Corporate Governance

2. Capital structure

2.1 Capital

As in the previous year, the total share capital of Zehnder Group AG amounted to CHF 586,800. It is made up of 9,756,000 registered shares A with a par value of CHF 0.05 each and 9,900,000 registered shares B with a par value of CHF 0.01 each.

The unlisted registered shares B (CHF 0.01 nominal value) are all directly or indirectly held by members of the Zehnder family or by persons closely associated with the family. The vast majority of the registered shares B are owned by Graneco AG (Switzerland). On the balance sheet date, Graneco AG and its shareholders held 51.7% of the company’s registered shares and voting rights.

2.2 Authorised and conditional capital in particular

There is no authorised and no conditional capital in particular.

2.3 Changes in capital

There were no changes in capital in the last three reporting years, i.e. in the period between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2020.

All changes in capital since going public in 1986 are set out on our website www.zehndergroup.com/en/investor-relations/corporate-governance. 

2.4 Shares and participation certificates

The share capital of Zehnder Group AG consists of 9,756,000 registered shares A listed on SIX Swiss Exchange with a nominal value of CHF 0.05 each (a total of CHF 487,800) and 9,900,000 registered shares B with a nominal value of CHF 0.01 each (a total of CHF 99,000). Total share capital amounts to CHF 586,800 and the total number of shares outstanding is 19,656,000. Each share carries one vote, irrespective of its nominal value. The registered shares A have a 49.6% share of the votes and account for 83.1% of the share capital, the registered shares B a 50.4% share of the votes and 16.9% of the share capital. The dividend per registered share B is one fifth of the dividend per registered share A.

For additional information on shares, please refer to our website www.zehndergroup.com/en/investor-relations/shares.

No participation certificates of the Zehnder Group are outstanding.

2.5 Dividend-right certificates

No dividend-right certificates of the Zehnder Group are outstanding.

2.6 Limitations on transferability and nominee registrations

Limitations on registration of registered shares A

Purchasers of registered shares A in Zehnder Group AG will, upon application, be entered into the share register as a shareholder with voting rights without limitation, provided they explicitly declare that they have purchased these registered shares in their own name and for their own account and provided they are compliant with the statutory reporting obligations.

Persons who do not explicitly declare in their application for registration or on request of the company that they are holding the shares for their own account (nominees) will automatically be registered in the share register with voting rights up to a maximum of 3% of the outstanding share capital.

Beyond this limit, registered shares A of nominees are only registered with voting rights if the relevant nominee, when requesting registration or subsequently upon request of the company, discloses the names, addresses and shareholdings of the persons on whose account he or she holds 0.3% or more of the outstanding share capital, and if the statutory reporting obligations are complied with.

The Board of Directors is authorised to conclude agreements with nominees with respect to their reporting obligations.

Transferability of registered shares B

Registered shares B can be transferred into ownership or into a restricted right in rem only with the agreement of the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors may refuse a request to approve a share transfer but must give an important reason for doing so. Important reasons are:

• If the purchaser is in competition with the company or one of its affiliated companies;
• If and insofar as the approval of the purchase of registered shares by the applicant might prevent the company from producing evidence of the composition of the shareholder group required by law, in particular in conjunction with the Swiss Federal Law on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Persons Abroad and the associated ordinance.

Furthermore, the Board of Directors may refuse applications for approval if it makes an offer to the seller of the registered shares to purchase the registered shares on behalf of the company, on behalf of other shareholders or on behalf of third parties at their real value at the time of the application.

Further limitations on registration of registered shares A and B

Legal persons and partnerships with legal personality that are interrelated or affiliated through equity or voting interests, through common cooperation or similar means, as well as natural or legal persons or partnerships who act in concert for the purpose of circumventing the restriction on registration, are treated as one purchaser in transfer regulation contexts.

The limitations placed on registration also apply to shares acquired by exercising pre-emptive, option or conversion rights.

The Board of Directors may, after consultation with the party concerned, delete entries from the share register which have been made due to incorrect information from the purchaser. The purchaser must be immediately informed of the deletion of the entry.

Cancellation or easing of the restrictions on the transferability of registered shares B and the registration restrictions on registered shares A requires a resolution of the Annual General Meeting, passed by at least two-thirds of the voting shares represented and an absolute majority of the nominal share value represented.

In the reporting year, the Board of Directors did not grant any exceptions in relation to the limitations on transferability and registration.

2.7 Convertible bonds and options

There are no convertible bonds or options outstanding.