3 March 2025
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR
DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA,
CANADA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY
OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE ITS RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION
IS OR MAY BE UNLAWFUL. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN
INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TENDER OFFER (AS DEFINED HEREIN)
IN OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION IN OR FROM WHICH, OR TO OR FROM ANY
PERSON TO OR FROM WHOM, IT IS UNLAWFUL. TO MAKE SUCH OFFER UNDER
APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OR OTHERWISE.
THIS RELEASE CONTAINS INSIDE
INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE EU MARKET
ABUSE REGULATION (2014/596/EU), OR EU MAR, AND OF THE UK VERSION OF
THE EU MAR AS IT FORMS PART OF UK LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN
UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT (AS AMENDED).
Bigblu Broadband
plc
(the "Company")
Proposed return of up to £6.1
million to shareholders
On 23 December 2024, the
Bigblu Broadband plc (AIML BBB.L), a leading
provider of alternative super-fast and ultra-fast broadband
services, announced the completion of the
disposal of its Australian subsidiary, SkyMesh, to a newly formed
bidco SKM Telecommunication Services Pty Ltd. Pursuant to the terms
of the disposal, on completion the Company received a cash payment
of AUD$30.0 million (c.£14.9 million). As set out in the circular
to shareholders dated 3 December 2024, it was the intention of the
Board to assess its ongoing capital requirements with the intention
to return any surplus cash to Shareholders post-repayment of
Santander facilities together with accrued interest and
charges.
Accordingly, the Company
announces that it will shortly be posting a
circular (the "Circular")
setting out the details of a proposed return of capital to
Shareholders of up to £6.1 million by way of a purchase of up to
15,250,000 Ordinary Shares held by Qualifying Shareholders (the
"Tender Offer"). The Tender
Offer will be conducted at a fixed price of 40 pence per Ordinary
Share, representing a premium of
approximately 42.9 per cent to the mid-market closing price on the
28 February 2025 (the "Latest
Practicable Date"); and a premium of approximately 25 per
cent. to the volume weighted average price of 32 pence per Ordinary
Share over three months prior to the Latest Practicable
Date.
If the maximum number of Ordinary
Shares under the Tender Offer is acquired, this will result in the
purchase of approximately 26 per cent. of the Company's Issued
Ordinary Share Capital as at the Latest Practicable
Date.
The Tender Offer is being effected
by Cavendish, the Company's corporate broker, as principal on the
basis that all Ordinary Shares that it buys under the Tender Offer
will be subsequently repurchased from it by the Company pursuant to
the terms of the Option Agreement. All shares purchased from
Cavendish by the Company will be cancelled.
The Circular sets out the background
to and reasons for the Tender Offer and the Capital Reduction and
why the Directors believe the Tender Offer and the Capital
Reduction to be in the best interests of the Company and its
Shareholders as a whole. The Circular also contains details on the
procedure that should be followed by those Qualifying Shareholders
who wish to participate in the Tender Offer. Qualifying
Shareholders are not obliged to tender any of their Ordinary Shares
if they do not wish to do so.
Capitalised terms in this
announcement shall have the same meaning as set out in the
Circular.
For
further information
Bigblu Broadband PLC
|
www.bbb-plc.com
|
Frank Waters, Chief Executive
Officer
|
www.bbb-plc.com
|
Cavendish Capital Markets Limited (Nomad and
Broker)
Marc Milmo / Finn Gordon (Corporate
Finance)
Tim Redfern / Jamie Anderson
(ECM)
|
Tel: +44 (0)20 7220 0500
|
|
Cautionary note regarding forward-looking
statements
|
|
|
| |
This announcement includes statements that are, or may be
deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking
statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking
terminology, including the terms "believes", "estimates",
"forecasts", "plans", "prepares", "targets", "anticipates",
"projects", "expects", "intends", "may", "will", "seeks", or
"should" or, in each case, their negative or other variations or
comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans,
objectives, goals, future events or intentions. These
forward-looking statements include all matters that are not
historical facts. They appear in a number of places throughout this
announcement and include statements regarding the Company's and the
Directors' intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning,
amongst other things, the Company's prospects, growth and strategy.
No statement in this announcement is intended to be a profit
forecast and no statement in this announcement should be
interpreted to mean the Company's performance in future would
necessarily match or exceed the historical published performance of
the Company.
By
their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties because they relate to future events and depend on
circumstances that may or may not occur in the future.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future
performance. The Company's actual performance, achievements and
financial condition may differ materially from those expressed or
implied by the forward-looking statements in this announcement. In
addition, even if the Company's results of operations, performance,
achievements and financial condition are consistent with the
forward-looking statements in this announcement, those results or
developments may not be indicative of results or developments in
subsequent periods.
Any forward-looking statements that the Company makes in this
announcement speak only as of the date of such statement, and none
of the Company or the Directors undertake any obligation to update
such statements unless required to do so by applicable law.
Comparisons of results for current and any prior periods are not
intended to express any future trends or indications of future
performance, unless expressed as such, and should only be viewed as
historical data.
1. Background and reasons for the Capital
Reduction and Tender Offer
On 23 December 2024, the Company
announced the completion of the disposal of its Australian
subsidiary, SkyMesh, to a newly formed bidco SKM Telecommunication
Services Pty Ltd. Pursuant to the terms of the disposal, on
completion the Company received total consideration of c.AUD$43.3
million (c.£21.6 million) of which AUD$30m was satisfied in cash
and AUD$13.3 million was satisfied through the issue of shares in
SKM Telecommunications, the entity that acquired
SkyMesh.
Following receipt of the cash on
completion, the Company has repaid all of its outstanding revolving
credit facility with Santander including accrued interest and
charges (c.£6.9 million) and settled all deal and related costs of
c.£0.9 million. The Board undertook to Shareholders that it would
undertake a review of its current and future capital requirements
with the expectation that it would return surplus cash to
shareholders having assessed its requirements. Post this review,
the Board is delighted to announce a proposed capital return of
£6.1 million by way of the Tender Offer.
In order to create sufficient
distributable reserves to make the Tender Offer, the Company has to
undertake a Capital Reduction.
The Company has built up a
substantial Capital Redemption Reserve and Share Premium Account
Reserve. At the date of this document, the reserves held in the
Capital Redemption Reserve are £26,120,129 and the reserves held in
the Share Premium Account Reserve are £8,608,265. It is proposed
that the Capital Redemption Reserve be reduced to zero and the
Share Premium Account Reserve reduced by £5,879,871, so £2,728,394
will be left in the Share Premium Account Reserve.
Following the implementation of the
Capital Reduction there will be no change in the number of Ordinary
Shares in issue. If approved by Shareholders and subsequently
confirmed by the Court in the terms proposed by your Board, the
effect of the Capital Reduction will be to release the entire
amount standing to the credit of the Capital Redemption Reserve and
the part of the amount standing to the credit of the Share Premium
Account Reserve so that £32 million is credited to the
distributable reserves of the Company. The implementation of the
Capital Reduction is subject to a number of criteria and legal
processes which are explained further below.
The Capital Redemption Reserve
relates to the cash redemption of the bonus B shares issued in
order to return £26 million to ordinary shareholders in October
2021, equivalent to 45 pence per share. This followed the disposals
of the Company's European satellite broadband assets and the
majority of its stake in Quickline Communications Limited. These
disposals realised significant value for shareholders and also
allowed the Company to repay its debt facilities in their entirety
and secure a new RCF, with its lead banking partner
Santander.
In particular, the Capital
Redemption Reserve and Share Premium Account Reserve are
non-distributable capital reserves and the Company's ability to use
any amount credited to those reserves is limited by the Companies
Act 2006. However, with the approval of its shareholders by way of
a special Resolution and subsequent confirmation by the Court, a
company may reduce or cancel its capital redemption reserve and
share premium account reserve and in certain circumstances either
return all or part of the sum arising to shareholders as a return
of capital, or credit some or all of such sum arising to its profit
and loss account.
To the extent that the release of
such a sum from the Capital Redemption Reserve and Share Premium
Account Reserve creates or increases a credit on the profit and
loss account, that sum represents distributable reserves of the
Company.
2. The Capital Reduction
The Proposal requires the approval
of the Shareholders by special Resolution at the General Meeting
and the Capital Reduction requires subsequent confirmation by the
Court. If the Resolution is passed at the General Meeting, it is
proposed that an application will be made shortly thereafter to the
Court to confirm the Capital Reduction. It is expected that the
final hearing of the application will take place on 15 April
2025.
On the hearing of the Company's
application, the Court will be concerned to ensure that the
Company's creditors are not prejudiced by the Capital Reduction.
The Company and the Directors will take such steps to satisfy the
Court in this regard as they consider appropriate. Such steps may
include seeking the consent of the Company's creditors to the
Capital Reduction or the provision by the Company to the Court of
an undertaking to deposit a sum of money into a blocked account
created for the purpose of discharging the non-consenting creditors
of the Company. If the Court makes the appropriate order, the
Capital Reduction will become effective when the order has been
registered by the Registrar of Companies which is expected to take
place within 21 days following 15 April 2025.
The Board has undertaken a thorough
and extensive review of the Company's liabilities (including
prospective and contingent liabilities) and considers as at the
date of this document that the Company will be able to satisfy the
Court that, as at the date (if any) on which the Court Order
relating to the Capital Reduction and the statement of capital in
respect of the Capital Reduction have both been registered by the
Registrar of Companies at Companies House, the Company's creditors
will not be prejudiced and/or will be sufficiently protected to the
satisfaction of the Court.
The Capital Reduction will not
involve any distribution or repayment of capital and will not
reduce the underlying net assets of the Company.
The Board reserves the right to
abandon or discontinue (in whole or in part) the Capital Reduction
and the application to the Court in the event that the Board
considers that the terms on which the Capital Reduction would be
(or would likely to be) confirmed by the Court would not be in the
best interests of the Company and/or the Shareholders as a
whole.
The Capital Reduction is dependent
on the Resolution being passed and upon being confirmed by the
Court. If the Resolution is not passed or the Capital Reduction is
not confirmed by the Court, the Capital Reduction will not proceed.
The Board is recommending the Capital Reduction.
Subject to the completion of the
Capital Reduction and the passing of the Tender Offer Resolution by
Shareholders at the General Meeting, the Directors' current
intention is to give Qualifying Shareholders the opportunity to
tender their Ordinary Shares through the Tender Offer for cash.
Each Qualifying Shareholder will be entitled to sell up to
approximately 26 per cent. of the Ordinary Shares registered in
their name on the Register as at the Tender Offer Record Date (the
"Basic Entitlement"),
rounded down to the nearest whole number of Ordinary Shares under
the Tender Offer.
The Tender Offer Resolution will
give the Directors authority to distribute approximately £6.1
million to Shareholders through the Tender Offer at a fixed price
per share of 40 pence (the "Tender
Price"). The Tender Price represents a premium of
approximately 42.9%
to the closing price of a Company Ordinary Share on 28 February
2025, the last practical dealing day prior to the announcement of
the Tender Offer.
3. Benefits of the Tender Offer
The Board considered the various
options for returning cash to Shareholders and determined that the
Tender Offer would be the most appropriate method. In particular,
the Tender Offer:
i. is available to
all Qualifying Shareholders regardless of the size of their
holding;
ii. provides
Qualifying Shareholders with the choice of whether or not they wish
to tender all, part or none of their respective Basic Entitlements
and thus permits Shareholders who wish to retain their current
investment in the Company in Ordinary Shares to do so;
and
iii. will allow the
Company to broaden the return of cash to include those Qualifying
Shareholders whose Ordinary Shares might not otherwise be purchased
by the Company through a general on-market buy back.
4. Structure of the Tender Offer
The Tender Offer will be implemented
on the basis of Cavendish, as principal, acquiring the successfully
tendered Ordinary Shares at the Tender Price. Immediately following
completion of the Tender Offer, Cavendish shall sell such Ordinary
Shares to the Company at the Tender Price, pursuant to the Option
Agreement. These acquisitions by the Company will be market
purchases in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act
2006 and the rules of the London Stock Exchange and the FCA. It is
expected that Qualifying Shareholders who successfully tender their
Ordinary Shares will receive payment for such Ordinary Shares by 6
May 2025. In turn, Cavendish has the right to require the Company
to purchase such Ordinary Shares from it at the same price under
the Option Agreement, details of which are set out in paragraph
1.3 of Part IV of this document. If
Cavendish does not exercise its right to require the Company to
purchase such Ordinary Shares, the Company has the right - and
intends to exercise such right if Cavendish has not exercised its
right by 6.00 p.m. on 25 April 2025 (being the day which is three
Business Days after the closing date of the Tender Offer) - to
require Cavendish to sell such Ordinary Shares to it at the Tender
Price. The Company intends to cancel any repurchased Ordinary
Shares.
The Tender Offer will be open to all
Shareholders on the Register on the Tender Offer Record Date, save
for those who are Shareholders subject to the securities laws of a
Restricted Jurisdiction. Qualifying Shareholders must consider
carefully all of the information contained in the Circular as well
as their personal circumstances when deciding whether to
participate in the Tender Offer.
Qualifying Shareholders may
participate in the Tender Offer by tendering either all or a
proportion of their registered holdings of Ordinary Shares. Each
Qualifying Shareholder will be entitled to sell their Basic
Entitlement under the Tender Offer (subject only to any scaling
back as a result of shareholdings of 200 or fewer Ordinary Shares
being accepted as referred to in paragraph 2.18 of Part IV). The
Tender Offer will also present tendering Qualifying Shareholders
with an opportunity to sell an Individual Excess Tender to the
extent that other Shareholders tender less than their Basic
Entitlement.
The Tender Offer is subject to,
amongst other things, the passing of the Tender Offer
Resolution.
To the extent that any Shareholders
have tendered less than their Basic Entitlement under the Tender
Offer, Individual Excess Tenders will be accepted in proportion to
the Total Excess Tenders so that the total number of Ordinary
Shares purchased pursuant to the Tender Offer does not exceed
15,250,000. The process by which Individual Excess Tenders will be
scaled back, if necessary, is described further in paragraph 2.18
of Part IV of the Circular.
As at 28 February 2025, being the
Latest Practicable Date before the publication of the Circular,
there are 58,847,018 Ordinary Shares in issue. Should the maximum
number of Ordinary Shares be validly tendered, up to 15,250,000
Ordinary Shares may be purchased under the Tender Offer for a
maximum aggregate consideration of approximately £6.1 million.
Following completion of the Tender Offer, the Issued Ordinary Share
Capital will be reduced to 43,597,018 Ordinary Shares, assuming the
Tender Offer is taken up in full.
The Tender Offer will close at 1.00
p.m. on 22 April 2025 and tenders received after that time will not
be accepted (unless the Tender Offer is extended).
5. Purchase of Ordinary Shares
Successfully tendered Ordinary
Shares will be purchased from Qualifying Shareholders by Cavendish,
acting as principal free of commission and dealing
charges.
Any Ordinary Shares repurchased by
the Company from Cavendish following the purchase by Cavendish will
be cancelled. Any rights of Shareholders who do not participate in
the Tender Offer will be unaffected by the Tender Offer.
All Shareholders who tender Ordinary
Shares will receive the Tender Price, subject, where applicable, to
the scaling-down arrangements described below and set out in full
in paragraphs 2.17 and 2.18 of Part IV of the Circular.
If more than 15,250,000 Ordinary
Shares are validly tendered by Qualifying Shareholders and the
Tender Offer is oversubscribed, acceptances of validly tendered
Ordinary Shares will be scaled-down to determine the extent to
which individual tenders are accepted. Accordingly, where
scaling-down applies, beyond a Qualifying Shareholder's Basic
Entitlement there is no guarantee that all of the Ordinary Shares
which are tendered by Qualifying Shareholders will be accepted for
purchase.
6. Circumstances in which the Tender Offer may not
proceed
There is no guarantee that the
Tender Offer will take place. The Tender Offer is conditional on,
among other things:
i. the passing of
the Capital Reduction Resolution and the Tender Offer Resolution as
set out in the Notice of General Meeting and on satisfaction of the
other conditions specified in Part IV of the Circular;
and
ii. approval of
the Capital Reduction by the Court and subsequent completion of the
Capital Reduction.
The Tender Offer is also conditional
on there not arising any material adverse change or certain other
force majeure events prior to the closing of the Tender Offer.
Further details of these conditions are set out in paragraph 2 of
Part IV of the Circular.
The Company has reserved the right
at any time prior to the announcement of the results of the Tender
Offer, with the prior consent of Cavendish, to extend the period
during which the Tender Offer is open and/or vary the aggregate
value of the Tender Offer, based on market conditions and/or other
factors, subject to compliance with applicable legal and regulatory
requirements. The Company has also reserved the right, in certain
circumstances, to require Cavendish, not to proceed with the Tender
Offer. Any such decision will be announced by the Company through a
Regulatory Information Service.
7. Full terms and conditions of the Tender
Offer
Full details of the Tender Offer,
including the terms and conditions on which it is made, will be set
out in Part IV of the Circular. Some questions and answers related
to the Tender Offer will be set out in Part VI of the
Circular.
