PensionBee Group plc Incorporated in
England and Wales Registration Number: 13172844 LEI:
2138008663P5FHPGZV74 ISIN: GB00BNDRLN84
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT 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RESTRICTED AND ARE NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION,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 THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
OR JAPAN OR IN OR INTO ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD
BREACH ANY APPLICABLE LAW OR REGULATION.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES
NOT ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN OFFER FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION OF ANY
SECURITIES IN THE COMPANY. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR
CONTAIN ANY INVITATION, SOLICITATION, RECOMMENDATION, OFFER OR
ADVICE TO ANY PERSON TO SUBSCRIBE FOR, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE OR DISPOSE
OF ANY SECURITIES OF PENSIONBEE GROUP PLC IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE
TO DO SO WOULD BREACH ANY APPLICABLE LAW OR REGULATION. PLEASE SEE
THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION AT THE END OF THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES
OF ARTICLE 7 OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (596/2014/EU) AS IT
FORMS PART OF UK DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
(WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 AS AMENDED ("MAR"). UPON THE PUBLICATION OF
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, SUCH INFORMATION WILL NO LONGER CONSTITUTE
INSIDE INFORMATION.
23
October 2024
PensionBee Group plc
Proposed Placing to Accelerate US Business Growth and Group
Financial Objectives
PensionBee Group plc ('PensionBee' or the 'Company', together with its
subsidiaries the 'Group'),
a leading online pension provider, today announces that it intends
to conduct a non-pre-emptive cash placing (the 'Placing') to raise gross proceeds of
approximately £20 million from institutional investors through the
issue of new ordinary shares in the Company (the
'Placing
Shares').
The Placing will be conducted in
accordance with the terms and conditions set out in the Appendix to
this announcement through an accelerated bookbuild process (the
'Bookbuild') which will be
launched immediately following release of this placing announcement
(the 'Announcement').
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (trading as Keefe, Bruyette &
Woods) ('KBW') is acting as
sole global coordinator and sole bookrunner (the 'Sole Bookrunner') in connection with
the Placing.
The final number of Placing Shares
to be placed, and the price at which the Placing Shares are to be
placed, will be agreed between the Sole Bookrunner and the Company
at the close of the Bookbuild and the results of the Placing will
be announced as soon as practicable thereafter. The timings for the
close of the Bookbuild are at the discretion of the Sole
Bookrunner.
Prior to launch of the Placing, the
Company consulted with a significant number of its shareholders to
assess their feedback as to the purpose of the Placing. Feedback
from this consultation was supportive and as a result the Board has
concluded that the Placing is in the best interests of shareholders
and wider stakeholders and will promote the long-term success of
the Company. Accordingly, the Company has chosen to proceed with
the Placing.
The Company has separately announced
today its trading update (unaudited) for the quarter ended 30
September 2024.
Background to and Reasons for the Placing
Having successfully built and grown
its UK business into a leading online pension provider with £5.5
billion in assets on behalf of approximately 260,000 customers,
PensionBee is leveraging its knowledge and expertise to create a
global leader in the retirement market.
Taking a significant step towards
the achievement of its vision, a world where everyone can enjoy a
happy retirement, earlier this year, PensionBee launched its US
business, entering the world's largest Defined Contribution pension
market representing approximately $24 trillion in
assets.1 To facilitate its entry into the US market,
PensionBee entered into a strategic agreement with one of its
long-standing partners, State Street Global Advisors ('State Street'). In July this year,
PensionBee's wholly-owned US subsidiary, PensionBee Inc. was
registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission as an
investment adviser.
In accordance with this strategic
agreement, PensionBee is deploying its award-winning online
retirement proposition and proprietary technology, enabling US
consumers to easily consolidate and roll over their 401(k) plans
and Individual Retirement Accounts ('IRAs') into one new PensionBee IRA.
PensionBee has selected a range of investment portfolios to be
offered to customers that use State Street's model portfolios,
exclusively consisting of State Street managed Exchange Traded
Funds ('ETFs'). State
Street will provide meaningful marketing support to PensionBee as
the Company uses its data-led, multi-channel customer acquisition
approach to attract new customers.
Under the terms of the agreement
with State Street, the annual amount of the marketing support is
variable based on the achievement of certain net new asset
thresholds. PensionBee has received marketing support of $6 million
from State Street for the period until the end of 2025. Marketing
support is expected to be in place for 5-7 years.
Following its Capital Markets Day
titled "Creating a Leader in the Global Consumer Retirement Market"
on 1 October 2024, the Company has considered opportunities to
accelerate the delivery of its medium and long term
guidance.
PensionBee intends to use the £20
million of proceeds raised to accelerate investment in its US
business by:
● Increasing
marketing expenditure on paid advertising channels (including paid
search, paid social, out of home, television, radio and sports
advertising) alongside State Street's marketing support to
accelerate new customer growth.
● Accelerating the
development of localised product features (including Roth IRAs,
account search functionality, calculators, educational content and
retirement provider integrations) that serve as advertising assets
to attract US customers and help them roll over their retirement
accounts more easily and quickly.
● Pursuing
employer (sponsor) opportunities to bulk transfer former employees'
accounts. Employer sponsors are seeking to relieve themselves of
former employees' accounts and associated costs. These bulk
transfers could represent significant opportunities for PensionBee
to onboard new customers and offer them consolidation
services.
Overall, the proceeds will increase
the Company's expenditure in its US business over 2025 and 2026 to
accelerate the delivery of its medium and long-term guidance. The
proceeds will also ensure maximum capital allocation to the UK
business from organic cash generation in the UK.
Additionally, in the context of the
Company's investor relations engagements over the past year, there
has been consistent feedback that increasing liquidity, free float
and institutional share ownership is important to both current and
potential investors. The Placing will serve to further increase
liquidity in the Company's shares and to broaden the Company's
shareholder register, aiming to increase the Company's
institutional ownership and its free float.
1: Source: Investment Company
Institute: Quarterly Retirement Market Data, Second Quarter
2024.
Guidance Framework
The Company presented its guidance
framework at its recent Capital Markets Day, setting out its
trajectory over the short, medium and long term.
Revenue Objectives:
● PensionBee
expects Group Revenue to exceed £30m for the full year 2024.
● It has an
ambition to reach approximately £100m of Group Revenue in the short
to medium term (by year 5), with a longer term (5 to 10 years)
ambition to exceed £250m.
Profitability Objectives:
● PensionBee
expects to reach Adjusted Group EBITDA breakeven for the full year
2024.
● It has an
ambition to reach an Adjusted Group EBITDA Margin of approximately
20% in the short to medium term (by year 5), with a longer term (5
to 10 years) ambition to reach c.50%.
Details of the Placing
KBW is acting as sole global
coordinator and sole bookrunner in connection with the Placing and
has entered into a placing agreement with Company dated 23 October
2024. The Placing is subject to the conditions and termination
rights set out in the Placing Agreement. Further details of the
Placing Agreement can be found in the terms and conditions
contained in the Appendix to this Announcement.
The Bookbuild will open with
immediate effect following release of this Announcement.
The timing of the closing of the Bookbuild,
the final number of Placing Shares and
allocations are at the absolute discretion of the Company and
KBW.
The Placing Shares, when issued,
will be fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with
the existing ordinary shares of the Company, including the right to
receive all dividends and other distributions declared, made or
paid after the date of issue.
Following the Placing, the Company
shall be subject to a lock-up period of 180 days following
Admission (as defined below), subject to certain customary
exceptions and waiver by the Sole Bookrunner.
The Placing does not require
shareholder approval.
Applications will be made for the
Placing Shares to be admitted to the Equity Shares (Commercial
Companies) category of the Official List of the Financial Conduct
Authority (the 'FCA') and
to be admitted to trading on the main market for listed securities
of the London Stock Exchange plc (together, 'Admission'). It is expected that
settlement for the Placing Shares and Admission will take place on
or before 8.00 a.m. on 28
October 2024. The Placing is conditional, among
other things, upon Admission becoming effective and the Placing
Agreement not being terminated in accordance with its
terms.
Your attention is drawn to the
detailed terms and conditions of the Placing described in the
Appendix to this Announcement (which forms part of this
Announcement). By choosing to participate in the Placing and by
making an oral and legally binding offer to acquire Placing Shares,
investors will be deemed to have read and understood this
Announcement in its entirety (including the Appendix) and to be
making such offer on the terms and subject to the conditions in it,
and to be providing the representations, warranties and
acknowledgements contained in the Appendix. In particular,
investors should read and understand the information provided in
the 'Important Information' section of this
Announcement.
