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UPDATE 1-Volvo postpones AGM to get more time for Scania deal

STOCKHOLM, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Sweden's Volvo, the world's second biggest truck maker, said on Tuesday it has postponed its annual general meeting of shareholders to have more time to clarify and prepare for a deal regarding its stake in rival Scania.

Volvo holds 45 percent of the equity and 30.6 percent of the votes in Scania after a failed merger attempt in 2000. The European Commission has ruled Volvo must sell the shares by April 24.

The AGM will now be held on April 16, rather than as previously planned on March 22.

"In the board's opinion AB Volvo requires more time to clarify and prepare for the various alternatives with regard to the divestment of Volvo's holding of Scania shares that the board has previously disclosed," the firm said in a statement.

At the begining of February Volvo said that was in talks to sell the stake but that should it fail to reach a deal it would move its Scania A-shares, which have one vote each, to a newly formed company called Ainax.

Ainax would be listed on the bourse and most of its shares would be distributed to Volvo's shareholders.

Scania's B-shares, which have one tenth of a vote, would be sold in lots on the open market, Volvo then said.

Investors had hoped that a single institutional investor would buy all the shares and pay a premium, possibly bringing the price close to the 264 crowns per share Volvo paid. Scania shares on Monday closed at 237.5 crowns in Stockholm.