UBISOFT ANNOUNCES THE SUCCESS OF ITS OFFERING OF BONDS CONVERTIBLE
INTO AND/OR EXCHANGEABLE FOR NEW OR EXISTING SHARES (“OCEANES”) DUE
2031 FOR A NOMINAL AMOUNT OF €494.5 MILLION
UBISOFT ANNOUNCES THE SUCCESS OF ITS
OFFERING OF BONDS CONVERTIBLE INTO AND/OR EXCHANGEABLE FOR NEW OR
EXISTING SHARES (“OCEANES”) DUE 2031 FOR A NOMINAL AMOUNT OF €494.5
MILLION
20231127 - Pricing PR (ENG)
Paris, 28 November 2023
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A.
(“Ubisoft” or the “Company”)
(ISIN: FR0000054470) announces the successful placement of bonds
convertible into and/or exchangeable for new or existing shares
(“OCEANEs”) due 2031 (the
“Bonds”) by way of a public offering only to
qualified investors as defined in article 2(e) of Regulation (EU)
2017/1129 of the European Parliament and the Council of 14 June
2017, as amended (the “Prospectus Regulation”) in
accordance with Article L. 411-2 1° of the French Monetary and
Financial Code (Code monétaire et financier), for a nominal amount
of €494.5 million (the “Offering”).
The net proceeds of the Offering will be used
for general corporate purposes, increasing financial flexibility
and refinancing the existing debt, including the partial repurchase
of up to €250 million nominal value of the outstanding OCEANEs due
24 September 2024 (ISIN:FR0013448412) (the “2024
OCEANEs”).
Frédérick Duguet, Chief Financial Officer of
Ubisoft, said: “The success of this convertible bond, with a
maturity of 8 years, a first ever for Ubisoft and a first since May
2019 for a non-rated European issuer, together with a 2.875% coupon
and a 47.5% conversion premium, underlines investors’ confidence in
Ubisoft’s credit standing as well as its long-term value creation
potential”
Main terms of the Bonds
The Bonds will have a nominal unit value of
€100,000 (the “Principal Amount”), will be
convertible into and/or exchangeable for new or existing shares of
Ubisoft (the “Shares”) and will carry an annual
interest rate of 2.875%, payable semi-annually in arrear on 5 June
and 5 December of each year (or on the following business day if
this date is not a business day) and for the first time on 5 June
2024.
The conversion/exchange price of the Bonds has
been set at €40.3413 which represents a premium of 47.5% over the
reference share price. The reference share price is €27.35 and is
the price per Share set in the context of the concurrent placement
of existing Shares of the Company by way of an accelerated
bookbuilding process (the “Concurrent Accelerated
Bookbuilding”) organised by BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole
CIB and J.P. Morgan, to facilitate the constitution by certain
subscribers of the Bonds of a hedge of their exposure to the Shares
underlying the said Bonds. The number of shares sold as part of the
Concurrent Accelerated Bookbuilding represented approximately 3.8
milion shares. Guillemot Brothers Ltd, which holds 13.4% of the
share capital and 17.0% of the voting rights of the Company1
participated in the Concurrent Accelerated Bookbuilding and
acquired 365,360 shares, representing 9.6% of the total size of the
placement. The expected settlement and delivery date of the
Concurrent Accelerated Bookbuilding is on 30 November 2023. The
Company will not receive any proceeds from the Concurrent
Accelerated Bookbuilding.
The Bonds will be issued at 100% of their
Principal Amount on 5 December 2023, the expected settlement and
delivery date of the Bonds (the “Issue Date”), and
will be redeemed on 5 December 2031 (the “Maturity
Date”), unless previously converted, exchanged, redeemed
or purchased and cancelled in accordance with the terms and
conditions of the Bonds, at 100% of their Principal Amount.
Bondholders may exercise their
conversion/exchange right of the Bonds into new and/or existing
shares of the Company (the “Conversion/Exchange
Right”) at any time in the period running from (and
including) the 41st calendar day following the Issue Date (i.e. 15
January 2024) and up to (and including) the 7th business day
preceding the Maturity Date or the relevant early redemption date,
as the case may be.
