Fiat Group - Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes - Fiat SpA
Fiat Group - Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes - Fiat SpA
Fiat Group - Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes - Fiat SpA
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194<br />
<strong>Consolidated</strong><br />
<strong>Financial</strong><br />
<strong>Statements</strong><br />
at 31 December<br />
2011<br />
<strong>Notes</strong><br />
Additionally, in respect of the share capital of <strong>Fiat</strong> S.p.A., in a meeting on 3 November 2006 the Company’s Board of Directors exercised its delegated<br />
powers pursuant to article 2443 of the Italian Civil Code to carry out an increase in share capital reserved for employees of the Company <strong>and</strong>/or its<br />
subsidiaries up to a maximum of 1% of share capital, being €50 million, by taking a decision to issue up to 10 million ordinary shares each of nominal value<br />
€5, corresponding to 0.78% of share capital <strong>and</strong> 0.92% of ordinary share capital, at a price of €13.37 each, to service the employee stock option plan<br />
described in the following paragraph. The execution of this increase in capital is subject to the requirement that the conditions of the plan are met. Following<br />
the Demerger <strong>and</strong> the corresponding reduction in the nominal value of each <strong>Fiat</strong> S.p.A. share from €5 to €3.5, share capital may in future increase by up<br />
to a maximum of €35 million.<br />
For 2011, the Board of Directors will propose a dividend of €39.7 million on special classes of shares to Shareholders at their annual general meeting. The<br />
dividend proposal may be summarised as follows:<br />
€0.217 per preference share;<br />
€0.217 per savings share.<br />
Given that it is <strong>Fiat</strong>’s intention to maintain a high level of liquidity <strong>and</strong> that restrictions exist on Chrysler‘s ability to pay dividends to its members, the Board<br />
of Directors has decided not to propose a dividend on <strong>Fiat</strong>’s ordinary shares.<br />
The objectives identified by the <strong>Group</strong> for managing capital are to create value for shareholders as a whole, safeguard business continuity <strong>and</strong> support the<br />
growth of the <strong>Group</strong>. As a result, the <strong>Group</strong> endeavours to maintain an adequate level of capital that at the same time enables it to obtain a satisfactory<br />
economic return for its shareholders <strong>and</strong> guarantee economic access to external sources of funds, including by means of achieving an adequate rating.<br />
The <strong>Group</strong> constantly monitors the evolution of the ratio between debt <strong>and</strong> equity <strong>and</strong> in particular the level of net debt <strong>and</strong> the generation of cash from its<br />
industrial activities.<br />
In order to reach these objectives the <strong>Group</strong> aims at a continuous improvement in the profitability of the business in which it operates. Further, in general,<br />
it may sell part of its assets to reduce the level of its debt, while the Board of Directors may make proposals to Shareholders in general meeting to reduce<br />
or increase share capital or, where permitted by law, to distribute reserves. In this context, the <strong>Group</strong> also makes purchases of treasury shares, without<br />
exceeding the limits authorised by Shareholders in general meeting, under the same logic of creating value, compatible with the objectives of achieving<br />
financial equilibrium <strong>and</strong> an improvement in its rating.<br />
In this respect capital means the value brought into <strong>Fiat</strong> S.p.A. by its shareholders (share capital plus the additional paid-in capital reserve less treasury<br />
shares, equal to €5,259 million at 31 December 2011, (€7,261 million at 31 December 2010 before the Demerger) <strong>and</strong> the value generated by the<br />
<strong>Group</strong> in terms of the results achieved in operations (retained earnings <strong>and</strong> other reserves, equal in total, before the result for the year, to €2,927 million<br />
at 31 December 2011 <strong>and</strong> €3,287 million at 31 December 2010 before the Demerger, excluding gains <strong>and</strong> losses recognised directly in equity <strong>and</strong> noncontrolling<br />
interests).<br />
Treasury Shares<br />
Treasury shares consist of 38,568,458 <strong>Fiat</strong> S.p.A. ordinary shares for an amount of €289 million (€657 million at 31 December 2010).<br />
The reduction in the carrying amount of Treasury shares over 31 December 2010 is a consequence of the Demerger <strong>and</strong> the <strong>Fiat</strong> S.p.A. allotment of<br />
38,568,458 ordinary shares in <strong>Fiat</strong> Industrial S.p.A., recognised as an asset in the Statement of <strong>Financial</strong> Position at an initial amount of €368 million as<br />
discussed in Note 17.<br />
These Treasury shares were purchased under an original authorisation for the purchase of treasury shares (the “Programme”) renewed by Shareholders<br />
in general meeting on 27 March 2009 <strong>and</strong> already granted by the general meeting on 31 March 2008. The authorisation provided for the purchase of a<br />
maximum number of shares, for all three classes combined, not to exceed 10% of share capital or a purchase value of €1.8 billion, inclusive of existing<br />
restricted reserves of €657 million.