o www.ahold.com/reports2009
Share capital
Investors
Ahold's authorized share capital as of January 3, 2010, was
comprised of the following:
1,700,000,000 common shares at €0.3 par value each;
477,580,949 cumulative preferred financing shares at €0.3 par
value each; and
1,250,000 cumulative preferred shares at €500 par value each.
For additional information about Ahold's share capital, see note 20
and 22 to the consolidated financial statements. Ahold is a public
limited liability company registered in the Netherlands with a listing
of shares (symbol: AH) on Euronext's Amsterdam Stock Exchange
(AEX). Ahold's common shares trade in the United States on the
over-the-counter (OTC) market through www.pinksheets.com
(symbol: AHONY) in the form of American Depositary Shares (ADS)
and are evidenced by American Depositary Receipts (ADRs).
Ahold's Depository for its American Depositary Shares is The Bank of
New York. Each ADS evidences the holder to receive one common
share deposited under an agreement between Ahold and the
Depository dated January 20, 1998, as amended and restated
as of January 29, 2004, and as further amended and restated as
of October 29, 2007. Ahold has been informed by the Depository
that as of January 3, 2010, there were 53,257,581 American
Depositary Shares outstanding and 29,440 record owners in the
United States, compared with 66,212,085 American Depositary
Shares outstanding and 35,000 record owners in the United States
at the end of 2008.
Geographic spread of shareholdings
February
February
Percent
2010
2009
North America
32.1
35.0
UK/Ireland
11.9
14.1
The Netherlands
11.8
11.0
Rest of Europe
5.8
3.3
France
4.4
2.7
Switzerland
3.0
3.1
Germany
2.0
1.7
Rest of the World
1.3
2.2
Undisclosed*
27.7
27.0
*The undisclosed percentage of shareholdings includes all retail holdings.
Ahold's U.S. employees can purchase Ahold's American
Depositary Shares through the Associates Stock Purchase Plan
(the ASPP). This plan gives them the opportunity to buy ADSs
through voluntary payroll deductions. During 2009, 155,514 ADSs
were purchased by Ahold's U.S. employees through the ASPP
Vesting of shares under the GRO plan
On March 5, 2010, a maximum of 1,609,762 conditional shares
granted in 2007 to Ahold employees under the mid-term
component of the Global Rewards Opportunity (GRO) equity-based
long-term incentive plan are expected to vest. Vesting is subject to
the participant being employed by the Company on the applicable
vesting date. On the vesting date, participants are eligible, subject
to the GRO plan rules, to sell all or part of the shares vested.
On April 14, 2010, a maximum of 99,273 conditional shares
granted in 2007 to members of the Corporate Executive Board
under the mid-term component of the GRO plan are expected
to vest. Except to finance tax due on the vesting date, members
of the Corporate Executive Board cannot sell these conditional
shares for a period of at least five years following the grant date,
or until the end of their employment, if this period is shorter.
The Company will use treasury shares for delivery of the
vested shares.
Ahold Annual Report 2009 124
