The FINANCIAL — The Board of Royal Dutch Shell plc (“RDS”) announced an interim dividend in respect of the third quarter of 2014 of US$0.47 per A ordinary share (“A Share”) and B ordinary share (“B Share”), an increase of US$ 0.02 on the equivalent US dollar dividend for the same quarter last year, according to Royal Dutch Shell plc.
On May 22, 2014 RDS announced the cancellation of its Scrip Dividend Programme with effect from the second quarter 2014 Interim dividend onwards. The cancellation means that dividends will be settled entirely in cash, rather than offering a share-based alternative. For further details please refer to www.shell.com/scrip .
Details relating to the third quarter 2014 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.
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 December 5, 2014.
Cash dividends on American Depository Shares (“ADSs”) will be paid 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, according to Royal Dutch Shell plc.
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 and on central securities depositories (CSDs) and amending Directive 98/26/EC (the “CSD Regulation”). This CSD Regulation aims to harmonise EU securities settlement cycles towards a T + 2 cycle. As a result, RDS A shares and RDS B shares traded on these markets will now settle one day quicker than the RDS A ADSs and RDS B ADSs traded in the United States. Record dates will not change. The timings of these are detailed above.
Note 2 – A different currency election date may apply to shareholders holding shares in a securities account with a bank or financial institution ultimately holding through Euroclear Nederland. Please contact your broker, financial intermediary, bank or financial institution where you hold your securities account for the election deadline that applies
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 third quarter 2014 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 December 5, 2014.
Dividend reinvestment plan
Equiniti and ABN AMRO Bank N.V. each have established a dividend reinvestment facility which enables RDS shareholders to elect to have their dividend payments used to purchase RDS shares of the same class as those already held by them. The dividend reinvestment plans (the “DRIPs”) are provided by ABN AMRO Bank N.V. in respect of shares held through Euroclear Nederland and by Equiniti in respect of all other shares (but not ADSs). DRIPs for the ADSs (both Class A ADSs and Class B ADSs) traded on the NYSE are available through The Bank of New York Mellon.
Enquiries about the DRIPs, including how to elect to participate and information about the reinvestment mechanisms under the respective plans should, in the case of shareholders holding through Euroclear Nederland, be directed to their bank or broker and in the case of all other shareholders (other than holders of ADSs) to Equiniti. Enquiries relating to the DRIPs for ADSs (both Class A ADSs and Class B ADSs) should be made to The Bank of New York Mellon, according to Royal Dutch Shell plc.
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