THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THE APPENDICES) AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN ARE RESTRICTED AND ARE NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO
FURTHER, THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN ARE FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND DO NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICES AT THE END OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION.
For immediate release
Proposed Placing, Subscription and Retail Offer of Ordinary Shares and Update on Ingenuity Demerger
and ESCC Step-Up
· Ingenuity to be demerged into a standalone independent private entity
· Target c.
·
·
· These funds, in conjunction with appropriate standalone debt issuance plans for Ingenuity, are expected to provide Ingenuity with sufficient medium-term funding as the business approaches positive cash generation on a standalone basis
· The demerger of Ingenuity facilitates the simplification of THG's business model, as a cash generative global consumer beauty and nutrition group, with an improved balance sheet, capex and cashflow profile
· THG's related party committee, chaired by the Group's senior independent director
· Ingenuity would have no recourse to
· The Company's initial notification and eligibility letter for transfer to the ESCC category has been submitted to the
Introduction
On
The final terms of the Demerger will be provided in due course; however, it is expected that Ingenuity will be demerged into an independent private company ("IngenuityCo") at a valuation to be confirmed by THG's board of directors (the "Board") and set out in a circular to shareholders (the "Demerger Circular"). Each THG shareholder will be given a choice (i) to elect to continue to be invested in IngenuityCo and RemainCo in the same proportion that their shareholding in THG represents, (ii) to apply to receive more or less than their pro rata entitlement of IngenuityCo shares, or (iii) not to receive any IngenuityCo shares.
The Board has approved an equity valuation for IngenuityCo (the "Valuation") of up to
The Fundraise
Given IngenuityCo's ongoing funding requirements, the
The Fundraise, in conjunction with appropriate standalone debt issuance plans for IngenuityCo, is expected to provide IngenuityCo with sufficient medium-term funding as the business approaches positive cash generation on a standalone basis.
The placing will comprise the issue of new Ordinary Shares (the "Placing Shares") at the Placing Price (as defined below) (the "Placing").
Following the Placing, the Company shall be subject to a lock-up period of 90 calendar days following admission of the Placing Shares ("Admission"), subject to waiver by
In addition to the Placing and Subscription, an offer will be made by the Company on the PrimaryBid platform of new Ordinary Shares (the "Retail Offer Shares") at the Placing Price (the "Retail Offer"), to provide retail investors with an opportunity to participate in the equity fundraise.
The Placing, which is being conducted by way of an accelerated bookbuild (the "Bookbuild") and is available to qualifying new and existing institutional investors, will be launched immediately following the release of this announcement. The timing of the closing of the Bookbuild is at the absolute discretion of the Joint Global Coordinators and the Company. The allocation of the Placing Shares shall be determined together by, and at the absolute discretion of, Barclays,
The Placing is subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Appendix to this announcement (which forms part of this announcement, such announcement and the Appendix together being this "Announcement").
The Placing is conditional on, inter alia, the Subscription Agreements having been entered into, and there being no breach or termination of such agreements prior to Admission (save for any breach or termination which in the good faith opinion of the Joint Global Coordinators is not material in the context of the Placing or Admission), but is not conditional on the completion of such agreements. The Placing is not conditional on the Retail Offer.
Expected Timetable and Principal Events
Announcement of the Fundraise |
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Announcement of the results of the Placing and the Retail Offer |
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Admission and commencement in dealings in the new Ordinary Shares expected to commence
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CREST accounts expected to be credited with new Ordinary Shares |
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The above times and/or dates may be subject to change and, in the event of such change, the revised times and/or dates will be notified to shareholders by an announcement through a
Proposed Demerger of Ingenuity
The Demerger follows a detailed review of THG's businesses, consultation with major shareholders and the legal separation of its key trading divisions in 2022.
The Group has three leading businesses; Beauty and Nutrition are both leading global consumer facing businesses with attractive growth profiles and strong cash generation, and Ingenuity is a high-growth ecommerce services business with leading digital marketing, technology and fulfilment capabilities.
The Board believes that there is a significant opportunity to create value for shareholders by demerging Ingenuity into a separate private company which can focus on scaling brands digitally, navigating the complexities of acquiring new audiences, driving traffic, facilitating frictionless ecommerce and distributing products to consumers.
Following the Demerger, IngenuityCo will operate as a separate, standalone entity without recourse to RemainCo. IngenuityCo would be expected to remain a private company with no public listing or other trading facility for its shares. However, IngenuityCo will explore the possibility of introducing a matched bargain facility for IngenuityCo shareholders once it becomes an unlisted, private company, in order to facilitate liquidity for the expected diverse shareholder register of IngenuityCo going forward.
Following the Demerger, RemainCo would become a more focused and simplified global consumer group, with an attractive growth profile and strong cash generation. RemainCo would be comprised of two leading businesses:
· THG Beauty: A leading digital strategic player within the prestige beauty industry globally, combining its portfolio of prestige owned brands across skincare, haircare and cosmetics with the provision of a global route to market for over 1,300 third party beauty brands sold through its online retail sites, including
· THG Nutrition: A digital first brand group and manufacturer that includes the world's largest online sports nutrition brand Myprotein. Primarily an online D2C retailer of sports nutrition supplements, vitamins, bars & snacks, drinks and activewear, with an evolving multi-channel revenue model (including licensing).
In FY 2023 RemainCo generated sales of c.
In FY 2023 THG Ingenuity generated
The Demerger simplifies RemainCo, providing a simpler equity story, while significantly improving its capex and free cashflow profile. It is expected that RemainCo would be capable of optimising returns to shareholders instead of reinvesting profits and cashflow into Ingenuity's technology capex requirements. A significant proportion of THG's lease liabilities (c.
Following the Demerger, THG's executive team and members of the Board are expected to continue in their roles in respect of RemainCo. Similarly, it is expected that Ingenuity's existing executive team, including Chairman
Whilst at this stage no certainty can be provided on the exact timescale of the Demerger, the current intention is that publication of the Demerger Circular would be in or by early November with the distribution of IngenuityCo shares being completed at or before the end of 2024.
Summary Terms and Mechanics of the Proposed Demerger
The Demerger is expected to involve a distribution of shares in IngenuityCo to THG shareholders. In common with all demergers, the Demerger would entitle all THG shareholders to receive their pro rata proportion of IngenuityCo shares. However, the Board recognises that not all THG shareholders may wish to receive a distribution of an interest in a private, unlisted company. Shareholders would therefore have the option:
· to elect to receive their pro rata distribution of IngenuityCo shares in which case such shareholders would then hold an equivalent proportion of RemainCo shares and IngenuityCo shares; or
· not to receive any of their pro rata distribution of IngenuityCo shares in which case such shareholders would see a commensurate increase in their respective interests in RemainCo's ordinary share capital. The proportion by which such shareholders' percentage interest in RemainCo increases would be equal to the value of IngenuityCo (as confirmed by the Board) which they have given up.
Shareholders would also be able to elect to receive more or less than their pro rata entitlement of IngenuityCo shares. In the event that a THG shareholder receives more than its pro rata entitlement of IngenuityCo shares, such shareholder would experience a proportionate reduction in its percentage interest in RemainCo's ordinary share capital. Conversely, in the event that a THG shareholder receives less than its pro rata entitlement of IngenuityCo shares, such shareholder would experience a proportionate increase in its percentage interest in RemainCo's ordinary share capital.
A group of existing investors drawn from the top ten shareholders, and each of whom has indicated their intention to invest in the Placing, have indicated their intention to elect to receive more than their respective pro rata distribution of IngenuityCo shares if there are insufficient elections from other shareholders so as to provide THG with certainty that there is sufficient demand for a successful distribution of all of the shares in IngenuityCo pursuant to the Demerger. In the event that those shareholders were, subject to the outcome of all shareholder elections, allocated more than their pro rata entitlements of IngenuityCo shares, those shareholders would experience a proportionate reduction in their respective interests in RemainCo ordinary share capital.
