Press releases 2000

3 October 2000

London Stock Exchange plc
Negligible acceptances for OM Gruppen's offer

The Board of London Stock Exchange plc notes the announcement by OM Gruppen AB ("OM") today that its offer for the Company has received acceptances in respect of only 300,000 shares, representing approximately 1.0 per cent. of the London Stock Exchange's issued share capital.

Don Cruickshank, Chairman of the London Stock Exchange, said today:

"This negligible level of acceptances for OM's offer endorses the Board's view that OM is offering wholly inadequate value to the London Stock Exchange's shareholders and no proven benefits for customers.

"The London Stock Exchange's strategy will be implemented only after a full consultation process with shareholders and customers. It is not practicable for us to conclude this process during OM's bid timetable when our efforts are rightly focused on seeing off OM's opportunistic offer.

"As we have made clear, the London Stock Exchange is not up for sale. Our strategy may involve doing deals but it does not necessarily have to. That is our consistent message to all those who have an interest in our future ownership.

"By dismissing OM and engaging in a full consultation process, London Stock Exchange's shareholders and customers will have real influence over our future development.

"In the meantime, we advise our shareholders to continue to reject OM's offer."

Schroder Salomon Smith Barney, which is regulated in the United Kingdom by The Securities and Futures Authority Limited, is acting for London Stock Exchange plc and no one else in connection with the offer by OM and will not be responsible to anyone other than London Stock Exchange plc for providing the protections afforded to its customers or for providing advice in relation to the offer by OM. Schroder Salomon Smith Barney has approved this press release for the purposes of Section 57 of the Financial Services Act 1986.