BP's First quarter interim dividend for 2014 announced

 

The Directors of BP p.l.c. announced that the interim dividend for the first quarter 2014 would be US$0.0975 per ordinary share (US$0.585 per ADS). This interim dividend is to be paid on 20 June 2014 to shareholders on the share register on 9 May 2014. The dividend is payable in cash in sterling to holders of ordinary shares and in US dollars to holders of ADSs. A scrip dividend alternative will be made available for this dividend allowing shareholders to elect to receive their dividend in the form of new ordinary shares and ADS holders in the form of new ADSs.

The ‘Reference Share Price’ for the issue of new ordinary shares under the scrip dividend alternative is:US$ 8.475 for each new ordinary share. For holders of ordinary shares this is equivalent to 1 new share for approximately every 86.923 shares held prior to the ex-dividend date of 7 May 2014.

The Reference Share Price is the average of the US dollar equivalent of the closing mid price quotation for a BP ordinary share on the London Stock Exchange Daily Official List for the four consecutive dealing days beginning on the ex-dividend date of 7 May 2014. The US dollar equivalent price each day is calculated from the sterling closing mid price using the exchange rate published by the Bank of England at 4pm each day.

The ‘Reference ADS Price’ for the issue of new ADSs under the scrip dividend alternative is: US$ 50.900 for each new ADS.For holders of ADSs this is equivalent to 1 new ADS for approximately every 7.009 ADSs held prior to the ex-dividend date of 7 May 2014.

The Reference ADS Price is calculated by multiplying the Reference Share Price by six (as there are six ordinary shares underlying each ADS) and adjusting for the fee payable to the Depositary under the ADS Deposit Agreement (US$0.05 per ADS). Prior to the 2012 first quarter dividend payment stamp duty reserve tax (“SDRT”) of 1.5% was deducted from this calculation, but following a tax tribunal decision in 2012, HM Revenue & Customs will no longer seek to impose 1.5% SDRT on issues of UK shares and securities to non-EU clearance services and depositary receipt systems.

Dividends payable in cash in sterling on 20 June 2014 will be converted from US dollars at the average of the market exchange rates for the four dealing days from 3 June 2014 to 6 June 2014. The sterling cash dividend will be announced to the London Stock Exchange on 9 June 2014.

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