| Headline: Allianz in wonderland Source: Euromoney Date: January 2001 Author: Anja Helk German insurer Allianz must be happy. It says it has created a new product, developed with UBS Warburg, that will bring joy to investors, to Allianz’s portfolio companies and most of all to Allianz itself. It’s only a few of UBS Warburg’s rival banks that cannot quite share the joy. Allianz’s three-year deal, worth e2 billion, is called market index-linked equity security (miles) and is similar to a mandatory convertible bond in that it will be converted into shares at maturity in February 2004 – with the option of early conversion after March 1 2002. But miles is unique: it will be exchanged into the shares not of one company – as is usual on equity-linked issues – but into shares of one of three German blue chips: BASF, E.ON or Munich Re. Moreover, holders of the miles will not receive a fixed coupon but rather a return of 1.25% over the DAX, as valued on February 20 in 2002, 2003 and 2004. What makes Allianz even happier is that it can call the security any time after March 1 2002 and it can choose which of the three shares to hand out. |