Share owners’ register
A register of share owners’ interests is kept at the Company’s registrar’s office in Jersey and is available for inspection on request. The register includes information on nominee accounts and their beneficial owners.
Analysis of shareholdings at 31 December 2016
Issued share capital as at 31 December 2016: 1,331,880,730 ordinary shares.
Number of shares held
|
Number of holders
|
% owners
|
Shareholdings
|
% outstanding*
|
1-100
|
2,077
|
15.5
|
54,404
|
0.0
|
101-250
|
1,524
|
11.4
|
242,352
|
0.0
|
251-500
|
1,350
|
10.1
|
470,384
|
0.0
|
501-1,000
|
1,198
|
8.9
|
811,694
|
0.1
|
1,001-5,000
|
2,153
|
16.1
|
4,912,063
|
0.4
|
5,001-10,000
|
777
|
5.8
|
5,518,257
|
0.4
|
10,001-25,000
|
1,043
|
7.8
|
16,955,360
|
1.3
|
25,001-50,000
|
832
|
6.2
|
29,804,640
|
2.2
|
50,001-100,000
|
767
|
5.7
|
55,244,342
|
4.2
|
100,001-500,000
|
1,199
|
9.0
|
266,949,087
|
20.0
|
500,001-1,000,000
|
237
|
1.8
|
164,960,823
|
12.4
|
1,000,001-2,000,000
|
124
|
0.9
|
170,179,492
|
12.8
|
2,000,001-3,000,000
|
42
|
0.3
|
102,019,737
|
7.7
|
3,000,001-4,000,000
|
25
|
0.2
|
85,817,229
|
6.4
|
4,000,001 and above
|
40
|
0.3
|
427,940,866
|
32.1
|
Total
|
13,388
|
100%
|
1,331,880,730
|
100%
|
Share owners by geography
|
%
|
Share owners by type
|
%
|
UK
|
33
|
Institutional investors
|
94
|
US
|
33
|
Our people |
3
|
Rest of world
|
34
|
Other individuals
|
3
|
Total
|
100
|
Total
|
100
|
Dividends
Ordinary share owners have received the following dividends in respect of each financial year:
|
2016
|
2015
|
2014
|
2013
|
2012
|
Interim or first interim dividend per ordinary share
|
19.55p
|
15.91p
|
11.62p
|
10.56p
|
8.80p
|
Final dividend per ordinary share
|
37.05p
|
28.78p
|
26.58p
|
23.65p
|
19.71p
|
Total
|
56.60p
|
44.69p
|
38.20p
|
34.21p
|
28.51p
|
Financial calendar
- The 2016 final dividend will be paid on 3 July 2017
to share owners on the register at 9 June 2017.
- Interim statements for the half-year ending 30 June
are issued in August.
- Quarterly trading announcements are issued in April and October.
- Interim dividends are paid in November.
- Preliminary announcements of results for the financial year ending 31 December are issued in the first quarter.
- Annual Reports are posted to share owners in April.
- Annual General Meetings are held in London in June.
Share price
The closing price of the shares at 31 December was as follows:
|
At 12
April 2017
|
2016
|
2015
|
2014
|
2013
|
2012
|
Ordinary 10p shares
|
1,737.0p
|
1,816.0p
|
1,563.0p
|
1,345.0p
|
1,380.0p
|
888.0p
|
WPP’s public website, wpp.com, provides current and historical financial information, news releases, trading reports and share price information. Go to wpp.com/investor.
Access numbers/Ticker symbols
|
NASDAQ
|
Reuters
|
Bloomberg
|
Ordinary shares
|
–
|
WPP.L
|
WPP LN
|
American
Depositary Shares
|
WPPGY
|
WPPGY.O
|
WPPGY US
|
Registrar and transfer office
Computershare Investor Services (Jersey) Limited
22 Grenville Street
St Helier
Jersey
JE4 8PX
Enquiry number: 0870 707 1411
American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) office
PO Box 43077
Providence
RI 02940-3077
Telephone enquiries: within the US +1 877 248 4237
Telephone enquiries: outside the US +1 781 575 4555
E-mail enquiries: [email protected]
WPP registered office
Queensway House
Hilgrove Street
St Helier
Jersey
JE1 1ES
The Company’s registered number is 111714.
