Business Context and Reporting Period
This Form 6-K filing by Royal Dutch Shell plc, dated February 14, 2017, reports a notification of a major interest in shares released to the London Stock Exchange on February 13, 2017. The filing concerns a change in voting rights held by BlackRock, Inc. and its controlled undertakings.
Key Financial Metrics
The filing text does not provide revenue, profit, cash flow, margins, debt, or liquidity metrics. This document is a regulatory disclosure regarding share ownership thresholds rather than a financial performance report.
Material Changes
BlackRock, Inc. notified the issuer that its voting rights attached to shares have fallen below the 5% notifiable threshold. The transaction date was February 10, 2017.
- Previous Situation: BlackRock held 248,378,746 shares (ISIN GB00B03MLX29) and 228,891,512 shares (ISIN GB00B03MM408).
- Resulting Situation: BlackRock holds 258,351,758 shares (3.16% voting rights) of ISIN GB00B03MLX29 and 141,294,470 shares (1.72% voting rights) of ISIN GB00B03MM408.
- Total Voting Rights: The total voting rights held by BlackRock, Inc. (including direct shares, qualifying financial instruments, and instruments with similar economic effects) amount to 518,049,476, representing 6.33% of the total voting rights.
Guidance, Outlook, and Risks
The filing text does not provide management commentary, financial guidance, outlook, or specific risk factors related to Shell's operations. The document strictly details the breakdown of voting rights held by BlackRock, Inc. through various entities and financial instruments, including securities lending, American Depository Receipts, CFDs, and swaps.
Important Facts for Investors
- BlackRock, Inc. remains a significant shareholder with a total of 6.33% voting rights after the reported transaction.
- The reduction in direct shareholding caused the voting rights attached to shares to drop below the 5% threshold, triggering this specific notification.
- The total voting interest includes substantial holdings via qualifying financial instruments (e.g., securities lending and ADRs) and instruments with similar economic effects.
- This filing is incorporated by reference into Shell's Registration Statements on Forms F-3 and S-8.