5.13 Shareholders‘ equity, minority interests and treasury shares

Shareholders’ equity is shown as a separate component of the financial statement in accordance with IAS 1 “Presentation of Financial Statements” and subject to IAS 32 “Financial Instruments: Disclosure and Presentation” in conjunction with IAS 39 “Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement”. The change in shareholders’ equity comprises not only the net income deriving from the statement of income but also the changes in the value of asset and liability items not recognised in the statement of income.

The common shares (share capital of the parent company) amount to EUR 120,597,134.00. They are divided into 120,597,134 voting and dividend-bearing registered no-par value shares. The shares are fully paid up. Each share carries an equal voting right and an equal dividend entitlement.

Minority interests are established in accordance with the shares held by companies outside the Group in the shareholders’ equity of the subsidiaries.

Authorised capital of up to EUR 60,299 thousand is available with a time limit of 3 May 2015. New, no-par-value registered shares may be issued on one or more occasions for contributions in cash or kind. Of the total amount, up to EUR 1,000 thousand may be used to issue employee shares.

In addition, conditional capital of up to EUR 60,299 thousand is available. It can be used to grant shares to holders of convertible bonds and bonds with warrants as well as to holders of participating bonds with conversion rights and warrants and has a time limit of 11 May 2011.

For the disclosures arising out of IAS 1 “Presentation of Financial Statements” with regard to the management of capital the reader is referred to the “Financial position” section on page 73 et seq. of the management report.

Treasury shares

IAS 1 “Presentation of Financial Statements” requires separate disclosure in shareholders’ equity of treasury shares and transactions with owners acting in their capacity as such. By a resolution of the Annual General Meeting of Hannover Rückversicherung AG adopted on 5 May 2009, the company was authorised until 31 October 2010 to acquire treasury shares of up to 10% of the share capital existing on the date of the resolution. As part of this year’s employee share option plan Hannover Re acquired altogether 23,163 treasury shares in the course of the second quarter of 2010 and delivered them to eligible employees at preferential conditions. These shares are blocked until 31 May 2014. This transaction reduced the retained earnings by EUR 0.3 million. The company was no longer in possession of treasury shares as at the balance sheet date.