credit worthiness. Notes: Credit enhancements take many different forms. An example of a credit enhancement would be conversion rights added on to a debt instrument in order to lower the issuing products to the U.S. and international public finance, structured finance and mortgage markets. More information can be found at www.assuredguaranty.com. Any forward-looking statements made in this press release reflect Assured's current views with respect to future events and financial performance and are made pursuant to the safe harbor Safe Harbor 1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated. 2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive. provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and of 1995. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in these statements. For example, Assured's forward-looking statements, including its statements regarding the closing of the FSAH FSAH Four Seasons Animal Hospital (Crown Point, IN) acquisition could be affected by rating agency action such as a ratings downgrade, developments in the world's financial and capital markets, changes in regulation governmental actions, changes in general economic conditions, other risks and uncertainties that have not been identified at this time, management's response to these factors, and other risk factors identified in Assured's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates on which they are made. Assured undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. |
|
||||||||||||||

Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion