YOU.GB Yougov

TIDMYOU

RNS Number : 2699F

YouGov PLC

07 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

07 July 2023

YouGov plc

("YouGov" or "the Group" or "the Company")

Results of Placing

YouGov, the international research and data analytics group, is pleased to announce the successful completion of the non-pre-emptive placing of new ordinary shares in the capital of the Company announced yesterday (the "Placing").

A total of 5,567,256 new ordinary shares of 0.2 pence each in the Company (the "Placing Shares") have been placed by Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc ("Morgan Stanley") and Numis Securities Limited ("Numis") who are acting as joint bookrunners (together, the "Bookrunners") at a price of GBP9.20 per Placing Share (the "Placing Price").

The Placing raised gross proceeds of GBP51.2 million.

The net proceeds of the Placing will be used to partly fund the consideration for the acquisition of GfK's Consumer Panel Business with the remainder financed by a fully committed bridge debt facility and cash on balance sheet.

The Placing Price of GBP9.20 represents a discount of approximately 3.7 per cent to the closing share price of GBP9.55 on 6 July 2023. The Placing Shares being issued represent 4.9 per cent of the existing issued ordinary share capital of the Company immediately prior to the Placing.

The Company consulted with a number of its major institutional shareholders prior to the Placing and has respected the principles of pre-emption through the allocation process insofar as possible. The Company is pleased by the strong support it has received from new and existing shareholders.

Admission

An application has been made to the London Stock Exchange for the Placing Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM ("Admission"). It is expected that Admission and settlement of the Placing Shares will become effective on or around 8.00 a.m. on 11 July 2023. The Placing is conditional upon, amongst other things, Admission becoming effective and upon the placing agreement between the Company and the Bookrunners (the "Placing Agreement") not being terminated in accordance with its terms prior to Admission.

The Placing Shares will, when issued, be fully paid and rank pari passu in all respects with the existing ordinary shares of 0.2 pence in the Company, including, without limitation, the right to receive all dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid after the date of issue.

Following the Placing, the Company shall be subject to a lock-up for a period of 180 days after (but including) Admission, subject to waiver by the Bookrunners and certain customary carve-outs agreed between the Bookrunners and the Company.

Total Voting Rights

Following Admission, the total number of shares in issue in YouGov will be 117,072,728 ordinary shares. The above figure includes 2,044,783 Ordinary Shares that are held by the YouGov Employee Benefit Trust to satisfy awards under the Company's employee share schemes. Therefore, following Admission, the total number of voting rights in YouGov will be 115,027,945. This figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change in their interest in, the Company under the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules of the FCA.

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 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 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.

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July 07, 2023 02:00 ET (06:00 GMT)