American Depositary Receipts (ADRs)
Each ADR represents five ordinary shares.
ADR holders receive the annual and interim reports issued by WPP plc.
WPP plc is subject to the informational requirements of the US securities laws applicable to foreign companies and files an annual report on Form 20-F and other information with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. These documents are available at the Commission’s website,
sec.gov. Our reports on Form 20-F are also available from our Investor Relations department in New York.
ADR dividends
ADR holders are eligible for all stock dividends or other entitlements accruing on the underlying WPP plc shares and receive all cash dividends in US dollars. These are normally paid twice a year.
Dividend cheques are mailed directly to the ADR holder on the payment date if ADRs are registered with WPP’s US depositary. Dividends on ADRs that are registered with brokers are sent to the brokers, who forward them to ADR holders. WPP’s US depositary is Citibank N.A. (address above).
Dividends per ADR in respect of each financial year are set out below.
|
2016
|
2015
|
2014
|
2013
|
2012
|
In £ sterling
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interim1
|
97.75p
|
79.55p
|
58.10p
|
52.80p
|
44.00p
|
Final
|
185.25p
|
143.90p
|
132.90p
|
118.25p
|
98.55p
|
Total
|
283.00p
|
223.45p
|
191.00p
|
171.05p
|
142.55p
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In US dollars2
|
|
|
|
|
|
Interim1
|
132.42¢
|
121.62¢
|
95.72¢
|
82.61¢
|
69.75¢
|
Final
|
250.96¢
|
219.99¢
|
218.95¢
|
185.01¢
|
156.22¢
|
Total
|
383.38¢
|
341.61¢
|
314.67¢
|
267.62¢
|
225.97¢
|
Dollar amounts paid to ADR holders depend on the sterling/dollar exchange rate at the time of payment.
No withholding tax is imposed on dividends paid to ADR holders and there will be no entitlement to offset any part
of the notional UK taxation credit against any US taxation liability. The dividends received will be subject to US taxation.
UK taxation
Dividends received from 6 April 2016
From 6 April 2016, the dividend tax credit previously available to UK resident individuals is replaced by a Dividend Allowance in the form of a 0% tax rate on the first £5,000 of dividend income received each tax year. Any dividends received over the £5,000 allowance are taxed at a rate of 7.5% on dividend income for individuals in the basic rate band, 32.5% for higher rate tax payers and at 38.1% for individuals with income of £150,000 or more.
Dividends received on or before 5 April 2016
Cash dividends received from WPP plc by individual share owners resident in the UK will generally be subject to UK income tax on the gross amount of any dividends paid by WPP with a tax credit equal to one-ninth of the dividend received; tax credits are not repayable to UK holders with no tax liability.
Individuals whose income is within the basic tax rate band are liable to tax at 10% on the dividend income and the tax credit will satisfy their income tax liability on UK dividends. For higher tax rate payers the rate of tax on dividend income for dividends is 32.5% whilst for individuals with income of £150,000 or more, the rate is 37.5%, with relief available for the tax credit referred to above. The gross amount of the cash dividend will be regarded as the top slice of the WPP share owner’s income and will be subject to UK income tax as set out above.
Capital gains tax
The market value of an ordinary share at 31 March 1982 was 39p. Since that date rights issues have occurred in September 1986, August 1987 and April 1993. For capital gains tax purposes the acquisition cost of ordinary shares is adjusted to take account of such rights issues. Since any adjustments will depend on individual circumstances, share owners are advised to consult their professional advisors.
Capital gains
As liability to capital gains tax on a disposal of WPP shares will depend on individual circumstances, share owners are advised to consult their professional advisors.