Kesko issues EUR 300 million green notes

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SINGAPORE OR SUCH OTHER COUNTRIES OR OTHERWISE IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THE OFFERING OF THE NOTES OR THE RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.

Kesko Corporation (“Kesko”) issues senior unsecured green notes of EUR 300 million (the “Notes”). The maturity of the Notes is approximately five years and four months and they mature on 2 February 2030. The Notes carry fixed annual interest of 3.500 percent. The issue price of the Notes is 99.317 percent. The issue date of the Notes is expected to be 2 October 2024.

“We would like to thank all investors who invested in our green bond for their trust in Kesko. Sustainability is at the heart of Kesko’s strategy. Our goal is to enable our customers to make responsible choices by promoting change throughout our value chain, all the way from producers to consumers. The Green Finance Framework, published by Kesko in the summer, supports us in our goal to reduce emissions to net zero across our entire value chain by 2050. The notes we are now issuing are in line with our Green Finance Framework. The notes also diversify our sources of financing,” says Anu Hämäläinen, CFO of Kesko.

Kesko will submit an application to have the Notes listed on the list of sustainable bonds of Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. The net proceeds from the Notes issue will be used for financing or refinancing eligible green projects or assets or otherwise in accordance with the Green Finance Framework (the “Framework”) established by Kesko in May 2024.

Danske Bank A/S and OP Corporate Bank plc act as joint lead managers for the issue of the Notes. Danske Bank A/S acted as the sole advisor in connection with establishing the Framework.

Further information is available from Anu Hämäläinen, Executive Vice President, CFO, tel. +358 105 323 713, and Jarkko Karjalainen, Vice President, Group Treasury and M&A, tel. +358 10 532 2694.

Kesko Corporation

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Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd
Main news media
www.kesko.fi

Important Information

The information contained herein is not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore or such other countries or otherwise in such circumstances in which the release, publication or distribution would be unlawful. The information contained herein does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, the Notes in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration, exemption from registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

This communication does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The Notes have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or under the applicable securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except pursuant to an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

This communication does not constitute an offer of Notes to the public in the United Kingdom. No prospectus has been or will be approved in the United Kingdom in respect of the Notes. Consequently, this communication is directed only at (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom, (ii) persons who have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order”), (iii) high net worth entities falling within article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order, or (iv) other persons to whom it may be lawfully communicated, falling within article 49(1) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.