TIDMYOU
RNS Number : 2537F
YouGov PLC
06 July 2023
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING THE APPIX, AND THE INFORMATION
CONTAINED HEREIN IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION
OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR
INTO THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, SOUTH AFRICA OR
ANY OTHER STATE OR JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION
OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO
HEREIN HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S.
SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMED, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN
THE UNITED STATES, EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM
REGISTRATION. NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF SECURITIES IS BEING MADE IN THE
UNITED STATES. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICE SECTION OF THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT
CONSTITUTE OR CONTAIN ANY INVITATION, SOLICITATION, RECOMMATION,
OFFER OR ADVICE TO ANY PERSON TO SUBSCRIBE FOR, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE
OR DISPOSE OF ANY SECURITIES IN YOUGOV PLC OR ANY OTHER ENTITY IN
ANY JURISDICTION. NEITHER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT NOR THE FACT OF ITS
DISTRIBUTION SHALL FORM THE BASIS OF, OR BE RELIED ON IN CONNECTION
WITH, ANY INVESTMENT DECISION IN RESPECT OF YOUGOV PLC.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES
OF ARTICLE 7 OF THE UK VERSION OF REGULATION (EU) NO. 596/2014 ON
MARKET ABUSE ("UK MAR"), AS IT FORMS PART OF UK DOMESTIC LAW BY
VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018.
LEI: 213800MZGBGCJIPOBB41
06 July 2023
YouGov plc
("YouGov" or "the Group" or "the Company")
Proposed Placing of New Ordinary Shares
YouGov, the international research and data analytics group,
today announces its intention to issue 5,567,256 new ordinary
shares of 0.2 pence each in the Company (the "Placing Shares")
through a non-pre-emptive placing to institutional investors (the
"Placing"). The Placing Shares represent 4.9% of the Company's
existing issued share capital, which is within the Company's
existing shareholder authorisations of 5% authorised at the
Company's annual general meeting held on 8 December 2022.
The Placing will be conducted through an accelerated bookbuild
which will be launched immediately following this Announcement and
will be made available only to new and existing eligible
institutional investors. The Placing is subject to the terms and
conditions set out in Appendix I to this Announcement. Morgan
Stanley & Co. International plc ("Morgan Stanley") and Numis
Securities Limited ("Numis") are acting as joint bookrunners in
respect of the Placing, (together, the "Bookrunners").
Use of Proceeds
YouGov has separately announced today that it has agreed to
acquire the Consumer Panel Business of GfK SE in an all-cash
transaction on a cash-free debt-free basis (the "Acquisition").
YouGov has agreed to acquire the Consumer Panel Business for a
total value of approximately EUR315 million (subject to customary
adjustments). The net proceeds of the Placing will be used to
partly fund the consideration for the Acquisition with the
remainder financed by a fully committed bridge debt facility and
cash on balance sheet.
The Consumer Panel Business is an established leader in
household purchase data, with panels across 16 countries,
consisting of over 100,000 households. The Consumer Panel Business
extends the Group's offering into the FMCG sector, with its high
intensity users of market research, and provides an opportunity to
significantly enhance the Group's offering to US clients. The
Consumer Panel Business will strengthen YouGov's customer value
proposition and add highly engaged panellists in Europe,
complementary capabilities, and longstanding relationships with
blue chip clients, helping to accelerate the Group's strategic
vision discussed at the YouGov Capital Markets Day on 17 May
2023.
The Placing is not conditional on completion of the Acquisition
and should the Acquisition not complete, the Group will retain the
net proceeds of the Placing. In such circumstances, the proceeds
would be used to pursue the Group's broader strategy through
ongoing investment in both organic and inorganic opportunities.
A separate announcement (the "Acquisition of GfK's Consumer
Panel Business Announcement") has been issued in relation to the
Acquisition. This Announcement should be read in conjunction with
the Acquisition of GfK's Consumer Panel Business Announcement.
Details of the Placing
Morgan Stanley and Numis are acting as joint bookrunners in
respect of the Placing.
The Placing is subject to the terms and conditions set out in
Appendix I of this Announcement.
The Bookrunners will commence the bookbuilding process in
respect of the Placing (the "Bookbuilding Process") immediately
following the release of this Announcement in respect of the
Placing. Members of the public are not entitled to participate in
the Placing. The price at which the Placing Shares are to be placed
(the "Placing Price") will be determined following the close of the
Bookbuilding Process by agreement between the Company and the
Bookrunners. The Placing is underwritten by the Bookrunners and is
intended to raise approximately GBP55 million.
The book will open with immediate effect following this
Announcement. The timing of the closing of the book, pricing and
allocations are at the absolute discretion of the Bookrunners and
the Company. Details of the Placing Price will be announced as soon
as reasonably practicable after the close of the Bookbuilding
Process.
The Placing Shares, when issued, will be fully paid and will
rank pari passu in all respects with each other and with the
existing ordinary shares of the Company, including, without
limitation, the right to receive all dividends and other
distributions declared, made or paid after the date of issue.
An application will be made to the London Stock Exchange for
admission of the Placing Shares to trading on AIM
("Admission").
Settlement for, and Admission of, the Placing Shares is expected
to take place at 8.00 a.m. on 11 July 2023 (or such later time
and/or date as may be agreed between the Company and the
Bookrunners). The Placing is conditional upon, among other things,
Admission becoming effective. The Placing is also conditional upon
the placing agreement between the Company and the Bookrunners (the
"Placing Agreement") becoming unconditional and not being
terminated in accordance with its terms. The Appendices to this
Announcement set out further information relating to the terms and
conditions of the Placing.
YouGov acknowledges that it is seeking to issue Placing Shares
not exceeding 4.9 per cent of its existing issued ordinary share
capital on a non-pre-emptive basis. The Company has consulted with
its major institutional shareholders ahead of release of this
Announcement, which has confirmed the Board's view that the Placing
is in the best interests of shareholders.
This Announcement should be read in its entirety. In particular,
you should read and understand the Information provided in the
"Important Notices" section of this Announcement. The appendices to
this Announcement set out further information relating to the terms
and conditions and additional key information of the Placing.
Unless otherwise stated, capitalised terms in this Announcement
have the meanings ascribed to them in the appendices (which forms
part of this Announcement).
Investors who have chosen to participate in the Placing, by
making an oral or written offer to acquire Placing Shares, will be
deemed to have read and understood this Announcement and the
Acquisition of GfK's Consumer Panel Business Announcement in their
entirety (including the appendices) and to be making such offer on
the terms and subject to the conditions herein, and to be providing
the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgements and
undertakings contained in the appendices to this Announcement.
Investor & Analyst presentation and Q&A
Stephan Shakespeare (CEO), Alex McIntosh (CFO) and Sundip Chahal
(COO) will host an investor and analyst presentation today at 5.30
p.m. BST.
The person responsible for arranging release of this
Announcement on behalf of YouGov is Alex McIntosh, CFO.
Enquiries:
YouGov plc
Stephan Shakespeare / Alex McIntosh / Hannah
Jethwani 020 7012 6000
Morgan Stanley (Joint Bookrunner)
Laurence Hopkins / Andrew Foster / Emma Whitehouse
/ Conrad Griffin 020 7425 8000
Numis Securities Limited (Joint Bookrunner
and Nomad)
Nick Westlake / Jamie Loughborough / William
Baunton / Iqra Amin 020 7260 1000
FTI Consulting
Charles Palmer / Emma Hall 020 3727 1000
About YouGov
YouGov is an international online research data and analytics
technology group.
Our mission is to offer unparalleled insight into what the world
thinks.
Our innovative solutions help the world's most recognised
brands, media owners and agencies to plan, activate and track their
marketing activities better.
With operations in the UK, the Americas, Europe, the Middle
East, India and Asia Pacific, we have one of the world's largest
research networks.
At the core of our platform is an ever-growing source of
consumer data that has been amassed over our twenty years of
operation. We call it Living Data. All of our products and services
draw upon this detailed understanding of our 24+ million registered
panel members to deliver accurate, actionable consumer
insights.
As innovators and pioneers of online market research, we have a
strong reputation as a trusted source of accurate data and
insights. Testament to this, YouGov data is regularly referenced by
the global press, and we are the second most quoted market research
source in the world.
YouGov. Living Consumer Intelligence.
Important Notices
No action has been taken by the Company, Morgan Stanley &
Co. International Plc ("Morgan Stanley"), Numis Securities Limited
("Numis" and together with Morgan Stanley, the "Banks") or any of
their respective Affiliates or any person acting on its or their
behalf that would permit an offer of the Placing Shares or
possession or distribution of this Announcement or any other
offering or publicity material relating to such Placing Shares in
any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Persons
into whose possession this Announcement comes are required by the
Company and the Banks to inform themselves about, and to observe,
such restrictions.
No prospectus will be made available in connection with the
matters contained in this Announcement and no such prospectus is
required (in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the "EU
Prospectus Regulation") or the UK version of Regulation (EU)
2017/1129, which forms part of UK law by virtue of the European
Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (the "EUWA") (the "UK Prospectus
Regulation")) to be published. Persons needing advice should
consult a qualified independent legal adviser, business adviser,
financial adviser or tax adviser for legal, financial, business or
tax advice.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING THE APPICES AND THE INFORMATION
CONTAINED IN THEM, IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION,
RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN
PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS TERRITORIES AND
POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA (COLLECTIVELY, THE "UNITED STATES"), AUSTRALIA, CANADA,
JAPAN OR THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN
WHICH SUCH PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
FURTHER, THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS
NOT AN OFFER OF SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT
HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED BY THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, NOR IS IT INTED
THAT IT WILL BE SO APPROVED.
This Announcement or any part of it does not constitute or form
part of any offer to issue or sell, or the solicitation of an offer
to acquire, purchase or subscribe for, any securities in the United
States, Canada, Australia, the Republic of South Africa, Japan or
any other jurisdiction in which the same would be unlawful. No
public offering of the Placing Shares is being made in any such
jurisdiction.