The Bonds may be redeemed prior to the Maturity
Date at the option of the Company and at the option of the
bondholders under certain conditions. In particular, the Bonds may
be redeemed early at the Company’s option at their Principal Amount
increased by accrued interest as from 26 December 2028 until the
Maturity Date (excluded), subject to a prior notice of at least 30
calendar days (without exceeding 60 calendar days if the arithmetic
mean, calculated over a period of 20 consecutive trading days
chosen by the Company from among the 40 consecutive trading days
immediately preceding the day of publication of the early
redemption notice, of the product of (i) the volume weighted
average price of the Company’s share on Euronext Paris on each such
trading day and (ii) the prevailing conversion/exchange ratio on
each such trading day, exceeds 150% of the Principal Amount.
Upon a Change of Control of the Company (as such
term is defined in the terms and conditions of the Bonds), all
bondholders will have an option to request the early redemption
before the Maturity Date of the Bonds at their Principal Amount
increased by accrued interest.
Bondholders will also be entitled to require an
early redemption of their Bonds at their Principal Amount increased
by accrued interest on 5 December 2029 (the “Bondholder Put
Date”), subject to a prior notice of at least 30 calendar
days (without exceeding 60 calendar days).
The conversion/exchange ratio is initially set
at the Principal Amount divided by the conversion/exchange price,
i.e. initially 2,478.8492 Shares per Bond, subject to any potential
subsequent adjustments (as set out in the terms and conditions of
the Bonds).
As part of the Offering, the Company has agreed
to a lock-up undertaking for a period starting from the
announcement of the final terms of the Bonds and ending 90 calendar
days after the Issue Date, subject to certain customary exceptions
or waivers.
An application for the listing of the Bonds on
Euronext AccessTM in Paris will be made within 30 days after the
Issue Date.
BNP Paribas and Crédit Agricole CIB have acted
as structuring banks (the “Structuring Banks”) and
are acting as joint dealer managers on the Repurchase together with
J.P. Morgan (the “Joint Dealer Managers”) and have
acted as joint global coordinators of the Offering together with
HSBC and Société Générale (the “Joint Global
Coordinators”), and as joint bookrunners of the Offering
together with Commerzbank, Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE and Natixis
(the “Joint Bookrunners”).
Dilution
For illustrative purposes, when considering (i)
the offering of Bonds of €494.5 million, the conversion/exchange
price of €40.3413, and before dilution related to the employee
shareholding mechanisms implemented by the Company (stock options,
free share plans and preferred shares) and (ii) a repurchase of the
2024 OCEANEs for an amount of €250 million, the potential dilution
would represent approximately (a) 9.6% of the outstanding share
capital in relation to the Bonds (assuming full conversion into new
shares of the Company of the Bonds) and (b) 1.7% of the outstanding
share capital in relation to the remaining portion of the 2024
OCEANEs (assuming full conversion into new shares of the Company of
the 2024 OCEANEs which are currently trading below par value).
Legal Framework of the
Offering
The Bonds, which are issued as per the
twenty-third resolution of the combined general meeting of the
Company held on 27 September 2023, were offered only by way of a
public offering, in France and outside France, to qualified
investors only, as defined in article 2(e) of the Prospectus
Regulation, in accordance with Article L.411-2 1° of the French
Monetary and Financial Code (Code monétaire et financier), that are
neither resident nor otherwise located in the United States,
Canada, Australia and Japan.
Neither the Offering, nor the admission to
trading of the Bonds on Euronext AccessTM or the Concurrent
Accelerated Bookbuilding is subject to a prospectus approved by the
French Financial Market Authority (Autorité des marchés financiers)
(the “AMF”). No key information document under the
Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 26 November 2014, as amended (the “PRIIPs
Regulation”) has been and will be prepared.
