THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THE
APPENDICES) (THE "ANNOUNCEMENT") AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED
HEREIN IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR
DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN, INTO
OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN NEW ZEALAND,
THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH
SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. PLEASE
SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICES AT THE END OF THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION
PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR CONTAIN ANY INVITATION,
SOLICITATION, RECOMMENDATION, OFFER OR ADVICE TO ANY PERSON TO
PURCHASE AND/OR SUBSCRIBE FOR, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE OR DISPOSE OF ANY
SECURITIES IN PHOENIX COPPER LIMITED OR ANY OTHER ENTITY IN ANY
JURISDICTION. NEITHER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT NOR THE FACT OF ITS
DISTRIBUTION, SHALL FORM THE BASIS OF, OR BE RELIED ON IN
CONNECTION WITH ANY INVESTMENT DECISION IN RESPECT OF PHOENIX
COPPER LIMITED.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE
INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF THE MARKET ABUSE
REGULATION (596/2014/EU) AS IT FORMS PART OF UK DOMESTIC LAW BY
VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 ("MAR"). IN
ADDITION, MARKET SOUNDINGS (AS DEFINED IN MAR) WERE TAKEN IN
RESPECT OF CERTAIN OF THE MATTERS CONTAINED WITHIN THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT, WITH THE RESULT THAT CERTAIN PERSONS BECAME AWARE OF
INSIDE INFORMATION (AS DEFINED IN MAR). UPON THE PUBLICATION OF
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT VIA A REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE, THOSE
PERSONS THAT RECEIVED INSIDE INFORMATION IN A MARKET SOUNDING ARE
NO LONGER IN POSSESSION OF SUCH INSIDE INFORMATION.
26 January 2024
Phoenix Copper
Limited
('Phoenix' or the 'Company')
Purchase of Equipment,
Proposed Placing, Subscription and Retail Offer
Phoenix Copper Limited (AIM:
PXC, OTCQX: PXCLY), the AIM-quoted USA-focused base and
precious metals emerging producer and exploration company,
announces its intention to raise approximately £2.2 million (before
expenses) through the issue of new ordinary shares of no par value
in the capital of the Company ("Ordinary Shares") at 11.5 pence per
Ordinary Share (the "Issue
Price") (the "Fundraise") to fund the purchase
of mining and processing equipment (as
detailed below) at a potential substantial discount to new
value, and for general working capital
purposes, whilst the Company continues to
work towards completion of the Company's proposed corporate bond
issue.
Summary
· The
Company intends to raise approximately £2.2 million, in aggregate,
pursuant to the Fundraise (further details outlined below). The
allotment and issue of the new Ordinary Shares pursuant to the
Fundraise will be within the Company's existing share authorities
granted at the Company's annual general meeting in June
2023.
· Certain Directors of the Company and members of the Company's
advisory board have indicated their intention to participate in the
Fundraise, by way of a direct subscription with the
Company.
· The
Directors intend that net proceeds of the Fundraise will be used to
fund the purchase of mining and processing equipment (as detailed
below and subject to agreement of terms) at a substantial discount
to new value, and for general working capital purposes. In the
unlikely event that the purchase of the mining equipment does not
progress, all the net proceeds will be used for general working
capital purposes and to progress the work at the Company's Empire
Open Pit Mine in Idaho.
· In
addition to the Fundraise, and as previously announced on 5 January
2024, the Company remains in advanced discussions on its proposed
corporate copper bond financing and remains in negotiations with
the lender to roll the Company's existing short-term loan facility
into a new and larger facility before the repayment date of 23
March 2024. During such discussions the
lender has agreed to waive its conversion rights on the short-term
loan facility for one month from 25 January 2024.
· In the event that the Bond
Financing does not complete and a new facility is not put in place
before 23 March 2024, the Company will be required to seek
alternative sources of funding to fund the future working capital
and capex requirements of the Company, and to repay the
Facility.
The Fundraise, which is being undertaken whilst the Company continues to
work towards completion of the Company's proposed corporate bond
issue, will comprise:
· a
placing raising approximately £1.2 million (the "Placing") through the issue of new
Ordinary Shares (the "Placing
Shares") at the Issue Price;
· a
subscription of approximately £1.0 million (the "Subscription") by certain Directors,
advisory board members of the Company and certain other
investors for new Ordinary
Shares (the "Subscription
Shares"); and
· a
retail offer of up to £0.2 million to eligible existing retail
Shareholders on the BookBuild Platform at the Issue Price (the
"Retail Offer"). The Retail
Offer aims to provide existing retail investors in the UK with an
opportunity to participate in the Fundraise. A separate
announcement will be made in due course regarding the Retail Offer
and its terms.
The Placing will be effected by way
of an accelerated bookbuild (the "Bookbuild") at the Issue Price. The
Bookbuild will open with immediate effect following the release of
this Announcement. A further announcement confirming the
closing of the Bookbuild and the number of new Ordinary Shares to
be issued pursuant to the Placing and Subscription is expected to
be made in due course.
The Placing is subject to the terms
and conditions set out in Appendix III to this Announcement.
Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited ("Panmure Gordon") and WH Ireland Limited
("WH Ireland") are acting
as joint bookrunners (the "Joint
Bookrunners") in connection with the Placing. Tavira
Financial Limited ("Tavira") are acting as lead bookrunner
for the Subscription. The allotment and issue of the Placing
Shares, and any new Ordinary Shares pursuant to the Retail Offer
and Subscription, will take place pursuant to the Company's
existing share authorities granted at the
Company's annual general meeting in June 2023.
The following sets out the
background to, and the reasons for, the Fundraise and explains why
the Directors consider the Fundraise to be in the best interests of
the Company and its Shareholders as a whole.
Rationale for the Fundraise
As announced on 18 January 2024, the
pre-feasibility study ("PFS") for the Empire Open-Pit Mine is
nearing completion and, barring any unforeseen delays, is
anticipated for delivery to the Company by late Q1 2024 or early Q2
2024. The final PFS report will include a comprehensive mine plan,
mineral processing design, compliant mineral reserves calculated as
deliverable metal for smelting or refining, net of mining dilution,
detailed operating and capital cost estimates, and final economic
analysis and cashflow. The completion of this report will represent
a significant milestone for the Company and will enable the
Directors to make final amendments to the Plan of Operations for
permitting purposes and, subject to finance, to procure the
remaining capital equipment items.
The milling and recovery process
developed for the Empire Open-Pit Mine is crush-grind and acid tank
leach-cementation copper. As part of the
estimation and pricing of capital equipment
for the PFS, the Company has been given an opportunity to
purchase certain equipment
in good operating condition at a significant discount to the price of that equipment when
new. If it completes, this purchase
should give the Company a
significant capex reduction and the
Directors anticipate it will have a material impact on the PFS
economic analysis, as well as reducing the time required to
purchase certain long lead-time items.
The Company is anticipating
purchasing, amongst other items, a grinding circuit and related
components, including spare parts (the "Equipment"). The purchase of any
Equipment is subject to negotiations and completion of final
purchase documentation.
Use
of Proceeds and working capital
As set out above the
net proceeds of the Fundraise will be used
to progress the purchase of the Equipment (including taxes and
shipping) and for general working capital
purposes. In the unlikely event that the
purchase of the Equipment does not complete, all funds will be
applied for general working capital purposes and to progress the
work at the Company's Empire Open Pit Mine in Idaho,
USA.
In addition to the Fundraise, and as
previously announced on 5 January 2024, the Company remains in
advanced discussions with a number of interested bond investors in
relation to the Company's proposed corporate copper bond financing
which is intended to finance construction of the Empire Open-Pit
Mine in Idaho, USA (the "Bond
Financing"). Furthermore, with respect to its $2
million short-term loan facility (the "Facility"), the lender has agreed to
waive its conversion rights for one month from 25 January 2024,
whilst the Company remains in negotiations with the lender to roll
the Facility into a new and larger facility before the repayment date of 23 March 2024.
The Directors remain confident that the
Bond Financing will be
closed and that the Facility will be rolled into a new and larger
facility. At this stage, however, there can be no certainty that
the Company will receive
the Bond Financing or that the Facility will be
rolled into a new facility.
In the event that the Bond Financing
does not complete and a new facility is not put in place before 23
March 2024, the Company will be
required to seek alternative sources of
funding to fund the future working capital
and capex requirements of the
Company, and to repay the Facility.
Further announcements relating to the Bond
Financing and the Facility will be made as appropriate.
The
Fundraise
The Placing
The Placing is being conducted by
the Joint Bookrunners. A placing agreement has been entered into
between the Company and the Joint Bookrunners in connection with
the Placing (the "Placing
Agreement"). The Placing is not being
underwritten.
The Placing Shares are being offered
by way of the Bookbuild, which will open immediately following the
release of this Announcement, in accordance with the terms and
conditions set out in Appendix III to this Announcement. A further
announcement confirming closing of the Bookbuild and the number of
Placing Shares to be issued pursuant to the Placing is expected to
be made in due course.
The timing of the closure of the
Bookbuild, the number of Placing Shares and the allocation of the
Placing Shares between Placees is to be determined at the
discretion of the Company and the Joint Bookrunners.
Members of the public are not
eligible to take part in the Placing.
The Placing is conditional upon,
amongst other things, the admission of the Placing Shares to
trading on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange
("Admission") becoming
effective and the Placing Agreement between the Company and the
Joint Bookrunners becoming unconditional and not having been
terminated in accordance with its terms.
The Joint Bookrunners have the right
to terminate the Placing Agreement in certain circumstances prior
to Admission, including (but not limited to): in the event that any
of the warranties set out in the Placing Agreement are not true and
accurate or are misleading when given or the Company fails to
comply with any of its obligations under the Placing Agreement
prior to Admission. The Joint Bookrunners may also terminate the
Placing Agreement if there has been, or is reasonably likely to
occur, a material adverse change in national or international
political, military, diplomatic, economic, financial or market
conditions (including disruption to trading on any relevant stock
exchange) or currency exchange rates or exchange controls or any
statutory or regulatory matter, which in the opinion of the Joint
Bookrunners has a material and adverse effect on the Placing or
otherwise render the Placing temporarily or permanently
impracticable or inadvisable.
If this termination right is
exercised, or if the conditionality in the Placing Agreement is not
satisfied, the Placing will not proceed.
The Subscription
Marcus Edwards-Jones, Ryan
McDermott, Richard Wilkins and Andre Cohen, being Directors of the
Company, Dennis Thomas and Harry Kenyon-Slaney, being members of
the Company's Advisory Board, and certain other investors have
indicated their intention to subscribe for new Ordinary Shares at
the Issue Price pursuant to the terms and conditions of
subscription letters to be entered into between the relevant
Directors and the Company on or about the date hereof.