As stated above, the Board has approved an equity valuation for IngenuityCo of up to
· equal to or greater than the market capitalisation of THG at the time of completion of the Fundraise (calculated by reference to the number of THG shares in issue following the Fundraise multiplied by the Placing Price) (the "Post Placing Market Cap"), then the Valuation to be used in establishing the entitlement of THG shareholders to elect to receive their respective pro rata entitlements to shares in IngenuityCo in connection with the Demerger would be expected to be
· less than the Post Placing Market Cap, then the Valuation to be used in establishing the entitlement of THG shareholders to elect to receive their respective pro rata entitlements to shares in IngenuityCo in connection with the Demerger would be expected to be reduced from
ESCC Step-Up
The Company's initial notification and eligibility letter for transfer to the ESCC category has been submitted to the
Current Trading
Information regarding THG's trading performance can be found in THG's Q3 Trading Statement which has been published at the same time as this announcement.
Details of the Placing
Barclays and Jefferies are acting as joint global coordinators and, together with Peel Hunt, as joint bookrunners in relation to the Placing. The Company and the Banks (as defined below) have entered into a placing agreement dated
The Placing will be conducted through the Bookbuild which will be launched immediately following the release of this Announcement, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Placing set out in the Appendix to this Announcement. The timing of the closing of the Bookbuild is at the absolute discretion of the Joint Global Coordinators and the Company. The price at which the Placing Shares are to be placed (the "Placing Price") will be determined at the close of the Bookbuild by agreement between the Company and the Joint Bookrunners.
The final number of Placing Shares will be determined at the close of the Bookbuild, and the result will be announced as soon as practicable thereafter. The allocation of the Placing Shares shall be determined together by, and at the absolute discretion of, the Joint Bookrunners and the Company.
The Placing Shares, when issued, will be fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with each other and with the Subscription Shares, the Retail
The Retail
Applications will be made to: (i) the
It is expected that Admission will become effective at or around
For further information, please contact:
Investor Enquiries: |
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Barclays (Joint Global Coordinator, Joint Bookrunner and Joint Corporate Broker): |
+44 (0)20 7623 2323 |
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+44 (0)20 7029 8000 |
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+44 (0)20 7418 8900 |
This Announcement should be read in its entirety. In particular, you should read and understand the information provided in the "Important Notices" section of this Announcement.
IMPORTANT NOTICES
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THE APPENDICES AND THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN, TOGETHER, THIS "ANNOUNCEMENT") IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR ISSUE, OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY, SUBSCRIBE FOR OR OTHERWISE ACQUIRE ANY SECURITIES IN THE COMPANY.
This Announcement, and the information contained herein, is restricted and is not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, to persons in or into
The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the
No public offering of the Placing Shares is being made in the
No action has been taken by the Company,
Persons into whose possession this Announcement comes are required by the Company and the Banks to inform themselves about, and to observe, any restrictions contained in this Announcement. Persons (including, without limitation, nominees and trustees) who have a contractual or other legal obligation to forward a copy of this Announcement should seek appropriate advice before taking any action. Persons distributing this Announcement (or any part thereof) must satisfy themselves that it is lawful to do so.
This Announcement is directed at and is only being distributed to persons whose ordinary activities involve them acquiring, holding, managing and disposing of investments (as principal or agent) for the purposes of their business and who have professional experience in matters relating to investments and are: (a) if in a member state of the European Economic Area (the "EEA"), "qualified investors" ("
Any investment or investment activity to which this Announcement or the Placing relates is available only: (i) in any member state of the EEA, to
All offers of the Placing Shares in the
The Placing Shares and this Announcement have not been approved and will not be approved or disapproved by the
Accordingly, subject to certain exceptions, the Placing Shares may not be offered, sold, transferred or delivered, directly or indirectly, in or into any Restricted Territory or to, or for the account or benefit of, a citizen or resident, or a corporation, partnership or other entity created or organised in or under the laws of a Restricted Territory.
Certain statements in this Announcement are forward-looking statements with respect to the Company's expectations, intentions and projections regarding its future performance, strategic initiatives, anticipated events or trends and other matters that are not historical facts and which are, by their nature, inherently predictive, speculative and involve risks and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about operating performance, strategic initiatives, objectives, market position, industry trends, general economic conditions, expected expenditures, expected cost savings and financial results, are forward ‐ looking statements. Any statements contained in this Announcement that are not statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward‐looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which may use words such as "aim", "anticipate", "believe", "could", "intend", "estimate", "expect", "may", "plan", "project" or words or terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof, are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties. There are a number of factors including, but not limited to, commercial, operational, economic and financial factors, that could cause actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward‐looking statements. Many of these risks and uncertainties relate to factors that are beyond the Company's ability to control or estimate precisely, such as changes in taxation or fiscal policy, future market conditions, currency fluctuations, the behaviour of other market participants, the actions of governments or governmental regulators, or other risk factors, such as changes in the political, social and regulatory framework in which the Company operates or in economic or technological trends or conditions, including inflation, recession and consumer confidence, on a global, regional or national basis. Given those risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Announcement. Each of the Banks and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required to do so by applicable law or regulation.
Barclays, which is authorised by the
This Announcement is being issued by, and is the sole responsibility of, the Company. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be made as to, or in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by or on behalf of any of the Banks, any of their respective affiliates, or any person acting on behalf of any of them as to, or in relation to, the accuracy, adequacy, fairness or completeness of this Announcement or any other written or oral information made available to or publicly available to any party or its advisers, or any other statement made or purported to be made by or on behalf of any of the Banks and/or any of their respective affiliates and/or by any person acting on behalf of any of them in connection with the Company, the Placing Shares or the Placing and any responsibility and liability whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise therefor is expressly disclaimed.
The information in this Announcement may not be forwarded or distributed to any other person and may not be reproduced in any manner whatsoever. Any forwarding, distribution, reproduction or disclosure of this Announcement, in whole or in part, is unauthorised. Failure to comply with this directive may result in a violation of the Securities Act or the applicable laws of other jurisdictions.
This Announcement does not constitute a recommendation concerning any investor's options with respect to the Placing. Recipients of this Announcement should conduct their own investigation, evaluation and analysis of the business, data and other information described in this Announcement. This Announcement does not identify or suggest, or purport to identify or suggest, the risks (direct or indirect) that may be associated with an investment in the Placing Shares. The price and value of securities can go down as well as up and investors may not get back the full amount invested upon the disposal of the shares. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The contents of this Announcement are not to be construed as legal, business, financial or tax advice. Each investor or prospective investor should consult his or her or its own legal adviser, business adviser, financial adviser or tax adviser for legal, business, financial or tax advice.
Any indication in this Announcement of the price at which the Company's shares have been bought or sold in the past cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance. Persons needing advice should consult an independent financial adviser. No statement in this Announcement is intended to be a profit forecast or profit estimate for any period and no statement in this Announcement should be interpreted to mean that earnings, earnings per share or income, cash flow from operations or free cash flow for the Company for the current or future financial periods would necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings, earnings per share or income, cash flow from operations or free cash flow for the Company.
The Placing Shares to be issued pursuant to the Placing will not be admitted to trading on any stock exchange other than the main market for listed securities of the
Appendix 1 to this Announcement sets out the terms and conditions of the Placing. By participating in the Placing, each Placee will be deemed to have read and understood this Announcement (including the Appendices) in its entirety, to be participating in the Placing and making an offer to acquire and acquiring Placing Shares on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in Appendix 1 to this Announcement and to be providing the representations, warranties, undertakings and acknowledgements contained in Appendix 1 to this Announcement.
