THE INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS DEEMED BY THE COMPANY TO CONSTITUTE INSIDE
INFORMATION AS STIPULATED UNDER THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU)
NO. 596/2014 AS IT
FORMS PART OF UK DOMESTIC LAW PURSUANT TO THE EUROPEAN UNION
(WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018, AS AMENDED.
UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT VIA A
REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE, THIS INFORMATION IS CONSIDERED TO
BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING THE
APPENDICES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED
HEREIN, IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR
DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR
INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF
SOUTH AFRICA OR NEW ZEALAND OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH IT
WOULD BE UNLAWFUL TO DO SO.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING THE
APPENDICES TO 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 AND THE APPENDICES DO 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 FIRST TIN PLC IN ANY JURISDICTION
IN WHICH ANY SUCH OFFER OR SOLICITATION WOULD BE
UNLAWFUL.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT SHOULD BE READ IN
ITS ENTIRETY. IN
PARTICULAR, YOU SHOULD READ AND UNDERSTAND THE INFORMATION PROVIDED
IN THE APPENDICES, INCLUDING APPENDIX II WHICH CONTAINS THE TERMS
AND CONDITIONS OF THE PLACING.
10
July 2024
First Tin
PLC
("First
Tin" or "the Company")
Proposed Placing to raise
approximately £2.1 million
First Tin PLC is pleased to announce a conditional fundraising (the
"Fundraising") to raise
gross proceeds of approximately £2.1 million by means of a placing
(the "Placing") of new
ordinary shares of £0.001 each in the capital of the Company
("Ordinary Shares") (the
"Placing Shares") to
certain institutional and other investors at a price of 4 pence per
Ordinary Share (the "Issue
Price"). The Placing is subject to the Company's
shareholders passing the Resolutions at the upcoming General
Meeting.
The Issue Price represents a
discount of approximately 18 per cent. to the Closing Price of 4.9
pence per Ordinary Share on 9 July 2024, being the latest
practicable business day prior to the publication of this
Announcement.
The Placing is to be conducted by
way of an accelerated bookbuild process (the "Bookbuild") which will commence
immediately following this Announcement and will be subject to the
terms and conditions set out in Appendix II to this
Announcement.
A further announcement confirming
the closing of the Bookbuild and the number of Placing Shares to be
issued pursuant to the Placing is expected to be made in due
course.
Placing Highlights
· Placing to raise approximately £2.1 million (before expenses)
through the issue of approximately 53,000,000 Placing Shares at the
Issue Price.
· Placing to be conducted via an accelerated bookbuild process
launching today.
· The
Placing Shares, assuming full take-up of the Fundraising, will
represent approximately 19.9 per cent. of the Enlarged Issued Share
Capital.
Reasons for the Placing and Use of Proceeds
· Following the successful completion of a Definitive
Feasibility Study at the Company's Taronga project in Australia,
which highlighted the low capex, low risk and high margin
credentials of the project, the Company is now progressing its
operational strategy while concurrently advancing its financing and
off-take discussions for the next phase of development at
Taronga.
· As
such the net proceeds will be used to deliver the following
workstreams, as well as for general working capital
purposes:
· completion and submission of the ongoing Environmental Impact
Statement ("EIS") and the final permitting processes at
Taronga;
· to
progress a number of sampling programmes at Taronga; and
· progression of permitting at Tellerhäuser, Germany.
The
Placing
The Company intends to issue
approximately 53,000,000 Placing Shares to raise gross proceeds of
approximately £2.1 million, to participants in the Placing. Subject
(amongst other things) to the passing of the Resolutions at the
upcoming General Meeting the Placing Shares are expected to be
admitted to trading on the Standard segment of the Main Market of
the London Stock Exchange (the "Standard List") on or around 31 July
2024.
Arlington Group Asset Management
("Arlington") is acting as
Financial Adviser and Joint Broker alongside W H Ireland Limited
who is acting as Joint Broker and Bookrunner ("WH Ireland" or the "Bookrunner"), in connection with the
Placing. The Placing Shares are being offered by way of an
accelerated bookbuild, which will be launched immediately following
this Announcement, in accordance with the terms and conditions set
out in Appendix II to this Announcement.
Admission of the Placing Shares is
conditional, inter alia,
upon the placing agreement dated 10 July 2024 between the Company
and the Bookrunner (the "Placing
Agreement") not having been terminated and becoming
unconditional in all respects.
The Placing is conditional upon,
amongst other things:
· the
passing of the Resolutions at the General Meeting to authorise the
Directors to allot and issue the Placing Shares free of pre-emption
rights;
· admission of the Placing Shares becoming effective by no later
than 8.00 a.m. on 31 July 2024 (or such later time and / or date as
the Company and the Bookrunner shall agree, not being later than 23
August 2024);
· the
delivery by the Company to the Bookrunner of certain documents
required under the Placing Agreement;
· the
Company having fully performed its obligations under the Placing
Agreement to the extent that such obligations fall to be performed
prior to admission of the Placing Shares; and
· the
Placing Agreement not having been terminated by the Bookrunner in
accordance with its terms.
The timing of the closure of the
Bookbuild and the allocation of the Placing Shares to be issued at
the Issue Price are to be determined at the discretion of the
Company and the Bookrunner.
General Meeting
Further details of the General
Meeting will be notified via regulatory information service
following completion of the Bookbuild.
Admission to trading
Application will be made to the
London Stock Exchange for admission of the Placing Shares to
trading on the Standard List. Subject (amongst other things) to the
passing of the Resolutions at the General Meeting, it is expected
that admission will become effective and dealings in the Placing
Shares commence at 8.00 a.m. on or around 31 July 2024.
A further announcement will be made
following the closure of the Bookbuild, confirming final details of
the Placing.
The Placing is not being
underwritten and the Placing is not conditional on a minimum amount
being raised.
First Tin PLC CEO, Bill Scotting commented:
"Our recent activities have confirmed that Taronga
is very well positioned to deliver a secure supply of tin on a low
cost and low risk basis. As such, we are pleased to be progressing
key operational workstreams as we start the process of evaluating
project financing opportunities for this exciting asset and with
the EIS and permitting process progressing well, the funds raised
through this placing will enable us to continue adding value to our
portfolio in the near term."
Enquiries:
First Tin
|
Via SEC Newgate below
|
Bill Scotting - Chief Executive
Officer
|
|
Arlington Group Asset Management Limited (Financial Advisor
and Joint Broker and Bookrunner)
|
|
Simon Catt
|
020 7389 5016
|
WH
Ireland Limited (Joint Broker and Bookrunner)
|
|
Harry Ansell/Dan Bristowe/Katy
Mitchell
|
020 7220 1670
|
SEC
Newgate (Financial Communications)
|
|
Elisabeth Cowell / Molly
Gretton
|
07900 248 213
|
Notes to Editors
First Tin PLC is an ethical,
reliable, and sustainable tin production company led by a team of
renowned tin specialists. The Company is focused on becoming a tin
supplier in conflict-free, low political risk jurisdictions through
the rapid development of high value, low capex tin assets in
Germany and Australia, which have been de-risked significantly,
with extensive work undertaken to date.
Tin is a critical metal, vital in
any plan to decarbonise and electrify the world, yet Europe has
very little supply. Rising demand, together with shortages, is
expected to lead tin to experience sustained deficit markets for
the foreseeable future.
First Tin's goal is to use
best-in-class environmental standards to bring two tin mines into
production in three years, providing provenance of supply to
support the current global clean energy and technological
revolutions.
Additional
Information
Background and Reasons for the Placing and Use of
Proceeds
The Company is undertaking the
Placing to deliver the following workstreams, as well as for
general working capital purposes:
· completion and submission of the ongoing Environmental Impact
Statement ("EIS") and the final permitting processes at Taronga,
Australia ;
· to
progress a number of sampling programmes at Taronga;
and
· progression of permitting at Tellerhäuser, Germany
Further details of the Placing
Pursuant to the Placing Agreement,
the Bookrunner, as agent for the Company, has conditionally agreed
to use reasonable endeavours to procure
subscribers at the Issue Price for the Placing Shares.
