H
Shareholder
returns
Shareholder returns
Dividends on cumulative preferred financing shares
Share buyback
Ahold at a glance
Our strategy
Our performance
Governan
Finan
nvestors
Ahold Annual Report 2013 176
For the 2012 financial year, a cash dividend of €0.44 per common share was approved by the annual General Meeting of Shareholders on April 17, 2013, and paid on May 2, 2013.
The announced common stock dividend of €0.47 for the financial year 2013 is up 7% from last year and will be proposed to shareholders at the annual General Meeting of Shareholders to
be held on April 16, 2014. The payout ratio of 51% is marginally outside our dividend policy range of 40-50% of adjusted income from continuing operations, due to the temporary impact of
the ICA sale.
Shareholders KPIs 2009 - 2013
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013*
Dividend per common share
0.23
0.29
0.40
0.44
0.47
Dividend yield
2.5%
2.9%
3.8%
4.3%
3.6%
Payout ratio
30%
39%
47%
50%
51%
Total shareholder return
4.7%
17.2%
(5.4%)
13.8%
35.8%
*Subject to the approval of the annual General Meeting of Shareholders
Ahold paid an annual dividend on cumulative preferred financing shares in 2013 and plans to pay dividends on these shares in 2014 as required by the terms of the shares.
Earlier this year, Ahold commenced a €500 million share buyback program announced on February 28, 2013. On June 4, the company announced an increase of the program to €2 billion,
to be completed by the end of 2014. By the end of 201 3, Ahold had completed 38% of the €2 billion share buy-back program, which lowered the number of outstanding common shares by
61,008,851 (6% of the total number of outstanding shares).
As of December 29, 201 3, there were 78,494,495 shares held in treasury, the majority held by Ahold to cover long-term incentive and employee stock purchase plans.
