Legal structure
Capital Ownership
As of November 6, 2009, AXA's fully paid up issued and outstanding share capital totaled €4,784,609,537.47 divided into 2,089,349,143 shares, each with a par value of €2.29 and eligible for dividends as of January 1, 2009.
To the best of the Company's knowledge, the table below summarizes the ownership of its issued outstanding ordinary shares and voting rights as of December 31, 2008:
Capital Ownership
Number of shares |
Capital ownership |
Voting rights(a) | |
Mutuelles AXA(b) |
298,481,985 |
14.29% |
23.10% |
Treasury shares held directly by the company |
4,719,507(f) |
0.23% |
(0.18%)(c) |
Treasury shares held by Company subsidiaries (directly and indirectly)(d) |
17,584,586 |
0.84% |
(0.68%) (c) |
Employees and agents |
122,348,395 |
5.86% |
6.77% |
BNP-Paribas SA |
120,943,566 |
5.79% |
9.36% |
General public |
1,525,080,130 |
72.99% |
59.91% |
Total |
2,089,158,169 (e) |
100,00% |
100,00% |
(a) In this table voting rights' percentages are calculated on the basis of all shares with voting rights attached, notwithstanding the fact that certain of these shares may be deprived of voting rights by law or otherwise (for example, treasury shares are deprived of voting rights under French law).
(b) AXA Assurances IARD Mutuelle and AXA Assurances Vie Mutuelle.
(c) These shares will be entitled to vote when they cease to be treasury shares (e.g. upon their sale or other transfer to an unaffiliated third party).
(d) Treasury shares as indicated in Note 13 to "Consolidated Financial Statements" included in Part V of this Annual Report.
(e) Source: Euronext Notice of December 29, 2008.
(f) Excluding the 6,899,477 shares which are the object of a futures contract expiring on April 20, 2009.
To the best of the Company's knowledge, no shareholder held more than 5% of the Company's outstanding ordinary shares or of the voting rights as of December 31, 2008 except as indicated in the table above.
Certain of the Company's shares are entitled to double voting rights as described in Part VI "Certain additional information" - "Voting rights" Section of the 2009 Annual Report. Of the Company's 2,089,158,169 outstanding ordinary shares as of
December 31, 2008, 495,306,020 shares entitled their holders to double voting rights as of that date.
Significant changes in capital ownership
Significant changes in ownership of the Company's share capital between December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2008 are set forth in the tables below
As of December 31, 2008 (a)
Number of shares |
Capital ownership |
Number of votes |
Voting rights (%) | |
Mutuelles AXA(b) |
298,481,985 |
14.29% |
596,963,970 |
23.10% |
Treasury shares held directly by the company |
4,719,507 |
0.23% |
(4,719,507)(c) |
(0.18%)(c) |
Treasury shares held by Company subsidiaries (directly or indirectly) |
17,584,586 |
0.84% |
(17,584,586)(c) |
(0.68%)(c) |
Employees and agents |
122,348,395 |
5.86% |
175,001,141 |
6.77% |
General Public(e) |
1,646,023,696 |
78.78% |
1,790,194,985 |
69.27% |
Total |
2,089,158,169(f) |
100.0% |
2,584,464,189 |
100% |
(a) In this table voting rights' percentages are calculated on the basis of all shares with voting rights attached, notwithstanding the fact that certain of these shares may be deprived of voting rights by law or otherwise (for example, treasury shares are deprived of voting rights under French law).
(b) AXA Assurances IARD Mutuelle and AXA Assurances Vie Mutuelle.
(c) These share will be entitled to vote when they cease to be treasury shares (e.g. upon their sale or other transfer to an unaffiliated third party).
(d) Treasury shares as indicated in Note 13 to "Consolidated Financial Statements" included in Part V of this Annual Report.
(e) Including BNP Paribas SA.
(f) Source: Euronext Notice of December 29, 2008.
As of December 31, 2008, to the best of the Company's knowledge based on the information available to it, the Company had approximately:
10,463 total registered holders of its ordinary shares (i.e. shareholders holding in nominative form); and
90,498,617 ADSs outstanding, representing approximately 4.3% of the Company's total outstanding ordinary shares.
As of December 31, 2008, to the best of the Company's knowledge based on the information available to it, (i) substantially all of the ADS were held by U.S. residents and (ii) approximately 19.55% of the Company's total outstanding ordinary shares were held by U.S. residents (including the ordinary shares held through the ADR program).
As of December 31, 2007 (a)
Number of shares |
Capital ownership (%) |
Number of voting rights |
Voting rights (%) | |
Mutuelles AXA(b) |
298,481,986 |
14.48% |
496,139,340 |
20.84% |
Treasury shares held directly by the company |
9,896,268 |
0.48% |
(9,896,268)(c) |
(0.42%) |
Treasury shares held by Company subsidiaries (directly or indirectly)(d) |
20,859,062 |
1.01% |
(20,859,062)(c) |
(0.88%)(c) |
Employees and agents |
107,755,703 |
5.23% |
143,111,767 |
6.01% |
General Public(e) |
1,623,760,473 |
78.80% |
1,710,668,535 |
71.85% |
Total |
2,060,753,492 |
100% |
2,380,674,972 |
100% |
(a) In this table voting rights' percentages are calculated on the basis of all shares with voting rights attached, notwithstanding the fact that certain of these shares may be deprived of voting rights by law or otherwise (for example, treasury shares are deprived of voting rights under French law).
(b) AXA Assurances IARD Mutuelle and AXA Assurances Vie Mutuelle.
(c) These share will be entitled to vote when they cease to be treasury shares (e.g. upon their sale or other transfer to an unaffiliated third party).
(d) Treasury shares as indicated in Note 13 to "Consolidated Financial Statements" included in Part V of this Annual Report.
(e) Including BNP Paribas SA.
As of December 31, 2006 (a)
Number of shares |
Capital ownership (%) |
Number of voting rights |
Voting rights (%) | |
Mutuelles AXA(b) |
298,481,986 |
14.26% |
485,761,485 |
20.65% |
Treasury shares held directly by the company |
2,554,613 |
0.12% |
(2,554,613)(c) |
(0.11%)(c) |
Treasury shares held by Company subsidiaries (directly or indirectly)(d) |
26,991,283 |
1.29% |
(26,991,283)(c) |
(1.15%)(c) |
Employees and agents |
105,004,498 |
5.02% |
151,907,600 |
6.46% |
General Public(e) |
1,659,855,934 |
79.31% |
1,685,036,402 |
71.63% |
Total |
2,092,888,314 |
100% |
2,352,251,383 |
100% |
(a) In this table voting rights' percentages are calculated on the basis of all shares with voting rights attached, notwithstanding the fact that certain of these shares may be deprived of voting rights by law or otherwise (for example, treasury shares are deprived of voting rights under French law).
(b) AXA Assurances IARD Mutuelle and AXA Assurances Vie Mutuelle.
(c) These share will be entitled to vote when they cease to be treasury shares (e.g. upon their sale or other transfer to an unaffiliated third party).
(d) Treasury shares as indicated in Note 13 to "Consolidated Financial Statements" included in Part V of this Annual Report.
(e) Including BNP Paribas SA.