The Bookrunner intends to
conditionally place the Placing Shares with certain institutional
and other investors at the Issue Price.
The Company intends to issue
approximately 53,000,000 Placing Shares to
raise gross proceeds of approximately £2.1 million, pursuant to the
Placing. The Placing Shares are expected to be admitted to trading
on the Standard List on or around 31 July 2024 (or such later date
and / or time as the Bookrunner and the Company may agree, being no
later than 8.00 a.m. on 23 August 2024).
Admission of the Placing Shares is
conditional, inter alia,
upon the passing of the Resolutions at the General Meeting and the
Placing Agreement not having been terminated and becoming
unconditional in all respects.
The Bookrunner (acting in good
faith) has the right to terminate the Placing Agreement in certain
circumstances prior to Admission, including (but not limited to):
in the event that there is a breach, or an alleged breach, of any
of the warranties set out in the Placing Agreement or there is a
Material Adverse Change. The Bookrunner may also terminate the
Placing Agreement if there has been a material adverse change in
certain international financial markets, a suspension or material
limitation in trading on certain stock exchanges or a material
disruption in commercial banking or securities settlement or
clearance which, in the opinion of a Bookrunner (acting in good
faith), makes it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the
Placing. If this termination right is exercised or if the
conditionality in the Placing Agreement is not satisfied, the
Placing will not proceed.
The Placing Shares are not subject
to clawback. The Placing is not being underwritten. The Placing is
not conditional on a minimum amount being raised.
Placing Shares
The Placing Shares will, when
issued, be fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the
Existing Ordinary Shares in issue, including the right to receive
all dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid after
the date of issue.
Application will be made to London
Stock Exchange for admission of the Placing Shares to trading on
the Standard List.
Subject to the passing of the
Resolutions at the General Meeting, it is expected that Admission
will take place on or around 8.00 a.m. on 31 July 2024 and that
dealings in the Placing Shares on the Standard List will commence
at the same time.
IMPORTANT
NOTICES
This Announcement includes
statements that are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking
statements". These forward-looking statements can be identified by
the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms
"believes", "estimates", "forecasts", "plans", "prepares",
"anticipates", "projects", "expects", "intends", "may", "will",
"seeks", "should" 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. They appear in a number of places throughout this
Announcement and include statements regarding the Company's and the
Directors' intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning,
amongst other things, the Company's prospects, growth and strategy.
By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on
circumstances that may or may not occur in the future.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future
performance. The Company's actual performance, achievements and
financial condition may differ materially from those expressed or
implied by the forward-looking statements in this Announcement. In
addition, even if the Company's results of operations, performance,
achievements and financial condition are consistent with the
forward-looking statements in this Announcement, those results or
developments may not be indicative of results or developments in
subsequent periods. Any forward-looking statements that the Company
makes in this Announcement speak only as of the date of such
statement and (other than in accordance with their legal or
regulatory obligations) neither the Company, nor the Bookrunner nor
any of their respective associates, directors, officers or advisers
shall be obliged to update such statements. Comparisons of results
for current and any prior periods are not intended to express any
future trends or indications of future performance, unless
expressed as such, and should only be viewed as historical
data.
WH Ireland, which is authorised and
regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA, is acting as Joint
Broker and Bookrunner exclusively for the Company and no one else
in connection with the contents of this Announcement and will not
regard any other person (whether or not a recipient of this
Announcement) as its client in relation to the contents of this
Announcement nor will it be responsible to anyone other than the
Company for providing the protections afforded to its clients or
for providing advice in relation to the contents of this
Announcement. Apart from the responsibilities and liabilities, if
any, which may be imposed on WH Ireland by FSMA or the regulatory
regime established thereunder, WH Ireland accepts no responsibility
whatsoever, and makes no representation or warranty, express or
implied, as to the contents of this Announcement including its
accuracy, completeness or verification or for any other statement
made or purported to be made by it, or on behalf of it, the Company
or any other person, in connection with the Company and the
contents of this Announcement, whether as to the past or the
future. WH Ireland accordingly disclaims all and any liability
whatsoever, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise (save as
referred to above), which it might otherwise have in respect of the
contents of this Announcement or any such statement.
Arlington, which is authorised and
regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA, is acting as Financial
Adviser and Joint Broker exclusively for the Company and no one
else in connection with the contents of this Announcement and will
not regard any other person (whether or not a recipient of this
Announcement) as its client in relation to the contents of this
Announcement nor will it be responsible to anyone other than the
Company for providing the protections afforded to its clients or
for providing advice in relation to the contents of this
Announcement. Apart from the responsibilities and liabilities, if
any, which may be imposed on Arlington by FSMA or the regulatory
regime established thereunder, Arlington accepts no responsibility
whatsoever, and makes no representation or warranty, express or
implied, as to the contents of this Announcement including its
accuracy, completeness or verification or for any other statement
made or purported to be made by it, or on behalf of it, the Company
or any other person, in connection with the Company and the
contents of this Announcement, whether as to the past or the
future. Arlington accordingly disclaims all and any liability
whatsoever, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise (save as
referred to above), which it might otherwise have in respect of the
contents of this Announcement or any such statement.
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, sold, pledged, taken
up, exercised, resold, renounced, transferred or delivered,
directly or indirectly, in or into the United States absent
registration under the Securities Act, except pursuant to an
exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, 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. The Placing Shares have not been
approved, disapproved or recommended by the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission, any state securities commission in the United
States or any other U.S. regulatory authority, nor have any of the
foregoing authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the
offering of the Placing Shares. Subject to certain exceptions, the
securities referred to herein may not be offered or sold in the
United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic
of South Africa or to, or for the account or benefit of, any
national, resident or citizen of the United States, Australia,
Canada, Japan, New Zealand or the Republic of South
Africa.
No public offering of securities is
being made in the United States.
The relevant clearances have not
been, nor will they be, obtained from the securities commission of
any province or territory of Canada; no prospectus has been lodged
with, or registered by, the Australian Securities and Investments
Commission, the Financial Markets Authority of New Zealand or the
Japanese Ministry of Finance; the relevant clearances have not
been, and will not be, obtained from the South Africa Reserve Bank
or any other applicable body in the Republic of South Africa in
relation to the Placing Shares; and the Placing Shares have not
been, and nor will they be, registered under or offered in
compliance with the securities laws of any state, province or
territory of Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand or the Republic
of South Africa. Accordingly, the Placing Shares may not (unless an
exemption under the relevant securities laws is applicable) be
offered, sold, resold or delivered, directly or indirectly, in or
into Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand or the Republic of South
Africa or any other jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom or to,
or for the account or benefit of any national, resident or citizen
of Australia, Japan, New Zealand or the Republic of South Africa or
to any investor located or resident in Canada.
No public offering of the Placing
Shares is being made in the United States, United Kingdom or
elsewhere. All offers of the Placing Shares will be made pursuant
to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation, or the
Prospectus Regulation (as it forms part of
domestic UK law pursuant to the EUWA, (as the case may be)
from the requirement to produce a prospectus. This
Announcement is being distributed to persons in the United Kingdom
only in circumstances in which section 21(1) of FSMA does not
apply.
The information in this
Announcement, which includes certain information drawn from public
sources, does not purport to be comprehensive and has not been
independently verified. This Announcement contains statements that
are, or may be deemed forward-looking statements, which relate,
inter alia, to the
Company's proposed strategy, plans and objectives. Such
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other important factors beyond the control of the
Company (including but not limited to future market conditions,
legislative and regulatory changes, the actions of governmental
regulators and changes in the political, social or economic
framework in which the Company operates) that could cause the
actual performance or achievements on the Company to be materially
different from such forward-looking statements.