The Subscription Shares will be
subscribed for on the basis agreed pursuant to subscription
agreements between the Company and the relevant subscribers, rather
than pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Placing contained
in the Appendix III to this Announcement.
Tavira is acting as lead bookrunner
for the Subscription and further details relating to the
Subscription, including the total number of new Ordinary Shares to
be subscribed for and the aggregate gross proceeds of the
Subscription, will be announced as soon as practicable after
closure of the Bookbuild.
The Retail Offer
The Company also intends to raise up
to £0.2 million by way of the Retail Offer. The issue of the Retail
Offer Shares will be at the Issue Price and will also rely upon the
existing authorities to allot equity securities granted at the
Company's annual general meeting in June 2023.
The terms and conditions in respect
of the Retail Offer will be set out in a separate announcement to
be made shortly.
Completion of the Retail Offer is
conditional upon the completion of the Placing but completion of
the Placing is not conditional on the completion of the Retail
Offer or the Subscription
Persons who have chosen to participate in the Placing, by
making an oral or written offer to acquire Placing Shares, will be
deemed to have read and understood this Announcement in its
entirety (including the Appendices) and to be making such offer on
the terms and subject to the conditions herein, and to be providing
the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgements and
undertakings contained in Appendix III.
For further information please
visit https://phoenixcopperlimited.com
Contacts
Phoenix Copper Limited
|
Ryan McDermott
Brittany Lock
Richard Wilkins
|
Tel: +1
208 954 7039
Tel: +1
208 794 8033
Tel: +44
7590 216 657
|
SP Angel Corporate Finance
LLP (Nominated Adviser)
|
David Hignell / Caroline
Rowe / Kasia Brzozowska
|
Tel: +44
20 3470 0470
|
Tavira Financial Limited (Joint
Broker and lead bookrunner to the Subscription)
|
Jonathan Evans / Oliver
Stansfield
|
Tel: +44
20 7100 5100
|
WH Ireland (Joint Broker and Joint
Bookrunner)
|
Harry Ansell / Katy
Mitchell
|
Tel: +44
20 7220 1666
|
Panmure Gordon (UK)
Limited (Joint Broker and Joint Bookrunner)
|
Mark Murphy / Will Goode / Joseph
Tan
|
Tel: +44
20 7886 2500
|
EAS Advisors (US Corporate
Adviser)
|
Matt Bonner / Rogier de la
Rambelje
|
Tel: +1
(646) 495-2225
|
BlytheRay
(Financial PR)
|
Tim Blythe / Megan
Ray
|
Tel: +44
20 7138 3204
|
Notes
Phoenix Copper Limited is
a USA focused, base and precious metals emerging producer
and exploration company, initially targeting copper, gold, silver
and zinc production from an open pit mine.
Phoenix's primary operations
are focused near Mackay, Idaho in the Alder
Creek mining district, at the 80% owned Empire
Mine property, which historically produced copper at grades of
up to 8%, as well as gold, silver, zinc and tungsten, from an
underground mine.
Since 2017, Phoenix has
carried out extensive drill programmes which have defined a NI
43-101 completed PEA (preliminary economic assessment) for an open
pit heap leach solvent extraction and electrowinning ("SX-EW")
mine, which was updated in October 2020. From the 2020 PEA,
the measured and indicated resource is 22,909,059 tonnes at an
average grade of 0.38% copper, 0.324 grammes per tonne ("g/t")
gold, 10.3 g/t silver, and 0.19% zinc. The contained metal for the
measured and indicated resource is 87,543 tonnes of copper, 238,406
ounces of gold, 7,595,198 ounces of silver and 43,871 tonnes of
zinc.
In addition to Empire, the district
includes the historic Horseshoe, White Knob and Blue Bird
Mines, past producers of copper, gold, silver, zinc, lead and
tungsten from underground mines. A new discovery at Red Star,
330 metres northwest of the Empire Mine proposed open
pit, has revealed high grade silver / lead sulphide ore, and from
three shallow exploration drill holes a maiden inferred resource of
103,000 tonnes containing 173.4 g/t silver, 0.85 g/t gold and 3.85%
lead (1.6 million ounces silver equivalent) was reported in an NI
43-101 technical report published in May 2019. Additionally,
the district includes Navarre Creek, a volcanic hosted
precious metals target in a 16.09 sq km area. The Company's total
land package at Empire comprises 8,434 acres (34.13 sq
kms).
At Empire, it is estimated that less
than 1% of the potential ore system has been explored to date and,
accordingly, there is significant opportunity to increase the
resource through phased exploration. The stated aim of the Company
is to fund this phased exploration through free cashflow generated
by its initial mine. A Plan of Operations in respect of the initial
open pit mine was filed with the relevant regulatory authorities
in June 2021.
Phoenix also has two wholly
owned cobalt properties on the Idaho Cobalt Belt to the north of
Empire. An Earn-In Agreement has been signed with Electra Battery
Materials, Toronto, in respect of one of those
properties.
Phoenix is listed
on London's AIM (PXC), and trades on New
York's OTCQX Market (PXCLF and PXCLY (ADRs)). More details on
the Company, its assets and its objectives can be found on PXC's
website at https://phoenixcopperlimited.com/
IMPORTANT
NOTICES
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT , INCLUDING THE
APPENDICES (TOGETHER, THE "ANNOUNCEMENT") AND THE INFORMATION IN
IT, IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR
DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR
INTO OR FROM AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, THE REPUBLIC OF
SOUTH AFRICA, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (INCLUDING ITS
TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA) OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH
RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OR ANY PART OF IT
DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR FORM PART OF ANY OFFER TO SELL OR ISSUE OR
THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO ACQUIRE, PURCHASE OR SUBSCRIBE FOR
PLACING SHARES IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, THE
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER
JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH AN OFFER OR SOLICITATION IS OR MAY BE
RESTRICTED OR UNLAWFUL.
THE PLACING SHARES HAVE NOT BEEN AND
WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR WITH ANY
SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION
OF THE UNITED STATES AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD, PLEDGED, TAKEN
UP, EXERCISED, RESOLD, RENOUNCED, TRANSFERRED OR DELIVERED,
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES ABSENT
REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN
EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE
REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN COMPLIANCE
WITH ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR OTHER
JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES. THE PLACING SHARES HAVE NOT BEEN
APPROVED, DISAPPROVED OR RECOMMENDED BY THE U.S. SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION, ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION IN THE UNITED
STATES OR ANY OTHER U.S. REGULATORY AUTHORITY, NOR HAVE ANY OF THE
FOREGOING AUTHORITIES PASSED UPON OR ENDORSED THE MERITS OF THE
OFFERING OF THE PLACING SHARES. NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF
SECURITIES IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE RELEVANT CLEARANCES HAVE NOT
BEEN, NOR WILL THEY BE, OBTAINED FROM THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF
ANY PROVINCE OR TERRITORY OF CANADA, NO PROSPECTUS HAS BEEN LODGED
WITH, OR REGISTERED BY, THE AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENTS
COMMISSION OR THE JAPANESE MINISTRY OF FINANCE; THE RELEVANT
CLEARANCES HAVE NOT BEEN, AND WILL NOT BE, OBTAINED FROM THE SOUTH
AFRICA RESERVE BANK OR ANY OTHER APPLICABLE BODY IN THE REPUBLIC OF
SOUTH AFRICA IN RELATION TO THE PLACING SHARES AND THE PLACING
SHARES HAVE NOT BEEN, NOR WILL THEY BE, REGISTERED UNDER OR OFFERED
IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE, PROVINCE OR
TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND OR THE REPUBLIC
OF SOUTH AFRICA.
ACCORDINGLY, THE PLACING SHARES MAY
NOT (UNLESS AN EXEMPTION UNDER THE RELEVANT SECURITIES LAWS IS
APPLICABLE) BE OFFERED, SOLD, RESOLD OR DELIVERED, DIRECTLY OR
INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA,
CANADA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, OR ANY
OTHER JURISDICTION OUTSIDE THE UNITED KINGDOM. PERSONS
(INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, NOMINEES AND TRUSTEES) WHO HAVE A
CONTRACTUAL RIGHT OR OTHER LEGAL OBLIGATION TO FORWARD A COPY OF
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT SHOULD SEEK APPROPRIATE ADVICE BEFORE TAKING ANY
ACTION.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER
FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER,
SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF
ANY SUCH JURISDICTION.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN ISSUED
BY, AND IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF, THE COMPANY. NO UNDERTAKING,
REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY OR OTHER ASSURANCE, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IS
MADE OR GIVEN BY OR ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY, PANMURE GORDON (UK)
LIMITED ("PANMURE GORDON"), W H IRELAND LIMITED ("WH IRELAND"), SP
ANGEL CORPORATE FINANCE LLP ("SP ANGEL") OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE
DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, PARTNERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS OR ADVISERS OR ANY
OTHER PERSON AS TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION
OR OPINIONS CONTAINED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND NO RESPONSIBILITY OR
LIABILITY IS ACCEPTED BY ANY OF THEM FOR ANY SUCH INFORMATION OR
OPINIONS OR FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR MISSTATEMENTS, NEGLIGENCE
OR OTHERWISE IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
PANMURE GORDON, WHICH IS AUTHORISED
AND REGULATED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BY THE FCA, IS ACTING
AS JOINT BROKER AND JOINT BOOKRUNNER EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE
COMPANY AND NO ONE ELSE IN CONNECTION WITH THE PLACING AND THE
CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND WILL NOT REGARD ANY OTHER PERSON
(WHETHER OR NOT A RECIPIENT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT) AS ITS CLIENT IN
RELATION TO THE PLACING NOR WILL IT BE RESPONSIBLE TO ANYONE OTHER
THAN THE COMPANY FOR PROVIDING THE PROTECTIONS AFFORDED TO ITS
CLIENTS OR FOR PROVIDING ADVICE IN RELATION TO THE CONTENTS OF THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT. APART FROM THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND LIABILITIES, IF
ANY, WHICH MAY BE IMPOSED ON PANMURE GORDON BY FSMA OR THE
REGULATORY REGIME ESTABLISHED THEREUNDER, PANMURE GORDON ACCEPTS NO
RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER, AND MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT
INCLUDING ITS ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS OR VERIFICATION OR FOR ANY
OTHER STATEMENT MADE OR PURPORTED TO BE MADE BY IT, OR ON BEHALF OF
IT, THE COMPANY OR ANY OTHER PERSON, IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMPANY
AND THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, WHETHER AS TO THE PAST OR
THE FUTURE. PANMURE GORDON ACCORDINGLY DISCLAIMS ALL AND ANY
LIABILITY WHATSOEVER, WHETHER ARISING IN TORT, CONTRACT OR
OTHERWISE (SAVE AS REFERRED TO ABOVE), WHICH IT MIGHT OTHERWISE
HAVE IN RESPECT OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OR ANY SUCH
STATEMENT.
