Financing its expansive growth ambitions announced in February, Air Liquide will access the bond market in the near future under its current Euro Medium Term Note (EMTN).
Complementary financing in Euros and Yen will be put in place in due course and these funds will part finance the recently finalised acquisitions of the company. These include the purchase of a minority BOC stake in Japan Air Gases, the joint venture shares of BOC in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Brunei and the acquisition of Linde UK.
These transactions, which total approximately 1 billion, have enabled Air Liquide to acquire full ownership of these enterprises and this accelerated business development combined with a strong distribution policy should deliver sustainable long-term shareholder value.
The group also intends to invest more than €10 bn in the emerging markets from 2007 to 2011.
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