Proposal to authorize the Board to repurchase shares
The Board proposes that the Annual General Meeting authorize the Board to resolve to repurchase a maximum of 370 million Nokia shares. The proposed amount of shares represents less than 10% of all the shares of the Company. The shares may be repurchased in order to develop the capital structure of the Company, finance or carry out acquisitions or other arrangements, settle the Company's equity-based incentive plans, be transferred for other purposes, or be cancelled. The shares may be repurchased either through a tender offer made to all shareholders on equal terms, or in marketplaces by repurchasing the shares in another proportion than that of the current shareholders. The authorization would be effective until June 30, 2014 and terminate the current authorization granted by the Annual General Meeting on May 3, 2012.
The repurchase authorization is proposed in order to maintain flexibility, but the Board has no current plans for repurchases during 2013.
Proposal to authorize the Board to issue shares
The Board also proposes that the Annual General Meeting authorize the Board to resolve to issue a maximum of 740 million shares through issuance of shares or special rights entitling to shares in one or more issues. The Board proposes that it may issue either new shares or shares held by the Company. The Board proposes that the authorization may be used to develop the Company's capital structure, diversify the shareholder base, finance or carry out acquisitions or other arrangements, settle the Company's equity-based incentive plans, or for other purposes resolved by the Board. The proposed authorization includes the right for the Board to resolve on all the terms and conditions of the issuance of shares and special rights entitling to shares, including issuance in deviation from the shareholders' pre-emptive rights. The authorization would be effective until June 30, 2016 and terminate the current authorization granted by the Annual General Meeting on May 6, 2010.
The new Employee Share Purchase Plan
Under the Employee Share Purchase Plan, the eligible Nokia employees can elect to make monthly contributions from their salary to purchase Nokia shares. Participation in the plan is voluntary for the employees.
The annual limit which the participant can contribute to the plan will be between a minimum of EUR 60 and a maximum of the lower of (1) EUR 1 200 and (2) 10% of a participant's annual gross base salary. Generally, the share purchases will be made at market value on pre-determined dates on a monthly basis during a 12-month period. Nokia will offer one matching share for every two purchased shares the participant still holds after the last monthly purchase has been made in June 2014. The total maximum amount of employee contributions during the plan cycle commencing in 2013 will be approximately EUR 22 million, which equals approximately 6.3 million Nokia shares using the January 23, 2013 closing share price of EUR 3.49. Based on the matching ratio of one matching share for every two purchased shares, the number of matching shares would be 3.15 million. In addition, to encourage participation in the plan, Nokia will offer 20 free shares for every participant making the first three consecutive monthly share purchases in the first year.
The Employee Share Purchase Plan is planned to be offered to Nokia employees (excluding Nokia Siemens Networks' employees) in 27 countries for the plan cycle commencing in 2013. The first savings period is intended to start in June 2013 and the first monthly purchases are planned to be made in July 2013. Any future offers of the plan after the first plan cycle in 2013-2014 must be approved by the Board.