WH IRELAND, WHICH IS AUTHORISED AND
REGULATED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BY THE FCA, IS ACTING AS JOINT
BROKER AND JOINT BOOKRUNNER EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE COMPANY AND NO ONE
ELSE IN CONNECTION WITH THE PLACING AND THE CONTENTS OF THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT AND WILL NOT REGARD ANY OTHER PERSON (WHETHER OR NOT A
RECIPIENT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT) AS ITS CLIENT IN RELATION TO THE
PLACING NOR WILL IT BE RESPONSIBLE TO ANYONE OTHER THAN THE COMPANY
FOR PROVIDING THE PROTECTIONS AFFORDED TO ITS CLIENTS OR FOR
PROVIDING ADVICE IN RELATION TO THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
APART FROM THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND LIABILITIES, IF ANY, WHICH MAY
BE IMPOSED ON WH IRELAND BY FSMA OR THE REGULATORY REGIME
ESTABLISHED THEREUNDER, WH IRELAND ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY
WHATSOEVER, AND MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, AS TO THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT INCLUDING ITS
ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS OR VERIFICATION OR FOR ANY OTHER STATEMENT
MADE OR PURPORTED TO BE MADE BY IT, OR ON BEHALF OF IT, THE COMPANY
OR ANY OTHER PERSON, IN CONNECTION WITH THE COMPANY AND THE
CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, WHETHER AS TO THE PAST OR THE
FUTURE. WH IRELAND ACCORDINGLY DISCLAIMS ALL AND ANY LIABILITY
WHATSOEVER, WHETHER ARISING IN TORT, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE (SAVE AS
REFERRED TO ABOVE), WHICH IT MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE IN RESPECT OF THE
CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OR ANY SUCH STATEMENT.
TAVIRA FINANCIAL LIMITED, WHICH IS
AUTHORISED AND REGULATED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BY THE FCA, IS
ACTING AS JOINT BROKER AND JOINT BOOKRUNNER EXCLUSIVELY FOR
THE COMPANY AND NO ONE ELSE IN CONNECTION WITH THE PLACING AND THE
CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND WILL NOT REGARD ANY OTHER PERSON
(WHETHER OR NOT A RECIPIENT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT) AS ITS CLIENT IN
RELATION TO THE PLACING NOR WILL IT BE RESPONSIBLE TO ANYONE OTHER
THAN THE COMPANY FOR PROVIDING THE PROTECTIONS AFFORDED TO ITS
CLIENTS OR FOR PROVIDING ADVICE IN RELATION TO THE CONTENTS OF THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT. APART FROM THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND LIABILITIES, IF
ANY, WHICH MAY BE IMPOSED ON TAVIRA FINANCIAL LIMITED BY FSMA OR
THE REGULATORY REGIME ESTABLISHED THEREUNDER, TAVIRA FINANCIAL
LIMITED ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER, AND MAKES NO
REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE CONTENTS
OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT INCLUDING ITS ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS OR
VERIFICATION OR FOR ANY OTHER STATEMENT MADE OR PURPORTED TO BE
MADE BY IT, OR ON BEHALF OF IT, THE COMPANY OR ANY OTHER PERSON, IN
CONNECTION WITH THE COMPANY AND THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT,
WHETHER AS TO THE PAST OR THE FUTURE. TAVIRA FINANCIAL LIMITED
ACCORDINGLY DISCLAIMS ALL AND ANY LIABILITY WHATSOEVER, WHETHER
ARISING IN TORT, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE (SAVE AS REFERRED TO ABOVE),
WHICH IT MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE IN RESPECT OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT OR ANY SUCH STATEMENT.
SP ANGEL, WHICH IS AUTHORISED AND
REGULATED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BY THE FCA, IS ACTING AS NOMINATED
ADVISER EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE COMPANY AND NO ONE ELSE IN CONNECTION
WITH THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND WILL NOT REGARD ANY
OTHER PERSON (WHETHER OR NOT A RECIPIENT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT) AS
ITS CLIENT IN RELATION TO THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT NOR
WILL IT BE RESPONSIBLE TO ANYONE OTHER THAN THE COMPANY FOR
PROVIDING THE PROTECTIONS AFFORDED TO ITS CLIENTS OR FOR PROVIDING
ADVICE IN RELATION TO THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. APART FROM
THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND LIABILITIES, IF ANY, WHICH MAY BE IMPOSED
ON SP ANGEL BY THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000, AS
AMENDED ("FSMA") OR THE REGULATORY REGIME ESTABLISHED THEREUNDER,
SP ANGEL ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER, AND MAKES NO
REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE CONTENTS
OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT INCLUDING ITS ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS OR
VERIFICATION OR FOR ANY OTHER STATEMENT MADE OR PURPORTED TO BE
MADE BY IT, OR ON BEHALF OF IT, THE COMPANY OR ANY OTHER PERSON, IN
CONNECTION WITH THE COMPANY AND THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT,
WHETHER AS TO THE PAST OR THE FUTURE. SP ANGEL ACCORDINGLY
DISCLAIMS ALL AND ANY LIABILITY WHATSOEVER, WHETHER ARISING IN
TORT, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE (SAVE AS REFERRED TO ABOVE), WHICH IT
MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE IN RESPECT OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT OR ANY SUCH STATEMENT. THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF SP
ANGEL AS THE COMPANY'S NOMINATED ADVISER UNDER THE AIM RULES FOR
COMPANIES AND THE AIM RULES FOR NOMINATED ADVISERS ARE OWED SOLELY
TO THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE AND ARE NOT OWED TO THE COMPANY OR TO
ANY DIRECTOR OR SHAREHOLDER OF THE COMPANY OR ANY OTHER PERSON, IN
RESPECT OF ITS DECISION TO ACQUIRE SHARES IN THE CAPITAL OF THE
COMPANY IN RELIANCE ON ANY PART OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, OR
OTHERWISE.
THE INFORMATION IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT
MAY NOT BE FORWARDED OR DISTRIBUTED TO ANY OTHER PERSON AND MAY NOT
BE REPRODUCED IN ANY MANNER WHATSOEVER. ANY FORWARDING,
DISTRIBUTION, REPRODUCTION, OR DISCLOSURE OF THIS INFORMATION IN
WHOLE OR IN PART IS UNAUTHORISED. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS
DIRECTIVE MAY RESULT IN A VIOLATION OF APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS
AND REGULATIONS OF OTHER JURISDICTIONS.
NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF THE PLACING
SHARES IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED STATES, THE UNITED KINGDOM OR
ELSEWHERE. ALL OFFERS OF THE PLACING SHARES WILL BE MADE PURSUANT
TO AN EXEMPTION UNDER THE EU PROSPECTUS REGULATION, OR THE UK
PROSPECTUS REGULATION, (AS THE CASE MAY BE) FROM THE
REQUIREMENT TO PRODUCE A PROSPECTUS. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS BEING
DISTRIBUTED TO PERSONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM ONLY IN CIRCUMSTANCES
IN WHICH SECTION 21(1) OF FSMA DOES NOT APPLY.
THE INFORMATION IN THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT, WHICH INCLUDES CERTAIN INFORMATION DRAWN FROM PUBLIC
SOURCES, DOES NOT PURPORT TO BE COMPREHENSIVE AND HAS NOT BEEN
INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS STATEMENTS THAT
ARE, OR MAY BE DEEMED FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS, WHICH
RELATE, INTER ALIA, TO THE COMPANY'S PROPOSED STRATEGY, PLANS
AND OBJECTIVES. SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS INVOLVE KNOWN AND
UNKNOWN RISKS, UNCERTAINTIES AND OTHER IMPORTANT FACTORS BEYOND THE
CONTROL OF THE COMPANY (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO FUTURE MARKET
CONDITIONS, LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY CHANGES, THE ACTIONS OF
GOVERNMENTAL REGULATORS AND CHANGES IN THE POLITICAL, SOCIAL OR
ECONOMIC FRAMEWORK IN WHICH THE COMPANY OPERATES) THAT COULD CAUSE
THE ACTUAL PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS ON THE COMPANY TO BE
MATERIALLY DIFFERENT FROM SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS.
THE CONTENT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT HAS
NOT BEEN APPROVED BY AN AUTHORISED PERSON WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE
FSMA. RELIANCE ON THIS ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENGAGING IN
ANY INVESTMENT ACTIVITY MAY EXPOSE AN INDIVIDUAL TO A SIGNIFICANT
RISK OF LOSING ALL OF THE PROPERTY OR OTHER ASSETS INVESTED. THE
PRICE OF SECURITIES AND ANY INCOME EXPECTED FROM THEM MAY GO DOWN
AS WELL AS UP AND INVESTORS MAY NOT GET BACK THE FULL AMOUNT
INVESTED UPON DISPOSAL OF THE SECURITIES. PAST PERFORMANCE IS NO
GUIDE TO FUTURE PERFORMANCE, AND PERSONS NEEDING ADVICE SHOULD
CONSULT AN APPROPRIATE INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISER.
NO PROSPECTUS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE
IN CONNECTION WITH THE MATTERS CONTAINED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND
NO SUCH PROSPECTUS IS REQUIRED TO BE PUBLISHED (IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THE EU PROSPECTUS REGULATION OR THE UK PROSPECTUS
REGULATION).
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT
ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE
TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN ARE FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES
ONLY AND ARE DIRECTED ONLY AT PERSONS WHO ARE: (A) PERSONS IN
MEMBER STATES WHO ARE QUALIFIED INVESTORS; AND (B) IN THE UNITED
KINGDOM, QUALIFIED INVESTORS WHO ARE PERSONS WHO (I) HAVE
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS FALLING
WITHIN THE DEFINITION OF "INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS" IN ARTICLE
19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL
PROMOTION) ORDER 2005, AS AMENDED (THE "ORDER"); (II) ARE PERSONS
FALLING WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) ("HIGH NET WORTH COMPANIES,
UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATIONS, ETC") OF THE ORDER; OR (III) ARE
PERSONS TO WHOM IT MAY OTHERWISE BE LAWFULLY COMMUNICATED; (ALL
SUCH PERSONS TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS RELEVANT
PERSONS").
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE TERMS AND
CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN MUST NOT BE ACTED ON OR RELIED ON BY
PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS. PERSONS DISTRIBUTING THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT MUST SATISFY THEMSELVES THAT IT IS LAWFUL TO DO SO.
