UTRECHT -(Dow Jones)- A wide majority of shareholders in financial company Fortis NV (FORSY) Monday voted in favor of the Dutch-Belgian bank's plan to takeover peer ABN Amro Holding NV (ABN) at both the first and second of twoextraordinary shareholder meetings.
Shareholders also approved a EUR13 billion rights issue to finance itsparticipation in the ABN deal at both EGMs.
At the second meeting, some 96.1% of Fortis shareholders voted for thetakeover plan and 96% voted for the rights issue.
At the earlier meeting in Brussels, some 95.5% of Fortis shareholders votedfor the takeover plan and 93.5% voted for the rights issue.
The votes were seen as a key moment in the battle for ABN Amro . Fortis isparticipating in a consortium led by the Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (RBS.LN) andalso consists of Spain's Banco Santander SA (STD). It is bidding about EUR72billion ( $99 billion), above a competing bid from U.K. bank Barclays PLC (BCS)of EUR65 billion.
Fortis needed 50% of present votes to go ahead with the takeover plan and 75%of present votes for the rights issue.
Some 34.7% of outstanding share capital was represented in Brussels; in Utrecht some 39.3% was represented
On July 26, Fortis had also planned to organize two shareholder meetings, butit failed to meet the required quorum of 50% of the issued and outstandingcapital on that day.
For the two meetings of Monday, no minimum representation of capital wasrequired.
Fortis shares closed down EUR0.39, or 1.4%, at EUR28.05 Monday.
Company Web site: http://www.fortis.com
-By Stefan Kloet; Dow Jones Newswires +31-20-6260770; stefan.kloet@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires 08-06-07 1235ET Copyright (c) 2007 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
