14 Share capital


	BHP Billiton Limited									BHP Billiton Plc
	2018 shares			2017 shares			2016 shares			2018 shares			2017 shares			2016 shares
Share capital issued
Opening number of shares		3,211,691,105			3,211,691,105			3,211,691,105			2,112,071,796			2,112,071,796			2,112,071,796
Purchase of shares by ESOP Trusts		(7,469,236	)		(6,481,292	)		(6,538,404	)		(679,223	)		(225,646	)		(17,000	)
Employee share awards exercised following vesting		7,339,522			6,945,570			6,846,091			711,705			940,070			966,473
Movement in treasury shares under Employee Share Plans		129,714			(464,278	)		(307,687	)		(32,482	)		(714,424	)		(949,473	)

Closing number of shares ⁽¹⁾		3,211,691,105			3,211,691,105			3,211,691,105			2,112,071,796			2,112,071,796			2,112,071,796


Comprising:
Shares held by the public		3,211,494,259			3,211,623,973			3,211,159,695			2,112,030,162			2,111,997,680			2,111,283,256
Treasury shares		196,846			67,132			531,410			41,634			74,116			788,540
Other share classes
Special Voting share of no par value		1			1			1			–			–			–
Special Voting share of US$0.50 par value		–			–			–			1			1			1
5.5% Preference shares of £1 each		–			–			–			50,000			50,000			50,000
DLC Dividend share		1			1			1			–			–			–

⁽¹⁾	No fully paid ordinary shares in BHP Billiton Limited or BHP Billiton Plc were issued on the exercise of Group Incentive Scheme awards during the period 1 July 2018 to 6 September 2018.

Recognition and measurement

Share capital of BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc is composed of the following classes of shares:


Ordinary shares fully paid	Special Voting shares	Preference shares
BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc ordinary shares fully paid of US$0.50 par value represent 99.99 per cent of the total number of shares. Any profit remaining after payment of preferred distributions is available for distribution to the holders of BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc ordinary shares in equal amounts per share.	Each of BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc issued one Special Voting share to facilitate joint voting by shareholders of BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc on Joint Electorate Actions. There has been no movement in these shares.	Preference shares have the right to repayment of the amount paid up on the nominal value and any unpaid dividends in priority to the holders of any other class of shares in BHP Billiton Plc on a return of capital or winding up. The holders of preference shares have limited voting rights if payment of the preference dividends are six months or more in arrears or a resolution is passed changing the rights of the preference shareholders. There has been no movement in these shares, all of which are held by JP Morgan Limited.


DLC Dividend share		Treasury shares
The DLC Dividend share supports the Dual Listed Company (DLC) equalisation principles in place since the merger in 2001, including the requirement that ordinary shareholders of BHP Billiton Plc and BHP Billiton Limited are paid equal cash dividends per share. This share enables efficient and flexible capital management across the DLC and was issued on 23 February 2016 at par value of US$10. On 20 September 2017 and on 21 March 2018, BHP Billiton Limited paid dividends of US$1,280 million and US$1,380 million, respectively to BHP Billiton (AUS) DDS Pty Ltd under the DLC dividend share arrangements. These dividends are eliminated on consolidation.		Treasury shares are shares of BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc and are held by the ESOP Trusts for the purpose of issuing shares to employees under the Group’s Employee Share Plans. Treasury shares are recognised at cost and deducted from equity, net of any income tax effects. When the treasury shares are subsequently sold or reissued, any consideration received, net of any directly attributable costs and income tax effects, is recognised as an increase in equity. Any difference between the carrying amount and the consideration, if reissued, is recognised in retained earnings.