ANY INVESTMENT OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT
AND THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN RELATES IS AVAILABLE
ONLY TO RELEVANT PERSONS AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH RELEVANT
PERSONS.
NO STATEMENT IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS
INTENDED TO BE A PROFIT FORECAST OR ESTIMATE, AND NO STATEMENT IN
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT SHOULD BE INTERPRETED TO MEAN THAT EARNINGS PER
SHARE OF THE COMPANY FOR THE CURRENT OR FUTURE FINANCIAL YEARS
WOULD NECESSARILY MATCH OR EXCEED THE HISTORICAL PUBLISHED EARNINGS
PER SHARE OF THE COMPANY.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS (OR MAY
CONTAIN) CERTAIN FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN
OF THE COMPANY'S CURRENT EXPECTATIONS AND PROJECTIONS ABOUT FUTURE
EVENTS AND THE COMPANY'S FUTURE FINANCIAL CONDITION AND
PERFORMANCE. THESE STATEMENTS, WHICH SOMETIMES USE WORDS SUCH AS
"AIM", "ANTICIPATE", "BELIEVE", "MAY", "WILL", "SHOULD", "INTEND",
"PLAN", "ASSUME", "ESTIMATE", "EXPECT" (OR THE NEGATIVE THEREOF)
AND WORDS OF SIMILAR MEANING, REFLECT THE CURRENT BELIEFS AND
EXPECTATIONS OF THE DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY AND INVOLVE KNOWN AND
UNKNOWN RISKS, UNCERTAINTIES AND ASSUMPTIONS, MANY OF WHICH ARE
OUTSIDE THE COMPANY'S CONTROL AND DIFFICULT TO PREDICT, THAT COULD
CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM ANY
EXPECTED FUTURE RESULTS OR PERFORMANCE EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED BY THE
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT. 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, PLANNED WORK AT THE COMPANY'S
PROJECTS AND THE EXPECTED RESULTS OF SUCH WORK, MINERAL GRADES AND
MINERAL RESERVE AND RESOURCE ESTIMATES. BY THEIR NATURE,
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS INVOLVE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES BECAUSE
THEY RELATE TO EVENTS AND DEPEND ON CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MAY OR MAY
NOT OCCUR IN THE FUTURE. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT SPEAKS ONLY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND IS
SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE AND NONE OF THE COMPANY, PANMURE
GORDON, WH IRELAND OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE ASSOCIATES,
DIRECTORS, OFFICERS OR ADVISERS ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY OR
OBLIGATION TO, AND DOES NOT INTEND TO, UPDATE OR REVISE PUBLICLY OR
REVIEW ANY OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT,
WHETHER AS A RESULT OF NEW INFORMATION, FUTURE EVENTS OR OTHERWISE,
EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT REQUIRED BY THE FCA, THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE
OR BY APPLICABLE LAW.
ANY INFORMATION IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT
IN RESPECT OF PAST PERFORMANCE (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION PAST
PERFORMANCE OF THE COMPANY, ITS GROUP, SHARES IN THE COMPANY AND/OR
THE COMPANY'S PORTFOLIO) CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS A GUIDE TO FUTURE
PERFORMANCE. THE PRICE OF SHARES AND THE INCOME FROM THEM MAY
FLUCTUATE UPWARDS OR DOWNWARDS AND CANNOT BE GUARANTEED.
NEITHER THE CONTENT OF THE COMPANY'S
WEBSITE NOR ANY WEBSITE ACCESSIBLE BY HYPERLINKS ON THE COMPANY'S
WEBSITE IS INCORPORATED IN, OR FORMS PART OF, THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE
INFORMATION AS DEFINED IN REGULATION (EU) NO. 596/2014 ON MARKET
ABUSE WHICH IS PART OF UK DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN
UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 ("MAR") AND IS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH
THE COMPANY'S OBLIGATIONS UNDER ARTICLE 17 OF MAR.
APPENDIX I
Expected Timetable of
Principal Events
|
|
Announcement of the
Placing
|
26 January
2024
|
Close of Placing and results of
Placing and Subscription announced
|
26 January
2024
|
Announcement of Retail
Offer
|
26 January
2024
|
Launch of Retail Offer via BookBuild
platform
|
26 January
2024
|
Close of Retail Offer via BookBuild
platform
|
At 4.35
p.m. on or around 31 January
2024
|
Results of Retail Offer
announced
|
On or
around 31 January 2024
|
Admission and commencement of
dealing in Placing Shares and Subscription Shares
|
at 8.00
a.m. on or around 1 February 2024
|
|
|
|
|
Admission of Retail Offer
Shares
|
at 8.00
a.m. on or around 6 February 2024
|
CREST accounts credited in respect
of Placing Shares and Subscription Shares in uncertificated
form
|
at 8.00
a.m. on or around 6 February 2024
|
Despatch of definitive share
certificates in respect of Placing Shares and Subscription Shares
to be issued in certificated form
|
within 14
days of Admission
|
Each of the times and dates set out
in the above timetable and mentioned in this Announcement are
subject to change by the Company, in which event details of the new
times and dates will be notified to Placees by the Joint
Bookrunners or by an announcement through a Regulatory Information
Service, as the case may be.
APPENDIX II
Definitions
The following definitions apply
throughout this Announcement unless the context otherwise
requires:
Act
|
the BVI Business Companies Act (No.
16 of 2004) as amended, and includes the
regulations made under the Act;
|
Admission
|
admission of the Placing Shares to
trading on AIM becoming effective in accordance with the AIM
Rules;
|
AIM
|
AIM, a market of that name
operated by the London
Stock Exchange;
|
AIM
Rules
|
the AIM Rules for Companies, as
published by the London Stock
Exchange and amended from time to
time;
|
Announcement
|
this announcement (including the
Appendices, which form part of this announcement);
|
Board or Directors
|
the directors of the Company or any
duly authorised committee thereof;
|
Bookbuild
|
the accelerated bookbuild to be
conducted by the Joint Bookrunners pursuant to the Placing
Agreement and this Announcement;
|
Bookbuild Platform
|
the platform operated by BB
Technology Limited (trading as BookBuild);
|
certificated or
in certificated
form
|
a share or other security not held
in uncertificated form (that is, not in CREST);
|
Closing Price
|
the closing middle market price of
an Existing Ordinary Share as derived from the AIM Appendix to the
Daily Official List of the London Stock Exchange;
|
Company or Phoenix
|
Phoenix Copper Limited, a company
incorporated in the BVI under the Act, with registration number
1791533;
|
CREST
|
the computerised settlement system
(as defined in the CREST Regulations) operated by Euroclear UK
& International Limited, which facilitates the holding and
transfer of title to shares in uncertificated form;
|
CREST Regulations
|
the Uncertificated Securities
Regulations 2001(as
amended);
|
Enlarged Share Capital
|
the issued share capital of the
Company as enlarged by the issue of the Placing Shares;
|
Existing Ordinary Shares
|
the 124,928,622 Ordinary Shares in
issue at the date of this Announcement;
|
EU
Prospectus Regulation
|
Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the
European Parliament and Council of 14 June 2017 and any relevant
implementing measures in any Member State of the European Economic
Area;
|
Financial Conduct Authority or
FCA
|
the Financial Conduct Authority in
its capacity as the competent authority for the purposes of Part IV
of FSMA;
|
FSMA
|
the Financial Services and Markets
Act 2000 (as amended);
|
Fundraise
|
the Placing, Subscription and the
Retail Offer;
|
Group
|
the Company and its
subsidiaries;
|
Issue Price
|
11.5p;
|
Joint Bookrunners
|
WH Ireland and Panmure
Gordon;
|
London Stock Exchange
|
London Stock Exchange
plc;
|
Ordinary Shares
|
ordinary shares of no par value in
the capital of the Company;
|
Panmure Gordon
|
Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited, a
company incorporated in England and Wales with company number
04915201 and whose registered office is 40 Gracechurch Street,
London, EC3V 0BT;
|
Placees
|
subscribers for Placing
Shares;
|
Placing
|
the conditional placing of the
Placing Shares pursuant to the Placing Agreement;
|
Placing Agreement
|
the conditional agreement dated
26 January 2024 between the Company,
Panmure Gordon and WH Ireland in connection with the
Placing;
|
Placing Shares
|
the new Ordinary Shares to be issued
pursuant to the Placing;
|
Publicly Available Information
|
any information announced through a
Regulatory Information Service by or on behalf of the Company on or
prior to the date of this Announcement;
|
Qualified Investors
|
in member states of the European
Economic Area, "qualified investors" within the meaning of article
2(e) of the EU Prospectus Regulation, and in the UK, "qualified
investors" within the meaning of article 2(e) of the UK Prospectus
Regulation;
|
Regulatory Information Service
|
one of the regulatory information
services authorised by the FCA to receive, process and disseminate
regulatory information;
|
Retail Offer
|
the offer by the Company of the
Retail Offer Shares at the Issue Price to
existing Retail Shareholders, via the
BookBuild Platform, on the terms and conditions set out in the
Company's separate announcement;
|
Retail Offer Shares
|
the Ordinary Shares to be issued by
the Company pursuant to the Retail Offer;
|
Shareholders
|
the holders of Ordinary
Shares;
|
Subscription
|
the proposed direct subscription
with the Company by certain Directors, advisory board members of
the Company and certain other investors for new Ordinary
Shares;
|
Tavira
|
Tavira Financial Limited, a company
incorporated in England and Wales with company number 05471230
whose registered office is situated at 13th Floor, 88 Wood Street,
London, EC2V 7DA;
|
uncertificated or in uncertificated form
|
recorded on the register of members
of Phoenix as being held in uncertificated form in CREST and title
to which, by virtue of the CREST Regulations, may be transferred by
means of CREST;
|
UK or United
Kingdom
|
the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland;
|
UK
Prospectus Regulation
|
the EU Prospectus Regulation as it
forms part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal)
Act 2018, as amended;
|
WH
Ireland
|
W H Ireland Limited, a company
incorporated in England and Wales with company number 02002044
whose registered office is situated at 24 Martin Lane, London EC4R
0DR;
|
$
|
dollars, the lawful currency of the
United States of America; and
|
£,
pounds, penny or pence
|
sterling, the lawful currency of the
United Kingdom.