The content of this Announcement has
not been approved by an authorised person within the meaning of the
FSMA. Reliance on this Announcement for the purpose of engaging in
any investment activity may expose an individual to a significant
risk of losing all of the property or other assets invested. The
price of shares and any income expected from them may go down as
well as up and investors may not get back the full amount invested
upon disposal of the shares. Past performance is no guide to future
performance, and persons needing advice should consult an
appropriate independent financial adviser.
No prospectus will be made available
in connection with the matters contained in this Announcement and
no such prospectus is required (in accordance with the Prospectus
Regulation) to be published. This Announcement and the terms and
conditions set out herein are for information purposes only and are
directed only at persons who are: (a) persons in Member States who
are Qualified Investors; and (b) in the United Kingdom, Qualified
Investors who are persons who (i) have professional experience in
matters relating to investments falling 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"); (ii) are persons
falling within article 49(2)(a) to (d) ("high net worth companies,
unincorporated associations, etc") of the Order; or (iii) are
persons to whom it may otherwise be lawfully communicated; (all
such persons together being referred to as relevant
persons").
This Announcement and the terms and
conditions set out herein must not be acted on or relied on by
persons who are not relevant persons. 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 relates is available
only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant
persons.
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 the
Bookrunner or by any of its affiliates or agents as to, or in
relation to, the accuracy or completeness of this Announcement or
any other written or oral information made available to or publicly
available to any interested party or its advisers, and any
liability therefore is expressly disclaimed.
No statement in this Announcement is
intended to be a profit forecast or estimate, and no statement in
this Announcement should be interpreted to mean that earnings per
share of the Company for the current or future financial years
would necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings
per share of the Company.
The Placing Shares to be issued
pursuant to the Placing will not be admitted to trading on any
stock exchange other than the Standard List.
Neither the content of the Company's
website nor any website accessible by hyperlinks on the Company's
website is incorporated in, or forms part of, this
Announcement.
APPENDIX I
Definitions
The following definitions apply
throughout this Announcement unless the context otherwise
requires:
"Admission"
|
admission of the Placing Shares to
the Standard List becoming effective in accordance with the Listing
Rules
|
"Announcement"
|
this announcement (including the
Appendices which forms part of this announcement)
|
"Arlington"
|
Arlington Group Asset
Management
|
"Articles"
|
the articles of association of the
Company as adopted and in force from time to time
|
"Bookbuild"
|
the accelerated bookbuilding to be
conducted by the Bookrunner pursuant to the Placing Agreement and
this Announcement
|
"Bookrunner"
|
WH Ireland
|
"Business Day"
|
any day on which banks are usually
open for business in England and Wales for the transaction of
sterling business, other than a Saturday, Sunday or public
holiday
|
"Closing Price"
|
the closing middle market price of
an Existing Ordinary Share as derived from the Daily Official List
of the London Stock Exchange
|
"Company" or "First Tin"
|
First Tin Limited, a company
incorporated and registered in England and Wales with registered
number 07931518 and having its registered office at First Floor,
47/48 Piccadilly, London, England, W1J 0DT
|
"CREST" or "CREST system"
|
the relevant system (as defined in
the CREST Regulations) in respect of which Euroclear is the
operator (as defined in those regulations)
|
"CREST Regulations"
|
the Uncertificated Securities
Regulations 2001 (SI2001/3755)
|
"Directors" or "Board"
|
the directors of the Company or any
duly authorised committee thereof
|
"EEA"
|
the European Economic Area,
comprising the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway
and "Member State" shall be
construed accordingly
|
"Enlarged Issued Share Capital"
|
the Ordinary Shares which shall be
in issue immediately following Admission
|
"Euroclear"
|
Euroclear UK & International
Limited, the operator of CREST
|
"EUWA"
|
the European Union (Withdrawal) Act
2018, as amended
|
"Existing Ordinary Shares"
|
the 265,534,972 Ordinary Shares in issue at the
date of this Announcement
|
"FCA"
|
the Financial Conduct
Authority
|
"FSMA"
|
the Financial Services and Markets
Act 2000, as amended
|
"General Meeting"
|
the general meeting of the Company
to be held on 29 July 2024 at which the Resolutions are to be
proposed
|
"HMRC"
|
HM Revenue & Customs in the
UK
|
"Issue Price "
|
4 pence per
Placing Share
|
"Joint Broker"
|
each of Arlington and WH Ireland, as
applicable
|
"London Stock Exchange"
|
London Stock Exchange plc
|
"Long Stop Date"
|
23 August 2024
|
"MAR" or the "Market Abuse Regulation"
|
the Market Abuse Regulation
(2014/596/EU) as it forms part of UK domestic law pursuant to the
EUWA
|
"Material Adverse Change"
|
any material adverse change in, or
any development involving a prospective material adverse change in
or affecting the condition (financial, operational, legal or
otherwise), earnings, management, funding position, solvency,
business affairs or operations of the Company, whether or not
foreseeable at the date of the Placing Agreement and whether or not
arising in the ordinary course of business
|
"Ordinary Shares"
|
Ordinary Shares of
£0.001 each in the capital
of the Company
|
"Placee" or "Placees"
|
any person or persons subscribing
for and/or purchasing Placing Shares pursuant to the
Placing
|
"Placing"
|
the placing of the Placing Shares at
the Issue Price by the Bookrunner on behalf of the Company
pursuant to the Placing Agreement
|
"Placing Agreement"
|
the agreement dated 10 July
2024 between the Company and the Bookrunner
relating to the Placing
|
"Placing Shares"
|
the new Ordinary Shares to be issued
pursuant to the Placing, the number of which will be announced by
the Company on completion of the Bookbuild
|
"Prospectus Regulation"
|
Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the
European Parliament and Council of 14 June 2017 and any relevant implementing measures in any Member State of
the European Economic Area
|
"Publicly Available Information"
|
any information announced through a
Regulatory Information Service by or on behalf of the Company on or
prior to the date of this Announcement
|
"Qualified Investors"
|
(a) in respect of persons
in any Member State of the European Economic Area,
persons who are qualified investors
(within the meaning of article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation;
or (b) in respect of persons in the UK, persons who are qualified investors
(within the meaning of article 2(e) of the Prospectus
Regulation as it forms part of UK domestic
law pursuant to the EUWA, as the case may be
|
"Registrar"
|
Advanced Share Registry Services Pty
Ltd
|
"Regulatory Information Service"
|
one of the regulatory information
services authorised by the FCA to receive, process and disseminate
regulatory information
|
"Resolutions"
|
the resolutions to be proposed at
the General Meeting which shall include the Resolutions to
implement the Placing
|
"Securities Act"
|
the United States Securities Act of
1933, as amended
|
"Shareholders"
|
the holders of Ordinary Shares (as
the context requires) at the relevant time
|
"Standard List"
|
the Standard listing segment of the
Official List and the Main Market for listed securities of the
London Stock Exchange
|
"uncertificated" or "in uncertificated
form"
|
recorded on the relevant register of
Ordinary Shares as being held in uncertificated form in CREST and
title to which, by virtue of the CREST Regulations, may be
transferred by means of CREST
|
"United Kingdom" or
''UK"
|
the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland
|
"United States" or "US"
|
the United States of America, its
territories and possessions, any state of the United States of
America and the District of Columbia and any other area subject to
its jurisdiction
|
"US
Person"
|
has the meaning set out in
Regulation S of the Securities Act
|
"WH
Ireland"
|
W H Ireland Limited, bookrunner to the Company in respect of the Placing and with
effect from completion of the sale of the WH Ireland capital
markets business, as announced by it on 3 June 2024, shall include
Zeus Capital Limited, as the context so requires
|
"£", "pounds sterling",
"pence" or "p"
|
are references to the lawful
currency of the United Kingdom
|
APPENDIX II
Terms and conditions of the
Placing
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING THE
APPENDICES (TOGETHER, THE "ANNOUNCEMENT") AND THE INFORMATION IN
IT IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR
DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR
INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND OR
ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION
WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT
ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING. THIS APPENDIX AND THE TERMS
AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN ARE FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND
ARE DIRECTED ONLY AT: (A) PERSONS WHO ARE IN A MEMBER STATE OF THE
EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA AND ARE, UNLESS OTHERWISE AGREED BY THE
