Notes to the consolidated financial statements – analysis of items in the primary statements

10. Earnings per share

Earnings per ordinary share have been calculated by dividing the profit for the year attributable to equity shareholders of the parent company by the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue during the year.

Adjusted earnings per share, excluding exceptional items, remeasurements and stranded cost recoveries, are provided to reflect the business performance subtotals used by the Company as described in accounting policy T. For further details of exceptional items, remeasurements and stranded cost recoveries, refer to note 4.

Diluted earnings per share have been calculated by dividing the net profit attributable to ordinary equity shareholders by the diluted weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the year, adjusted to reflect the dilutive effect of the employee share plan.

(a) Basic earnings per share

  Earnings
2008
£m
Earnings per share
2008
pence
Earnings
2007
£m
Earnings per share
2007
pence
Earnings
2006
£m
Earnings per share
2006
pence
Adjusted earnings – continuing operations* 1,253 48.0 1,042 38.3 998 35.2
Exceptional items after taxation (2) (0.1) (41) (1.5) (61) (2.2)
Commodity contract remeasurements after taxation 133 5.1 37 1.3 (38) (1.3)
Derivative financial instruments remeasurements after taxation (35) (1.3) 16 0.6 (11) (0.4)
Stranded cost recoveries after taxation* 229 8.8 254 9.4 293 10.3
Earnings – continuing operations 1,578 60.5 1,308 48.1 1,181 41.6
Adjusted earnings – discontinued operations 28 1.1 104 3.8 77 2.7
Gain on disposal of operations after taxation 1,582 60.6 2,605 91.8
Other exceptional items and remeasurements 8 0.3 (18) (0.6) (15) (0.5)
Earnings – discontinued operations 1,618 62.0 86 3.2 2,667 94.0
Earnings 3,196 122.5 1,394 51.3 3,848 135.6
  2008
millions
2007
millions
2006
millions
Weighted average number of shares – basic 2,609 2,719 2,837

*Comparatives have been adjusted to present items on a basis consistent with the current year classification

(b) Diluted earnings per share

  Earnings
2008
£m
Earnings per share
2008
pence
Earnings
2007
£m
Earnings per share
2007
pence
Earnings
2006
£m
Earnings per share
2006
pence
Adjusted diluted earnings – continuing operations* 1,253 47.8 1,042 38.1 998 35.0
Exceptional items after taxation (2) (0.1) (41) (1.5) (61) (2.2)
Commodity contract remeasurements after taxation 133 5.0 37 1.3 (38) (1.3)
Derivative financial instruments remeasurements after taxation (35) (1.3) 16 0.6 (11) (0.4)
Stranded cost recoveries after taxation* 229 8.7 254 9.3 293 10.3
Diluted earnings – continuing operations 1,578 60.1 1,308 47.8 1,181 41.4
Adjusted diluted earnings – discontinued operations 28 1.1 104 3.8 77 2.7
Gain on disposal of operations after taxation 1,582 60.3 2,605 91.4
Other exceptional items and remeasurements 8 0.3 (18) (0.7) (15) (0.5)
Diluted earnings – discontinued operations 1,618 61.7 86 3.1 2,667 93.6
Diluted earnings 3,196 121.8 1,394 50.9 3,848 135.0
  2008
millions
2007
millions
2006
millions
Weighted average number of shares – diluted 2,624 2,737 2,851

*Comparatives have been adjusted to present items on a basis consistent with the current year classification

(c) Reconciliation of basic to diluted average number of shares

  2008
millions
2007
millions
2006
millions
Weighted average number of ordinary shares – basic 2,609 2,719 2,837
Effect of dilutive potential ordinary shares – employee share plan 15 18 14
Weighted average number of ordinary shares – diluted 2,624 2,737 2,851

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