Enquiries: PensionBee
Becky O'Connor Laura Dunn-Sims
Steven Kennedy
press@pensionbee.com
KBW, a Stifel Company
Alistair McKay
Alberto Moreno Blasco Erik
Anderson
Nick Harland
About PensionBee
PensionBee is creating a global
leader in the consumer retirement market with £5.5 billion in
assets on behalf of 260,000 customers.
Founded in 2014, we aspire to make
as many people as possible pension confident so that everyone can
enjoy a happy retirement.
We help our customers to combine
their retirement savings into a new online account, which they can
manage from the palm of their hand.
PensionBee accounts are invested by
the world's largest investment managers, collectively looking after
more than $10 trillion in savings between them. Each PensionBee
customer has a personal account manager ('BeeKeeper') to guide them through
their savings and retirement journey. PensionBee has an "Excellent"
Trustpilot rating based on over 10,000 reviews.
As a public company, we aspire to
the highest standards in everything we do because our customers
deserve peace of mind. Our team of approximately 200 pension
professionals, based in London and New York, has one focus: you,
our customer.
PensionBee is listed on the London
Stock Exchange (LON:PBEE).
Important Information
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THE APPENDICES AND THE TERMS AND
CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN) 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 is not for
publication or distribution or release, directly or indirectly, in
or into the United States of America (including its territories and
possessions, any state of the United States and the District of
Columbia), Canada, Australia, South Africa, Japan or any other
jurisdiction where such an announcement would be unlawful (each, a
'Restricted Territory').
The distribution of this Announcement may be restricted by law in
certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession this
document or other information referred to herein comes should
inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any
failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a
violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No
action has been taken that would permit an offering of the Placing
Shares or possession or distribution of this Announcement in any jurisdiction where action for that
purpose is required.
No public offering of the Placing
Shares is being made in the United Kingdom, the United States, any
other Restricted Territory or elsewhere.
This Announcement does not
constitute or form part of an offer for sale or solicitation of an
offer to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States,
Canada, Australia, South Africa, Japan or any other jurisdiction
and the securities referred to herein have not been registered
under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The Placing
Shares have not been and will not be registered under the US
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 'Securities Act'), or under the
securities laws of any State or any other jurisdiction of the
United States, and may not be offered or sold, directly or
indirectly, in the United States except pursuant to an exemption
from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration
requirements of, the Securities Act and in compliance with all
applicable securities laws of any State or any other jurisdiction
of the United States. No public offering of securities is being
made in the United States or in any other jurisdiction.
No action has been taken by the
Company or Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (trading as Keefe,
Bruyette & Woods) ("Sole
Bookrunner"), any of their respective affiliates, or any
person acting on behalf of any of them, which would permit an offer
of the Placing Shares or possession or distribution of this
Announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating
to such Placing Shares in any jurisdiction where action for that
purpose is required.
Persons into whose possession this
Announcement comes are required by the Company and the Sole
Bookrunner 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.
In member states of the European
Economic Area ('EEA'), this
Announcement and any offer of Placing Shares if made subsequently
is directed exclusively at persons who are 'qualified investors'
within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation ('Qualified Investors'). For these
purposes, the expression 'Prospectus Regulation' means Regulation
(EU) 2017/1129. In the United Kingdom this Announcement is only
being distributed to, and is only directed at, and any investment
or investment activity to which this Announcement relates is
available only to, and will be engaged in only with, Qualified
Investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation as it
forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union
(Withdrawal) Act 2018, as amended, who are also: (i) investment
professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the UK Financial
Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as
amended) (the 'Order'); or
(ii) high net worth entities falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d)
of the Order; or (iii) other persons to whom an offer of the
Placing Shares may otherwise be lawfully communicated (all such
persons together being referred to as 'relevant persons'). Persons
who are not relevant persons should not take any action on the
basis of this Announcement and should not
act or rely on it. 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 United Kingdom, to relevant persons, and will be engaged in
only with such persons. This Announcement must not be acted on or
relied on: (i) in any member state of the EEA, by persons who are
not Qualified Investors; and (ii) in the United Kingdom, by persons
who are not relevant persons. Persons distributing this
Announcement (or any part thereof) must satisfy themselves that it
is lawful to do so.
All offers of the Placing Shares in
the United Kingdom and the EEA will be made pursuant to an
exemption under the UK Prospectus Regulation and the Prospectus
Regulation, as applicable, from the requirement to produce a
prospectus. This Announcement is being distributed and communicated
to persons in the United Kingdom only in circumstances to which
section 21(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as
amended ('FSMA') does not
apply.
The Placing Shares and this
Announcement have not been and will not be approved or disapproved
by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, any State securities
commission or any other regulatory authority in the United States,
nor have any of the foregoing authorities passed upon or endorsed
the merits of the Placing or the accuracy or adequacy of this
Announcement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal
offence in the United States.
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.
No prospectus or offering document
has been or will be prepared in connection with the Placing. Any
investment decision in connection with the Placing must be made on
the basis of all publicly available information relating to the
Company and its shares. Such information has not been independently
verified and the Company and the Sole Bookrunner are not
responsible, and expressly disclaim any liability, for such
information. The information contained in this Announcement is for
background purposes only and does not purport to be full or
complete. No reliance may be placed for any purpose on the
information contained in this Announcement
or its accuracy or completeness.
In connection with the Placing, the
Sole Bookrunner or any of its affiliates may take up a portion of
the Placing Shares as a principal position and in that capacity may
retain, purchase, sell or offer to sell for its own account such
Placing Shares and other securities of the Company or related
investments in connection with the Placing or otherwise.
Accordingly, references to the Placing Shares being issued,
offered, subscribed, acquired, placed or otherwise dealt in should
be read as including any issue or offer to, or subscription,
acquisition, placing or dealing by the Sole Bookrunner and any of
its affiliates acting as investors for their own accounts. The Sole
Bookrunner does not intend to disclose the extent of any such
investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with any
legal or regulatory obligations to do so.
This Announcement does not purport
to identify or suggest the risks (direct or indirect) which may be
associated with an investment in the Company or its
shares.
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 the Sole Bookrunner, any of its
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
the Sole Bookrunner and/or any of its 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. 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. 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.
This Announcement does not
constitute a recommendation concerning the Placing. The price and
value of securities and any income from them can go down as well as
up. Past performance is not 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. Acquiring Placing Shares to which this
Announcement relates may expose an investor
to a significant risk of losing all of the amount invested.
Potential investors should consult a professional advisor as to the
suitability of the Placing for the entity or person concerned. This
Announcement does not represent the
Announcement of a definitive agreement to
proceed with the Placing and, accordingly, there can be no
certainty that the Placing will proceed. The Company reserves the
right not to proceed with the Placing or to vary the terms of the
offering in any way.
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (acting
through Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited), which is authorised and
regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA, is acting for the
Company only in connection with the Placing and no one else, and
will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for
providing the protections offered to clients nor for providing
advice in relation to the Placing Shares or the Placing, the
contents of this Announcement or any transaction, arrangement or
other matter referred to in this Announcement.
The Sole Bookrunner, its affiliates
and/or any person acting on its or their behalf may have engaged in
transactions with, and provided various commercial banking,
investment banking, financial advisory transactions and services in
the ordinary course of their business to the Company and/or its
affiliates for which it would have received customary fees and
commissions. The Sole Bookrunner, its affiliates and/or any person
acting on its or their behalf may provide such services to the
Company and/or its affiliates in the future.
Certain figures contained in this
Announcement, including financial
information, have been subject to rounding adjustments.
Accordingly, in certain instances, the sum or percentage change of
the numbers contained in this Announcement may not conform exactly
with the total figure given.
This Announcement includes
statements that are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements may be identified by
the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms
'intends', 'expects', 'will', or 'may', or, in each case, their
negative or other variations or comparable terminology, or by
discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or
intentions. These forward-looking statements include all matters
that are not historical facts and include statements regarding
intentions, beliefs or current expectations. No assurances can be
given that the forward-looking statements in this Announcement will
be realised. As a result, no undue reliance should be placed on
these forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual events
or otherwise. The forward-looking statements contained in this
Announcement speak only as of the date of this Announcement. The
Company, its directors, the Sole Bookrunner and its Affiliates and
any person acting on its or their behalf each expressly disclaim
any obligation or undertaking to update or revise publicly 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, the UK Listing Rules made by the FCA (the
'Listing Rules') under the
FSMA, the MAR, the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules made
by the FCA under FSMA (the 'DTRs'), the rules of London Stock
Exchange or the FCA.
