Stmnt re Share Split

ABB Ltd
2 May 2001


ABB share split to take effect May 7, 2001

Zurich, Switzerland, May 2, 2001 - ABB said today that the share split approved
by shareholders earlier this year will take effect on May 7, 2001.  The split is
aimed at improving the liquidity of the ABB share.

Shareholders approved the 4-to-1 split at the company's annual general meeting
on March 20.  As a result, each registered ABB Ltd share with a nominal value of

CHF 10 will be split into four shares, each with a nominal value of CHF2.50.

Trading in the new share (ISIN code 001 222 1716) will begin on May 7 on the
SWX Swiss Exchange, and the stock exchanges in Frankfurt, Stockholm and New York
(where the share trades in the form of an American Depositary Share, or ADS).

Currently, four ADSs represent one ABB Ltd ordinary share.  After the split, one
ADS will represent one ordinary share.  In London, the trading of the new shares
will being on May 8.  The last day for trading the non-split share is Friday,
May 4, 2001.

After the split, ABB will have 1,200,009,432 outstanding shares.

ABB (www.abb.com) serves manufacturing, process and consumer industries,
utilities, the oil and gas markets, with 160,000 employees in more than 100
countries.