Detailed information on Ubisoft, including its
business, results, prospects and related risk factors are described
in the Company’s universal registration document filed with the AMF
on 20 July 2023 under the number D.23-0617 and the half-yearly
financial report dated 3 November 2023, which are available
together with other regulated information and all press releases of
the Company, on the Company’s website (www.ubisoft.com).
Concurrent partial repurchase of the
outstanding 2024 OCEANEs (ISIN code: FR0013448412)
Concurrently with the Offering, the Company has
invited the eligible holders of the 2024 OCEANEs to submit offers
to sell for cash their 2024 OCEANEs, via the Joint Dealer Managers,
in a reverse bookbuilding procedure (the
“Repurchase”) for an aggregate principal amount of
up to €250 million (the “Repurchase Amount”)
representing approximately 50% of the aggregate principal amount of
2024 OCEANEs issued initially.
The bookbuilding process of the Bonds and the
concurrent Repurchase of the 2024 OCEANEs are independent from one
another. The allocation of the Bonds was not contingent upon the
indications of interest to sell expressed by the holders of the
2024 OCEANEs in the concurrent Repurchase.
The Company will announce through a press
release later today the number of 2024 OCEANEs repurchased through
the Repurchase, together with the Repurchase Price.
Important Information
This press release does not constitute or form
part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for or
to sell securities and the Offering is not an offer to the public
in any jurisdiction, including France.
Contact Investor relations
Alexandre EnjalbertInvestor Relations Director+
33 1 48 18 50 78Alexandre.enjalbert@ubisoft.com
About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a creator of worlds, committed to
enriching players’ lives with original and memorable entertainment
experiences. Ubisoft’s global teams create and develop a deep and
diverse portfolio of games, featuring brands such as Assassin’s
Creed®, Brawlhalla®, For Honor®, Far Cry®, Tom Clancy’s Ghost
Recon®, Just Dance®, Rabbids®, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six®, The Crew®
and Tom Clancy’s The Division®. Through Ubisoft Connect, players
can enjoy an ecosystem of services to enhance their gaming
experience, get rewards and connect with friends across platforms.
With Ubisoft+, the subscription service, they can access a growing
catalog of more than 100 Ubisoft games and DLC. For the 2022–23
fiscal year, Ubisoft generated net bookings of €1.74 billion. To
learn more, please visit: www.ubisoftgroup.com.© 2023 Ubisoft
Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo
are registered trademarks in the US and/or other countries.
Important Information
This press release may not be released,
published or distributed, directly or indirectly, in or into the
United States (including its territories and dependencies, any
state of the United States and the District of Columbia) or to U.S.
Persons, or in or into Australia, Canada or Japan. The distribution
of this press release may be restricted by law in certain
jurisdictions and persons into whose possession any document or
other information referred to herein comes, should inform
themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to
comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the
securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
No communication or information relating to the
offering of the Bonds or the Concurrent Accelerated Bookbuilding or
the Repurchase may be distributed to the public in a country where
a registration or approval is required. No action has been or will
be taken in any country in which such registration or approval
would be required. The issuance by the Company or the subscription
of the Bonds, the Concurrent Accelerated Bookbuilding and the
Repurchase may be subject to legal and regulatory restrictions in
certain jurisdictions; neither the Company nor the Joint
Bookrunners assume any liability in connection with the breach by
any person of such restrictions.
This press release is an advertisement and not a
prospectus within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129, as
amended (the “Prospectus Regulation”) and of
Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of the United Kingdom
domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018
(“EUWA”) (the “UK Prospectus
Regulation”). This press release is not an offer to the
public other than to qualified investors, or an offer to subscribe
or designed to solicit interest for purposes of an offer to the
public other than to qualified investors in any jurisdiction,
including France.