The Revenue Objectives and
Profitability Objectives referred to in this Announcement
are targets only and not profit forecasts. There
can be no assurance that these targets can or will be met and it
should not be seen as an indication of the Company's expected or
actual results or returns. Accordingly investors should not place
any reliance on these targets in deciding whether to invest in
ordinary shares.
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 London Stock Exchange.
The Appendix 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 Appendix) 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 the Appendix to this Announcement and to
be providing the representations, warranties, undertakings and
acknowledgements contained in the Appendix 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 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.
Solely for the purposes of the
product governance requirements of Chapter 3 of the FCA Handbook
Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook (the
'UK Product Governance
Rules') and/or any equivalent requirements elsewhere to the
extent determined to be applicable, 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 Chapter 3 of the FCA Handbook Conduct of Business
Sourcebook ('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, the Sole
Bookrunner 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.
Solely for the purposes of the
product governance requirements contained within: (a) EU Directive
2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments, as amended
('MiFID II'); (b) Articles
9 and 10 of Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593
supplementing MiFID II; and (c) local implementing measures
(together, the 'MiFID II Product
Governance Requirements'), and disclaiming all and any
liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which
any 'manufacturer' (for the purposes of the MiFID II Product
Governance Requirements) 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 MiFID II; and (ii) eligible for
distribution through all distribution channels as are permitted by
MiFID II (the 'EU Target Market
Assessment'). Notwithstanding the EU 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 EU 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 EU Target Market Assessment, the Sole
Bookrunner will only procure investors who meet the criteria of
professional clients and eligible counterparties.
For the avoidance of doubt, the EU
Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (a) an assessment of
suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of MiFID II; 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 - TERMS AND
CONDITIONS OF THE PLACING
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR
INVITED PLACEES ONLY REGARDING THE PLACING
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT
ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING
THIS APPENDIX) AND THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN
(TOGETHER, THIS "ANNOUNCEMENT") ARE FOR INFORMATION
PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE DIRECTED ONLY AT (AND ARE 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 MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA (THE
"EEA"), PERSONS WHO ARE
QUALIFIED INVESTORS WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 2(E) OF
REGULATION (EU) 2017/1129 (THE "EU
PROSPECTUS REGULATION") ("EU QUALIFIED INVESTORS"); OR (B) IF IN
THE UNITED KINGDOM, QUALIFIED INVESTORS WITHIN THE MEANING OF
ARTICLE 2(E) OF THE UK VERSION OF REGULATION (EU) 2017/1129 AS IT
FORMS PART OF UK LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL)
ACT 2018, AS AMENDED ("UK
QUALIFIED INVESTORS") (THE "UK PROSPECTUS REGULATION") WHO ARE (I)
PERSONS WHO FALL WITHIN THE DEFINITION OF "INVESTMENT
PROFESSIONALS" IN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND
MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005, AS AMENDED (THE
"ORDER"), OR (II) PERSONS
WHO ARE HIGH NET WORTH COMPANIES, UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATIONS OR
PARTNERSHIPS OR TRUSTEES OF HIGH VALUE TRUSTS AS DESCRIBED IN
ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) OF THE ORDER; OR (C) OTHERWISE, PERSONS TO
WHOM IT MAY OTHERWISE BE LAWFUL TO COMMUNICATE IT TO (EACH SUCH
PERSON IN (A), (B) AND (C) REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS"). NO OTHER PERSON
SHOULD ACT OR RELY ON THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. BY ACCEPTING THE TERMS OF
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, YOU REPRESENT AND AGREE THAT YOU ARE AN EU
QUALIFIED INVESTOR OR A RELEVANT PERSON, AS THE CASE MAY BE. THIS
APPENDIX AND THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN MUST NOT BE
ACTED ON OR RELIED ON BY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS OR EU
QUALIFIED INVESTORS. PERSONS DISTRIBUTING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST
SATISFY THEMSELVES THAT IT IS LAWFUL TO DO SO. ANY INVESTMENT OR
INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE TERMS AND
CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN RELATE IS AVAILABLE ONLY (I) IN ANY
MEMBER STATE OF THE EEA, TO QUALIFIED INVESTORS; AND (II) IN THE
UNITED KINGDOM, TO RELEVANT PERSONS AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY
WITH RELEVANT PERSONS.
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR
INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES
(INCLUDING ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED
STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (COLLECTIVELY, THE "UNITED STATES")), AUSTRALIA, CANADA,
THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN
WHICH SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL
OR REQUIRE A PROSPECTUS OR SIMILAR DOCUMENT TO BE FILED. THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN DO NOT CONSTITUTE
AN OFFER OF SECURITIES FOR SALE IN THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA,
CANADA, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, JAPAN OR IN ANY OTHER
JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE SAME WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THIS
APPENDIX) DOES NOT ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN OFFER FOR SALE OR ISSUE, OR
A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY, SUBSCRIBE FOR OR OTHERWISE
ACQUIRE SUBSCRIPTION OF ANY SECURITIES IN THE COMPANY.
THE PLACING SHARES HAVE NOT BEEN AND
WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE US SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS
AMENDED (THE "SECURITIES
ACT"), OR UNDER THE APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE
OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED
OR SOLD, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY WITHIN, INTO OR IN THE UNITED
STATES, EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION
REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE
SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED
STATES. THERE WILL BE NO PUBLIC OFFER OF THE PLACING SHARES IN THE
UNITED STATES, THE UNITED KINGDOM OR ELSEWHERE.
EACH PLACEE SHOULD CONSULT ITS OWN
ADVISERS AS TO LEGAL, BUSINESS, FINANCIAL, ACCOUNTING, TAX AND
RELATED ASPECTS OF ACQUIRING THE PLACING SHARES.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS BEING
DISTRIBUTED AND COMMUNICATED TO PERSONS IN THE UK ONLY IN
CIRCUMSTANCES TO WHICH SECTION 21(1) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND
MARKETS ACT 2000, AS AMENDED ("FSMA") DOES NOT APPLY. ALL OFFERS OF
THE PLACING SHARES WILL BE MADE PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION UNDER THE
UK PROSPECTUS REGULATION FROM THE REQUIREMENT TO PRODUCE A
PROSPECTUS.
General
Persons who are invited to and who
choose to participate in the placing (the "Placing") of the Placing Shares (as
defined below) by making an oral or written offer to acquire
Placing Shares (including any individuals, funds or others on whose
behalf a commitment to acquire Placing Shares is given)
("Placees") will be deemed
to have read and understood this Announcement (including its
Appendix) in its entirety and to be making such offer on the terms
and conditions, and to be providing (and shall only be permitted to
participate in the Placing on the basis that they have provided)
the representations, warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements,
undertakings and agreements, contained in this Appendix. In
particular, each such Placee represents, warrants, acknowledges and
agrees that:
1.
If in the United Kingdom, it is a Relevant Person,
and undertakes that it will acquire, hold, manage or dispose of any
Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the purposes of its
business;
2.
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;
3.
it is acquiring the Placing Shares for its own
account or is acquiring the Placing Shares for an account with
respect to which it exercises sole investment discretion and has
the authority to make and does make the representations,
warranties, indemnities, acknowledgments, undertakings and
agreements contained in this Announcement;
4.
it understands (or if acting for the account of
another person, such person has confirmed that such person
understands) the resale and transfer restrictions set out in this
Announcement (including this Appendix);
5.
if it is a financial intermediary, as that term is
used in Article 5(1) of the EU Prospectus Regulation and Article
5(1) of the UK Prospectus Regulation, it understands that any
Placing Shares subscribed for by it in the Placing will not be
acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor will they
be acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in
circumstances which may give rise to an offer of securities to the
public other than an offer or resale in a member state of the EEA
to EU Qualified Investors or in the United Kingdom to Relevant
Persons, or in circumstances in which the prior consent of the Sole
Bookrunner has been given to each such proposed offer or
resale;
6.
it understands that the Placing Shares have not
been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or with
any securities regulatory authority of any state or other
jurisdiction of the United States and may not be offered or sold,
directly or indirectly, within the United States except pursuant to
an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities
Act and in compliance with any applicable securities laws of any
state or other jurisdiction of the United States;
7.