BOOKRUNNER, QUALIFIED INVESTORS; AND/OR (B) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM,
PERSONS WHO ARE (I) QUALIFIED INVESTORS; AND "INVESTMENT
PROFESSIONALS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL
SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005 (AS
AMENDED) (THE "ORDER"); (II) PERSONS FALLING WITHIN ARTICLE
49(2)(A) TO (D) ("HIGH NET WORTH COMPANIES, UNINCORPORATED
ASSOCIATIONS, ETC") OF THE ORDER; OR (III) PERSONS TO WHOM IT MAY
OTHERWISE BE LAWFULLY COMMUNICATED (ALL SUCH PERSONS TOGETHER BEING
REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS"). THIS APPENDIX, AND THE TERMS
AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN, IS A FINANCIAL PROMOTION AND IS
EXEMPT FROM THE GENERAL RESTRICTION IN SECTION 21 OF FSMA ON THE
COMMUNICATION OF INVITATIONS OR INDUCEMENTS TO ENGAGE IN INVESTMENT
ACTIVITY, ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT IS ONLY BEING DISTRIBUTED TO
RELEVANT PERSONS. ACCORDINGLY, 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. DISTRIBUTION OF THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT IN CERTAIN JURISDICTIONS MAY BE RESTRICTED OR
PROHIBITED BY LAW. PERSONS DISTRIBUTING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST
SATISFY THEMSELVES THAT IT IS LAWFUL TO DO SO. ANY INVESTMENT OR
INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS APPENDIX AND THE TERMS AND
CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN RELATE IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO RELEVANT
PERSONS AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH RELEVANT
PERSONS.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER
FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER,
SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF
ANY JURISDICTION. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN
OFFER FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION OF ANY SECURITIES IN THE COMPANY.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER OF OR SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO
PURCHASE OR SUBSCRIBE FOR SECURITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. THE
SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE
REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE
"SECURITIES ACT"), AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED
STATES, EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR AS PART
OF A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF
THE SECURITIES ACT. NEITHER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF ANY
STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES HAS APPROVED OR
DISAPPROVED OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON OR
ENDORSED THE MERITS OF THE PLACING OR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF
THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE
CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE IN THE UNITED STATES. NO PUBLIC
OFFERING OF SECURITIES IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED
STATES.
EACH PLACEE SHOULD CONSULT WITH ITS
OWN ADVISERS AS TO THE LEGAL, TAX, BUSINESS AND RELATED
IMPLICATIONS OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE PLACING SHARES. THE PRICE OF
SHARES AND THE INCOME FROM THEM (IF ANY) MAY GO DOWN AS WELL AS UP
AND INVESTORS MAY NOT GET BACK THE FULL AMOUNT INVESTED ON A
DISPOSAL OF THEIR SHARES.
The relevant clearances have not
been, nor will they be, obtained from the securities commission of
any province or territory of Canada; no prospectus has been lodged
with or registered by, the Australian Securities and Investments
Commission or the Japanese Ministry of Finance or the South African
Reserve Bank; and the Placing Shares have not been, nor will they
be, registered or qualified for distribution, as applicable under
or offered in compliance with the securities laws of any state,
province or territory of the United States, Australia, Canada,
Japan, New Zealand, or South Africa. Accordingly, the Placing
Shares may not (unless an exemption under the relevant securities
laws is applicable) be offered, sold, resold or delivered, directly
or indirectly, in or into the United States, Australia, Canada,
Japan, New Zealand, or South Africa or any other jurisdiction in
which such offer, sale, resale or delivery would be
unlawful.
Solely for the purposes of the
product governance requirements contained within the FCA Handbook
Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook (the
"UK Product Governance
Rules"), and disclaiming all and any liability, whether
arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any "manufacturer"
(for the purposes of the UK Product Governance Rules) may otherwise
have with respect thereto, the Placing Shares have been subject to
a product approval process, which has determined that the Placing
Shares are: (i) compatible with an end target market of investors
who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible
counterparties, each defined in the FCA Handbook Conduct of
Business Sourcebook ("COBS"); and (ii) eligible for distribution
through all distribution channels as are permitted by the UK
Product Governance Rules (the "UK
Target Market Assessment").
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" and/or "distributor" (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 the Placing Shares are:
(i) compatible with an end target market of: (a) investors who meet
the criteria of professional clients and (b) 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 UK Target Market
Assessment and the EU Target Market Assessment, distributors should
note that: the price of the Ordinary Shares may decline and
investors could lose all or part of their investment; the Ordinary
Shares offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an
investment in the Ordinary 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.
Each of the UK Target Market
Assessment and the EU Target Market Assessment is without prejudice
to any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in
relation to the Placing. Furthermore, it is noted that,
notwithstanding the UK Target Market Assessment and the EU Target
Market Assessment, the Bookrunner will only procure investors who
meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible
counterparties each as defined under COBS or MiFID II, as
applicable.
For the avoidance of doubt, each of
the UK Target Market Assessment and the EU Target Market Assessment
does not constitute: (a) an assessment of suitability or
appropriateness for the purposes of Chapters 9A or 10A respectively
of COBS or MiFID II, as applicable; 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 Ordinary
Shares.
Each distributor is responsible for
undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the
Placing Shares and determining appropriate distribution
channels.
Persons (including, without
limitation, nominees and trustees) who have a contractual or other
legal obligation to forward a copy of this Appendix or the
Announcement of which it forms part should seek appropriate advice
before taking any action.
These terms and conditions apply to
persons making an offer to acquire Placing Shares. Each Placee
hereby agrees with the Bookrunner and the Company to be bound by
these terms and conditions as being the terms and conditions upon
which Placing Shares will be issued or acquired. A Placee shall,
without limitation, become so bound if the Bookrunner confirms to
such Placee its allocation of Placing Shares.
Upon being notified of its
allocation of Placing Shares, a Placee shall be contractually
committed to the Bookrunner (as agent for the Company) to acquire
the number of Placing Shares allocated to it at the Issue Price
and, to the fullest extent permitted by law, will be deemed
to have agreed not to exercise any rights to rescind or terminate
or otherwise withdraw from such commitment. A Placee's commitment
to acquire such Placing Shares shall not be affected in any way by
the novation or transfer of the rights and obligations of W H
Ireland Limited to Zeus Capital Markets Limited, with effect from
completion of the sale of its capital markets business (the
"Business Transfer") and,
for the avoidance of doubt, the standing CREST settlement
instructions that Placees have in place with W H Ireland Limited
will continue to apply.
In this Appendix, unless the context
otherwise requires, "Placee" means a Relevant Person (including
individuals, funds or others) on whose behalf a commitment to
subscribe for or acquire Placing Shares has been given.
Details of the Placing Agreement and
the Placing Shares
The Bookrunner and the Company have
entered into a Placing Agreement, under which the Bookrunner has,
on the terms and subject to the conditions set out therein,
undertaken to use its reasonable endeavours to procure subscribers
for Placing Shares at the Issue Price . The Placing is not being
underwritten by the Bookrunner or any other person.
The number of Placing Shares will be
determined following completion of the Bookbuild as set out in this
Announcement. The timing of the closing of the Bookbuild, the
number of Placing Shares and allocations are at the discretion of
the Bookrunner, following consultation with the Company.
Allocations will be confirmed orally or by email by the Bookrunner
following the close of the Bookbuild. A further announcement
confirming these details will then be made as soon as practicable
following completion of the Bookbuild.
The Placing Shares will, when
issued, be subject to the Articles, will be credited as fully paid
and rank pari passu in all
respects with the existing Ordinary Shares, including the right to
receive all dividends and other distributions (if any) declared,
made or paid on or in respect of Ordinary Shares after the date of
issue of the Placing Shares.
Subject to admission, the
Placing Shares will trade on the Standard List
under the trading symbol 1SN with ISIN GB00BNR45554.
Application for admission to trading
on the Standard List
Application will be made to the
London Stock Exchange for admission to trading on the Standard List
of the Placing Shares. It is expected that subject to the passing
of the Resolutions, settlement of any such shares and Admission
will become effective on or around 8.00 a.m. on 31 July
2024 and that dealings in
the Placing Shares will commence at that time.
Bookbuild
The Bookrunner will today commence
an accelerated bookbuilding process to determine demand for
participation in the Placing by potential Placees at the Issue
Price . 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.
The Bookrunner and the Company shall
be entitled to effect the Placing by such alternative method to the
Bookbuild as it may, in its sole discretion, determine.
The principal terms of the Placing
are as follows:
1. The Bookrunner
is arranging the Placing as agent for, and joint broker of, the
Company.
2. Participation
in the Placing is only available to persons who are lawfully able
to be, and have been, invited to participate by the
Bookrunner.
3. The Bookbuild,
if successful, will establish the number of Placing Shares to be
issued at the Issue Price , which will be determined by the
Bookrunner, in consultation with the Company, following completion
of the Bookbuild. The number of Placing Shares will be announced on
a Regulatory Information Service following completion of the
Bookbuild.
4. To bid in the
Bookbuild, prospective Placees should communicate their bid by
telephone to their usual contact at the Bookrunner. Each bid should
state the number of Placing Shares which the prospective Placee
wishes to subscribe for or purchase at the Issue Price . Bids may
be scaled down by the Bookrunner on the basis referred to in
paragraph 8 below.
5. The timing of
the closing of the Bookbuild will be at the discretion of the
Bookrunner. The Company reserves the right to reduce or seek to
increase the amount to be raised pursuant to the Placing, in its
absolute discretion.
6. Allocations of
the Placing Shares will be determined by the Bookrunner, following
consultation with the Company. Each Placee's allocation will be
confirmed to Placees orally, or by email, by the Bookrunner
following the close of the Bookbuild and a trade confirmation or
contract note will be dispatched as soon as possible thereafter.
Oral or emailed confirmation from the Bookrunner will give rise to
an irrevocable, legally binding commitment by that person (who at
that point becomes a Placee), in favour of the Bookrunner and the
Company, under which it agrees to acquire by subscription the
number of Placing Shares allocated to it at the Issue Price
and otherwise on the terms and subject to the conditions set
out in this Appendix and in accordance with the Articles. Except
with the Bookrunner's consent, such commitment will not be capable
of variation or revocation.
7. The Company
will make a further announcement following the close of the
Bookbuild detailing the number of Placing Shares to be issued at
the Issue Price .
8. Subject to
paragraphs 4 and 5 above, the Bookrunner may choose not to accept
bids and/or to accept bids, either in whole or in part, on the
basis of allocations determined at its discretion (after
consultation with the Company) and may scale down any bids for this
purpose on such basis as it may determine. The Bookrunner may also,
notwithstanding paragraphs 4 and 5 above, subject to the prior
consent of the Company, allocate Placing Shares after the time of
any initial allocation to any person submitting a bid after that
time.
9. A bid in the
Bookbuild will be made on the terms and subject to the conditions
in the Announcement (including this Appendix) and will be legally
binding on the Placee on behalf of which it is made and, except
with the Bookrunner's consent, will not be capable of variation or
revocation from the time at which it is submitted.
10. Except as required
by law or regulation, no press release or other announcement will
be made by the 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.
11. Irrespective of the
time at which a Placee's allocation pursuant to the Placing is
confirmed, settlement for all Placing Shares to be acquired
pursuant to the Placing will be required to be made at the same
time, on the basis explained below under "Registration and
Settlement".
12. All obligations of
the Bookrunner under the Placing will be subject to fulfilment 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".
13. By participating in
the Placing, each Placee agrees that its rights and obligations in
respect of the Placing will terminate only in the circumstances
described below, will continue notwithstanding the Business
Transfer, and will not be capable of rescission or termination by
the Placee.
14. To the fullest
extent permissible by law and the applicable rules of the FCA,
neither the Bookrunner, nor any of its affiliates, agents,
directors, officers or employees shall have any liability to
Placees (or to any other person whether acting on behalf of a
Placee or otherwise whether or not a recipient of these terms and
conditions) in respect of the Placing. In particular, neither the
Bookrunner, nor any of its respective affiliates, agents,
directors, officers or employees shall have any liability
(including to the extent permissible by law, any fiduciary duties)
in respect of the Bookrunner's conduct of the Placing or of such
alternative method of effecting the Placing as the Bookrunner and
the Company may determine.
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 Bookrunner's obligations under
the Placing Agreement in respect of the Placing Shares are
conditional on, inter
alia:
1. the passing of
Resolutions at the General Meeting;
2. the delivery by
the Company to the Bookrunner of certain documents required under
the Placing Agreement;
3. the Company
having performed its obligations under the Placing Agreement to the
extent that such obligations fall to be performed prior to
Admission (including entry into a deed of novation to transfer the
rights and obligations of W H Ireland Limited to Zeus Capital
Markets Limited, with effect from completion of the sale of its
capital markets business);;
4. the issue and
allotment of the Placing Shares, conditional only upon
Admission;
5. Admission
occurring by no later than 8.00 a.m. (London time) on
31 July 2024 or such other
date and time as may be agreed between the Company and the
Bookrunner, not being later than 8.00 a.m. (London time) on 23
August 2024 (the "Long Stop
Date"); and
6. the Placing
Agreement not having been terminated by the Bookrunner in
accordance with its terms.
If: (i) any of the conditions
contained in the Placing Agreement, including those described
above, are not fulfilled or (where applicable) waived by the
Bookrunner by the respective time or date where specified (or such
later time or date as the Bookrunner may notify to the Company,
being not later than the Long Stop Date); (ii) any of such
conditions becomes incapable of being fulfilled; or (iii) 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.
The Bookrunner may, at its
discretion and upon such terms as it thinks fit, waive, or extend
the period for (subject to the Long Stop Date), compliance by the
Company with the whole or any part of any of the Company's
obligations in relation to the conditions in the Placing Agreement
save that the condition relating to Admission taking place may not
be waived. Any such extension or waiver will not affect Placees'
commitments as set out in this Announcement.
Neither the Bookrunner, the Company
nor any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers
or employees shall have any liability to any Placee (or to any
other person whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise) in
respect of any decision they may make as to whether or not to waive
or to extend the time and/or date for the satisfaction of any
condition to the Placing nor for any decision 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 within the absolute discretion of the
Bookrunner.
Right to terminate the Placing
Agreement
The Bookrunner is entitled, at any
time before Admission, to terminate the Placing Agreement by giving
notice to the Company in certain circumstances, including,
inter alia, if before
Admission:
1.
any of the warranties given in the Placing
Agreement are not true and accurate and not misleading when given
at the date of the Placing Agreement or would not be true and
accurate or would be misleading if they were repeated on
Admission;
2. the Company has
failed to comply with its obligations under the Placing Agreement
including in respect of the novation of the Placing Agreement in
connection with the Business Transfer),, or with the requirements
of any applicable laws or regulations (including MAR) in relation
to the Placing;
3. any of the
conditions set out in the Placing Agreement are not fulfilled or
(if capable of waiver) waived by the Bookrunner or shall have
become incapable of being fulfilled by the respective time(s) and
date(s) (if any) specified in the Placing Agreement;
4. there has been
any development or event which will or is likely to have a material
adverse effect on the condition (financial, operational, legal or
otherwise), prospects, solvency, liquidity, management, results of
operations, financial position, business or general affairs of the
Group taken as a whole, whether or not foreseeable and whether or
not arising in the ordinary course of business; or
5. there has been
a change in national or international financial, political,
economic, monetary or stock market conditions (primary or
secondary) or an imposition of or compliance with any law or
governmental or regulatory order, rule, regulation, restriction or
direction,
which, in the opinion of the
Bookrunner, would or would be likely to prejudice materially the
Company or render the Placing (or any material part thereof) or
Admission impractical or inadvisable.
The rights and obligations of the
Placees will not be subject to termination by the Placees or any
prospective Placees at any time or in any circumstances. By
participating in the Placing, Placees agree that the exercise by
the Bookrunner of any right of termination or other discretion
under the Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute discretion
of the Bookrunner and that the Bookrunner need not make any
reference to Placees in this regard and that neither the Bookrunner
nor any of its respective affiliates shall have any liability to
Placees whatsoever in connection with any such exercise or failure
so to exercise.
No Admission Document or
Prospectus
The Placing Shares are being offered
to a limited number of specifically invited persons only and have
not been nor will they be offered in such a way as to require the
publication of a prospectus in the United Kingdom. No offering
document, admission document or prospectus has been or will be
submitted to be approved by the FCA or the London Stock Exchange in
relation to the Placing, and Placees' commitments will be made
solely on the basis of the information contained in the
Announcement (including this Appendix) and the Publicly Available
Information). Each Placee, by accepting a participation in
the Placing, agrees that the content of this Announcement is
exclusively the responsibility of the Company and confirms that it
has not relied on any other information (other than the Publicly
Available Information), representation, warranty, or statement made
by or on behalf of the Company or the Bookrunner or any other
person and neither the Bookrunner, the Company nor any other person
will be liable for any Placee's decision to participate in the
Placing based on any other information, representation, warranty or
statement which the Placees may have obtained or received and, if
given or made, such information, representation, warranty or
statement must not be relied upon as having been authorised by the
Bookrunner, the Company or their respective officers, directors,
employees or agents. 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. Neither the Company nor the Bookrunner are making any
undertaking or warranty to any Placee regarding the legality of an
investment in the Placing Shares by such Placee under any legal,
investment or similar laws or regulations. Each Placee should not
consider any information in this Announcement to be legal, tax or
business advice. Each Placee should consult its own solicitor, tax
adviser and financial adviser for independent legal, tax and
financial advice regarding an investment in the Placing Shares.
Nothing in this paragraph shall exclude the liability of any person
for fraudulent misrepresentation.
Registration and
Settlement
Following closure of the Bookbuild,
each Placee allocated Placing Shares in the Placing will be sent a
trade confirmation or contract note in accordance with the standing
arrangements in place with the Bookrunner, stating the number of
Placing Shares allocated to it at the Issue Price , the aggregate
amount owed by such Placee (in pounds sterling) and a form of
confirmation in relation to settlement instructions.
Each Placee will be deemed to agree
that it will do all things necessary to ensure that delivery and
payment is completed as directed by the Bookrunner in accordance
with the standing CREST settlement instructions which they have in
place with the Bookrunner. For the avoidance of doubt, the standing
CREST settlement instructions that Placees have in place with W H
Ireland Limited will continue to apply following the Business
Transfer.
Settlement of transactions in the
Placing Shares (ISIN: GB00BNR45554) following Admission will take
place within CREST provided that, subject to certain exceptions,
the Bookrunner reserves the right to require settlement for, and
delivery of, the Placing Shares (or a portion thereof) to Placees
by such other means that it deems necessary if delivery or
settlement is not possible or practicable within CREST within the
timetable set out in this Announcement or would not be consistent
with the regulatory requirements in any Placee's
jurisdiction.
It is expected that settlement will
take place in accordance with the instructions set out in the
contract note.
Interest is chargeable daily on
payments not received from Placees on the due date(s) in accordance
with the arrangements set out above at the rate of 4 percentage
points above the prevailing LIBOR rate as determined by the
Bookrunner.
Each Placee is deemed to agree that,
if it does not comply with these obligations, the 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
Bookrunner's account and benefit (as agent for the Company), an
amount equal to the aggregate amount owed by the Placee plus any
interest due. The relevant Placee will, however, remain liable and
shall indemnify the Bookrunner on demand 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 securities transfer tax
(together with any interest or penalties) 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
Bookrunner such authorities and powers necessary to carry out any
such sale and agrees to ratify and confirm all actions which the
Bookrunner lawfully takes in pursuance of such sale. Legal and/or
beneficial title in and to any Placing Shares shall not pass to the
relevant Placee until it has fully complied with its obligations
hereunder.
If Placing Shares are to be
delivered to a custodian or settlement agent, Placees should ensure
that the form of 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, subject as
provided below, be so registered free from any liability to UK
stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or securities transfer tax.
Neither the Bookrunner nor the Company will be liable in any
circumstances for the payment of stamp duty, stamp duty reserve tax
or securities transfer tax in connection with any of the Placing
Shares. Placees will not be entitled to receive any fee or
commission in connection with the Placing.
Representations, Warranties and
Further Terms
By participating in the Placing,
each Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) makes
the following representations, warranties, acknowledgements,
agreements and undertakings (as the case may be) to the Bookrunner
for themselves and on behalf of the Company:
1.
that it has read and understood this Announcement,
including this Appendix, in its entirety and that its subscription
for or purchase of Placing Shares is subject to and based upon all
the terms, conditions, representations, warranties,
acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings and other information
contained herein and undertakes not to redistribute or duplicate
this Announcement;
2. that its
obligations are irrevocable and legally binding and shall not be
capable of rescission or termination by it in any circumstances
(including as a result of the Business Transfer);;
3. that the
exercise by the Bookrunner of any right or discretion under the
Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute discretion of the
Bookrunner and the Bookrunner need not have any reference to it and
shall have no liability to it whatsoever in connection with any
decision to exercise or not to exercise any such right and each
Placee agrees that it has no rights against the Bookrunner or the
Company, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees
agents or advisers, under the Placing Agreement pursuant to the
Contracts (Rights of Third Parties Act) 1999;
4. that these
terms and conditions represent the whole and only agreement between
it, the Bookrunner and the Company in relation to its participation
in the Placing and supersedes any previous agreement between any of
such parties in relation to such participation. Accordingly, each
Placee, in accepting its participation in the Placing, is not
relying on any information or representation or warranty in
relation to the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of the
Placing Shares other than as contained in this Announcement and the
Publicly Available Information, such information being all that it
deems necessary to make an investment decision in respect of the
Placing Shares. Each Placee agrees that neither the Company, the
Bookrunner nor any of their respective officers, directors or
employees will have any liability for any such other information,
representation or warranty, express or implied;
5. that in the
case of any Placing Shares acquired by it as a financial
intermediary, as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the
Prospectus Regulation and Article 5(1) of the Prospectus Regulation
(as it forms part of domestic UK law pursuant to the EUWA), (i) the
Placing Shares acquired by it in the Placing have not been acquired
on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their
offer or resale to, persons in any Member State of the European
Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Regulation or
the UK, respectively, other than Qualified Investors or in
circumstances in which the prior consent of the Bookrunner has been
given to the offer or resale; or (ii) where Placing Shares have
been acquired by it on behalf of persons in any member state of the
EEA, or the UK respectively, other than Qualified Investors, the
offer of those Placing Shares to it is not treated under the
Prospectus Regulation or the Prospectus Regulation (as it forms
part of domestic UK law pursuant to the EUWA) (as the case may be)
as having been made to such persons;that it
understands that in Australia the Placing Shares may not be
directly or indirectly offered for subscription or purchased or
sold, and no invitations to subscribe for, or buy, the Placing
Shares may be issued, and no draft or definitive offering
memorandum, advertisement or other offering material relating to
any Placing Shares may be distributed, received or published in
Australia, except where disclosure to investors is not required
under Chapters 6D and 7 of the Corporations Act 2001 of the
Commonwealth of Australia or is otherwise in compliance with all
applicable Australian laws and regulations;
6. that neither it
nor, as the case may be, its clients expect the Bookrunner to have
any duties or responsibilities to such persons similar or
comparable to the duties of "best execution" and "suitability"
imposed by the FCA's Conduct of Business Source Book, and that the
Bookrunner is not acting for it or its clients, and that the
Bookrunner will not be responsible for providing the protections
afforded to customers of the Bookrunner or for providing advice in
respect of the transactions described herein;
7. that it has
made its own assessment of the Placing Shares and has relied on its
own investigation of the business, financial or other position of
the Company in accepting a participation in the Placing and that it
shall not be entitled to rely upon any material regarding the
Placing Shares or the Company (if any) that the Bookrunner or the
Company or any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors,
officers or employees or any person acting on behalf of any of them
has provided, other than the information in this Announcement and
the Publicly Available Information; nor has it requested any of the
Bookrunner, the Company or any of their respective affiliates,
agents, directors, officers or employees or any person acting on
behalf of any of them to provide it with any such
information;
8. that it is: (i)
located outside the United States and is not a US Person as defined
in Regulation S under the Securities Act ("Regulation S") and is subscribing for
and/or purchasing the Placing Shares only in "offshore
transactions" as defined in and pursuant to Regulation S, and (ii)
it is not subscribing for and/or purchasing Placing Shares as a
result of any "directed selling efforts" as defined in Regulation S
or by means of any form of "general solicitation" or "general
advertising" as such terms are defined in Regulation D under the
Securities Act;
9. that the
Placing Shares have not been and will not be registered under the
Securities Act, or under the securities legislation of, or with any
securities regulatory authority of, any state or other jurisdiction
of the United States and accordingly the Placing Shares may not be
offered, sold, pledged, resold, transferred, delivered or
distributed into or within the United States except in compliance
with the registration requirements of the Securities Act and
applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions
therefrom and that in Australia, the Placing Shares may not be
directly or indirectly offered for subscription or purchased or
sold, and no invitations to subscribe for, or buy, the Placing
Shares may be issued, and no draft or definitive offering
memorandum, advertisement or other offering material relating to
any Placing Shares may be distributed, received or published in
Australia, except where disclosure to investors is not required
under Chapters 6D and 7 of the Corporations Act 2001 of the
Commonwealth of Australia or is otherwise in compliance with all
applicable Australian laws and regulations;
10. that the only
information on which it is entitled to rely on and on which it has
relied in committing to subscribe for the Placing Shares is
contained in this Announcement and the Publicly Available
Information, such information being all that it deems necessary to
make an investment decision in respect of the Placing Shares and it
has made its own assessment of the Company, the Placing Shares and
the terms of the Placing based on this Announcement and the
Publicly Available Information only;
11. that neither the
Bookrunner or the Company or any of their respective affiliates,
agents, directors, officers or employees has made any
representation or warranty to it, express or implied, with respect
to the Company, the Placing or the Placing Shares or the accuracy,
completeness or adequacy of the Publicly Available
Information;
12. that, unless
specifically agreed with the Bookrunner, it is not and was not
acting on a non-discretionary basis for the account or benefit of a
person located within the United States or any US Person at the
time the undertaking to subscribe for and/or purchase Placing
Shares was given and it is not acquiring Placing Shares with a view
to the offer, sale, resale, transfer, delivery or distribution,
directly or indirectly, of any Placing Shares into the United
States or to any US Person and it will not reoffer, resell, pledge
or otherwise transfer the Placing Shares except pursuant to an
exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the
registration requirements of the Securities Act and otherwise in
accordance with any applicable securities laws of any state or
jurisdiction of the United States;
13. that it is not a
national or resident of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the
Republic of South Africa or Japan or a corporation, partnership or
other entity organised under the laws of Australia, Canada,
New Zealand, the Republic of South Africa or Japan and that it will
not (unless an exemption under the relevant securities laws is
applicable) offer, sell, renounce, transfer or deliver, directly or
indirectly, any of the Placing Shares in Australia, Canada, New
Zealand, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or to or for the
benefit of any person resident in Australia, Canada, New Zealand,
the Republic of South Africa or Japan and each Placee acknowledges
that the relevant clearances or exemptions are not being obtained
from the Securities Commission of any province or territory of
Canada, that no prospectus has been or will be lodged with, filed
with or registered by the Australian Securities and Investments
Commission, the Securities Commission of New Zealand, the Japanese
Ministry of Finance or the South African Reserve Bank and that the
Placing Shares are not being offered for sale and may not (unless
an exemption under the relevant securities laws is applicable) be
offered, sold, resold or delivered, directly or indirectly, in or
into the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the
Republic of South Africa, Japan or any other jurisdiction in which
such offer, sale, resale or delivery would be unlawful;
14. that it does not
have a registered address in, and is not a citizen, resident or
national of, any jurisdiction in which it is unlawful to make or
accept an offer of the Placing Shares and it is not acting on a
non-discretionary basis for any such person;
15. that it has not,
directly or indirectly, distributed, forwarded, transferred or
otherwise transmitted, and will not, directly or indirectly,
distribute, forward, transfer or otherwise transmit, any
presentation or offering materials concerning the Placing or the
Placing Shares to any persons within the United States or to any US
Persons;
16. that it is entitled
to subscribe for and/or purchase Placing Shares under the laws of
all relevant jurisdictions which apply to it and that it has fully
observed such laws and obtained all governmental and other consents
which may be required thereunder or otherwise and complied with all
necessary formalities and that it has not taken any action which
will or may result in the Company or the Bookrunner or any of their
respective directors, officers, employees or agents acting in
breach of any regulatory or legal requirements of any territory in
connection with the Placing or its acceptance;
17. that it has obtained
all necessary consents and authorities to enable it to give its
commitment to subscribe for and/or purchase the Placing Shares and
to perform its subscription and/or purchase obligations;
18. that where it is
acquiring Placing Shares for one or more managed accounts, it is
authorised in writing by each managed account: (a) to acquire the
Placing Shares for each managed account; (b) to make on its behalf
the representations, warranties, acknowledgements, undertakings and
agreements in this Appendix and the Announcement of which it forms
part; and (c), if applicable, to receive on its behalf any
investment letter relating to the Placing in the form provided to
it by the Bookrunner;
19. that it is either:
(a) a person of a kind described in paragraph 5 of Article 19
(persons having professional experience in matters relating to
investments and who are investment professionals) of the Order; or
(b) a person of a kind described in paragraph 2 of Article 49(2)(A)
to (D) (high net worth companies, unincorporated associations,
partnerships or trusts or their respective directors, officers or
employees) of the Order; or (c) a person to whom it is otherwise
lawful for this Announcement to be communicated and in the case of
(a) and (b) undertakes that it will acquire, hold, manage or
dispose of any Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the
purposes of its business;
20. that, unless
otherwise agreed by the Bookrunner, it is a Qualified
Investor;
21. that, unless
otherwise agreed by the 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;
22. that it has only
communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate
or cause to be communicated any invitation or inducement to engage
in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of 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;
23. that any money held
in an account with the Bookrunner (or its nominee) on its behalf
and/or any person acting on its behalf will not be treated as
client money within the meaning of the rules and regulations of the
FCA. Each Placee further acknowledges that the money will not be
subject to the protections conferred by the FCA's client money
rules. As a consequence, this money will not be segregated from the
Bookrunner's (or its nominee's) money in accordance with such
client money rules and will be used by the Bookrunner in the course
of its own business and each Placee will rank only as a general
creditor of the Bookrunner;
24. that it will (or
will procure that its nominee will) if applicable, make
notification to the Company of the interest in its Ordinary Shares
in accordance with the Articles (which incorporate the requirements
of Chapter 5 of the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules of
the FCA);
25. that it is not, and
it is not acting on behalf of, a person falling within subsections
(6), (7) or (8) of sections 67 or 70 respectively or subsections
