Vodafone 2016 Annual Report Download - page 177

Investor calendar
Ex-dividend date for nal dividend 9 June 2016
Record date for nal dividend 10 June 2016
Trading update 22 July 2016
Annual general meeting 29 July 2016
Final dividend payment 3 August 2016
Half-year nancial results 15 November 2016
Ex-dividend date for interim dividend124 November 2016
Record date for interim dividend125 November 2016
Interim dividend payment12 February 2017
Note:
1 Provisional dates.
Dividends
See pages 36 and 111 for details on dividend amount per share.
Payment of dividends by direct credit
We pay cash dividends directly to shareholders’ bank or building society
accounts. This ensures secure delivery and means dividend payments
are credited toshareholders’ bank or building society accounts
on the same day as payment. A dividend conrmation covering
both the interim and nal dividends paid during the nancial year
is sent to shareholders at the time of the interim dividend in February.
ADS holders may alternatively have their cash dividends paid by cheque.
Overseas dividend payments
Holders of ordinary shares resident in the Eurozone (dened for
this purpose as a country that has adopted the euro as its national
currency) automatically receive their dividends in euros. The sterling/
euro exchange rate is determined by us in accordance with our Articles
of Association up to 13 business days before the payment date.
Holders resident outside the UK and Eurozone automatically receive
dividends in pounds sterling but may elect to receive dividends
in localcurrency directly into their bank account by registering
for ourregistrar’s (Computershare) Global Payments Service.
Visit investorcentre.co.uk for details and terms and conditions.
Cash dividends to ADS holders will be paid by the ADS depositary
in USdollars. The sterling/US dollar exchange rate for this purpose
is determined by us up to ten New York and London business days
beforethe payment date.
For the nancial year ending 31 March 2017 and beyond, dividends will
be declared in euros and paid in euros, pounds sterling and US dollars,
aligning the Group’s shareholder returns with the primary currency
in which we generate free cash ow. The foreign exchange rate at which
future dividends declared in euros will be converted into pounds sterling
and US dollars will be calculated based on the average exchange rate
of the ve business days during the week prior to the payment of the
dividend. The Board has determined that future dividend growth will
be calculated from the level of 14.48 eurocents per share in 2016, which
is equivalent to the 2016 total dividend payout of 11.45 pence at the
year-end £:€ exchange rate of 1.2647.
See vodafone.com/dividends for further information about dividend
payments or, alternatively, please contact our registrar or the ADS
depositary, as applicable. See page 176 for their contact information.
Dividend reinvestment plan
We offer a dividend reinvestment plan which allows holders of ordinary
shares who choose to participate to use their cash dividends to acquire
additional shares in the Company. These are purchased on their behalf
by the plan administrator through a low cost dealing arrangement.
For ADS holders, BNY Mellon maintains a Global BuyDIRECT Plan which
is a direct purchase and sale plan for depositary receipts with a dividend
reinvestment facility.
Dividend tax allowance
From April 2016 dividend tax credits will be replaced by an annual
£5,000 tax-free allowance on dividend income across an individual’s
entire share portfolio. Above this amount, individuals will pay tax in the
UK on their dividend income at a rate dependent on their income tax
bracket and personal circumstances. Vodafone will continue to provide
registered shareholders with a conrmation of the dividends paid
and this should be included with any other dividend income received
when calculating and reporting total dividend income received.
It is theshareholder’s responsibility to include all dividend income
whencalculating any tax liability.
This change was announced by the Chancellor, as part of the
UK Government Budget in July 2015. If you have any tax queries, please
contact a nancial adviser.
Managing your shares via Investor Centre
Computershare operates a portfolio service for investors in ordinary
shares, called Investor Centre. This provides our shareholders with
online access to information about their investments as well as a facility
to help manage their holdings online, such as being able to:
a update dividend mandate bank instructions and review dividend
payment history;
a update member details and address changes; and
a register to receive Company communications electronically.
Computershare also offers an internet and telephone share dealing
service to existing shareholders.
The service can be obtained at investorcentre.co.uk. Shareholders with
any queries regarding their holding should contact Computershare.
See page 176 for their contact details.
Shareholders may also nd the investors section of our corporate
website,vodafone.com/investor, useful for general queries and
information about the Company.
Shareholder communications
A growing number of our shareholders have opted to receive their
communications from us electronically using email and web-based
communications. The use of electronic communications, rather
than printed paper documents, means information about the
Company can be received as soon as it is available and has the
added benet of reducing costs and our impact on the environment.
Each timewe issue a shareholder communication, shareholders who
have positively elected for electronic communication (or are deemed
to have consented to receive electronic communication in accordance
with the Companies Act 2006) will be sent an email alert containing
a link to the relevant documents.
Overview Strategy review Performance Governance Financials
Additional information
Vodafone Group Plc
Annual Report 2016
175
Shareholder information
Unaudited information