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October 26, 2005
Sony Corporation (“Sony”) decided at today's meeting of its Board of Directors to terminate all shares of Subsidiary Tracking Stock (“TS”), the economic value of which is intended to be linked with Sony Communication Network Corporation's (“SCN”) economic value. All shares of TS will be converted to shares of Sony Common Stock on Thursday, December 1, 2005 (the “Compulsory Conversion Date”).
In light of recent drastic changes in the internet-related industry, Sony Group management desires to enhance SCN's enterprise value. To accomplish this goal, Sony believes that SCN's business operations and strategy must be independent from the Sony Group. Therefore, Sony decided to make shares of common stock of SCN (“SCN Common Stock”) publicly available and to terminate all shares of TS.
With respect to the method of termination, Sony reviewed the various options that are stipulated in its Articles of Incorporation, including compulsory retirement in cash and compulsory exchange with shares of SCN Common Stock. In the end, Sony selected compulsory conversion to shares of Sony Common Stock.
For each share of TS, Sony will allot and deliver 1.114 shares of Sony Common Stock to the registered TS shareholder as at the close of Wednesday, November 30, 2005, the day immediately preceding the Compulsory Conversion Date.
The number of shares of Sony Common Stock to be issued upon compulsory conversion will be calculated by multiplying the number of shares of TS issued on Wednesday, November 30, 2005, by 1.114.
Based upon the number of shares of TS issued on September 30, 2005, the number of shares of Sony Common Stock that will be issued pursuant to compulsory conversion will be 3,440,032. However, this figure is subject to increase as a result of the exercise of outstanding TS warrants or TS stock acquisition rights.
The dividends on the new shares (of Sony Common Stock) to be issued pursuant to compulsory conversion of shares of TS will be calculated on, and including October 1, 2005.
Warrants and stock acquisition rights were issued for the purpose of giving stock incentives to SCN's directors and employees. On and after the Compulsory Conversion Date, as a result of the termination of shares of TS by way of compulsory conversion to shares of Sony Common Stock, the class of shares to be issued upon exercise of such warrants or stock acquisition rights will be changed to shares of Sony Common Stock. In addition, the exercise prices of such warrants and stock acquisition rights will be adjusted in accordance with the conversion ratio for the compulsory conversion, as follows:
| The fourteenth series of unsecured bonds with warrants for shares of Subsidiary Tracking Stock | The second series of Subsidiary Tracking Stock Acquisition Rights | The fifth series of Subsidiary Tracking Stock Acquisition Rights | The eighth series of Subsidiary Tracking Stock Acquisition Rights | |
| Exercise Price after adjustment (Exercise Price before adjustment) | ¥2,962.3 (¥3,300) | ¥904.8 (¥1,008) | ¥731.6 (¥815) | ¥1,130.2 (¥1,259) |
| Effective date | On and after December 1, 2005 |
On and after December 1, 2005 |
On and after December 1, 2005 |
On and after December 1, 2005 |
| Aggregate issue price if all shares are issued upon exercise (on September 30, 2005) | ¥150,000,000 | ¥36,657,972 | ¥31,264,926 | ¥57,080,751 |
| Amount per share to be accounted for as stated capital in respect of shares to be issued upon exercise | ¥1,482 | ¥453 | ¥366 | ¥566 |