NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR
DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN, INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES
OR ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF
THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF THAT JURISDICTION.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES
OF ARTICLE 7 OF EU REGULATION 596/2014 AS IT FORMS PART OF UK
DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT
2018.
COLEFAX GROUP
PLC
("Colefax" or the
"Company")
Launch of Share Buyback via
Reverse Bookbuild
The Company today announces a share
buyback to purchase ordinary shares of 10.0 pence each in the
Company ("Ordinary Shares") for a maximum consideration of up to
£4,854,938.40 via a reverse bookbuild (the "Buyback").
The Company has for a number of
years followed a policy of buying back Ordinary Shares in order to
enhance earnings for the remaining shareholders. Pursuant to this
policy, the Company has previously launched a number of tender
offers to buy back Ordinary Shares, the most recent being in
September 2023. Due to low shareholder participation in the last
tender offer, the Company's directors have decided to launch the
current Buyback, which will give shareholders the ability to sell
their shares without the costs involved in a formal tender
offer.
The Company has engaged Peel Hunt
LLP ("Peel Hunt") to implement the Buyback. Pursuant to the
Buyback, Peel Hunt will purchase, as principal, up to a maximum of
622,428 Ordinary Shares (being 10.0 per cent. of the Company's
Ordinary Shares) at a price of £7.80 per Ordinary Share (the
"Purchase Price"). The Company has granted a put option to Peel
Hunt pursuant to a repurchase agreement (the "Repurchase
Agreement") under which Peel Hunt may require the Company to
purchase at the Purchase Price the Ordinary Shares purchased by
Peel Hunt pursuant to the Buyback. The Buyback is subject to the
conditions set out in the Repurchase Agreement being
fulfilled.
The reverse bookbuild will commence
immediately following this announcement and will be closed at 16:35
(BST) on 23 October 2024. The final number of shares to be
purchased will be agreed at the close of the reverse bookbuild at
the sole discretion of Colefax and Peel Hunt, and the results of
the reverse bookbuild will be announced as soon as practicable
thereafter. To the extent that the reverse bookbuild is
oversubscribed, orders will be scaled back (whether on a pro rata
basis or otherwise) at the sole discretion of Colefax and Peel
Hunt.
CREST Shareholders wishing to sell
Ordinary Shares as part of the Buyback should inform their broker
to contact Peel Hunt before 16:35 (BST) on 23 October
2024.
Certificated shareholders wishing to
sell Ordinary Shares as part of the Buyback should e-mail
colefaxbuyback@computershare.co.uk to receive a Share Buyback form.
The completed form and copy of the relevant certificate should be
emailed back to Computershare using the same email address. These
are to be received no later than 15:00 (BST) on 23 October
2024.
Purchase of the Company's Ordinary
Shares pursuant to the Buyback will take place following
announcement of the result of the reverse bookbuild.
The primary purpose of the Buyback
is to reduce the share capital of the Company. The Ordinary Shares
purchased under the Buyback will be cancelled.
The directors of the Company
consider the Buyback to be in the best interests of the Company and
of its shareholders generally, with the implementation of the
Buyback expected to enhance earnings per share.
Any purchase of Ordinary Shares
under the Buyback will be carried out on the London Stock Exchange
and shall take place in accordance with (and subject to the limits
prescribed by) the Company's general authority to repurchase
Ordinary Shares granted by its shareholders at the annual general
meeting on 26 September 2024 (the "2024 Authority"). Details of the
2024 Authority can be found on page 56 of the 2024 Annual Report
which can be viewed on the Company's website at
colefaxgroupplc.com. The maximum number of Ordinary Shares that the
Company is authorised to purchase under the 2024 Authority is
933,642.
The person responsible for arranging
the release of this announcement on behalf of the Company
is
Robert Barker, the Group Finance
Director and Company Secretary.
Enquiries:
Colefax Group plc
David Green, Chief
Executive
Rob Barker, Finance
Director
|
+44 (0)20 7318 6000
|
Peel Hunt LLP (NOMAD and broker)
Dan Webster
Andrew Clark
Lalit Bose
Sohail Akbar (ECM)
|
+44 (0)20 7418 8900
|
KTZ
Communications
Katie Tzouliadis
Robert Morton
|
+44 (0)20 3178 6378
|
Important Notices
The information contained within
this Announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside
information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations
(Regulation 596/2014) as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue
of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. Upon the publication
of this Announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this
inside information is now considered to be in the public
domain.
Peel Hunt LLP ("Peel Hunt"), which
is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA, is
acting as nominated adviser and broker exclusively for Colefax and
no one else in connection with the matters set out in this
announcement and will not regard any other person as its client in
relation to the matters set out in this announcement and will not
be responsible to anyone other than Colefax for providing the
protections afforded to clients of Peel Hunt, nor for providing
advice in relation to the contents of this announcement or any
other matter referred to herein. Neither Peel Hunt nor any of its
subsidiaries, branches or affiliates owes or accepts any duty,
liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect,
whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any
person who is not a client of Peel Hunt in connection with this
announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise or any
transaction, arrangement or other matter referred to
herein.
Neither Peel Hunt nor any of its
affiliates nor any of their respective 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 announcement (or whether any information
has been omitted from the announcement) or any other information
relating to Colefax, 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 announcement or its
contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith.
All times referred to are London,
UK, time unless otherwise stated.