Members of the public are not eligible to take part in the Placing and no public offering of Placing Shares is being or will be made.
Neither the content of the Company's website (or any other website) nor the content of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Company's website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this Announcement.
This Announcement has been prepared for the purposes of complying with applicable law and regulation in the
Solely for the purposes of the product governance requirements of Chapter 3 of the FCA Handbook Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook (the "
For the avoidance of doubt, the Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (a) an assessment of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of Chapters 9A or 10A respectively of COBS; or (b) a recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest in, or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to the Placing Shares. Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the Placing Shares and determining appropriate distribution channels.
Appendix 1
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE PLACING FOR INVITED PLACEES ONLY
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THE APPENDICES AND THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN, TOGETHER, THIS "ANNOUNCEMENT") IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS DIRECTED AT AND IS ONLY BEING DISTRIBUTED TO PERSONS WHOSE ORDINARY ACTIVITIES INVOLVE THEM IN ACQUIRING, HOLDING, MANAGING AND DISPOSING OF INVESTMENTS (AS PRINCIPAL OR AGENT) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THEIR BUSINESS AND WHO HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS AND ARE: (A) IF IN A MEMBER STATE OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA (THE "EEA"), "QUALIFIED INVESTORS" ("QUALIFIED INVESTORS"), AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE 2(E) OF REGULATION (EU) 2017/1129 (AS AMENDED, THE "PROSPECTUS REGULATION"); OR (B) IF IN THE
ANY INVESTMENT OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OR THE PLACING RELATES IS AVAILABLE ONLY (I) IN ANY MEMBER STATE OF THE EEA, TO QUALIFIED INVESTORS; AND (II) IN THE
EACH PLACEE SHOULD CONSULT WITH ITS OWN ADVISERS AS TO LEGAL, TAX, BUSINESS, ACCOUNTING, FINANCIAL AND RELATED ASPECTS OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE PLACING SHARES.
THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER
NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF THE PLACING SHARES IS BEING MADE IN THE
Unless otherwise stated, capitalised terms in this Appendix have the meanings ascribed to them in Appendix 2.
This Announcement, and the information contained herein, is restricted and is not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, to persons in or into
No action has been taken by the Company,
Persons distributing this Announcement (or any part thereof) must satisfy themselves that it is lawful to do so. Persons (including, without limitation, nominees and trustees) who have a contractual or other legal obligation to forward a copy of this Announcement should seek appropriate advice before taking any such action. Persons into whose possession this Announcement comes are required by the Company and the Banks to inform themselves about, and to observe, any restrictions contained in this Announcement.
All offers of the Placing Shares in the
The Placing Shares and this Announcement have not been approved and will not be approved or disapproved by the
Accordingly, subject to certain exceptions, the Placing Shares may not be offered, sold, transferred or delivered, directly or indirectly, in or into any Restricted Territory or to, or for the account or benefit of, a citizen or resident, or a corporation, partnership or other entity created or organised in or under the laws of a Restricted Territory.
This Announcement should be read in its entirety.
This Announcement has been issued by, and is the sole responsibility of, the Company. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be made as to, or in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by or on behalf of any of the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates, or any person acting on behalf of any of them as to, or in relation to, the accuracy, adequacy, fairness or completeness of this Announcement or any other written or oral information made available to or publicly available to any party or its advisers, or any other statement made or purported to be made by or on behalf of any of the Banks, any of their respective affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them in connection with the Company, the Placing Shares or the Placing and any responsibility and liability whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise is expressly disclaimed.
Barclays, which is authorised by the
None of the Banks, the Company, any of their respective Affiliates, or any person acting on behalf of any of them, makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, to any Placees regarding any investment in the securities referred to in this Announcement under the laws applicable to such Placees. Each Placee should consult its own advisers as to the legal, tax, business, accounting, financial and related aspects of an investment in the Placing Shares. In addition, none of the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them are acting for the Company with respect to the Retail Offer or the Subscription and none of the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them will have any responsibilities, duties or liabilities, whether direct or indirect, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise in connection with the Retail Offer or the Subscription or to any person in connection with the Retail Offer or the Subscription.
By participating in the Placing, Placees (including individuals, funds or otherwise) by whom or on whose behalf a commitment to acquire Placing Shares has been given will (i) be deemed to have read and understood this Announcement, in its entirety; and (ii) be bound by the terms and conditions contained in this Appendix, including being deemed to provide (and shall only be permitted to participate in the Placing on the basis that they have provided) the representations, warranties, acknowledgements, indemnities, undertakings, confirmations and agreements set out herein.
In particular, each such Placee represents, warrants, acknowledges, undertakes, confirms and agrees that:
a) if it is in the
b) if it is in a member state of the EEA, it is a Qualified Investor and undertakes that it will subscribe for, hold, manage and dispose of any Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the purposes of its business;
c) it is and, at the time the Placing Shares are subscribed for, will be: (i) outside
d) it is acquiring the Placing Shares for its own account or for an account with respect to which it exercises sole investment discretion in each case for investment purposes only and has the authority to make and does make the representations, warranties, acknowledgements, indemnities, undertakings, confirmations and agreements contained in this Announcement on behalf of each such account; and
e) if it is a financial intermediary, including as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the Prospectus Regulation and Article 5(1) of the
NOTICE TO CANADIAN INVESTORS
The Placing Shares may be sold only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (
The offering of the Placing Shares may be made on a private placement basis in the provinces of
NOTICE TO SWISS INVESTORS
The Placing Shares may not be publicly offered, directly or indirectly, in
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PLACEES ONLY REGARDING THE PLACING
Bookbuild
Following this Announcement, the Banks will commence a bookbuilding process in respect of the Placing (the "Bookbuild") to determine demand for participation in the Placing by Placees. No commissions will be paid to Placees or by Placees in respect of any Placing Shares. The book will open with immediate effect. Members of the public are not entitled to participate in the Placing. This Appendix gives details of the terms and conditions of, and the mechanics of participation in, the Placing.
Details of the Placing Agreement and of the Placing Shares
Barclays and Jefferies are acting as joint global coordinators and, together with Peel Hunt, as joint bookrunners in relation to the Placing. The Banks entered into an agreement with the Company (the "Placing Agreement") under which, subject to the terms and conditions set out therein, each of the Banks, as agent for and on behalf of the Company, has agreed to use its reasonable endeavours to procure Placees for the Placing Shares at the Placing Price, or failing which to itself subscribe for its respective proportion of such Placing Shares at the Placing Price on the Closing Date.
The timing of the closing of the Bookbuild and allocations are at the discretion of the Company and the Banks. Results of the Placing will be announced as soon as practicable after the close of the Bookbuild.
The Banks are not acting for the Company with respect to the Retail Offer or the Subscription.
The Placing Shares will, when issued, be credited as fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing Ordinary Shares, the Subscription Shares and the Retail
Application for admission to trading
Applications will be made to the
Participation in, and principal terms of, the Placing
1. The Banks are arranging the Placing severally, and not jointly, nor jointly and severally, as agents of the Company. Participation will only be available to persons who may lawfully be, and are, invited to participate by a Bank. Each of the Banks and their respective Affiliates, and any person acting on their behalf, are entitled to enter bids as principal in the Bookbuild.
