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, IN, INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, NEW
ZEALAND, CANADA, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER
JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION
WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICES AT THE END OF
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION
PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR CONTAIN ANY INVITATION,
SOLICITATION, RECOMMENDATION, OFFER OR ADVICE TO ANY PERSON TO
PURCHASE AND/OR SUBSCRIBE FOR, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE OR DISPOSE OF ANY
SECURITIES IN ARGENTEX GROUP PLC OR ANY OTHER ENTITY IN ANY
JURISDICTION. NEITHER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT NOR THE FACT OF ITS
DISTRIBUTION, SHALL FORM THE BASIS OF, OR BE RELIED ON IN
CONNECTION WITH ANY INVESTMENT DECISION IN RESPECT OF ARGENTEX
GROUP PLC OR ANY OTHER ENTITY.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE
INFORMATION RELATING TO ARGENTEX GROUP PLC AND ITS SECURITIES FOR
THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF MAR.
2 May 2024
Argentex
Group PLC
Result of
Placing
Argentex Group PLC (AIM:
AGFX) ("Argentex"), the
provider of currency management and payment solutions to
international institutions and corporates, announces that, further
to the announcement made at 7.01 a.m. today (the "Launch Announcement"), it has concluded
the BookBuild for its Placing to raise gross proceeds of
approximately £3.25m (before expenses) through the placing of
7,217,175 Placing Shares at the Placing Price of 45 pence per
share.
Singer Capital Markets acted as sole
bookrunner in connection with the Placing. Capitalised terms
in this announcement have the same meaning as in the Launch
Announcement unless otherwise indicated.
As previously announced, a separate
announcement launching the Retail Offer and its terms will be made
at 7:00 a.m. on 3 May 2024.
Jim Ormonde, Chief Executive
Officer, commented:
"Following the completion of our
strategic review, and with the benefit of the additional funding
secured today, I am confident that Argentex is well-positioned to
take advantage of the multiple growth opportunities identified as
we reposition the business as a true cross border financial
solutions expert.
I am excited to lead Argentex in the
next stage of its development as we accelerate the implementation
of our strategic plan to transform the business. In doing so, we
will expand our addressable market, reduce volatility and drive
profitable growth."
Related Party
Transactions
The Directors (the "Participating Directors") have
participated in the Placing and have subscribed for Placing Shares
at the Placing Price as set out below:
Director
|
No. of
Placing Shares subscribed for
|
Resulting
shareholding in the Company
|
% shareholding in the Company's
issued share capital as enlarged by the Placing
|
Nigel Railton
Non-Executive Chair
|
111,111
|
292,043
|
0.24%
|
Jim Ormonde
Chief Executive Officer
|
111,111
|
176,046
|
0.15%
|
Jonathan Gray
Non-Executive Director
|
25,000
|
100,000
|
0.08%
|
Digby Jones
Non-Executive Director
|
22,222
|
456,673
|
0.38%
|
Tim Haldenby
Non-Executive Director
|
22,222
|
22,222
|
0.02%
|
Henry Beckwith, Non-Executive
Director of Argentex, is a director of Pacific Investment
Management Ltd ("Pacific
Investment Management") and leads their financial services
and asset management division. Pacific Investment Management is a
substantial shareholder of the Company as defined in the AIM Rules.
Pacific Investment Management has subscribed for, in aggregate,
5,347,732 Placing Shares at the Placing Price.
The subscriptions by the
Participating Directors and Pacific Investment Management
constitute related party transactions under AIM Rule 13.
Due to their participation in the
Placing, the Directors are not considered to be independent of the
Placing for the purposes of AIM Rule 13. In the absence of an
independent director, Singer Capital Markets Advisory LLP, as the
Company's nominated adviser, considers that the terms of the
Participating Directors and Pacific Investment Management
participation in the Placing are fair and reasonable insofar as the
Company's shareholders are concerned.
Admission
Application will be made for the
admission of 7,217,175 Placing Shares to trading on AIM.
It is expected that that Admission of the Placing
Shares will become effective at 8.00 a.m. on 13 May 2024.
