It is specified that the delegations which expired during the 2024 financial year and which were not used during the said financial year are not mentioned in the above table, namely:
The share buybacks in 2024 under the authorization approved in the 18th resolution of the General Shareholders’ Meeting of May 31, 2023, which expired at the General Shareholders’ Meeting of May 29, 2024, are discussed in Section 8.3.3.
There are no non-representative shares of the Company.
The General Shareholders’ Meeting of May 29, 2024, in its 15th resolution, authorized the Board of Directors to buy or sell Company shares, as part of the implementation of a share buyback program.
The maximum total amount of this authorization is set at euro two billion one hundred and fifty-four million four hundred and thirty thousand four hundred and seventy-six and fifty cents (2,154,430,476.50), net of costs.
The maximum share purchase price is set at euro 130, excluding purchase costs, it being noted that this price does not apply to share buybacks used to satisfy free share grants involving employees and/or corporate officers of the Company and of the Groupe or options exercised by the latter.
This authorization for a period of eighteen months canceled, for the unused portion and the remaining time period, and replaced that previously granted, with the same terms, by the 18th resolution of the General Shareholders’ Meeting on May 31, 2023.
The table below, prepared in accordance with article L. 225-211 of the French Commercial Code, summarizes the transactions carried out under the various buyback programs since 2020.
| Amount | Average purchase price (in euros) | |
|---|---|---|
| Period from 01/01/2020 to 12/31/2020 | Period from 01/01/2020 to 12/31/2020 Amount 4,064,184 |
Period from 01/01/2020 to 12/31/2020 Average purchase price (in euros)31.53 |
| Period from 01/01/2021 to 12/31/2021 | Period from 01/01/2021 to 12/31/2021 Amount 7,205,354 |
Period from 01/01/2021 to 12/31/2021 Average purchase price (in euros)54.26 |
| Period from 01/01/2022 to 12/31/2022 | Period from 01/01/2022 to 12/31/2022 Amount 4,165,911 |
Period from 01/01/2022 to 12/31/2022 Average purchase price (in euros)54.38 |
| Period from 01/01/2023 to 12/31/2023 | Period from 01/01/2023 to 12/31/2023 Amount 5,806,521 |
Period from 01/01/2023 to 12/31/2023 Average purchase price (in euros)73.12 |
| Period from 01/01/2024 to 12/31/2024 | Period from 01/01/2024 to 12/31/2024 Amount 2,676,568 |
Period from 01/01/2024 to 12/31/2024 Average purchase price (in euros)97.11 |
As part of a share buyback program, under the 18th resolution of the General Shareholders’ Meeting of May 31, 2023, the Company repurchased 1,031,711 of its shares for an amount of euro 99 million during H1 2024. The purpose of this program was to meet obligations related to the current free share plans for employees without issuing new shares.
In addition, during the months of June and July 2024, the Company acquired from a shareholder a block of 150,000 of its own shares for euro 15 million (see Note 14 to the annual financial statements of Publicis Groupe SA), as well as another buyback of 300,000 shares for euro 29 million. These treasury shares will also be used to meet the obligations related to the current free share plans for employees, without having to issue new shares.
In 2024, the Company also delivered 1,673,636 shares under free share plans.
Under the liquidity contract granted by Publicis Groupe SA to BNP Paribas Arbitrage, the Company acquired 1,194,857 shares in 2024 at an average price of euro 97.23, and sold 1,168,186 shares at an average price of euro 97.65.
The trading fees and other expenses incurred by the Company during 2024 for transactions executed pursuant to the share buyback program, authorized by the 18th resolution of the General Shareholders’ Meeting of May 31, 2023, and then by the 15th resolution of the General Shareholders’ Meeting of May 29, 2024, amounted to euro 80,000.
