Aegon will repurchase 21,954,140 common shares to neutralize the dilutive effect of the 2017 final stock dividend. These shares will be held as treasury shares and will be used to pay future stock dividends.
Shareholders were given the opportunity to choose between receiving the 2017 final dividend of EUR 0.14 per common share in cash or in stock. The stock dividend and the cash dividend are approximately equal in value.
42% of shareholders elected to receive the stock dividend. Those who elected for a stock dividend will receive one Aegon common share for every 39 common shares held. The stock fraction is based on Aegon's average share price as quoted on Euronext Amsterdam, using the high and low of each of the five trading days from June 11 up to and including June 15, 2018. The average share price calculated on this basis amounted to EUR 5.4174. The dividend will be payable as of June 22, 2018.
Aegon is committed to the repurchase of 21,954,140 common shares to neutralize the dilutive effect of the stock dividend, and will engage a third party to execute the transactions on its behalf. These transactions will commence on July 2, 2018, and are expected to be completed on or before August 10, 2018. The common shares will be repurchased at a maximum of the average of the daily volume-weighted average prices during the repurchase period.
Weekly updates regarding the transactions will be available on aegon.com.