it and the person(s), if any, for whose account or
benefit it is acquiring the Placing Shares are either (a)(i)
outside the United States and will be outside the United States at
the time the Placing Shares are acquired by it and (ii) acquiring
the Placing Shares in an "offshore transaction" within the meaning
of Regulation S, or (b) a "qualified institutional buyer" as
defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act (a "QIB") who has executed and delivered
to the Company and the Sole Bookrunner a US investor letter
substantially in the form provided to it;
8.
for so long as it has any interest in or
connection to the Company, it will not be and will not be acting on
behalf of: (i) an employee benefit plan as defined in Section 3(3)
of the U.S. Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended ("ERISA"), and
subject to the fiduciary responsibility provisions of Part 4 of
Subtitle B of Title I of ERISA; (ii) a plan as defined in Section
4975(e)(1) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the
"Code") and subject to
Section 4975 of the Code; (iii) a person or entity whose assets
include the assets of any such employee benefit plan or plan by
reason of the U.S. Department of Labor regulation at 29 C.F.R. §
2510.3-101, as modified by under Section 3(42) of ERISA (the
"ERISA Plan Assets
Regulation") or (iv) a governmental, church, non-U.S. or
other plan that is subject to any non-U.S., federal, state, local
or other law or regulation that is substantially similar to the
fiduciary responsibility provisions of Title I of ERISA or the
prohibited transaction provisions of Section 406 of ERISA or
Section 4975 of the Code; and
9.
the Company and the Sole Bookrunner will rely upon
the truth and accuracy of the foregoing representations,
warranties, acknowledgements and agreements.
The Placing Shares have not been
approved or disapproved by the US Securities and Exchange
Commission, any state securities commission or other regulatory
authority in the United States, nor have any of the foregoing
authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the Placing or
the accuracy or adequacy of this Announcement. Any representation
to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United
States.
No representation is made by the
Company, the Sole Bookrunner or any of their respective affiliates
to any Placees regarding an investment in the Placing
Shares.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PLACEES ONLY REGARDING THE
PLACING
Bookbuild
Following this Announcement, the Sole
Bookrunner will commence an accelerated bookbuilding process in
respect of the Placing (the "Bookbuild") to determine demand for
participation in the Placing by Placees. This Appendix gives
details of the terms and conditions of, and the mechanics of
participation in, the Placing. No commissions will be paid to
Placees or by Placees in respect of any Placing Shares. Members of
the public are not entitled to participate.
The Sole Bookrunner shall be entitled
to effect the Placing by such alternative method to the Bookbuild
as it may, in consultation with the Company, determine.
Details of the Placing Agreement and of the Placing
Shares
The Company has today entered into a
placing agreement (the "Placing
Agreement") with the Sole Bookrunner under which, subject to
the terms and conditions set out therein, the Sole Bookrunner has
agreed (a) as agent for and on behalf of the Company, to use its
reasonable endeavours to procure Placees for the new ordinary
shares of £0.001 each in the capital of the Company (the
"Placing Shares"), with the
number of Placing Shares and price per Placing Share (the
"Placing Price") to be
determined following completion of the Bookbuild, and (b) to the
extent that any Placee defaults in paying the Placing Price in
respect of any of the Placing Shares allocated to it, to subscribe
for such Placing Shares at the Placing Price.
The Placing Shares have been duly
authorised and will, when issued, be credited as fully paid and
will rank pari passu in
all respects with the existing ordinary shares of £0.001 each in
the capital of the Company (the "Ordinary Shares"), including the right
to receive all dividends and other distributions declared, made or
paid in respect of such Ordinary Shares after the date of issue of
the Placing Shares. The Placing Shares will be issued free of any
encumbrances, liens or other security interests.
Applications for listing and admission to
trading
Applications (the "Applications for Admission") will be
made (a) to the Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA") for admission of the Placing
Shares to listing in the Equity Shares (Commercial Companies)
category of the Official List of the FCA (the "Official List"), and (b) to London
Stock Exchange plc (the "London
Stock Exchange") for admission of the Placing Shares to
trading on its main market for listed securities (together,
"Admission").
It is expected that Admission of the
Placing Shares will become effective at or around 8.00 a.m. (London
time) on 28 October 2024 and that dealings in the Placing Shares
will commence at that time. The Placing is conditional upon, among
other things, Admission becoming effective, and the Placing
Agreement not being terminated in accordance with its
terms.
Participation in, and principal terms of, the
Placing
1.
KBW is acting as a sole bookrunner, global
coordinator and agent of the Company in connection with the
Placing.
2.
Participation in the Placing will only be
available to persons who may lawfully be, and are, invited to
participate by the Sole Bookrunner. The Sole Bookrunner and its
agents and affiliates are each entitled to enter bids in the
Bookbuild as principal.
3.
The Bookbuild, if successful, will establish a
single price per Placing Share payable to the Sole Bookrunner, as
agent for and on behalf of the Company, by all Placees whose bids
are successful. The Placing Price and the final number of Placing
Shares will be determined by the Company (in consultation with the
Sole Bookrunner) following completion of the Bookbuild and any
discount to the market price of the Ordinary Shares will be
determined in accordance with the Listing Rules of the FCA. The
Placing Price and the final number of Placing Shares to be issued
will be announced via a Regulatory Information Service
("Regulatory Information
Service") following the completion of the
Bookbuild.
4.
To bid in the Bookbuild, prospective Placees
should communicate their bid by telephone or in writing to their
usual sales contact at the Sole Bookrunner. Each bid should state
the number of Placing Shares which the prospective Placee wishes to
subscribe for at either the Placing Price
which is ultimately established by the Company and the Sole
Bookrunner or at prices up to a price limit specified in its
bid. Bids may be scaled down by the Sole
Bookrunner on the basis referred to in paragraph
11
below.
5.
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 Sole Bookrunner's consent, will not be capable of
variation or revocation after the time at which it is submitted.
Each Placee's obligations will be owed to the Company and the Sole
Bookrunner. Each Placee will also have an immediate, separate,
irrevocable and binding obligation, owed to the Sole Bookrunner as
agent of the Company, to pay in cleared funds immediately on the
settlement date, in accordance with the registration and settlement
requirements set out below, an amount equal to the product of the
Placing Price and the number of Placing Shares such Placee has
agreed to subscribe for and the Company has agreed to allot to
them.
6.
The Bookbuild is expected to close no later than
8.00 a.m. (London time) on 24 October 2024, but may be closed
earlier or later at the absolute discretion of the Sole Bookrunner.
The Sole Bookrunner may, in agreement with the Company, accept bids
that are received after the Bookbuild has closed.
7.
Each prospective Placee's allocation will be
agreed between the Sole Bookrunner and the Company and will be
confirmed orally or in writing by the Sole Bookrunner (as agent of
the Company) following the close of the Bookbuild. This
confirmation to such Placee will constitute an irrevocable legally
binding commitment upon that person (who will at that point become
a Placee) in favour of the Sole Bookrunner and the Company to
subscribe for the number of Placing Shares allocated to it and to
pay the Placing Price for each such Placing Share on the terms and
conditions set out in this Appendix and in accordance with the
Company's articles of association and each Placee will be deemed to
have read and understood this Announcement (including this
Appendix) in its entirety.
8.
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 "Right to terminate under the Placing Agreement".
9.
By participating in the Bookbuild, each Placee
will agree 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 the Sole
Bookrunner.
10.
Each prospective Placee's allocation and
commitment will be evidenced by a contract note or trade
confirmation issued to such Placee by the Sole Bookrunner. The
terms of this Appendix will be deemed incorporated by reference
therein.
11.
Subject to paragraphs 4 and 5 above, the Sole Bookrunner
may choose to accept bids, either in whole or in part, on the basis
of allocations determined in agreement with the Company and may
scale down any bids for this purpose on such basis as it may
determine. The Sole Bookrunner may also, notwithstanding
paragraphs 4 and 5 above,
subject to the prior consent of the Company (a) allocate Placing
Shares after the time of any initial allocation to any person
submitting a bid after that time, and (b) allocate Placing Shares
after the Bookbuild has closed to any person submitting a bid after
that time. The Company reserves the right (upon agreement with the
Sole Bookrunner) to reduce or seek to increase the amount to be
raised pursuant to the Placing.
12.
Except as required by law or regulation, no press
release or other announcement will be made by the Sole Bookrunner
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.
13.
Irrespective of the time at which a Placee's
allocation pursuant to the Placing is confirmed, settlement for all
Placing Shares to be subscribed for pursuant to the Placing will be
required to be made at the same time, on the basis explained below
under "Registration and settlement".
14.