2. The Bookbuild, if successful, will establish the Placing Price and the number of Placing Shares to be allocated to all Placees whose bids are successful. The Placing Price and the aggregate proceeds to be raised through the Placing will be agreed between the Banks and the Company following completion of the Bookbuild. The results of the Placing will be announced on a
3. To participate in the Bookbuild, Placees should communicate their bid by telephone or in writing to their usual sales contact at one of the Banks. Each bid should state the number of Placing Shares which the prospective Placee wishes to acquire at the Placing Price. Bids may be scaled down on the basis referred to in paragraph 6 below. Each of the Banks reserves the right not to accept bids or to accept bids in part rather than in whole.
4. The Bookbuild is expected to close no later than
5. Each Placee's allocation will be confirmed to Placees orally or in writing by a Bank, acting as agent of the Company, following the close of the Bookbuild, and a contract note or trade confirmation will be dispatched as soon as possible thereafter. The terms of this Appendix will be deemed incorporated into the contract note or trade confirmation. Subject to paragraph 7 below, a Bank's oral or written confirmation to such Placee will constitute an irrevocable legally binding commitment upon such person (who will at that point become a Placee) in favour of the Banks and the Company, under which such Placee agrees to acquire the number of Placing Shares allocated to it and to pay the Placing Price on the terms and conditions set out in this Appendix.
6. Subject to paragraphs 2 and 3 above, the Banks will, in effecting the Placing, agree with the Company the identity of the Placees and the basis of allocation of the Placing Shares and may scale down any bids for this purpose on such basis as they may determine. The Banks may also, notwithstanding paragraphs 2 and 3 above and subject to the prior consent of the Company, (i) allocate Placing Shares after the time of any initial allocation to any person submitting a bid after that time and (ii) allocate Placing Shares after the Bookbuild has closed to any person submitting a bid after that time. The acceptance of offers shall be at the absolute discretion of the Company and the Banks.
7. A bid in the Bookbuild will be made on the terms and subject to the conditions in this Appendix and will be legally binding on the Placee on behalf of which it is made and except with the Banks' consent will not be capable of variation or revocation after the time at which it is submitted. Each Placee will also have an immediate, separate, irrevocable and binding obligation, owed to the relevant Bank, to pay the relevant Bank (or as it may direct) in cleared funds an amount equal to the product of the Placing Price and the number of Placing Shares that such Placee has agreed to acquire. Each Placee's obligations will be owed to the relevant Bank.
8. Except as required by law or regulation, no press release or other announcement will be made by the Banks or the Company using the name of any Placee (or its agent), in its capacity as Placee (or agent), other than with such Placee's prior written consent.
9. Irrespective of the time at which a Placee's allocation(s) pursuant to the Placing is/are confirmed, settlement for all Placing Shares to be acquired pursuant to the Placing will be required to be made at the same time, on the basis explained below under "Registration and Settlement".
10. All obligations under the Bookbuild and Placing will be subject to fulfilment or (where applicable) waiver of the conditions referred to below under "Conditions of the Placing" and to the Placing not being terminated on the basis referred to below under "Termination of the Placing Agreement".
11. By participating in the Bookbuild, each Placee agrees that its rights and obligations in respect of the Placing will terminate only in the circumstances described below and will not be capable of rescission or termination by the Placee after confirmation (oral or otherwise) by a Bank.
12. To the fullest extent permissible by law, none of the Banks, the Company, any of their respective Affiliates, or any person acting on behalf of any of them shall have any responsibility or liability to Placees (or to any other person whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise). In particular, none of the Banks, the Company, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them shall have any responsibility or liability (including to the extent permissible by law, any fiduciary duties) in respect of the Banks' conduct of the Bookbuild or of such alternative method of effecting the Placing as the Banks, their respective Affiliates and the Company may agree.
13. The Placing Shares will be issued subject to the terms and conditions of this Announcement and each Placee's commitment to subscribe for Placing Shares on the terms set out herein will continue notwithstanding any amendment that may in future be made to the terms and conditions of the Placing and Placees will have no right to be consulted or require that their consent be obtained with respect to the Company's or the Banks' conduct of the Placing.
14. All times and dates in this Announcement may be subject to change. The Banks shall notify the Placees and any person acting on behalf of the Placees of any changes.
Conditions of the Placing
The Placing is conditional upon the Placing Agreement becoming unconditional and not having been terminated in accordance with its terms. The Banks' obligations under the Placing Agreement are conditional on certain conditions, including (but not limited to):
a) the publication by the Company of the results of the Placing through a
b) in the opinion of each of the Joint Global Coordinators (acting in good faith), there having been no Material Adverse Change since entering into the Placing Agreement at any time prior to Admission;
c) the Company having complied with all of the agreements and undertakings, and satisfied or performed all of the conditions and obligations on its part to be performed or satisfied, under the Placing Agreement and in connection with the Placing, the Subscription and Admission in each case which fall to be performed or satisfied on or prior to Admission, save in each case for any non-compliance, non-performance or non-satisfaction which in the opinion of the Joint Global Coordinators acting jointly and in good faith, is not material in the context of the Placing or the Admission;
d) the representations and warranties given by the Company in the Placing Agreement being true and accurate and not misleading on and as of the times they are given by reference to the facts and circumstances then subsisting;
e) the Subscription Agreements having been duly executed and delivered by the parties thereto, being valid, binding and enforceable in accordance with their respective terms, remaining in full force and effect and not having been amended or terminated and there having occurred no default or breach by the parties thereto of any such agreement, save for any amendment, termination, default or breach which, in the opinion of the Joint Global Coordinators acting jointly and in good faith, is not material in the context of the Placing or the Admission;
f) the Company having allotted, subject only to Admission, the Placing Shares in accordance with the Placing Agreement; and
g) Admission of the Placing Shares occurring at or before
If: (i) any of the conditions contained in the Placing Agreement, including those described above, are not fulfilled or (where applicable) waived by the Joint Global Coordinators by the relevant time or date specified (or such later time or date as the Company and the Joint Global Coordinators may agree); or (ii) the Placing Agreement is terminated in the circumstances specified below under "Termination of the Placing Agreement", the Placing will lapse and the Placees' rights and obligations hereunder in relation to the Placing Shares shall cease and terminate at such time and each Placee agrees that no claim can be made by it or on its behalf in respect thereof.
The Joint Global Coordinators may, at their discretion, and upon such terms as they think fit, extend the time for the satisfaction of any condition or waive compliance by the Company with the whole or any part of any of the Company's obligations in relation to the conditions in the Placing Agreement save that the above conditions relating, inter alia, to Admission taking place and the Company allotting the Placing Shares may not be waived. Any such extension or waiver will not affect Placees' commitments as set out in this Announcement.
None of the Banks, the Company, any of their respective Affiliates, or any person acting on behalf of any of them shall have any liability to any Placee (or to any other person whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise) in respect of any decision they may make as to whether or not to waive or to extend the time and/or date for the satisfaction of any condition to the Placing nor for any decision it may make as to the satisfaction of any condition or in respect of the Placing generally and by participating in the Placing each Placee agrees that any such decision is within the absolute discretion of the Joint Global Coordinators.
By participating in the Bookbuild, each Placee agrees that its rights and obligations hereunder terminate only in the circumstances described above and under "Termination of the Placing Agreement" below, and will not be capable of rescission or termination by the Placee.
