- Scrip dividend take-up rate of 64.87%
- Reference share price of CHF 82.00 and distribution value of CHF 77.08
- 4,964,934 new shares to be issued
The company’s Annual General Meeting held on March 26, 2024 had offered its shareholders the possibility to receive the 2023 dividend in cash or in new SGS shares.
SGS announces today that 64.87% of the dividend for the financial year 2023 was elected to be paid in the form of new SGS shares, while the remaining 35.13% will be paid out in cash.
Based on the daily volume weighted average price of the existing SGS shares traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange between April 8, 2024 and April 19, 2024, the reference share price was set at CHF 82.00. The distribution value of the new shares of CHF 77.08 was set at a discount of 6.0% to the reference share price, leading to a conversion ratio of 1:24.088.
4,964,934 new SGS shares will be issued through a capital increase for the scrip dividend. The delivery of the new shares and the payment of the total CHF 207.3 million cash dividend is planned to take place on April 25, 2024.
Géraldine Picaud, CEO of SGS, commented:
“I am very pleased with the strong take-up rate of our scrip dividend, which represents a clear endorsement by our shareholders of Strategy 2027 – Accelerating Growth, Building Trust. This outcome allows SGS to reward the loyalty of its shareholders while redirecting close to CHF 400 million of cash towards significant growth opportunities. It gives us the additional firepower we need to drive shareholder returns through accelerated, sustainable growth as we execute Strategy 2027.”
About SGS
We are SGS – the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for sustainability, quality and integrity. Our 99,600 employees operate a network of 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.
