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| <NonNumbericText> <div> <p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><b>12. SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY </b></font></p> <p style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><b>Accenture plc </b></font></p> <p style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><b><i>Ordinary Shares </i></b></font></p> <p style="margin-top: 6px; text-indent: 4%; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2">The Company has <font class="_mt">40,000</font> authorized ordinary shares, par value €<font class="_mt">1</font> per share. Each ordinary share of Accenture plc entitles its holder to receive payments upon a liquidation of Accenture plc; however a holder of an ordinary share is not entitled to vote on matters submitted to a vote of shareholders of Accenture plc or to receive dividends. </font></p> <p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><b><i>Class A Ordinary Shares </i></b></font></p> <p style="margin-top: 6px; text-indent: 4%; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2">An Accenture plc Class A ordinary share entitles its holder to one vote per share, and holders of those shares do not have cumulative voting rights. Each Class A ordinary share entitles its holder to a pro rata part of any dividend at the times and in the amounts, if any, which Accenture plc's Board of Directors from time to time determines to declare, subject to any preferred dividend rights attaching to any preferred shares. Each Class A ordinary share is entitled on a winding-up of Accenture plc to be paid a pro rata part of the value of the assets of Accenture plc remaining after payment of its liabilities, subject to any preferred rights on liquidation attaching to any preferred shares. </font></p> <p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 1px;"> </p> <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><b><i>Class X Ordinary Shares </i></b></font></p> <p style="margin-top: 6px; text-indent: 4%; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2">An Accenture plc Class X ordinary share entitles its holder to one vote per share, and holders of those shares do not have cumulative voting rights. A Class X ordinary share does not entitle its holder to receive dividends, and holders of those shares are not entitled to be paid any amount upon a winding-up of Accenture plc. Most of the Company's partners who received Accenture SCA Class I common shares or Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. exchangeable shares in connection with the Company's transition to a corporate structure received a corresponding number of Accenture plc Class X ordinary shares. Accenture plc may redeem, at its option, any Class X ordinary share for a redemption price equal to the par value of the Class X ordinary share. Accenture plc has separately agreed with the original holders of Accenture SCA Class I common shares and Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. exchangeable shares not to redeem any Class X ordinary share of such holder if the redemption would reduce the number of Class X ordinary shares held by that holder to a number that is less than the number of Accenture SCA Class I common shares or Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. exchangeable shares owned by that holder, as the case may be. Accenture plc will redeem Class X ordinary shares upon the redemption or exchange of Accenture SCA Class I common shares and Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. exchangeable shares so that the aggregate number of Class X ordinary shares outstanding at any time does not exceed the aggregate number of Accenture SCA Class I common shares and Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. exchangeable shares outstanding. Class X ordinary shares are not transferable without the consent of Accenture plc. </font></p> <p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><b>Equity of Subsidiaries Redeemable or Exchangeable for Accenture plc Class A Ordinary Shares </b></font></p> <p style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><b><i>Accenture SCA Class I Common Shares </i></b></font></p> <p style="margin-top: 6px; text-indent: 4%; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2">Senior executives in certain countries, including the United States, received Accenture SCA Class I common shares in connection with the Company's transition to a corporate structure. Only the Company and its current and former senior executives and their permitted transferees hold Accenture SCA Class I common shares. Each Accenture SCA Class I common share entitles its holder to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders of Accenture SCA and entitles its holders to dividends and liquidation payments. </font></p> <p style="margin-top: 6px; text-indent: 4%; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2">Accenture SCA is obligated, at the option of the holder, to redeem any outstanding Accenture SCA Class I common share at a redemption price per share generally equal to its current market value as determined in accordance with Accenture SCA's Articles of Association. Under Accenture SCA's Articles of Association, the market value of a Class I common share will be deemed to be equal to (i) the average of the high and low sales prices of an Accenture plc Class A ordinary