Unilever NV Depositary Receipt Structure

RNS Number : 5691D

Unilever PLC

27 June 2019

 

NV TRUST OFFICE TO TERMINATE UNILEVER NV DEPOSITARY RECEIPT STRUCTURE

London/Rotterdam, June 27, 2019 - Unilever today announces that, following the approval by the meeting of depositary receipt holders, the board of the NV Trust Office has resolved to terminate the depositary receipt structure of Unilever NV. This follows Unilever's request, as announced on 1 May 2019, that the NV Trust Office consider initiating the termination. This represents a further step in Unilever's commitment to be at the forefront of good corporate governance.

The depositary receipt structure will be terminated on Friday 28 June 2019 after close of trading on Euronext Amsterdam. As a result, the depositary receipts of Unilever NV ordinary shares (the "DRs") will be cancelled and the DR holders will in return receive Unilever NV ordinary shares, which will become the primary Unilever NV listing. The process will be carried out in accordance with the timetable below. Holders of DRs do not need to take any action.

Friday 28 June 2019

·    Last day of trading of DRs on Euronext Amsterdam (ISIN NL0000009355). The ticker symbol will temporarily change from UNA to UNAT. The ISIN code will remain unchanged on that day.

·    Ticker symbol of the Unilever NV ordinary shares on Euronext Amsterdam (ISIN NL0000388619) will temporarily change from UNIA to UNIAT. The ISIN code will also remain unchanged on that day.

·    After close of trading on the Euronext Amsterdam, the depositary receipt structure will be terminated.

Monday 1 July 2019

·    On Euronext Amsterdam, the DRs (ISIN NL0000009355) will no longer be available and all trading will be in the Unilever NV ordinary shares (ISIN NL0000388619). The ticker symbol of the Unilever NV ordinary shares will permanently change to UNA.

From 1 July 2019, the NV Trust Office will not be able to exercise any voting rights, nor to issue depositary receipts for ordinary shares. Following the termination of the depositary receipt structure of Unilever NV, there remains an obligation for the NV Trust Office, until 27 June 2021, to facilitate the exchange of a limited number of bearer certificates into Unilever NV ordinary shares. After 27 June 2021, it is intended that the foundation NV Trust Office will liquidate.

These changes do not affect Unilever NV shares held in New York Registry form (CUSIP 904784709); nor do they affect Unilever PLC shares held in American Depositary Receipt form (CUSIP 904767704) or in registered form (ISIN GB00B10RZP78).

Please see www.unilever.com/investor-relations/unilever-shares and www.administratiekantoor-unilever.nl for more information.

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Unilever contacts

For more information, please contact:

Investor Relations [phone] [e-mail]
Lucila Zambrano + 44 782 527 3767 [e-mail]	Fleur Van-Bruggen [phone] [e-mail]

About Unilever

Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2.5 billion consumers a day. It has 155,000 employees and generated sales of €51 billion in 2018. Over half (59%) of the company's footprint is in developing and emerging markets. Unilever has around 400 brands found in homes all over the world, including Dove, Knorr, Dirt Is Good, Rexona, Hellmann's, Lipton, Wall's, Lux, Magnum, Axe, Sunsilk and Surf.

Unilever's Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) underpins the company's strategy and commits to:

·      Helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020.

·      Halving the environmental impact of our products by 2030.

·      Enhancing the livelihoods of millions of people by 2020.

The USLP creates value by driving growth and trust, eliminating costs and reducing risks. The company's sustainable living brands are growing 46% faster than the rest of the business and delivered 70% of the company's growth in 2017.

Since 2010 we have been taking action through the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan to help more than a billion people improve their health and well-being, halve our environmental footprint and enhance the livelihoods of millions of people as we grow our business. We have already made significant progress and continue to expand our ambition - most recently committing to ensure 100% of our plastic packaging is fully reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. While there is still more to do, we are proud to have been recognised in 2018 as sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and as the top ranked company in the Globescan/SustainAbility Global Corporate Sustainability Leaders survey, for the eighth-consecutive year.

For more information about Unilever and its brands, please visit www.unilever.com.

For more information on the USLP: www.unilever.com/sustainable-living/ 

Cautionary Statement

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, including 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as 'will', 'aim', 'expects', 'anticipates', 'intends', 'looks', 'believes', 'vision', or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance or results, and their negatives, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Unilever Group (the 'Group'). They are not historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance.

Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Among other risks and uncertainties, the material or principal factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are: Unilever's global brands not meeting consumer preferences; Unilever's ability to innovate and remain competitive; Unilever's investment choices in its portfolio management; inability to find sustainable solutions to support long-term growth including to plastic packaging; the effect of climate change on Unilever's business; significant changes or deterioration in customer relationships; the recruitment and retention of talented employees; disruptions in our supply chain and distribution; increases or volatility in the cost of raw materials and commodities; the production of safe and high quality products; secure and reliable IT infrastructure; execution of acquisitions, divestitures and business transformation projects; economic, social and political risks and natural disasters; financial risks; failure to meet high and ethical standards; and managing regulatory, tax and legal matters.

These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Group's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Group are described in the Group's filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the Annual Report on Form 20-F 2018 and the Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2018.

 

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