NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR
INTO, OR TO ANY PERSON RESIDENT AND/OR LOCATED IN, ANY JURISDICTION
WHERE SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IS UNLAWFUL
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF
INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE
INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF (A) ARTICLE 7(1) OF UK MAR IN SO
FAR AS IT RELATES TO NOTES ISSUED BY VODAFONE (EACH AS DEFINED
BELOW) AND (B) ARTICLE 7(1) OF MAR IN SO FAR AS IT RELATES TO NOTES
ISSUED BY VIFD (EACH AS DEFINED HEREIN)
VODAFONE GROUP PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY ANNOUNCES FINAL
RESULTS OF ITS CAPPED TENDER OFFERS FOR CERTAIN U.S. DOLLAR AND
EURO DENOMINATED NOTES DUE 2028 TO 2029
(Newbury, Berkshire - England) -
August 27, 2024 - Vodafone Group Plc
("Vodafone" or the "Company") announces the final results of its
previously announced offers to purchase for cash the outstanding
notes of the series described in the table below (the "Notes") upon
the terms of, and subject to the conditions in, the offer to
purchase dated July 29, 2024 (the "Offer to Purchase"). Each offer
to purchase each series of Notes is referred to herein as an
"Offer" and the offers to purchase the Notes as the "Offers."
Capitalised terms not otherwise defined in this announcement have
the same meaning as assigned to them in the Offer to Purchase,
including the Financing Condition.
On August 1, 2024, VIFD, an indirect
wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, closed the offering of
€600,000,000 3.375% Notes due 2033 (the "New Notes"). The proceeds
from the issuance of the New Notes, together with existing cash
balances, are expected to fund the Offers. As a result, the
Financing Condition has been satisfied with respect to the
Offers.
The following table sets forth the
aggregate principal amount of Pool 1 Notes validly tendered and not
validly withdrawn in the Offers at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York
City time, on August 26, 2024 (the "Expiration Date"), as reported
by the Information and Tender Agent:
Title of
Security
|
|
CUSIP/ISIN / Common
Code
|
|
Aggregate
Principal Amount Tendered
|
|
Aggregate Principal Amount
Accepted
|
|
Acceptance Priority Level
|
|
Late Tender Offer
Consideration(3)(4)(5)
|
|
Pool 1 Notes - Offers subject
to the Pool 1 Maximum Tender Amount of
€660,000,000(1)
|
4.375%
Notes due May 2028 (the "2028 Notes")
|
|
92857WBK5
/ US92857WBK53 /
N/A
|
|
$325,382,000
|
|
$325,382,000
|
|
1
|
|
$957.21
|
|
3.25%
Notes due March 2029 with a First Par Call Date of December 2, 2028
(the "March 2029 Notes")(2)
|
|
N/A /
XS2560495462 /
1256049546
|
|
€274,220,000
|
|
€274,220,000
|
|
2
|
|
€974.30
|
|
Notes:
|
|
(1)
The Company will purchase Pool 1 Notes subject to the
Pool 1 Maximum Tender Amount and the
Acceptance Priority Levels. To determine whether the Pool 1 Maximum
Tender Amount has been reached, the aggregate principal amount of
the Dollar Notes (as defined herein) validly tendered has been
converted into Euro using a conversion rate of $1:€0.9204, which
was the exchange rate as of 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on July
26, 2024 as displayed on the BFIX screen on Bloomberg. The Pool 1
Maximum Tender Amount represents the maximum aggregate principal
amount that may be purchased among the relevant series of Pool 1
Notes.
|
(2)
Issued by Vodafone International Financing DAC
("VIFD"), an indirectly wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The
terms and conditions of the March 2029 Notes provide for an
optional call at par (together with any Accrued Interest (as
defined herein) up to (but excluding) the redemption date) at the
VIFD's option on any date from (and including) December 2, 2028
("First Par Call Date") to (but excluding) March 2,
2029.
