Management Reports • Mar 25, 2011
Management Reports
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Prepared in accordance with articles 583, §1, 596 and 598 of the Code on Companies in view of the Extraordinary General meeting of April 28, 2011 and June 8, 2011 (in case at the meeting of April 28, 2011 the quorum required to deliberate and decide validly is not met).
This report is the special report referred to articles 583, §1, 596 and 598 of the Code on Companies in which the board of directors (the "Board of directors") of Barco NV (the "Company") provides a detailed justification for the contemplated issue of warrants (stock options) and motivates the suppression of the preference right of the current shareholders, holders of bonds and warrants in favor of the persons named in this report.
The experience of the past years has shown that the granting of warrants (stock options) to the executive managers and their participation in the stock of the Company is an important element in their motivation and commitment to the Company.
The objectives of a warrant plan are indeed to foster the loyalty and the motivation of the executive managers in the long term in order to safeguard and enhance the success and profitability of the Company. In addition in today's labor market a warrant plan (stock option plan) is a rather important driver for potential executive managers in selecting a given enterprise.
It is the goal that the Plan, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 1 meets the conditions set forth in articles 41 up to and including 47 of the law of March 26, 1999 related to the Belgian 1998 action plan for employment and miscellaneous provisions (hereinafter the "Law of March 26, 1999").
3.1. The approval of the Plan includes the suppression the preferential right of the existing shareholders and of the holders of outstanding warrants (stock options) to the benefit of the executive managers of the Company.
3.2. Within the scope of the Plan the Board of Directors of the Company may, with the possibility of delegation to the "Remuneration- and Nomination Committee" (hereinafter the "Committee") offer warrants (stock options) to the beneficiaries. A beneficiary shall execute an individual warrant agreement.
3.3. The warrants (stock options) granted may as a rule be exercised at the earliest as of January 1 of the fourth (4th) calendar year following the year in which the offer was made.
The warrants (stock options) may be exercised at least three times a year, i.e. as from May 15 up to and including June 15, as from August 1 up to and including September 15 and as from November 1 up to and including December 15, unless additional exercise periods are provided for by the Committee.
3.4. The Committee, or a person or department designated by the Committee, shall inform the beneficiary of the offering of warrants (stock options), and thereupon the latter shall advise the Company by means of an express acceptance through the electronic administrative management platform of his/her decision to subscribe specifying the number of warrants (stock options) to which he/she wishes to subscribe and by paying the amount due.
3.5. The amount of the fiscal advantage of the warrants (stock options) "Options Barco 04 – Executive Managers 2011" shall be a lump sum amount determined in accordance with the provisions with the Law of March 26, 1999 at the time that the warrants (stock options) are granted. For information purposes only the fiscal treatment is summarized below.
The amount of the fiscal advantage shall be fixed at 15% of the value of the underlying share. For each additional year or part thereof exceeding the period of five (5) years, the said amount is increased with 1%.
The said percentages shall be halved for the executive managers in the event all of the following conditions are met:
The value to be considered is the exercise price and is fixed by the Committee on the date of the offer and is equal to the lower of
3.6. The fiscal advantage shall be subject to an additional tax assessment according to the provisions of the Law of March 26, 1999 in the event the beneficiary is unable to provide to the fiscal administration the evidence required to be provided under the Law of March 26, 1999.
3.7. In the event an option-holder dies, all warrants (stock options) acquired by the option-holder, including the exercisable – as well as the non-exercisable ones, will transfer in accordance with the terms of a will subject to the mandatory legal provisions governing wills or, in absence thereof, in accordance with the applicable rules of legal succession and the warrants (stock options) of a same plan may be exercised only once during any option exercise period as defined in the plan.
3.8. The following rules shall apply in the event an employee-holder of warrants (stock options) leaves:
3.10. In the event the shares are no longer listed on the stock exchange the holder of warrants (stock options) may exercise his/her rights in a manner which safeguards his/her subscription rights.
The new shares shall be of the same nature and shall have the same rights and enjoy the same benefits as the existing shares. The shares shall be entitled to dividend payments for the current fiscal year.
The granting of the subscription right to shares of the Company, within the framework of the Stockoption Plan "Options Barco 04 – Executive Managers 2011" according to which one (1) option entitles to one (1) share of the Company, is restricted to beneficiaries.
