Saint-Gobain plans to raise Euro 200m through a capital increase reserved for its employees. The group aims to issue 1.5m new shares at a unit price of Euro 133, representing 1.73% of its current capital. The offer was open from 5 Feb to 4 May. The board stated that if there was sufficient demand, a maximum of 4m shares could be issued representing 4.48% of capital. This would raise Euros 532m. Towards the end of 2000, Saint-Gobain launched an issue of Euros 500m 5-year bonds. The 6% Eurobonds will fall due on 15 December 2005. Demand for the bonds came principally from France (55%) but also from Spain (17%), the UK (10%), Germany (8%) and Benelux (5%). Brazilian glassmaker Vidraria Santa Marina, recently renamed Saint-Gobain Vidros, officially terminated operations on the Brazilian capital market on 7 December 2000. Conditions for rebuying stock were not released.