The Bonds have been offered only by way of an
offering in France and outside France (excluding the United States,
Australia, Canada, Japan and any other jurisdiction where a
registration process or an approval would be required by applicable
laws and regulations), solely to qualified investors as defined in
article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation and in accordance with
Article L. 411-2 1° of the French Monetary and Financial Code (Code
monétaire et financier) and article 2 of the UK Prospectus
Regulation. There has been no public offering in any country
(including France) in connection with the Bonds, other than to
qualified investors. This press release does not constitute a
recommendation regarding the issue of the Bonds. The value of the
Bonds and the shares of the Company can decrease as well as
increase. Potential investors should consult a professional adviser
as to the suitability of the Bonds for the person concerned.
Prohibition of sales to European Economic Area
retail investors
The Bonds are not intended to be offered, sold
or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or
otherwise made available to, and no action has been undertaken or
will be undertaken to offer, sell or otherwise make available any
Bonds to any retail investor in the European Economic Area (the
“EEA”). For the purposes of this provision, (A) a
“retail investor” means a person who is one (or
more) of the following: (i) a retail client as defined in point
(11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU, as amended
(“MiFID II”); or (ii) a customer within the
meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97, as amended (the
“Insurance Distribution Directive”), where that
customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in
point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) a person other
than a “qualified investor” as defined in the ProspectusRegulation,
and (B) the expression “offer” includes the communication in any
form and by any means ofsufficient information on the terms of the
offer and the Bonds to be offered so as to enable an investorto
decide to purchase or to subscribe to the Bonds. Consequently, no
key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014,
as amended (the "PRIIPs Regulation") for offering
or selling the Bonds or otherwise making them available to retail
investors in the EEA has been or will be prepared and therefore
offering or selling the Bonds or otherwise making them available to
any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs
Regulation.
Prohibition of sales to UK retail Investors
The Bonds are not intended to be offered, sold
or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or
otherwise made available to, and no action has been undertaken or
will be undertaken to offer, sell or otherwise make available any
Bonds to any retail investor in the United Kingdom
(“UK”). For the purposes of this provision, (A) a
“retail investor” means a person who is one (or
more) of the following: (i) a retail client 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; or (ii) a customer within the
meaning of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act
2000, as amended (the “FSMA”) and any rules or
regulations made under the FSMA to implement the Insurance
Distribution Directive, where that customer would not qualify as a
professional client as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of
Regulation (EU) 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue
of the EUWA; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in point
(e) of article2 of the Prospectus Regulation as it forms part of
domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; and (B) theexpression an
“offer” includes the communication in any form and by any means of
sufficient informationon the terms of the offer and the Bonds to be
offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchaseor
subscribe for the Bonds. Consequently no key information document
required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 as it forms part of
domestic law by virtue of the EUWA, as amended (the “UK
PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling the Bonds or
otherwise making them available to retail investors in the UK has
been or will be prepared and therefore offering or selling the
Bonds or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in
the UK may be unlawful under the UK PRIIPs Regulation.
MIFID II product governance / Professional
investors, ECPs and retail investors (in France only) target market
– Solely for the purposes of each manufacturer’s product approval
process, the target market assessment in respect of the Bonds has
led to the conclusion that: (i) the target market for the Bonds is
eligible counterparties, professional clients and retail investors
(in France only), each as defined in MiFID II; and (ii) all
channels for distribution of the Bonds to eligible counterparties
and professional clients are appropriate. Any person subsequently
offering, selling or recommending the Bonds (a
“distributor”) should take into consideration the
manufacturers’ target market assessment; however, a distributor
subject to MiFID II is responsible for undertaking its own target
market assessment in respect of the Bonds (by either adopting or
refining the manufacturers’ target market assessment) and
determining appropriate distribution channels. For the avoidance of
doubt, even if the target market includes retail investors, the
manufacturers have decided that the Bonds have been offered, as
part of the initial offering, only to eligible counterparties and
professional clients.
France
The Bonds have not been and will not be offered
or sold or cause to be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, to
the public in France other than to qualified investors. Any offer
or sale of the Bonds and distribution of any offering material
relating to the Bonds have been and will be made in France only to
qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés), as defined in
article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation, and in accordance with
Article L. 411-2 1° of the French Monetary and Financial Code (Code
monétaire et financier).