8. Trading update
The Company's financial year
concluded on 30 November 2024, prior to the announcement of the
proposed disposal of SkyMesh. FY24 also saw the Company
successfully dispose of its Nordic operations in May 2024. The
Company expects to announce its full year results for the year
ended 30 November 2024 in May 2025, following the conclusion of the
Tender Offer and expects to report Group revenues of approximately
£23.4 million and adjusted EBITDA of c.£3.0 million for the
continuing operations and discontinued operations of the Group
(therefore including the Nordic business sold in May 2024 and
SkyMesh sold post year end in December 2024). These figures remain
subject to audit.
9.
General Meeting to approve the Capital Reduction Resolution and the
Tender Offer Resolution
In order to comply with applicable
company law, the Capital Reduction and Tender Offer requires the
approval of Shareholders at a general meeting of the Company. The
Company is convening a General Meeting for 10.00 a.m. on 19 March
2025 to consider and, if thought fit, pass:
i. the Capital Reduction
Resolution to authorise and to approve the reduction of the Capital
Redemption Reserve and Share Premium Account Reserve and the
creation of distributable reserves; and
ii. the Tender Offer
Resolution to authorise and to approve the terms under which the
Tender Offer will be effected.
The Board believes that it is in
Shareholders' best interests to conduct this General Meeting, and
if approved, confirm the results of the Tender Offer as soon as
possible. The Tender Offer Resolution must be passed by a majority
of at least 75 per cent. of the votes cast at the General Meeting.
The Company will not purchase Ordinary Shares pursuant to the
Tender Offer unless the Tender Offer Resolution is duly
passed.
Shareholders will find enclosed with
this document a Form of Proxy for use in connection with the
General Meeting. Whether or not you intend to tender any of your
Ordinary Shares under the Tender Offer you are requested to
complete and return the Form of Proxy as soon as possible and, in
any event, so as to be received by Share Registrars Limited, 3 The
Millenium Centre, Crosby Way, Farnham, GU9 7XX no later than 10.00
a.m. on 17 March 2025.
The Company strongly encourages all
Shareholders to submit their Form of Proxy, appointing the Chairman
of the General Meeting as proxy. To appoint more than one proxy,
additional Forms of Proxy may be obtained by contacting the
Shareholder Helpline on +44 (0) 1252 821390 between 9.00 a.m. and
5.00 p.m. (London time) from Monday to Friday (excluding public
holidays in England and Wales) or you may photocopy this form.
Please indicate in the box next to the proxy holder's name (see
reverse) the number of shares in relation to which they are
authorised to act as your proxy. Please also indicate by ticking
the box provided if the proxy instruction is one of multiple
instructions being given. All forms must be signed and should be
returned together in the same envelope.
Alternatively, you may appoint a
proxy or proxies electronically by using the CREST electronic
voting service or by visiting www.shareregistrars.uk.com,
clicking on the "Proxy Vote" button and then following the
on-screen instructions.
The completion and return of a Form
of Proxy will not preclude Shareholders from attending the General
Meeting and voting in person should they wish to do so.
10. Tax
Shareholders should be aware that
there will be tax considerations that they should take into account
when deciding whether or not to participate in the Tender Offer.
Summary details of certain UK taxation considerations are set out
in Part V of the Circular.
11. Overseas Shareholders
The attention of Shareholders who
are not resident in the United Kingdom is drawn to 6 of Part IV of
the Circular.
Qualifying Shareholders who are in
any doubt as to their tax position or who are subject to tax in a
jurisdiction other than the UK are strongly recommended to consult
an appropriate professional adviser before tendering their Ordinary
Shares under the Tender Offer.
12. Takeover Code
Under Rule 9 of the Takeover Code,
any person who acquires an interest (as defined in the Takeover
Code) in shares which, taken together with shares in which the
person is already interested, and in which persons acting in
concert with that person is interested, carry 30 per cent. or more
of the voting rights of a company which is subject to the Takeover
Code, is normally required to make a general offer to all the
remaining Shareholders to acquire their shares at the highest price
paid by that person (or any persons acting in concert with them)
for shares in the company within the preceding 12
months.
Rule 9 of the Takeover Code also
provides that any person, together with persons acting in concert
with that person, is interested in shares which in the aggregate
carry not less than 30 per cent. of the voting rights of a company
to which the Takeover Code applies but does not hold shares
carrying more than 50 per cent. of such voting rights, will be
unable, without the Panel's consent, to acquire, either
individually or together, any interest in any further voting rights
in the company without being required to make a general offer to
shareholders of that company to acquire their shares at the highest
price paid by that person (or any persons acting in concert with
them) for shares in the company within the preceding 12 months.
