ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC THIRD QUARTER 2012 INTERIM DIVIDEND
The Board of Royal Dutch Shell
plc ("RDS") today announced an interim dividend in respect of the
third quarter of 2012 of US$0.43 per
A ordinary share ("A Share") and B ordinary share ("B Share"), an
increase of US$ 0.01 on the
equivalent 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 third quarter 2012 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 Q3 2012
RDS A Shares (US$) 0.43
RDS B Shares (US$) 0.43
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 7, 2012.
Per ADS Q3 2012
RDS A ADSs (US$) 0.86
RDS B ADSs (US$) 0.86
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 a Scrip Dividend 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 Scrip
Dividend 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 third quarter 2012 interim
dividend
Announcement date November 1,
2012
Ex-dividend date November 14,
2012
Record date November 16, 2012
Scrip reference share price announcement date November 21, 2012
Closing of scrip election and currency election * November 30, 2012
Pounds sterling and euro equivalents announcement date
December 7, 2012
Payment date December 20, 2012
* 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. 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 2012 interim dividend of
US$0.43 is US$0.05 per ordinary share and the dividend and
tax credit together amount to US$0.48. The pounds sterling and euro equivalents
will be announced on December 7,
2012.
Royal Dutch Shell plc
The Hague, November 1, 2012
Contacts:
Investor Relations: Europe: +
31 (0)70 377 4540; USA: +1 713 241
1042
Media: +44 207 934 5550
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 in which Royal Dutch
Shell either directly or indirectly has control, by having
either a majority of the voting rights or the right to exercise a
controlling influence. The companies in which Shell has significant
influence but not control are referred to as "associated companies"
or "associates" and companies in which Shell has joint control are
referred to as "jointly controlled entities". In this release,
associates and jointly controlled entities are also referred to as
"equity-accounted investments". The term "Shell interest" is used
for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect (for
example, through our 23% shareholding in Woodside Petroleum Ltd.)
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'', ``intend'', ``may'', ``plan'',
``objectives'', ``outlook'', ``probably'', ``project'', ``will'',
``seek'', ``target'', ``risks'', ``goals'', ``should'' 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 potential litigation and regulatory measures
as a result of climate changes; (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 factors that may affect
future results are contained in Royal Dutch
Shell's 20-F for the year ended 31
December, 2011 (available at www.shell.com/investor and
www.sec.gov ). These factors also should be considered by the
reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date
of this release, 1 November 2012.
Neither Royal Dutch Shell 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. There can be no assurance that dividend payments will
match or exceed those set out in this release in the future, or
that they will be made at all.