Blueprint
FORM 6-K
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
REPORT OF
FOREIGN ISSUER
Pursuant
to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the
month of December, 2017
UNILEVER
N.V.
(Translation
of registrant's name into English)
WEENA 455, 3013 AL, P.O. BOX 760, 3000 DK, ROTTERDAM, THE
NETHERLANDS
(Address
of principal executive offices)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports
under
cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form
20-F..X.. Form 40-F
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in
paper
as
permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):_____
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in
paper
as
permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):_____
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the
information
contained
in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to
the
Commission
pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934.
Yes
No ..X..
If
"Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the
registrant
in
connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- ________
Exhibit
99 attached hereto is incorporated herein by
reference.
Signatures
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
UNILEVER
N.V.
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/S/
T.E. LOVELL
By T.E.
LOVELL
SECRETARY
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Date:
15 December 2017
EXHIBIT INDEX
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EXHIBIT
NUMBER
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EXHIBIT
DESCRIPTION
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99
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Notice
to Euronext, Amsterdam dated 15th December 2017
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UNILEVER
TO SELL SPREADS TO KKR FOR EUR 6.825 BN
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Exhibit
99
UNILEVER TO SELL ITS SPREADS BUSINESS TO KKR FOR €6.825
BILLION
London/Rotterdam- December 15 2017 - Unilever, one of the
world's leading suppliers of Personal Care, Home Care and Food and
Refreshment products, has received a binding offer from KKR to
purchase its global Spreads business for €6.825 billion on a
cash-free, debt-free basis.
Paul
Polman, CEO of Unilever said "In
April of this year we set out our 2020 programme to accelerate
sustainable value creation. After a long history in Unilever we
decided that the future of the Spreads business would lie outside
the Group. The announcement today marks a further step in
reshaping and sharpening our portfolio for long term growth. The
consideration recognises the market leading brands and the improved
momentum we have achieved. I am confident that under KKR's
ownership, the Spreads business with its iconic brands will be able
to fulfil its full potential as well as societal
responsibilities."
Nicolas
Liabeuf, CEO of Spreads, who will continue to lead the business,
added "There is a positive
momentum in the performance of the Spreads business and we are
excited about continuing this journey with KKR. We are confident
that our business and the entrepreneurial spirit of our people will
thrive further under new ownership."
Johannes
Huth, Head of KKR EMEA said: "The strength of the portfolio
of consumer brands in Spreads provides a firm foundation for future
growth. We look forward to deploying our global network and
operational expertise to support the business's growth ambitions,
while continuing to follow Unilever's responsible sourcing
policies, including working towards the goal of sourcing 100 per
cent sustainable palm oil by 2019."
The investment is being funded by both the European and N. American
private equity funds of KKR.
The
offer is subject to certain regulatory approvals and employee
consultation in certain jurisdictions. Completion is expected
mid-2018. Unilever intends to return the net cash realised to
shareholders, unless more value-creating acquisition alternatives
arise. The transaction constitutes a class 2 transaction for the
purposes of the UK Listing Rules. Further information about
Unilever's Spreads business is provided below
For further information:
Unilever PLC
Unilever House
100 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DY
United Kingdom
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Unilever NV
Weena 455
3013AL Rotterdam
Netherlands
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Media:
Paul
Matthews
+44 775
276 8888
Paul.Matthews@unilever.com
Treeva
Fenwick
+44 779
903 3391
Treeva.Fenwick@unilever.com
Jonathan
Sibun
+44 777
999 9683
jsibun@tulchangroup.com
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Media:
Fleur
Van-Bruggen
+31 615
008 293
Fleur-van.bruggen@unilever.com
Media
Relations Rotterdam: +31 (0)10 217 4844
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Unilever Investor Relations:
+44 (0)20 7822 6830
investor.relations@unilever.com
KKR:
Alastair Elwen
Finsbury
+44 207 251 3801
alastair.elwen@finsbury.com
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About Unilever Spreads
Unilever's
Spreads business includes brands such as Becel, Flora, Country
Crock, Blue Band, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, Rama and
ProActiv. It operates across 66 countries around the
world. In 2016 the business had a turnover of €3,032
million, EBITDA (before any carveout adjustments under new
ownership) of €680 million, and assets of €1,108
million.