This Announcement is for information purposes only and is
directed only at persons whose ordinary activities involve them in
acquiring, holding, managing and disposing of investments (as
principal or agent) for the purposes of their business and who have
professional experience in matters relating to investments and are:
(a) if in a member state of the European Economic Area (the "EEA")
(each a "Relevant State"), qualified investors within the meaning
of article 2(e) of the EU Prospectus Regulation ("Qualified
Investors"); or (b) if in the United Kingdom, qualified investors
within the meaning of article 2(e) of the UK Prospectus Regulation
who are also: (i) persons who fall within the definition of
"investment professional" in article 19(5) of the Financial
Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as
amended (the "Order"), or (ii) persons who fall within article
49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order, or (c) persons to whom it may
otherwise be lawfully communicated (all such persons referred to in
(i), (ii) and (iii) above together being referred to as "Relevant
Persons").
Any investment or investment activity to which this Announcement
relates is available in Relevant States only to Qualified Investors
and in the United Kingdom only to Relevant Persons, and will be
engaged in only with Qualified Investors in Relevant States and
Relevant Persons in the United Kingdom. This Announcement must not
be acted on or relied on by persons in a Relevant State who are not
Qualified Investors, or persons in the United Kingdom who are not
Relevant Persons.
The securities referred to herein have not been, and will not
be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "Securities Act"), or under the securities laws of any
state or other jurisdiction of the United States, and may not be
offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in or into the United
States absent registration under the Securities Act or pursuant to
an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the
registration requirements of the Securities Act and in compliance
with the securities laws of any state or any other jurisdiction of
the United States. The Placing Shares are being offered and sold by
the Company (a) outside the United States in offshore transactions
as defined in, and pursuant to, Regulation S under the Securities
Act ("Regulation S"), or (b) in the United States only to persons
reasonably believed to be "qualified institutional buyers" (as
defined in Rule 144A of the Securities Act) ("QIBs") in
transactions not involving any "public offering" within the meaning
of Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act pursuant to a transaction
exempt from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration
requirements of the Securities Act. A potential Placee and the
prospective beneficial owner of the Placing Shares is, and at the
time the Placing Shares are subscribed for will be, (i) outside the
United States and subscribing for the Placing Shares in an
"offshore transaction" as defined in, and in accordance with,
Regulation S; or (ii) (a) a QIB and (b) subscribing for the Placing
Shares pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not
subject to, the registration requirements under the Securities Act.
No public offering of securities is being made in the United
States.
A prospectus has not been and will not be filed with any
securities regulator in Canada in connection with the sale of the
Placing Shares and the Placing Shares may not be offered or sold
within Canada except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a
transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of Canadian
securities laws. No prospectus has been lodged with, or registered
by, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission or the
Japanese Ministry of Finance; the relevant clearances have not
been, and will not be, obtained for 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, nor will they be, registered under or offering in compliance
with the securities laws of any state, province or territory of
Australia, the Republic of South Africa or Japan. 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 Australia, the
Republic of South Africa, or Japan or any other jurisdiction in
which such activities would be unlawful.
By participating in the Bookbuild and the Placing, each Placee
by making an oral or written and legally binding offer to subscribe
for Placing Shares will be deemed (i) to have read and understood
this Announcement (including the appendices) in its entirety, (ii)
to be participating, making an offer and acquiring Placing Shares
on the terms and conditions contained in Appendix 1 to this
Announcement and (iii) to be providing the representations,
warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements and undertakings
contained in Appendix 1 to this Announcement.
Certain statements contained in this Announcement constitute
"forward-looking statements" with respect to the financial
condition, performance, strategic initiatives, objectives, results
of operations and business of the Company. All statements other
than statements of historical facts included in this Announcement
are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Without
limitation, any statements preceded or followed by or that include
the words "targets", "plans", "believes", "expects", "aims",
"intends", "anticipates", "estimates", "projects", "will", "may",
"would", "could" or "should", or words or terms of similar
substance or the negative thereof, are forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements include statements relating to the
following: (i) future capital expenditures, expenses, revenues,
earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial
condition, dividend policy, losses and future prospects; (ii)
business and management strategies and the expansion and growth of
the Company's operations; and (iii) the Potential Acquisition
completing and/or the future performance of the Group resulting
from the Potential Acquisition. Such forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect
expected results and are based on certain key assumptions. Many
factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to
differ materially from those projected or implied in any
forward-looking statements. The important factors that could cause
the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ
materially from those in the forward-looking statements include,
among others, economic and business cycles, the terms and
conditions of the Company's financing arrangements, foreign
currency rate fluctuations, inflation and/or a significant increase
in interest rates, competition in the Company's principal markets,
acquisitions or disposals of businesses or assets and trends in the
Company's principal industries. Due to such uncertainties and
risks, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such
forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.
In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the events
described in the forward-looking statements in this Announcement
may not occur. The forward-looking statements contained in this
Announcement speak only as of the date of this Announcement. The
Company, its Directors, the Banks and their respective Affiliates
and any person acting on its or their behalf each expressly
disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise publicly
any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of
new information, future events or otherwise, unless required to
do so by applicable law or regulation, the AIM Rules for Companies,
UK MAR the DTRs or the rules of the London Stock Exchange.
Numis is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the
FCA. Morgan Stanley is authorised by the Prudential Regulation
Authority ("PRA") and subject to regulation by the FCA and limited
regulation by the PRA in the United Kingdom. Each of the Banks is
acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection
with the Placing, the content of this Announcement and other
matters described in this Announcement. Each of the Banks will not
regard any other person as their respective clients in relation to
the Placing, the content of this Announcement and other matters
described in this Announcement and will not be responsible to
anyone (including any Placees) other than the Company for providing
the protections afforded to their respective clients or for
providing advice to any other person in relation to the Placing,
the content of this Announcement or any other matters referred to
in this Announcement.
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
Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on
its or their behalf 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.
This Announcement does not constitute a recommendation
concerning any investor's investment decision with respect to the
Placing. 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. The contents of this Announcement are
not to be construed as legal, business, financial or tax advice.
Each investor or prospective investor should consult his, her or
its own legal adviser, business adviser, financial adviser or tax
adviser for legal, financial, business or tax advice.
Any indication in this Announcement of the price at which
Ordinary Shares have been bought or sold in the past cannot be
relied upon as a guide to future performance. No statement in this
Announcement is intended as a profit forecast or estimate for any
period and no statement in this Announcement should be interpreted
to mean that earnings, earnings per share or income, cash flow from
operations or free cash flow for the Company, as appropriate, for
the current or future years would necessarily match or exceed the
historical published earnings, earnings per share or income, cash
flow from operations or free cash flow for the Company.
In connection with the Placing, each of the Banks, their
Affiliates and any person acting on its or their behalf may take up
a portion of the shares of the Company in the Placing in a
principal position and in that capacity may retain, purchase or
sell for its own account such shares and other securities of the
Company or related investments and may offer or sell such shares,
securities or other investments otherwise than in connection with
the Placing. Accordingly, references in this Announcement to
Placing Shares being issued, offered or placed should be read as
including any issue, offering or placement of such shares in the
Company to the Banks, any of their Affiliates or any person acting
on its or their behalf as, acting in such capacity. In addition,
the Banks, any of their Affiliates or any person acting on its or
their behalf may enter into financing arrangements (including
swaps, warrants or contracts for difference) with investors in
connection with which either of the Banks, any of their Affiliates
or any person acting on its or their behalf may from time to time
acquire, hold or dispose of such securities of the Company,
including the Placing Shares. Neither the Banks, any of their
Affiliates nor any person acting on its or their behalf intends to
disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions
otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory
obligation to do so.
Each of the Banks and their Affiliates may have engaged in
transactions with, and provided various commercial banking,
investment banking, financial advisory transactions and services in
the ordinary course of their business to the Company and/or its
Affiliates for which it would have received customary fees and
commissions. Each of the Banks and their Affiliates may provide
such services to the Company and/or its Affiliates in the
future.
The Placing Shares to be issued or sold pursuant to the Placing
will not be admitted to trading on any stock exchange other than
the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.
Neither the content of the Company's website (or any other
website) nor the content of any website accessible from hyperlinks
on the Company's website (or any other website) is incorporated
into or forms part of this Announcement.
This Announcement has been prepared for the purposes of
complying with applicable law and regulation in the United Kingdom
and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which
would have been disclosed if this Announcement had been prepared in
accordance with the laws and regulations of any jurisdiction
outside the United Kingdom.
UK Product Governance Requirements
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 (a) retail clients, as
defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as
it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA, (b) investors
who meet the criteria of professional clients as defined in
Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by
virtue of the EUWA and (c) eligible counterparties as defined in
the FCA Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook ("COBS"); and (ii)
eligible for distribution through all distribution channels as are
permitted by Directive 2014/65/EU (the "UK Target Market
Assessment"). Notwithstanding the UK Target Market Assessment,
distributors should note that: the price of the Placing Shares may
decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment;
the Placing Shares offer no guaranteed income and no capital
protection; and an investment in the Placing Shares is compatible
only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital
protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate
financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits
and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources
to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom. The UK
Target Market Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements
of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in
relation to the Placing.
Furthermore, it is noted that, notwithstanding the UK Target
Market Assessment, each of the Banks will only procure investors
who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible
counterparties. For the avoidance of doubt, the UK Target Market
Assessment does not constitute: (a) an assessment of suitability or
appropriateness for the purposes of COBS; or (b) a recommendation
to any investor or group of investors to invest in, or purchase, or
take any other action whatsoever with respect to the Placing
Shares. Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own
target market assessment in respect of the Placing Shares and
determining appropriate distribution channels.
APPIX I: TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE PLACING
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE
PLACING.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS
DIRECTED ONLY AT PERSONS WHOSE ORDINARY ACTIVITIES INVOLVE THEM IN
ACQUIRING, HOLDING, MANAGING AND DISPOSING OF INVESTMENTS (AS
PRINCIPAL OR AGENT) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THEIR BUSINESS AND WHO HAVE
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS AND ARE:
(A) IF IN A MEMBER STATE OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA (THE "EEA")
(EACH A "RELEVANT STATE"), QUALIFIED INVESTORS WITHIN THE MEANING
OF ARTICLE 2(E) OF THE EU PROSPECTUS REGULATION ("QUALIFIED
INVESTORS"); OR (B) IF IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, QUALIFIED INVESTORS
WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 2(E) OF THE UK PROSPECTUS REGULATION
WHO ARE ALSO (I) PERSONS WHO FALL WITHIN THE DEFINITION OF
"INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL" IN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL
SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005, AS
AMED (THE "ORDER"), OR (II) PERSONS WHO FALL WITHIN ARTICLE
49(2)(A) TO (D) OF THE ORDER, OR (C) PERSONS TO WHOM IT MAY
OTHERWISE BE LAWFULLY COMMUNICATED (ALL SUCH PERSONS REFERRED TO IN
(I), (II) AND (III) ABOVE TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT
PERSONS").