The issue of warrants (stock options) is combined with the suppression of the preferential right of the existing shareholders and the holders of outstanding warrants (stock options) in accordance with article 596 of the Code on Companies.
The suppression of the preferential right is justified because it is the objective to involve persons who exercise a professional activity for the Company and or its affiliated companies, and contribute to the success of the Company as shareholders with the growth and the development of the Company's value and to motivate them, as long term shareholders, to contribute to the improvement of the financial results of the Company and to a positive evolution of the share value.
An increase of the share value is indeed of outmost importance in the interest of the existing shareholders.
In the competitive and fast moving international environment in which the Company operates it is also in the interest of the Company to involve the persons, who play an important role in furthering the Company's success, as investors in the Company on an ongoing basis.
One should consider also the favorable treatment of warrants (stock options) either at the moment of exercise or at the moment of the sale thereof.
In the light of the foregoing, it is the Board of Directors' opinion that the suppression of the preference right is justified.
The conditions of issue of the warrants are set forth in the Plan.
The exercise of the warrants (stock options) offered under the Stock-option Plan "Options Barco 04 – Executive Managers 2011" will have a minimal financial impact for the shareholders since the warrants (stock options) are traded-in for existing shares and not for newly created shares. Therefore the exercise of the warrants (stock options) will result neither in an increase of the share capital of the Company nor in further dilution of the existing shares.
The Board of Directors proposes to the general meeting to decide:
1. Decision to issue a Stock-option Plan "Options Barco 04 – Executive Managers 2011" with the cancellation of the preference right, the authorization for the implementation thereof and approval according to article 556 of the Code on companies.
1.1 Proposal of decision:
Decision to approve a stock-option plan in favor of the executive managers of the company who will be nominated as Beneficiary under the plan in question with the creation of fifteen thousand (15.000) warrants (stock-options) that will be referred to as "Options Barco 04 - Executive Managers 2011" and each giving right to acquire upon exercise one (1) existing share of the company, and to establish the terms and conditions in accordance with the Stockoption Plan "Options Barco 04 – Executive Managers 2011" that contains the conditions of issue and exercise of the warrants (stock options) and that will be sent free of charge together with the aforementioned reports to those who have complied with the formalities required to participate to the meeting and to the nominative shareholders.
As provided in the aforementioned Stock-option Plan "Options Barco 04 - Executive Managers 2011" each warrant (stock-option) may be used to acquire one (1) existing share of the company at a price equal to
Decision to cancel the preference right of the existing holders of shares, bond or of outstanding warrants (stock-options) in connection with the contemplated issue of warrants (stock-options) under the Stock-option Plan "Options Barco 04 - Executive Managers 2011" in favor of the person who is entrusted with the assignment of Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") of the company, being Mr. Eric Van Zele and this for all presently created warrants.
Authorization for the board of directors to implement the decisions taken, to determine the terms of implementation and, in general, to do everything that is necessary for the implementation of the Stock-option Plan "Options Barco 04 – Executive Managers 2011". Except for the Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") of the company, authorization for each member of the board of directors, acting individually, to ascertain, at the expiration of each period for exercise of the warrants (stock options) the conversion of the relevant warrants into existing shares of the company, to deliver the shares, to receive the amounts due, to grant discharge for such amounts and to record all amounts due in the company's accounts.
Approval, insofar as necessary and applicable, in accordance with article 556 of the Code on companies, of the provisions of the Stock-option Plan "Options Barco 04 – Executive Managers 2011" that may grant rights that could have an impact on the company's assets or result in a debt or an obligation for the company in case of a change of control over the company.
2. Attribution of the stock-options "Options Barco 04 - Executive Managers2011" Proposal of decision:
Authorization to the board of directors and to the remuneration and nomination committee to offer the warrants (stock options) referred to as "Options Barco 04 - Executive Managers 2011" to the Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") of Barco NV, whereby the latter can accept the warrants (stock-options), either in whole or in part, during a period which shall be set out by the board of directors of the company or the remuneration and nomination committee, provided however that such period may not exceed thirty (30) days.
Kortrijk , April 21, 2011
the Board of Directors
The Stock-option Plan "Options Barco 04 – Executive Managers 2011"
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