AXA's annual shareholder meeting draws praise

The AXA Group was ranked third this year in the awards for excellence in shareholder meetings among companies in the CAC 40*, just behind Renault and Société Générale. The bronze award for 2005 was bestowed on AXA last July 4 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

AXA's 2005 shareholder meeting was specifically praised for efforts made in the following areas:

• Clear explanations of the AXA Group's core business, strategy and 2004 financial performance
• High levels of disclosure on executive pay
• Ample time devoted to discussion with individual shareholders.

The Trophées des AG du CAC 40 are awarded each year by a panel made up of financial specialists working in the fields of journalism, communications and the financial services industry.

Chaired by Claude Bébéar, chairman of the supervisory board, and co-led by the five members of the AXA management board, the annual shareholders meeting is a forum for showcasing the Group's achievements and strategy. At this meeting, shareholders are asked to make a number of important decisions, such as the dividend payout (0.61 euro per share in respect of 2004), the re-election or removal of members of the supervisory board, and capital increases in connection with the employee savings plan. The Group's activity and sustainable development report, as well as its annual report, are also distributed at this time.

* The Paris Bourse's benchmark index, the CAC 40 is made up of France's 40 largest publicly-traded companies based on market capitalization.