Ownership
The Novo Nordisk Foundation is a non-profit institution, whose formal purpose is to provide a stable basis for its company's operations and to make contributions to scientific, humanitarian and social progress.
Novo A/S is an unlisted Danish public limited liability company, owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and established to manage the Foundation's funds and to invest actively in other companies. All A and B shares in Novo Nordisk A/S, previously held by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, were transferred to Novo A/S on 31 December 1999. They currently represent 25,5% of the total share capital and 68,5% of the total number of votes. This figure is not adjusted for Novo Nordisk A/S' holding of treasury shares. This means that Novo A/S has the voting majority at the company's Annual General Meeting.
Novo Nordisk shares
Novo Nordisk’s B shares are quoted on the stock exchanges in Copenhagen and London and on the New York Stock Exchange in the form of American Depositary Shares (ADSs) with the ticker code ‘NVO’. The B shares are traded in units of DKK 2. The ratio of Novo Nordisk B shares to ADSs is 1:1. The B shares are issued to the bearer, but may upon request be registered in the holder's name in Novo Nordisk's register of shareholders. Each holding of DKK 2 of A share capital carries ten times as many votes as each holding of DKK 2 of B share capital. Each A share carries 20 votes, whereas each B share carries 2 votes.
