In 2018, according to the annual report (fresenius.com ), Fresenius board proposed to the company's share holders an increase in the dividend by 7% per share, to EUR0.80 (2017: EUR0.75). The proposed dividend distribution to the share holders was EUR445 million which was equivalent to 24% of the Group's net income. Based on the proposed dividend and the closing price at the end of 2018, the dividend yield was 1.9%.

According to the annual report (fresenius.com ), the closing price for the Fresenius share as at December, 31st, 2018 was EUR42.38 which reflects a 35% fall from the closing price of 2017. The market capitalization of Fresenius was EUR23.6 billion as of 31st December, 2018, reflecting a decrease of 35% compared to the prior year. The average daily trading volume on Xetra increased by 42% to 1,648,837 Fresenius shares compared to the prior year (2017: 1,164,824). Dax trading volume increased by 14% in the same comparison period.<br>

For the twelve months ended 30 September, 2018, based on the information provided in the annual report (<a href="zeiss.com target="blank">zeiss.com</a> ), Carl Zeiss Meditec total assets slightly increased to EUR1.662 billion from EUR1.623 billion recorded in the prior twelve months. Non current assets were EUR411 million (2017: EUR415.2 million) whereas current assets increased to EUR1.251 billion (2017: EUR1.207 billion). The equity amounted to EUR1.314 billion as of 30th September, 2018 (2017: EUR1.241 billion) whereas the current liabilities were EUR280.2 million (2017: EUR316.1 million and non-current liabilities amounted to EUR67.3 million (2017: EUR65.3 million).

The Carl Zeiss Meditec AG share price exhibited a positive trend in 2018, it opened at a price of EUR44.51, reached a new all-time high of EUR76.60 on August, 29th and finished trading at a closing price of EUR72.50, according to the annual report (zeiss.com ). Carl Zeiss Meditec AG's market capitalization increased by more than 64% year over year from EUR3.95 billion to EUR6.484 billion as at 30 September, 2018. The trading volume was EUR1.252 billion in the 2018 financial year versus EUR894.5 million recorded in the prior year.

For the twelve months closed 31st December, 2018, according to the annual report (beiersdorf.com ), Beiersdorf AG recorded a balance sheet total amounting to EUR6.218 billion, an 8.6% growth on the prior twelve months level from EUR5.725 billion. Cash and cash equivalents as of 31st December, 2018 amounted to EUR73 million (2017: EUR99 million) whereas the net assets attributable to share holders for the 2018 financial year amounted to EUR2.735 billion (2017: EUR2.629 billion).<br>

For the twelve months ended 31st December, 2018, based on the information provided in the annual report (beiersdorf.com ), the group recorded sales amounting to EUR7.233 billion, a 2.5% increase over the prior twelve months (2017: EUR7.056 billion). Consumer sales increased from EUR5.799 billion recorded in 2017 to EUR5.89 billion whereas Tesa sales increased from EUR1.257 billion in 2017 to EUR1.343 billion in the year under review.

For the twelve months ended 31st October, 2018, according to the annual report (agilent.com ), Agilent recorded a balance sheet total of US$8.541 billion, a 1.4% rise over the prior twelve months (2017: US$8.426 billion). Cash and cash equivalents recorded as of 31st October, 2018 was US$2.247 billion (2017: US$2.678 billion), total long term debt was US$1.799 billion (2017: US$1.801 million) whereas the share holders equity amounted to US$4.57 billion (2017: US$4.84 billion).<br>

The annual report (agilent.com ) reveals US$191 million as the total cash dividends that were paid out in the 2018 financial year. Cash dividends declared per common share were US$0.596, US$0.528 and US$0.460 in 2018, 2017 and 2016 respectively.<br>

For the twelve months ended 31st December, 2018, according to the 2018 annual report (annualreports.com ), Hanover Insurance Group recorded a balance sheet total of US$12.4 billion compared to US$15.5 billion recorded in the prior twelve months. Cash and cash equivalents as of 31st December, 2018, was US$1.02 billion (2017: US$297.9 million), debt amounted to US$777.9 million in 2018 (2017: US$786.9 million) whereas the shareholders equity was US$2.954 million (2017: US$2.997 million).<br>

Based on the information provided in the annual report (annualreports.com ), dividends to Hanover Group common shareholders are subject to quarterly board approval and declaration. During the 2018 financial year, as declared by the board, dividends totaled US$288 million. This included three quarterly dividends of US$0.54 per share and one quarterly dividend of US$0.60 per share as well as a special dividend declared on 30th, December, 2018 of US$4.75 per share.