Unilever 2000 Annual Report Download - page 119

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Unilever Annual Report & Accounts and Form 20-F 2000 Shareholder Information
Nature of the trading market
The principal trading markets upon w hich Unilever shares
are listed are the Amsterdam Stock Exchange for NV
ordinary shares and The London Stock Exchange for PLC
ordinary shares. NV ordinary shares trade in the form of
Nedamtrust Certificates and almost all the shares are in
bearer form. PLC ordinary shares are all in registered form.
In the United States, NV ordinary shares in registered form
and PLC American Depositary Receipts, representing four
PLC ordinary shares, are traded on The New York Stock
Exchange. Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York
acts for NV and PLC as issuer, transfer agent and, in respect
of the American Depositary Receipts, depositary.
At 28 February 2001 there were 6 875 registered holders
of NV ordinary shares and 588 registered holders of PLC
American Depositary Receipts in the United States. We
estimate that approximately 28% of NV’s ordinary
shareholdings were in the United States (approximately
30% in 1999), based on the distribution of the 2000 interim
dividend payments, w hilst most holders of PLC ordinary
shares are registered in the United Kingdom - approximately
99% in both 2000 and 1999.
The high and low trading prices for the separate stock
exchange listings are shown in the tables below as follows:
• the quarterly high and low prices for 2000 and 1999,
• the annual high and low prices for 1998, 1997 and
1996 and
• the monthly high and low prices for the last six months
of 2000
NV and PLC are separate companies w ith separate stock
exchange listings and different shareholders. You cannot
convert or exchange the shares of one for shares of the
other and the relative share prices on the various markets
can, and do, fluctuate. This happens for various reasons,
including changes in exchange rates. How ever, over
time the prices of NV and PLC shares do stay in close
relation to each other, in particular because of our
equalisation arrangements.
If you are a shareholder of NV, you have a direct interest
in a Dutch legal entity, your dividends w ill be paid in euros
(converted into US dollars if you have shares registered
in the United States) and you will be subject to Dutch tax.
How ever, if you have a guilder bank account, the total
dividend payment due to you on each occasion will
be converted into guilders at the official conversion rate
announced on 31 December 1998 of €1.00 = Fl. 2.20371.
If you are a shareholder of PLC, your interest is in a United
Kingdom legal entity, your dividends will be paid in sterling
(converted into US dollars if you have American Depositary
Receipts) and you will be subject to United Kingdom tax.
Nevertheless, the Equalisation Agreement means that as
a shareholder of either company you effectively have an
interest in the whole of Unilever. You have largely equal
rights over our combined net profit and capital reserves
as show n in the consolidated accounts. (See Taxation for
US Residents on page 119 and Equalisation Agreement on
page 112).
Quarterly high and low prices for 1999 and 2000:
2000 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
NV per Fl. 1.12 ordinary share in Amsterdam (in €) High 58 57 55 71
Low 42 48 48 54
NV per Fl. 1.12 ordinary share in New York (in US$) High 59 54 49 64
Low 40 43 44 48
PLC per 1.4p ordinary share in London (in pence) High 497 476 447 584
Low 335 349 394 435
PLC per American Share in New York (in US$) High 33 29 27 35
Low 22 23 24 26
1999 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
NV per Fl. 1.12 ordinary share in Amsterdam (in €) High 74 69 73 64
Low 62 62 64 49
NV per Fl. 1.12 ordinary share in New York (in US$) High 88 72 74 68
Low 66 65 67 50
PLC per 1.4p ordinary share in London (in pence) High 695 603 649 580
Low 546 537 572 401
PLC per American Share in New York (in US$) High 47 39 41 38
Low 36 35 37 27