At the 2012 Annual General Meeting of SMA Solar Technology AG (SMA/FWB: S92) in Kassel, Germany, shareholders granted full discharge to the Managing Board and Supervisory Board for the 2011 fiscal year with a clear majority of more than 99 percent. The remaining items on the agenda were also passed with a large majority. About 450 shareholders attended the 2012 Annual General Meeting of SMA Solar Technology AG, and 83.27 percent of those with voting rights were present. The Annual General Meeting followed the suggestion of the Managing Board and Supervisory Board and approved the distribution of a dividend of €1.30 per qualifying bearer share for the 2011 fiscal year (2010: €3.00 per share).
“SMA is one of the highest-dividend solar stocks on the TecDax. The dividend payments also reflect the excellent results, which SMA achieved in the 2011 fiscal year in a difficult market environment,” explains Pierre-Pascal Urbon, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of SMA Solar Technology AG. With sales of €1.7 billion and earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of €240 million in 2011, SMA achieved the second-best results in the company’s history. The depository banks will begin dividend payments on May 23, 2012.
The presentation given by the CEO at the Annual General Meeting, along with further information, can be found on the Internet at www.sma.de/en/investor-relations/annual-general-meeting.
About SMA
The SMA Group generated sales of €1.7 billion in 2011 and is the global market leader for solar inverters, a key component of all PV plants. It is headquartered in Niestetal, near Kassel, Germany, and is represented in 19 countries on four continents. The corporate group employs more than 5 500 people worldwide, plus a number of temporary employees that varies on a seasonal basis. SMA’s broad product portfolio includes a compatible inverter for every type of module on the market and for all plant sizes. The product range includes inverters both for grid-connected PV plants and for off-grid systems. SMA can therefore provide an ideal inverter solution for all plant sizes and types. Since 2008, the Group’s parent company, SMA Solar Technology AG, has been listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (S92) and also in the TecDAX index. In recent years, SMA has received numerous awards for excellence as an employer and in 2011 and 2012 achieved first place in the nationwide Great Place to Work® competition.
SMA Solar Technology AG
Sonnenallee 1
D-34266 Niestetal
Germany
Head of Corporate Communication:
Anja Jasper
Tel. +49 561 9522-2805
Presse@SMA.de
Press contact:
Susanne Henkel
Manager Corporate Press
Tel. +49 561 9522-1124
Fax +49 561 9522-531400
Presse@SMA.de
Investor Relations contact:
Julia Damm
Investor Relations Officer
Tel. +49 561 9522-2222
Fax +49 561 9522-2223
IR@SMA.de
Disclaimer:
This press release serves only as information and does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for, acquire, hold or sell any securities of SMA Solar Technology AG (the “Company”) or any present or future subsidiary of the Company (together with the Company, the “SMA Group”) nor should it form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any contract to purchase or subscribe for any securities in the Company or any member of the SMA Group or commitment whatsoever. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States of America absent registration or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
This press release can contain future-oriented statements. Future-oriented statements are statements which do not describe facts of the past. They also include statements about our assumptions and expectations. These statements are based on plans, estimations and forecasts which the executive board of SMA Solar Technology AG (SMA or company) has available at this time. Future-oriented statements are therefore only valid on the day on which they are made. Future-oriented statements by nature contain risks and elements of uncertainty. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors can lead to considerable differences between the actual results, the financial position, the development or the performance of the corporation and the estimates given here. These factors include those which SMA has discussed in published reports. These reports are available on the SMA website at www.SMA.de. The company accepts no obligation whatsoever to update these future-oriented statements or to adjust them to future events or developments.
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