|
APPENDIX
III
Terms and conditions of the
Placing
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING THE
APPENDICES (TOGETHER, THE "ANNOUNCEMENT") AND THE INFORMATION IN
IT IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR
DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR
INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, THE
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH
PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT
ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING. THIS APPENDIX AND THE TERMS
AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN ARE FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND
ARE DIRECTED ONLY AT: (A) PERSONS WHO ARE IN A MEMBER STATE OF THE
EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA AND ARE, UNLESS OTHERWISE AGREED BY THE
JOINT BOOKRUNNERS, QUALIFIED INVESTORS; AND/OR (B) IN THE UNITED
KINGDOM, PERSONS WHO ARE (I) QUALIFIED INVESTORS; AND "INVESTMENT
PROFESSIONALS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL
SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005 (AS
AMENDED) (THE "ORDER"); (II) PERSONS FALLING WITHIN ARTICLE
49(2)(A) TO (D) ("HIGH NET WORTH COMPANIES, UNINCORPORATED
ASSOCIATIONS, ETC") OF THE ORDER; OR (III) PERSONS TO WHOM IT MAY
OTHERWISE BE LAWFULLY COMMUNICATED (ALL SUCH PERSONS TOGETHER BEING
REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS"). THIS APPENDIX, AND THE TERMS
AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN, IS A FINANCIAL PROMOTION AND IS
EXEMPT FROM THE GENERAL RESTRICTION IN SECTION 21 OF FSMA ON THE
COMMUNICATION OF INVITATIONS OR INDUCEMENTS TO ENGAGE IN INVESTMENT
ACTIVITY, ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT IS ONLY BEING DISTRIBUTED TO
RELEVANT PERSONS. ACCORDINGLY, THIS APPENDIX AND THE TERMS AND
CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN MUST NOT BE ACTED ON OR RELIED ON BY
PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS. DISTRIBUTION OF THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT IN CERTAIN JURISDICTIONS MAY BE RESTRICTED OR
PROHIBITED BY LAW. PERSONS DISTRIBUTING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST
SATISFY THEMSELVES THAT IT IS LAWFUL TO DO SO. ANY INVESTMENT OR
INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS APPENDIX AND THE TERMS AND
CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN RELATE IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO RELEVANT
PERSONS AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH RELEVANT
PERSONS.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER
FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER,
SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF
ANY JURISDICTION. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN
OFFER FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION OF ANY SECURITIES IN THE COMPANY.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER OF OR SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO
PURCHASE OR SUBSCRIBE FOR SECURITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. THE
SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE
REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE
"SECURITIES ACT"), AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED
STATES, EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR AS PART
OF A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF
THE SECURITIES ACT. NEITHER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND
EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF ANY
STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES HAS APPROVED OR
DISAPPROVED OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON OR
ENDORSED THE MERITS OF THE PLACING OR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF
THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE
CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE IN THE UNITED STATES. NO PUBLIC
OFFERING OF SECURITIES IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED
STATES.
EACH PLACEE SHOULD CONSULT WITH ITS
OWN ADVISERS AS TO THE LEGAL, TAX, BUSINESS AND RELATED
IMPLICATIONS OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE PLACING SHARES AND THE INCOME
FROM THEM (IF ANY) MAY GO DOWN AS WELL AS UP AND INVESTORS MAY NOT
GET BACK THE FULL AMOUNT INVESTED ON A DISPOSAL OF THEIR
SHARES.
Market Abuse Regulation
Market soundings, as defined in
the UK version ("UK MAR") of
the Market Abuse Regulation
No. 596/2014 ("EU MAR"), which is
part of English law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal)
Act 2018 (as amended) were taken in respect
of the Placing, with the result that certain persons became aware
of inside information, as permitted by UK MAR. That inside
information is set out in this announcement and has been disclosed
as soon as possible in accordance with paragraph 7 of article 17 of
UK MAR. Therefore, those persons that received inside information
in a market sounding are no longer in possession of inside
information relating to the Company and its securities.
The relevant clearances have not
been, nor will they be, obtained from the securities commission of
any province or territory of Canada; no prospectus has been lodged
with or registered by, the Australian Securities and Investments
Commission or the Japanese Ministry of Finance or the South African
Reserve Bank; and the Placing Shares have not been, nor will they
be, registered or qualified for distribution, as applicable under
or offered in compliance with the securities laws of any state,
province or territory of the United States, Australia, Canada,
Japan, New Zealand, or South Africa. Accordingly, the Placing
Shares may not (unless an exemption under the relevant securities
laws is applicable) be offered, sold, resold or delivered, directly
or indirectly, in or into the United States, Australia, Canada,
Japan, New Zealand, or South Africa or any other jurisdiction in
which such offer, sale, resale or delivery would be
unlawful.
Information to Distributors
Solely for the purposes of the
product governance requirements contained within the FCA Handbook
Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook (the "UK
Product Governance Rules"), and disclaiming all and any liability,
whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any
"manufacturer" (for the purposes of the UK Product Governance
Rules) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Placing Shares
have been subject to a product approval process, which has
determined that the Placing Shares are: (i) compatible with an end
target market of investors who meet the criteria of professional
clients and eligible counterparties, each defined in the FCA
Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook ("COBS"); and (ii) eligible
for distribution through all distribution channels as are permitted
by the UK Product Governance Rules (the "UK Target Market
Assessment").
Solely for the purposes of the
product governance requirements contained within: (a) EU Directive
2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments, as amended ("MiFID
II"); (b) Articles 9 and 10 of Commission Delegated Directive (EU)
2017/593 supplementing MiFID II; and (c) local implementing
measures (together, the "MiFID II Product Governance
Requirements"), and disclaiming all and any liability, whether
arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any "manufacturer"
and/or "distributor" (for the purposes of the MiFID II Product
Governance Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto,
the Placing Shares have been subject to a product approval process,
which has determined that the Placing Shares are: (i) compatible
with an end target market of: (a) investors who meet the criteria
of professional clients and (b) eligible counterparties (each as
defined in MiFID II); and (ii) eligible for distribution through
all distribution channels as are permitted by MiFID II (the "EU
Target Market Assessment").
Notwithstanding the UK Target Market
Assessment and the EU Target Market Assessment, distributors should
note that: the price of the Ordinary Shares may decline and
investors could lose all or part of their investment; such
securities offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection;
and an investment in such securities is compatible only with
investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital
protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate
financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits
and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources
to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom.
Each of the UK Target Market
Assessment and the EU Target Market Assessment is without prejudice
to any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in
relation to the Placing. Furthermore, it is noted that,
notwithstanding the UK Target Market Assessment and the EU Target
Market Assessment, the Joint Bookrunners will only procure
investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and
eligible counterparties each as defined under COBS or MiFID II, as
applicable.
For the avoidance of doubt, each of
the UK Target Market Assessment and the EU Target Market Assessment
does not constitute: (a) an assessment of suitability or
appropriateness for the purposes of Chapters 9A or 10A respectively
of COBS or MiFID II, as applicable; or (b) a recommendation to any
investor or group of investors to invest in, or purchase, or take
any other action whatsoever with respect to the Placing
Shares.
Each distributor is responsible for
undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the
Placing Shares and determining appropriate distribution
channels.
Persons (including, without
limitation, nominees and trustees) who have a contractual or other
legal obligation to forward a copy of this Appendix or the
Announcement of which it forms part should seek appropriate advice
before taking any action.
These terms and conditions apply to
persons making an offer to acquire Placing Shares and should be
read in their entirety. Each Placee hereby agrees with the Joint
Bookrunners and the Company to be bound by these terms and
conditions. A Placee shall, without limitation, become so bound if
the Joint Bookrunners confirms to such Placee its allocation of
Placing Shares.
Upon being notified of its
allocation of Placing Shares, a Placee shall be contractually
committed to acquire the number of Placing Shares allocated to it
at the Issue Price and otherwise on the terms and conditions set
out in this Announcement and, to the fullest extent permitted by
law, will be deemed to have agreed not to exercise any rights to
rescind or terminate or otherwise withdraw from such
commitment.
In this Appendix, unless the context
otherwise requires, "Placee" means a Relevant Person (including
individuals, funds or others) on whose behalf a commitment to
subscribe for or acquire Placing Shares has been given.
Details of the Placing Agreement and the Placing
Shares
The Joint Bookrunners and the
Company have entered into a Placing Agreement, under which the
Joint Bookrunners have, on the terms and subject to the conditions
set out therein, undertaken to use its reasonable endeavours to
procure subscribers for the Placing Shares at the Issue Price. The
Placing is not being underwritten by the Joint Bookrunners or any
other person.
The number of the Placing Shares
will be determined following completion of the Placing. The
timing of the closing of the Placing and the number and allocation
of Placing Shares, are at the discretion of the Joint Bookrunners,
following consultation with the Company. Allocations will be
confirmed orally or by email by the Joint Bookrunners following the
close of the Placing. A further announcement confirming these
details will then be made as soon as practicable following
completion of the Placing.
The Placing Shares will, when
issued, be subject to the Articles, will be credited as fully
paid and rank pari
passu in all respects with the Existing Ordinary
Shares, including the right to receive all dividends and other
distributions (if any) declared, made or paid on or in respect of
Ordinary Shares after the date of issue of the Placing
Shares.
Application for admission to trading on AIM
Application will be made to the
London Stock Exchange for admission to trading on AIM of the
Placing Shares. Subject (amongst other things) to the passing
of the Resolution, it is expected that settlement of any such
shares and Admission will become effective at 8.00 a.m. on or
around 1 February 2024 and that dealings in the Placing Shares will
commence at that time.
Placing
The Joint Bookrunners will today
commence an accelerated bookbuilding process to determine demand
for participation in the Placing by potential Placees at the Issue
Price. This Appendix gives details of the terms and conditions of,
and the mechanics of participation in, the Placing. No commissions
will be paid to Placees or by Placees in respect of any Placing
Shares.
The Joint Bookrunners and the
Company shall be entitled to effect the Placing by such alternative
method to the Placing as they may, in their discretion,
determine.
The principal terms of the Placing
are as follows:
1. The
Joint Bookrunners are arranging the Placing as agent for, and Joint
Bookrunners of, the Company.
2.
Participation in the Placing is only available to persons who are
lawfully able to be, and have been, invited to participate by the
Joint Bookrunners.
3. The
bookbuild, if successful, will establish the number of Placing
Shares to be issued at the Issue Price, which will be determined by
the Joint Bookrunners, in consultation with the Company, following
completion of the Placing. The results of the Placing, including
the number of Placing Shares, will be announced on a Regulatory
Information Service following completion of the Placing.
4. To
bid in the Placing, prospective Placees should communicate their
bid by telephone to their usual contact at either of the Joint
Bookrunners. Each bid should state the number of Placing Shares
which the prospective Placee wishes to subscribe. Bids may be
scaled down by the Joint Bookrunners on the basis referred to in
paragraph 8 below.
