6-K UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER
PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
March 11, 2003
BASF AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
BASF CORPORATION
(Translation of Registrant's name into English)
Carl Bosch Strasse 38, LUDWIGSHAFEN, GERMANY 67056
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
Indicate by check mark whether the
Registrant files or will file
annual reports under cover Form
20-F or Form 40-F
Form 20-F X Form 40-F
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant by furnishing the information
contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes No X
If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the
Registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- .
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this Current Report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
BASF Aktiengesellschaft
Date: March 11, 2003 By: /s/ Elisabeth Schick
------------------------------------
Name: Elisabeth Schick
Title: Director Site Communications Ludwigshafen
and Europe
By: /s/ Christian Schubert
------------------------------------
Name: Christian Schubert
Title: Director Corporate Communications
BASF Group
Dividend Declaration
Business Editors
UK REGULATORY NEWS
LUDWIGSHAFEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 11, 2003--
BASF Proposes Dividend of EUR 1.40 Per Share
-- Dividend yield 3.9 percent
-- Dividend to be paid out on May 7, 2003
At the Annual Meeting on May 6, 2003, the Board of Executive Directors and the
Supervisory Board of BASF Aktiengesellschaft are proposing to pay a dividend for
2002 of (EUR)1.40 (previous year (EUR)1.30) per share. This would correspond to
a total dividend payout of (EUR)798 million.
Relative to the 2002 year-end share price of (EUR)36.08, BASF shareholders will
thus receive a dividend yield of 3.9 percent. In terms of the dividend yield,
BASF shares therefore continue to occupy an excellent position among companies
listed in Germany's DAX index, which underlines their attractiveness even in a
difficult stock market environment.
Subject to approval by the Annual Meeting, the dividend will be paid out on May
7, 2003.
BASF will report its financial results for 2002 in detail at its Annual Press
Conference on March 18, 2003. There will also be a conference for financial
analysts on the same day.
BASF is the world's leading chemical company. It aims to increase and sustain
its corporate value through growth and innovation. BASF offers its customers a
range of high-performance products, including chemicals, plastics, coatings
systems, dispersions, agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as crude oil
and natural gas. BASF's distinctive approach to integration, known in German as
"Verbund," is its strength. It enables the company to achieve cost leadership
and gives it a decisive competitive advantage in the long term. BASF acts in
accordance with the principles of Sustainable Development. In 2001, BASF had
sales of (EUR)32.5 billion (circa $29 billion) and over 90,000 employees
worldwide. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS),
London (BFA), New York (BF), Paris (BA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information on
BASF is available on the Internet at WWW.BASF.COM.
Forward-looking statements
This release contains forward-looking statements under the U.S. Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current
expectations, estimates and projections of BASF management and currently
available information. They are not guarantees of future performance, involve
certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and are based upon
assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Many factors
could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of BASF to be
materially different from those that may be expressed or implied by such
statements. Such factors include those discussed in BASF's Form 20-F filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not assume any obligation to
update the forward-looking statements contained in this release.
Short Name: BASF A.G.
Category Code: DIV
Sequence Number: XXXXXXXX
Time of Receipt (offset from UTC): 20030311T132537+0000
--30--SM/uk*
CONTACT: BASF AG
Michael Grabicki
Phone: +49 621 60-99938
Fax: +49 621 60-20129
MICHAEL.GRABICKI@BASF-AG.DE