DGAP-News: VTG Aktiengesellschaft reaches a significant milestone in the Nacco acquisition- Consortium of bidders signs purchase agreements for the remedy package

VTG Aktiengesellschaft reaches a significant milestone in the Nacco acquisition- Consortium of bidders signs purchase agreements for the remedy package

- Railcar lessor Wascosa AG and investor Aves One AG sign agreements regarding the purchase of certain parts of the Nacco Group

- Competition authorities confirm eligibility of the consortium of bidders for antitrust purposes

- Significant milestone reached on the antitrust issue

- Closing of the transaction expected in the second half of 2018

Hamburg, 13 August, 2018. VTG Aktiengesellschaft (WKN: VTG999), one of the leading railcar leasing and rail logistics companies in Europe, has reached a significant milestone in its takeover of Nacco. With today's signing of the purchase agreements by a consortium of bidders consisting of the railcar lessor Wascosa AG, Luzern (Switzerland), which will be taking over the operational business, including the workforce and the railcar leasing agreements, and listed Aves One AG, Hamburg, which, as an investor, is purchasing the railcars, a major step to comply with the competition authorities' conditions has been made. The competition authorities have confirmed the consortium's eligibility as a purchaser for antitrust purposes.

Initially, the German Federal Cartel Office and the Austrian Antitrust Court had approved the purchase of Nacco in spring 2018 on the condition that around 30 percent of the Nacco business was first to be sold to a third party that is eligible from an antitrust perspective. In the past few months, this part of the Nacco business, comprising the German and Luxembourg Nacco subsidiaries, as well as the related leases and the ownership of about 4,400 railcars, was offered to a large number of prospective purchasers.

"With the sale of a part of the Nacco business to the consortium of bidders consisting of Wascosa and Aves One, we have moved considerably closer to finalising the takeover of the Nacco Group, albeit in a reduced volume," explains Dr. Heiko Fischer, CEO of VTG Aktiengesellschaft. "We are satisfied with the sale process and the result, despite the long waiting time. Having reached this milestone, we can now move on with full vigor to the final preparations for the closing of the acquisition and the subsequent integration," Dr. Fischer concludes.

VTG Aktiengesellschaft had announced on 1 July 2017 that it would be taking over CIT Rail Holdings (Europe) SAS and, with it, the associated Nacco Group, a medium-sized private rental company for railcars in Europe.

About VTG:

VTG Aktiengesellschaft is one of Europe's leading railcar leasing and rail logistics companies, with a fleet consisting of more than 80,000 railcars. VTG offers a full-range service, providing tank cars, intermodal cars, standard freight cars and sliding wall railcars. In addition to the hiring of railcars, the Group offers comprehensive multi-modal logistics services, mainly around rail transport, and global tank container transports.

With the combination of its three interlinked divisions Railcar, Rail Logistics and Tank Container Logistics, VTG offers its customers a high-performance platform for international transport of their freight. The Group has many years of experience and specific expertise, in particular in the transport of liquid and sensitive goods. Its customers include numerous well-known companies from almost every industrial sector, for example the chemical, petroleum, automotive, paper and agricultural industries.

In the financial year 2017, VTG generated revenue of EUR 1,014 million and operating profit (EBITDA) of EUR 343 million. Via its subsidiaries and affiliates the company, which has its head office in Hamburg, is mainly present in Europe, North America, Russia and Asia. As at 31 December 2017, VTG had 1,500 employees worldwide. VTG AG is listed on the official Prime Standard market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and also on the SDAX (WKN: VTG999).

Press Contact:

Gunilla Pendt

Head of Corporate Communication

Telephone: +49 (0) 40 23 54-1341

Fax: +49 (0) 40 23 54-1340

E-mail: gunilla.pendt@vtg.com

Investor Contact:

Christoph Marx

Head of Investor Relations

Telephone: +49 (0) 40 23 54-1351

Fax: +49 (0) 40 23 54-1350

E-mail: christoph.marx@vtg.com

Information also available under www.vtg.de