Bechtle AG: Scrip issue / Share buy-back programme.

The Executive Board and the Supervisory Board of Bechtle AG resolved today to propose to the Annual General Meeting on 1 June 2017 to increase issued capital of the company from corporate funds by so-called scrip issue to the existing shareholders of the company. Here, one new no-par share is to be issued to the shareholders for each existing no-pare share. In this way both the issued capital and the number of issued shares are to be doubled; however the proportionate amount of the individual shares in the issued capital is to continue to be € 1.00. At the same time, the market price level of the individual Bechtle shares will reduce accordingly, without affecting the real value of the shareholders’ shareholdings. This is intended to make trading in shares of the company more liquid and the Bechtle share even more attractive for broader investor circles.

On 14 March, the Executive Board of Bechtle AG also took the policy decision to start a share buyback programme. The buy-back is to begin at the earliest after the conclusion of the capital increase out of corporate funds and the scrip issue. More details on the share buy-back programme will then to be established and published. The basis for the buy-back is the resolution of the Annual General Meeting of 16 June 2015, that empowered the company to acquire treasury shares up to 10 percent of the existing issued capital in the time period up to 15 June 2020.

The Executive Board and the Supervisory Board will also propose to the Annual General Meeting on 1 June 2017 to distribute a dividend of € 1.50 to shareholders for the fiscal year 2016. This represents an increase of 10 euro cents compared to the previous year and would be the seventh dividend increase in succession.