(3)
Per $1,000 or €1,000, as applicable, principal
amount of Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Time and at
or prior to the Expiration Date and accepted for
purchase.
(4)
The Late Tender Offer Consideration in respect of
each series of the Notes was calculated at or around 10:00 a.m.,
New York City time, on August 12, 2024 in accordance with standard
market practice, as described in the Offer to Purchase.
(5)
Does not include Accrued Interest, which will also be
paid in addition to the Late Tender Offer Consideration.
|
The amount of a series of Notes that will be
purchased in the Offers will be based on the Acceptance Priority
Levels set forth in the table above. As a result, all Pool 1 Notes
validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the
Expiration Date having a higher Acceptance Priority Level (with 1
being higher) will be accepted before any tendered Notes within
such Pool having a lower Acceptance Priority Level (with 2 being
lower).
According to information provided by the Information
and Tender Agent for the Offers, $325,382,000 aggregate principal
amount of the 2028 Notes and €274,220,000 aggregate principal
amount of the March 2029 Notes were validly tendered. With regard
to the 2028 Notes, this includes (i) $324,735,000 aggregate
principal amount of the 2028 Notes that were validly tendered and
not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offers at or prior to the
Early Tender Time, and (ii) an additional $647,000 aggregate
principal amount of the 2028 Notes, validly tendered after the
Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Date. With
regard to the March 2029 Notes, this includes (i) €271,026,000
aggregate principal amount of the March 2029 Notes that were
validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offers
at or prior to the Early Tender Time, and (ii) an additional
€3,194,000 aggregate principal amount of the March 2029 Notes,
validly tendered after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the
Expiration Date. All Pool 1 Notes validly tendered and not validly
withdrawn at or prior to the Expiration Date shall be accepted for
purchase, without proration. Such payment, in respect of Pool 1
Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Time but at or prior
to the Expiration Date, is expected to be made on the second
business day after the Expiration Date, August 28, 2024 ("Final
Settlement Date").
Holders of Pool 1 Notes who validly tendered their
Pool 1 Notes after the Early Tender Time and at or prior to the
Expiration Date in the manner described in the Offer to Purchase
will receive the applicable Late Tender Offer Consideration,
together with an amount equal to the Accrued Interest thereon.
Interest will cease to accrue on the Final Settlement Date for all
such Pool 1 Notes accepted.
All Notes validly tendered and not
validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Time and accepted
for purchase were paid in full by the Company on August 14,
2024.
The purchase price for the Dollar
Notes and the Euro Notes will be paid in U.S. Dollars and Euro,
respectively. To determine whether the relevant Pool Maximum Tender
Amount has been reached, the aggregate principal amount of the
Dollar Notes validly tendered has been converted into Euro using a
conversion rate of $1:€0.9204, which was the exchange rate as of
10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on July 26, 2024 as displayed on
the BFIX screen on Bloomberg.
All Notes accepted in the Offers will be cancelled
and retired by the Company.
For additional information, please
contact the Dealer Managers, Merrill Lynch International at +1
(888) 292-0070 (toll free), +1 (980) 387-3907 or +44 207 996 5420
(in London) or by email to DG.LM-EMEA@bofa.com and to NatWest
Markets Plc at +1 (800) 231-5830 (toll free) or + 44 20 7678 5222
(in London) or by email to liabilitymanagement@natwestmarkets.com
or the Information and Tender Agent, Kroll Issuer
Services Limited at +44 20 7704 0880 or by email to
vodafone@is.kroll.com, Attention: Owen Morris.
This announcement is for
informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to
buy, or a solicitation of an offer to sell, any security. No offer,
solicitation, or sale will be made in any jurisdiction in which
such an offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful. The Offers
are only being made pursuant to the Offer to Purchase. Holders of
the Notes are urged to carefully read the Offer to Purchase before
making any decision with respect to the Offers. Following the Final
Settlement Date, the Company may from time to time, at its sole and
absolute discretion and to the extent permitted by applicable law,
choose to acquire further outstanding Notes either included in the
Offers or notes included in its previous tender offers by way of
open market purchases or in privately-negotiated transactions, but
is under no obligation to do so.
