HSBC 2008 Annual Report Download - page 316

HSBC HOLDINGS PLC
Report of the Directors: Governance (continued)
Dividends, shareholders and meetings // Directors’ Remuneration Report > Remuneration Committee / Overall principles
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Accounts, Annual Review and the Interim Report
which are sent to shareholders and are available on
www.hsbc.com. There is regular dialogue with
institutional investors and enquiries from individuals
on matters relating to their shareholdings and the
business of HSBC are welcomed and are dealt
with in an informative and timely manner. All
shareholders are encouraged to attend the Annual
General Meeting or the informal meeting of
shareholders held in Hong Kong to discuss the
progress of HSBC.
Notifiable interests in share capital
As at 2 March 2009, the following disclosures of
major holdings of voting rights have been made
(and have not been amended or withdrawn) to the
Company pursuant to the requirements of the
Financial Services Authority Disclosure and
Transparency Rule 5:
• Barclays PLC gave notice on 17 April 2007 that
it had an indirect interest on 16 April 2007 in
518,233,657 HSBC Holdings ordinary shares,
representing 4.47 per cent of the ordinary shares
in issue at that date.
• Legal & General Group Plc gave notice on
18 April 2008 that it had a direct interest on
16 April 2008 in 593,425,216 HSBC Holdings
ordinary shares, representing 5.00 per cent of
the ordinary shares in issue at that date and gave
notice on 21 April 2008 that on 18 April 2008
its holding of HSBC ordinary shares fell below
5.00 per cent of the ordinary shares in issue at
that date.
As at 31 December 2008, according to the
register maintained by HSBC Holdings pursuant to
section 336 of the Securities and Futures Ordinance
of Hong Kong, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group
plc had given notice that on 2 December 2008 it had
a long position of 606,742,842 HSBC Holdings
ordinary shares, representing 5.01 per cent of the
ordinary shares in issue, a short position of
532,705,395 HSBC Holdings ordinary shares,
representing 4.40 per cent of the ordinary shares in
issue and a lending pool of 11,562,000 HSBC
Holdings ordinary shares, representing 0.10 per cent
in ordinary shares in issue. Since 31 December 2008,
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc has given
notice that on 9 January 2009 it had a long position
of 552,481,458 HSBC Holdings ordinary shares,
representing 4.56 per cent of the ordinary shares in
issue, a short position of 507,430,390 HSBC
Holdings ordinary shares, representing 4.19 per cent
of the ordinary shares in issue and a lending pool of
15,919,328, representing 0.13 per cent in ordinary
shares in issue.
In compliance with the Rules Governing the
Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of
Hong Kong Limited at least 25 per cent of the total
issued share capital of HSBC Holdings has been held
by the public at all times during 2008 and up to the
date of this Report.
Dealings in HSBC Holdings shares
Except for dealings as intermediaries by HSBC
Bank, HSBC Financial Products (France) and The
Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation,
which are members of a European Economic
Area exchange, neither HSBC Holdings nor any
subsidiary has bought, sold or redeemed any
securities of HSBC Holdings during the year
ended 31 December 2008.
Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of HSBC Holdings
will be held at the Barbican Hall, Barbican Centre,
London EC2 on 22 May 2009 at 11.00am.
An informal meeting of shareholders will be
held at Level 28, 1 Queen’s Road Central, Hong
Kong on Tuesday 19 May 2009 at 4.30pm.
Resolutions to receive the Annual Report
and Accounts, approve the Directors’ Remuneration
Report, re-elect Directors and reappoint KPMG
Audit Plc as Auditor will be submitted to the Annual
General Meeting. KPMG Audit Plc has expressed its
willingness to continue in office and the Group
Audit Committee and the Board have recommended
that KPMG Audit Plc be reappointed. Resolutions
will also be submitted to the Annual General
Meeting to renew the authorities for the allotment of
shares, the disapplication of pre-emption rights and
the purchase of ordinary shares. In addition,
resolutions will be proposed to seek approval for
changes to the Articles of Association and to
continue to be able to call general meetings (other
than Annual General Meetings) on 14 days’ notice.
A live webcast of the Annual General Meeting
will be available on www.hsbc.com. From shortly
after the conclusion of the Meeting until 30 June
2009 a recording of the proceedings will be available
on www.hsbc.com.
On behalf of the Board
S K Green, Group Chairman 2 March 2009