ANY INVESTMENT OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT
RELATES IS AVAILABLE IN RELEVANT STATES ONLY TO QUALIFIED INVESTORS
AND, IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, ONLY TO RELEVANT PERSONS, AND WILL BE
ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH QUALIFIED INVESTORS IN RELEVANT STATES AND
RELEVANT PERSONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST NOT
BE ACTED ON OR RELIED ON BY PERSONS IN RELEVANT STATES WHO ARE NOT
QUALIFIED INVESTORS BY PERSONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM WHO ARE NOT
RELEVANT PERSONS.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN OFFER FOR SALE
OR SUBSCRIPTION OF, OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO ACQUIRE OR
SUBSCRIBE FOR, ANY SECURITIES IN THE COMPANY.
PERSONS DISTRIBUTING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST SATISFY THEMSELVES
THAT IT IS LAWFUL TO DO SO. EACH PLACEE SHOULD CONSULT WITH ITS OWN
ADVISERS AS TO LEGAL, TAX, BUSINESS AND RELATED ASPECTS OF AN
INVESTMENT IN THE PLACING SHARES.
THE PLACING SHARES HAVE NOT BEEN, AND WILL NOT BE, REGISTERED
UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMED (THE
"SECURITIES ACT"), OR UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF, OR WITH ANY
SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF, ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION
OF THE UNITED STATES, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR TRANSFERRED,
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES ABSENT
REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE
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 IS BEING MADE (A)
OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES IN OFFSHORE TRANSACTIONS AS DEFINED IN,
AND PURSUANT TO, REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND (B) IN
THE UNITED STATES ONLY TO PERSONS REASONABLY BELIEVED TO BE
"QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYERS" IN TRANSACTIONS NOT INVOLVING ANY
"PUBLIC OFFERING" WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION 4(A)(2) OF THE
SECURITIES ACT PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION
NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES
ACT. NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF THE SHARES REFERRED TO IN THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED STATES, ANY OTHER
RESTRICTED TERRITORY (AS DEFINED BELOW) OR ELSEWHERE.
This Announcement is for information only and does not itself
constitute or form part of an offer to sell or issue or the
solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for securities
referred to herein in any jurisdiction including, without
limitation, the United States or any other Restricted Territory (as
defined below) or in any jurisdiction where such offer or
solicitation is unlawful.
This Announcement, and the information contained herein, is not
for release, publication or distribution, directly or indirectly,
to persons in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan or the
Republic of South Africa or in any jurisdiction in which such
publication or distribution is unlawful (each a "Restricted
Territory"). The distribution of this Announcement and the Placing
and/or the offer or sale of the Placing Shares in certain
jurisdictions may be restricted by law. No action has been taken by
the Company, the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any
person acting on its or their behalf which would permit an offer of
the Placing Shares or possession or distribution of this
Announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating
to such Placing Shares in any jurisdiction where action for that
purpose is required.
Persons distributing any part of this Announcement must satisfy
themselves that it is lawful to do so. Persons (including, without
limitation, nominees and trustees) who have a contractual or other
legal obligation to forward a copy of this Announcement should seek
appropriate advice before taking any such action. Persons into
whose possession this Announcement comes are required by the
Company and the Banks to inform themselves about, and to observe,
any such restrictions.
All offers of the Placing Shares will be made pursuant to an
exemption under the EU Prospectus Regulation and the UK Prospectus
Regulation from the requirement to produce a prospectus. This
Announcement is being distributed and communicated to persons in
the UK only in circumstances to which section 21(1) of the
Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended ("FSMA") does
not apply.
The Placing has not been approved and will not be approved or
disapproved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any
state securities commission or any other regulatory authority in
the United States, nor have any of the foregoing authorities passed
upon or endorsed the merits of the Placing or the accuracy or
adequacy of this Announcement. Any representation to the contrary
is unlawful.
Subject to certain exceptions, the securities referred to in
this Announcement may not be offered or sold in the United States
or in any other Restricted Territory or to, or for the account or
benefit of, a citizen or resident, or a corporation, partnership or
other entity created or organised in or under the laws of any other
Restricted Territory.
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
Banks, any of their Affiliates or any person acting on its or their
behalf 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 party or its advisers,
and any liability therefore is expressly disclaimed.
Each of the Banks is acting exclusively for the Company and
no-one else in connection with the Placing and is not, and will not
be, responsible to anyone (including the Placees) other than the
Company for providing the protections afforded to its clients nor
for providing advice in relation to the Placing and/or any other
matter referred to in this Announcement.
Neither the Company, the Banks, any of their Affiliates nor any
person acting on its or their behalf makes any representation or
warranty, express or implied to any Placees regarding any
investment in the securities referred to in this Announcement under
the laws applicable to such Placees. Each Placee should consult its
own advisers as to the legal, tax, business, financial and related
aspects of an investment in the Placing Shares.
By participating in the Placing, Placees (including individuals,
funds or otherwise) by whom or on whose behalf a commitment to
subscribe for Placing Shares has been given will (i) be deemed to
have read and understood this Announcement, in its entirety; and
(ii) be making such offer on the terms and conditions contained in
this Appendix, including being deemed to be providing (and shall
only be permitted to participate in the Placing on the basis that
they have provided) the representations, warranties,
acknowledgements and undertakings set out herein.
In particular each such Placee represents, warrants and
acknowledges that:
1. if it is in the United Kingdom, it is a Relevant Person and,
if it is in a Relevant State, it is a Qualified Investor, and
undertakes that it will subscribe for, hold, manage or dispose of
any Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the purposes of its
business;
2. it is and, at the time the Placing Shares are subscribed for,
will be, (i) outside the United States and acquiring the Placing
Shares in an "offshore transaction" as defined in, and in
accordance with Regulation S or (ii) (a) a QIB that has executed
and delivered, or will execute and deliver, a US Investor Letter
and (b) subscribing for the Placing Shares pursuant to an exemption
from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration
requirements under the Securities Act; acknowledging that the
Placing Shares have not been, and will not be, registered under the
Securities Act or with any State or other jurisdiction of the
United States;
3. it is acquiring the Placing Shares for its own account or is
acquiring the Placing Shares for an account with respect to which
it exercises sole investment discretion and has the authority to
make and does make the representations, warranties, indemnities,
agreements and acknowledgements, contained in these terms and
conditions on behalf of each such account; and
4. if it is a financial intermediary, as that term is used in
Article 5(1) of the EU Prospectus Regulation and the UK Prospectus
Regulation, that it understands the resale and transfer
restrictions set out in this Appendix and that any Placing Shares
subscribed for by it in the Placing will not be subscribed for on a
non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor will they be subscribed
for with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in
circumstances which may give rise to an offer of securities to the
public other than an offer or resale in a member state of the EEA
to Qualified Investors or in the United Kingdom to Relevant
Persons, or in circumstances in which the prior consent of the
Banks has been given to each such proposed offer or resale.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PLACEES ONLY REGARDING THE PLACING
Defined terms used in this Appendix are set out in Appendix
2.
Bookbuild
Following this Announcement, the Banks will commence the
Bookbuild to determine demand for participation in the Placing. No
commissions will be paid to Placees or by Placees in respect of any
Placing Shares. The book will open with immediate effect. Members
of the public are not entitled to participate in the Placing. This
Appendix gives details of the terms and conditions of, and the
mechanics of participation in, the Placing.
Details of the Placing Agreement and of the Placing Shares
The Banks are acting as joint bookrunners and placing agents in
connection with the Placing. The Banks have today entered into an
agreement with the Company (the "Placing Agreement") under which,
subject to the terms and conditions set out therein, each of the
Banks as agent for and on behalf of the Company, has severally (and
not jointly or jointly and severally) agreed to use its respective
reasonable endeavours to procure Placees for the Placing Shares at
the Placing Price, and in the event of any default by any Placee in
paying the Placing Price in respect of any Placing Shares allotted
to it, to subscribe for such Placing Shares themselves at the
Placing Price in the agreed proportions as set out in the Placing
Agreement. In addition, to the extent that Placees are not procured
for all the Placing Shares, each of the Banks has severally (and
not jointly or jointly and severally) agreed to subscribe for the
Placing Shares at a certain price in the agreed proportions as set
out in the Placing Agreement.
The price per Ordinary Share at which the Placing Shares are to
be placed (the "Placing Price") will be decided at the close of the
Bookbuild following the execution of an agreement between the
Company and the Banks recording the final details of the Placing
(the "Terms of Placing"). The timing of the closing of the book and
allocations are at the discretion of the Company and the Banks.
Details of the Placing Price will be announced as soon as
practicable after the close of the Bookbuild.
The total number of shares to be issued pursuant to the Placing
shall not exceed 5,567,256 Ordinary Shares, representing
approximately 4.9% of the Company's existing issued Ordinary Share
capital.
The Placing Shares have been duly authorised and will, when
issued, be credited as fully paid and will rank, pari passu, in all
respects with the existing Ordinary Shares, including the right to
receive all dividends and other distributions declared, made or
paid in respect of the Ordinary Shares after the date of issue. The
Placing Shares will be issued free of any encumbrances, liens or
other security interests.
Application for admission to trading
The Company will apply to the London Stock Exchange for
admission of the Placing Shares to trading on AIM ("Admission"). It
is expected that Admission will become effective at 8.00 a.m. on 11
July 2023 (or such later date as may be agreed between the Company
and the Banks) and that dealings in the Placing Shares will
commence at that time.
Participation in, and principal terms of, the Placing
1. The Banks are acting as joint bookrunners on the Placing as
agents of the Company, in each case severally, and not jointly nor
jointly and severally. Participation in the Placing will only be
available to persons who may lawfully be, and are, invited to
participate by either of the Banks. Each of the Banks, any of their
respective Affiliates or any person acting on its or their behalf
are entitled to enter bids as principal in the Bookbuild.
2. The Bookbuild, if successful, will establish the Placing
Price payable to the Banks by all Placees whose bids are
successful. The Placing Price and the aggregate proceeds to be
raised through the Placing will be agreed between the Banks and the
Company following completion of the Bookbuild. The Placing Price
and the number of Placing Shares will be announced on a Regulatory
Information Service following the completion of the Bookbuild.
3. To participate in the Bookbuild, Placees should communicate
their bid by telephone or in writing to their usual sales contact
at one of the Banks. Each bid should state the number of Placing
Shares which the prospective Placee wishes to subscribe for at the
Placing Price. Bids may be scaled down by the Banks and the Company
on the basis referred to in paragraph 6 below. Each of the Banks
reserve the right not to accept bids or to accept bids in part
rather than in whole.
4. The timing of the closing of the Bookbuild is at the absolute
discretion of the Bookrunners and the Company. The Banks may, in
agreement with the Company, accept bids that are received after the
Bookbuild has closed.
5. Each Placee's allocation will be agreed between the Banks and
the Company and will be confirmed to Placees orally or in writing
by the relevant Bank, acting as agent of the Company, following the
close of the Bookbuild, and an electronic contract note/trade
confirmation will be dispatched as soon as possible thereafter.
Subject to paragraph 8 below, the relevant Bank's oral or written
confirmation to such Placee will constitute an irrevocable legally
binding commitment upon such person (who will at that point become
a Placee) in favour of such Bank and the Company, under which such
Placee agrees to subscribe for the number of Placing Shares
allocated to it and to pay the Placing Price for each such Placing
Share on the terms and conditions set out in this Appendix and in
accordance with the Company's articles of association and each
Placee will be deemed to have read and understood this Announcement
(including the appendices) in its entirety.
6. Subject to paragraphs 2 and 3 above, the Banks will, in
effecting the Placing, agree with the Company the identity of the
Placees and the basis of allocation of the Placing Shares and may
scale down any bids for this purpose on such basis as it may
determine. The Banks may also, notwithstanding paragraphs 3 and 4
above and subject to the prior consent of the Company, (i) allocate
Placing Shares after the time of any initial allocation to any
person submitting a bid after that time and (ii) allocate Placing
Shares after the Bookbuild has closed to any person submitting a
bid after that time. The acceptance of offers shall be at the
absolute discretion of the Banks, subject to agreement with the
Company. The Company reserves the right (upon agreement with the
Banks) to reduce or seek to increase the amount to be raised
pursuant to the Placing (subject to the maximum number of new
Ordinary Shares being no more than 5,567,256 new Ordinary Shares).
If within a reasonable time after a request for verification of
identity, the Banks have not received such satisfactory evidence,
the Banks may at their absolute discretion, terminate the Placee's
Placing participation in which event all funds delivered by the
Placee to the Banks will be returned without interest to the
account of the drawee bank or CREST account from which they were
originally debited.
7. The Placing Shares are being offered and sold by the Company
(a) outside the United States in offshore transactions as defined
in, and pursuant to, Regulation S under the Securities Act, and (b)
in the United States only to persons reasonably believed to be QIBs
in transactions not involving any "public offering" within the
meaning of Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, pursuant to an
exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the
registration requirements of the Securities Act. A potential Placee
and the prospective beneficial owner of the Placing Shares is, and
at the time the Placing Shares are subscribed for will be, either
(i) outside the United States and subscribing for the Placing
Shares in an "offshore transaction" as defined in, and pursuant to,
Regulation S under the Securities Act; or (ii) (a) a QIB that has
executed and delivered, or will execute and deliver, a US Investor
Letter, and (b) subscribing for the Placing Shares pursuant to an
exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the
registration requirements under the Securities Act, acknowledging
that the Placing Shares have not been, and will not be, registered
under the Securities Act or with any State or other jurisdiction of
the United States. With respect to (ii) above, it is subscribing
for the Placing Shares for its own account or for one or more
accounts as to each of which it exercises sole investment
discretion and each of which is a QIB, for investment purposes only
and not with a view to any distribution or for resale in connection
with the distribution thereof, in whole or in part, in the United
States, and it has full power to make the representations,
warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements, agreements and
undertakings in this Announcement on behalf of each such
account.
8. A bid in the Bookbuild will be made on the terms and subject
to the conditions in this Appendix and will be legally binding on
the Placee on behalf of which it is made and except with the
relevant Bank's consent will not be capable of variation or
revocation after the time at which it is submitted. Each Placee
will also have an immediate, separate, irrevocable and binding
obligation, owed to the relevant Bank, to pay it (or as it may
direct) in cleared funds an amount equal to the product of the
Placing Price and the number of Placing Shares that such Placee has
been allocated to it and it has agreed to subscribe for. Each
Placee's obligations will be owed to the relevant Bank. The Company
shall, conditional on Admission, allot such Placing Shares to each
Placee following each Placee's payment to the relevant Bank of such
amount.
9. Except as required by law or regulation, no press release or
other announcement will be made by either of the Banks 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.
10. Irrespective of the time at which a Placee's allocation(s)
pursuant to the Placing is/are confirmed, settlement for all
Placing Shares to be subscribed for pursuant to the Placing will be
required to be made at the same time, on the basis explained below
under "Registration and Settlement".
11. All obligations under the Bookbuild and Placing will be
subject to fulfilment or (where applicable) waiver of the
conditions referred to below under "Conditions of the Placing" and
to the Placing not being terminated on the basis referred to below
under "Termination of the Placing Agreement".
12. By participating in the Bookbuild, each Placee agrees that
its rights and obligations in respect of the Placing will terminate
only in the circumstances described below and will not be capable
of rescission or termination by the Placee after confirmation (oral
or otherwise) by a Bank.
13. To the fullest extent permissible by law, neither the
Company nor the Banks, nor any of their respective Affiliates nor
any person acting on its or their behalf shall have any
responsibility or liability to any Placee (or to any other person
whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise). In particular,
neither the Banks, the Company nor any of their respective
Affiliates nor any person acting on its or their behalf shall have
any responsibility or liability (including to the fullest extent
permissible by law, any fiduciary duties) in respect of the conduct
of the Bookbuild or of such alternative method of effecting the
Placing as the Banks and the Company may agree.
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 Banks' obligations under the Placing Agreement are
conditional on certain conditions, including (but not limited
to):
1. the release by the Company of the Acquisition Announcement and Placing Results Announcement;
2. the Company having allotted the Placing Shares to the Placees
(or to the Banks), subject only to Admission, and the Placing
Agreement not having been terminated prior to Admission;
3. the delivery to the Banks of customary documentation in connection with the Placing;
4. none of the warranties on the part of the Company in the
Placing Agreement being untrue, inaccurate or misleading (i) as at
the date of the Placing Agreement; (ii) as at the time the Terms of
Placing is executed; and (iii) immediately prior to Admission, in
each case by reference to the facts and circumstances then
subsisting;
5. each of the Acquisition Agreement and the New Facility having
been entered into by the parties thereto and having, and continuing
to have, full force and effect and not having been terminated,
varied, modified, supplemented and not lapsing prior to
Admission;
6. the Company having complied with and not being in breach, at
any time prior to Admission, of any of its obligations under the
Placing Agreement which fall to be performed or satisfied prior to
Admission in any respect which is (in the good faith opinion of
either Bank) material in the context of the Placing or
Admission;
7. there not having occurred, in the good faith opinion of
either of the Banks, a material adverse change in relation to the
Company, the Group or the Target at any time prior to Admission;
and
8. Admission of the Placing Shares occurring at 8:00 a.m.
(London time) on 11 July 2023, or such later time and/or date
(being not later than 3:00 p.m. on 14 July 2023) as the Company and
the Banks may agree in writing.
If: (i) any of the conditions contained in the Placing
Agreement, including those described above, are not fulfilled or
(where applicable) waived by the Banks by the relevant time or date
specified (or such later time or date as the Company and the Banks
may agree); or (ii) the Placing Agreement is terminated in the
circumstances specified below, the Placing will lapse 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 it in respect
thereof.
The Banks may, at their discretion and upon such terms as they
think fit, extend the time for the satisfaction of any condition or
waive 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 (other than those conditions described in points
1 to 3 (inclusive) and 8 above, which may not be waived). Any such
extension or waiver will not affect Placees' commitments as set out
in this Announcement.
Neither of the Banks nor their respective Affiliates nor any
person acting on its or their behalf shall have any liability or
responsibility to any Placee (or to any other person whether acting
on behalf of a Placee or otherwise) in respect of any decision it
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 it 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 Banks.
By participating in the Bookbuild, each Placee agrees that its
rights and obligations in the Placing terminate only in the
circumstances described above and under "Termination of the Placing
Agreement" below, and will not be capable of rescission or
termination by the Placee.
Termination of the Placing Agreement
The Banks are entitled, at any time before Admission, to
terminate the Placing Agreement in accordance with its terms in
certain circumstances, including, but not limited to, if: (i) there
has been a breach by the Company of any of the warranties or any
failure by the Company to perform any of its obligations contained
in the Placing Agreement; (ii) there has been a material adverse
change in relation to the Company, the Group or the Target; (iii)
the application for Admission is withdrawn or refused by the London
Stock Exchange; or (iv) upon the occurrence of certain force
majeure events.
If circumstances arise that would allow the Banks to terminate
the Placing Agreement, they may nevertheless determine to allow
Admission to proceed.
By participating in the Placing, each Placee agrees that its
rights and obligations terminate only in the circumstances
described above and under "Conditions of the Placing" above and
will not be capable of rescission or termination by it after oral
or written confirmation by the Banks following the close of the
Bookbuild.
By participating in the Placing, Placees agree that the exercise
or non-exercise by each Bank of any right of termination or other
discretion under the Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute
discretion of the respective Banks or for agreement between the
Company and the Banks (as the case may be) and that neither the
Company nor the Banks need make any reference to, or consultation
with, Placees and that neither they nor any of their respective
Affiliates nor any person acting on its or their behalf shall have
any liability to Placees whatsoever in connection with any such
exercise or failure to so exercise.
