New financial intermediary for registered sharesSOPRA STERIA GROUP has appointed Société Générale Securities Services (SGSS) as its new agent for the administrative management of its register of registered shareholders, replacing CM-CIC and/or BPSS. The transfer of registers CIC Market Solutions to Société Générale Securities Services took place on February 3, 2022 and that of BNP Paribas Securities Services on February 10, 2022. As of January 21, pure registered shareholders will receive a dedicated communication from Société Générale Securities Services specifying all the terms and conditions of the transfer of proxy. Upon receipt of this letter, personal information must be updated on the Societe Generale Securities Services website dedicated to pure registered shareholders, using the login details for the Sharinbox platform sent in this letter. The verification and possible update of your personal information is essential in order to benefit from all the advantages related to the registration of your shares (and in particular to receive the notice of the General Meeting and any information concerning the transactions on shares, including the payment of the dividend). A website dedicated to managing your account: www.sharinbox.societegenerale.com |
Two ways to hold shares in a French listed company
There are two ways to hold shares in a French listed company, either through Bearer Shares or through Registered Shares.
Bearer shares
Shares are categorised as "bearer shares" when the name of the owner is not disclosed to the issuing company. However, these shares are not anonymous since they appear in the account managed by the financial intermediary. In France, most shares traded
on the Stock Exchange belong to this category.
Registered shares
Shares are categorised as "registered shares" when the name of the shareholder appears in the share register of the company. The use of registered shares makes communication between the company and its registered shareholders easier. This method may take
two forms:
- shares are "managed registered shares" when the management of the securities account is entrusted to a financial intermediary. The service is billed by the financial intermediary.
- shares are "pure registered shares" when they are entered directly and only in the share register of the issuing company. The issuing company is in charge of the administrative management of the shares and no custodian fees are paid.
In the case of Sopra Steria, Société Générale Securities Services is in charge of managing registered shares. This formula is advantageous to persons who do not intend to make frequent trades in the Sopra Steria shares they hold.
Pure registered shares
Advantages: The shareholder receives regular information on Sopra Steria (including notices of General Meetings of Shareholders, in particular). No payment of custodian fees is charged. The dividend is paid by Société Générale Securities Services without any delay.
Drawbacks: If the shareholder is a registered shareholder for his
entire portfolio of shares, he receives as many statements as he owns registered shares, which may be burdensome when he files his income tax report.
Managed registered shares
Advantages: The shareholder receives regular information on Sopra Steria and may place trading orders through his financial institution. He receives only one securities account statement at the time of his income tax return.
Drawbacks: The payment of custodian fees is required. The dividend may be paid by the institution administering the securities account after a delay.
Transformation into pure registered shares
The shareholder must ask his financial institution to transfer the Sopra Steria shares to Société Générale Securities Services (in charge of managing all registered shares on behalf of Sopra Steria) in order to have them transformed into pure registered shares. Transfer fees may be charged
by the broker at that time. In order to be informed of the practical terms and conditions of the transfer, the shareholder may contact:
SOCIETE GENERALE SECURITIES SERVICES
SGSS/SBO/CIS/ISS
32, rue du champ de tir - CS 30812
44308 Nantes Cedex 3 – France
Internet: www.sharinbox.societegenerale.com
Tel: +33 (0)2 51 85 67 89 (Phone number without tax surcharge, invoicing depending on your operator contract and the country you are calling from)