Termination of the Placing Agreement
The Joint Global Coordinators may (acting jointly and in good faith and following consultation with the Company to the extent reasonably practicable), at any time before Admission, terminate the Placing Agreement in accordance with its terms in certain circumstances, including, inter alia, if (in summary): (i) there has been a breach by the Company of any of the representations, warranties or undertakings given by the Company under the Placing Agreement, save for any breach which in the opinion of the Joint Global Coordinators (acting jointly and in good faith) is not material in the context of the Placing or Admission; (ii) there has been a breach by the Company of any of its obligations in the Placing Agreement or the Subscription Agreements, save for any breach which in the opinion of the Joint Global Coordinators (acting jointly and in good faith) is not material in the context of the Placing or Admission; (iii) in the opinion of the Joint Global Coordinators (acting jointly and in good faith), there has been a Material Adverse Change; (iv) an application for Admission is refused by the
By participating in the Placing, Placees agree that the exercise by the Joint Global Coordinators of any right of termination or other discretion under the Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute discretion of the Joint Global Coordinators or for agreement between the Company and the Joint Global Coordinators and that none of the Banks or the Company need make any reference to, or consult with, Placees and that none of the Banks, the Company, any of their respective affiliates. directors, officers or employees, or any person acting on behalf of any of them shall have any liability to Placees whatsoever in connection with any such exercise or failure to so exercise.
No prospectus
The Placing Shares are being offered to a limited number of specifically invited persons only and will not be offered in such a way as to require any prospectus, offering document or admission document to be published. No prospectus, offering document or admission document has been or will be prepared or submitted to be approved by the
Placees' commitments will be made solely on the basis of their own assessment of the Company, the Placing Shares and the Placing based on publicly available information taken together with the information contained in this Announcement and the Exchange Information (as defined below) published by or on behalf of the Company simultaneously with or prior to the date of this Announcement and subject to the further terms set forth in the contract note or trade confirmation to be provided to individual prospective Placees by a Bank.
Each Placee, by participating in the Placing, agrees that the content of this Announcement and the publicly available information released by or on behalf of the Company is exclusively the responsibility of the Company and confirms to the Banks and the Company that it has neither received nor relied on any other information, representation, warranty, or statement made by or on behalf of the Company (other than publicly available information) or the Banks or their respective Affiliates or any other person and none of the Banks, the Company, or any of their respective Affiliates or any other person will be responsible or liable for any Placee's decision to participate in the Placing based on any other information, representation, warranty or statement which the Placee may have obtained or received (regardless of whether or not such information, representation, warranty or statement was given or made by or on behalf of any such persons). By participating in the Placing, each Placee acknowledges and agrees that it has relied on its own investigation of the business, financial or other position of the Company when deciding to participate in the Placing. No Placee should consider any information in this Announcement to be legal, tax, business, accounting, financial or other advice. Each Placee should consult its own attorney, tax adviser, business adviser, accountant and financial adviser for legal, tax, business, accounting, financial and other advice regarding an investment in the Placing Shares.
Restriction on issues of securities
The Company has undertaken to the Banks that, from the date of the Placing Agreement until 90 calendar days after the Closing Date (both dates inclusive), it will not, without the prior written consent of the Joint Global Coordinators enter into certain transactions involving or relating to the Ordinary Shares, subject to certain customary exceptions.
By participating in the Placing, Placees agree that the exercise by the Banks of any power to grant consent to waive the undertaking by the Company shall be within the absolute discretion of the Banks and that they need not make any reference to, or consult with, Placees and that they shall have no liability to Placees whatsoever in connection with any such exercise of the power to grant consent.
Registration and settlement
Settlement of transactions in the Placing Shares (ISIN: GB00BMTV7393) following Admission will take place within the relevant system administered by
Following the close of the Bookbuild, each Placee allocated Placing Shares in the Placing will be sent a contract note or trade confirmation in accordance with the standing arrangements in place with the relevant Bank stating the number of Placing Shares to be allocated to it at the Placing Price, the aggregate amount owed by such Placee to the Bank and settlement instructions. It is expected that such contract note or trade confirmation will be dispatched on or around 11 October 2024 and that this will also be the trade date.
Each Placee agrees that it will do all things necessary to ensure that delivery and payment is completed in accordance with either the standing CREST or certificated settlement instructions that it has in place with the relevant Bank. In the event of any difficulties or delays in the admission of the Placing Shares to CREST or the use of CREST in relation to the Placing, the Company and the Banks may agree that the Placing Shares will be issued in certificated form.
The Company will deliver the Placing Shares to a CREST account operated by a Bank and that Bank will enter into its delivery (DEL) instruction into the CREST system. The Bank will hold any Placing Shares delivered to its CREST account as nominee for the Placees. The input to CREST by a Placee of a matching or acceptance instruction will then allow delivery of the relevant Placing Shares to that Placee against payment.
It is expected that settlement will be on 15 October 2024 on a T+2 basis in accordance with the instructions given to the Banks.
Interest is chargeable daily on payments not received from Placees on the due date in accordance with the arrangements set out above at the rate of two percentage points above SONIA as determined by the Banks.
Each Placee agrees that, if it does not comply with these obligations, the Banks may acquire and retain such shares as principal or may sell any or all of the Placing Shares allocated to that Placee on such Placee's behalf and retain from the proceeds an amount equal to the aggregate amount owed by the Placee plus any interest due. The relevant Placee will, however, remain liable for any shortfall below the aggregate amount owed by it and shall be required to bear any stamp duty, stamp duty reserve tax or other stamp, securities, transfer, registration, execution, documentary or other similar impost, duty or tax (together with any interest or penalties) which may arise in any jurisdiction upon the sale of such Placing Shares on such Placee's behalf. The foregoing is without prejudice to any cause of action the Banks may have against a defaulting Placee. If Placing Shares are to be delivered to a custodian or settlement agent, Placees should ensure that the contract note or trade confirmation is copied and delivered immediately to the relevant person within that organisation. Insofar as Placing Shares are registered in a Placee's name or that of its nominee or in the name of any person for whom a Placee is contracting as agent or that of a nominee for such person, such Placing Shares should, save as provided below, be so registered free from any liability to
Representations and warranties
By participating in the Placing each Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) irrevocably acknowledges, confirms, undertakes, represents, warrants and agrees (as the case may be) with the Banks (in their capacity as joint global coordinators, joint bookrunners and as placing agents (as applicable) of the Company in respect of the Placing) and the Company, in each case as a fundamental term of its application for Placing Shares, the following:
1. it has read and understood this Announcement (including this Appendix) in its entirety and that its acquisition of Placing Shares is subject to and based upon all the terms, conditions, representations, warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings and other information contained herein and undertakes not to redistribute or duplicate this Announcement and that it has not relied on, and will not rely on, any information given or any representations, warranties or statements made at any time by any person in connection with Admission, the Bookbuild, the Placing, the Company, the Placing Shares or otherwise (other than as expressly stated in this Announcement);
2. that no prospectus, offering document or admission document has been or will be prepared in connection with the Placing or is required under the Prospectus Regulation or the
3. that the issued Ordinary Shares are admitted to listing on the equity shares (transition) category of the Official List of the
4. that none of the Banks, the Company, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them has provided, and none of them will provide, it with any material or information regarding the Bookbuild, the Placing, the Placing Shares or the Company or any other person other than this Announcement and the Placing Results Announcement (each of which is the sole responsibility of the Company), nor has it requested any of the Banks, the Company, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them to provide it with any such material or information;
5. unless otherwise specifically agreed with the Banks, that it is not, and at the time the Placing Shares are acquired, neither it nor any beneficial owner of the Placing Shares will be, a resident of, nor have an address in, a Restricted Territory, and further acknowledges that the Placing Shares have not been and will not be registered or otherwise qualified, for offer or sale nor will a prospectus, offering document or admission document be cleared or approved in respect of any of the Placing Shares under the securities legislation of
