As at the end of 2008, the company’s Board of Directors had no valid authorizations for increasing the share capital, granting special rights, or issuing stock option rights.
On December 31, 2007, the average price of Vaisala’s A share in the OMX Nordic Exchange Helsinki was EUR 35.60, and on December 31, 2008 the share price was EUR 22.11. The highest quotation during the financial year was EUR 36.49 and the lowest EUR 19.50.
A total of 2,277,884 (5,595,292) Vaisala shares were traded in the stock exchange during the financial year.
Vaisala has 18,218,364 shares, of which 3,405,584 are series K shares and 14,812,780 are series A shares. The shares have a counter book value of EUR 0.42. The K shares and A shares are differentiated by the fact that each K shares entitles its owner to 20 votes at a General Meeting of Shareholders while each A share entitles its owner to 1 vote. The A shares represent 81.3 percent of the total number of shares and 17.9 percent of the total votes. The K shares represent 18.7 percent of the total number of shares and 82.1 percent of the total votes.
The market value of Vaisala’s A shares on 31.12.2008 was EUR 327.3 million, excluding the Company’s own shares. Valuing the K shares – which are not traded on the stock market – at the rate of the A share’s closing price on the final day of the financial year, the total year-end market value of all the A and K shares together was EUR 402.6 million, excluding the company’s own shares.
Vaisala’s main shareholders are listed on the company’s website and in the Notes to the Financial Statements.
The shares give equal rights to dividends. According to the company's Articles of Association, the maximum number of shares is 68,490,017 and Vaisala’s maximum share capital is EUR 28.8 million. All issued shares have been fully paid for. The shares have no consent or redemption clauses attached to them.
According to the Articles of Association, a K share can be converted into an A share in the manner specified in the Articles.
The number of shares held and controlled by Vaisala Corporation's Board of Directors on 31 December 2008 was 1,353,425, accounting for 15.6 percent of the total votes (2007: 1,394,601 shares and 16.6 percent of the total votes). The company's President and CEO did not own shares or options on December 31, 2007.
Treasury shares and parent company shares At the end of the financial year, the Company held a total of 9,150 Vaisala A shares, which represented 0.05 percent of the share capital and 0.01 percent of the votes. The consideration paid for these shares was EUR 251,898.31.