Source: https://www.annualreport.telekom.com/site0317/management-report/other-disclosures/legal-structure-of-the-deutsche-telekom-group.html
Timestamp: 2020-01-27 00:43:41
Document Index: 651472349

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 289', '§ 71', '§ 71', '§ 71', '§ 17', '§ 17', '§ 53', '§ 272']

Telekom Annual Report 2016 - Management Report - Legal structure of the Deutsche Telekom Group
Deutsche Telekom AG, Bonn, is the parent of the Deutsche Telekom Group. Its shares are traded on the Frankfurt/Main Stock Exchange as well as on other stock exchanges. For information on the composition of capital stock in accordance with § 289 (4) HGB and direct and indirect equity investments, please refer to Note 15 “Shareholders’ equity” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements.
Each share entitles the holder to one vote
These voting rights are restricted, however, in relation to treasury shares (at December 31, 2016: around 20 million in total).
The resolution on the dividend of EUR 0.55 per share for the 2015 financial year gave shareholders the choice between payment in cash or having their dividend entitlement converted into Deutsche Telekom AG shares. Dividend entitlements of Deutsche Telekom AG shareholders amounting to EUR 1.0 billion for shares from authorized capital (2013 authorized capital) were contributed in June 2016 and thus did not have an impact on cash flows. Deutsche Telekom AG carried out an increase in issued capital of EUR 0.2 billion against contribution of dividend entitlements for this purpose in June 2016. This increased capital reserves by EUR 852 million, and under IFRS, EUR 839 million. The number of shares increased by 70,250,163.
The shareholders’ meeting resolved on May 25, 2016 to authorize the Board of Management to purchase shares in the Company by May 24, 2021, with the amount of share capital accounted for by these shares totaling up to EUR 1,179,302,878.72, provided the shares to be purchased on the basis of this authorization in conjunction with the other shares of the Company that the Company has already purchased and still possesses or are to be assigned to it under § 71d and § 71e AktG do not at any time account for more than 10 percent of the Company’s share capital. Moreover, the requirements under § 71 (2) sentences 2 and 3 AktG must be complied with. Shares shall not be purchased for the purpose of trading in treasury shares. This authorization may be exercised in full or in part. The purchase can be carried out in partial tranches spread over various purchase dates within the authorization period until the maximum purchase volume is reached. Dependent Group companies of Deutsche Telekom AG within the meaning of § 17 AktG or third parties acting for the account of Deutsche Telekom AG or for the account of dependent Group companies of Deutsche Telekom AG within the meaning of § 17 AktG are also entitled to purchase the shares. The shares are purchased through the stock exchange in adherence to the principle of equal treatment (§ 53a AktG). Shares can instead also be purchased by means of a public purchase or share exchange offer addressed to all shareholders, which, subject to a subsequently approved exclusion of the right to offer shares, must also comply with the principle of equal treatment.
As part of the Share Matching Plan, a total of 2 thousand treasury shares were transferred free of charge to the custody accounts of eligible participants in the 2012 and 2013 financial years. A further 90 thousand treasury shares were transferred free of charge in the 2014 financial year, and additional 140 thousand were transferred in the 2015 financial year.
In addition, a total of 232 thousand shares were reallocated in January, February, March, April, May, June, September, November and December 2016 and transferred to the custody accounts of eligible participants of the Share Matching Plan. Transfers of treasury shares to the custody accounts of employees of Deutsche Telekom AG are free of charge. In cases where treasury shares are transferred to the custody accounts of employees of other Group companies, the costs are transferred at fair value to the respective Group company starting with the reporting period.
As of December 31, 2016, sales of treasury shares resulting from the transfers in the reporting period accounted for less than 0.01 percent, or EUR 594 thousand, of share capital. Retained earnings thus increased by EUR 2,597 thousand. In the reporting year, 71 thousand treasury shares with a fair value of EUR 1,111 thousand were charged on to other Group companies, thus increasing the capital reserve by EUR 251 thousand.
As part of the acquisition of VoiceStream Wireless Corp., Bellevue, and Powertel, Inc., Bellevue, in 2001, Deutsche Telekom AG issued new shares from authorized capital to a trustee, for the benefit of holders of warrants, options, and conversion rights, among others. These options or conversion rights fully expired in the 2013 financial year. As a result, the trustee no longer had any obligation to fulfill any claims in accordance with the purpose of the deposit. The trust relationship was terminated at the start of 2016 and the deposited shares were transferred free of charge to a custody account of Deutsche Telekom AG. The 18,517 thousand previously deposited shares are accounted for in the same way as treasury shares in accordance with § 272 (1a) HGB. This corresponds to 0.4 percent, or EUR 48 million, of Deutsche Telekom AG’s share capital. On the basis of authorization by the shareholders’ meeting on May 25, 2016, the treasury shares acquired free of charge may be used for the same purposes as the treasury shares acquired for a consideration.