Persons holding more than 50 per cent. of the voting rights of a
company which is subject to the Takeover Code will normally have
freedom to acquire further shares without being required to make a
general offer to shareholders of that company.
The Company has obtained irrevocable
undertakings from Harwood Capital, an existing substantial
shareholder of the Company, to confirm that they will tender no
less than their Basic Entitlement under the Tender Offer such that
they will continue to hold less than 30 per cent. of the Company's
issued share capital following completion of the Tender Offer and
any potential subsequent purchase by the Company (pursuant to the
Option Agreement) of Ordinary Shares acquired by Cavendish under
the Tender Offer.
13. Irrevocable undertakings and intentions of the
Directors relating to the Tender Offer
The Company has received an
irrevocable undertaking from Harwood Capital:
i. vote in favour
of the Resolutions; and
ii. tender no less
than their Basic Entitlement under the Tender Offer, representing
approximately 26 per cent. of their beneficial holding of Ordinary
Shares, and approximately 6.7 per cent. of the Issued Ordinary
Share Capital as at the date of this document.
Further details of this irrevocable
undertaking are set out in paragraph 3 of Part VII of this
document.
14. Related Party Transactions
The irrevocable undertakings from
Harwood Capital to participate in the Tender Offer as set out in
paragraph 13 above
is considered a related-party transaction for the purposes of Rule
13 of the AIM Rules. The directors (excluding Christopher Mills by
virtue of his association with Harwood Capital) consider, having
consulted with Cavendish, the Company's Nominated Adviser, that the
above participation by Harwood Capital in the Tender Offer is fair
and reasonable in so far as Shareholders are concerned.
15. Recommendations
The Board believes that the Capital
Reduction and the Tender Offer are in the best interests of the
Company and its Shareholders as a whole, and unanimously recommends
that Shareholders vote in favour of the Resolutions as they intend
to do in respect of their own holdings of Ordinary Shares
representing, in aggregate, approximately 2.446 per cent. of the
Issued Share Capital of the Company as at the Latest Practicable
Date.
The Board is making no
recommendation to individual Shareholders in relation to
participation in the Tender Offer. Whether or not Shareholders
decide to tender their Ordinary Shares will depend, amongst other
things, on their own individual circumstances, including their own
tax position. Shareholders are recommended to consult an
appropriately authorised independent adviser in determining whether
or not to participate in the Tender Offer and to the extent of such
participation.
16. Expected Timetable of Principal
Events
Announcement of the Tender Offer and
publication of the Circular and Notice of General
Meeting
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3 March
2025
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Tender Offer opens
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3 March
2025
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Latest time and date for receipt of
Forms of Proxy and electronic voting instructions
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10.00 a.m.
on 17 March 2025
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General Meeting
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10.00 a.m.
on 19 March 2025
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Anticipated date to announce results
of the General Meeting
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20 March
2025
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Directions Hearing for Capital
Reduction
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31 March
2025
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Confirmation Hearing for Capital
Reduction
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15 April
2025
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Effective date for Capital
Reduction
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17 April
2025
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Latest time and date for receipt of
Tender Forms and settlement of TTE instructions and share
certificates in relation to the Tender Offer (i.e. close of Tender
Offer)
|
1.00 p.m.
on 22 April 2025
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Tender Offer Record Date
|
6.00 p.m.
on 22 April 2025
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Announcement of results of the
Tender Offer
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23 April
2025
|
Purchase of Ordinary Shares under
the Tender Offer
|
24 April
2025
|
CREST accounts credited for revised,
uncertificated holdings of Ordinary Shares (or, in the case of
unsuccessful tenders, for entire holdings of Ordinary
Shares)
|
by 24
April 2025
|
CREST accounts credited in respect
of Tender Offer proceeds for uncertificated Ordinary
Shares
|
by 29
April 2025
|
Despatch cheques in respect of
Tender Offer proceeds for certificated Ordinary Shares
|
by 6 May
2025
|
Return of share certificates in
respect of unsuccessful tenders of certificated Ordinary
Shares
|
by 6 May
2025
|
Despatch of balancing share
certificates (in respect of certificated Ordinary Shares) for
revised, certificated holdings in the case of partially successful
tenders
|
by 6 May
2025
|
All times are references to London times and are indicative
only and may change. Each of the above times and dates is based on
the Company's expectations as at the date of this Circular. If any
of the above times and/or dates change, the revised times and/or
dates will be notified to Shareholders by an announcement through a
Regulatory Information Service.