share as reported on the New York Stock Exchange (or on such other designated market on which the Class A ordinary shares trade), net of customary brokerage and similar transaction costs, or (ii) if Accenture plc sells its Class A ordinary shares on the date that the redemption price is determined (other than in a transaction with any employee or an affiliate or pursuant to a preexisting obligation), the weighted average sales price of an Accenture plc Class A ordinary share on the New York Stock Exchange (or on such other market on which the Class A ordinary shares primarily trade), net of customary brokerage and similar transaction costs. Accenture SCA may, at its option, pay this redemption price with cash or by delivering Accenture plc Class A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis. Each holder of Class I common shares is entitled to a pro rata part of any dividend and to the value of any remaining assets of Accenture SCA after payment of its liabilities upon dissolution. </font></p> <p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 1px;"> </p> <p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><b><i>Accenture SCA Class II and Class III common shares </i></b></font></p> <p style="margin-top: 6px; text-indent: 4%; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2">On November 16, 2009, the shareholders of Accenture SCA approved amendments to Accenture SCA's Articles of Association pursuant to which all of the Class II common shares and Class III common shares of Accenture SCA, which were all held by the Company, were reclassified into Class I common shares with the same rights as the Class I common shares that existed prior to November 16, 2009, as described above under "—Accenture SCA Class I Common Shares," including being entitled to the payment of cash dividends. This amendment had no effect on the relative economic rights of Accenture plc or the other holders of Accenture SCA Class I common shares. </font></p> <p style="margin-top: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2"><b><i>Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. Exchangeable Shares </i></b></font></p> <p style="margin-top: 6px; text-indent: 4%; margin-bottom: 0px;"><font style="font-family: Times New Roman;" class="_mt" size="2">Partners resident in Canada and New Zealand received Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. exchangeable shares in connection with the Company's transition to a corporate structure. Holders of Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. exchangeable shares may exchange their shares for Accenture plc Class A ordinary shares at any time on a one-for-one basis. The Company may, at its option, satisfy this exchange with cash at a price per share generally equal to the market price of an Accenture plc Class A ordinary share at the time of the exchange. Each exchangeable share of Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. entitles its holder to receive distributions equal to any distributions to which an Accenture plc Class A ordinary share entitles its holder. </font></p> </div> </NonNumbericText> |
| <NonNumericTextHeader> 12. SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Accenture plc Ordinary Shares The Company has 40,000 authorized ordinary shares, par value </NonNumericTextHeader> |
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| | | <ElementDefenition> Disclosures related to accounts comprising shareholders' equity, including other comprehensive income. Includes: (1) balances of common stock, preferred stock, additional paid-in capital, other capital and retained earnings; (2) accumulated balance for each classification of other comprehensive income and total amount of comprehensive income; (3) amount and nature of changes in separate accounts, including the number of shares authorized and outstanding, number of shares issued upon exercise and conversion, and for other comprehensive income, the adjustments for reclassifications to net income; (4) rights and privileges of each class of stock authorized; (5) basis of treasury stock, if other than cost, and amounts paid and accounting treatment for treasury stock purchased significantly in excess of market; (6) dividends paid or payable per share and in the aggregate for each class of stock for each period presented; (7) dividend restrictions and accumulated preferred dividends in arrears (in aggregate and per share amount); (8) retained earnings appropriations or restrictions, such as dividend restrictions; (9) impact of change in accounting principle, initial adoption of new accounting principle and correction of an error in previously issued financial statements; (10) shares held in trust for Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP); (11) deferred compensation related to issuance of capital stock; (12) note received for issuance of stock; (13) unamortized discount on shares; (14) description, terms and number of warrants or rights outstanding; (15) shares under subscription and subscription receivables; effective date of new retained earnings after quasi-reorganization and deficit eliminated by quasi-reorganization and, for a period of at least ten years after the effective date, the point in time from which the new retained dates; and (16) retroactive effective of subsequent change in capital structure. </ElementDefenition> |
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