To the fullest extent permissible by law, neither
the Sole Bookrunner, the Company nor any of their respective
affiliates, directors, officers, partners, employees, advisers or
agents (collectively, "Representatives") shall have any
responsibility or liability to Placees (or to any other person
whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise). In particular,
neither the Sole Bookrunner, the Company nor any of their
respective affiliates or Representatives shall have any
responsibility or liability (including, to the fullest extent
permissible by law, any fiduciary duties) in respect of the conduct
of the Bookbuild or of such alternative method of effecting the
Placing as the Sole Bookrunner and the Company may
agree.
15.
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 Sole
Bookrunner's conduct of the Placing.
16.
All times and dates in this Announcement may be
subject to change. The Sole Bookrunner 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 obligations of the
Sole Bookrunner under the Placing Agreement in respect of the
Placing Shares are conditional on, inter alia:
1.
the publication of the placing announcement
through a Regulatory Information Service by no later than 5 p.m. on
the date of the Placing Agreement (or such later time and/or date
as the Company and the Sole Bookrunner may agree);
2.
the number of Placing Shares to be issued and the
Placing Price per Placing Share having been determined and a term
sheet confirming such number of Placing Shares and the Placing
Price (the "Term Sheet")
having been executed by the Company and the Sole Bookrunner by no
later than 7 a.m. on the day following the date of the Placing
Agreement (or such later date as the Company and the Sole
Bookrunner may agree);
3.
the Company having allotted the Placing Shares to
the Placees, subject only to Admission;
4.
the publication of an announcement confirming the
results of the Placing (the "Placing Results Announcement") through
a Regulatory Information Service as soon as reasonably practicable
following the execution of the Term Sheet and, in any event, by no
later than 8.00 a.m. on the day following the date of the Placing
Agreement (or such later time and/or date as the Company and the
Sole Bookrunner may agree);
5.
the applications for admission of the Placing
Shares to the Official List and to trading on the London Stock
Exchange's main market for listed securities not having been withdrawn by the Company and/or not having
been refused by the FCA or the London Stock Exchange (as
appropriate);
6.
the Company having complied with all of its
undertakings and obligations under the Placing Agreement and the
terms and conditions of the Placing which fall to be performed or
satisfied on or prior to Admission, except for any non-compliance
which the Sole Bookrunner considers not to be material in the
context of the Placing or Admission;
7.
each of the warranties set out in the Placing
Agreement being true and accurate in every respect and not
misleading in any respect, save for any breach of a warranty which
the Sole Bookrunner considers in its absolute opinion (acting in
good faith) not to be material in the context of the Placing or
Admission, at the date of the Placing Agreement, at the time of the
execution of the Term Sheet and Admission, by reference to the
facts and circumstances from time to time subsisting, and no event
having arisen prior to the time of Admission which might reasonably
be expected to give rise to a claim under the indemnity provisions
contained within the Placing Agreement;
8.
the delivery of certain documents as specified
within the Placing Agreement;
9.
there not having occurred, in the absolute opinion
of the Sole Bookrunner (acting in good faith), a material adverse
change of the Company since entering into the Placing
Agreement;
10.
Admission occurring not later than 8.00 a.m. on 28
October 2024 (or such later time and/or
date as may be agreed between the Company and the Sole Bookrunner,
being not later than 8 November 2024).
The Sole
Bookrunner has a discretion to waive
compliance with certain of the conditions and/or agree an extension
in time for their satisfaction. Any such extension or waiver will
not affect Placees' commitments as set out in this
Announcement.
If (a) any of the conditions
contained in the Placing Agreement, including those described
above, are not fulfilled (or, where permitted, waived or extended
in writing by the Sole
Bookrunner) or become incapable of
fulfilment on or before the date or time specified for the
fulfilment thereof (or such later date and/or time as the
Sole Bookrunner may
agree), or (b) the Placing Agreement is terminated in the
circumstances specified below, the Placing will not proceed 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 the Placee in respect
thereof. Any such extension or waiver will not affect Placees'
commitments as set out in this Announcement.
Neither the Sole Bookrunner nor any of its
affiliates nor any of their respective Representatives shall have
any responsibility or 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 the date for the satisfaction of any
condition to the Placing nor for any decision they 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 in the absolute discretion of the
Sole Bookrunner.
Lock-up
The Company has undertaken that it
will not, and will procure that none of its subsidiaries will, at
any time between the date of the Placing Agreement and the date
which is 180 days after the Admission, without the prior written
consent of the Sole Bookrunner (such
consent not to be unreasonably withheld or
delayed), enter into certain transactions
involving or relating to the Ordinary Shares, subject to certain
customary carve-outs agreed between the Sole Bookrunner and the
Company.
By participating in the Placing,
Placees agree that the exercise by the Sole Bookrunner of any power
to consent to waive the undertaking by the Company of a transaction
which would otherwise be subject to the lock-up under the Placing
Agreement shall be within the absolute discretion of the Sole
Bookrunner, and that it does not need to make any reference to,
consult with, or seek consent from, Placees and that none of the
Sole Bookrunner, the Company, and 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 of the power to grant consent or
failure so to exercise.
Right to terminate under the Placing
Agreement
The Sole Bookrunner is entitled, in
its absolute discretion, at any time before Admission, to terminate
the Placing Agreement by giving notice to the Company in certain
circumstances, including (but not limited to) where (a) there has
been a breach by the Company of any of the undertakings or
covenants in the Placing Agreement which the Sole Bookrunner considers to be
material in the context of the Placing or Admission, (b) or there has
been a breach of any of the warranties in the Placing Agreement
which the Sole Bookrunner
considers (acting in good faith) to be material in
the context of the Placing
or Admission, (c) in the opinion of the Sole
Bookrunner, acting in good faith, there has been a material adverse
change; or (d) certain adverse market events have occurred, the
effects of which, in the good faith opinion of the Sole Bookrunner,
make it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the
Placing.
If circumstances arise that would
allow the Sole Bookrunner to terminate the Placing Agreement, it
may nevertheless determine to allow Admission to proceed. By
participating in the Placing, each Placee agrees that its rights
and obligations terminate only in the circumstances described above
and under "Conditions of the Placing" above and will not be capable
of rescission or termination by it after oral or written
confirmation by the Sole Bookrunner following the close of the
Bookbuild.
By participating in the Placing,
Placees agree that the exercise or non-exercise by the Sole
Bookrunner of any right of termination or other discretion under
the Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute discretion of
the Sole Bookrunner, and that it does not need to make any
reference to, consult with, or seek consent from, Placees and that
the Sole Bookrunner shall have no liability to Placees whatsoever
in connection with any such exercise or failure so to
exercise.
Basis of commitments
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 or other
offering document to be published. No prospectus or other offering
document has been or will be submitted to be approved by or
registered with the FCA or any other regulatory authority in
relation to the Placing or the Placing Shares.
Placees' commitments will be made
solely on the basis of their own assessment of the Company, the
Placing and the Placing Shares based on information contained in
this Announcement (including this Appendix) and any information
publicly announced to a Regulatory Information Service by or on
behalf of the Company on or prior to the date of this Announcement
and subject to the further terms set forth in the trade
confirmation to be provided to individual prospective
Placees.
Each Placee, by accepting a
participation in the Placing, agrees that the content of this
Announcement (including this Appendix) and all other publicly
available information previously and simultaneously published by or
on behalf of the Company by notification to a Regulatory
Information Service is exclusively the responsibility of the
Company and has not been independently verified by the Sole
Bookrunner. Each Placee, by accepting participation in the Placing,
further confirms that it has neither received nor relied on any
other information, representation, warranty, or statement made by
or on behalf of the Company or the Sole Bookrunner or any other
person and none of the Company or Sole Bookrunner or any of their
respective affiliates or any of their respective Representatives
will be 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). Each Placee acknowledges and agrees that it has relied on
its own investigation of the business, financial or other position
of the Company in accepting a participation 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. Nothing in this paragraph shall exclude or
limit the liability of any person for fraudulent misrepresentation
by that person.
Registration and settlement
Settlement of transactions in the
Placing Shares (ISIN: GB00BNDRLN84) following Admission will
take place within the CREST system, subject to certain exceptions.
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 Sole Bookrunner may agree that the
Placing Shares should be issued in certificated form. The Sole
Bookrunner and the Company reserve the right to require settlement
for and delivery of the Placing Shares (or a portion thereof) to
Placees in certificated form or by such other means as they deem
necessary if delivery or settlement is not possible or practicable
within the CREST system or would not be consistent with the
regulatory requirements in the Placee's jurisdiction.