United Kingdom
This press release is addressed and directed
only at persons who (i) are located outside the United Kingdom,
(ii) are investment professionals as defined in Article 19(5) of
the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion)
Order 2005, as amended (the “Order”), (iii) are
high net worth companies, and other persons to whom it may lawfully
be communicated, falling within by Article 49(2) (a) to (d) of the
Order (the persons mentioned in paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii)
collectively being referred to as “Relevant
Persons”). The Bonds and, as the case may be, the shares
to be delivered upon exercise of the conversion/exchange rights
(the “Financial Instruments”), are intended only
for Relevant Persons and any invitation, offer or agreement related
to the subscription, tender, or acquisition of the Financial
Instruments may be addressed and/or concluded only with Relevant
Persons. All persons other than Relevant Persons must abstain from
using or relying on this document and all information contained
therein.
This press release is not a prospectus which has
been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority or any other
United Kingdom regulatory authority for the purposes of Section 85
of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
United States
This press release may not be released,
published or distributed in or into the United States (including
its territories and dependencies, any state of the United States
and the District of Columbia). This press release does not
constitute an offer or a solicitation of an offer of securities in
the United States. The Bonds and the shares deliverable upon
conversion or exchange of the Bonds described in this press release
have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S.
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities
Act”), or the securities laws of any state of the United
States, and such securities may not be offered, sold, pledged or
otherwise transferred in the United States or to, or for the
account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S
under the Securities Act (“Regulation S”) absent registration under
the Securities Act or pursuant to an available exemption from, or
in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements
thereof and applicable state or local securities laws. The Company
does not intend to make a public offer of its securities in the
United States.In addition, until 40 calendar days after the
commencement of the offering of the Bonds, an offer or saleof the
Bonds within the United States by a dealer (whether or not it is
participating in the offering) mayviolate the registration
requirements of the Securities Act.
Australia, Canada and Japan
The Bonds may not and will not be offered, sold
or purchased in Australia, Canada or Japan. The information
contained in this press release does not constitute an offer of
securities for sale in Australia, Canada or Japan.
The distribution of this press release in
certain countries may constitute a breach of applicable law.
The Joint Bookrunners are acting exclusively for
the Company and no one else in connection with the Offering. They
will not regard any other person as their respective clients in
relation to the Offering and will not be responsible to anyone
other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to
their respective clients, nor for providing advice in relation to
the Offering, the contents of this press release or any
transaction, arrangement or other matter referred to herein.
None of the Joint Bookrunners or any of their
respective affiliates, directors, officers, employees, advisers or
agents accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for or
makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the
truth, accuracy or completeness of the information in this press
release (or whether any information has been omitted from it) or
any other information relating to the Company, its subsidiaries or
associated companies, whether written, oral or in a visual or
electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available or for
any loss howsoever arising from any use of this press release or
its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith.
In connection with the Offering and the
Concurrent Accelerated Bookbuilding, the Joint Bookrunners and any
of their respective affiliates acting as an investor for its own
account or the account of its clients may take up the Bonds or the
ordinary shares to be issued or transferred and delivered upon
conversion or exchange of the Bonds (the
“Securities”) and in that capacity may retain,
purchase or sell for their own account the Securities or any other
Securities of the Company or related investments, and may offer or
sell the Securities or other investments otherwise than in
connection with the Offering and/or the Concurrent Accelerated
Bookbuilding. The Joint Bookrunners do not intend to disclose the
extent of any such investment or transactions otherwise than in
accordance with any legal or regulatory obligation to do so. In
addition, each of the Joint Bookrunners and their respective
affiliates may perform services for, or solicit business from, the
Company or members of the Company’s group, may make markets in the
securities of such persons and/or have a position or effect
transactions in such securities (including without limitation asset
swaps or derivative transactions relating to such securities).
1 As of the last filing with the AMF (n°223C1649 dated 17
october 2023).
- 20231127 - Pricing PR (ENG)
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