NOT
FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART,
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO
DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR
REGULATIONS OF THAT JURISDICTION.
THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT FALLING UNDER RULE 2.4 OF THE CITY
CODE ON TAKEOVERS AND MERGERS (THE "CODE"). IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE
AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF A FIRM INTENTION TO MAKE A PARTIAL OFFER UNDER
RULE 2.7 OF THE CODE AND THERE CAN BE NO CERTAINTY THAT ANY FIRM
OFFER WILL BE MADE.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION AS DEFINED UNDER
ASSIMILATED REGULATION (EU) NO. 596/2014, WHICH IS PART OF THE LAWS
OF THE UNITED KINGDOM BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL)
ACT 2018 (AS AMENDED).
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9 January 2025
De La Rue plc ("De La Rue" or the
"Company")
Company update and extension of PUSU
deadline
On 12 December 2024, De La Rue announced that
it was in discussions with Disruptive Capital GP Limited and
Pension SuperFund Capital entities (together the "PSFC Entities")
in relation to a possible partial offer for the Company for up to
forty per cent. of the issued share capital of De La Rue at £1.25
per share (the "Partial Offer"). Whilst a possible Partial Offer is
no longer under consideration, the Company has received a
preliminary possible conditional cash offer from the PSFC
Entities of £1.25 per share for the entire issued and
to be issued share capital of the Company (the "Possible Cash
Offer"). The Possible Cash Offer would be conditional,
amongst other things, on the successful completion of the already
announced planned sale of the Authentication division to Crane NXT,
Co., waivable at the PSFC Entities' discretion. The
Board is considering its options.
In accordance with Rule 2.6(c) of the Code, the
Board has requested, and the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers (the
"Panel") has consented to, an extension to the deadline by which
the PSFC Entities are required either to announce a firm intention
to make an offer for De La Rue in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the
Code or to announce that it does not intend to make an offer, until
5.00 p.m. (London time) on 6 February 2025 (the "Revised PUSU
Deadline"). The Revised PUSU Deadline may only be extended with the
agreement of De La Rue and the Panel in accordance with Rule 2.6(c)
of the Code.
Discussions with other parties in relation to
the disposal of the Company's Currency division continue to
progress. At this stage there can be no certainty that any such
proposals may be made.
This announcement has been made with the
consent of the PSFC Entities, as a potential offeror. There can be
no certainty that a firm offer will be made even if the conditions
referred to above have been satisfied or waived.
In accordance with Rule 2.5(a) of the
Code, PSFC Entities reserves the following
rights:
a) to introduce other
forms of consideration and/or to vary the composition of the
consideration;
b) to make an offer
for De La Rue at a lower value or on less favourable
terms than those described in this announcement:
i) with the
recommendation or consent of the Board of De La
Rue;
ii) if a third
party announces a firm intention to make an offer for De La
Rue on less favourable terms than the Possible Cash Offer;
and
iii) following the
announcement by De La Rue of a Rule 9 waiver proposal
(see Note 1 of the Notes on Dispensations from Rule 9 of the
Code).
c) to reduce its
offer by the amount of any dividend that is announced, declared,
made or paid by De La Rue after the date of this
announcement and prior to completion.
A further announcement will be made
as and when appropriate.
Enquiries:
De
La Rue plc
|
+44
(0)7990 337707
|
Clive Whiley, Chairman
|
|
Clive Vacher, Chief Executive
Officer
|
|
Louise Rich, Head of Investor
Relations
|
|
|
|
|
|
Deutsche Numis - Sole Financial
Adviser and Corporate Broker
|
+44 (0)207
260 1000
|
Jonathan Wilcox
|
|
Luke Bordewich
|
|
Kevin Cruickshank
|
|
Raed El Dana
|
|
|
|
Brunswick
|
+44 (0)207
404 5959
|
Stuart Donnelly
|
|
Ed Brown
|
|
|
| |
Further information
Numis Securities Limited ("Deutsche Numis"),
which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the
Financial Conduct Authority, is acting exclusively for De La Rue
and no one else in connection with the matters set out in this
announcement and will not regard any other person as its client in
relation to the matters in this announcement and will not be
responsible to anyone other than De La Rue for providing the
protections afforded to clients of Deutsche Numis, nor for
providing advice in relation to any matter referred to herein.
Neither Deutsche Numis nor any of its affiliates (nor any of their
respective directors, officers, employees or agents), owes or
accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether
direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or
otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Deutsche Numis in
connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein
or otherwise.
This announcement is not intended to and does
not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to
subscribe for or buy or an invitation to purchase or subscribe for
any securities or the solicitation of any vote in any
jurisdiction.
The release, publication or distribution of
this announcement in jurisdictions outside the United Kingdom may
be restricted by law and therefore persons into whose possession
this announcement comes should inform themselves about and observe
such restrictions. Any failure to comply with such restrictions may
constitute a violation of the securities law of any such
jurisdiction.
This announcement has been issued by, and is
the sole responsibility of, De La Rue.
This announcement contains inside information
as defined under assimilated Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 which is
part of the laws of the United Kingdom by virtue of the European
Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (as amended). The person responsible
for arranging the release of this announcement on behalf of De La
Rue is Jon Messent (Company Secretary).
Disclosure requirements of the Code
Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who
is interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of
an offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror (being any
offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been
announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash)
must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement
of the offer period and, if later, following the announcement in
which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. An
Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person's
interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any
relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any
securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a
person to whom Rule 8.3(a) applies must be made by no later than
3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the
commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later
than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the
announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first
identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of
the offeree company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to
the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead
make a Dealing Disclosure.
Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who
is, or becomes, interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant
securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange
offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any
relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities
exchange offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the
dealing concerned and of the person's interests and short positions
in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of
(i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange
offeror(s), save to the extent that these details have previously
been disclosed under Rule 8. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to
whom Rule 8.3(b) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm
(London time) on the business day following the date of the
relevant dealing.
If two or more persons act together pursuant to
an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal,
to acquire
or control
an interest
in relevant
securities of
an offeree
company or
a securities
exchange offeror,
they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule
8.3.
Opening Position Disclosures must also be made
by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures
must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any
persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and
8.4).
Details of the offeree and offeror companies in
respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures
and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure
Table on the Panel's website at
www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the
number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period
commenced and when any offeror was first identified. You should
contact the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on +44 (0)20 7638 0129
if you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an
Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure.
Publication on Website
In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Code, a
copy of this announcement will be available at
www.delarue.com promptly and in any event by no later
than 12 noon on the business day following this announcement. The
content of this website is not incorporated into and does not form
part of this announcement.