Business Context and Reporting Period
This Form 6-K filing by Royal Dutch Shell plc, dated August 10, 2017, reports a major shareholding notification pursuant to Rule 13a-16. The filing discloses an acquisition of voting rights by BlackRock, Inc., with the threshold crossed on August 8, 2017, and the issuer notified on August 9, 2017.
Key Financial Metrics and Shareholding Data
The filing does not contain operational financial metrics such as revenue, profit, cash flow, margins, debt, or liquidity. It focuses exclusively on equity ownership structure.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Voting Rights (Shares) | 4.53% |
| Total Voting Rights (Financial Instruments) | 2.15% |
| Combined Total Voting Rights | 6.68% |
| Total Number of Voting Rights of Issuer | 8,256,104,493 |
| Direct Shareholdings (Subtotal 8.A) | 374,109,438 shares |
| Financial Instruments (Subtotal 8.B) | 178,190,176 rights |
Material Changes Versus Prior Period
BlackRock, Inc. increased its total voting interest in Royal Dutch Shell plc from 6.54% to 6.68%.
- Direct Shareholdings: Increased from 5.91% to 4.53% (Note: The filing text lists the previous position as 5.91% and the resulting position as 4.53% for direct shares, while the total increased. This suggests a shift in the composition of holdings between direct shares and financial instruments, or a specific reporting adjustment in the source text provided).
- Financial Instruments: Increased from 0.62% to 2.15%.
- Net Change: The total combined position increased by 0.14 percentage points.
Outlook, Risks, and Unusual Items
The filing contains no management commentary, financial guidance, outlook, or discussion of risks and contingencies. It is a statutory notification of a change in major holdings. The notification identifies BlackRock, Inc. as the person subject to the obligation, with a complex chain of controlled undertakings listed in Section 9.
Key Facts for Investor Verification
- Shareholder Identity: BlackRock, Inc. (Wilmington, DE, USA) is the notifying entity.
- Threshold Breach Date: August 8, 2017.
- Current Total Stake: 6.68% of total voting rights.
- Instrument Composition: The stake includes direct shares (ISINs GB00B03MM408 and GB00B03MLX29), securities lending, American Depositary Receipts, physically settled call/put options, CFDs, and equity-linked notes.
- Reporting Limitation: This document does not provide Shell's operational financial performance for the period.