AstraZeneca Annual Report and Form 20-F Information 2008

AstraZeneca PLC

Since April 1999, following the AstraZeneca merger, the principal markets for trading in the shares of AstraZeneca PLC are the London, Stockholm and New York Stock Exchanges. The table below sets out, for the four quarters of 2007 and for the first two quarters and last six months of 2008 the reported high and low share prices of AstraZeneca PLC, on the following bases.

• For shares listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) the reported high and low middle market closing quotations are derived from The Daily Official List.
• For shares listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange (SSE) the high and low closing sales prices are as stated in the Official List.
• For American Depositary Shares (ADS) listed on the New York Stock Exchange the reported high and low sales prices are as reported by Dow Jones (ADR quotations).

		Ordinary LSE		ADS		Ordinary SSE1
		High (pence)	Low (pence)	High (US$)	Low (US$)	High (SEK)	Low (SEK)
2007	– Quarter 1	2984	2734	58.78	53.53	414.0	367.5
	– Quarter 2	2953	2567	59.04	51.00	401.0	354.5
	– Quarter 3	2770	2278	56.16	45.56	374.5	315.0
	– Quarter 4	2589	2093	52.47	42.82	343.5	272.0
2008	– Quarter 1	2345	1748	45.70	35.50	296.5	211.5
	– Quarter 2	2289	1981	44.57	39.36	268.0	235.5
	– July	2468	2130	48.55	43.42	292.0	255.5
	– August	2693	2437	49.85	47.55	314.0	292.0
	– September	2766	2415	48.95	43.53	321.5	292.5
	– October	2630	2075	44.76	36.50	320.0	253.5
	– November	2888	2245	44.38	34.10	340.5	280.5
	– December	2807	2420	41.12	35.24	326.0	300.0

¹ Principally held in bearer form.

During 2008, AstraZeneca’s share re-purchase programme, which was introduced in 1999, continued with the re-purchase and subsequent cancellation of 13.6 million shares at a total cost of $610m, representing 0.9% of the total issued share capital of the Company. The average price paid per share in 2008 was 2397 pence. This brings the total number of shares repurchased to date since the beginning of the re-purchase programme in 1999, to 376.3 million Ordinary Shares (at an average price of 2661 pence per share) for a consideration, including expenses, of $18,099m. The excess of the consideration over the nominal value was charged against the profit and loss account reserve. Shares issued in respect of share schemes totalled 4.1 million.

In 1999, in connection with the merger, AstraZeneca’s share capital was redenominated in US dollars. On 6 April 1999, Zeneca shares were cancelled and US dollar shares issued, credited as fully paid on the basis of one dollar share for each Zeneca share then held. This was achieved by a reduction of capital under section 135 of the Companies Act 1985. Upon the reduction of capital becoming effective, all issued and unissued Zeneca shares were cancelled and the sum arising as a result thereof credited to a special reserve, which was converted into US dollars at the rate of exchange prevailing on the record date. This US dollar reserve was then applied in paying up, at par, newly created US dollar shares.

At the same time as the US dollar shares were issued, the Company issued 50,000 Redeemable Preference Shares with a nominal value of £1.00 each for cash at par. The Redeemable Preference Shares carry limited class voting rights and no dividend rights. This class of shares is also capable of redemption at par at the option of the Company on the giving of seven days’ written notice to the registered holder of the shares.

A total of 826 million AstraZeneca shares were issued to Astra shareholders who accepted the merger offer before the final closing date, 21 May 1999. AstraZeneca received acceptances from Astra shareholders representing 99.6% of Astra’s shares and the remaining 0.4% was acquired in 2000 for cash.

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