Daimler Plans to Discontinue Stock-Exchange Listing in New York

STUTTGART, Germany, May 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Supervisory Board and Board of Management of Daimler AG (stock exchange abbreviation DAI) have decided to apply for the discontinuation of the listing of its shares on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

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Bodo Uebber, CFO of Daimler AG, said: "Daimler continues to place great importance on having an international shareholder base. The trading center for our shares, however, clearly is Frankfurt – and that is also the case for our international investors. Furthermore, this step will enhance our overall efficiency. The American sales market and our activities in North America remain as important as ever for Daimler."

Daimler informed the NYSE by letter today of its intention to discontinue the listing of its shares as well as the 8.50% notes due January 18, 2031 of Daimler Finance North America LLC and the related Daimler guarantee. Daimler will submit a request for delisting also to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). After the delisting has become effective, Daimler will also apply to the SEC for deregistration of all its securities registered with the SEC and termination of its reporting obligations under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

The main reason for discontinuing the NYSE listing and registration with the SEC is a significant change in the behavior of international investors, who now primarily trade in Daimler shares in Germany and through electronic trading platforms. Daimler's trading volumes in the United States on the contrary have been consistently low and, over a twelve month period, amounted to an average of well below 5% of the worldwide trading volume.

Another objective is to reduce the complexity of financial reporting as well as administrative expenses and fees. The delisting is also the final step in Daimler's efforts to reduce its number of stock-exchange listings.

Daimler AG will apply for delisting and deregistration in the near future. Independently of the delisting and deregistration, Daimler will maintain a high degree of transparency in its financial reporting and will continue to fulfill the requirements of international investors. "We remain in direct, close and open dialogue with our American investors, and our investor relations team and I will continue to be present on a regular basis in the U.S.," stated Mr. Uebber.

Daimler has a strong presence in North America and will continue to work to further strengthen its market share and business operations there. In 2009, the region accounted for 25 percent of the Daimler Group's worldwide revenue and almost every tenth Daimler employee worked in North America.

Daimler reserves the right to submit the aforementioned applications at a later date or to not to submit them at all or to change its plans in other ways.

Daimler and Daimler Finance North America LLC have not arranged for the listing of the aforementioned securities on another U.S. securities exchange or for the quotation of such securities in a quotation medium in the United States.

Further information on Daimler is available on the Internet: http://media.daimler.com

This document contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current views about future events. The words "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "should" and similar expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to many risks and uncertainties, including a lack of further improvement or a renewed deterioration of global economic conditions, in particular a renewed decline of consumer demand and investment activity in Western Europe or the United States, or a downturn in major Asian economies; a continuation or worsening of the tense situation in the credit and financial markets, which could result in a renewed increase in borrowing costs or limit our funding flexibility; changes in currency exchange rates or interest rates; the ability to continue to offer fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly products; a permanent shift in consumer preference towards smaller, lower margin vehicles; the introduction of competing, fuel-efficient products and the possible lack of acceptance of our products or services, which may limit our ability to adequately utilize our production capacities or raise prices; price increases in fuel, raw materials and precious metals; disruption of production due to shortages of materials, labor strikes, or supplier insolvencies; a further decline in resale prices of used vehicles; the effective implementation of cost-reduction and efficiency-optimization programs at all of our segments, including the repositioning of our truck activities in the NAFTA region and in Asia; the business outlook of companies in which we hold an equity interest, most notably EADS; the successful implementation of the strategic cooperation with Renault, changes in laws, regulations and government policies, particularly those relating to vehicle emissions, fuel economy and safety; the resolution of pending governmental investigations and the outcome of pending or threatened future legal proceedings; and other risks and uncertainties, some of which we describe under the heading "Risk Report" in Daimler's most recent Annual Report and under the headings "Risk Factors" and "Legal Proceedings" in Daimler's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. If any of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or if the assumptions underlying any of our forward-looking statements prove incorrect, then our actual results may be materially different from those we express or imply by such statements. We do not intend or assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made.

About Daimler

Daimler AG is one of the world's most successful automotive companies. With its divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the Daimler Group is one of the biggest producers of premium cars and the world's biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles with a global reach. Daimler Financial Services provides its customers with a full range of automotive financial services including financing, leasing, insurance and fleet management.

The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the year 1886. As an automotive pioneer, Daimler continues to shape the future of mobility. The Group applies innovative and green technologies to produce safe and superior vehicles which fascinate and delight its customers. With the development of alternative drive systems, Daimler is the only vehicle producer investing in hybrid drive, electric motors and fuel-cell systems, with the goal of achieving emission-free mobility in the long term. This is just one example of how Daimler willingly accepts the challenge of meeting its responsibility towards society and the environment.

Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities on five continents. Its current brand portfolio includes, in addition to the world's most valuable automotive brand, Mercedes-Benz, the brands smart, Maybach, Freightliner, Western Star, Fuso, Setra, Orion and Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the stock exchanges of Frankfurt, New York and Stuttgart (stock exchange symbol DAI). In 2009, the Group sold 1.6 million vehicles and employed a workforce of more than 256,000 people; revenue totaled euro 78.9 billion and EBIT amounted minus euro 1.5 billion.

SOURCE Daimler Corporate Communications

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