5. The
timing of the closing of the Placing will be at the discretion of
the Joint Bookrunners. The Company
reserves the right to reduce or seek to increase the amount to be
raised pursuant to the Placing, in its absolute
discretion.
6.
Allocations of the Placing Shares will be determined by the Joint
Bookrunners, following consultation with the Company. Each Placee's
allocation will be confirmed to Placees orally, or by email, by the
Joint Bookrunners following the close of the Placing and a trade
confirmation or contract note will be dispatched as soon as
possible thereafter. Oral or emailed confirmation from the Joint
Bookrunners will give rise to an irrevocable, legally binding
commitment by that person (who at that point becomes a Placee), in
favour of the Joint Bookrunners and the Company, under which it
agrees to acquire by subscription the number of Placing Shares
allocated to it at the Issue Price and otherwise on the terms and
subject to the conditions set out in this Appendix and in
accordance with the Articles. Except with the Joint Bookrunner's
consent, such commitment will not be capable of variation or
revocation.
7. The
Company will make a further announcement following the close of the
Placing detailing the results of the Placing and the number of
Placing Shares to be issued at the Issue Price.
8.
Subject to paragraphs 4 and 5 above, the Joint Bookrunners may
choose not to accept bids and/or to accept bids, either in whole or
in part, on the basis of allocations determined at its discretion
(after consultation with the Company) and may scale down any bids
for this purpose on such basis as it may determine. The Joint
Bookrunners may also, notwithstanding paragraphs 4 and 5 above,
subject to the prior consent of the Company, allocate Placing
Shares after the time of any initial allocation to any person
submitting a bid after that time.
9. A
bid in the Placing will be made on the terms and subject to the
conditions in the Announcement (including this Appendix) and will
be legally binding on the Placee on behalf of which it is made and,
except with the Joint Bookrunner's consent, will not be capable of
variation or revocation from the time at which it is
submitted.
10. Except as required
by law or regulation, no press release or other announcement will
be made by the Joint Bookrunners or the Company using the name of
any Placee (or its agent), in its capacity as Placee (or agent),
other than with such Placee's prior written consent.
11. Irrespective of the
time at which a Placee's allocation pursuant to the Placing is
confirmed, settlement for all Placing Shares to be acquired
pursuant to the Placing will be required to be made at the same
time, on the basis explained below under "Registration and
Settlement".
12. All obligations of
the Joint Bookrunners under the Placing will be subject to
fulfilment of the conditions referred to below "Conditions of the
Placing" and to the Placing not being terminated on the basis
referred to below under "Right to terminate the Placing
Agreement".
13. By participating in
the Placing, each Placee agrees that its rights and obligations in
respect of the Placing will terminate only in the circumstances
described below and will not be capable of rescission or
termination by the Placee.
14. To the fullest
extent permissible by law and the applicable rules of the FCA,
neither the Joint Bookrunners, nor any of its affiliates, agents,
directors, officers or employees shall have any liability to
Placees (or to any other person whether acting on behalf of a
Placee or otherwise whether or not a recipient of these terms and
conditions) in respect of the Placing. In particular, neither the
Joint Bookrunners, nor any of its respective affiliates, agents,
directors, officers or employees shall have any liability
(including to the extent permissible by law, any fiduciary duties)
in respect of the Joint Bookrunner's conduct of the Placing or of
such alternative method of effecting the Placing as the Joint
Bookrunners and the Company may determine.
15. The Placing is not
subject to any minimum fundraising and no element of the Placing is
underwritten by the Joint Bookrunners or any other
person.
Conditions of the Placing
The Placing is conditional upon the
Placing Agreement becoming unconditional and not having been
terminated in accordance with its terms.
The Joint Bookrunner's obligations
under the Placing Agreement are conditional on, inter alia:
1. the
delivery by the Company to the Joint Bookrunners of certain
documents required under the Placing Agreement;
2. the
Company having fully performed its obligations under the Placing
Agreement to the extent that such obligations fall to be performed
prior to Admission;
3. the issue and
allotment of the Placing Shares, conditional only upon
Admission;
4. Admission becoming effective
by no later than 8.00 a.m. on 01 February 2024 or such other date
and time as may be agreed between the Company and the Joint
Bookrunners, not being later than 8.00 a.m. on 29 February 2024
(the "Long Stop Date");
and
5. the
Placing Agreement not having been terminated by the Joint
Bookrunners in accordance with its terms.
If: (i) any of the conditions
contained in the Placing Agreement, including those described
above, are not fulfilled or (where applicable) waived by the Joint
Bookrunners by the respective time or date where specified (or such
later time or date as the Joint Bookrunners may notify to the
Company, being not later than the Long Stop Date); (ii) any of such
conditions becomes incapable of being fulfilled; or (iii) the
Placing Agreement is terminated in the circumstances specified
below, the Placing will not proceed and the Placees' rights and
obligations hereunder in relation to the Placing Shares shall cease
and terminate at such time and each Placee agrees that no claim can
be made by the Placee in respect thereof.
The Joint Bookrunners may, at their
discretion and upon such terms as it thinks fit, waive, or extend
the period for (subject to the Long Stop Date), compliance by the
Company with the whole or any part of any of the Company's
obligations in relation to the conditions in the Placing Agreement,
save that the condition relating to
Admission taking place may not be waived. Any such
extension or waiver will not affect Placees' commitments as set out
in this Announcement.
Neither the Joint Bookrunners, the
Company nor any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors,
officers or employees shall have any liability to any Placee (or to
any other person whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise)
in respect of any decision they may make as to whether or not to
waive or to extend the time and/or date for the satisfaction of any
condition to the Placing nor for any decision they may make as to
the satisfaction of any condition or in respect of the Placing
generally and, by participating in the Placing, each Placee agrees
that any such decision is within the absolute discretion of the
Joint Bookrunners.
Right to terminate the Placing Agreement
The Joint Bookrunners are entitled,
at any time before Admission, to terminate the Placing Agreement by
giving notice to the Company in certain circumstances,
including, inter
alia:
1. if any of the warranties
given in the Placing Agreement are not true and accurate or are
misleading when given;
2. the
Company has failed to comply with its obligations under the Placing
Agreement in the period prior to Admission;
3. any
significant change or new matter arises, or is likely to arise, as
a result of which any of the conditions set out in the Placing
Agreement will not be satisfied or (if possible to be waived)
waived by the requisite time and/or date;
4.
there has been any material change in, or
any development likely to involve a prospective material change in,
or affecting, the condition (financial, operational, legal or
otherwise), earnings, business, management, properties, assets,
rights, results of operations or prospects of any Group Company;
or
5.
there has been, or is reasonably likely to occur, a material
adverse change in national or international political, military, diplomatic, economic, financial or market
conditions (including disruption to trading on any relevant stock
exchange) or currency exchange rates or exchange controls or any
statutory or regulatory matter, which in the opinion of the Joint
Bookrunners has a material and adverse effect on the
Placing or otherwise render the Placing
temporarily or permanently impracticable or inadvisable.
The rights and obligations of the
Placees will not be subject to termination by the Placees or any
prospective Placees at any time or in any circumstances. By
participating in the Placing, Placees agree that the exercise by
the Joint Bookrunners of any right of termination or other
discretion under the Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute
discretion of the Joint Bookrunners and that the Joint Bookrunners
need not make any reference to Placees in this regard and that
neither the Joint Bookrunners nor any of its respective affiliates
shall have any liability to Placees whatsoever in connection with
any such exercise or failure so to exercise.
No
Admission Document or Prospectus
The Placing Shares are being offered
to a limited number of specifically invited persons only and have
not been nor will they be offered in such a way as to require the
publication of a prospectus in the United Kingdom or in any other
jurisdiction. No offering document, admission document or
prospectus has been or will be submitted to be approved by the FCA
or the London Stock Exchange in relation to the Placing or the
Placing Shares, and Placees' commitments will be made solely on the
basis of the information contained in the Announcement (including
this Appendix) and the Publicly Available Information. Each
Placee, by accepting a participation in the Placing, agrees that
the content of this Announcement is exclusively the responsibility
of the Company and confirms that it has not relied on any other
information (other than the Publicly Available Information),
representation, warranty, or statement made by or on behalf of the
Company or the Joint Bookrunners or any other person and neither
the Joint Bookrunners, the Company nor any other person will be
liable for any Placee's decision to participate in the Placing
based on any other information, representation, warranty or
statement which the Placees may have obtained or received and, if
given or made, such information, representation, warranty or
statement must not be relied upon as having been authorised by the
Joint Bookrunners, the Company or their respective officers,
directors, employees or agents. Each Placee acknowledges and agrees
that it has relied on its own investigation of the business,
financial or other position of the Company in accepting a
participation in the Placing. Neither the Company nor the Joint
Bookrunners are making any undertaking or warranty to any Placee
regarding the legality of an investment in the Placing Shares by
such Placee under any legal, investment or similar laws or
regulations. Each Placee should not consider any information in
this Announcement to be legal, tax or business advice. Each Placee
should consult its own solicitor, tax adviser and financial adviser
for independent legal, tax and financial advice regarding an
investment in the Placing Shares. Nothing in this paragraph shall
exclude the liability of any person for fraudulent
misrepresentation.
Registration and Settlement
Following closure of the Placing,
each Placee allocated Placing Shares in the Placing will be sent a
trade confirmation or contract note in accordance with the standing
arrangements in place with the Joint Bookrunners, stating the
number of Placing Shares allocated to it at the Issue Price, the
aggregate amount owed by such Placee (in pounds sterling) and a
form of confirmation in relation to settlement
instructions.
Each Placee will be deemed to agree
that it will do all things necessary to ensure that delivery and
payment is completed as directed by the Joint Bookrunners in
accordance with the standing CREST settlement instructions which
they have in place with the Joint Bookrunners.
Settlement of transactions in the
Placing Shares (ISIN: VGG7060R1139) following Admission will
take place within CREST provided that, subject to certain
exceptions, the Joint Bookrunners reserves the right to require
settlement for, and delivery of, the Placing Shares (or a portion
thereof) to Placees by such other means that it deems necessary if
delivery or settlement is not possible or practicable within CREST
within the timetable set out in this Announcement or would not be
consistent with the regulatory requirements in any Placee's
jurisdiction.
It is expected that settlement will
take place in accordance with the instructions set out in the
contract note or trade confirmation.
Interest is chargeable daily on
payments not received from Placees on the due date(s) in accordance
with the arrangements set out above at the rate of 4 percentage
points above the prevailing Bank of England base rate as determined
by the Joint Bookrunners.
