Shareholders FAQs

• depositary receipts for ordinary shares (ISIN NL0000009355)

• ordinary shares (ISIN NL0000388619) (as New York registry shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange (CUSIP 904784709)

• 6 % cumulative preference shares (ISIN NL0000388742)

• 7 % cumulative preference shares (ISIN NL0000388726)

• depositary receipts for 7% cumulative preference shares (ISIN NL0000388684)

Unilever N.V. shares are held through a bank or broker or as registered shares on the share register. The ordinary shares can also be held in the form of New York registry shares. The depositary receipts for shares can only be held in 'electronic' form through a bank or broker.

The majority (around 72 %) of the Unilever N.V. ordinary shares and around 33 % of the 7 % cumulative preference shares are registered to an independent trust company - Stichting Administratiekantoor Unilever N.V. ('Foundation Unilever N.V. Trust Office').

Both the shares as well as the depositary receipts thereof are listed on Euronext Amsterdam. Holders of depositary receipts can under all circumstances exchange their depositary receipts for the Unilever N.V. shares (or vice versa). Holders of depositary receipts are fully entitled to dividends that are paid on the (underlying) shares held by the Foundation Unilever N.V. Trust Office. The Foundation issues (and exchanges) the depositary receipts. Further information about the Foundation Unilever N.V. Trust Office can be found on their website. 

New York registry shares are issued by a US transfer agent and registrar (Deutsche Bank Trust Company America) on behalf of Unilever N.V. and created against the cancellation of the local share by the local registrar. One New York registry share is the equivalent of one Unilever N.V. ordinary share (or depositary receipt thereof). Dividends on the New York registry shares are (after exchange) paid in US dollars.

Historical share prices are available from the 'Unilever shares' section of the website.

Following shareholder approval at the 2009 Annual General Meetings, Unilever  moved to quarterly dividends in 2010 establishing a simpler and more transparent dividend practice. Dividends are paid in March, June, September and December.

Following shareholder approval at the 2009 Annual General Meetings, Unilever moved to quarterly dividends in 2010, establishing a simpler and more transparent dividend practice. When a dividend on the ordinary shares is to be paid, the payment date on all four listings for Unilever N.V. and Unilever PLC will be the same. Dividends are paid in March, June, September and December. To view the dates please see the dividend calendar.

The dividend on the Unilever N.V. 6% and 7% cumulative preference shares is normally paid early October.

Dividend on the Unilever N.V. shares is paid in Euros and is subject to Dutch tax law. Dividend on the New York registry shares is (after exchange) paid in US dollars.

The dates that the dividends are paid are different each year, so please refer to the dividend calendar.

The dividends paid on all four of our stocks are provided since 1999. To view the payment history for an individual stock, please visit the 'Dividends' section and then select the dividend history for the stock you are interested in.

Both Unilever N.V. and Unilever PLC offer dividend reinvestment plans that are a convenient, easy way to build your shareholding by using your cash dividends to buy additional shares. Further information on each scheme can be found in the 'Dividends section' by selecting the relevant dividend reinvestment plan you are interested in.

Unilever will not be able to communicate a dividend until it has been publicly announced. For more information on this subject, please refer to the dividend calendar.

Matters that should be brought to the attention of your broker or bank include:

• cancellation of depositary receipts and entry in the share register

• payment of dividends

• death of a shareholder or holder of depositary receipts

Unilever N.V.'s (Dutch) share register is maintained by SGG Netherlands N.V. and all associated administration is carried out by them. Matters for their attention include:

• registering and transferring your shares

• change of address

• change of bank details

• payment of dividends

• death of a shareholder

• information about voting by written proxy

You can contact SGG Netherlands N.V. as follows:

SGG Netherlands N.V. Hoogoorddreef 15, 1101 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Telephone +31 (0)20 5222 555, Telefax +31 (0)20 5222 500, email: registerunilever@sgggroup.com

If you are holder of Unilever N.V. shares or depositary receipts thereof and you wish to be registered on the Unilever N.V. share register, you will need to contact your bank or broker.

Get dates and a reminder of our annual general meeting from our financial calendar.

If you hold your shares in the (Dutch) share register, you will receive a voting instruction about six weeks in advance of the meeting.

Get dates and a reminder for our quarterly results, and all our investor events, via our financial calendar.

The latest Unilever annual report is available to view and print from the results and reports page of this website within the investor centre section. Hard copies of this report can be ordered from our registrars.

Computershare Investor Services, PLC Registrars for Unilever PLC, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road Bristol, BS99 7NH

Telephone: 0870 600 3977 (UK only)  Telephone: +44 (0)870 600 3977  Fax: 0870 703 6119 (UK only) Fax: +44 (0)870 703 6119 Investorcentre(Link opens in a new window)

Please contact our registrars Computershare Investor Services PLC, whose address is given at the top of this PLC FAQ section.