6. that the content of this Announcement is exclusively the responsibility of the Company and that none of the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them has or shall have any responsibility or liability for any information, representation or statement contained in this Announcement or any information, representation or statement previously or subsequently published by or on behalf of the Company, including, without limitation, the Exchange Information, and will not be liable for any Placee's decision to participate in the Placing based on any information, representation or statement contained in this Announcement or any information, representation or statement previously published by or on behalf of the Company or otherwise. Each Placee further represents, warrants and agrees that the only information on which it is entitled to rely and on which such Placee has relied in committing itself to acquire the Placing Shares is contained in this Announcement and the Exchange Information (save that in the case of Exchange Information, a Placee's right to rely on that information is limited to the right that such Placee would have as a matter of law in the absence of this paragraph), such information being all that it deems necessary to make an investment decision in respect of the Placing Shares, and that it has neither received nor relied on any other information given or investigations, representations, warranties or statements made by any of the Banks, the Company, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them and none of the Banks, the Company, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them will be liable for any Placee's decision to accept an invitation to participate in the Placing based on any other information, representation, warranty or statement. Each Placee further acknowledges and agrees that it has relied on its own investigation, examination and due diligence of the business, financial or other position of the Company in deciding to participate in the Placing and that none of the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them have made any representations to it, express or implied, with respect to the Company, the Bookbuild, the Placing or the Placing Shares or the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of this Announcement or the Exchange Information, and each of them expressly disclaims any liability in respect thereof;
7. that it has not relied on any information, representation or statement relating to the Company contained in any research report prepared by any of the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them and understands that (i) none of the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them has or shall have any liability for any such information, representation or statement; (ii) none of the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them has or shall have any liability for any additional information that has otherwise been made available to such Placee, whether at the date of publication, the date of this document or otherwise; and that (iii) none of the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of such information, representation or statement, whether at the date of publication, the date of this Announcement or otherwise;
8. that the allocation, allotment, issue and delivery to it, or the person specified by it for registration as holder, of Placing Shares will not give rise to a liability under any of sections 67, 70, 93 or 96 of the Finance Act 1986 (depositary receipts and clearance services) and that it is not participating in the Placing as nominee or agent for any person to whom the allocation, allotment, issue or delivery of the Placing Shares would give rise to such a liability and that the Placing Shares are not being acquired in connection with arrangements to issue depositary receipts or to issue or transfer Placing Shares into a clearance service;
9. that it acknowledges that no action has been or will be taken by any of the Banks, the Company, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them that would, or is intended to, permit a public offer of the Placing Shares in any country or jurisdiction where any such action for that purpose is required;
10. that it and any person acting on its behalf is entitled to acquire the Placing Shares under the laws of all relevant jurisdictions which apply to it and that it has fully observed such laws and obtained all such governmental and other guarantees, permits, authorisations, approvals and consents which may be required thereunder and complied with all necessary formalities and that it has not taken any action or omitted to take any action which will or may result in any of the Banks, the Company, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them acting in breach of the legal or regulatory requirements of any jurisdiction in connection with the Placing;
11. that it (and any person acting on its behalf) has all necessary capacity and has obtained all necessary consents and authorities to enable it to commit to its participation in the Placing and to perform its obligations in relation thereto (including, without limitation, in the case of any person on whose behalf it is acting, all necessary consents and authorities to agree to the terms set out or referred to in this Announcement) and will honour such obligations;
12. that it has complied with its obligations under the Criminal Justice Act 1993 and
13. that it is acting as principal only in respect of the Placing or, if it is acting for any other person: (i) it is duly authorised to do so and has full power to make, and does make, the acknowledgments, confirmations, undertakings, representations, warranties and agreements herein on behalf of each such person; and (ii) it is and will remain liable to the Banks and the Company for the performance of all its obligations in respect of the Placing (regardless of the fact that it is acting for another person);
14. if in a member state of the EEA, it is a Qualified Investor;
15. if in the
16. if in
17. it undertakes that it will acquire, hold, manage and (if applicable) dispose of any Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the purposes of its business only;
18. that it will not distribute, forward, transfer or otherwise transmit this Announcement or any part of it, or any other presentation or other materials concerning the Placing, in or into
19. where it is acquiring the Placing Shares for one or more managed accounts, it represents, warrants and undertakes that it is authorised in writing by each managed account to acquire the Placing Shares for each managed account and it has full power to make the acknowledgements, confirmations, undertakings, representations, warranties and agreements herein on behalf of each such account;
20. that if it is a pension fund or investment company, it represents, warrants and undertakes that its acquisition of Placing Shares is in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
21. if it is acting as a financial intermediary, including as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the Prospectus Regulation and Article 5(1) of the
22. that in the
23. that in member states of the EEA any offer of Placing Shares may only be directed at persons who are Qualified Investors and represents, warrants and undertakes that it has not offered or sold and will not offer or sell any Placing Shares to persons in the EEA except to Qualified Investors or otherwise in circumstances which have not resulted in and which will not result in an offer to the public in any member state of the EEA within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation;
24. that it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the FSMA) relating to the Placing Shares in circumstances in which section 21(1) of the FSMA does not require approval of the communication by an authorised person and agrees that this Announcement has not been approved by any of the Banks in their respective capacity as an authorised person under section 21 of FSMA and it may not therefore be subject to the controls which would apply if it was made or approved as a financial promotion by an authorised person;
25. that it has complied and will comply with all applicable laws (including all relevant provisions of the FSMA) with respect to anything done by it in relation to the Placing Shares in, from or otherwise involving, the
26. if it has received any "inside information" for the purposes of
27. that (i) it (and any person acting on its behalf) has capacity and authority and is otherwise entitled to acquire the Placing Shares under the laws of all relevant jurisdictions which apply to it; (ii) it has paid any issue, transfer or other taxes due in connection with its participation in any territory; (iii) it has not taken any action which will or may result in any of the Banks, the Company, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them being in breach of the legal and/or regulatory requirements and/or any anti-money laundering requirements of any territory in connection with the Placing; and (iv) that the acquisition of the Placing Shares by it or any person acting on its behalf will be in compliance with applicable laws and regulations in the jurisdiction of its residence, the residence of the Company, and otherwise;
28. that it (and any person acting on its behalf) has the funds available to pay for and will make payment for the Placing Shares allocated to it in accordance with this Announcement on the due time and date set out herein against delivery of such Placing Shares to it, failing which the relevant Placing Shares may be placed with other Placees, acquired or sold as the Banks may in their absolute discretion determine (subject to the allocation policies agreed with the Company) and without liability of any person to such Placee. The Placee will, however, remain liable for any shortfall and may be required to bear any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax (together with any interest or penalties) imposed in any jurisdiction due pursuant to the terms set out or referred to in this Announcement which may arise upon the sale of such Placee's Placing Shares on its behalf;
29. that it acknowledges and confirms that if it fails to make payment for Placing Shares allocated to it, the Banks may assign their rights and powers under this Appendix against such defaulting Placees to a third party without notice to the relevant Placees;
30. that its allocation (if any) of Placing Shares will represent a maximum number of Placing Shares to which it will be entitled, and required, to acquire, and that the Banks or the Company may call upon it to acquire a lower number of Placing Shares (if any), but in no event in aggregate more than the aforementioned maximum;
31. that none of the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them, is making any recommendation to it, or advising it regarding the suitability or merits of any transaction it may enter into in connection with the Placing and that participation in the Placing is on the basis that it is not and will not be a client of the Banks and that the Banks do not have any duties or responsibilities to it for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients or customers or for providing advice in relation to the Placing nor in respect of any representations, warranties, undertakings or indemnities contained in the Placing Agreement nor for the exercise or performance of any Bank's rights and obligations thereunder including any rights to waive or vary any conditions or exercise any termination right;