Each Placee agrees that it will do
all things necessary to ensure that delivery and payment is
completed in accordance with the standing CREST or certificated
settlement instructions that it has in place with the Sole
Bookrunner.
The Company will deliver the Placing
Shares to a CREST account operated by the Sole Bookrunner as agent
for the Company and the Sole Bookrunner will enter its delivery
(DEL) instruction into the CREST system. The Sole Bookrunner will
hold any Placing Shares delivered to this account as nominee for
the Placees until settlement. 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 28 October 2024 on a T+2 basis and on a delivery versus
payment basis in accordance with the instructions given to the Sole
Bookrunner.
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 Sole Bookrunner.
Each Placee is deemed to agree that,
if it does not comply with these obligations, the Sole Bookrunner
may sell any or all of the Placing Shares allocated to that Placee
on such Placee's behalf and retain from the proceeds, for the
account and benefit of the Sole Bookrunner, 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 may be required to bear
any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or other similar taxes
(together with any interest or penalties thereon) imposed in any
jurisdiction which may arise upon the sale of such Placing Shares
on such Placee's behalf. By communicating a bid for Placing Shares,
each Placee confers on the Sole Bookrunner all such authorities and
powers necessary to carry out any such transaction and agrees to
ratify and confirm all actions which the Sole Bookrunner lawfully
takes on such Placee's behalf.
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 UK
stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax. If there are any other
circumstances in which any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or
other similar taxes (and/or any interest, fines or penalties
relating thereto) is payable in respect of the allocation,
allotment, issue or delivery of the Placing Shares (or for the
avoidance of doubt if any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax is
payable in connection with any subsequent transfer of or agreement
to transfer Placing Shares), neither the Sole Bookrunner nor the
Company shall be responsible for the payment thereof.
Placees (or any nominee or other
agent acting on behalf of a Placee) will not be entitled to receive
any fee or commission in connection with the Placing.
Representations and warranties
By submitting a bid and/or
participating in the Placing, each prospective 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 Sole Bookrunner and the Company, in each case as a
fundamental term of its application for Placing Shares,
that:
1.
it has read and understood this Announcement
(including this Appendix) in its entirety and that its
participation in the Bookbuild and the Placing and 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 it 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;
2.
that no offering document, offering memorandum,
admission document or prospectus has been or will be prepared in
connection with the Placing or is required under the EU Prospectus
Regulation or UK Prospectus Regulation and it has not received and
will not receive a prospectus, offering memorandum, admission
document or other offering document in connection with Bookbuild,
the Placing or the Placing Shares;
3.
the Placing does not constitute a recommendation
or financial product advice and the Sole Bookrunner has not had
regard to its particular objectives, financial situation and
needs;
4.
(a) it has made its own assessment of the Company,
the Placing Shares and the terms of the Placing based on this
Announcement (including this Appendix) and any information publicly
announced to a Regulatory Information Service by or on behalf of
the Company on or prior to the date of this Announcement (the
"Publicly Available
Information"); (b) the Ordinary Shares are admitted to the
Equity Shares (Commercial Companies) category of the Official List
of the FCA and to trading on the London
Stock Exchange's main market for listed securities and the Company
is therefore required to publish certain business and financial
information in accordance with Regulation (EU) No.596/2014, which
forms part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal)
Act 2018, as amended ("UK
MAR") and the rules and practices of the London Stock
Exchange and/or the FCA (the "Exchange Information"), which includes
a description of the nature of the Company's business, most recent
balance sheet and profit and loss account, and similar statements
for preceding years, and it has reviewed such Exchange Information
as it has deemed necessary or that it is able to obtain or access
the Exchange Information without undue difficulty. Each Placee
further acknowledges and agrees that it has relied on its own
investigation of the business, financial or other position of the
Company in deciding to participate in the Placing;
5.
if it received any "inside information" as defined
in UK MAR concerning the Company or its Ordinary Shares or other
securities or related financial instruments in advance of the
Placing, it has not (a) dealt in the securities of the Company, (b)
encouraged or required another person to deal in the securities of
the Company, or (c) disclosed such information to any person except
as permitted by the UK MAR, prior to the information being made
publicly available;
6.
its participation in the Placing would not give
rise to an offer being required to be made by it or any person with
whom it is acting in concert pursuant to Rule 9 of the City Code on
Takeovers and Mergers;
7.
neither the Sole Bookrunner nor the Company nor
any of their respective affiliates nor any of their respective
Representatives nor 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 Placing Shares or the Company or any
other person other than this Announcement, nor has it requested the
Sole Bookrunner, the Company or any of their respective affiliates
or any of their respective Representatives or any person acting on
behalf of any of them to provide it with any such material or
information;
8.
(a) neither the Company nor the Sole Bookrunner
nor any of their respective affiliates nor any of their respective
Representatives nor any person acting on their behalf has made any
warranties or representations to it, express or implied, with
respect to the Company, the Placing and the Placing Shares or the
accuracy, fairness, completeness or adequacy of the Publicly
Available Information or the Exchange Information, and each of them
expressly disclaims any liability in respect thereof; and (b) it
will not hold the Sole Bookrunner or any of its affiliates or any
of their respective Representatives or any person acting on their
behalf responsible for any misstatements in or omissions from any
Publicly Available Information or any Exchange Information. Nothing
in this paragraph or otherwise in this Announcement excludes the
liability of any person for fraudulent misrepresentation made by
that person;
9.
the content of this Announcement is exclusively
the responsibility of the Company and that neither the Sole
Bookrunner nor any of its affiliates nor any of their respective
Representatives nor any person acting on their behalf has or shall
have any responsibility or liability for any information,
representation or statement contained in this Announcement or any
information previously or subsequently published by or on behalf of
the Company, including, without limitation, any Publicly Available
Information or 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 previously or simultaneously
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 any Publicly Available Information including
(without limitation) the Exchange Information, such information
being all that it deems necessary and/or appropriate to make an
investment decision in respect of the Placing Shares and that it
has neither received nor relied on any other information given,
investigation made or representations, warranties or statements
made by either the Sole Bookrunner or the Company or any of their
respective affiliates or any of their respective Representatives or
any person acting on their behalf and neither the Sole Bookrunner
nor the Company nor any of their respective affiliates nor any of
their respective Representatives nor any person acting on its or
their behalf 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;
10.
it has not relied on any information relating to
the Company contained in any research reports prepared by the Sole
Bookrunner or any of its affiliates or any of their respective
Representatives or any person acting on their behalf and
understands that (a) neither the Sole Bookrunner nor any of its
affiliates nor any of their respective Representatives nor any
person acting on their behalf has or shall have any liability for
public information or any representation, (b) neither the Sole
Bookrunner nor any of its affiliates nor any of their respective
Representatives nor any person acting on their behalf 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 of such information, the date of this Announcement
or otherwise; and (c) neither the Sole Bookrunner nor any of its
affiliates nor any of their respective Representatives nor any
person acting on their behalf makes any representation or warranty,
express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of
such information, whether at the date of publication, the date of
this Announcement or otherwise;
11.
any exercise by the Sole Bookrunner of any right
to terminate the Placing Agreement or of other rights or
discretions under the Placing Agreement shall be within the Sole
Bookrunner's absolute discretion and the Sole Bookrunner shall have
no liability to it whatsoever in relation to any decision to
exercise or not to exercise any such right or the timing
thereof;
12.
it will provide the Sole Bookrunner with such
relevant documents as it may reasonably request to comply with
requests or requirements that either the Sole Bookrunner or the
Company may receive from relevant regulators in relation to the
Placing, subject to its legal, regulatory and compliance
requirements and restrictions;
13.
in making any decision to acquire Placing Shares
(a) it has such knowledge and experience in financial, business and
international investment matters as is required to evaluate the
merits and risks of taking up the Placing Shares, (b) it is
experienced in investing in securities of a similar nature to the
Ordinary Shares and in the sector in which the Company operates 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, (c) 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
Company and its affiliates operate, 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 the Sole
Bookrunner, (d) it has had sufficient time and access to
information to consider and conduct its own investigation with
respect to the offer and purchase 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
for the purposes of its investment, and (e) it will not look to the
Company, the Sole Bookrunner, any of their respective affiliates,
any of their respective Representatives or any person acting on
their behalf for all or part of any such loss or losses it or they
may suffer;
14.
it satisfies any and all standards for investors
in the Placing Shares imposed by the jurisdiction of its residence
or otherwise;
15.
unless otherwise specifically agreed with the Sole
Bookrunner, it and each account it represents is not and, at the
time the Placing Shares are acquired, will not be, a resident of
Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa, Japan or any other
jurisdiction in which it is unlawful to make or accept an offer to
acquire the Placing Shares;
16.
it and each account it represents is either (i)(A)
outside the United States and will be outside the United States at
the time the Placing Shares are acquired by it, and (B) acquiring
the Placing Shares in an "offshore transaction" within the meaning
of Regulation S, or (ii) a QIB who has executed and delivered to
the Company and the Sole Bookrunner a US investor letter
substantially in the form provided to it;
17.
it is not acquiring any of the Placing Shares as a
result of any form of "directed selling efforts" within the meaning
of Regulation S or as a result of any form of "general
solicitation" or "general advertising" within the meaning of Rule
502(c) under the Securities Act;
18.
