EADS’s two biggest corporate shareholders, DaimlerChrysler and Lagardere SCA, announced on April 4, 2006 that they’re each selling 7.5% stakes in EADS in simultaneous transactions. Bloomberg reports that the transaction is valued by sale managers JP Morgan Chase & Co. and Morgan Stanley at about EUR 2.5 billion ($3.02 billion at current conversion).

DID covered EADS FY 2005 year-end financials recently, for those who are interested. Details of the transactions can be found below…

DaimlerChrysler has described its transaction as a forward sale agreement on approximately 61 million EADS shares with a group of international investment banks. The DaimlerChrysler Group said it will be lending these shares to the banks in anticipation of the settlement of the forward sale.

Lagardere SCA has announced it will issue Mandatory Exchangeable Bonds subscribed by IXIS CIB. In turn, IXIS CIB is selling forward a large majority of the underlying shares to a group of French institutional investors. The EADS shares deliverable at the maturity of the bonds represent a maximum of 7.5% of the capital of EADS, or approximately 61 million EADS shares.

JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley are expected to place a total of approximately 73 million EADS shares, including approximately 12 million shares on behalf of IXIS CIB, with institutional investors by way of an accelerated book-built offering.

EADS was consulted, and said in its official release that it “views these steps to increase the free float of its capital as a very positive development for all shareholders.”

Under the shareholder agreements, the balance of control between the core shareholders in EADS’ corporate governance remains unchanged.