WALLDORF, Germany, Feb. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) The Supervisory Board of SAP SE, in alignment with the Executive Board, has decided to recommend that shareholders approve a dividend of €1.58 per share for the fiscal year 2019. This represents a year-over-year increase of €0.08, or 5.3% compared to last year's dividend of €1.50. If the shareholders approve this recommendation at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on May 20, 2020 and based on the current number of shares carrying dividend rights, the total amount of dividends to be distributed will be approximately €1.89 billion (2018: €1.79 billion), representing a pay-out ratio of 56% (2018: 44%). The 2019 fiscal year dividend will be due for payment on May 26, 2020.
On November 4, 2019, SAP announced it would enhance capital return in addition to the regular dividend and repurchase shares and/or issue a special dividend with a combined volume of €1.5 billion by December 31, 2020. Today the Supervisory Board approved the Executive Board's decision to use the entire €1.5 billion of enhanced capital return for 2020 exclusively to buy back shares. The share buyback program will be executed based on the authorization granted by the SAP SE Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on May 17, 2018, and in compliance with the restrictions set forth therein. It will begin on February 20, 2020 and be finalized by December 31, 2020.
"Our capital return policy ensures that our shareholders participate in our success," said Luka Mucic, Chief Financial Officer, SAP. "The share buyback, in addition to an attractive regular dividend policy, is an important element in delivering shareholder value."
Note to holders of SAP ADRs (American Depositary Receipts):
One SAP ADR represents one SAP SE share. The final dividend amount per ADR is dependent upon the euro/US dollar exchange rate. Since SAP SE pays cash dividends on the ordinary shares in euro, the exchange rate fluctuations will affect the US dollar amounts received by holders of ADRs. The final dividend payment by SAP SE to the depositary bank is scheduled for May 26, 2020. The depositary bank will then convert the dividend payment from euro into US dollars as promptly as practicable.
Visit the SAP News Center. Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews.
About SAP
As the Experience Company powered by the Intelligent Enterprise, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software, helping companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 77% of the world's transaction revenue touches an SAP system. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers' businesses into intelligent enterprises. SAP helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want — without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables more than 440,000 business and public customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improve people's lives. For more information, visit www.sap.com.
Note to editors:
To preview and download broadcast-standard stock footage and press photos digitally, please visit www.sap.com/photos. On this platform, you can find high resolution material for your media channels. To view video stories on diverse topics, visit www.sap-tv.com. From this site, you can embed videos into your own Web pages, share video via email links, and subscribe to RSS feeds from SAP TV.
Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.
© 2020 SAP SE. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose without the express permission of SAP SE. The information contained herein may be changed without prior notice.
Some software products marketed by SAP SE and its distributors contain proprietary software components of other software vendors. National product specifications may vary.
These materials are provided by SAP SE and its affiliated companies ("SAP Group") for informational purposes only, without representation or warranty of any kind, and SAP Group shall not be liable for errors or omissions with respect to the materials. The only warranties for SAP Group products and services are those that are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services, if any. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.
SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Please see www.sap.com/about/legal/copyright.html for additional trademark information and notice.
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/847591/SAP__Logo.jpg
View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sap-supervisory-board-proposes-increased-dividend-of-1-58-per-share-enhanced-capital-return-of-1-5-billion-to-be-used-for-share-repurchase-program-301007573.html
SOURCE SAP SE