32. that the person whom it specifies for registration as holder of the Placing Shares will be (i) itself or (ii) its nominee (on its behalf), as the case may be. None of the Banks, the Company or any of their respective Affiliates will be responsible for any liability to stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or other similar duties or taxes imposed in any jurisdiction (together with any interest or penalties) resulting from a failure to observe this requirement. Each Placee and any person acting on behalf of such Placee agrees to indemnify each of the Banks, the Company and each of their respective Affiliates in respect of the same on an after-tax basis on the basis that the Placing Shares will be allotted to the CREST stock account of a Bank who will hold them as nominee on behalf of such Placee until settlement in accordance with its standing settlement instructions;
33. that these terms and conditions and any agreements entered into by it pursuant to these terms and conditions, and any non-contractual obligations arising out of or in connection with such agreements, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of
34. that the Banks, the Company and their respective Affiliates and others will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the representations, warranties, agreements, undertakings, confirmations and acknowledgements set forth herein and which are given to the Banks and the Company and are irrevocable and it irrevocably authorises the Banks and the Company to produce this Announcement, pursuant to, in connection with, or as may be required by any applicable law or regulation, administrative or legal proceeding or official inquiry with respect to the matters set forth herein;
35. that it will indemnify on an after-tax basis and hold each of the Banks, the Company, each of their respective Affiliates and any person acting on behalf of any of them harmless from any and all costs, claims, liabilities and expenses (including legal fees and expenses) arising out of, directly or indirectly, or in connection with any breach by it of the representations, warranties, agreements, undertakings, confirmations and acknowledgements given by the Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) in this Appendix and further agrees that the provisions of this Appendix shall survive after completion of the Placing;
36. that it acknowledges that it irrevocably appoints any director or authorised signatory of the Banks as its agent for the purposes of executing and delivering to the Company and/or its registrars any documents on its behalf necessary to enable it or its nominee (on its behalf) to be registered as the holder of any of the Placing Shares agreed to be taken up by it under the Placing;
37. that it acknowledges that its commitment to acquire Placing Shares on the terms set out herein, and in the contract note or trade confirmation, will continue notwithstanding any amendment that may in future be made to the terms and conditions of the Placing and that Placees will have no right to be consulted or require that their consent be obtained with respect to the Company's or the Banks' conduct of the Placing;
38. that in making any decision to acquire the Placing Shares (i) it has sufficient knowledge, sophistication and experience in financial, business and international investment matters as is required to evaluate the merits and risks of acquiring the Placing Shares, (ii) it is experienced in investing in securities of this nature in the Company's sector and is aware that it may be required to bear, and is able to bear, the economic risk of participating in, and is able to sustain a complete loss in connection with, the Placing, (iii) it has relied on its own examination, due diligence and analysis of the Company and its Affiliates taken as a whole, including the markets in which the Group operates, and the terms of the Placing, including the merits and risks involved and not upon any view expressed or information provided by or on behalf of a Bank, (iv) it has had sufficient time and access to information to consider and conduct its own investigation with respect to the acquisition of the Placing Shares, including the legal, regulatory, tax, business, currency and other economic and financial considerations relevant to such investment and has so conducted its own investigation to the extent it deems necessary to enable it to make an informed investment decision, (v) it is aware and understands that an investment in the Placing Shares involves a considerable degree of risk, and (vi) it will not look to any of the Banks, the Company, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them for all or part of any such loss or losses it or they may suffer;
39. that it acknowledges and agrees that none of the Banks, the Company, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them owe any fiduciary or other duties to it or any Placee in respect of any representations, warranties, undertakings or indemnities in the Placing Agreement;
40. that it understands and agrees that it may not rely on any investigation that any of the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them may or may not have conducted with respect to the Company and its Affiliates or the Placing, and none of the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them have made any representation or warranty to it, express or implied, with respect to the merits of the Placing, the acquisition of the Placing Shares, or as to the condition, financial or otherwise, of the Company and its Affiliates, or as to any other matter relating thereto, and nothing herein shall be construed as any investment or other recommendation to it to acquire the Placing Shares. It acknowledges and agrees that no information has been prepared by, or is the responsibility of, the Banks for the purposes of this Placing;
41. that it acknowledges and agrees that it will not hold any of the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them responsible or liable for any misstatements in or omission from any publicly available information relating to the Group or information made available (whether in written or oral form) relating to the Group (the "Information") and that none of the Banks nor any of their respective Affiliates nor any person acting on behalf of any of them makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of such Information or accepts any responsibility for any of such Information;
42. that in connection with the Placing, a Bank and its Affiliates may acquire a portion of the shares in the Company and in that capacity may retain, acquire or sell for its own account such shares in the Company and any securities of the Company or related investments and may offer or sell such securities or other investments otherwise than in connection with the Placing. Accordingly, references in this Announcement to shares being issued, offered or placed should be read as including any issue, offering or placement of such shares in the Company to a Bank and its Affiliates (as applicable) acting in such capacity. In addition, a Bank and its Affiliates may enter into financing arrangements (including swaps, warrants or contracts for differences) with investors in connection with which such person(s) may from time to time subscribe for, acquire, hold or dispose of such securities of the Company, including the Placing Shares. None of the Banks or any of their respective Affiliates intends to disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligation to do so;
43. that a communication that a transaction or the book is "covered" refers to the position at the time of the communication and is not any indication or assurance that the book will remain covered, that the Placing will take place on any terms indicated or at all, or that if the Placing does take place the Placing and securities will be fully distributed by the Banks. Each of the Banks reserves the right to take up a portion of the securities in the Placing as a principal position at any stage at its sole discretion and will, inter alia, take account of the Company's objectives, requirements under
44. that it acknowledges that the Placing Shares have not been registered or otherwise qualified, and will not be registered or otherwise qualified, for offer and sale nor will a prospectus be cleared or approved in respect of any of the Placing Shares under the securities laws of
45. that the Placing Shares are being offered and sold by or on behalf of the Company in "offshore transactions" (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) or pursuant to another exemption from, or transaction not subject to, the registration requirements under the Securities Act. It and the prospective beneficial owner of the Placing Shares is, and at the time the Placing Shares are acquired will be, outside
46. to be bound by the terms of the articles of association of the Company;
47. that it is not acquiring any of the Placing Shares as a result of any form of directed selling efforts (as defined in Regulation S) or by means of any 'general solicitation' or 'general advertising' (as described in Regulation D under the Securities Act);
48. that it will not directly or indirectly offer, reoffer, resell, transfer, assign, pledge or otherwise dispose of any Placing Shares except: (a) in an offshore transaction as defined in, and in accordance with, Rule 903 or Rule 904 of Regulation S outside
49. that the Placing Shares offered and sold in
50. that no representation has been made as to the availability of the exemption provided by Rule 144 or any other exemption under the Securities Act for the reoffer, resale, pledge or transfer of the Placing Shares; and
51. that each of the Banks and their respective Affiliates may have engaged in transactions with, and provided various commercial banking, investment banking and financial advisory services in the ordinary course of their business to, the Company and/or its Affiliates for which they would have received customary fees and commissions and that each of the Banks and their respective Affiliates may provide such services to the Company and/or its Affiliates in the future.
The foregoing acknowledgements, agreements, undertakings, representations, warranties and confirmations are given for the benefit of the Company as well as each of the Banks (for their own benefit and, where relevant, the benefit of their respective Affiliates and any person acting on behalf of any of them) and are irrevocable. Each Placee, and any person acting on behalf of a Placee, acknowledges that none of the Banks nor the Company owe any fiduciary or other duties to any Placee in respect of any representations, warranties, undertakings or indemnities in the Placing Agreement.
