ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC SECOND QUARTER
2015 INTERIM DIVIDEND
The Board of Royal Dutch Shell
plc (“RDS”) today announced an interim dividend in respect of the
second quarter of 2015 of US$0.47 per
A ordinary share (“A Share”) and B ordinary share (“B Share”),
equal to the US dollar dividend for the same quarter last year.
RDS provides eligible shareholders with a choice to receive
dividends in cash or in shares via a Scrip Dividend Programme (“the
Programme”). For further details please see below.
Details relating to the second quarter
2015 interim dividend
It is expected that cash dividends on the B Shares will be paid
via the Dividend Access Mechanism from UK-sourced income of the
Shell Group.
Per ordinary share |
Q2 2015 |
|
|
RDS A Shares (US$) |
0.47 |
RDS B Shares (US$) |
0.47 |
Cash dividends on A Shares will be
paid, by default, in euro, although holders of A Shares will be
able to elect to receive dividends in pounds sterling.
Cash dividends on B Shares will be
paid, by default, in pounds sterling, although holders of B Shares
will be able to elect to receive dividends in euro.
The pounds sterling and euro
equivalent dividend payments will be announced on September 4, 2015.
Per ADS |
Q2 2015 |
RDS A ADSs (US$) |
0.94 |
RDS B ADSs (US$) |
0.94 |
Cash dividends on American Depository
Shares (“ADSs”) will be paid, by default, in US dollars.
ADS stands for an American Depositary
Share. ADR stands for an American Depositary Receipt. An ADR
is a certificate that evidences ADSs. ADSs are listed on the
NYSE under the symbols RDS.A and RDS.B. Each ADS represents
two ordinary shares, two A Shares in the case of RDS.A or two
B Shares in the case of RDS.B. In many cases the terms ADR
and ADS are used interchangeably.
Scrip Dividend Programme
RDS provides shareholders with a choice to receive dividends in
cash or in shares via the Programme.
Under the Programme shareholders can increase their shareholding
in RDS by choosing to receive new shares instead of cash dividends,
if approved by the Board. Only new A Shares will be
issued under the Programme, including to shareholders who currently
hold B Shares.
Joining the Programme may offer a tax advantage in some
countries compared with receiving cash dividends. In particular,
dividends paid out as shares will not be subject to Dutch dividend
withholding tax (currently 15 per cent) and will not generally be
taxed on receipt by a UK shareholder or a Dutch corporate
shareholder.
Shareholders who elect to join the Programme will increase the
number of shares held in RDS without having to buy existing shares
in the market, thereby avoiding associated dealing costs.
Shareholders who do not join the Programme will continue to
receive in cash any dividends approved by the Board.
Shareholders who held only B Shares and joined the Programme are
reminded they will need to make a Scrip Dividend Election in
respect of their new A Shares if they wish to join the Programme in
respect of such new shares. However, this is only necessary
if the shareholder has not previously made a Scrip Dividend
Election in respect of any new A Shares issued.
For further information on the Programme, including how to join
if you are eligible, please refer to the appropriate publication
available on www.shell.com/scrip.
Dividend timetable for the second
quarter 2015 interim dividend
Announcement
date
July 30, 2015
Ex-dividend date RDS A and RDS B ADS (Note
1)
August 12, 2015
Ex-dividend date RDS A and RDS B shares (Note
1)
August 13, 2015
Record
date
August 14, 2015
Scrip reference share price announcement
date
August
20, 2015
Closing of scrip election and currency election
(Note2)
August 28, 2015
Pounds sterling and euro equivalents announcement
date September 4, 2015
Payment
date
September 21, 2015
Note 1
The London Stock Exchange and Euronext Amsterdam, with effect
from October 6, 2014, reduced the
standard settlement cycle in accordance with the Regulation of the
European Parliament and of the Council on improving securities
settlement in the European Union (EU) and on Central Securities
Depositories (CSDs) and amending Directive 98/26/EC (the CSD
Regulation). The CSD Regulation aims to harmonise EU securities
settlement cycles towards a T + 2 cycle. As a result, the
ex-dividend dates for A and B shares traded on these markets are
one trading day later than A ADSs and B ADSs traded in the
USA. Record dates are not
affected.
Note 2
A different scrip election date may apply to registered and non
registered ADS holders.
Registered ADS holders can contact The Bank of New York Mellon
for the election deadline that applies. Non registered ADS holders
can contact their broker, financial intermediary, bank or financial
institution for the election deadline that applies.
Both a different scrip and currency election date may apply to
shareholders holding shares in a securities account with a bank or
financial institution ultimately holding through Euroclear
Nederland. Such shareholders can obtain the applicable deadlines
from their broker, financial intermediary, bank or financial
institution where they hold their securities account.