This
announcement, including the information contained in this release,
excludes the South Africa Spreads business. As previously
announced, Unilever will acquire Remgro's 25.75% shareholding in
Unilever South Africa Holdings (Pty) Ltd (Unilever SA) in exchange
for the Unilever Spreads business in Southern Africa as well as a
cash consideration.
About Unilever
Unilever
is one of the world's leading suppliers of Personal Care, Home Care
and Food and Refreshment products with sales in over 190 countries
and reaching 2.5 billion consumers a day. It has 169,000 employees
and generated sales of €52.7 billion in 2016. Over half (57%)
of the company's footprint is in developing and emerging markets.
Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes all over the
world, including Persil, Dove, Knorr, Domestos, Hellmann's, Lipton,
Wall's, PG Tips, Ben & Jerry's, Magnum and Lynx.
Unilever's
Sustainable Living Plan underpins the company's strategy and
commits to:
*
Helping more than a billion people take action to improve their
health and well-being by 2020.
*
Halving the environmental impact of our products by
2030.
*
Enhancing the livelihoods of millions of people by
2020.
The
USLP creates value by driving growth and trust, eliminating costs
and reducing risks. The company's sustainable living brands are
growing 50% faster than the rest of the business and delivered more
than 60% of the company's growth in 2016.
Unilever
was ranked number one in its sector in the 2017 Dow Jones
Sustainability Index. In the FTSE4Good Index, it achieved the
highest environmental score of 5. It led the list of Global
Corporate Sustainability Leaders in the 2017
GlobeScan/SustainAbility annual survey for the seventh year
running. Unilever has pledged to become carbon positive in its
operations by 2030. For more information about Unilever and its
brands, please visit www.unilever.com.
For more information on the USLP: www.unilever.com/sustainable-living/
About KKR
KKR is
a leading global investment firm that manages multiple alternative
asset classes, including private equity, energy, infrastructure,
real estate, credit and, through its strategic manager
partnerships, hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive
investment returns by following a patient and disciplined
investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving
growth and value creation with KKR portfolio companies. KKR invests
its own capital alongside its partners' capital and provides
financing solutions and investment opportunities through its
capital markets business. References to KKR's investments may
include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional
information about KKR & Co. L.P. (NYSE: KKR), please visit
KKR's website at www.kkr.com and
on Twitter @KKR_Co.
Cautionary Statement/Safe Harbour:
This
announcement may contain forward-looking statements, including
'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the United
States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including
statements related to underlying sales growth and underlying
operating margin. Words such as 'will', 'aim', 'expects',
'anticipates', 'intends', 'looks', 'believes', 'vision', or the
negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future
performance or results, and their negatives, are intended to
identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions
regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the
Unilever Group (the "Group"). They are not historical facts, nor
are they guarantees of future performance.
Because
these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties,
there are important factors that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied by these
forward-looking statements. Among other risks and uncertainties,
the material or principal factors which could cause actual results
to differ materially are: Unilever's global brands not meeting
consumer preferences; Unilever's ability to innovate and remain
competitive; Unilever's investment choices in its portfolio
management; inability to find sustainable solutions to support
long-term growth; customer relationships; the recruitment and
retention of talented employees; disruptions in our supply chain;
the cost of raw materials and commodities; the production of safe
and high quality products; secure and reliable IT infrastructure;
successful execution of acquisitions, divestitures and business
transformation projects; economic and political risks and natural
disasters; the effect of climate change on Unilever's business;
financial risks; failure to meet high and ethical standards; and
managing regulatory, tax and legal matters. These forward-looking
statements speak only as of the date of this announcement. Except
as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Group
expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release
publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements
contained herein to reflect any change in the Group's expectations
with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or
circumstances on which any such statement is based. Further details
of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Group are
described in the Group's filings with the London Stock Exchange,
Euronext Amsterdam and the US Securities and Exchange Commission,
including in the Annual Report on Form 20-F 2016 and the Unilever
Annual Report and Accounts 2016.