I am delighted that we have reached our goal. We have acquired a great company and are working with our new colleagues as we get ourselves in shape to take advantage of the many opportunities that lie ahead.
We are focused very much on delivering the benefits we think this combination offers. The challenge is very much to bring the company together behind that goal.
I think that the offer is compelling in terms of its logic, and I hope everyone else will see it in the same light.
The Swedish mergers and acquisition practice is quite different from the UK. They believe in putting the offer into the public domain before recommending it.
This is an exciting opportunity for growth and to reduce risk.
This has been a defining period for Old Mutual, marked by these very satisfactory results that show our organic growth is coming through strongly.
It's the best deal on the table. It will be up to the shareholders to make a decision.
The two companies will be worth more together than either will be individually.