How many shareholders are there in Nestlé and where are they located?
At 31 December 2008, the Share Register showed 120 323 registered shareholders. If unprocessed applications for registration and the indirect holders of shares under American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) are also taken into account, the total number of shareholders probably exceeds 250 000. The Company was not aware of any shareholder holding, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of the share capital, other than Group companies holding together 5.6% of the Nestlé S.A. share capital.
As of 31 December 2008, Swiss investors held the major part of the stock (35.3%) followed by US citizens (24.5%), British (10.9%), German (4.2%), and French (3.2%) shareholders.
What is a Nestlé Treasury Share ?
A Nestlé Treasury Share is a share of Nestlé S.A. owned by Nestlé S.A. or its subsidiaries.
According to Swiss company law, a corporation is entitled to acquire its own shares only if its unrestricted capital surplus is at least equal to the amount of funds necessary for the acquisition and the aggregate par value of these shares does not exceed 10 percent of the capital stock.