Each Placee is deemed to agree that,
if it does not comply with these obligations, the Joint Bookrunners
may sell any or all of the Placing Shares allocated to that Placee
on such Placee's behalf and retain from the proceeds, for the Joint
Bookrunner's account and benefit (as agent for the Company), an
amount equal to the aggregate amount owed by the Placee plus any
interest due. The relevant Placee will, however, remain liable and
shall indemnify the Joint Bookrunners on demand for any shortfall
below the aggregate amount owed by it and may be required to bear
any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or securities transfer tax
(together with any interest or penalties) which may arise upon the
sale of such Placing Shares on such Placee's behalf. By
communicating a bid for Placing Shares, each Placee confers on the
Joint Bookrunners such authorities and powers necessary to carry
out any such sale and agrees to ratify and confirm all actions
which the Joint Bookrunners lawfully takes in pursuance of such
sale. Legal and/or beneficial title in and to any Placing Shares
shall not pass to the relevant Placee until it has fully complied
with its obligations hereunder.
If Placing Shares are to be
delivered to a custodian or settlement agent, Placees should ensure
that the form of confirmation is copied and delivered immediately
to the relevant person within that organisation.
Insofar as Placing Shares are
registered in a Placee's name or that of its nominee or in the name
of any person for whom a Placee is contracting as agent or that of
a nominee for such person, such Placing Shares should, subject as
provided below, be so registered free from any liability to UK
stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or securities transfer tax.
Neither the Joint Bookrunners nor the Company will be liable in any
circumstances for the payment of stamp duty, stamp duty reserve tax
or securities transfer tax in connection with any of the Placing
Shares. Placees will not be entitled to receive any fee or
commission in connection with the Placing.
Representations, Warranties and Further
Terms
By participating in the Placing,
each Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf)
irrevocably makes the following representations, warranties,
acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings (as the case may be)
to the Joint Bookrunners for themselves and on behalf of the
Company:
1. that it has read and
understood this Announcement, including this Appendix, in its
entirety and that its subscription for Placing Shares is subject to
and based upon all the terms, conditions, representations,
warranties, acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings and other
information contained herein and undertakes not to redistribute or
duplicate this Announcement;
2.
that its obligations are irrevocable and legally binding and shall
not be capable of rescission or termination by it in any
circumstances;
3.
that the exercise by the Joint Bookrunners of any right or
discretion under the Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute
discretion of the Joint Bookrunners and the Joint Bookrunners need
not have any reference to it and shall have no liability to it
whatsoever in connection with any decision to exercise or not to
exercise any such right and each Placee agrees that it has no
rights against the Joint Bookrunners or the Company, or any of
their respective officers, directors, employees agents or advisers,
under the Placing Agreement pursuant to the Contracts (Rights of
Third Parties Act) 1999;
4.
that these terms and conditions represent the whole and only
agreement between it, the Joint Bookrunners and the Company in
relation to its participation in the Placing and supersedes any
previous agreement between any of such parties in relation to such
participation. Accordingly, each Placee, in accepting its
participation in the Placing, is not relying on any information or
representation or warranty in relation to the Company or any of its
subsidiaries or any of the Placing Shares other than as contained
in this Announcement and the Publicly Available Information, such
information being all that it deems necessary to make an investment
decision in respect of the Placing Shares. Each Placee agrees that
neither the Company, the Joint Bookrunners nor any of their
respective officers, directors or employees will have any liability
for any such other information, representation or warranty, express
or implied;
5.
that in the case of any Placing Shares acquired by it as a
financial intermediary, as that term is used in Article 5(1) of the
EU Prospectus Regulation and Article 5(1) of the UK Prospectus
Regulation, (i) the Placing Shares acquired by it in the Placing
have not been acquired on behalf of, nor have they been acquired
with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in any Member
State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the EU
Prospectus Regulation or the UK, respectively, other than Qualified
Investors or in circumstances in which the prior consent of the
Joint Bookrunners has been given to the offer or resale; or (ii)
where Placing Shares have been acquired by it on behalf of persons
in any member state of the EEA, or the UK respectively, other than
Qualified Investors, the offer of those Placing Shares to it is not
treated under the EU Prospectus Regulation or the UK Prospectus
Regulation as having been made to such persons;
6. that
neither it nor, as the case may be, its clients expect the Joint
Bookrunners to have any duties or responsibilities to such persons
similar or comparable to the duties of "best execution" and
"suitability" imposed by the FCA's Conduct of Business Source Book,
and that the Joint Bookrunners is not acting for it or its clients,
and that the Joint Bookrunners will not be responsible for
providing the protections afforded to customers of the Joint
Bookrunners or for providing advice in respect of the transactions
described herein;
7. that
it has made its own assessment of the Placing Shares and has relied
on its own investigation of the business, financial or other
position of the Company in accepting a participation in the Placing
and that it shall not be entitled to rely upon any material
regarding the Placing Shares or the Company (if any) that the Joint
Bookrunners or the Company or any of their respective affiliates,
agents, directors, officers or employees or any person acting on
behalf of any of them has provided, other than the information in
this Announcement and the Publicly Available Information; nor has
it requested any of the Joint Bookrunners, the Company or any of
their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers or
employees or any person acting on behalf of any of them to provide
it with any such information;
8. that
it is: (i) located outside the United States and is not a US Person
as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act ("Regulation
S") and is subscribing for and/or purchasing the Placing Shares
only in "offshore transactions" as defined in and pursuant to
Regulation S, and (ii) it is not subscribing for and/or purchasing
Placing Shares as a result of any "directed selling efforts" as
defined in Regulation S or by means of any form of "general
solicitation" or "general advertising" as such terms are defined in
Regulation D under the Securities Act;
9. that
the Placing Shares have not been and will not be registered under
the Securities Act, or under the securities legislation of, or with
any securities regulatory authority of, any state or other
jurisdiction of the United States and accordingly the Placing
Shares may not be offered, sold, pledged, resold, transferred,
delivered or distributed into or within the United States except in
compliance with the registration requirements of the Securities Act
and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to
exemptions therefrom;
10. that the only
information on which it is entitled to rely on and on which it has
relied in committing to subscribe for the Placing Shares is
contained in this Announcement and the Publicly Available
Information, such information being all that it deems necessary to
make an investment decision in respect of the Placing Shares and it
has made its own assessment of the Company, the Placing Shares and
the terms of the Placing based on this Announcement and the
Publicly Available Information only;
11. that neither the
Joint Bookrunners or the Company or any of their respective
affiliates, agents, directors, officers, consultants or employees
has made any representation or warranty to it, express or implied,
with respect to the Company, the Placing or the Placing Shares or
the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the Publicly Available
Information;
12. that, unless
specifically agreed with the Joint Bookrunners, it is not and was
not acting on a non-discretionary basis for the account or benefit
of a person located within the United States or any US Person at
the time the undertaking to subscribe for and/or purchase Placing
Shares was given and it is not acquiring Placing Shares with a view
to the offer, sale, resale, transfer, delivery or distribution,
directly or indirectly, of any Placing Shares into the United
States or to any US Person and it will not reoffer, resell, pledge
or otherwise transfer the Placing Shares except pursuant to an
exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the
registration requirements of the Securities Act and otherwise in
accordance with any applicable securities laws of any state or
jurisdiction of the United States;
13. that it is not a
national or resident of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the
Republic of South Africa or a corporation, partnership or other
entity organised under the laws of Australia, Canada, Japan,
New Zealand, the Republic of South Africa and that it will not
(unless an exemption under the relevant securities laws is
applicable) offer, sell, renounce, transfer or deliver, directly or
indirectly, any of the Placing Shares in Australia, Canada, Japan,
New Zealand or the Republic of South Africa or to or for the
benefit of any person resident in Australia, Canada, Japan, New
Zealand, the Republic of South Africa and each Placee acknowledges
that the relevant clearances or exemptions are not being obtained
from the Securities Commission of any province or territory of
Canada, that no prospectus has been or will be lodged with, filed
with or registered by the Australian Securities and Investments
Commission, the Canadian Securities Administrators, the Japanese
Ministry of Finance, the Securities Commission of New Zealand or
the South African Reserve Bank and that the Placing Shares are not
being offered for sale and may not (unless an exemption under the
relevant securities laws is applicable) be offered, sold, resold or
delivered, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States,
Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of South Africa
or any other jurisdiction in which such offer, sale, resale or
delivery would be unlawful;
14. that it does not
have a registered address in, and is not a citizen, resident or
national of, any jurisdiction in which it is unlawful to make or
accept an offer of the Placing Shares and it is not acting on a
non-discretionary basis for any such person;
15. that it has not,
directly or indirectly, distributed, forwarded, transferred or
otherwise transmitted, and will not, directly or indirectly,
distribute, forward, transfer or otherwise transmit, any
presentation or offering materials concerning the Placing or the
Placing Shares to any persons within the United States or to any US
Persons;
16. that it is entitled
to subscribe for and/or purchase Placing Shares under the laws of
all relevant jurisdictions which apply to it and that it has fully
observed such laws and obtained all governmental and other consents
which may be required thereunder or otherwise and complied with all
necessary formalities and that it has not taken any action which
will or may result in the Company or the Joint Bookrunners or any
of their respective directors, officers, employees or agents acting
in breach of any regulatory or legal requirements of any territory
in connection with the Placing or its acceptance;
17. that it has obtained
all necessary consents and authorities to enable it to give its
commitment to subscribe for and/or purchase the Placing Shares and
to perform its subscription and/or purchase obligations;
18. that where it is
acquiring Placing Shares for one or more managed accounts, it is
authorised in writing by each managed account: (a) to acquire the
Placing Shares for each managed account; (b) to make on its behalf
the representations, warranties, acknowledgements, undertakings and
agreements in this Appendix and the Announcement of which it forms
part; and (c), if applicable, to receive on its behalf any
investment letter relating to the Placing in the form provided to
it by the Joint Bookrunners;
19. that it is either:
(a) a person of a kind described in paragraph 5 of Article 19
(persons having professional experience in matters relating to
investments and who are investment professionals) of the Order; or
(b) a person of a kind described in paragraph 2 of Article 49(2)(A)
to (D) (high net worth companies, unincorporated associations,
partnerships or trusts or their respective directors, officers or
employees) of the Order; or (c) a person to whom it is otherwise
lawful for this Announcement to be communicated and in the case of
(a) and (b) undertakes that it will acquire, hold, manage or
dispose of any Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the
purposes of its business;
20. that, unless
otherwise agreed by the Joint Bookrunners, it is a Qualified
Investor;
21. that, unless
otherwise agreed by the Joint Bookrunners, it is a "professional
client" or an "eligible counterparty" within the meaning of Chapter