This announcement does not
constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to purchase
or subscribe for, or otherwise invest in, New Notes in the United
States.
The New Notes are not being, and
will not be, offered or sold in the United States. Nothing in this
announcement constitutes an offer to sell or the solicitation of an
offer to buy the New Notes in the United States or any other
jurisdiction. Securities may not be offered, sold or delivered in
the United States absent registration under, or an exemption from
the registration requirements of, the United States Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The New Notes have not
been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act or the
securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United
States and may not be offered, sold or delivered, directly or
indirectly, within the United States or to, or for the account or
benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the
Securities Act).
This announcement is being made by
each of Vodafone Group Plc and Vodafone
International Financing DAC and contains information that qualified
or may have qualified as inside information for the purposes of (a)
Article 7(1) of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 ("MAR")
as it forms part of domestic law in the United Kingdom by virtue of
the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (the "EUWA") ("UK MAR") in
so far as it relates to Notes issued by Vodafone and (b) Article 7
of MAR in so far as it relates to Notes issued by VIFD,
encompassing information relating to the Offers described above.
For the purposes of (a) in respect of Vodafone, UK MAR and Article
2 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1055 as it forms
part of domestic law in the United Kingdom by virtue of the EUWA,
and (b) in respect of VIFD, MAR and Article 2 of Commission
Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1055, this announcement is made
by Maaike de Bie, Group General Counsel and Company Secretary of
Vodafone.
Offer and Distribution Restrictions
Italy
None of the Offers, this
announcement, the Offer to Purchase or any other documents or
materials relating to the Offers have been or will be submitted to
the clearance procedures of the Commissione Nazionale per le
Società e la Borsa ("CONSOB") pursuant to Italian laws and
regulations. Each Offer is being carried out in the Republic of
Italy ("Italy") as an exempt offer pursuant to article 101-bis,
paragraph 3-bis of the Legislative Decree No. 58 of February 24,
1998, as amended (the "Financial Services Act") and article 35-bis,
paragraph 4 of CONSOB Regulation No. 11971 of May 14, 1999, as
amended. Holders or beneficial owners of the Notes that are
resident or located in Italy can tender Notes for purchase in the
Offers through authorised persons (such as investment firms, banks
or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such activities in
Italy in accordance with the Financial Services Act, CONSOB
Regulation No. 20307 of February 15, 2018, as amended from time to
time, and Legislative Decree No. 385 of September 1, 1993, as
amended) and in compliance with any other applicable laws and
regulations and with any requirements imposed by CONSOB or any
other Italian authority.
Each intermediary must comply with
the applicable laws and regulations concerning information duties
vis-à-vis its clients in connection with the Notes and/or the
Offers.
United Kingdom
The communication of this
announcement and the Offer to Purchase and any other documents or
materials relating to the Offers is not being made by and such
documents and/or materials have not been approved by an "authorised
person" for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services
and Markets Act 2000 ("FSMA 2000"). Accordingly, such documents
and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be
passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. The
communication of such documents and/or materials is exempt from the
restriction on financial promotions under section 21(1) of the FSMA
on the basis that it is only directed at and may only be
communicated to: (1) persons who are outside of the United Kingdom;
(2) investment professionals falling within the definition
contained in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets
Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Financial Promotion
Order"); (3) those persons who are existing members or creditors of
the Company or other persons falling within Article 43(2) of the
Financial Promotion Order; or (4) any other persons to whom such
documents and/or materials may lawfully be communicated in
accordance with the Financial Promotion Order (all such persons
together referred to as "relevant persons"). This announcement, the
Offer to Purchase and any other documents or materials relating to
the Offers are only available to relevant persons. Any person who
is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or
any of its contents.
