TIDMPGY
RNS Number : 3154S
Progility PLC
22 June 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
22 JUNE 2018
THIS 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 OR INTO THE UNITED
STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, NEW ZEALAND, THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND,
SOUTH AFRICA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH
RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
THE INFORMATION COMMUNICATED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS
INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF THE MARKET
ABUSE REGULATION EU NO. 596/2014 ("MAR").
PROGILITY PLC
("Progility" or "the Company" or "the Group")
CANCELLATION OF ADMISSION OF ORDINARY SHARES TO TRADING ON
AIM
AVAILABILITY OF PURCHASE FACILITY
AUTHORITY TO ALLOT NEW ORDINARY SHARES AND DISAPPLICATION OF
STATUTORY
PRE-EMPTION RIGHTS
NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETING
Progility plc (AIM: PGY) is the holding company of a systems
integration and project management services group which has been
created to provide a range of project management services including
innovative and market leading technology solutions.
Progility announces that, following discussions with Praxis,
Progility's majority and controlling shareholder, your Board has
determined to convene a General Meeting with the purpose of
proposing the cancellation of trading of the Company's Ordinary
Shares on AIM. Praxis has proposed to your Board that it believes
that it is in the best interests of the Company to seek the
Delisting and that the Company should thereafter continue as an
unquoted public company. Praxis is trustee for the DNY Trust of
which Wayne Bos, Executive Chairman, along with his family, are
discretionary beneficiaries. Under the AIM Rules, a proposal to
cancel the trading of the Company's securities on AIM is
conditional on the requisite notice being given to the London Stock
Exchange and on the consent being granted in general meeting by
Shareholders holding not less than 75 per cent. of the votes cast
on the resolution proposed at such general meeting.
Given that Praxis currently owns 1,034,352 Ordinary Shares,
representing approximately 64.75 per cent. of the Company's issued
share capital, the Independent Directors are aware that Praxis has
the ability to formally requisition the convening of a general
meeting for the purpose of proposing the Delisting. As a result,
the Independent Directors have concluded that to demand a formal
requisition from Praxis would only serve to increase the Company's
costs in a situation where no advantage would be gained by the
Company in so doing. It is for this reason that the Independent
Directors have agreed to publish this document and to convene the
General Meeting. The Company has also today given notice to AIM of
the proposed Delisting.
Shareholders should note that, as Praxis, Mmilt Pty Limited (as
trustee of the Vecchio Family Trust) and Arden Nominees Pty Limited
(as trustee for the Vecchio Superannuation Fund) which together own
260,264 Ordinary Shares, and when combined with Praxis's holding of
Ordinary Shares represent approximately 81.05 per cent. of the
Company's share capital have confirmed to the Board their intention
to vote in favour of the Resolution at the General Meeting, it is
anticipated that the trading of Shares on AIM will be cancelled
with effect from 7.00 a.m. on 23 July 2018. This does not, however,
preclude Shareholders from attending and voting (whether in person
or by proxy) at the General Meeting and Shareholders are actively
encouraged to do so.
As at the close of business on 20 June 2018 (being the latest
practicable date prior to this announcement), the Company had
approximately 336 Shareholders holding, in aggregate, 562,980
Ordinary Shares in the Company not owned by Praxis. Both the
Independent Directors, Michael Higgins and John Caterer, and Praxis
continue to have significant regard to the situation of the
Minority Shareholders and recognise that cancelling the trading of
Shares on AIM will make it considerably more difficult for Ordinary
Shareholders to sell or buy Ordinary Shares should they so
wish.
Therefore, following consultation with the Panel, Praxis has
agreed to arrange for the establishment of a purchase facility with
a view to acquiring any or all of the 562,980 Ordinary Shares it
does not currently own from any Minority Shareholders wishing to
sell their Ordinary Shares. In order to treat all Shareholders
equally, Praxis is prepared to offer the same price of 55.0 pence
per Ordinary Share, for a limited period, that is until 1.00 p.m.
on 3 August 2018. Shareholders will therefore have a period of
approximately six weeks, being the period commencing on the date of
this document and ending at 1.00 p.m. on 3 August 2018 to sell
their Shares to Praxis. The Company expects that the last day of
trading of the Company's Ordinary Shares on AIM will be Friday 20
July 2018, with cancellation of admission to trading on AIM
becoming effective at 7.00 a.m. on Monday 23 July 2018.
The price at which Praxis is prepared to acquire the Shares it
does not currently own has been determined following detailed
discussion with the Independent Directors, who in turn have
consulted with the Company's financial advisers, SPARK. The
Independent Directors have been particularly concerned that the
intended Delisting is not used as a reason simply to coerce
Minority Shareholders to sell or for the Minority Shareholders to
be offered a price which undervalues the business of Progility.
They have also taken into account the ability for Shareholders to
sell their Shares in the current market and also the associated
transaction costs particularly for holders of small numbers of
Shares.
Details of the Independent Directors' recommendation, and
reasons for their recommendation, are set out further below.
Further details about the Purchase Facility, and what to do if
you wish to sell your Shares to Praxis, are set out in paragraphs
headed "Details about Praxis's Purchase Facility and action to be
taken" and "Procedure for selling your Ordinary Shares" below.
Set out below are (i) the reasons for the Delisting, (ii)
details about the Praxis purchase facility (and the action you
should take if you wish to sell all or part of your shareholding in
the Company prior to the proposed Delisting) and (iii) details of
the General Meeting.
Notice of the General Meeting to be held on 10 July 2018 at
10.00 a.m. at the Company's Head Office, 7(th) Floor, 95 Aldwych,
London, WC2B 4JF will be included in the document being sent to
shareholders.
Background to, and reasons for, the Delisting
Progility's Ordinary Shares have been admitted to trading on AIM
for some time; Praxis became a shareholder in 2012, and the
majority shareholder in the Company, as a result of a reverse
takeover of Progility Pty Limited, in October 2013 when there was a
waiver of their obligations under Rule 9 of the City Code. Praxis
is trustee of the DNY Trust, a trust of which Wayne Bos, Executive
Chairman of the Company, is a discretionary beneficiary.
The Board has previously been content to maintain the trading of
the Shares on AIM as it preserved strategic and financial
flexibility, particularly in terms of providing the Company with
potential access to capital market funding or the possibility of
enabling it to offer equity consideration for the acquisition of
complementary businesses should appropriate opportunities arise.
However, this has proved very difficult in practice with the
Company needing to use debt funding, provided by Praxis, to execute
its acquisition strategy.
Having carefully kept the matter under review, the Board and
Praxis have now concluded that it is not appropriate for the
Company to maintain the trading of its Shares on AIM, an assessment
supported by the Independent Directors for the following
reasons:
-- only 327,853 of the Company's Ordinary Shares (representing
approximately 20.53 per cent of the issued Shares) are held in
public hands, as both Praxis and Mmilt own more than 10 per cent.
each of the Company's issued share capital and are therefore
excluded from this figure. There is very little liquidity in the
Ordinary Shares. As at the close of business on 21 June 2018, only
78 share trades have been recorded in the Company's Ordinary
Shares, on the London Stock Exchange's website since 1 January
2018. Given Praxis's shareholding (and that of the Concert Party),
there are, in the Independent Directors' opinion, no other natural
buyers of the Ordinary Shares which has meant that, in practice,
Minority Shareholders have not been able easily to sell their
Ordinary Shares. In addition, minimum share transaction dealing
costs from stockbrokers may also dissuade Shareholders from selling
their shares in the market. There are approximately 294
Shareholders who own 1,000 Shares or less; with minimum share
transaction costs normally ranging from approximately GBP5-GBP12.50
per trade, the Independent Directors believe this may be a
dis-incentive to trade in the Company's shares and so contribute to
the lack of liquidity that the Company is experiencing;
-- in the opinion of Praxis and the Independent Directors,
market conditions are currently such that a fundraising, should one
be pursued, would unlikely be achieved at a suitable share price in
the near future;
-- given the illiquidity of the Shares, it is unlikely that any
company identified in the short to medium term as an acquisition
opportunity would be prepared to accept Shares as
consideration;
-- the current capital structure of the Company, which includes
substantial debt from Praxis accruing interest means that without a
significant restructuring it is unlikely that a significant return
will be generated for Shareholders in the foreseeable future.
Praxis, as at 19 June 2018, had GBP18.97 million of principal debt
outstanding to the Company and its group and a further GBP12.18
million of accrued interest. Any form of financial restructuring
will require the cooperation and support of Praxis and is likely to
involve significant dilution of the Shareholders, given the market
capitalisation of the Company being less than GBP1 million at the
current price of 52.50 pence per Share. Following the Delisting the
Board intends to enter into discussions with Praxis on a financial
restructuring.
Resolutions 1 and 2 set out in the Notice have been proposed to
enable the Company to proceed with any such restructuring.
Resolution 1, proposed as an ordinary resolution (the passing of
which will require more than 50 per cent. of the votes cast voting
in favour of it), seeks approval for the Directors to allot
Ordinary Shares up to a maximum nominal value of GBP100,000,
representing up to 40,000,000 of new Ordinary Shares. Resolution 2,
proposed as a special resolution (the passing of which will require
at least 75 per cent. of the votes cast voting in favour of it), if
passed, will enable the Directors to allot up to a maximum nominal
value of GBP100,000, representing up to 40,000,000 new Ordinary
Shares without having to comply with statutory pre-emption
rights;
-- although the financial year ended 30 June 2017 showed
significant progress, as stated in the interim results for the
period ended 31 December 2017, the need to continue to focus on
operational controls and efficiencies has held back performance in
the current year together with some one-off charges which have been
absorbed in the period. Significant changes have been made in the
leadership of the underlying businesses in recent weeks, but the
benefits of these changes is taking time to flow through. The
restrictions of the Company's current capital structure and the
slow recovery in performance underpin the need to reorganise the
capital structure;
-- at present the annual costs associated with the maintenance
of the trading of Shares on AIM are approximately GBP70,000, and
the interests of the Company would best be served by removing these
costs and allowing the Company's business to develop outside the
regulatory constraints to which it is currently subject; and a
disproportionate amount of senior management time is spent in
meeting AIM Rules and related regulatory requirements, including
reporting, disclosure and corporate governance requirements.
