Rights of shareholders
Shareholders exercise their right to decide on matters concerning the company at shareholders’ meetings. The annual general meeting (AGM), an ordinary general meeting, appoints a Board and auditors and also decides on their fees. The AGM also adopts the income statement and balance sheet, decides on the matter of releasing the Board members and Chief Executive Officer from liability, and takes decisions on other matters of importance to the company. Information in preparation for shareholders’ meetings, as well as minutes of past meetings, can be viewed on the Bank’s website. Notice to attend shareholders’ meetings and all proposals for meetings are translated into English and are available on the Bank’s website. Notice to attend the AGM is published on the website no earlier than six weeks and no later than four weeks prior to the meeting.
In order to participate at a shareholders’ meeting, the shareholder must register with the company no later than the date indicated in the notice to attend. Shareholders who do not participate in the meeting in person may have an appointed representative who has power of attorney. The Board may also decide that shareholders may vote in accordance with their number of shares by post, prior to the shareholders’ meeting. The notice to attend includes information regarding the format of the shareholders’ meeting, as well as the time and procedure for giving notice to attend.
A shareholder who wishes to have a matter considered at a shareholders’ meeting must make a written request to the Board in this regard. Such a request must be received by Handelsbanken at least seven weeks in advance, or sufficiently early for the item to be included in the notice to attend. As regards proposals for resolutions that have already been included on the agenda, where it is not legally required that proposals must be presented a certain period in advance, shareholders are entitled to present such proposals during the period up until the shareholders’ meeting is held (including during the meeting).
The agenda for the shareholders’ meeting specifies which items are being put forward for a resolution by the meeting, and which items have been included for information purposes. The items on the agenda that require a resolution by the shareholders’ meeting are subjected to binding votes, whereby shareholders vote in favour or against, or abstain from voting on the matter. In addition, at a shareholders’ meeting, all shareholders are entitled to put questions to the Board or Chief Executive Officer regarding the items being considered at the shareholders’ meeting or the company’s relations with other companies in the Group. At an AGM, shareholders may also put questions regarding the company’s and the Group’s financial situation.
