Recommended cash offer for AZ by Merck
On 5 December 2013, the boards of Merck KGaA, of Darmstadt, Germany ("Merck"), and AZ announced that they had reached agreement on the terms of a recommended cash offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of AZ. On 20 December 2013, Merck 15. Allgemeine Beteiligungs-GmbH (an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Merck) posted the Offer document containing the full terms and conditions, and the procedures for acceptance of the Offer, to shareholders. The Offer remains open with certain conditions still outstanding. A copy of all announcements and publications issued by Merck and AZ in respect of the Offer are available on the Company's website, www.azem.com.
Dividend
We announced an interim dividend of 4.0 cents per Ordinary share in August 2013, which was paid in October. Under the terms of the Offer, any dividend that would have been proposed, declared, made, paid or payable by AZ in respect of an AZ Ordinary share following 5 December 2013, and before such time as the Offer is declared unconditional in all respects or the Offer lapses, is terminated or is withdrawn, shall not be paid to shareholders of AZ.
