At the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of Besi, which was held on April 25, 2012, the dividend for the financial year 2011 is fixed at € 0.22 per ordinary share.

The dividend will be payable, at the choice of the shareholder, either fully in cash or fully in the form of ordinary shares (“stock dividend”), which are paid out of the share premium reserve.

Holders will be given the opportunity until Friday May 25, 2012, 3.00 p.m. CET to indicate their dividend preference. On May 25, 2012 the number of stock dividend rights per new ordinary share (the “exchange ratio”) will be determined, based on the volume weighted average price of all Besi shares traded on Euronext Amsterdam between the 23rd and 25th of May 2012. The Company will calculate the exchange ratio such that the gross stock dividend will be up to 3% higher than the gross dividend in cash.

The following time table will be applicable with respect to the dividend payment:

 
Shareholders are requested to indicate their dividend preference within the specified election period to ABN AMRO Bank N.V. (“ABN AMRO”), Exchange Agency Services MF 2020 (e-mail: as.exchange.agency@remove-menl.abnamro.com / fax number + 31 (0)10 264 4652 through your bank or broker. If shareholders hold shares in a custody account with a bank or broker, the bank or broker generally will specify the dividend preference in shares, unless they receive instructions otherwise.

NYSE Euronext Amsterdam members are requested to deliver dividend rights specifying their election to ABN AMRO (account 28001/106) no later than 3:00 p.m. CET on May 25, 2012. Members will receive a commission in accordance with the commission schedule of ABN AMRO in order to execute the exchange of dividend rights, in principle, free of costs for holders of depositary receipts.

Payment of the commission to NYSE Euronext members will take place after ABN AMRO has received a statement from the respective members that they have executed the conversion of dividend rights free of costs for the holders of the depositary receipts.

In the event that no dividend election is made prior to 3:00 p.m. CET on May 25, 2012, then all ordinary shares which fall due against non-exercised dividend rights will be sold and the net proceeds there from will be distributed in favour of holders of non-exercised dividend rights.

The dividend will be payable starting May 31, 2012 based on the total number of dividend rights delivered by banks or brokers by 3:00 p.m. CET on May 25, 2012, to ABN AMRO. Any remaining fractional shares will be settled in cash.

To read the full version of the press release, please download the PDF file.