No admission document
No admission document, offering document or prospectus has been
or will be prepared or submitted to be approved by the FCA or the
London Stock Exchange (or any other authority) in relation to the
Placing, and Placees' commitments will be made solely on the basis
of publicly available information taken together with the
information contained in this Announcement, and any Exchange
Information (as defined below) previously published by or on behalf
of the Company simultaneously with or prior to the date of this
Announcement and subject to the further terms set forth in the
electronic contract note/trade confirmation to be provided to
individual prospective Placees.
Each Placee, by accepting a participation in the Placing, agrees
that the content of this Announcement and the publicly available
information released by or on behalf of the Company is exclusively
the responsibility of the Company and confirms to the Banks and the
Company that it has neither received nor relied on any other
information, representation, warranty, or statement made by or on
behalf of the Company (other than publicly available information),
the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting
on their respective behalf and no such 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 (regardless of whether or not
such information, representation, warranty or statement was given
or made by or on behalf of any such persons). By participating in
the Placing, 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. Nothing in this paragraph shall exclude or limit the
liability of any person for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation
by that person.
Restriction on further issue of securities
The Company has undertaken to the Banks that, between the date
of the Placing Agreement and 180 calendar days after (but
including) the date of Admission, it will not, without the prior
written consent of the Banks, directly or indirectly issue or allot
Ordinary Shares, subject to customary exceptions and waiver by the
Banks.
By participating in the Placing, Placees agree that the exercise
by the Banks of any power to grant consent to waive the
aforementioned undertaking by the Company shall be within the
absolute discretion of the Banks and that they need not make any
reference to, or consultation with, Placees and that they shall not
have any liability whatsoever to Placees in connection with any
such exercise of the power to grant consent.
Registration and settlement
Settlement of transactions in the Placing Shares (ISIN:
GB00B1VQ6H25) following Admission will take place within the
relevant system administered by Euroclear ("CREST"), using the
delivery versus payment mechanism, subject to certain exceptions.
Subject to certain exceptions, the Banks and the Company reserve
the right to require settlement for, and delivery of, the Placing
Shares to Placees by such other means that they deem necessary if
delivery or settlement is not possible or practicable in CREST
within the timetable set out in this Announcement or would not be
consistent with the regulatory requirements in the Placee's
jurisdiction.
Following the close of the Bookbuild for the Placing, each
Placee allocated Placing Shares in the Placing will be sent an
electronic contract note/trade confirmation in accordance with the
standing arrangements in place with the relevant Bank stating the
number of Placing Shares to be allocated to it at the Placing
Price, the aggregate amount owed by such Placee to the relevant
Bank and settlement instructions. Each Placee agrees that it will
do all things necessary to ensure that delivery and payment is
completed in accordance with either the standing CREST or
certificated settlement instructions that it has in place with the
relevant Bank. It is expected that such electronic contract
note/trade confirmation will be despatched on or around 7 July 2023
and that this will also be the trade date.
Each Placee agrees that it will do all things necessary to
ensure that delivery and payment is completed in accordance with
either the standing CREST or certificated settlement instructions
that it has in place with the relevant Bank. In the event of any
difficulties or delays in the admission of the Placing Shares to
CREST or the use of CREST in relation to the Placing, the Company
and the Banks may agree that the Placing Shares will be issued in
certificated form.
The Company will deliver the Placing Shares to a CREST account
operated by Morgan Stanley as agent for the Company and Morgan
Stanley will enter its delivery (DEL) instruction into the CREST
system. Morgan Stanley will hold any Placing Shares delivered to
this account as nominee for the Placees. The input to CREST by a
Placee of a matching or acceptance instruction will then allow
delivery of the relevant Placing Shares to that Placee against
payment.
It is expected that settlement will be on 11 July 2023 on a T+2
basis in accordance with the instructions given to the Banks.
Interest is chargeable daily on payments not received from
Placees on the due date in accordance with the arrangements set out
above at the rate of two percentage points above LIBOR as
determined by the Banks.
Each Placee agrees that, if it does not comply with these
obligations, the Banks 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 Company's account and benefit, an amount
equal to the aggregate amount owed by the Placee plus any interest
due. The relevant Placee will, however, remain liable for any
shortfall below the aggregate amount owed by it and shall be
required to bear any stamp duty, stamp duty reserve tax or other
stamp, securities, transfer, registration, execution, documentary
or other similar impost, duty or tax (together with any interest,
fines or penalties) imposed in any jurisdiction which may arise
upon the sale of such Placing Shares on such Placee's behalf. By
communicating a bid for Placing Shares, each Placee confers on the
Banks all such authorities and powers necessary to carry out any
such sale and agrees to ratify and confirm all actions which the
Banks lawfully takes in pursuance of such sale.
If Placing Shares are to be delivered to a custodian or
settlement agent, Placees should ensure that the electronic
contract note/trade confirmation is copied and delivered
immediately to the relevant person within that organisation.
Insofar as Placing Shares are registered in a Placee's name or that
of its nominee or in the name of any person for whom a Placee is
contracting as agent or that of a nominee for such person, such
Placing Shares should, subject to as provided below, be so
registered free from any liability to UK stamp duty or UK stamp
duty reserve tax. If there are any circumstances in which any other
stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or other similar taxes (and/or
any interest, fines or penalties relating thereto) is payable in
respect of the allocation, allotment, issue or delivery of the
Placing Shares (or for the avoidance of doubt if any stamp duty or
stamp duty reserve tax is payable in connection with any subsequent
transfer of or agreement to transfer Placing Shares), neither the
Banks nor the Company shall be responsible for the payment of such
amounts.
Representations and warranties
By participating in the Placing each Placee (and any person
acting on such Placee's behalf) irrevocably acknowledges, confirms,
undertakes, represents, warrants and agrees (for itself and for any
such prospective Placee) with the Banks (in their capacity as joint
bookrunners and as placing agents of the Company in respect of the
Placing and as underwriters of the Placing Shares) and the Company,
in each case as a fundamental term of its application for Placing
Shares, the following:
1. it has read and understood this Announcement, in its entirety
and that its participation in the Bookbuild and the Placing and its
subscription for and purchase of Placing Shares is subject to and
based upon all the terms, conditions, representations, warranties,
indemnities, acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings and
other information contained herein and undertakes not to
redistribute or duplicate this Announcement and that it has not
relied on, and will not rely on, any information given or any
representations, warranties or statements made at any time by any
person in connection with Admission, the Bookbuild, the Placing,
the Company, the Placing Shares or otherwise;
2. that no admission document, offering document, prospectus or
offering memorandum has been or will be prepared in connection with
the Placing or is required under the AIM Rules, EU Prospectus
Regulation or UK Prospectus Regulation and it has not received and
will not receive an admission document, prospectus, offering
memorandum or other offering document in connection with the
Bookbuild, the Placing, the Company, Admission or the Placing
Shares or otherwise;
3. that the Ordinary Shares are admitted to trading on AIM and
that the Company is therefore required to publish certain business
and financial information in accordance with UK MAR, the AIM Rules
and the rules and practices of the London Stock Exchange
(collectively, the "Exchange Information"), which includes a
description of the nature of the Company's business and the
Company's most recent balance sheet and profit and loss account,
and similar statements for preceding financial years and that it
has reviewed such Exchange Information and that it is able to
obtain or access such Exchange Information;
4. that neither of the Banks, the Company, nor any of their
respective Affiliates nor any person acting on its or their behalf
has provided, and none of them will provide it with, any material
or information regarding the Placing Shares, the Bookbuild, the
Placing or the Company or any other person other than this
Announcement, such information being all that it deems necessary to
make any investment decision in respect of the Placing Shares, nor
has it requested either of the Banks, the Company, any of their
respective Affiliates or any person acting on its or their behalf
to provide it with any such material or information;
5. unless otherwise specifically agreed with the Banks, that it
is not, and at the time the Placing Shares are subscribed for,
neither it nor the beneficial owner of the Placing Shares will be,
a resident of a Restricted Territory or any other jurisdiction in
which it would be unlawful to make or accept an offer to subscribe
for the Placing Shares; and further acknowledges that the Placing
Shares have not been and will not be registered or otherwise
qualified, for offer and sale nor will an admission document,
offering document, prospectus or offering memorandum be cleared or
approved in respect of any of the Placing Shares under the
securities legislation of the United States, United Kingdom or any
other Restricted Territory and, subject to certain exceptions, may
not be offered, sold, transferred, delivered or distributed,
directly or indirectly, in or into those jurisdictions or in any
country or jurisdiction where any such action for that purpose is
required;
6. that the content of this Announcement is exclusively the
responsibility of the Company and that neither of the Banks nor
their respective Affiliates nor any person acting on its or their
behalf has or shall have any responsibility or liability for any
information, representation or statement contained in this
Announcement or any information previously or subsequently
published by or on behalf of the Company, including, without
limitation, any Exchange Information, and will not be liable for
any Placee's decision to participate in the Placing based on any
information, representation or statement contained in this
Announcement or any information previously published by or on
behalf of the Company or otherwise;
7. that the only information on which it is entitled to rely and
on which such Placee has relied in committing itself to subscribe
for the Placing Shares is contained in this Announcement and any
Exchange Information, that it received and reviewed all information
that it believes is necessary or appropriate to make an investment
decision in respect of the Placing Shares, and that it has neither
received nor relied on any other information given or
investigations, representations, warranties or statements made by
the Banks or the Company and neither the Banks nor the Company, nor
any of their respective Affiliates nor any person acting on its or
their behalf will be liable for any Placee's decision to accept an
invitation to participate in the Placing based on any other
information, representation, warranty or statement. Each Placee
further acknowledges and agrees that it has relied solely on its
own investigation, examination and due diligence of the business,
financial or other position of the Company in deciding to
participate in the Placing and that neither of the Banks, their
respective Affiliates and any person acting on its or their behalf
have made any representations to it, express or implied, with
respect to the Company, the Bookbuild, the Placing and the Placing
Shares or the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the Exchange
Information, and each of them expressly disclaims any liability in
respect thereof;
8. that it has not relied on any information relating to the
Company contained in any research reports prepared by either of the
Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on
its or their behalf and understands that (i) neither of the Banks,
nor their respective Affiliates nor any person acting on its or
their behalf has or shall have any liability for public information
or any representation; (ii) neither of the Banks, nor their
respective Affiliates nor any person acting on its or their behalf
has or shall have any liability for any additional information that
has otherwise been made available to such Placee, whether at the
date of publication, the date of this document or otherwise; and
that (iii) neither of the Banks, nor their respective Affiliates
nor person acting on its or their behalf makes any representation
or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or
completeness of such information, whether at the date of
publication, the date of this Announcement or otherwise;
9. that the allocation, allotment, issue and delivery to it, or
the person specified by it for registration as holder, of Placing
Shares will not give rise to a liability under any of sections 67,
70, 93 or 96 of the Finance Act 1986 (depositary receipts and
clearance services) and that it is not participating in the Placing
as nominee or agent for any person to whom the allocation,
allotment, issue or delivery of the Placing Shares would give rise
to such a liability and that the Placing Shares are not being
subscribed for in connection with arrangements to issue depositary
receipts or to issue or transfer Placing Shares into a clearance
service;
10. it acknowledges that no action has been or will be taken by
the Company, the Banks, their respective Affiliates or any person
acting on its or their behalf that would, or is intended to, permit
a public offer of the Placing Shares in the United States or in any
country or jurisdiction where any such action for that purpose is
required;
11. that it and any person acting on its behalf is entitled to
subscribe for the Placing Shares under the laws of all relevant
jurisdictions which apply to it and that it has fully observed such
laws and obtained all such governmental and other guarantees,
permits, authorisations, approvals and consents which may be
required thereunder and complied with all necessary formalities and
that it has not taken any action or omitted to take any action
which will or may result in the Banks, the Company, any of their
respective Affiliates or any person acting on its or their behalf
acting in breach of the legal or regulatory requirements of any
jurisdiction in connection with the Placing;
12. that it (and any person acting on its behalf) has all
necessary capacity and has obtained all necessary consents and
authorities to enable it to commit to its participation in the
Placing and to perform its obligations in relation thereto
(including, without limitation, in the case of any person on whose
behalf it is acting, all necessary consents and authorities to
agree to the terms set out or referred to in this Announcement) and
will honour such obligations;
13. that it has complied with its obligations under the Criminal
Justice Act 1993, UK MAR and in connection with money laundering
and terrorist financing under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, the
Terrorism Act 2000, the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001,
the Terrorism Act 2006, the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing
and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017
and the Money Laundering Sourcebook of the FCA and any related or
similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or
enforced by any government agency having jurisdiction in respect
thereof (the "Regulations") and, 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;
14. that it is acting as principal only in respect of the
Placing or, if it is acting for any other person: (i) it is duly
authorised to do so and has full power to make, and does make, the
acknowledgments, representations and agreements herein on behalf of
each such person; and (ii) it is and will remain liable to the
Banks and the Company for the performance of all its obligations as
a Placee in respect of the Placing (regardless of the fact that it
is acting for another person);
15. if it is in the United Kingdom, it is a Relevant Person, and
if it is in a Relevant State, it is a Qualified Investor and
undertakes that it will subscribe for, hold, manage or dispose of
any Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the purposes of its
business only;
16. it understands that any investment or investment activity to
which this Announcement relates is available only to Relevant
Persons and will be engaged in only with such persons, and further
understands that this Announcement must not be acted on or relied
on by persons who are not Relevant Persons;
17. that it will not distribute, forward, transfer or otherwise
transmit this Announcement or any part of it, or any other
presentational or other materials concerning the Placing in or into
the United States (including electronic copies thereof) to any
person, and it has not distributed, forwarded, transferred or
otherwise transmitted any such materials to any person;
18. where it is subscribing for the Placing Shares for one or
more managed accounts, it represents, warrants and undertakes that
it is authorised in writing by each managed account to subscribe
for the Placing Shares for each managed account and it has full
power to make the acknowledgements, representations and agreements
herein on behalf of each such account;
19. that if it is a pension fund or investment company, it
represents, warrants and undertakes that its subscription of
Placing Shares is in full compliance with applicable laws and
regulations;
20. if it is acting as a financial intermediary, as that term is
used in Article 5(1) of the EU Prospectus Regulation and the UK
Prospectus Regulation, that the Placing Shares subscribed for by it
in the Placing will not be subscribed for on a non-discretionary
basis on behalf of, nor will they be subscribed for with a view to
their offer or resale to, persons in a member state of the EEA or
in the United Kingdom, or in circumstances in which the prior
consent of the Banks has been given to the proposed offer or
resale;
21. that it has not offered or sold and will not offer or sell
any Placing Shares to persons in the United Kingdom, except to
Relevant Persons or otherwise in circumstances which have not
resulted and which will not result in an offer to the public in the
United Kingdom within the meaning of section 85(1) of FSMA;
22. that any offer of Placing Shares may only be directed at
persons in Relevant States who are Qualified Investors and
represents, warrants and undertakes that it has not offered or sold
and will not offer or sell any Placing Shares to persons in
Relevant States prior to Admission except to Qualified Investors or
otherwise in circumstances which have not resulted in and which
will not result in an offer to the public in any Relevant State
within the meaning of EU the Prospectus Regulation;
23. that any offer of Placing Shares may only be directed at
persons in the United Kingdom who are Relevant Persons and
represents, warrants and undertakes that it has not offered or sold
and will not offer or sell any Placing Shares to persons in the
United Kingdom prior to Admission except to Relevant Persons or
otherwise in circumstances which have not resulted in and which
will not result in an offer to the public in the United Kingdom
within the meaning of the UK Prospectus Regulation and 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 the FSMA) relating to the Placing Shares in
circumstances in which section 21(1) of the FSMA does not require
approval of the communication by an authorised person and agrees
that this Announcement has not been approved by either of the Banks
in their respective capacity as an authorised person under section
21 of FSMA and it may not therefore be subject to the controls
which would apply if it was made or approved as financial promotion
by an authorised person;
24. that it has complied and will comply with all applicable
laws (including all relevant provisions of the FSMA in the UK) with
respect to anything done by it in relation to the Placing
Shares;
25. if it has received any inside information (as defined under
UK MAR) about the Company in advance of the Placing, it has not:
(i) dealt in the securities of the Company; (ii) encouraged or
required another person to deal in the securities of the Company;
or (iii) disclosed such information to any person except as
permitted by MAR and UK MAR, prior to the information being made
publicly available;
26. that (i) it (and any person acting on its behalf) has the
funds available to pay for, and has capacity and authority and is
otherwise entitled to purchase the Placing Shares under the laws of
all relevant jurisdictions which apply to it; (ii) it has paid any
issue, transfer or other taxes due in connection with its
participation in any territory; (iii) it has not taken any action
which will or may result in the Company, the Banks, any of their
respective Affiliates or any person acting on its or their behalf
being in breach of the legal and/or regulatory requirements and/or
any anti-money laundering requirements of any territory in
connection with the Placing; and (iv) that the subscription for and
purchase of the Placing Shares by it or any person acting on its
behalf will be in compliance with applicable laws and regulations
in the jurisdiction of its residence, the residence of the Company,
or otherwise;
27. that it (and any person acting on its behalf) will make
payment for the Placing Shares allocated to it in accordance with
the terms and conditions of this Announcement on the due time and
date set out herein against delivery of such Placing Shares to it,
failing which the relevant Placing Shares may be placed with other
Placees or sold as the Banks may in their absolute discretion
determine and without liability to such Placee. It will, however,
remain liable for any shortfall below the net proceeds of such sale
and the placing proceeds of such Placing Shares and may be required
to bear any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or other similar
taxes (together with any interest, fines or penalties) due pursuant
to the terms set out or referred to in this Announcement which may
arise upon the sale of such Placee's Placing Shares on its
behalf;
28. that its allocation (if any) of Placing Shares will
represent a maximum number of Placing Shares to which it will be
entitled, and required, to subscribe for, and that the Banks or the
Company may call upon it to subscribe for a lower number of Placing
Shares (if any), but in no event in aggregate more than the
aforementioned maximum;
29. that neither of the Banks, nor any of their respective
Affiliates nor any person acting on its or their behalf, is making
any recommendations to it, or advising it regarding the suitability
or merits of any transactions it may enter into in connection with
the Placing and that participation in the Placing is on the basis
that it is not and will not be a client of either Bank and that the
Banks do not have any duties or responsibilities to it for
providing the protections afforded to its respective clients or
customers or for providing advice in relation to the Placing nor in
respect of any representations, warranties, undertakings or
indemnities contained in the Placing Agreement nor for the exercise
or performance of either of the Banks' rights and obligations
thereunder including any rights to waive or vary any conditions or
exercise any termination right;
30. that the person whom it specifies for registration as holder
of the Placing Shares will be (i) itself or (ii) its nominee, as
the case may be. Neither the Banks nor the Company nor any of their
respective Affiliates nor any person acting on its or their behalf
will be responsible for any liability to stamp duty or stamp duty
reserve tax or other similar duties or taxes (together with any
interest, fines or penalties) resulting from a failure to observe
this requirement. Each Placee and any person acting on behalf of
such Placee agrees to indemnify each of the Banks, the Company, any
of their respective Affiliates and any person acting on its or
their behalf in respect of the same on an after-tax basis on the
basis that the Placing Shares will be allotted to the CREST stock
account of Morgan Stanley who will hold them as nominee on behalf
of such Placee until settlement in accordance with its standing
settlement instructions with payment for the Placing Shares being
made simultaneously upon receipt of the Placing Shares in the
Placee's stock account on a delivery versus payment basis;
31. that these Terms and Conditions and any agreements entered
into by it pursuant to these Terms and Conditions, and any
non-contractual obligations arising out of or in connection with
such agreements, shall be governed by and construed in accordance
with the laws of England and Wales and it agrees (on behalf of
itself and on behalf of any person on whose behalf it is acting) to
be subject 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 Banks or the
Company in any jurisdiction in which the relevant Placee is
incorporated or in which any of its securities have a quotation on
a recognised stock exchange;
32. that each of the Banks, the Company, their respective
Affiliates and any person acting on its or their behalf will rely
upon the truth and accuracy of the representations, warranties,
agreements, undertakings and acknowledgements contained in this
Announcement and which are given to each of the Banks on their own
behalf and on behalf of the Company and are irrevocable and it
irrevocably authorises each of the Banks and the Company to produce
this Announcement, pursuant to, in connection with, or as may be
required by any applicable law or regulation, administrative or
legal proceeding or official inquiry with respect to the matters
contained in this Announcement;
33. that it will indemnify on an after-tax basis and hold each
of the Banks, the Company, their respective Affiliates and any
person acting on its or their behalf harmless from any and all
costs, claims, liabilities and expenses (including legal fees and
expenses) arising out of, directly or indirectly, or in connection
with any breach by it of the representations, warranties,
acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings in this Appendix and
further agrees that the provisions of this Appendix shall survive
after completion of the Placing;
34. it acknowledges that it irrevocably appoints any director or
authorised signatories of the Banks as its agent for the purposes
of executing and delivering to the Company and/or its registrars
any documents on its behalf necessary to enable it to be registered
as the holder of any of the Placing Shares agreed to be taken up by
it under the Placing;
35. that it acknowledges that its commitment to subscribe for
Placing Shares on the terms set out herein and in the contract note
will continue notwithstanding any amendment that may in future be
made to the terms and conditions of the Placing and that Placees
will have no right to be consulted or require that their consent be
obtained with respect to the Company's or the Banks' conduct of the
Placing;
36. that in making any decision to subscribe for the Placing
Shares (i) it has sufficient knowledge, sophistication and
experience in financial, business and international investment
matters as is required to evaluate the merits and risks of
subscribing for or purchasing the Placing Shares, (ii) it is
experienced in investing in securities of this nature in this
sector and is aware that it may be required to bear, and is able to
bear, the economic risk of participating in, and is able to sustain
a complete loss in connection with, the Placing, (iii) it has
relied on its own examination, due diligence and analysis of the
Company and its Affiliates taken as a whole, including the markets
in which the Group operates, and the terms of the Placing,
including the merits and risks involved and not upon any view
expressed or information provided by or on behalf of the Banks,
(iv) it has had sufficient time and access to information to
consider and conduct its own investigation with respect to the
offer and purchase of the Placing Shares, including the legal,
regulatory, tax, business, currency and other economic and
financial considerations relevant to such investment and has so
conducted its own investigation to the extent it deems necessary to
enable it to make an informed and intelligent decision with respect
to making an investment in the Placing Shares, (v) it is aware and
understands that an investment in the Placing Shares involves a
considerable degree of risk, (vi) it accepts and acknowledges that
the Potential Acquisition is subject to ongoing due diligence and
that there can be no certainty that it will complete and,
therefore, any statement relating to the future performance of the
Group resulting from the Potential Acquisition may not occur and
the proceeds of the Capital Raise may not be required to fund the
Potential Acquisition and (vi) it will not look to the Banks, any
of their respective Affiliates nor any person acting on its or
their behalf for all or part of any such loss or losses it or they
may suffer;
37. it acknowledges and agrees that neither the Banks nor the
Company nor their respective Affiliates nor any person acting on
its or their behalf, owe any fiduciary or other duties to it or any
Placee in respect of any representations, warranties, undertakings
or indemnities in the Placing Agreement;
38. understands and agrees that it may not rely on any
investigation that either of the Banks, their respective Affiliates
or any person acting on its or their behalf may or may not have
conducted with respect to the Company and its Affiliates or the
Placing and each of the Banks have not made any representation or
warranty to it, express or implied, with respect to the merits of
the Placing, the subscription for or purchase of the Placing
Shares, or as to the condition, financial or otherwise, of the
Company and its Affiliates, or as to any other matter relating
thereto, and nothing herein shall be construed as any investment or
other recommendation to it to subscribe for the Placing Shares. It
acknowledges and agrees that no information has been prepared by,
or is the responsibility of, either of the Banks or their
respective Affiliates or any person acting on its or their behalf
for the purposes of this Placing;
39. it acknowledges and agrees that it will not hold either of
the Banks or any of their respective Affiliates or any person
acting on its or their behalf responsible or liable for any
misstatements in or omission from any publicly available
information relating to the Group or information made available
(whether in written or oral form) relating to the Group and that no
such person makes any representation or warranty, express or
implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of such
Information or accepts any responsibility for any of such
information;
40. that in connection with the Placing, each of the Banks,
their respective Affiliates and any person acting on its or their
behalf may take up a portion of the Placing Shares as a principal
position and in that capacity may retain, purchase or sell for its
own account such shares in the Company and any other securities of
the Company or related investments and may offer or sell such
shares, securities or other investments otherwise than in
connection with the Placing. Accordingly, references in this
Announcement to Placing Shares being issued, offered or placed
should be read as including any issue, offering or placement of
such shares in the Company to the Banks, their respective
Affiliates or any person acting on its or their behalf, in each
case, acting in such capacity. In addition, either of the Banks,
their Affiliates and any person acting on its or their behalf may
enter into financing arrangements (including swaps, warrants or
contracts for difference) with investors in connection with which
such person(s) may from time to time subscribe for, hold or dispose
of such securities of the Company, including the Placing Shares.
Neither of the Banks nor their respective Affiliates nor any person
acting on its or their behalf intends to disclose the extent of any
such investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with
any legal or regulatory obligation to do so;
41. that a communication that the transaction or the book is
"covered" (i.e. indicated demand from investors in the book equals
or exceeds the amount of the securities being offered) is not any
indication or assurance that the book will remain covered or that
the Placing will complete and securities will be fully distributed
by the Banks. Each of the Banks reserves the right to take up a
portion of the securities in the Placing as a principal position at
any stage at its sole discretion and will, inter alia, take account
of the Company's objectives, UK MiFIR and MiFID II requirements
and/or its allocation policies;
42. it acknowledges that the Placing Shares have not been
registered or otherwise qualified, and will not be registered or
otherwise qualified, for offer and sale nor will a prospectus be
prepared in respect of any of the Placing Shares under the
securities laws of the United States, or any state or other
jurisdiction of the United States, nor approved or disapproved by
the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, any state
securities commission or other regulatory authority in the United
States, nor have any of the foregoing authorities passed upon or
endorsed the merits of the Placing or the accuracy or adequacy of
this Announcement. The Placing Shares have not been registered or
otherwise qualified for offer and sale nor will a prospectus be
cleared or approved in respect of the Placing Shares under the
securities laws of Australia, Canada, South Africa or Japan and,
subject to certain exceptions, may not be offered, sold, taken up,
renounced or delivered or transferred, directly or indirectly,
within the United States, Australia, Canada, South Africa or Japan
or in any country or jurisdiction where any action for that purpose
is required;
43. it understands and acknowledges that the Placing Shares are
being offered and sold by the Company (a) outside the United States
in offshore transactions as defined in, and pursuant to, Regulation
S; and (b) in the United States only to persons reasonably believed
to be QIBs in transactions not involving any "public offering"
within the meaning of Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act
pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to,
the registration requirements of the Securities Act. It and the
prospective beneficial owner of the Placing Shares is, and at the
time the Placing Shares are subscribed for will be, either: (i)
outside the United States and subscribing for the Placing Shares in
an "offshore transaction" as defined in, and pursuant to,
Regulation S; or (ii) (a) a QIB that has executed and delivered, or
will execute or deliver, and agrees to be bound to the terms of,
the US Investor Letter, and (b) subscribing for the Placing Shares
pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to,
the registration requirements under the Securities Act,
acknowledging that the Placing Shares have not been, and will not
be, registered under the Securities Act or with any State or other
jurisdiction of the United States. With respect to (ii) above, a
potential Placee is subscribing for the Placing Shares for its own
account or for one or more accounts as to each of which it
exercises sole investment discretion and each of which is a QIB,
for investment purposes only and not with a view to any
distribution or for resale in connection with the distribution
thereof in whole or in part, in the United States, and it has full
power to make the representations, warranties, indemnities,
acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings herein on behalf of
each such account;
44. that the Placing Shares offered and sold in the United
States are "restricted securities" within the meaning of Rule
144(a)(3) under the Securities Act, and for so long as the Placing
Shares are "restricted securities", it will not deposit such shares
in any unrestricted depositary facility established or maintained
by any depositary bank and it agrees to notify any transferee to
whom it subsequently reoffers, resells, pledges or otherwise
transfers the Placing Shares of the foregoing restrictions on
transfer;
45. it will not directly or indirectly offer, reoffer, resell,
transfer, assign, pledge or otherwise dispose of any Placing Shares
except: (a) outside the United States in "offshore transactions"
defined in, and in accordance with, Regulation S; (b) in the United
States to a person that it and any person acting on its behalf
reasonably believes is a QIB who is purchasing for its own account
or for the account of another person who is a QIB pursuant to Rule
144A under the Securities Act (it being understood that all offers
or solicitations in connection with such a transfer are limited to
QIBs and do not involve any means of general solicitation or
general advertising); (c) pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities
Act (if available); or (d) pursuant to an applicable exemption
from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration
requirements of the Securities Act, and, if the Company shall so
require, subject to delivery to the Company of an opinion of
counsel (and such other evidence as the Company may reasonably
require) that such transfer or sale is in compliance with the
Securities Act, in each case in accordance with any applicable
securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United
States; and that that it will notify any transferee to whom it
subsequently reoffers, resells, pledges or otherwise transfers the
Placing Shares of the foregoing restrictions on transfer; and
46. that no representation has been made as to the availability
of the exemption provided by Rule 144 or any other exemption under
the Securities Act for the reoffer, resale, pledge or transfer of
the Placing Shares.
The foregoing acknowledgements, agreements, undertakings,
representations, warranties and confirmations are given for the
benefit of the Company as well as each of the Banks (for their own
benefit and, where relevant, the benefit of their respective
Affiliates and any person acting on its or their behalf) and are
irrevocable. Each Placee, and any person acting on behalf of a
Placee, acknowledges that neither the Company nor the Banks owe any
fiduciary or other duties to any Placee in respect of any
representations, warranties, undertakings or indemnities in the
Placing Agreement or these Terms and Conditions.
Please also note that the agreement to allot and issue Placing
Shares to Placees (or the persons for whom Placees are contracting
as nominee or agent) free of UK stamp duty and UK stamp duty
reserve tax relates only to their allotment and issue to Placees,
or such persons as they nominate as their agents, direct from the
Company for the Placing Shares in question. None of the Company,
the Banks, their respective Affiliates or any person acting on its
or their behalf will be responsible for any UK stamp duty or UK
stamp duty reserve tax (including any interest, fines and penalties
relating thereto) arising in relation to the Placing Shares in any
other circumstances.
Such agreement is subject to the representations, warranties and
further terms above and also assumes, and is based on a warranty
and representation from each Placee, that the Placing Shares are
not being subscribed for in connection with arrangements to issue
depositary receipts or to issue or transfer the Placing Shares into
a clearance service. Neither the Banks, the Company, their
respective Affiliates nor any person acting on its or their behalf
will be liable to bear any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or
any other similar duties or taxes (including, without limitation,
other stamp, issue, securities, transfer, registration, capital, or
documentary duties or taxes or any interest) ("transfer taxes")
that arise (i) if there are any such arrangements (or if any such
arrangements arise subsequent to the subscription by Placees of
Placing Shares) or (ii) on a sale of Placing Shares, or (iii)
otherwise than under the laws of the United Kingdom. Each 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 transfer taxes undertakes to pay such transfer
taxes (including any interest, fines and penalties relating
thereto) forthwith, and agrees to indemnify on an after-tax basis
and hold the Banks and/or the Company (as the case may be) and
their respective Affiliates and any person acting on its or their
behalf harmless from any such transfer taxes, and all interest,
fines or penalties in relation to such transfer taxes. Each Placee
should, therefore, take its own advice as to whether any such
transfer tax
liability arises.
Miscellaneous
Each Placee and any person acting on behalf of each Placee
acknowledges and agrees that the Banks or any of their respective
Affiliates may, at their absolute discretion, agree to become a
Placee in respect of some or all of the Placing Shares. Each Placee
acknowledges and is aware that the Banks are receiving a fee in
connection with their role in respect of the Placing pursuant to
the Placing Agreement.
When a Placee or person acting on behalf of the Placee is
dealing with either of the Banks, any money held in an account with
either of the Banks on behalf of the Placee and/or any person
acting on behalf of the Placee will not be treated as client money
within the meaning of the rules and regulations of the FCA made
under the FSMA. The Placee acknowledges that the money will not be
subject to the protections conferred by the client money rules; as
a consequence, this money will not be segregated from the relevant
Bank's money in accordance with the client money rules and will be
used by the relevant Banks in the course of their own business; and
the Placee will rank only as a general creditor of the relevant
Bank.
All times and dates in this Announcement may be subject to
amendment by the Banks and the Company (in their absolute
discretion). The Banks shall notify the Placees and any person
acting on behalf of the Placees of any changes.
Past performance is no guide to future performance and persons
needing advice should consult an independent financial adviser.
Certain statements contained in this Announcement constitute
"forward-looking statements" with respect to the financial
condition, performance, strategic initiatives, objectives, results
of operations and business of the Company (including, but not
limited to, the Potential Acquisition). Such forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties that could significantly
affect expected results and are based on certain key assumptions.
Many factors could cause actual results, performance or
achievements to differ materially from those projected or implied
in any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements
contained in this Announcement speak only as of the date of this
Announcement. The Company, its Directors, the Banks and their
respective Affiliates and any person acting on its or their behalf
each expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or
revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required to
do so by applicable law or regulation, the AIM Rules, UK MAR, the
DTRs or the rules of the London Stock Exchange.
The rights and remedies of the Banks and the Company under these
Terms and Conditions are in addition to any rights and remedies
which would otherwise be available to each of them and the exercise
or partial exercise of one will not prevent the exercise of
others.
Time is of the essence as regards each Placee's obligations
under this Appendix.
Any document that is to be sent to it in connection with the
Placing will be sent at its risk and may be sent to it at any
address provided by it to the Banks.
This Appendix and all documents into which this Appendix is
incorporated by reference or otherwise validly forms a part will be
governed by and construed in accordance with English law. All
agreements to subscribe for shares pursuant to the Bookbuild and/or
the Placing will be governed by English law and the English courts
shall have exclusive jurisdiction in relation thereto except that
proceedings may be taken by the Company or the Banks in any
jurisdiction in which the relevant Placee is incorporated or in
which any of its securities have a quotation on a recognised stock
exchange.
Each Placee may be asked to disclose in writing or orally to the
Banks:
1. if he or she is an individual, his or her nationality; or
2. if it is a discretionary fund manager, the jurisdiction in
which the funds are managed or owned.
APPIX 2 - DEFINITIONS
The following definitions apply throughout this Announcement
unless the context otherwise requires:
"GBP ", "GBP", "pounds", "pound sterling" or "sterling", "p",
"penny" or "pence" are to the lawful currency of the UK;
"US$" , "$" or "dollars" are to the lawful currency of the
United States of America;
"Acquisition Announcement" means the press announcement
published by the Company on 6 July 2023 containing details of the
Potential Acquisition;
"Admission" means admission of the Placing Shares on AIM
becoming effective in accordance with Rule 6 of the AIM Rules;
"Affiliate" in respect of the Banks or the Company means any
other person that, directly or indirectly through one or more
intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common
control with, such person and specifically includes subsidiaries,
branches, associated companies and holding companies and the
subsidiaries of such holding companies, branches, associated
companies and subsidiaries; and for these purposes "controlling
person" means any person who controls any other person; "control"
(including the terms "controlling", "controlled by" and "under
common control with") means the possession, direct or indirect, of
the power to direct or cause the direction of the management,
policies or activities of a person whether through the ownership of
securities, by contract or agency or otherwise; and the term
"person" is deemed to include a partnership, and this definition
also includes the respective directors, officers, employees, agents
or advisers of all such persons;
"AIM" a market of the London Stock Exchange;
"AIM Application" means the application to be made to the London
Stock Exchange for Admission in the form specified by the AIM Rules
for Companies;
"AIM Rules" means the rules published by the London Stock
Exchange governing admission to AIM and the regulation of companies
whose securities are admitted to trading on AIM (including any
guidance notes), as each may be amended from time to time;
"Announcement" means this announcement and its appendices;
"Banks" means Morgan Stanley and Numis;
"Bookbuild" means the bookbuilding process to be commenced by
the Banks to use reasonable endeavours to procure Placees for the
Placing Shares at the Placing Price, as described in this
Announcement and subject to the terms and conditions set out in
this Announcement and the Placing Agreement;
"Company" means YouGov PLC;
"CREST" means the relevant system (as defined in the
Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001 (SI 2001 No. 3755)) in
respect of which Euroclear is the Operator (as defined in such
Regulations) in accordance with which securities may be held and
transferred in uncertificated form;
"DTRs" means the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules made
by the FCA pursuant to Part VI of FSMA;
"Euroclear" means Euroclear UK & International Limited, a
company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales;
"EUWA" means the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018;
"FCA" or "Financial Conduct Authority" means the UK Financial
Conduct Authority;
"FSMA" means the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as
amended);
"Group" means the Company and its subsidiary undertakings from
time to time;
"LSE" or "London Stock Exchange" means London Stock Exchange
plc;
"MiFID II Product Governance Requirements" means (a) MiFID II;
(b) Articles 9 and 10 of Commission Delegated Directive (EU)
2017/593 supplementing MiFID II; and (c) local implementing
measures;
"Morgan Stanley" means Morgan Stanley & Co. International
plc;
"Numis" means Numis Securities Limited;
"Order" means the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000
(Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended;
"Ordinary Share" means an ordinary share of 0.02 pence each in
the capital of the Company;
"Placee" means a person procured by the Banks to subscribe for
Placing Shares;
"Placing" has the meaning given in paragraph 1 of this
Announcement;
"Placing Agreement" has the meaning given to it in Appendix 1 to
this Announcement;
"Placing Results Announcement" means the announcement to be
published by the Company confirming the results of the Placing on a
Regulatory Information Service;
"Placing Shares" has the meaning given in paragraph 1 of this
Announcement;
"Potential Acquisition" means the proposed acquisition by the
Company of the Target on the terms of the agreement dated 6 July
2023, details of which are set out in the Acquisition
Announcement;
"PRA or Prudential Regulation Authority" means the UK Prudential
Regulation Authority;
"QIBs" means "qualified institutional buyers" as defined in Rule
144A of the Securities Act;
"Qualified Investor" has the meaning given to it in Appendix 1
to this Announcement;
"Regulation S" means Regulation S promulgated under the
Securities Act;
"Regulatory Information Service" means any of the services set
out in Appendix 3 of the Listing Rules;
"Relevant Person" has the meaning given to it in Appendix 1 to
this Announcement;
"Restricted Territory" has the meaning given to it in Appendix 1
to this Announcement;
"Securities Act" means the US Securities Act of 1933, as
amended;
"subsidiary" or "subsidiary undertaking" each have the meaning
given to such term in the Companies Act 2006;
"Target" means Gold CP Holding B.V., a private company with
limited liability (besloten vennootschap met beperkte
aansprakelijkheid), incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands
and registered with the trade register of the chamber of commerce
under registered number 865387096;
"Terms and Conditions" means the terms and conditions of the
Placing set out in Appendix 1 to this Announcement;
"Terms of Placing" has the meaning given to it in Appendix 1 to
this Announcement;
"UK MAR" means the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it
forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the EUWA ;
"UK Prospectus Regulation" means Prospectus Regulation (EU)
2017/1129 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the
EUWA;
"uncertificated" or "in uncertificated form" means in respect of
a share or other security, where that share or other security is
recorded on the relevant register of the share or security
concerned as being held in uncertificated form in CREST and title
to which may be transferred by means of CREST;
"United Kingdom" or "UK" means the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland;
"United States" or "US" means the United States of America, its
territories and possessions, any state of the United States of
America, the District of Columbia and all other areas subject to
its jurisdiction and any political sub-division thereof; and
"US Investor Letter" means the investor representation letter in
the form provided by the Banks to QIBs in the United States.
This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the
London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct
Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United
Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution
of this information may apply. For further information, please
contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.
RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms
and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information
contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an
anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services.
For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange
use the personal data you provide us, please see our Privacy
Policy.
END
IOERFMATMTAMBJJ
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 06, 2023 12:22 ET (16:22 GMT)
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