The Placing Shares, when issued, will be fully
paid and will rank pari
passu in all respects with each other and with the existing
Ordinary Shares of the Company, including, without limitation, the
right to receive all dividends and other distributions declared,
made or paid after the date of issue.
Total Voting Rights
A further announcement will be made
in relation to total voting rights in the Company's share capital
following the completion of the Retail Offer, when the total number
of New Ordinary Shares to be issued pursuant to the Placing and the
Retail Offer will be known.
The person responsible for arranging the release of this
Announcement on behalf of the Company is Jim Ormonde, Chief
Executive Officer of the Company.
For further information, please
contact:
Argentex Group PLC
Jim Ormonde - Chief Executive
Officer
investorrelations@argentex.com
Singer Capital Markets (Nominated
Adviser and Broker)
Tom Salvesen / James Maxwell / Angus
Campbell
020 7496 3000
Teneo
James Macey White / Victoria
Boxall
020 7353 4200
IMPORTANT
NOTICES
This Announcement, or any copy of
it, and information contained within it, is restricted and is not
for publication, release, transmission, distribution or forwarding,
in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in or into the United
States, Australia, New Zealand,
Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or
any other jurisdiction in which publication, release or
distribution would be unlawful (or to any persons in any of those
jurisdictions). This Announcement is for information purposes only
and does not constitute an offer to sell or issue, or the
solicitation of an offer to buy, acquire or subscribe for shares in
the capital of the Company in the United States (including its
territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the
District of Columbia), or Australia, New
Zealand, Canada, the Republic of South
Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction (or to any persons in any
of those jurisdictions) or any other jurisdiction in which the same
would be unlawful. No public offering of the Placing Shares is
being made in any jurisdiction. This Announcement has not been
approved by the London Stock Exchange, nor is it intended that it
will be so approved. Any failure to comply with these restrictions
may constitute a violation of the securities laws of such
jurisdictions.
The Placing Shares have not been,
and will not be, registered under the US Securities Act 1933 or
with any securities regulatory authority or under any securities
laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States and
may not be offered, sold, resold, pledged, transferred or
delivered, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States.
Accordingly, the Placing Shares have been offered and sold only
outside of the United States in "offshore transactions" (as such
term is defined in Regulation S under the US Securities Act)
pursuant to Regulation S and otherwise in accordance with
applicable laws. No public offering of securities is being made in
the United States. The Placing has not been approved, disapproved
or recommended by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any
state securities commission in the United States or any other U.S.
regulatory authority, nor have any of the foregoing authorities
passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the Placing
Shares.
No public offering of the Placing
Shares has been or is being made in the United States, United
Kingdom or elsewhere. All offers of the Placing Shares are being
made pursuant to an exemption from the requirement to produce a
prospectus under the UK Prospectus Regulation.
This Announcement is not being
distributed by, nor has it been approved for the purposes of
section 21 of FSMA by, a person authorised under FSMA. This
Announcement is being distributed and communicated to persons in
the United Kingdom only in circumstances in which section 21(1) of
FSMA does not apply.
No prospectus has been or will be
made available in connection with the matters contained in this
Announcement and no such prospectus is required (in accordance with
the UK Prospectus Regulation) to be published. Members of the
public are not eligible to take part in the Placing. This
Announcement (including the terms and conditions contained in
Appendix III to this Announcement) is for information purposes only
and (unless otherwise agreed by Singer Capital Markets) is directed
at and is only being distributed to: (a) persons in the United
Kingdom, who are qualified investors, being persons falling within
the meaning of Article 2(e) of the UK Prospectus Regulation, and
who (i) have professional experience in matters relating to
investments falling within the definition of "investment
professionals" in article 19(5) of the Order; or (ii) are persons
falling within article 49(2)(a) to (d) ("high net worth companies,
unincorporated associations, etc") of the Order; or (b) persons to
whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated. This Announcement
(including the terms and conditions set out in this Announcement)
must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not Relevant
Persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this
Announcement (including the terms and conditions set out herein)
relates is available only to, and will be engaged in only with,
Relevant Persons.