A dealing service is administered by our registrars, Computershare Investor Services PLC and is available online or by telephone. 

For more information regarding telephone dealing service please ring +44 (0) 870 703 0084 (Lines are open from 8.30am to 4.30pm (UK time), Monday to Friday). Fees for this service will be 1% of the value of the transaction plus £35, Stamp duty of 0.5% is also payable on all purchases. 

The fee for the internet service is 1% of the value of each sale or purchase of shares (subject to a minimum of £30). Limit orders are available for sales only and there is no additional charge for this service; stamp duty of 0.5% is also payable on all purchases. Further information can be found by using the following link and following the onscreen prompts: https://www-uk.computershare.com/Investor/ShareDealing.asp

For your information, these services are available to sole shareholders or up to two named joint holders for holdings in most companies. Shares registered in a Company name may not be sold through our dealing services. When using either of the above services, please ensure that you have your Shareholder Reference Number (SRN) to hand. You can find this number on a share certificate or statement, this will commence with one alphabetical character (e.g. 'C' for Charlie or 'I' for Indigo), followed by 10 numerical digits. 

If the shareholding is represented by a share certificate, please ensure that you are in possession of the valid share certificate(s) before proceeding with either a telephone or internet sale. Failure to do this may result in the sale being rejected and you may incur additional costs. 

Alternatively, the shares may be sold by contacting a bank, stockbroker or financial advisor. 

Remember that the value of your shares may go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount of your investments.

This could be because you have more than one account showing on the Unilever PLC share register arising from inconsistencies in your name and/or address. If you would like to amalgamate your accounts to ensure this does not happen in the future, please contact our registrars, Computershare Investor Services PLC, whose address and telephone number is given at the top of this PLC FAQ section. To receive your shareholder information directly by e-mail please register online at Computershare.

More often than not, this is because you have moved address and not advised the Registrars. In order to check the address that the Registrars have on the Unilever PLC register for you, please contact our registrars, Computershare Investor Services PLC, whose address and telephone number is given at the top of this PLC FAQ section.

It may be of interest that you can also arrange to have your dividends paid direct into your bank account by completing a bank mandate form. If you are interested in this facility please contact our registrars - whose address and telephone number is given at the top of this PLC FAQ section.

Following shareholder approval at the 2009 Annual General Meetings, Unilever has moved to quarterly dividends in 2010 establishing a simpler and more transparent dividend practice. Dividends are paid in March, June, September and December.

Following shareholder approval at the 2009 Annual General Meetings, Unilever has moved to quarterly dividends in 2010 establishing a simpler and more transparent dividend practice. When a dividend on the ordinary shares is to be paid, the payment date on all four listings for Unilever N.V. and Unilever PLC will be the same. Dividends are paid in March, June, September and December.

The dividends paid on all four of our stocks are provided since 1999. To view the payment history for an individual stock, please visit the 'Dividends' section of this website and then select the stock you are interested in.

Both Unilever N.V. and Unilever PLC offer dividend reinvestment plans that are a convenient, easy way to build your shareholding by using your cash dividends to buy additional shares. Further information on each scheme is provided by going to the Dividends section and selecting the relevant dividend reinvestment plan you are interested in.

Unilever will not be able to communicate a dividend until it has been publicly announced. For more information on this subject, please visit the Dividends section.

If you have already completed a letter of indemnity and returned it to the Registrars, the original certificate is now invalid, and you should send the certificate to the Registrars to be cancelled. If you have not yet returned it, you should send the letter of indemnity back to the Registrars with a covering letter confirming that you have found the certificate and no longer require a replacement to be issued. The Registrars will still require the Administration Fee associated with the indemnity to be paid.

The address and telephone number of our registrars, Computershare Investor Services PLC, is given at the top of this PLC FAQ section.

Please contact our registrars, Computershare Investor Services PLC, whose address and telephone number is given at the top of this PLC FAQ section, who will be able to arrange a replacement certificate for you. You should notify the Registrars immediately so that a restriction can be placed on the relevant holding in case of any attempted fraud. You will then be sent a letter of indemnity, which must be completed and returned to the Registrars so that a replacement certificate can be issued. Please note that there is a charge for this service.

Please complete a stock transfer form and return it (with stamp duty paid where appropriate) to Computershare Investor Services PLC together with your share certificate(s). For further information, please contact our registrars, Computershare Investor Services PLC, whose address and telephone number is given at the top of this PLC FAQ section.

