26
February 2025
Zytronic
plc
("Zytronic" or the "Company" and, together with its
subsidiaries, the "Group")
Outcome Statement, Proposed
De-Listing & Update
Introduction & Background
Upon the conclusion of its Strategic
Review, the outcome of which was announced on 14 November 2024, the
Company engaged with FRP Advisory Trading Limited ("FRP Advisory") to run a process with a
view to maximising returns to shareholders, which included
exploring a sale of the Company's trading entity, Zytronic Displays
Ltd ("ZDL"). On 19 February
2025, the Company announced that, despite engaging with multiple
counterparties, it was unable to agree on suitably attractive terms
for a transaction.
As a result, the Board, in
consultation with FRP Advisory has commenced the orderly wind-down
of the Group's assets ("Wind-Down") and FRP Advisory has
prepared an outcome statement of estimated returns available to
shareholders in this regard.
The Board has also resolved to put a
resolution to shareholders to de-list the Company's ordinary shares
to trading on AIM and convert from a public limited company to a
private limited company (the proposed "De-Listing"). A general meeting of the
Company's shareholders will be convened ("General Meeting") and a circular sent
out to shareholders in due course (the "Circular").
The Circular will set out further
reasons why the Board believes the De-Listing is in shareholders'
best interests.
Outcome Statement
FRP Advisory has now concluded its
work regarding estimated returns that may be available to
shareholders as part of the Wind-Down. The Board can advise that
shareholders can expect to receive an estimated return of 46 pence
per share held in Zytronic in a conservative scenario, increasing
to 60 pence per ordinary share ("Outcome Range"), should prevailing
asset valuations hold through the Wind-Down period.
The Outcome Range is a highly
conditional estimate and based upon and subject to, inter alia, the following major
assumptions:
- That the Company's
real estate property sells for a value within +/-10% of the
Company's advisor's valuation;
- That the Wind-Down of
the Company and its trading subsidiary proceed in an orderly manner
and principally complete within 9 months of today; and
- That there
are no material unforeseen creditors.
There can be no guarantee that shareholders will eventually
receive a return within the Outcome Range upon conclusion of the
orderly Wind-Down.
Further details, including the
indicative timing of the distribution of surplus funds, will be
provided when available.
Proposed De-Listing & General Meeting
To reduce costs and maximise returns
for shareholders, the Board has decided to pursue the cancellation
of the Company's admission to trading on AIM. The De-Listing will
be subject to approval by shareholders through the passing of a
Special Resolution. Should the De-Listing complete, it is the
Board's intention to explore the introduction of a secondary market
trading facility to facilitate the buying and selling of shares by
shareholders (and new investors) by matching buyers and sellers
through periodic auditions.
The Board will be writing to
shareholders to convene a General Meeting, strongly recommending
that they vote in favour of the De-Listing resolution to optimise
the return of proceeds to shareholders.
If the resolution is not approved,
the Company will remain listed (and be subject to ongoing AIM Rule
41 obligations should suspension in the trading of the Company's
shares occur), continuing to incur associated costs and further
reducing potential returns for shareholders and
stakeholders.
Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 September
("FY24")
In consultation with its auditors,
Crowe U.K. LLP, the Board concluded on 25 February 2025 that there
is now no realistic prospect for its accounts for the year ended 30
September 2024 to be published by 31 March 2025, in accordance with
the six-month deadline imposed by AIM Rule 19. Consequently, the
Company's ordinary shares will be suspended from trading on AIM
with effect from 1 April 2025, pending publication of its FY24
annual report & accounts.
The Board will provide further
commentary on the expected timing of the publication of its FY24
audited results as part of the information contained within the
Circular.
For reference, the Group generated
unaudited turnover of £7.2m and an unaudited pre-tax loss of £1.5m
in FY24. It should be noted that these figures were prepared
assuming that the going concern assumption was applied and
therefore do not include any write downs to asset values which
would have a (non-cash) impact on pre-tax loss.
Cash at 25 February 2025 was £3.9m,
however, this is likely to deplete during the Wind-Down.
Cessation of Trading under AIM Rule 15
On 25 February 2025, in light of the
conclusion of the sale of ZDL and subsequent decision to Wind-Down,
the Board has taken the decision, subject to statutory employee
consultation ("Consultation"), to cease trading and
is currently finalising a possible production schedule for closure
("Cessation"). The
Consultation and Cessation process is expected to be completed
within the first half of calendar year 2025. The Company will make
a further announcement when and if the final date of Cessation is
known.
Under AIM Rule 15 (and on the basis
the Company has not passed the De-Listing resolution, and
subsequently cancelled the admission of trading in its shares,
prior to then), immediately upon completion of the Cessation
process, the Company would be classified as an AIM Rule 15 cash
shell, after which, the Company must complete an acquisition, or
acquisitions, that constitute a reverse takeover in accordance with
AIM Rule 14 within six months, or otherwise trading in its shares
will be suspended.
Further updates will be provided as
appropriate.
Enquiries:
Zytronic plc
Christopher Potts, Non-Executive
Chairman
Claire Smith, Chief Financial
Officer
|
0191
414 5511
|
Singer Capital Markets (Nominated Adviser and
Broker)
Alex Bond, Samed Ethemi (Investment
Banking)
|
020
7496 3000
|
Notes to Editors
The Company's trading entity
Zytronic Displays Limited ("ZDL") is an established developer and
manufacturer of a range of internationally award-winning optically
transparent interactive touch sensor overlay products for use with
electronic displays in industrial, self-service and public access
equipment.
ZDL has continually developed
process and technological know-how and intellectual property since
the late 1990's around two projected capacitance ("PCAP") sensing methodologies;
trademarked by it as PCT™ ("Projected Capacitive Technology") and
MPCT™ ("Mutual Projected Capacitive Technology"), in respect of
which 20 internationally granted patents are held. As part of this
the Company has invested in and developed an advanced electronic
PCAP controller, the ZXY500, which incorporates a specialist
Application Specific Integrated Circuit ("ASIC") specified and owned by Zytronic,
and bespoke firmware on the controller processor.
ZDL's PCAP sensing solutions are
readily configurable and embedded in a laminate core which offers
significant durability, environmental stability, and optical
enhancement benefits to meet system-specific design
requirements.
The Company is headquartered at
Blaydon-upon-Tyne in the United Kingdom. ZDL operates from this
site, providing its manufactured products globally through a number
of sales channel partners. ZDL differentiates itself from others in
the touch eco-system as it offers a complete one-stop solution
including processing internally of the form and factor of glass and
film substrates, the assembly of the associated touch overlay
products, in environmentally controlled cleanrooms to customer's
specific requirements and the development of the bespoke firmware,
software and electronic hardware which comprise the controller that
links the manufactured touch interactive overlays to a customer's
integrated systems and product.
For more information about ZDL's
technologies and products, and the Company please
see www.zytronic.co.uk