Authorized capital and contingent capital
The shareholders’ meeting on May 16, 2013 authorized the Board of Management to increase the share capital with the approval of the Supervisory Board by up to EUR 2,176,000,000 by issuing up to 850,000,000 no par value registered shares against cash and/or non-cash contributions in the period ending May 15, 2018. The authorization may be exercised in full or on one or more occasions in partial amounts. The Board of Management is authorized, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, to exclude residual amounts from shareholders’ subscription rights. Furthermore, the Board of Management is authorized, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, to disapply shareholders’ subscription rights in the event of capital increases against non-cash contributions when issuing new shares for business combinations or acquisitions of companies, parts thereof or interests in companies, including increasing existing investment holdings, or other assets eligible for contribution for such acquisitions, including receivables from the Company. Further, the Board of Management is authorized, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, to determine the further content of share rights and the conditions under which shares are issued (2013 authorized capital). Following the increases in share capital against contribution of dividend entitlements in the 2014, 2015, and 2016 financial years, the 2013 authorized capital amounts to EUR 1,598,139,059.20. The remaining 2013 authorized capital was entered in the commercial register on June 22, 2016.
As of December 31, 2016, the share capital was contingently increased by up to EUR 1,100,000,000, comprising up to 429,687,500 no par value shares (2014 contingent capital). The contingent capital increase will be implemented only to the extent that
the holders or creditors of bonds with warrants, convertible bonds, profit participation rights, and/or participating bonds (or combinations of these instruments) with options or conversion rights, which are issued or guaranteed by Deutsche Telekom AG or its direct or indirect majority holdings by May 14, 2019, on the basis of the authorization resolution granted by the shareholders’ meeting on May 15, 2014, make use of their option and/or conversion rights or
those obligated as a result of bonds with warrants, convertible bonds, profit participation rights, and/or participating bonds (or combinations of these instruments), which are issued or guaranteed by Deutsche Telekom AG or its direct or indirect majority holdings by May 14, 2019, on the basis of the authorization resolution granted by the shareholders’ meeting on May 15, 2014, fulfill their option or conversion obligations
The main agreements entered into by Deutsche Telekom AG, which include a clause in the event of a change of control, principally relate to bilateral credit lines and several loan agreements. In the event of a change of control, the individual lenders have the right to terminate the credit line and, if necessary, serve notice or demand repayment of the loans. A change of control is assumed when a third party, which can also be a group acting jointly, acquires control over Deutsche Telekom AG.
In addition, the other members of the Toll Collect consortium (Daimler Financial Services AG and Cofiroute S. A.) have a call option in the event that the ownership structure of Deutsche Telekom AG changes such that over 50 percent of its share capital or voting rights are held by a new shareholder and this change was not approved by the other members of the consortium.
In the event that Deutsche Telekom AG is taken over by another company that is not a telecommunications company based in the European Union or the United States of a similar size and stature to Deutsche Telekom AG, the Hellenic Republic has the right either to directly purchase all of Deutsche Telekom AG’s shares in the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization S. A., Athens, Greece (OTE), from Deutsche Telekom AG, or to demand that they be transferred to a state body or state-owned authority named by it. For this purpose, a change of control over Deutsche Telekom shall be deemed to have taken place if one or several entities, with the exception of the Federal Republic of Germany, directly or indirectly acquire 35 percent of the voting rights in Deutsche Telekom AG.
In the master agreement establishing the procurement joint venture BuyIn in Belgium, Deutsche Telekom AG and France Télécom S. A./Atlas Services Belgium S. A. (a subsidiary of France Télécom S. A.) agreed that if Deutsche Telekom or France Télécom comes under the controlling influence of a third party or if a third party that is not wholly owned by the France Télécom group of companies acquires shares in Atlas Services Belgium S. A., the respective other party (France Télécom and Atlas Services Belgium only jointly) can terminate the master agreement with immediate effect.
61 German and 188 foreign subsidiaries are fully consolidated in Deutsche Telekom’s consolidated financial statements (December 31, 2015: 64 and 190). 13 associates (December 31, 2015: 14) and 7 joint ventures (December 31, 2015: 8) are also included using the equity method. The principal subsidiaries of Deutsche Telekom AG are listed in the notes to the consolidated financial statements in the section “Summary of accounting policies” under “Principal subsidiaries”.
Deutsche Telekom did not affect any material business combinations in the 2016 financial year.
Closing statement by the Board of...