The latest Unilever share price information is available from the share price section of this website, which is accessible by clicking on share price within the useful links box of this screen.

Historical share prices are available from the share price section of the website, so please click on the Share Price link within the useful links box to the right of this page.

You can access your own shareholder account by registering on the website of our Registrars (Computershare Investor Services PLC). To obtain access you will require your own unique Shareholder Reference Number, as detailed on your share certificate or dividend tax voucher. You will also be asked for confirmation of your postcode or country of residence. Please visit the Registrars website at www.computershare.com.

If you are simply want your current balance, a request can be made by telephone or fax to our Registrars, whose details are given at the top of this PLC FAQ section.

If the shareowner is the sole holder you should notify the Registrars as soon as possible who will placed a restriction on the holding to retain dividends until probate is registered. You will then be sent a 'Notification of Death' letter which explains what is required from the executor or administrator of the Estate.

If the shares are held in joint names, the account can be re-registered in the sole name of the other owner(s). To do this you should notify the registrars in writing, enclosing the original share certificate and the original death certificate, so that a replacement certificate can be issued in the new name(s).

The address and telephone number of our registrars, Computershare Investor Services PLC, is given at the top of this PLC FAQ section.

Information on our annual general meeting is available by clicking on the AGM & Voting link within the useful links box to the right of this page.

Information on the announcement dates of our results are available by clicking on the Financial Calendar link within the related links box to the right of this page.

The latest Unilever annual report is available to view and print from the results and reports page of this website within the investor centre section. Hard copies of this report can be ordered from our registrars.

To receive news updates, please subscribe to our news service. If you would like to receive local news, please visit your local Unilever website by selecting your chosen country from the menu in the top right hand corner of this page.

An American Depositary Receipt or ADR is a negotiable instrument that represents ownership in securities of a non-US company. It is a mechanism that facilitates US trading of non-US securities. ADRs provide US investors with a convenient way to invest in overseas securities. ADRs are issued by a depositary bank and are traded in the same manner as shares in US companies on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), Nasdaq and the over-the-counter (OTC) market.

New York registry shares are issued by a US transfer agent and registrar (Deutsche Bank Trust Company America) on behalf of Unilever N.V. and created against the cancellation of the local share by the local registrar. One New York registry share is the equivalent of one Unilever N.V. ordinary share (or depositary receipt thereof). The dividends on the New York registry shares are paid in US Dollars.

Yes you can. If you would like to exchange your New York registry shares into Unilever N.V. ordinary shares (or depositary receipts thereof) please contact Deutsche Bank Shareholder Services:

Deutsche Bank Shareholder Services American Stock Transfer & Trust Company Operations Center 6201 15th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11219 Email:DB@amstock.com Toll-free number: +1 (800) 937-5449 Direct Dial: +1 718 921 8124

If you would like to exchange your Unilever N.V. ordinary shares (or depositary receipts thereof) into New York registry shares please contact ANT Trust & Corporate Services N.V.:

You can contact SGG Netherlands N.V. as follows:

SGG Netherlands N.V. Hoogoorddreef 15, 1101 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Telephone +31 (0)20 5222 555, Telefax +31 (0)20 5222 500, email: registerunilever@sgggroup.com

You can ask your financial advisor or broker to buy New York registry shares (ticker UN – CUSIP Number 904784709).

Alternatively, you can open an account directly with Deutsche Bank Trust Company America. and buy New York registry shares via the bank-sponsored purchase plan AST purchase plan.

Historical share prices are available from the NV New York Historic Share Price  page on this website.

Following shareholder approval at the 2009 Annual General Meetings, Unilever moved to quarterly dividends in 2010 establishing a simpler and more transparent dividend practice. When a dividend on the ordinary shares is to be paid, the payment date on all four listings for Unilever N.V. and Unilever PLC will be the same. Dividends are paid in March, June, September and December.

Dividend on the Unilever N.V. shares is paid in Euros and is subject to Dutch tax law. Dividend on the New York registry shares is converted into and paid in US dollars.

The dates that the dividends are paid are different each year, so please click on the Dividend Calendar.

The dividends paid on all four of our stocks are provided since 1999 on the payment history page for NV New York shares.

Yes you can. Both Unilever N.V. and Unilever PLC offer dividend reinvestment plans that are a convenient, easy way to build your shareholding by using your cash dividends to buy additional shares. Further information on each scheme is provided by clicking on the Quarterly Dividends link within the related links to the right of this page and then select the relevant dividend reinvestment plan you are interested in.

Unilever will not be able to communicate a dividend until it has been publicly announced. For more information on this subject, please refer to the dividend calendar.