This Announcement has been issued
by, and is the sole responsibility of, the Company. No
responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by, and no
undertaking, representation or warranty or other assurance, express
or implied, is or will be made or given by SCM Advisory, or by any
of their respective partners, directors, officers, employees,
advisers, consultants or affiliates as to, or in relation to, the
accuracy, fairness or completeness of the information or opinions
contained in this Announcement or any other written or oral
information made available to or publicly available to any
interested person or its advisers, and any liability therefore is
expressly disclaimed.
Singer Capital Markets, which is
authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA is acting
solely for the Company and no-one else in connection with the
Placing and the transactions and arrangements described in this
Announcement and will not regard any other person (whether or not a
recipient of this Announcement) as a client in relation to the
Placing or the transactions and arrangements described in this
Announcement. Singer Capital Markets is not responsible to anyone,
other than the Company, for providing the protections afforded to
clients of Singer Capital Markets or for providing advice in
connection with the contents of this Announcement, the Placing or
the transactions and arrangements described herein.
SCM Advisory, which is authorised
and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA, is acting as
nominated adviser to the Company for the purposes of the AIM Rules
and no-one else in connection with the Placing and the transactions
and arrangements described in this Announcement and will not be
responsible to any other person (whether or not a recipient of this
Announcement) as a client in relation to the Placing or the
transactions and arrangements described in this Announcement. SCM
Advisory is not responsible to anyone, other than the Company, for
providing the protections afforded to clients of SCM Advisory or
for providing advice in connection with the contents of this
Announcement, the Placing or the transactions and arrangements
described herein. SCM Advisory's responsibilities as the Company's
nominated adviser under the AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers are
owed solely to the London Stock Exchange and are not owed to the
Company or to any Director or to any other person.
None of the information in this
Announcement has been independently verified or approved by Singer
Capital Markets or SCM Advisory or any of their respective
partners, directors, officers, employees, advisers, consultants or
affiliates. Save for any responsibilities or liabilities, if any,
imposed on Singer Capital Markets and/or SCM Advisory by FSMA or by
the regulatory regime established under it, no responsibility or
liability whatsoever whether arising in tort, contract or
otherwise, is accepted by Singer Capital Markets or SCM Advisory or
any of their respective partners, directors, officers, employees,
advisers, consultants or affiliates whatsoever for the contents of
the information contained in this Announcement (including, but not
limited to, any errors, omissions or inaccuracies in the
information or any opinions) or for any other statement made or
purported to be made by or on behalf of Singer Capital Markets or
SCM Advisory or any of their respective partners, directors,
officers, employees, advisers, consultants or affiliates in
connection with the Company, the Placing Shares or the Placing or
for any loss, cost or damage suffered or incurred howsoever
arising, directly or indirectly, from any use of this Announcement
or its contents or otherwise in connection with this Announcement
or from any acts or omissions of the Company in relation to the
Placing. Singer Capital Markets, SCM Advisory and their respective
partners, directors, officers, employees, advisers, consultants and
affiliates accordingly disclaim all and any responsibility and
liability whatsoever, whether arising in tort, contract or
otherwise in respect of any statements or other information
contained in this Announcement and no representation or warranty,
express or implied, is made by Singer Capital Markets or SCM
Advisory or any of its partners, directors, officers, employees,
advisers, consultants or affiliates as to the accuracy,
completeness or sufficiency of the information contained in this
Announcement.
The distribution of this
Announcement and the offering of the Placing Shares in certain
jurisdictions may be restricted by law. No action has been
taken by the Company, Singer Capital
Markets, SCM Advisory or any of their respective affiliates or any
person acting on its or their behalf that would permit an offering
of the Placing Shares or possession or distribution of this
Announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating
to the Placing Shares in any jurisdiction where action for that
purpose is required. Persons into whose possession this
Announcement comes are required by the Company, Singer Capital
Markets and SCM Advisory to inform themselves about, and to
observe, such restrictions.
Persons distributing this
Announcement must satisfy themselves that it is lawful to do so.