3 of the FCA's Conduct of Business Sourcebook and it is purchasing
Placing Shares for investment only and not with a view to resale or
distribution;
22. that it has only
communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate
or cause to be communicated any invitation or inducement to engage
in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of FSMA)
relating to the Placing Shares in circumstances in which section
21(1) of FSMA does not require approval of the communication by an
authorised person;
23. that any money held
in an account with the Joint Bookrunners (or their respective
nominees) on its behalf and/or any person acting on its behalf will
not be treated as client money within the meaning of the rules and
regulations of the FCA. Each Placee further acknowledges that the
money will not be subject to the protections conferred by the FCA's
client money rules. As a consequence, this money will not be
segregated from the Joint Bookrunners' (or their respective
nominees') money in accordance with such client money rules and
will be used by the Joint Bookrunners in the course of its own
business and each Placee will rank only as a general creditor of
the Joint Bookrunners;
24. that it will (or
will procure that its nominee will) if applicable, make
notification to the Company of the interest in its Ordinary Shares
in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 5 of the Disclosure
Guidance and Transparency Rules of the FCA);
25. that it is not, and
it is not acting on behalf of, a person falling within subsections
(6), (7) or (8) of sections 67 or 70 respectively or subsections
(2) and (3) of section 93 or subsection (1) of section 96 of the
Finance Act 1986;
26. that it will not
deal or cause or permit any other person to deal in all or any of
the Placing Shares which it is subscribing for under the Placing
unless and until Admission becomes effective;
27. that it appoints
irrevocably any director of either of the Joint Bookrunners as its
agent for the purpose of executing and delivering to the Company
and/or its registrars any document on its behalf necessary to
enable it to be registered as the holder of the Placing
Shares;
28. that the
Announcement does not constitute a securities recommendation or
financial product advice and that neither the Joint Bookrunners nor
the Company has considered its particular objectives, financial
situation and needs;
29. that it has
sufficient knowledge, sophistication and experience in financial,
business and investment matters as is required to evaluate the
merits and risks of subscribing for or purchasing the Placing
Shares and is aware that it may be required to bear, and it, and
any accounts for which it may be acting, are able to bear, the
economic risk of, and is able to sustain, a complete loss in
connection with the Placing;
30. that it will
indemnify and hold the Company and the Joint Bookrunners and their
respective affiliates harmless from any and all costs, claims,
liabilities and expenses (including legal fees and expenses)
arising out of or in connection with any breach of the
representations, warranties, acknowledgements, agreements and
undertakings in this Appendix and further agrees that the Company
and the Joint Bookrunners will rely on the truth and accuracy of
the confirmations, warranties, acknowledgements and undertakings
herein and, if any of the foregoing is or becomes no longer true or
accurate, the Placee shall promptly notify the Joint Bookrunners
and the Company. All confirmations, warranties, acknowledgements
and undertakings given by the Placee, pursuant to this Announcement
(including this Appendix) are given to the Joint Bookrunners for
itself and on behalf of the Company and will survive completion of
the Placing and Admission;
31. that time shall be
of the essence as regards obligations pursuant to this
Appendix;
32. that it is
responsible for obtaining any legal, financial, tax and other
advice that it deems necessary for the execution, delivery and
performance of its obligations in accepting the terms and
conditions of the Placing, and that it is not relying on the
Company or the Joint Bookrunners to provide any legal, financial,
tax or other advice to it;
33. that all dates and
times in this Announcement (including this Appendix) may be subject
to amendment and that the Joint Bookrunners shall notify it of such
amendments;
34. that (i) it has
complied with its obligations under the Criminal Justice Act 1993,
FSMA and UK MAR, (ii) in connection with money laundering and
terrorist financing, it has complied with its obligations under the
Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (as amended), the Terrorism Act 2000 (as
amended), the Terrorism Act 2006 and the Money Laundering,
Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (information on the
Payer) Regulations 2017 (as amended) and any related or similar
rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced
by any government agency having jurisdiction in respect thereof and
the Money Laundering Sourcebook of the FCA and (iii) it is not a
person: (a) with whom transactions are prohibited under the Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 or any economic sanction programmes
administered by, or regulations promulgated by, the Office of
Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or
the United States Department of State; (b) named on the
Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets maintained by HM
Treasury of the United Kingdom; or (c) subject to financial
sanctions imposed pursuant to a regulation of the European Union or
a regulation adopted by the United Nations (together, the
"Regulations"); and, if making payment on behalf of a third party,
that satisfactory evidence has been obtained and recorded by it to
verify the identity of the third party as required by the
Regulations and has obtained all governmental and other consents
(if any) which may be required for the purpose of, or as a
consequence of, such purchase, and it will provide promptly to the
Joint Bookrunners such evidence, if any, as to the identity or
location or legal status of any person which the Joint Bookrunners
may request from it in connection with the Placing (for the purpose
of complying with such Regulations or ascertaining the nationality
of any person or the jurisdiction(s) to which any person is subject
or otherwise) in the form and manner requested by the Joint
Bookrunners on the basis that any failure by it to do so may result
in the number of Placing Shares that are to be subscribed for by it
or at its direction pursuant to the Placing being reduced to such
number, or to nil, as the Joint Bookrunners may decide in its
absolute discretion;
35. that it will not
make any offer to the public within the meaning of the EU
Prospectus Regulation or the UK Prospectus Regulation of those
Placing Shares to be subscribed for and/or purchased by
it;
36. that it will not
distribute any document relating to the Placing Shares and it will
be acquiring the Placing Shares for its own account as principal or
for a discretionary account or accounts (as to which it has the
authority to make the statements set out herein) for investment
purposes only and it does not have any contract, understanding or
arrangement with any person to sell, pledge, transfer or grant a
participation therein to such person or any third person with
respect of any Placing Shares; save that if it is a private client
stock, broker or fund manager it confirms that in purchasing the
Placing Shares it is acting under the terms of one or more
discretionary mandates granted to it by private clients and it is
not acting on an execution only basis or under specific
instructions to purchase the Placing Shares for the account of any
third party;
37. that it acknowledges
that these terms and conditions and any agreements entered into by
it pursuant to these terms and conditions shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales and it
submits (on behalf of itself and on behalf of any person on whose
behalf it is acting) to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English
courts as regards any claim, dispute or matter arising out of any
such contract, except that enforcement proceedings in respect of
the obligation to make payment for the Placing Shares (together
with any interest chargeable thereon) may be taken by the Company
or the Joint Bookrunners in any jurisdiction in which the relevant
Placee is incorporated or in which its assets are located or any of
its securities have a quotation on a recognised stock
exchange;
38. that any documents
sent to Placees will be sent at the Placees' risk. They may be sent
by post to such Placees at an address notified to the Joint
Bookrunners;
39. that the Joint
Bookrunners owe no fiduciary or other duties to any Placee in
respect of any representations, warranties, undertakings or
indemnities in the Placing Agreement;
40. that the Joint Bookrunners may, in their absolute discretion,
agree to become a Placee in respect of some or all of the Placing
Shares;
41. that no prospectus
or offering document has been or will be prepared in connection
with the Placing and it has not received and will not receive a
prospectus or other offering document in connection with the
Placing or the Placing Shares;
42. undertakes that it
(and any person acting on its behalf) will make payment in respect
of the Placing Shares allocated to it in accordance with this
Appendix on the due time and date set out herein, failing which the
relevant Placing Shares may be placed with other acquirers or sold
as the Joint Bookrunners may in their sole discretion determine and
without liability to such Placee, who will remain liable for any
amount by which the net proceeds of such sale falls short of the
product of the Issue Price and the number of Placing Shares
allocated to it and may be required to bear any stamp duty, stamp
duty reserve tax or other similar taxes (together with any interest
or penalties) which may arise upon the sale of such Placee's
Placing Shares;
43. that its allocation (if
any) of Placing Shares will represent a maximum number of Placing
Shares which it will be entitled, and required, to acquire, and
that the Joint Bookrunners and/or the Company may call upon it to
acquire a lower number of Placing Shares (if any), but in no event
in aggregate more than the aforementioned maximum; and
44. that if it has
received any confidential price sensitive information concerning
the Company in advance of the publication of this Announcement, it
has not: (i) dealt in the securities of the Company; (ii)
encouraged, required, recommended or induced another person to deal
in the securities of the Company; or (iii) disclosed such
information to any person, prior to such information being made
publicly available.
The Company, the Joint Bookrunners
and their respective affiliates will rely upon the truth and
accuracy of each of the foregoing representations, warranties,
acknowledgements and undertakings which are given to the Joint
Bookrunners for themselves and on behalf of the Company and are
irrevocable.
The provisions of this Appendix may
be waived, varied or modified as regards specific Placees or on a
general basis by the Joint Bookrunners.
The agreement to settle a Placee's
subscription and/or purchase (and/or the subscription of a person
for whom such Placee is contracting as agent) free of stamp duty
and stamp duty reserve tax depends on the settlement relating only
to a subscription by it and/or such person direct from the Company
for the Placing Shares in question. Such agreement assumes that the
Placing Shares are not being subscribed for in connection with
arrangements to issue depositary receipts or to transfer the
Placing Shares into a clearance service. If there are any such
arrangements, or the settlement relates to any other subsequent
dealing in the Placing Shares, stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax
may be payable, for which neither the Company or the Joint
Bookrunners will be responsible, and the Placee to whom (or on
behalf of whom, or in respect of the person for whom it is
participating in the Placing as an agent or nominee) the
allocation, allotment, issue or delivery of Placing Shares has
given rise to such UK stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax
undertakes to pay such UK stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax
forthwith and to indemnify on an after-tax basis and to hold
harmless the Company and the Joint Bookrunners in the event that
any of the Company and/or the Joint Bookrunners have incurred any
such liability to UK stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax. If this
is the case, each Placee should seek its own advice and notify the
Joint Bookrunners accordingly.
In addition, Placees should note
that they will be liable for any stamp duty and all other stamp,
issue, securities, transfer, registration, documentary or other
duties or taxes (including any interest, fines or penalties
relating thereto) payable outside the UK by them or any other
person on the subscription or purchase by them of any Placing
Shares or the agreement by them to subscribe for or purchase any
Placing Shares.
All times and dates in this
Announcement (including the Appendices) may be subject to
amendment. The Joint Bookrunners shall notify the Placees and any
person acting on behalf of the Placees of any changes.
This Announcement has been issued
by, and is the sole responsibility, of the Company. No
representation or warranty express or implied, is or will be made
as to, or in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or
will be accepted by the Joint Bookrunners or by any of its
respective affiliates or agents as to or in relation to, the
accuracy or completeness of this Announcement or any other written
or oral information made available to or publicly available to any
interested party or its advisers, and any liability therefore is
expressly disclaimed.