Matters that should be brought to the attention of your broker or bank include:

• cancellation of depositary receipts and entry in the share register

• payment of dividends

• death of a shareholder or holder of depositary receipts

Matters that should be brought to the attention of your broker or bank include:

• cancellation of depositary receipts and entry in the share register

• payment of dividends

• death of a shareholder or holder of depositary receipts

You can contact SGG Netherlands N.V. as follows:

SGG Netherlands N.V. Hoogoorddreef 15, 1101 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Telephone +31 (0)20 5222 555, Telefax +31 (0)20 5222 500, email: registerunilever@sgggroup.com

If you are holder of Unilever N.V. shares or depositary receipts thereof and you wish to be registered on the Unilever N.V. share register, you will need to contact your bank or broker.

Information on our annual general meeting is available by clicking on the AGM & Voting or dividend calendar link under the related links to the right of this page.

If you hold your shares in the (Dutch) share register, you will receive a voting instruction about six weeks in advance of the meeting.

Find announcement dates of our results and set up reminders using our financial calendar.

The latest Unilever annual report and accounts is available to view and print from the results and reports page of this website.

An American Depositary Receipt or ADR is a negotiable instrument that represents ownership in securities of a non-US company; it is a mechanism that facilitates US trading of non-US securities. ADRs provide US investors with a convenient way to invest in overseas securities. ADRs are issued by a depositary bank and are traded in the same manner as shares in US companies on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), Nasdaq and the over-the-counter (OTC) market.

Unilever PLC ADRs trade on the NYSE, symbol UL.

Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas.

ADRs eliminate many of the obstacles of holding non-US securities since they trade and settle according to US market practices; are quoted and traded in dollars and pay dividends in dollars; eliminate custodian safekeeping charges in the issuer's home country; facilitate prompt dividend payments and corporate action notifications.

For non-US issuers, an ADR programme can stimulate investor interest, broaden a company's shareholder base and raise a company's visibility in the US.

A share, evidenced by an ADR, that represents a specified number of underlying shares held in custody in the issuer's home market. The terms ADR and ADS are often used interchangeably.

The number of underlying shares represented by one American depositary receipt (ADR). The ratio is typically depicted as, for example, 3:1, or one ADR representing three underlying shares.

Unilever's ratio is fix font dl 5:22, i.e. one ADR represents one underlying Unilever PLC share.

ADR holders are generally entitled to the same rights as the underlying shareholders, subject to the terms specified on the ADR certificate.

Information on our annual general meeting is available by clicking on the AGM & Voting link within the useful links within the useful links box to the right of this page.

Yes, you will receive a proxy form with the Notice of the Meeting if appropriate about five weeks in advance of the meeting.

Dividends are paid in US dollars.

Following shareholder approval at the 2009 Annual General Meetings, Unilever has moved to quarterly dividends in 2010 establishing a simpler and more transparent dividend practice. When a dividend on the ordinary shares is to be paid, the payment date on all four listings for Unilever N.V. and Unilever PLC will be the same. Dividends are paid in March, June, September and December.

Yes, through Deutsche Bank Direct Investment Plan', you can automatically request the direct deposit of your dividends at the link below.

This information is given in the Financial Calendar link within the related links box to the right of this page. Alternatively, you can call Deutsche Bank Shareholder Services whose contact details are given at the top of this PLC ADR section.

Please call Deutsche Bank Shareholder Services whose contact details are given at the top of this PLC ADR section.

You can transfer your underlying shares to Deutsche Bank custodian bank in the issuer's home country. On receipt of the underlying shares, Deutsche Bank will issue ADRs representing the newly deposited shares to you.

Instruct your broker to cancel the ADRs, and provide him or her with complete delivery instructions in the issuer's home country.

You can buy or sell ADRs through a broker or through Deutsche Bank ADR broker services desk.

In view of the value of your certificates and the expense associated with replacing lost certificates, you should keep them in a safe-deposit box or other secure place. Certificates are negotiable documents and should be signed only in the event of a sale or transfer of ownership.

If your certificate is lost, stolen, or destroyed, notify Deutsche Bank Shareholder Services immediately. Their contact details are given at the top of this PLC ADR section.

Please call Deutsche Bank Shareholder Services when you move so that your account records can be updated.

Deutsche Bank Shareholder Services American Stock Transfer & Trust Company Operations Center 6201 15th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11219 Email:DB@amstock.com Toll-free number: +1 (800) 937-5449 Direct Dial: +1 718 921 8124

Deutsche Bank Shareholder Services can be contacted between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday eastern standard time. If you have any questions or require additional information, call Deutsche Bank Shareholder Services at the numbers above, or send an e-mail to DB@amstock.com.