ABB bondholders

ABB Ltd
09 September 2004


          ABB bondholders pass resolutions to permit  repurchases

Zurich, Switzerland, September 9, 2004 - ABB, the leading power and automation
technology group, said bondholders earlier today approved resolutions which give
the company the option to redeem outstanding instruments of its Euro 300
million, 5.375 percent bonds due in 2005 and Euro 475 million, 5.125 percent
bonds due in 2006.

The prices will be calculated on the same terms as the tender offers announced
on 29 July 2004.  Both bonds were issued by ABB International Finance Limited.

Peter Voser, ABB's chief financial officer, said: 'The completion of this bond
repurchase will reduce ABB's debt by approximately $800 million and is part of
ABB's strategy to cut gross debt to $4 billion by the end of 2005.'

Prior to the bondholders' meetings, 57 percent (Euro 156,591,000) of the
principal amount outstanding of 2005 bonds and 59 percent (Euro 215,200,000) of
the principal amount outstanding of 2006 bonds had been validly tendered and
accepted under the tender offers, for which pricing and settlement dates are
scheduled for 10 and 14 September 2004 respectively.

ABB intends to exercise its options to redeem early all of the remaining
outstanding 2005 and 2006 bonds.  The redemption date is expected to be 29
September 2004, with the calculation of the relevant redemption amounts
scheduled for 27 September 2004.

Further information can be found online at www.ABBbondtender.com or by
contacting ABB or the dealer managers.  A notice will also be published in the
Luxemburger Wort on 14 September 2004.

Mandated dealer managers for the transaction are Barclays Capital, Commerzbank
Securities and Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein.

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable
utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering
environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100
countries and employs about 105,000 people.

For more information please contact:

For more information please contact:

Media Relations                  Investor Relations                     ABB Ltd
Thomas Schmidt                   Switzerland: Tel. [phone]     Affolternstrasse 44,
Tel: [phone]             Sweden: Tel. [phone]            CH-8050 Zurich,
Fax: [phone]             [e-mail]          Switzerland
[e-mail]                                              Tel. [phone]
                                                                        www.abb.com

Dealer Managers
Barclays Bank plc                Commerzbank AG                         Dresdner Bank AG
Contact: Sven Pongs /            Contact: Damian Saunders / Mathilde    Contact: Hugh Carter/
Marie-France Guay                Baechler                               Olivia Smith
Tel.  [phone]           Tel. [phone]                  Tel.   [phone]
Fax  [phone]            Fax  [phone]                  Fax   [phone]
Email: [e-mail]     Email: [e-mail]   Email: [e-mail]


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange