Success of the Offer
PRESS RELEASE
Ivry-sur-Seine, France — October 25, 2024, 18:30
p.m. CEST
THE RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS
PRESS RELEASE IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IS NOT
PERMITTED IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AUSTRALIA,
CANADA, JAPAN OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY WHERE SUCH COMMUNICATION WOULD
VIOLATE THE RELEVANT APPLICABLE REGULATION
END OF THE OFFER PERIOD FOR THE VOLUNTARY
MIXED PUBLIC TENDER OFFER FOR THE CAPITAL OF UNIEURO
FNAC DARTY AND RUBY WELCOME THE TENDERING
OF A LARGE MAJORITY OF UNIEURO’S SHARE CAPITAL
PAVING THE WAY TOWARDS A FRUITFUL INDUSTRIAL
PARTNERSHIP
-
Preliminary results of the Offer: 67,1% of Unieuro’s share
capital tendered, which cumulated to the 4.4% already owned by Fnac
Darty, represent 71,5% of Unieuro’s share capital
-
Fulfillment of the Minimum Threshold
Condition
-
Reopening of the Tender Period is expected to take place
between 4th and
8th November 2024
allowing further shareholders to tender their shares at unchanged
conditions
Enrique Martinez, Chief Executive
Officer of Fnac Darty, stated: « We are very pleased to
announce that we have received the support of 71,5% of Unieuro
shareholders for our acquisition project, exceeding the minimal
threshold we had set. We are convinced that this transaction will
create added value to all our shareholders and partners. An
additional tender period is expected to open between November 4th
and 8th, that will give additional shareholders the opportunity to
tender their shares. We are very enthusiastic and looking forward
to working with Unieuro team as soon as regulatory authorizations
are obtained. »
NOTICE PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 36 OF THE REGULATION
ADOPTED BY CONSOB BY RESOLUTION NO. 11971 OF MAY 14, 1999, AS
SUBSEQUENTLY INTEGRATED AND AMENDED (THE “ISSUERS’
REGULATION”).
With reference to the voluntary public tender
and exchange offer (the “Offer”) pursuant to Articles 102 and 106,
paragraph 4, of the Italian Legislative Decree no. 58 of February
24, 1998, as subsequently integrated and amended (the “CFA”),
launched by Fnac Darty SA (“Fnac Darty”) and RUBY Equity Investment
S.à r.l. (“Ruby” and together with Fnac Darty, the “Offerors”) for
all of the ordinary shares of Unieuro S.p.A. (“Unieuro” or the
“Issuer”) not already held by the Offerors, including the treasury
shares directly or indirectly held, from time to time, the Offerors
hereby announce that, on the date hereof, the period of acceptance
of the Offer (the “Tender Period”) has ended.
It is reminded that:
-
as announced to the market on 7 October 2024 pursuant to Articles
36 and 43 of the Issuers’ Regulation, the Offerors have given
notice of their decision to amend the Minimum Threshold Condition,
lowering the shareholding required for its fulfilment from an
amount higher than 90% to an amount at least equal to 66.67% of
Unieuro’s share capital; and
-
as announced to the market on 24 October 2024, the Offerors have
given notice of their decision to waive the Authorization
Condition.
All terms not defined in this press release
shall have the same meaning given to them in the offer document,
approved by Consob with resolution no. 23231 of 23 August, 2024,
and published on 24 August, 2024 (the “Offer Document”) among
others, on the website of Unieuro (www.unieurospa.com) and on the
website of Fnac Darty (www.fnacdarty.com).
PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THE
OFFER
Based on the preliminary results communicated by
Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A., in its capacity as Intermediary Responsible
for Coordinating the Collection of Tenders, during the Tender
Period, no. 13,990,650 ordinary shares of Unieuro were tendered in
the Offer. Such tendered Shares represent (i) 67,1% of the share
capital of the Issuer and (ii) 70,2% of the Shares Subject to the
Offer.
The Offerors did not purchase any Unieuro Shares
outside the Offer during the period between the Date of the Offer
Document and today’s date.
Taking into account (i) the no. 13,990,650
ordinary shares of Unieuro tendered in the Offer during the Tender
Period according to the preliminary results indicated above (if
confirmed) and (ii) the no. 913,412 ordinary shares of Unieuro
already held by the Offeror prior to the beginning of the Tender
Period, the Offerors, jointly considered, would come to hold a
total of no. 14,904,062 ordinary shares of Unieuro, equal to 71,5%
of the share capital of the Issuer.
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT. FULFILLMENT OF THE
MINIMUM THRESHOLD CONDITION. PAYMENT DATE
As reported in the Offer Document, the Offer is
subject to the fulfilment or the waiver by the Offerors of each of
the Conditions Precedent described in Section A “Warnings”,
Paragraph. A.1., including the Minimum Threshold Condition.
In light of the above, on the basis of the
preliminary results of the Offer (if confirmed) at the end of the
Tender Period, the Offerors would come to hold a shareholding above
66.67% but below 90% of the Issuer’s share capital. In this
respect, it should be noted that:
(i) the Minimum
Threshold Condition, as lastly amended on 7 October 2024, has been
fulfilled;
(ii) with regard to
the other Conditions Precedent (other than the Authorization
Condition which has been waived by the Offerors on 24 October
2024), as indicated in the Offer Document, the Offerors will
announce the fulfillment, non-fulfillment or the waiver of such
Conditions Precedent by means of the Notice of the Final Results of
the Offer; and
(iii) the
requirements for the fulfillment of the Obligation to Purchase
under Art. 108, Par. 2, of the CFA or for the fulfillment of the
Obligation to Purchase under Art. 108, Par. 1, of the CFA and the
exercise of the Right to Squeeze-out pursuant to Article 111 of the
CFA have not been met.
