Transfer of Orion's holding of Instrumentarium Corporation

Altogether 1,416,211 Instrumentarium Corporation shares held by Orion Corporation were transferred to Orion's shareholders on Friday, April 14, 2000, in accordance with the decision by the Annual Shareholders' Meeting of March 30. The transaction took place at the average price of 27.66 euros, or 164.46 FIM, quoted for the share on Friday, April 14 on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Accordingly, one Instrumentarium share per every 47.69 Orion Corporation A- or B-shares was received by the shareholders. To receive the dividend in Instrumentarium's shares, the shareholder was supposed to have at least 300 Orion A- or B-shares per book-entry account on the record date April 4, 2000.

Those shareholders whose book-entry accounts included less than 300 Orion A- or B-shares on the record date received the corresponding dividend, 0.58 euros (FIM 3.45) per one Orion share, in cash.

The total value of the dividends paid in shares was 39.2 million euros (FIM 232.9 million), and the corresponding cash payments 1.4 million euros (FIM 8.4 million).

Additionally, all shareholders received a cash dividend of 0.60 euros (FIM 3.57) per share, altogether 42.0 million euros (FIM 249.6 million).

Total dividends paid amounted to 82.6 million euros (FIM 490.9 million). Accordingly, dividend per share was 1.18 euros (FIM 7.02).


Orion Corporation



Pauli Torkko

Ulla Pihlström