Persons (including without limitation, nominees and trustees) who
have a contractual right or other legal obligations to forward a
copy of this Announcement (or any part thereof) should seek
appropriate advice before taking any action.
This Announcement contains and the
Company may make verbal statements containing "forward-looking
statements" with respect to certain of the Company's plans and its
current goals and expectations relating to its future financial
condition, performance, strategic initiatives, objectives and
results. Forward-looking statements sometimes use words such as
"aim", "anticipate", "target", "expect", "estimate", "intend",
"plan", "goal", "believe", "seek", "may", "could", "would",
"likely", "outlook" or other words of similar meaning. By their
nature, all forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty
because they relate to future events and circumstances which are
beyond the control of the Company. There are a number of factors
that could cause actual results or developments to differ
materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking
statements and forecasts. As a result, the actual future financial
condition, performance and results of the Company may differ
materially from the plans, goals and expectations set forth in any
forward-looking statements. No representation or warranty is made
as to the achievement or reasonableness of, and no reliance should
be placed on, such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking
statements made in this Announcement by or on behalf of the Company
speak only as of the date they are made. These forward-looking
statements reflect the Company's judgment at the date of this
Announcement and are not intended to give any assurance as to
future results and the Company cautions that its actual results of
operations and financial condition, and the development of the
industry in which it operates, may differ materially from those
made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in
this Announcement or made verbally by the Company and/or
information incorporated by reference into this Announcement. The
information contained in this Announcement is subject to change
without notice and except as required by applicable law or
regulation, the Company, its directors, Singer Capital Markets,
their respective affiliates and any person acting on its or their
behalf each expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to
publish any updates, supplements or revisions to any
forward-looking statements contained in this Announcement to
reflect any changes in the Company's expectations with regard
thereto or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on
which any such statements are based, except where required to do so
under applicable law or regulation or by the FCA or the London
Stock Exchange.
References in this Announcement to
other materials, such as a website address, have been provided to
direct the reader to other sources of information on the Company
which may be of interest. 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.
The Placing Shares to be issued or
sold pursuant to the Placing will not be admitted to trading on any
stock exchange other than AIM.
This Announcement has been prepared
for the purposes of complying with applicable law and regulation in
the United Kingdom and the information disclosed may not be the
same as that which would have been disclosed if this Announcement
had been prepared in accordance with the laws and regulations of
any jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom.
Information to Distributors
The distribution of this
Announcement and the offering of the Placing Shares in certain
jurisdictions may be restricted by law. No action has been taken by
the Company, Singer Capital Markets, SCM Advisory or any of its
affiliates that would permit an offering of the Placing Shares or
possession or distribution of this Announcement or any other
offering or publicity material relating to the Placing Shares in
any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Persons
into whose possession this Announcement comes are required by the
Company, Singer Capital Markets and SCM Advisory to inform
themselves about, and to observe, such restrictions.
UK
Product Governance Requirements
Solely for the purposes of the
product governance requirements contained within Chapter 3 of the
FCA Handbook Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook
(the "UK Product Governance
Rules"), and disclaiming all and any liability, whether
arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any "manufacturer"
(for the purposes of the UK Product Governance Rules) may otherwise
have with respect thereto, the Placing Shares have been subject to
a product approval process, which has determined that such Placing
Shares are: (i) compatible with an end target market of retail
investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional
clients and eligible counterparties, each as defined in paragraphs
3.5 and 3.6 of COBS; and (ii) eligible for distribution through all
permitted distribution channels (the "UK Target Market Assessment").
Notwithstanding the UK Target Market Assessment, distributors
should note that: the price of the Placing Shares may decline and
investors could lose all or part of their investment; the Placing
Shares offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an
investment in the Placing Shares is compatible only with investors
who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who
(either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or
other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of
such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to
bear any losses that may result therefrom. The UK Target Market
Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements of any
contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation
to the Placing. Furthermore, it is noted that, notwithstanding the
UK Target Market Assessment, Singer Capital Markets will only
procure investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and
eligible counterparties.
For the avoidance of doubt, the UK
Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (a) an assessment of
suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of COBS 9A and COBS
10A, respectively; 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.