Rogers Announces Two-For-One Stock Split and Dividend Increase
31 10월 2006 - 9:49PM
PR Newswire (US)
Two-For-One Stock Split to be Effected Following December 15, 2006
Vote of Class A Shareholders; TORONTO, Oct. 31
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Rogers Communications Inc. ("Rogers")
announced that its Board of Directors will put forward a proposal
to its Class A shareholders to split its Class A Voting and Class B
Non-Voting shares on a two-for-one basis. Rogers also announced
that its Board of Directors has approved an increase in its annual
dividend from C$0.15 to C$0.32 per share (on a pre-split basis)
effective with a dividend it declared at the same time, with
distributions to move from a semi-annual to a quarterly basis.
"These actions reflect the confidence of our Board of Directors in
the continued success of the strategies that we have employed to
position Rogers as Canada's premier provider of communications,
entertainment and information services," said Edward "Ted" Rogers,
President and CEO of Rogers Communications Inc. "These decisions
also recognize the growing cash flows being generated by our
business as well the Board's interest in helping to widen
distribution and make Rogers shares accessible to a broader range
of investors." Two-For-One Stock Split: The Board has called a
special shareholder meeting for December 15, 2006 to approve a
two-for-one split of Rogers' Class A Voting and Class B Non-Voting
shares. A simple majority of the Class A Voting shares is required
to pass the proposal. Approximately 91% of the Class A Voting
shares entitled to vote on this matter are controlled directly or
indirectly by Rogers' controlling shareholder, Edward "Ted" Rogers,
and Mr. Rogers has advised the Board of his intention to vote all
such shares in favour of the proposed split. It is expected that
shareholders of record as of the close of business December 29,
2006 will receive one additional Rogers Communications Inc. share
of the relevant class for each share held. Rogers expects that its
transfer agent, Computershare Trust Company, will distribute the
additional share certificates on or about January 5, 2007. Class A
Shareholders will also be asked to approve at the special meeting
an increase in the authorized number of Class A Voting shares that
can be issued in order to accommodate the proposed split and the
removal of the par value from the Class B Non-Voting shares.
Dividend Increase: Rogers' Board of Directors has approved an
increase in the annual dividend from C$0.15 to C$0.32 per Class A
Voting and Class B Non-Voting share (on a pre-split basis)
effective immediately. The Board also modified Rogers' dividend
distribution policy to now make dividend distributions on a
quarterly basis instead of semi-annually. The new quarterly
dividend will be C$0.08 per each outstanding Class B Non-Voting
share and Class A Voting share (on a pre-split basis). Such
quarterly dividends are only payable as and when declared by
Rogers' Board and there is no entitlement to any dividend prior
thereto. The Board has declared the first quarterly dividend of
C$0.08 cents per share (on a pre-split basis) for each of the
outstanding Class B Non-Voting shares and Class A Voting shares
reflecting the increased C$0.32 per share annual dividend level and
the new quarterly distribution schedule. This quarterly dividend
will be paid on January 2, 2007 to shareholders of record on
December 20, 2006. About the Company: Rogers Communications Inc. is
a diversified Canadian communications and media company engaged in
three primary lines of business. Rogers Wireless is Canada's
largest wireless voice and data communications services provider
and the country's only carrier operating on the world standard GSM
technology platform. Rogers Cable and Telecom is Canada's largest
cable television provider offering cable television, high-speed
Internet access, residential telephony services, and video
retailing, while its Rogers Business Solutions division is a
national provider of voice communications services, data networking
and broadband Internet connectivity to small, medium and large
businesses and government agencies across the country. Rogers Media
is Canada's premier collection of category leading media assets
with businesses in radio and television broadcasting, televised
shopping, publishing, and sports entertainment. For further
information about the Rogers group of companies, please visit
http://www.rogers.com/. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements: This press release includes forward-looking statements
and assumptions concerning the future performance of our business,
its operations and its financial performance and condition. These
forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to,
statements with respect to our objectives and strategies to achieve
those objectives, as well as statements with respect to our
beliefs, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates or
intentions. Statements containing expressions such as "could",
"expect", "may", "anticipate", "assume", "believe", "intend",
"estimate", "plan", "guidance", and similar expressions generally
constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking
statements are based on current expectations and various factors
and assumptions applied which we believe to be reasonable at the
time, including but not limited to general economic and industry
growth rates, currency exchange rates, product pricing levels and
competitive intensity, subscriber growth and usage rates,
technology deployment, content and equipment costs, the integration
of acquisitions, and industry structure and stability. We caution
that all forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and
that actual results may differ materially from the assumptions,
estimates or expectations reflected in the forward-looking
information. A number of factors could cause actual results to
differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements,
including but not limited to economic conditions, technological
change, the integration of acquisitions, unanticipated changes in
content or equipment costs, changing conditions in the
entertainment, information and communications industries,
regulatory changes, litigation and tax matters, and the level of
competitive intensity, many of which are beyond our control.
Therefore, should one or more of these risks materialize, or should
assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove
incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from what we
currently foresee. Accordingly, we warn investors to exercise
caution when considering any such forward-looking information
herein and to not place undue reliance on such statements and
assumptions. We are under no obligation (and we expressly disclaim
any such obligation) to update or alter any forward-looking
statements or assumptions whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Before
making any investment decisions and for a more detailed discussion
of the risks, uncertainties, material factors and assumptions
associated with our business that were applied in drawing
conclusions or making a forecasts set out in such forward-looking
information, see the MD&A sections of our 2005 Annual Report
entitled "Risks and Uncertainties" (found on pages 62 to 74) and
"Material Assumptions" (found on pages 88 to 89), as well as the
"Updates to Risks and Uncertainties" and "Government Regulation and
Regulatory Developments" sections herein. Our annual and quarterly
reports can be found at http://www.rogers.com/,
http://www.sedar.com/, and http://www.sec.gov/. DATASOURCE: Rogers
Communications Inc. CONTACT: Bruce M. Mann, (416) 935-3532,
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