(a) it and each account it represents is acquiring
the Placing Shares for investment purposes, and is not acquiring
the Placing Shares with a view to the offer, sale, resale,
transfer, delivery or distribution, directly or indirectly of any
such Placing Shares in or into the United States, Australia,
Canada, the Republic of South Africa, Japan or any other
jurisdiction in which the same would be unlawful; and (b) it
understands, and each account it represents has been advised, that
the Placing Shares have not been and will not be registered or
qualified for distribution by way of a prospectus under the
securities legislation of the United States, Australia, Canada, the
Republic of South Africa, Japan and, subject to certain exceptions,
may not be offered, sold, acquired, renounced, distributed or
delivered or transferred, directly or indirectly, within or into
those jurisdictions or in any country or jurisdiction where any
such action for that purpose is required;
19.
it understands, and each account it represents has
been advised, that (a) the Placing Shares have not been and will
not be registered under the Securities Act or with any regulatory
authority of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States,
(b) the Placing Shares are being offered and sold only (i) to
persons reasonably believed to be QIBs in transactions exempt from
the registration requirements of the Securities Act, or (ii) in an
"offshore transaction" within the meaning of and pursuant to
Regulation S under the Securities Act, and (c) the Placing Shares
may only be reoffered or resold in transactions exempt from, or not
subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and
no representation has been made as to the availability of any
exemption under the Securities Act or any relevant state or other
jurisdiction's securities laws for the reoffer, resale, pledge or
transfer of the Placing Shares;
20.
for so long as it has any interest in or
connection to the Company, it will not be and will not be acting on
behalf of: (i) an employee benefit plan as defined in Section 3(3)
of the ERISA, and subject to the fiduciary responsibility
provisions of Part 4 of Subtitle B of Title I of ERISA; (ii) a plan
as defined in Section 4975(e)(1) of the Code and subject to Section
4975 of the Code; (iii) a person or entity whose assets include the
assets of any such employee benefit plan or plan by reason of the
ERISA Plan Assets Regulation or (iv) a governmental, church,
non-U.S. or other plan that is subject to any non-U.S., federal,
state, local or other law or regulation that is substantially
similar to the fiduciary responsibility provisions of Title I of
ERISA or the prohibited transaction provisions of Section 406 of
ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code;
21.
it will not distribute, forward, transfer or
otherwise transmit this Announcement or any other materials
concerning the Placing (including any electronic copies thereof),
directly or indirectly, whether in whole or in part, in or into the
United States, Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa or
Japan;
22.
if it is a pension fund or investment company, its
acquisition of Placing Shares is in full compliance with applicable
laws and regulations;
23.
neither it, nor the person specified by it for
registration as holder of Placing Shares is, or is acting as
nominee or agent for, and the Placing Shares will not be allotted
to, a person who is or may be liable to stamp duty or stamp duty
reserve tax under any of sections 67, 70, 93 and 96 of the Finance
Act 1986 (depositary receipts and clearance services), 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 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;
24.
it has complied and will continue to comply with
its obligations under the Criminal Justice Act 1993, EU MAR, UK
MAR, any delegating acts, implementing acts, technical standards
and guidelines and Section 118 of FSMA thereunder, and in
connection with money laundering and terrorist financing under the
Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (as amended), the Terrorism Act 2000 (as
amended), the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001,
the Terrorism Act 2006, and the Money Laundering,
Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the
Payer) Regulations 2017 (as amended) and any related or similar
rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced
by any government agency having jurisdiction in respect thereof
(the "Regulations") and the
Money Laundering Sourcebook of the FCA and, if making payment on
behalf of a third party, that satisfactory evidence has been
obtained and recorded by it to verify the identity of the third
party as required by the Regulations. If within a reasonable time
after a request for verification of identity, the Sole Bookrunner
has not received such satisfactory evidence, the Sole Bookrunner
and/or the Company may, at its absolute discretion, terminate the
Placee's Placing participation in which event all funds delivered
by the Placee to the Sole Bookrunner will be returned without
interest to the account of the drawee bank or CREST account from
which they were originally debited;
25.
if it is a financial intermediary, as that term is
used in Article 5(1) of the EU Prospectus Regulation and Article
5(1) of the UK Prospectus Regulation, that the Placing Shares
subscribed for by it in the Placing will not be subscribed for on a
non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor will they be subscribed
for with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in a member
state of the EEA other than EU Qualified Investors or the United
Kingdom other than UK Qualified Persons, or in circumstances in
which the prior consent of the Sole Bookrunner has been given to
the proposed offer or resales;
26.
if it is in a member state of the EEA, it is an EU
Qualified Investor and undertakes that it will subscribe for, hold,
manage or dispose of any Placing Shares that are allocated to it
for the purposes of its business only;
27.
if it is in the United Kingdom, it is a Relevant
Person and undertakes that it will subscribe for, hold, manage or
dispose of any Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the
purposes of its business only;
28.
it understands that any investment or investment
activity to which this Announcement relates is available only to,
in the United Kingdom, Relevant Persons, and in any member state of
the EEA, EU Qualified Investors, and will be engaged in only with
such persons, and further understands that this Announcement must
not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not, in the United
Kingdom, Relevant Persons and, in any member state of the EEA, EU
Qualified Investors;
29.
that it has not offered or sold and will not offer
or sell any Placing Shares to persons in the United Kingdom, except
to Relevant Persons or otherwise in circumstances which have not
resulted in and which will not result in an offer to the public in
the United Kingdom within the meaning of section 85(1) of the
FSMA;
30.
that any offer of Placing Shares may only be
directed at persons in member states of the EEA who are EU
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 prior to Admission except to EU
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 EU Prospectus
Regulation;
31.
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 FSMA) relating to the Placing
Shares in circumstances in which section 21(1) of FSMA does not
require approval of the communication by an authorised
person;
32.
it has complied and will comply with all
applicable laws (including all relevant provisions of FSMA in the
United Kingdom) with respect to anything done by it in relation to
the Placing Shares;
33.
if in the United Kingdom, unless otherwise agreed
by the Sole Bookrunner, it is a "professional client" or an
"eligible counterparty" within the meaning of Chapter 3 of the
FCA's Conduct of Business Sourcebook and it is purchasing Placing
Shares for investment only and not with a view to resale or
distribution;
34.
no action has been or will be taken by either the
Company or the Sole Bookrunner or any person acting on behalf of
the Company or the Sole Bookrunner 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;
35.
it is acting as principal only in respect of the
Placing or, if it is acting for any other person (a) it is duly
authorised to do so and has full power to make the acknowledgments,
undertakings, representations and agreements and give the
indemnities herein on behalf of each such person, and (b) it is and
will remain liable to the Company and/or the Sole Bookrunner for
the performance of all its obligations as a Placee in respect of
the Placing (regardless of the fact that it is acting for another
person). Each Placee agrees that the provisions of this paragraph
shall survive the resale of the Placing Shares by or on behalf of
any person for whom it is acting;
36.
