DESCRIPTION OF PREFERENCE SHARES WE MAY OFFER
Provided that the directors have the required authority to allot shares, our articles of association allow us to issue new share capital with any rights or restrictions to it, subject to any special rights given to the holders of the existing share capital. The rights and restrictions attaching to such share capital can be decided either by shareholders by ordinary resolution or by the board of directors, provided that the rights or restrictions decided by the directors do not conflict with any decision by the shareholders. Under the laws of England and Wales, the board of directors requires express authority to allot preference shares which authority must either be given by an ordinary resolution of shareholders or be set out in the articles of association. Our board of directors currently has authority to allot shares up to a nominal amount of U.S.$1,885,318,004 prior to the earlier of 30 September 2024 and the end of our next Annual General Meeting. Our board of directors also has authority to allot further equity securities up to a nominal amount of U.S.$1,885,318,004 by way of a rights issue prior to the earlier of 30 September 2024 and our next Annual General Meeting.
If the preference shares have the right to participate only up to a specified amount of a dividend or capital distribution, we may issue them without complying with the provisions of English law that otherwise require companies to offer shares first to existing shareholders on a pre-emptive basis (these rights of existing shareholders are sometimes referred to as “pre-emptive rights”). However, pre-emptive rights would apply to any issuance of preference shares that are convertible into, or exchangeable for, other classes of our shares unless such rights are waived by a special resolution of our shareholders. Our shareholders have currently waived pre-emptive rights with respect to ordinary shares up to an aggregate nominal amount of U.S.$282,797,701 issued for cash prior to the earlier of 30 September 2024 and our next Annual General Meeting.
Subject to the foregoing, applicable law and the rights of other holders of our share capital, we may seek to issue preference shares in one or more series with such terms, rights and restrictions the company by ordinary resolution decides, or if no resolution has been passed or the resolution does not make specific provision, with such terms, rights and restrictions as our board of directors decides, including the following:
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the maximum number of shares in the series;
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the designation of the series;
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any dividend rate, or basis for determining such a rate, on the shares of the series;
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whether or not dividends will be cumulative and, if so, from which date or dates;
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whether the shares of the series will be redeemable and, if so, the dates, prices and other terms and conditions of redemption;
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whether the shares of the series will be convertible into, or exchangeable for, shares of stock of any other class or classes and, if so, the rate or rates of conversion or exchange, any terms of adjustment and whether the shares of the series will be convertible or exchangeable at our option, the option of holders of preference shares or both;
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whether the shares of the series will have voting rights in addition to those provided by law and, if so, the terms of those voting rights;
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the rights of the shares of the series in the event of a voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of Vodafone; and
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any other relative rights, powers, preferences, qualifications, limitations or restrictions relating to the shares of the series.
The specific terms of each series of preference shares will be described in a prospectus supplement. However, the description of the preference shares set forth in this prospectus and in any applicable prospectus supplement is not complete without reference to the documents that govern the preference shares. These include our articles of association and any document filed with the Companies Registrar in England and Wales setting out the terms of such preference shares. Any preference shares will be fully paid and non-assessable.