France
The Offers are not being made,
directly or indirectly, and none of this announcement, the Offer to
Purchase or any other document or material relating to the Offers
has been or shall be distributed, to the public in the Republic of
France other than to qualified investors as defined in Article 2(e)
of the Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the "Prospectus Regulation").
None of this announcement, the Offer to Purchase or any other
document or materials relating to the Offers have been or will be
submitted for clearance to nor approved by the Autorité des Marchés
Financiers.
Belgium
Neither this announcement, the Offer to Purchase nor
any other brochure, documents or materials relating to the Offers
has been, or will be, submitted or notified to, or approved or
recognized by, the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority
("Autorité des services et
marchés financiers"/"Autoriteit voor Financiële Diensten en
Markten"). In Belgium, the Offers do not constitute a public
offering within the meaning of Articles 3, §1, 1° and 6, §1 of the
Belgian Law of April 1, 2007 on public takeover bids ("loi relative aux offres publiques
d'acquisition"/"wet op de openbare overnamebiedingen"), as
amended or replaced from time to time. Accordingly, the Offers may
not be, and are not being advertised, and this announcement, the
Offer to Purchase, as well as any brochure, or any other material
or document relating thereto (including any memorandum, information
circular, brochure or any similar document) may not, have not and
will not be distributed or made available, directly or indirectly,
to any person located and/or resident within Belgium, other than to
"qualified investors" ("investisseurs qualifiés"/"qekwalificeerde
belegge"), within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the
Prospectus Regulation acting on their own account. Insofar as
Belgium is concerned, the Offers are made only to qualified
investors, as this term is defined above. Accordingly, the
information contained in this announcement, the Offer to Purchase
or in any brochure or any other document or material relating
thereto may not be used for any other purpose or disclosed or
distributed to any other person in Belgium.
General
This announcement does not
constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell
Notes (and tenders of Notes in the Offers will not be accepted from
Holders) in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation
or acceptance is unlawful. In those jurisdictions where the
securities, blue sky or other laws require the Offers to be made by
a licensed broker or dealer and any Dealer Manager or any of the
Dealer Managers' affiliates is such a licensed broker or dealer in
any such jurisdiction, the Offers shall be deemed to be made by
such Dealer Manager or such Dealer Manager's affiliate, as the case
may be, on behalf of the Company in such jurisdiction.
Each tendering Holder participating
in the Offers will be deemed to give certain representations in
respect of the jurisdictions referred to above and generally as set
out in the section titled "Description of the Offers-Procedures for
Tendering Notes-Other Matters" in the Offer to Purchase. Any tender
of Notes for purchase pursuant to the Offers from a Holder that is
unable to make these representations will not be accepted. Each of
the Company, the Dealer Managers and the Information and Tender
Agent reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to
investigate, in relation to any tender of Notes for purchase
pursuant to the Offers, whether any such representation given by a
Holder is correct and, if such investigation is undertaken and as a
result the Company determines (for any reason) that such
representation is not correct, such tender shall not be
accepted.
Forward-Looking Information
This announcement contains certain
forward-looking statements which reflect the Company's intent,
beliefs or current expectations about the future and can be
recognised by the use of words such as "expects," "will,"
"anticipate," or words of similar meaning. These forward-looking
statements are not guarantees of any future performance and are
necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of the senior
management of the Company and involve a number of risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. As a
consequence, these forward-looking statements should be considered
in light of various important factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from estimates or projections
contained in the forward-looking statements, which include, without
limitation, the risk factors set forth in the Offer to Purchase.
The Company cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement
will be realised, although it believes it has been prudent in its
plans and assumptions. Achievement of future results is subject to
risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may prove to be
inaccurate. Should known or unknown risks or uncertainties
materialise, or should underlying assumptions prove inaccurate,
actual results could vary materially from those anticipated,
estimated or projected. The Company undertakes no obligation to
update publicly or release any revisions to these forward-looking
statements to reflect events or circumstances or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by
applicable law.