Annual Report 2011 - Analist.be

Accounts at 31 December 2011 - Notes15. Capital and dividends15.1. Number of shares representative of shareholders’ equity and treasury sharesIn EUR millionNumber ofissued sharesof whichtreasury sharesAt 31 December 2008 161,358,287 (5,576,651)Variation - (478,088)At 31 December 2009 161,358,287 (6,054,739)Variation - (44,705)At 31 December 2010 161,358,287 (6,099,444)Variation - -At 31 December 2011 161,358,287 (6,099,444)Treasury sharesOn 31 December 2011, the Group held 6,099,444 treasury shares, or 3.8% of the subscribed capital, of which the acquisitioncost is deducted from shareholder’s equity. Of this total, 2,147,533 are intended to cover part of the exchangeable bonds issuedin April 2005 not held by GBL (see note 13.) and 869,423 are intended to cover the stock option plans for 1999 and 2007 to 2011(see note 20.).During 2011 (2010), GBL acquired and sold respectively the same number of its treasury shares, i.e. 8,683 (compared to 343,699and 298,994 respectively) for an overall net total of EUR 0 (10) million.Information on acquisitions of treasury shares by GBL or its subsidiaries has been published since 1 July 2009 on the GBLwebsite (Legal aspects, share capital, purchase of treasury shares).15.2. DividendsOn 19 April 2011, a dividend of EUR 2.54 per share (EUR 2.42 in 2010 and EUR 2.30 in 2009) had been paid to the shareholders.The Board of Directors will propose a gross dividend of EUR 2.60 per share for the distribution relating to 2011, which willbe payable on 3 May 2012. The General Meeting of 24 April 2012 will vote on the proposed distribution, which is expectedto amount to EUR 420 million based on the above-mentioned assumptions and the number of shares entitled to dividends(161,358,287 shares).102 Annual Report 2011