DGAP-PVR: METRO AG: Release according to Article 40, Section 1 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act] with the objective of Europe-wide distribution

On 7 August 2019 Meridian Foundation notified us of the following:

'[...] by letter dated 31 July 2019, we notified you according to Secs. 33, 34 of the German Securities Trading Act (Wertpapierhandelsgesetz, WpHG) that on 29 July 2019 our voting rights holdings in METRO AG exceeded the threshold of 20% and amounted to 20.63% on this date (this corresponds to 74,305,085 voting rights). In addition, we hereby inform you pursuant to Sec. 43 WpHG as follows:

The objectives pursued with the acquisition of voting rights:

1. The acquisition of further voting rights is based on the establishment of a voting pool between Beisheim Capital GmbH, Beisheim Holding GmbH and Palatin Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH. The establishment of the voting pool serves the purpose of implementing strategic objectives.

2. The notifying person intends to acquire further voting rights in METRO AG by way of acquisition or in other ways within the next 12 months.

3. Mr Peter Küpfer, chairman of the Advisory Board of Meridian Foundation, is currently member of the Supervisory Board of METRO AG. There is no delegation right to the Supervisory Board. The notifying person intends to be represented in the Supervisory Board of METRO AG also in the future. A further influence on the composition of the Supervisory Board and indirectly of the Management Board of METRO AG is not intended by the notifying person.

4. A material change of the capital structure of METRO AG, in particular regarding the ratio of equity and debt and the dividend policy, is not intended.

Origin of the funds used for the acquisition:

The acquisition of further voting rights in METRO AG is based on the attribution of voting rights held by Palatin Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH pursuant to Sec. 34 para. 1 sentence 1 WpHG, whereby the voting rights held by Beisheim Holding GmbH and Beisheim Capital Holding GmbH are attributable to Palatin Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH due to the establishment of the voting pool agreement pursuant to Sec. 34 para. 2 WpHG. The notifying person therefore neither directly nor indirectly used neither  equity nor debt capital for the acquisition of the voting rights.'