Dividend reinvestment plans
withdrawn
Following the introduction of the Programme, the Dividend
Reinvestment Plans previously provided by Equiniti and ABN AMRO
Bank N.V. have been withdrawn; the dividend reinvestment feature of
the plan provided by The Bank of New York Mellon has likewise been
withdrawn.
Shareholders who participated in one of these Dividend
Reinvestment Plans will in most cases not automatically be enrolled
in the Programme and will in most cases need to elect to join.
For full information on the Programme, please refer to the
appropriate publication available on www.shell.com/scrip.
Shareholders who do not join the Programme will continue to
receive in cash any dividends approved by RDS.
Taxation cash dividends
Cash dividends on A Shares will be subject to the deduction of
Netherlands dividend withholding
tax at the rate of 15%, which may be reduced in certain
circumstances. Provided certain conditions are met, shareholders in
receipt of A Share cash dividends may also be entitled to a
non-payable dividend tax credit in the United Kingdom.
Shareholders resident in the United
Kingdom, receiving cash dividends on B Shares through the
Dividend Access Mechanism, are entitled to a tax credit. This tax
credit is not repayable. Non-residents may also be entitled to a
tax credit, if double tax arrangements between the United Kingdom and their country of residence
so provide, or if they are eligible for relief given to
non-residents with certain special connections with the
United Kingdom or to nationals of
states in the European Economic Area.
The amount of tax credit is 10/90ths of the cash dividend, the
tax credit referable to the second quarter 2015 interim dividend of
US$0.47 is US$0.05 per ordinary share and the dividend and
tax credit together amount to US$0.52. The pounds sterling and euro equivalents
will be announced on September 4,
2015.
Royal Dutch
Shell plc
The
Hague, July 30, 2015
Contacts:
- Investor Relations:
Europe + 31 (0) 70 377 4540; North America +1 832 337 2034
- Media: International
+44 (0) 207 934 5550; Americas +1 713 241 4544
CAUTIONARY NOTE:
The companies in which Royal Dutch
Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are
separate entities. In this release “Shell”, “Shell group” and
“Royal Dutch Shell” are sometimes used for convenience where
references are made to Royal Dutch
Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the
words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to subsidiaries
in general or to those who work for them. These expressions are
also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the
particular company or companies. ‘‘Subsidiaries’’, “Shell
subsidiaries” and “Shell companies” as used in this release refer
to companies over which Royal Dutch
Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control.
Companies over which Shell has joint control are generally referred
to as “joint ventures” and companies over which Shell has
significant influence but neither control nor joint control are
referred to as “associates”. In this release, joint ventures and
associates may also be referred to as “equity-accounted
investments”. The term “Shell interest” is used for convenience to
indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by
Shell in a venture, partnership or company, after exclusion of all
third-party interest.
This release contains forward-looking statements concerning the
financial condition, results of operations and businesses of
Royal Dutch Shell. All statements
other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to
be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are
statements of future expectations that are based on management’s
current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results,
performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or
implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include,
among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of
Royal Dutch Shell to market risks
and statements expressing management’s expectations, beliefs,
estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These
forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and
phrases such as ‘‘anticipate’’, ‘‘believe’’, ‘‘could’’,
‘‘estimate’’, ‘‘expect’’, ‘‘goals’’, ‘‘intend’’, ‘‘may’’,
‘‘objectives’’, ‘‘outlook’’, ‘‘plan’’, ‘‘probably’’, ‘‘project’’,
‘‘risks’’, “schedule”, ‘‘seek’’, ‘‘should’’, ‘‘target’’, ‘‘will’’
and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that
could affect the future operations of Royal
Dutch Shell and could cause those results to differ
materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements
included in this release, including (without limitation): (a) price
fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand
for Shell’s products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and
production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market
share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical
risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable
potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful
negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of
doing business in developing countries and countries subject to
international sanctions; (j) legislative, fiscal and regulatory
developments including regulatory measures addressing climate
change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various
countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of
expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with
governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of
projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; and (m)
changes in trading conditions. All forward-looking statements
contained in this release are expressly qualified in their entirety
by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this
section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results
are contained in Royal Dutch Shell’s 20-F for the year ended
December 31, 2014 (available at www.shell.com/investor and
http://www.sec.gov/ ). These risk factors also expressly qualify
all forward looking statements contained in this release and should
be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement
speaks only as of the date of this release, July 30, 2015. Neither
Royal Dutch Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any
obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking
statement as a result of new information, future events or other
information. In light of these risks, results could differ
materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the
forward-looking statements contained in this release.
We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this
release that United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the
SEC. U.S. Investors are urged to consider closely the
disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC
website www.sec.gov.