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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 8-K
CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT
OF 1934
Date of Report: May 1, 1998
Exact name of registrant
as specified in its charter: BELL ATLANTIC CORPORATION
Commission File Number: 1-8606
State of Incorporation: Delaware
I.R.S. Employer Identification No.: 23-2259884
Address of principal
executive offices: 1095 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York
Zip Code 10036
Registrant's telephone number,
including area code: (212) 395-2121
Former name or former address,
if changed since last report: Not applicable
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Item 5. Other Events
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Attached as an exhibit is a press release issued by Bell Atlantic Corporation on
May 1, 1998, announcing a two-for-one split of its common shares.
.
Item 7. Financial Statements and Exhibits
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(c) Exhibits.
99 Press Release, dated May 1, 1998, issued by Bell Atlantic Corporation
announcing a two-for-one split of its common shares.
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
BELL ATLANTIC CORPORATION
By: /s/ Mel Meskin
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Mel Meskin
Vice President - Comptroller
Date: May 4, 1998
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EXHIBIT 99
NEWS RELEASE [LOGO OF BELL ATLANTIC APPEARS HERE]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
May 1, 1998 Susan Kraus
212-395-0500
[email protected]
David Frail
212-395-0500
[email protected]
Bell Atlantic Announces 2-for-1 Stock Split
Cites Superior Growth Opportunities
NEW YORK -- Bell Atlantic Corp. (NYSE:BEL) announced that its board of
directors today approved a 2-for-1 stock split of its common shares, payable in
the form of a 100 percent stock dividend.
The stock dividend is payable on June 29 to shareowners of record as of the
close of business on June 1. Each shareowner will receive one additional common
share for every share owned. Bell Atlantic shares will continue to trade on a
pre-split basis through June 29.
The first quarter dividend of $.77 per pre-split share is payable today,
May 1, to shareowners of record on April 10. Future dividends will be declared
and paid on a post-split basis.
"Stock splits are said to indicate faith in the future," said Bell Atlantic
Chairman and CEO Raymond W. Smith, "and that certainly is the case with ours.
"Our merger immediately created value for Bell Atlantic shareowners, and we
are delivering solid growth off the post-merger company's larger earnings base.
We are on track to meet our earnings target for this year, and we are executing
on our long-term strategic plans to develop our data portfolio, enter the long
distance market, and build our `first-mile' assets - the richest in the business
- -- into global capabilities and customer relationships."
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Bell Atlantic News Release, page 2
Smith added, "Ivan Seidenberg, who will become CEO on June 1, and his team
have what it takes to complete our transformation into a new kind of
communications company. This stock split marks our confidence in our ability to
make the most of the growth opportunities in this dynamic marketplace."
The stock split is Bell Atlantic's third in 12 years.
Bell Atlantic has one of the largest shareowner bases in America, with
approximately 1.2 million registered accounts and 776.2 million common shares
outstanding as of March 31, 1998.
Bell Atlantic - formed through the merger of Bell Atlantic and NYNEX - is
at the forefront of the new communications and information industry. With more
than 41 million telephone access lines and 6.7 million wireless customers
worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of advanced wireline
voice and data services, market leaders in wireless services and the world's
largest publishers of directory information. Bell Atlantic companies are also
among the world's largest investors in high-growth global communications
markets, with operations and investments in 22 countries.
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INTERNET USERS: Bell Atlantic news releases, executive speeches, news media
contacts and other useful information are available at Bell Atlantic's News
Center on the World Wide Web (http://www.ba.com). To receive news releases by
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