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Financial Statements

Notes 21-25

21 RESERVES

Share premium account
$m
Capital redemption reserve
$m
Merger reserve
$m
Other reserves
$m
Retained earnings
$m
Total
$m
At 1 January 2005 550 36 433 1,384 11,590 13,993
Profit retained for the year 4,706 4,706
Dividends (1,676) (1,676)
Share premiums 142 142
Re-purchase of shares 17 (3,001) (2,984)
Share-based payments 143 143
Treasury shares (11) (11)
Actuarial loss (40) (40)
Available for sale losses (10) (10)
Exchange adjustments:
Goodwill (39) 39
Foreign exchange and other adjustments on consolidation (1,038) (1,038)
Tax on items taken directly to reserves (23) (23)
Net movements 142 17 (39) (911) (791)
At 31 December 2005 692 53 433 1,345 10,679 13,202
Profit retained for the year 6,043 6,043
Dividends (2,217) (2,217)
Share premiums 979 979
Re-purchase of shares 18 (4,147) (4,129)
Share-based payments 129 129
Treasury shares (13) (13)
Actuarial loss (108) (108)
Available for sale losses (20) (20)
Exchange adjustments:
Goodwill 53 (53)
Foreign exchange and other adjustments on consolidation 918 918
Tax on items taken directly to reserves 137 137
Net movements 979 18 53 669 1,719
At 31 December 2006 1,671 71 433 1,398 11,348 14,921
Profit retained for the year 5,595 5,595
Dividends (2,658) (2,658)
Share premiums 217 217
Re-purchase of shares 20 (4,170) (4,150)
Share-based payments 150 150
Actuarial loss (113) (113)
Available for sale losses (9) (9)
Foreign exchange on borrowings (40) (40)
Cash flow hedge in anticipation of debt issue (21) (21)
Exchange adjustments:
Goodwill (20) 20
Foreign exchange and other adjustments on consolidation 489 489
Tax on items taken directly to reserves 33 33
Net movements 217 20 (20) (724) (507)
At 31 December 2007 1,888 91 433 1,378 10,624 14,414

The cumulative translation differences at 31 December 2007 were $2,433m (2006 $1,945m, 2005 $1,080m).

Nature and purpose of other reserves

The other reserves arose from the cancellation of £1,255m of share premium account by the parent company in 1993 and the redenomination of share capital ($157m) in 1999. The reserves are available for writing off goodwill arising on consolidation and, subject to guarantees given to preserve the rights of creditors as at the date of the court order, are available for distribution.

The cumulative amount of goodwill written off directly to reserves resulting from acquisitions, net of disposals, amounted to $681m (2006 $661m, 2005 $714m) using year end rates of exchange. At 31 December 2007, nil shares, at a cost of $nil, have been deducted from retained earnings (2006 1,112,223 shares, at a cost of $40m, 2005 1,132,144 shares, at a cost of $42m).

There are no significant statutory or contractual restrictions on the distribution of current profits of subsidiaries, joint ventures or associates; undistributed profits of prior years are, in the main, permanently employed in the businesses of these companies. The undistributed income of AstraZeneca companies overseas may be liable to overseas taxes and/or UK taxation (after allowing for double taxation relief) if they were to be distributed as dividends (see Note 4).

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