v3.2.0.727

Shareholders' equity | 6 Months Ended
--- | ---
Jun. 30, 2015
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract] |
Shareholders' equity | Shareholders’ equity All of ACE’s Common Shares are authorized under Swiss corporate law. Though the par value of Common Shares is stated in Swiss francs, ACE continues to use U.S. dollars as its reporting currency for preparing consolidated financial statements. Under Swiss corporate law, dividends, including distributions through a reduction in par value (par value reduction) or from legal reserves, must be stated in Swiss francs though dividend payments are made by ACE in U.S. dollars. At our May 2013 annual general meeting, our shareholders approved an annual dividend for the following year of $2.04 per share, payable in four quarterly installments of $0.51 per share after the annual general meeting in the form of a distribution by way of a par value reduction. At the January 10, 2014 extraordinary general meeting, our shareholders approved a resolution to increase our quarterly dividend from $0.51 per share to $0.63 per share for the final two quarterly installments (made on January 31, 2014 and April 17, 2014) that had been earlier approved at our 2013 annual general meeting. The $0.12 per share increase for each installment was distributed from capital contribution reserves (Additional paid-in capital), a subaccount of legal reserves, and transferred to free reserves (Retained earnings) for payment, while the existing $0.51 per share was distributed by way of a par value reduction. At our May 2014 annual general meeting, our shareholders approved an annual dividend for the following year of $2.60 per share, payable in four quarterly installments of $0.65 per share after the annual general meeting in the form of a distribution by way of a par value reduction. At our May 2015 annual general meeting, our shareholders approved an annual dividend for the following year of up to $2.68 per share, expected to be paid in four quarterly installments of $0.67 per share after the annual general meeting. This dividend will be distributed from capital contribution reserves and transferred to free reserves for payment. The Board of Directors (Board) will determine the record and payment dates at which the annual dividend may be paid, and is authorized to abstain (in whole or in part) from distributing a dividend in its discretion, until the date of the 2016 annual general meeting. The following table presents dividend distributions per Common Share in Swiss francs (CHF) and U.S. dollars (USD):
| Three Months Ended |  |  | Six Months Ended |
| June 30 |  |  | June 30 |
| 2015 |  |  | 2014 |  |  | 2015 |  |  | 2014 |
CHF |  |  | USD |  |  | CHF |  |  | USD |  |  | CHF |  |  | USD |  |  | CHF |  |  | USD |
Dividends – par value reduction | — |  |  | $ |  |  |  | 0.58 |  |  | $ | 0.65 |  |  | 0.62 |  |  | $ | 0.65 |  |  | 1.03 |  |  | $ | 1.16 |
Dividends – distributed from capital contribution reserves | 0.62 |  |  | 0.67 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 0.62 |  |  | 0.67 |  |  | 0.20 |  |  | 0.24 |
Total dividend distributions per common share | 0.62 |  |  | $ | 0.67 |  |  | 0.58 |  |  | $ | 0.65 |  |  | 1.24 |  |  | $ | 1.32 |  |  | 1.23 |  |  | $ | 1.40 |
Par value reductions have been reflected as such through Common Shares in the consolidated statements of shareholders' equity and had the effect of reducing par value per Common Share to CHF 24.15 at June 30, 2015. Common Shares in treasury are used principally for issuance upon the exercise of employee stock options, grants of restricted stock, and purchases under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). At June 30, 2015, 19,018,131 Common Shares remain in treasury after net shares redeemed under employee share-based compensation plans. ACE Limited securities repurchase authorization In November 2014, the Board announced authorization of a share repurchase program of $1.5 billion of ACE's Common Shares for the period January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015 to replace the November 2013 authorization when it expired on December 31, 2014. In November 2013, the Board announced authorization of a share repurchase program of up to $2.0 billion of ACE's Common Shares through December 31, 2014. The following table presents repurchases of ACE's Common Shares conducted in a series of open market transactions under the Board authorizations:
(in millions of U.S. dollars, except share data) | Three Months Ended June 30 |  |  | Six Months Ended June 30 |
2015 |  |  | 2014 |  |  | 2015 |  |  | 2014 |
Number of shares repurchased | 3,650,200 |  |  | 2,306,000 |  |  | 6,677,663 |  |  | 5,793,882 |
Cost of shares repurchased | $ | 394 |  |  | $ | 237 |  |  | $ | 734 |  |  | $ | 569 |
Repurchase authorization remaining at end of period | $ | 766 |  |  | $ | 1,374 |  |  | $ | 766 |  |  | $ | 1,374 |

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_StockholdersEquityNoteAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The entire disclosure for shareholders' equity comprised of portions attributable to the parent entity and noncontrolling interest, including other comprehensive income. Includes, but is not limited to, balances of common stock, preferred stock, additional paid-in capital, other capital and retained earnings, accumulated balance for each classification of other comprehensive income and amount of comprehensive income. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(d),(e)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21484-112644 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 4.E) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27010918&loc=d3e74512-122707 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21488-112644 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.29-31) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 4.C) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187143-122770 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21506-112644 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770 Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6405834&loc=d3e23285-112656 Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21475-112644 Reference 11: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Preferred Stock -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6521494 Reference 12: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21463-112644 Reference 13: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 11 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21564-112644 Reference 14: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) -Number Topic 4 -Section E Reference 15: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) -Number Topic 4 -Section C + Details
Name: | us-gaap_StockholdersEquityNoteDisclosureTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration