Ahold reinstated its annual dividend on common shares and announced a new dividend policy in the 2007 financial year. The policy states that Ahold intends to increase future annual dividends while meeting the capital needs of the business and maintaining an efficient investment grade capital structure. For the 2007 financial year, we paid a cash dividend of €0.16 per common share.
For the 2008 financial year, Ahold paid a cash dividend of €0.18 per common share. For the 2009 financial year, a cash dividend of €0.23 per common share was approved by the annual General Meeting of Shareholders on April 13, 2010, and paid on May 4, 2010.
The announced dividend for the 2010 financial year of €0.29 per common share will be proposed to shareholders at the annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on April 20, 2011.
Dividends on cumulative preferred financing shares
Ahold paid an annual dividend on cumulative preferred financing shares in 2010 and plans to pay dividends on these shares in 2011 as required by the terms of the shares.