Please also note that the agreement to allot and issue Placing Shares to Placees (or the persons for whom Placees are contracting as nominee or agent) free of
Such agreement is subject to the representations, warranties and further terms above and also assumes, and is based on a warranty and representation from each Placee, that the Placing Shares are not being acquired in connection with arrangements to issue depositary receipts or to issue or transfer the Placing Shares into a clearance service. None of the Banks, the Company, or their respective Affiliates or any person acting on its or their behalf will be liable to bear any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or any other similar duties or taxes ("transfer taxes") that arise (i) if there are any such arrangements (or if any such arrangements arise subsequent to the acquisition by Placees of Placing Shares) or (ii) on a sale of Placing Shares, or (iii) for transfer taxes arising otherwise than under the laws of the
Each Placee and any person acting on behalf of each Placee acknowledges and agrees that each of the Banks and any of their respective Affiliates may, at their absolute discretion, agree to become a Placee in respect of some or all of the Placing Shares. Each Placee acknowledges and is aware that the Banks are receiving a fee in connection with their role in respect of the Placing as detailed in the Placing Agreement.
When a Placee or person acting on behalf of the Placee is dealing with a Bank, any money held in an account with the Bank on behalf of the Placee and/or any person acting on behalf of the Placee will not be treated as client money within the meaning of the rules and regulations of the
All times and dates in this Announcement may be subject to amendment by the Banks and the Company (in their absolute discretion). The Banks will notify the Placees and any person acting on behalf of the Placees of any changes.
Past performance is not a guide to future performance and persons needing advice should consult an independent financial adviser being, (i) if you are resident in the
The rights and remedies of the Banks and the Company under these Terms and Conditions are in addition to any rights and remedies which would otherwise be available to each of them and the exercise or partial exercise of one will not prevent the exercise of others.
Each Placee may be asked to disclose in writing or orally to the Banks:
a) if he or she is an individual, his or her nationality; or
b) if he or she is a discretionary fund manager, the jurisdiction in which the funds are managed or owned.
Unless the context requires otherwise, references in this Appendix 1 to acquire (and related terms such as acquired, acquiring and acquisition) shall include to subscribe (and its related terms such as subscribed, subscribing and subscription).
Time is of the essence as regards each Placee's obligations under this Appendix 1.
Any document that is to be sent to a Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) in connection with the Placing will be sent at its risk and may be sent to it at any address provided by it to the Banks.
Appendix 2
DEFINITIONS
The following definitions apply throughout Appendices 1 and 2 of this Announcement unless the context otherwise requires:
Admission |
has the meaning given to it in Appendix 1 to this Announcement; |
Affiliate |
has the meaning given in Rule 501(b) of Regulation D under the Securities Act or Rule 405 under the Securities Act, as applicable and, in the case of the Company, includes its subsidiary undertakings; |
Announcement |
means this announcement (including its Appendices); |
Banks |
has the meaning given to it in Appendix 1 to this Announcement; |
Barclays |
has the meaning given to it in Appendix 1 to this Announcement; |
Bookbuild |
means the bookbuilding process to be conducted by the Banks using reasonable endeavours to procure placees for the Placing Shares, as described in this Announcement and subject to the terms and conditions set out in this Announcement and the Placing Agreement; |
Closing Date |
means the day on which the transactions effected in connection with the Placing will be settled; |
Company |
means |
CREST |
means the relevant system (as defined in the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001 (SI 2001 No. 3755)) in respect of which |
DTRs |
means the disclosure guidance and transparency rules produced by the |
EEA |
means European Economic Area; |
|
means Euroclear |
EUWA |
means the |
Exchange Information |
has the meaning given to it in Appendix 1 of this Announcement; |
|
means the |
FSMA |
means the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended); |
Group |
means the Company and its subsidiary undertakings, and "Group Company" shall be construed accordingly; |
Information |
has the meaning given to it in Appendix 1 to this Announcement; |
Jefferies |
has the meaning given to it in Appendix 1 to this Announcement; |
Joint Global Coordinators |
has the meaning given to it in Appendix 1 to this Announcement; |
Listing Rules |
means the listing rules made by the |
LSE or London Stock Exchange |
means London Stock Exchange plc; |
MAR or Market Abuse Regulation |
means Regulation (EU) No.596/2014 of the |
Material Adverse Change |
means a material adverse change in or affecting, or any development reasonably likely to involve a material adverse change in or affecting, the condition (financial, operational, legal or otherwise), earnings, management, results of operations, business affairs, solvency, credit rating or prospects of the Group (taken as a whole), whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business and whether or not foreseeable at the date of the Placing Agreement; |
MiFID II |
means Directive 2014/65/EU of the |
Ordinary Shares |
means the ordinary shares of £0.005 each in the capital of the Company; |
Peel Hunt |
has the meaning given to it in Appendix 1 to this Announcement; |
Placee |
means any person (including individuals, funds or otherwise) by whom or on whose behalf a commitment to acquire Placing Shares has been given; |
Placing |
means the placing of the Placing Shares by the Banks pursuant to the Placing Agreement; |
Placing Agreement |
has the meaning given to it in Appendix 1 to this Announcement; |
Placing Price |
means the price at which the Placing Shares are to be placed, which will be determined at the close of the Bookbuild by agreement between the Company and the Banks; |
Placing Shares |
means the new Ordinary Shares to be allotted and issued by the Company pursuant to the Placing; |
Prospectus Regulation |
means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council, as amended and supplemented; |
QIB |
means "qualified institutional buyer" as defined within Rule 144A of the Securities Act; |
Regulation S |
means Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act; |
Regulations |
has the meaning given to it in Appendix 1 to this Announcement; |
Regulatory Information Service |
means a primary information provider which has been approved by the FCA to disseminate regulated information; |
Relevant Person |
has the meaning given to it in Appendix 1 to this Announcement; |
Restricted Territory |
has the meaning given to it in Appendix 1 to this Announcement; |
Retail Offer |
means the offer to be made by the Company on the PrimaryBid platform of new Ordinary Shares at the Placing Price, the terms of which will be detailed in a separate announcement by the Company published shortly after this Announcement; |
Retail Offer Shares |
means the Ordinary Shares acquired (if any) by retail and other investors pursuant to the Retail Offer; |
Securities Act |
means the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended; |
SONIA |
means Sterling Overnight Index Average; |
Subscription |
means the subscription of new Ordinary Shares by the subscribers thereof at the Placing Price pursuant to the Subscription Agreements; |
Subscription Shares |
means the new Ordinary Shares to be subscribed for by the subscribers thereof pursuant to the Subscription Agreements; |
Subscription Agreements |
means the subscription agreements entered into between the Company and the subscribers thereof dated 10 October 2024; |
subsidiary undertaking |
has the meaning given to that term in the Companies Act 2006; |
Terms and Conditions |
means the terms and conditions of the Placing set out in Appendix 1 to this Announcement; |
UK MAR |
means Regulation (EU) No.596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (as it forms part of assimilated law by virtue of the EUWA), as amended and supplemented; |
UK MiFIR |
means Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (as it forms part of assimilated law by virtue of the EUWA), as amended and supplemented; |
UK Prospectus Regulation |
means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council (as it forms part of assimilated law by virtue of the EUWA), as amended and supplemented; |
uncertificated or in uncertificated form |
means in respect of a share or other security, where that share or other security is recorded on the relevant register of the share or security concerned as being held in uncertificated form in CREST and title to which may be transferred by means of CREST; |
United Kingdom or UK |
means the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; and |
United States or US |
means the United States of America, its territories and possessions, any state of the United States of America, the District of Columbia and all other areas subject to its jurisdiction and any political sub- division thereof. |
Unless otherwise indicated in this Announcement, any references to "£", "GBP", "pounds", "pound sterling", "sterling", "p", "penny" or "pence" are to the lawful currency of the UK, any references to "US$", "$" or "dollars" are to the lawful currency of the United States of America, and any references to "€" or "Euro" are to the lawful currency of the eurozone.