FAQs

Deutsche Post DHL is our company logo. We have not only given our Group a new name, but also a new strategic focus. The Group now represents clear structures, increased cooperation and mobility within the Group and integrated solutions for customers. The Deutsche Post DHL will rest on two pillars: an integrated international logistics company focusing on quality and customer service and a strong mail business with a clear commitment to the universal service obligation in Germany.

Deutsche Post DHL is the name under which the Group appears in public, e.g. in advertising. Deutsche Post AG is the legal name of the Group's parent company whose stock has been listed on all German stock exchanges since 20 November 2000.

As at 31 March 2013 the Group had a workforce of 431,055 (average FTE).

In the first three month of 2013 the consolidated revenue was € 13,444 million and the consolidated EBIT was € 711 million.

DHL are the initials of the company's founders Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn.

In essence, the new Group strategy provides for a two-tier structure with Deutsche Post and DHL as well as tighter links between the three DHL divisions. Strategy is aimed at defending the Group's strong position in the German mail market and raising profitability at DHL. Our goal is to remain “Die Post für Deutschland” as well as “The logistics company for the world”. more

Our brands Deutsche Post and DHL - are united under the umbrella of Deutsche Post DHL. They offer a range of services split into divisions for MAIL, EXPRESS, GLOBAL FOWARDING, FREIGHT and SUPPLY CHAIN.

In general, our Group takes every competitor - including the smaller ones - seriously. The three major competitors include TNT (Netherlands) as well as UPS and FedEx in the EXPRESS Corporate Division.

Since the financial year 1999 our consolidated financial statements are drawn up in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

We first drew up our consolidated financial statements in accordance with IAS (International Accounting Standards, now: International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)) in 1999.

You can view the annual and interim reports online (incl. spreadsheet download and advanced search functions) on our website and download them as PDF files. You can also order printed copies here.

Shares of Deutsche Post AG can be acquired through your bank.

The IPO of Deutsche Post AG was on 20 November 2000.

Our shares are traded on all German stock markets and via the electronic trading system XETRA.

The German Securities Code (WKN) is 555200, the ISIN Code is DE0005552004.

Since 19 March 2001, Deutsche Post AG has been included in the DAX 30. Furthermore, Deutsche Post AG is also represented in two international indices - a Dow Jones Titans Sector Index (non-cyclical goods and services) and the MSCI 5.

The current market capitalisation is calculated by multiplying the total number of shares 1,209,015,874 shares by the current share price. You can find the share price - among other places - on our Investor Relations website or in the financial press.

Please give the change of address to the bank maintaining your securities account. You may also submit your changes directly to the share register, which is available here on our Investor Relations web page.

The Annual General Meeting on 9 May 2012 resolved to pay a dividend per share of € 0.70. The total dividend amounted to € 846 million. Based on the year-end closing price of Deutsche Post shares, the net dividend yield is 5.9%. The dividend was distributed on 10 May 2012 and paid tax-free for shareholders resident in Germany. For tax purposes the distribution is considered a repayment of contributions and, in the view of German tax authorities, serves to reduce the cost of acquiring the shares. more

Since the dividend is being paid in full from the tax reserve account as defined by section 27 of the KStG - German Corporation Tax Act - (contributions not paid into the nominal capital), the payment for shareholders resident in Germany is made without deduction of capital gains tax and solidarity surcharge. For tax purposes the distribution is considered a refund on investment and reduces - according to fiscal authorities - acquisition costs. The dividend does not entitle recipients to a tax credit. For shareholders not resident in Germany the dividend is taxed according to the tax regulations of the corresponding country of residence.

At present we assume that domestic shareholders will not be required to pay tax on the dividend for the coming years. For tax purposes the distribution is also here considered a refund on investment and reduces - according to fiscal authorities - acquisition costs.

The tax treatment for foreign shareholders is based on the tax regulations of their respective country of domicile.

Further information regarding dividends more

Institutional and Retail Investors in the US, who do not want to buy the shares on a German stock exchange but prefer a US Dollar denominated security which can be traded and settled in the US within US market trading hours. ADR can be purchased through a bank/broker or the US depositary bank, but are not offered by Deutsche Post DHL to investors and in particular are not publicly offered in Germany.

US investors frequently aim to diversify their portfolio internationally. However, obstacles such as different settlement systems, costly currency conversions, unreliable custody services, poor information flow, unfamiliar market practices, foreign tax regimes and internal investment policies frequently discourage US institutions and private investors from investing in securities outside the US  local market. Addressing these concerns, ADR provide familiar trading, clearance and settlement procedures in the US.

Yes, and we have appointed Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon) as depositary bank. The depositary bank plays a key role in the process of issuance and cancellation of ADR. It also maintains the ADR holder register and distributes the dividends in US dollars to investors. BNY Mellon is a DTC (Depositary Trust Company) participant as are brokers and dealers, other banks, trust companies and clearinghouses.

ADR are created when a US broker purchases publicly traded Deutsche Post DHL shares on a stock exchange in Germany, delivers such shares to BNY Mellon’s custodian bank, and then instructs BNY Mellon to issue ADR representing the number of underlying shares deposited with the custodian. In addition, ADR may also be purchased in the US secondary trading market.

