2020 Universal registration document and annual financial report - BNP PARIBAS250

4 Consolidated finanCial statements for the year ended 31 deCemBer 2020

4

Notes to the financial statements

BNP Paribas has the option of not paying interest due on these Undated Super Subordinated Notes. Unpaid interest is not carried forward.

For the notes issued before 2015, the absence of coupon payment is conditional on the absence of dividend payment on BNP Paribas SA ordinary shares or on Undated Super Subordinated Note equivalents during the previous year. Interest due is payable once dividend payment on BNP Paribas SA ordinary shares resumes.

The contracts relating to these Undated Super Subordinated Notes contain a loss absorption clause. Under the terms of this clause, in the event of insufficient regulatory capital, the nominal value of the notes may be reduced in order to serve as a new basis for the calculation of the related coupons until the capital deficiency is made up and the nominal value of the notes is increased to its original amount.

The proceeds from these issues are recorded in equity under Capital and retained earnings . In accordance with IAS 21, issues denominated in foreign currencies are recognised at their historical value based on their translation into euros at the issue date. Interest on the instruments is treated in the same way as dividends.

At 31 December 2020, the BNP Paribas Group held EUR 15 million of Undated Super Subordinated Notes which were deducted from shareholders equity.

Earnings per share

Basic earnings per share are calculated by dividing the net income for the period attributable to holders of ordinary shares by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period. The net income attributable to ordinary shareholders is determined by deducting the net income attributable to holders of preferred shares.

Diluted earnings per share correspond to the net income for the period attributable to holders of ordinary shares, divided by the weighted average number of shares outstanding as adjusted for the maximum effect of the conversion of dilutive equity instruments into ordinary shares. In-the-money stock subscription options are taken into account in the diluted earnings per share calculation, as are performance shares granted under the Global Share-Based Incentive Plan. Conversion of these instruments would have no effect on the net income figure used in this calculation.

Year to 31 Dec. 2020

Year to 31 Dec. 2019

Net profit used to calculate basic and diluted earnings per ordinary share (in millions of euros)(1) 6,626 7,745

Weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the year 1,247,821,717 1,247,993,812

Effect of potentially dilutive ordinary shares 206 206

Weighted average number of ordinary shares used to calculate diluted earnings per share 1,247,821,923 1,247,994,018

Basic earnings per share (in euros) 5.31 6.21

Diluted earnings per share (in euros) 5.31 6.21

(1) The net profit used to calculate basic and diluted earnings per share is the net profit attributable to equity shareholders, adjusted for the remuneration on the Undated Super Subordinated Notes issued by BNP Paribas SA (treated as preferred share equivalents), which for accounting purposes is handled as dividends, as well as the related foreign exchange gain or loss impact recognised directly in shareholders equity in case of repurchase.

In accordance of the Annual General Meeting of 19 May 2020, no dividend was paid in 2020 out of the 2019 net income. The dividend per share paid in 2019 out of the 2018 net income amounted to EUR 3.02.

7.b CONTINGENT LIABILITIES: LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AND ARBITRATION

BNP Paribas (the Bank ) is party as a defendant in various claims, disputes and legal proceedings (including investigations by judicial or supervisory authorities) in a number of jurisdictions arising in the ordinary course of its business activities, including inter alia in connection with its activities as market counterparty, lender, employer, investor and taxpayer. While the Bank cannot predict the ultimate outcome of all pending and threatened legal and regulatory proceedings, the Bank reasonably believes that they are either without legal merit, can be successfully defended or that the outcome of these actions is not expected to result in a significant loss for the Bank.

The Bank and certain of its subsidiaries are defendants in several actions pending before the United States Bankruptcy Court Southern District of New York brought by the Trustee appointed for the liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC ( BLMIS ). These actions, known generally as clawback claims , are similar to those brought by the BLMIS Trustee against numerous institutions, and seek recovery of amounts allegedly received by the BNP Paribas entities from BLMIS or indirectly through BLMIS-related feeder funds in which BNP Paribas entities held interests. The BLMIS Trustee claims in these actions that the amounts which BNP Paribas entities received are avoidable and recoverable under the US Bankruptcy Code and New York state law. In the aggregate, the amount initially sought to be recovered in these actions approximated USD 1.3 billion. BNP Paribas has substantial and credible defenses to these actions and is defending against them vigorously.