DGAP-News: freenet AG / Key word(s): Dividend/Share Buyback 
freenet AG: freenet Group announces further share buyback program and proposes total distribution of 1.65 euros per 
share 
2021-02-02 / 18:50 
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. 
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freenet Group announces further share buyback program and proposes total distribution of 1.65 euros per share 
- Share buyback program 2021 of up to EUR 135 million resolved 
- Special dividend of EUR 0.15 per share 
- Dividend of EUR 1.50 per share for 2020 
- Continuity on the Management Board 
Büdelsdorf, 02 February 2021 - With the approval of the Supervisory Board, the Management Board of freenet AG [ISIN 
DE000A0Z2ZZ5] today decided to launch a share buyback program 2021. Within the scope of this share buyback program, up 
to 9.75 million shares of the company (corresponding to approx. 7.61 per cent of the share capital of EUR 128,061,016) 
are to be bought back via the stock exchange. The total volume of the share buyback program is up to EUR 135 million. 
The program is scheduled to begin on 25 February 2021 and will run until 31 December 2021 at the latest. 
Thus, freenet AG is making use of the authorization granted by the Annual General Meeting on 27 May 2020, according to 
which up to 10 % of the company's share capital existing at the time of the resolution or, if this value is lower, at 
the time the authorization is exercised, may be repurchased until 26 May 2025. In the period from 1 September to 28 
December 2020 the authorization has already been exercised and 2,956,232 freenet shares (around 2.31% of the share 
capital) were repurchased (share buyback program 2020). 
At the Annual General Meeting on 27 May 2020, freenet shareholders had voted by a clear majority (94.74 percent) to 
suspend the dividend payment for the 2019 financial year (payable in 2020). As a result of the resolution passed at the 
Annual General Meeting, 1.61 euros per share (approximately 206 million euros) of the previously announced 1.65 euros 
per share (approximately 211 million euros) was withheld. The decisive factor was the unforeseeable impact of the 
COVID-19 pandemic on the financial sector and the potentially challenging refinancing of two promissory note loans of 
around 700 million euros due within 12 months. 
In the meantime, the freenet Group has been able to refinance at a favorable interest rate level and reduce any cluster 
risks from the financing, so that the reason for the dividend suspension has basically ceased to apply. With the 
announced share buyback program 2021 (volume: EUR 135.0 million) - in addition to the share buyback program 2020 
(volume: EUR 51.4 million) - a further significant amount of the retained dividend for 2019 is therefore to be 
distributed to freenet shareholders retrospectively. 
In total, distributions from share buybacks (both programs) could amount to an expected 186.4 million euros by 31 
December 2021. The Management Board plans to distribute the remaining part of the dividend of approximately EUR 20 
million retained in the previous year in the form of a special dividend of EUR 0.15 per share. 
Furthermore, the Management Board intends to propose to the Annual General Meeting that a dividend of 1.50 euros per 
share be distributed for the 2020 financial year on the basis of the current state of knowledge for the 2020 financial 
year. In total, an amount of 1.65 euros per dividend-bearing share would thus be distributed to shareholders in 2021. 
In this respect, the Management Board, with the approval of the Supervisory Board, today resolved to submit a 
corresponding proposal for the use of net profits to the Annual General Meeting. With this proposal, the Executive 
Board is keeping its promise to base distributions on the Company's operating performance and situation and to allow 
shareholders to participate accordingly. 
In addition, the Supervisory Board of freenet AG announces that it has extended the service agreements of Management 
Board members Antonius Fromme (Chief Customer Experience Officer) and Rickmann von Platen (Chief Commercial Officer), 
which expire in May 2021, by five years to 31 May 2026. 
The appointment of Ingo Arnold, CFO of freenet AG, was also extended by five years to 31 December 2026. In addition, 
Ingo Arnold was appointed Deputy CEO of freenet AG with effect from 1 January 2021. 
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Contact: 
freenet Group 
Investor Relations & ESG 
Fon: +49 (0) 40 / 513 06 778 
Mail: ir@freenet.ag 
https://www.freenet-group.de/en/index.html 
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2021-02-02 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. 
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. 
The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. 
Archive at www.dgap.de 
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Language:     English 
Company:      freenet AG 
              Hollerstrasse 126 
              24782 Buedelsdorf 
              Germany 
Phone:        +49 (0)40 51306-778 
Fax:          +49 (0)40 51306-970 
E-mail:       ir@freenet.ag 
Internet:     www.freenet-group.de 
ISIN:         DE000A0Z2ZZ5, DE000A1KQXU0 
WKN:          A0Z2ZZ , A1KQXU 
Indices:      MDAX, TecDAX 
Listed:       Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, 
              Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange 
EQS News ID:  1165303 
 
End of News   DGAP News Service 
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1165303 2021-02-02

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 02, 2021 12:52 ET (17:52 GMT)