Once issued, ADR trade in the US over-the-counter market. When the ADR holder sells, the ADR can either be sold to another US investor or it can be cancelled and the underlying shares can be sold to a non-US investor. In the  latter case, the ADR certificate (if applicable) will be surrendered, and the shares held with the local custodian bank will be released and sold in the home market (i.e. Germany).

The ADR certificate contains, among other things, the details of the responsibilities of the depositary bank with respect to the issuance, transfer and cancellation of ADR, the  payment of dividends, voting at shareholders’ meetings  and handling of possible future rights offerings, exchange offers, share splits and the like.

Yes, dividends will be paid to BNY Mellon which then converts the payments into US$ and passes them on to the ADR holders net any applicable withholding taxes.

No. Level 1 ADR are traded in the US over-the-counter (OTC) market only with prices published on so-called ‘Pink Sheets’ (centralized quotation service which collects and publishes market maker quotes for OTC securities in real time).

An ADR issuer is obligated to make all relevant information generally disclosed to its shareholders available on its website in the English language. In practice, such information is also available on the depositary bank’s website and is tracked by many of the main US. financial websites.

For additional general information, please visit BNY Mellon’s website at bnymellon.com/dr and search for Deutsche Post DHL Profile Page. ADR holders directly registered on the books of the depositary bank should direct questions about their account holdings, including dividends, transfers & tax documentation, to BNY Mellon’s Shareowner Services division by using the following contact information:

• Deutsche Post AG, c/o BNY Mellon Shareowner Services, P.O. Box 358016, Pittsburgh, PA 15252-8016, USA

• Toll Free Tel # for domestic callers: + 1-888-BNY-ADR, International Callers can call: + 1 201 680 6825

• E-mail: shrrelations@bnymellon.com

• Website: http://www.bnymellon.com\shareowner

• Those owning Deutsche Post DHL ADR through a bank, broker or nominee in “street name” should direct questions about their holdings to their respective bank, broker or nominee representative.

Depositing ordinary shares into the Level 1 ADR program must be done through a broker or an investment advisor who will then contact BNY Mellon.

BNY Mellon will mail information about the AGM to the ADR holders registered in the books of the depositary bank. The ADR Holders will then have the possibility to give voting instructions concerning the AGM topics. These voting instructions will then be passed on by BNY Mellon to a proxy.

ADR are US Dollar denominated securities issued by an US depositary bank, represent ownership in non-US securities, represent underlying ordinary shares which are held in safekeeping in a local market. ADR enable US investors to acquire and trade non-US securities and receive dividends in US-Dollars, are used as a share surrogate for trading and settlement purposes in the US clearing system.

Unsponsored ADR are issued by one or more depositaries in response to market demand, but without a formal agreement with the company (e.g. Deutsche Post DHL).  Sponsored ADR are issued by one depositary bank appointed by the company under a so-called Deposit Agreement.

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) for fiscal year 2011 took place on 9 May 2012 in Frankfurt/Main, Germany.

An Annual General Meeting is where shareholders exercise their rights in relation to the company's affairs. An Annual General Meeting gives shareholders the opportunity to question the Board of Management directly on all the company's affairs, in order to make an informed judgment on any given agenda item. Every year, a properly conducted Annual General Meeting discusses, as a minimum, the following agenda items:

• Presentation of the annual financial statements for the previous year
• Appropriation of net retained profit
• Formal approval of the actions of the members of the Board of Management, and of the Supervisory Board
• Appointment of the auditors for the current fiscal year

Other additional agenda items can also be addressed at an Annual General Meeting.

An Annual General Meeting is primarily an event for shareholders, who may attend in person or be represented by a proxy. Annual General Meetings of large public companies are also of interest to the general public, and are regularly reported on in the media. Apart from representatives of the press, Annual General Meetings are attended by other people who wish to form an impression of how the company's business is developing.

Each share entitles you to one vote. The number of votes to which you are entitled depends on the number of shares registered under your shareholder number in the share register on the day of the Annual General Meeting.

Shareholders who do not wish to attend the Annual General Meeting in person may appoint proxies to vote on their behalf. Proxy may be issued to a personal representative attending the Annual General Meeting on the shareholder's behalf, a bank (provided that the bank in question offers proxy services), a shareholders' association, or the designated proxies of Deutsche Post AG.

The current rating, which reflects our high creditworthiness, means our group is well positioned in the transport and logistics industry.

In order to maintain its unrestricted access to the capital markets, the Group continues to seek a credit rating that is higher than the average for the transport and logistics industry. In view of this aim, we monitor the development of our operating cash flow against adjusted debt particularly closely. Adjusted debt is the Group’s net debt, allowing for pension obligations that are not directly capital-backed and liabilities under operating leases.

Our most important source of funds is the net cash from operating and investing activities. At the start of 2008, we launched a commercial paper programme with a maximum volume of €1 billion. This complements our portfolio of short-term financing tools and enables us to issue notes in various currencies at short notice with maturities of generally less than ninety days. The lasting fundamental need for financial resources will, however, continue to be met by long-term financing tools, as short-term note issues under the commercial paper programme only meet the financing requirements otherwise covered by short-term bank loans.