(2) and (3) of section 93 or subsection (1) of section 96 of the
Finance Act 1986;
26. that it will not
deal or cause or permit any other person to deal in all or any of
the Placing Shares which it is subscribing for and/or purchasing
under the Placing unless and until Admission becomes
effective;
27. that it appoints
irrevocably any director of the Bookrunner as its agent for the
purpose of executing and delivering to the Company and/or its
registrars any document on its behalf necessary to enable it to be
registered as the holder of the Placing Shares;
28. that the
Announcement does not constitute a securities recommendation or
financial product advice and that neither the Bookrunner nor the
Company has considered its particular objectives, financial
situation and needs;
29. that it has
sufficient knowledge, sophistication and experience in financial,
business and investment matters as is required to evaluate the
merits and risks of subscribing for or purchasing the Placing
Shares and is aware that it may be required to bear, and it, and
any accounts for which it may be acting, are able to bear, the
economic risk of, and is able to sustain, a complete loss in
connection with the Placing;
30. that it will
indemnify and hold the Company and the Bookrunner and their
respective affiliates harmless from any and all costs, claims,
liabilities and expenses (including legal fees and expenses)
arising out of or in connection with any breach of the
representations, warranties, acknowledgements, agreements and
undertakings in this Appendix and further agrees that the Company
and the Bookrunner will rely on the truth and accuracy of the
confirmations, warranties, acknowledgements and undertakings herein
and, if any of the foregoing is or becomes no longer true or
accurate, the Placee shall promptly notify the Bookrunner and the
Company. All confirmations, warranties, acknowledgements and
undertakings given by the Placee, pursuant to this Announcement
(including this Appendix) are given to the Bookrunner for itself
and on behalf of the Company and will survive completion of the
Placing and Admission;
31. that time shall be
of the essence as regards obligations pursuant to this
Appendix;
32. that it is
responsible for obtaining any legal, financial, tax and other
advice that it deems necessary for the execution, delivery and
performance of its obligations in accepting the terms and
conditions of the Placing, and that it is not relying on the
Company or the Bookrunner to provide any legal, financial, tax or
other advice to it;
33. that all dates and
times in this Announcement (including this Appendix) may be subject
to amendment and that the Bookrunner shall notify it of such
amendments;
34. that (i) it has
complied with its obligations under the Criminal Justice Act 1993
and MAR, (ii) in connection with money laundering and terrorist
financing, it has complied with its obligations under the Proceeds
of Crime Act 2002 (as amended), the Terrorism Act 2000 (as
amended), the Terrorism Act 2006 and the Money Laundering and
Terrorist Financing Regulations 2019 and (iii) it is not a person:
(a) with whom transactions are prohibited under the Foreign Corrupt
Practices Act of 1977 or any economic sanction programmes
administered by, or regulations promulgated by, the Office of
Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or
the United States Department of State; (b) named on the
Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets maintained by HM
Treasury of the United Kingdom; or (c) subject to financial
sanctions imposed pursuant to a regulation of the European Union or
a regulation adopted by the United Nations (together, the
"Regulations"); 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 and has
obtained all governmental and other consents (if any) which may be
required for the purpose of, or as a consequence of, such purchase,
and it will provide promptly to the Bookrunner such evidence, if
any, as to the identity or location or legal status of any person
which the Bookrunner may request from it in connection with the
Placing (for the purpose of complying with such Regulations or
ascertaining the nationality of any person or the jurisdiction(s)
to which any person is subject or otherwise) in the form and manner
requested by the Bookrunner on the basis that any failure by it to
do so may result in the number of Placing Shares that are to be
subscribed for and/or purchased by it or at its direction pursuant
to the Placing being reduced to such number, or to nil, as the
Bookrunner may decide in its absolute discretion;
35. that it will not
make any offer to the public within the meaning of the Prospectus
Regulation of those Placing Shares to be subscribed for and/or
purchased by it;
36. that it will not
distribute any document relating to the Placing Shares and it will
be acquiring the Placing Shares for its own account as principal or
for a discretionary account or accounts (as to which it has the
authority to make the statements set out herein) for investment
purposes only and it does not have any contract, understanding or
arrangement with any person to sell, pledge, transfer or grant a
participation therein to such person or any third person with
respect of any Placing Shares; save that if it is a private client
stockbroker or fund manager it confirms that in purchasing the
Placing Shares it is acting under the terms of one or more
discretionary mandates granted to it by private clients and it is
not acting on an execution only basis or under specific
instructions to purchase the Placing Shares for the account of any
third party;
37. that it acknowledges
that these terms and conditions and any agreements entered into by
it pursuant to these terms and conditions 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 contract, 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 Company
or the Bookrunner in any jurisdiction in which the relevant Placee
is incorporated or in which its assets are located or any of its
securities have a quotation on a recognised stock
exchange;
38. that any documents
sent to Placees will be sent at the Placees' risk. They may be sent
by post to such Placees at an address notified to the
Bookrunner;
39. that the Bookrunner
owes no fiduciary or other duties to any Placee in respect of any
representations, warranties, undertakings or indemnities in the
Placing Agreement;
40. that the Bookrunner
or its respective affiliates may, at their absolute discretion,
agree to become a Placee in respect of some or all of the Placing
Shares;
41. that no prospectus
or offering document has been or will be prepared in connection
with the Placing and it has not received and will not receive a
prospectus or other offering document in connection with the
Placing or the Placing Shares; and
42. that if it has
received any confidential price sensitive information concerning
the Company in advance of the publication of this Announcement, it
has not: (i) dealt in the securities of the Company; (ii)
encouraged, required, recommended or induced another person to deal
in the securities of the Company; or (iii) disclosed such
information to any person, prior to such information being made
publicly available.
The Company, the Bookrunner and
their respective affiliates will rely upon the truth and accuracy
of each of the foregoing representations, warranties,
acknowledgements and undertakings which are given to the Bookrunner
for themselves and on behalf of the Company and are
irrevocable.
The provisions of this Appendix may
be waived, varied or modified as regards specific Placees or on a
general basis by the Bookrunner.
The agreement to settle a Placee's
subscription and/or purchase (and/or the subscription of a person
for whom such Placee is contracting as agent) free of stamp duty
and stamp duty reserve tax depends on the settlement relating only
to a subscription by it and/or such person direct from the Company
for the Placing Shares in question. Such agreement assumes that the
Placing Shares are not being subscribed for in connection with
arrangements to issue depositary receipts or to transfer the
Placing Shares into a clearance service. If there are any such
arrangements, or the settlement relates to any other subsequent
dealing in the Placing Shares, stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax
may be payable, for which neither the Company or the Bookrunner
will be responsible, and the Placee to whom (or on behalf of whom,
or in respect of the person for whom it is participating in the
Placing as an agent or nominee) the allocation, allotment, issue or
delivery of Placing Shares has given rise to such UK stamp duty or
stamp duty reserve tax undertakes to pay such UK stamp duty or
stamp duty reserve tax forthwith and to indemnify on an after-tax
basis and to hold harmless the Company and the Bookrunner in the
event that any of the Company and/or the Bookrunner have incurred
any such liability to UK stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax. If
this is the case, each Placee should seek its own advice and notify
the Bookrunner accordingly.
In addition, Placees should note
that they will be liable for any 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 outside the UK by them or any other
person on the subscription or purchase by them of any Placing
Shares or the agreement by them to subscribe for or purchase any
Placing Shares.
All times and dates in this
Announcement (including the Appendices) may be subject to
amendment. The Bookrunner shall notify the Placees and any person
acting on behalf of the Placees of any changes.
This Announcement has been issued
by, and is the sole responsibility, of the Company. No
representation or warranty express or implied, is or will be made
as to, or in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or
will be accepted by the Bookrunner or by any of its respective
affiliates or agents as to or in relation to, the accuracy or
completeness of this Announcement or any other written or oral
information made available to or publicly available to any
interested party or its advisers, and any liability therefore is
expressly disclaimed.