In case of fulfillment of the Conditions
Precedent other than the Minimum Threshold Condition and the
Authorization Condition or in case the Offerors decide to exercise
their right to waive them, the Consideration due to the holders of
the ordinary shares of Unieuro for each Unieuro Share tendered in
the Offer during the Tender Period - equal to Euro 9.00, as Cash
Portion, and no. 0.1 newly issued Fnac Shares, as Share Portion -
will be paid to the tendering shareholders on the Payment Date,
i.e. 1 November 2024.
In the event that even one of the Conditions
Precedent, other than the Minimum Threshold Condition and the
Authorization Condition, is not fulfilled and the Offerors do not
exercise their right to waive it, the Offer will not be completed.
In this scenario, any Unieuro Shares tendered to the Offer will be
made available to their holders by the Trading Day following the
date on which the failure to complete the Offer will be announced
for the first time. The Unieuro Shares will be returned to their
holders at no cost or expense to them.
By means of a dedicated notice, which will be
published by the Offerors by 7:29 a.m. (Italian time) 31 October
2024, pursuant to Article 41, Paragraph 6, of the Issuers’
Regulation, the final results of the Offer will be disclosed.
REOPENING OF THE TENDER
PERIOD
By virtue of the announcement of the fulfillment
of the Minimum Threshold Condition, by means of this notice,
provided that the Conditions Precedent other than the Minimum
Threshold Condition and the Authorization Condition will be
fulfilled or waived, the Reopening of the Tender Period will occur
for 5 Trading Days, specifically for the days of 4 November, 5
November, 6 November, 7 November and 8 November 2024. Accordingly,
the Issuer’s shareholders who did not accept the Offer during the
Tender Period may tender their Shares in the Offer during the
Reopening of the Tender Period, being entitled to the same
Consideration.
The Offerors will pay the Consideration to each
shareholder of Unieuro who has tendered in the Offer during the
Reopening of the Tender Period on the fifth Trading Day following
the end of Reopening of the Tender Period and thus 15 November
2024.
*****
Legal Disclaimer
The Offer is being launched exclusively in
Italy and will be made on a non-discriminatory basis and on equal
terms to all holders of Unieuro shares, as set out in the notice
published pursuant to Article 102 of Italian Legislative Decree No.
58 of February 24, 1998 and as further described in the Offer
Document that will be published in accordance with the applicable
regulations.
The Offer has not been and will not be made
in the United States of America (including its territories and
possessions, any state of the United States of America and the
District of Columbia) (the “United States”), Canada, Japan,
Australia and any other jurisdictions where making the Offer or
tendering therein would not be in compliance with the securities or
other laws or regulations of such jurisdiction or would require any
registration, approval or filing with any regulatory authority
(such jurisdictions, including the United States, Canada, Japan and
Australia, the "Excluded Countries"), by using national or
international instruments of communication or commerce of the
Excluded Countries (including, by way of illustration, the postal
network, fax, telex, e-mail, telephone and internet), through any
structure of any of the Excluded Countries’ financial
intermediaries or in any other way. No actions have been taken or
will be taken to make the Offer possible in any of the Excluded
Countries.
Copies, full or partial, of any documents
relating to the Offer, including this press release, are not and
should not be sent, or in any way transmitted, or otherwise
distributed, directly or indirectly, in the Excluded Countries. Any
person receiving any such documents shall not distribute, send or
dispatch them (whether by post or by any other mean or device of
communication or international commerce) in the Excluded Countries.
Any document relating to the Offer, including this press release,
do not constitute and shall not be construed as an offer of
financial instruments addressed to persons domiciled and/or
resident in the Excluded Countries. No securities may be offered or
sold in the Excluded Countries without specific authorization in
accordance with the applicable provisions of the local law of the
Excluded Countries or a waiver thereof.
This press release is not an offer to sell
or a solicitation of offers to purchase or subscribe for
shares.
This press release and the information
contained herein are not for distribution in or into the United
States. This press release does not constitute, or form part of, an
offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, any
securities in the United States. The securities of Fnac Darty have
not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act
and may not be offered or sold within the United States absent
registration or an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction
not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities
Act. There is no intention to register any securities referred to
herein in the United States or to make a public offering of the
securities in the United States.
About Fnac Darty
Operating in 13 countries, Fnac Darty is a
European leader in the retail of entertainment and leisure
products, consumer electronics and domestic appliances. The Group,
which has almost 25,000 employees, has a multi-format network of
more than 1,000 stores at the end of December 2023, and is ranked
as a major e-commerce player in France (more than 27 million unique
visitors per month on average) with its three merchant sites,
fnac.com, darty.com and natureetdecouvertes.com. A leading
omnichannel player, Fnac Darty’s revenue was around €8 billion in
2023, 22% of which was realized online. For more information:
www.fnacdarty.com
CONTACTS
ANALYSTS/INVESTORS
Domitille Vielle – Head of Investor Relations –
domitille.vielle@fnacdarty.com – +33 (0)6 03 86 05 02
Laura Parisot – Investor Relations Manager –
laura.parisot@fnacdarty.com – +33 (0)6 64 74 27 18
PRESS
Marianne Hervé – mherve@image7.fr – +33 (0)6 23
83 59 29
- 20241025_PR Preliminary results_vfinale
Fnac Darty (EU:FNAC)
Graphique Historique de l'Action
De Oct 2024 à Nov 2024
Fnac Darty (EU:FNAC)
Graphique Historique de l'Action
De Nov 2023 à Nov 2024