Final subscription results

ABB Ltd
16 December 2003

Final subscription results in ABB capital increase

Zurich, Switzerland, December 16, 2003 - ABB, the leading power and automation
technology group, today confirmed the final subscription results in its US$
2.5-billion capital increase.



The capital increase consisted of a 7-for-10 rights offering for 840,006,602 new
registered shares at an offer price of CHF 4.00. The subscription period ended
on December 9, 2003.



In total, 1,200,009,432 rights were registered, of which 1,193,111,860 rights
were exercised to purchase 835,178,302 offered shares, which corresponds to a
take-up of 99.4 percent.



Of the 944,550,486 rights registered in the SIS SegaInterSettle clearing system
in Switzerland, 942,659,380 rights were exercised to purchase 659,861,566
offered shares, which corresponds to a take-up of 99.8 percent.



Of the 255,458,946 rights registered in the VPC clearing system in Sweden,
250,452,480 rights were exercised to purchase 175,316,736 shares, corresponding
to a take-up of 98.0 percent.





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Some of the information contained in this press release contains forward-looking
statements. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are
not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and
that actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking
statements as a result of various factors. ABB undertakes no obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.



The material set forth herein is for informational purposes only and is not
intended, and should not be construed, as an offer of securities for sale in the
United States. The securities described herein have not been and will not be
registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 'Securities
Act'), or the laws of any state, and may not be offered or sold within the
United States, except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not
subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable
state laws. There is no intention to register any portion of the offering
described herein in the United States or to conduct a public offering of
securities in the United States.



The information contained herein shall not constitute an offer to sell or the
solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the securities
referred to herein, in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or
sale would be unlawful prior to registration, exemption from registration or
qualification under the securities laws of any jurisdiction.



This press release does not constitute an offer of rights or shares for sale or
a solicitation of an offer to purchase rights or shares in Germany and is for
information purposes only. Readers of this press release are requested to inform
themselves about and to observe any such restrictions. No public offering of
rights or shares is being conducted in Germany. Any offer or sale of rights or
shares in Germany may only be made in compliance with the German Securities
Prospectus Act (Wertpapier-Verkaufsprospektgesetz). No sales prospectus
(Verkaufsprospekt) under the German Securities Sales Prospectus Act has been, or
will be, published with respect to the rights or shares.



The information contained herein is not for publication or distribution into
Italy. The public will not be solicited in Italy in connection with the
securities referred to herein and no securities will be offered, sold or
delivered in Italy and no copies of any offering document relating to the
securities will be delivered in Italy, unless such activities (i) are carried
out by or through intermediaries authorized to perform investment services in
Italy, (ii) either do not qualify as solicitation of investment or qualify as a
solicitation exempted from the requirement of a prospectus, and (iii) are
carried out in compliance with applicable securities and banking laws and
regulations.



Stabilization/FSA
                               Media Relations:                               Investor Relations:

                               ABB Corporate Communications, Zurich           Switzerland: Tel. [phone]

                               Thomas Schmidt, Wolfram Eberhardt              Sweden: Tel. [phone]

                               Tel: [phone]                           USA: Tel. [phone]

                               Fax: [phone]                           [e-mail]

                               [e-mail]

For more information please contact:





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