(a) 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; (b) it has paid any
issue, transfer or other taxes due in connection with its
participation in any territory; (c) 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 the Sole Bookrunner, the Company or any of their
respective affiliates or any of their respective Representatives
acting in breach of the legal or regulatory requirements and/or
anti money laundering requirements of any territory of any
jurisdiction in connection with the Placing; and (d) 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,
or otherwise;
37.
it 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;
38.
it (and any person acting on its behalf) has the
funds available to pay for the Placing Shares it has agreed to
acquire and acknowledges, agrees and undertakes that it (and any
person acting on its behalf) will make payment for the Placing
Shares allocated to it in accordance with the terms and conditions
of this Announcement (including this Appendix) on the due time and
date set out herein, failing which the relevant Placing Shares may
be placed with other persons or sold as the Sole Bookrunner may in
its absolute discretion determine and without liability to such
Placee, and such Placee will remain liable for any amount by which
the net proceeds of such sale falls short of the product of the
Placing Price and the number of Placing Shares allocated to it and
may be required to bear any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or
other similar taxes (together with any interest or penalties 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;
39.
its allocation (if any) of Placing Shares will
represent a maximum number of Placing Shares which it will be
entitled, and required, to acquire, and that the Sole Bookrunner 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;
40.
neither the Sole Bookrunner nor any of its
affiliates nor any of their respective Representatives nor any
person acting on behalf of any of them, are making any
recommendations to it or advising it regarding the suitability or
merits of any transactions it may enter into in connection with the
Placing and participation in the Placing is on the basis that it is
not and will not be a client of the Sole Bookrunner and the Sole
Bookrunner has no duties or responsibilities to it for providing
the protections afforded to its clients or customers or for giving
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
of its rights and obligations thereunder including any rights to
waive or vary any conditions or exercise any termination
right;
41.
the person whom it specifies for registration as
holder of the Placing Shares will be (a) itself, or (b) its
nominee, as the case may be. Neither the Sole Bookrunner nor 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 on an after-tax basis and hold harmless
the Company, the Sole Bookrunner and their respective affiliates
and each of their respective Representatives 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 the Sole Bookrunner who will
hold them as nominee on behalf of such Placee until settlement in
accordance with its standing settlement instructions;
42.
it will indemnify, on an after-tax basis, and hold
harmless the Company, the Sole Bookrunner and their respective
affiliates and their respective Representatives from any and all
costs, claims, liabilities and expenses (including legal fees and
expenses) arising, directly or indirectly, out of or in connection
with any breach by it of the representations, warranties,
acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings, confirmation 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;
43.
it acknowledges that it irrevocably appoints any
director or authorised signatory of the Sole Bookrunner 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 to be registered as the holder of any of the Placing
Shares agreed to be taken up by it under the Placing;
44.
in connection with the Placing, the Sole
Bookrunner and any of its affiliates acting as an investor for
their own account may acquire Placing Shares and in that capacity
may acquire, retain, purchase or sell for their own account such
Placing Shares in the Company and any other 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 the
Sole Bookrunner or its affiliates in such capacity. In addition,
the Sole Bookrunner may enter into financing arrangements and swaps
with investors in connection with which the Sole Bookrunner may
from time to time acquire, hold or dispose of such securities of
the Company, including the Placing Shares. Neither the Sole
Bookrunner nor its affiliates intend to disclose the extent of any
such investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with
any legal or regulatory obligation to do so;
45.
a communication that the transaction or the book
is "covered" (i.e., indicated demand from investors in the book
equals or exceeds the amount of the securities being offered) is
not any indication or assurance that the book will remain covered
or that the transaction and securities will be fully distributed by
the Sole Bookrunner. The Sole Bookrunner 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, inter alia, to take account of the
Company's objectives, MiFID II requirements and/or their allocation
policies;
46.
its commitment to acquire Placing Shares on the
terms set out in this Announcement (including this Appendix) and in
the contract note or trade confirmation will continue
notwithstanding any amendment that may in the 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 Sole Bookrunner's conduct of
the Placing;
47.
neither the Company nor the Sole Bookrunner owes
any fiduciary or other duties to any Placee in respect of any
acknowledgements, confirmations, representations, warranties,
undertakings or indemnities in the Placing Agreement;
48.
it may not rely on any investigation that the Sole
Bookrunner or any person acting on its behalf may or may not have
conducted with respect to the Company and its affiliates, the
Placing Shares or the Placing and the Sole Bookrunner has not made
any representation or warranty to it, express or implied, with
respect to the suitability or merits of the Placing, or as to the
condition, financial or otherwise, of the Company and its
affiliates, or as to any other matter relating thereto, and no
information has been prepared by, or is the responsibility of, the
Sole Bookrunner for the purposes of the Placing;
49.
agrees that it has no rights against the Sole
Bookrunner or the Company, or any of their respective officers,
directors or employees, under the Placing Agreement pursuant to the
Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999;
50.
acknowledges and agrees that time is of the
essence as regards its obligations under this Appendix;
51.
these terms and conditions and any agreements
entered into by it pursuant to these terms and conditions
(including 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 England and Wales and it submits (on
behalf of itself and on behalf of any person on whose behalf it is
acting) to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts as
regards any claim, dispute or matter arising out of any such
agreements and such non-contractual obligations, except that
enforcement proceedings in respect of the obligation to make
payment for the Placing Shares (together with any interest
chargeable thereon) may be taken by the Sole Bookrunner in any
jurisdiction in which the relevant Placee is incorporated or in
which any of its securities have a quotation on a recognised stock
exchange; and
52.
the Company, the Sole Bookrunner and their
respective affiliates and their respective Representatives will
rely upon the truth and accuracy of the acknowledgements,
representations, warranties, indemnities, undertakings and
agreements set forth herein and which are given to the Sole
Bookrunner on its own behalf and on behalf of the Company and are
irrevocable and it irrevocably authorises the Company and the Sole
Bookrunner 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. It agrees that if any of the
acknowledgements, representations, warranties, undertakings and
agreements made in connection with its subscribing and/or acquiring
of Placing Shares is no longer true or accurate, it shall promptly
notify the Company and the Sole Bookrunner.
The agreement to allot and issue
Placing Shares to Placees (or the persons for whom Placees are
contracting as nominee or agent) free of stamp duty and stamp duty
reserve tax relates only to their allotment and issue to Placees,
or such persons as they nominate as their agents, direct from the
Company for the Placing Shares in question. Such agreement is
subject to the representations, warranties and further terms above
and assumes, and is based on the 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. If
there are any such arrangements, or the settlement relates to any
other dealing in the Placing Shares, stamp duty or stamp duty
reserve tax or other similar taxes may be payable, for which
neither the Company nor the Sole Bookrunner will be responsible and
each Placee shall indemnify on an after-tax basis and hold harmless
the Company, the Sole Bookrunner and their respective affiliates
and their respective Representatives for any stamp duty or stamp
duty reserve tax or other similar tax paid or otherwise payable by
them in respect of any such arrangements or dealings. If this is
the case, each Placee should seek its own advice and notify the
Sole Bookrunner accordingly.
Neither the Company nor the Sole
Bookrunner is liable to bear any capital duty, stamp duty and all
other stamp, issue, securities, transfer, registration, documentary
or other duties or taxes (including any interest, fines or
penalties relating thereto) payable in or outside the United
Kingdom by any Placee or any other person on a Placee's acquisition
of any Placing Shares or the agreement by a Placee to acquire any
Placing Shares. Each Placee agrees to indemnify on an after-tax
basis and hold harmless the Company, the Sole Bookrunner and their
respective affiliates and their respective Representatives from any
and all interest, fines or penalties in relation to any such duties
or taxes.
Each Placee should seek its own
advice as to whether any of the above tax liabilities arise and
notify the Sole Bookrunner accordingly.
Each Placee, and any person acting on
behalf of each Placee, acknowledges and agrees that the Sole
Bookrunner and/or any of its affiliates may, at its 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
Sole Bookrunner is 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 the
Sole Bookrunner any money held in an account with the Sole
Bookrunner 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 FCA made under FSMA.
The Placee acknowledges that the money will not be subject to the
protections conferred by the client money rules; as a consequence,
this money will not be segregated from the Sole Bookrunner's money
in accordance with the client money rules and will be used by the
Sole Bookrunner in the course of its own business; and the Placee
will rank only as a general creditor of the Sole
Bookrunner.
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
United Kingdom a financial adviser who is authorised under the
Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended, or (ii)
another appropriately authorised professional adviser if you are
resident in a territory outside of the United Kingdom.
The rights and remedies of the Sole
Bookrunner 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.
All times and dates in this
Announcement may be subject to amendment by the Sole Bookrunner (in
its absolute discretion). The Sole Bookrunner shall notify the
Placees and any persons acting on behalf of the Placees of any
changes.
In this Announcement, "after-tax
basis" means in relation to any payment made to the Company, the
Sole Bookrunner or their respective affiliates or their respective
Representatives pursuant to this Announcement where the payment (or
any part thereof) is chargeable to any tax, a basis such that the
amount so payable shall be increased so as to ensure that after
taking into account any tax chargeable (or which would be
chargeable but for the availability of any relief unrelated to the
loss, damage, cost, charge, expense or liability against which the
indemnity is given on such amount (including on the increased
amount)) there shall remain a sum equal to the amount that would
otherwise have been so payable.