Business Context and Reporting Period
This Form 6-K filing by Royal Dutch Shell plc, dated February 25, 2016, reports a notification of a major interest in shares received from the London Stock Exchange. The filing discloses a change in voting rights held by BlackRock, Inc. and its controlled undertakings as of February 22, 2016.
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 Versus Prior Period
The primary material change is the increase in voting rights held by BlackRock, Inc., which crossed the 5% notification threshold. The total voting rights held by BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates increased to 518,647,062, representing 6.51% of the total voting rights.
- Direct Shareholdings: BlackRock holds 237,927,217 shares (2.99%) of Class A (ISIN: GB00B03MLX29) and 236,008,110 shares (2.96%) of Class B (ISIN: GB00B03MM408).
- Qualifying Financial Instruments: Includes 37,055,925 voting rights (0.46%) via Securities Lending and American Depository Receipts.
- Similar Economic Effect Instruments: Includes 3,470,684 voting rights (0.04%) via CFDs.
Guidance, Outlook, and Risks
The filing text does not contain management commentary, financial guidance, outlook, or specific risk factors related to Shell's operations. The document strictly details the chain of controlled undertakings through which BlackRock holds its voting rights and financial instruments.
Important Facts for Investor Verification
- BlackRock, Inc. now holds a total of 6.51% of voting rights in Royal Dutch Shell plc.
- The increase in voting rights was triggered by transactions on February 22, 2016.
- The holding includes a mix of direct share ownership, securities lending, ADRs, and CFDs.
- This filing is incorporated by reference into Shell's Registration Statements on Forms F-3 and S-8.