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EANS-News: K+S Aktiengesellschaft
Focus on core business: K+S sells COMPO to investment company Triton

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Company Information

Subtitle: K+S Aktiengesellschaft / Focus on core business: K+S sells COMPO to
investment company Triton

Kassel (euro adhoc) - Kassel, Germany - June 20, 2011


Focus on core business
K+S sells COMPO to investment company Triton


With the consent of the Supervisory Board, the Board of Executive  Directors  of
K+S Aktiengesellschaft has decided to sell the business activities of  COMPO  to
the European private equity investor Triton.  A  corresponding  sales  agreement
was signed today. With this step, the examination of a  sale  of  COMPO  started
last year has reached its conclusion.

"We are pleased to have found in Triton what we believe is a good new owner  for
COMPO. With its commitment and its overall concept, Triton sent a  clear  signal
for a positive future for the company," says Norbert Steiner,  Chairman  of  the
Board of Executive Directors of K+S Aktiengesellschaft.

The effective economic date of the transfer is 1 March 2011. The closing of  the
transaction, with an enterprise value of EUR 205 million for  COMPO,  is 
expected
to take  place  as  early  as  this  summer.  After  the  deduction  of  assumed
liabilities, K+S expects a cash inflow of probably  about  EUR  150  million. 
The
transaction is not subject to a financing condition.  The  sale  is  subject  to
approval by the EU antitrust authority. For K+S, the sale involves a  book  loss
of about EUR 90 million in the second quarter of 2011. This and the  net 
earnings
of COMPO generated this year prior to the closing will from then  on  be  stated
as "discontinued operations". In financial year 2010, COMPO  generated  revenues
of EUR 402.3 million and an EBITDA margin of approximately 4%.

The strategy of the K+S Group provides for growth in the  Potash  and  Magnesium
Products and  the  Salt  business  segments  in  particular  and  for  focussing
management resources and financial means on this correspondingly.  Against  this
backdrop, K+S started the examination of a sale  of  COMPO  last  year.  In  the
second half of 2010, preparations were made for the company  law  and  corporate
carve-out of COMPO from the K+S Group and were completed  at  the  beginning  of
2011. Contact was then made with potential investors and, within  the  framework
of a bidding process, a good new owner has now been found in Triton.

During the sale process, K+S was advised by the investment  bank  Goldman  Sachs
and the law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

About Triton
Triton is an  independent  European  private  equity  investor  and  focuses  on
companies in German-speaking countries and Northern Europe.  Triton  invests  in
market leaders in attractive niches with a high potential  for  increased  value
and currently has an as yet uninvested fund volume of over EUR 1.5 billion at 
its
disposal. Investors of the Triton funds are  renowned  institutional  investors,
pension funds, families and foundations.

About COMPO
COMPO, based in Münster/Westphalia, is one of the leading suppliers  of  branded
goods for home and garden. The range of  products  includes  fertilizers,  plant
protection products, high-quality potting  soils  and  speciality  products  for
public  green  areas,  professional  horticulture,  special  crops  and  special
applications in agriculture. The company has one of  the  best-known  brand  and
most innovative product portfolios  in  the  sector  and  employs  1,075  people
globally.

About K+S
The K+S  Group  is  one  of  the  world's  leading  suppliers  of  standard  and
speciality fertilizers. In  the  salt  business,  K+S  is  the  world´s  leading
producer with sites in Europe as well as North and South America. K+S  offers  a
comprehensive range  of  goods  and  services  for  agriculture,  industry,  and
private consumers which provides growth opportunities in virtually every  sphere
of daily life. The K+S Group employs more than 15,000 people. The  K+S  share  -
the commodities stock on the German DAX index - is listed on  all  German  stock
exchanges (ISIN: DE0007162000, symbol: SDF). More information about K+S  can  be
found at www.k-plus-s.com.


Your contact persons:
Press: 
Michael Wudonig, CFA
phone: +49 561 9301-1262
fax: +49 561 9301-1666 
michael.wudonig@k-plus-s.com

Investor Relations:
Christian Herrmann, CFA
phone: +49 561 9301-1460
fax: +49 561 9301-2425 
christian.herrmann@k-plus-s.com


Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this release that are forward-looking statements  are  subject  to
various risks and uncertainties. Such  statements  represent  management's  best
judgment as of  the  date  hereof  based  on  information  currently  available.
Statements in this press  release  other  than  purely  historical  information,
including statements relating to the companies' future plans and  objectives  or
expected  results,  constitute  forward-looking  statements.   Forward   looking
statements are based on numerous assumptions and  are  subject  to  all  of  the
risks and uncertainties inherent in the companies' business.  The  companies  do
not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement.


Further inquiry note:
Press: 
Michael Wudonig, CFA
phone: +49 561 9301-1262
fax: +49 561 9301-1666
 
michael.wudonig@k-plus-s.com

Investor Relations:
Christian Herrmann, CFA
phone: +49 561 9301-1460
fax: +49 561 9301-2425
 
christian.herrmann@k-plus-s.com

K+S Aktiengesellschaft
Communications
P.O. Box 10 20 29, 34111 Kassel, Germany
Bertha-von-Suttner-Str. 7, 34131 Kassel
www.k-plus-s.com
;

__________________________________________________________
 
Chairman of the Supervisory Board: Dr. Ralf Bethke
Board of Executive Directors: Norbert Steiner (Chairman), Joachim Felker, Gerd
Grimmig, Dr. Thomas Nöcker, Jan Peter Nonnenkamp
Registered Office: Kassel
Commercial Register: Kassel HRB 2669

end of announcement                               euro adhoc 
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company:     K+S Aktiengesellschaft
             Bertha-von-Suttner-Straße  7
             D-34131 Kassel
phone:       +49 (0)561 9301-1460
FAX:         +49 (0)561 9301-2425
mail:         christian.herrmann@k-plus-s.com
WWW:         http://www.k-plus-s.com
sector:      Chemicals
ISIN:        DE0007162000
indexes:     DAX, Midcap Market Index, CDAX, Classic All Share, HDAX, Prime All
             Share
stockmarkets: regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt, regulated dealing:
             Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Hannover, München 
language:   English

Original-Content von: K+S Aktiengesellschaft, übermittelt durch news aktuell

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