Future strategy of Praxis
As a result of the Proposals, Praxis does not anticipate there
will be any change in the terms and conditions of employment of
Progility's employees or management going forward. Praxis has
however indicated that in the absence of the Company generating
adequate cash to start paying a greater proposition of the interest
on the debt it has, Praxis intends to enter into discussions with
the Board, after the Delisting, to reorganise the Company's
outstanding debt and accrued interest. Following this, Praxis and
the Company would intend to accelerate the speed of operational
improvement in the businesses to put the Company back into a
position where it can achieve acceptable levels of performance.
Details about Praxis's Purchase Facility and action to be
taken
The Independent Directors and Praxis recognise that cancelling
the trading of the Company's Ordinary Shares on AIM will make it
significantly more difficult for Minority Shareholders to sell (or
to buy) Ordinary Shares should they so wish. Accordingly, in
consultation with the Panel and with the support of the Independent
Directors, upon advice from SPARK, Praxis has agreed to purchase
the Ordinary Shares it does not currently own from the Minority
Shareholders if they so wish. The price at which Praxis will buy
such Ordinary Shares is the same for all the Minority Shareholders
and is 55.0 pence per Ordinary Share in cash. In addition,
Shareholders will be able to sell their Ordinary Shares without
incurring dealing costs (which will be borne by Praxis, so
increasing the cash return over a market sale through a broker who
will charge dealing commission) by following the instructions set
out in the paragraph headed "Procedure for selling your Ordinary
Shares" below. Minority Shareholders should further note that (i)
this is the only price at which Praxis is prepared to acquire
Ordinary Shares, (ii) the same price is being made available to all
Minority Shareholders (iii) this price will not be subject to any
amendment during the Sale Period, and (iv) this price will be free
of any trading costs, which will be borne by Praxis.
Furthermore, the Independent Directors consider the price of
55.0 pence per Ordinary Share, at which Praxis is prepared to
purchase the Ordinary Shares from Minority Shareholders to be fair
and reasonable for the following reasons:
-- it represents a premium of 4.8 per cent. over the average
Closing Price for Ordinary Shares in the month to 21 June 2018,
being the last business day prior to the announcement of the
Delisting; this premium excludes the benefit of the lack of share
trading costs, which will be borne in full by Praxis;
-- given the absence of any liquidity for any larger holdings of
stock all Shareholders are able to obtain this price; and
-- the current level of debt means the Company is dependent on
the continuing support of Praxis and with a level of debt with
Praxis, including accrued interest being just over GBP31 million at
the end of April 2018 and an equity value at the indicated Closing
Price of GBP0.84 million any form of restructuring is likely to
involve substantial dilution for Shareholders.
As a result, the Independent Directors, having been so advised
by SPARK, believe that the price at which Praxis is prepared to
acquire Shares held by Minority Shareholders is fair and reasonable
and that the Proposals are in the best interests of Shareholders.
In providing advice to the Board, SPARK has taken account the
Independent Directors' commercial assessments. They therefore
recommend that those Minority Shareholders who wish to realise
their investment in Progility should sell their holding to Praxis.
Minority Shareholders have from the date of this document until
1.00 p.m. on 3 August 2018, to sell all or part of their
shareholding to Praxis.
Subject to the passing of the necessary Resolution at the
General Meeting, it is anticipated that trading in Ordinary Shares
on AIM will cease at close of business on 20 July 2018, with
cancellation of such trading taking effect from 7.00 a.m. on 23
July 2018. The Sale Period will remain open for a further 15 days
until 1.00 p.m. on 3 August 2018.
The procedure for selling Ordinary Shares is set out further
below in the paragraph headed "Procedure for selling your Ordinary
Shares" below.
The City Code and transfers
Following the Delisting (and for at least 10 years thereafter),
the City Code will continue to apply to the Company. In addition,
whilst the Ordinary Shares will remain freely transferable, there
will be no public market for any Ordinary Shares not purchased by
Praxis and they will cease to be transferable through CREST.
Shareholders who currently hold Ordinary Shares in uncertificated
form (that is, in CREST) and who do not sell their Ordinary Shares
to Praxis will receive share certificates in due course following
the Delisting taking effect. Share transfers may still be effected
after the date of Delisting, or the end of the Sale Period
(assuming there is a willing buyer) by depositing a duly executed
and stamped stock transfer form together with an appropriate share
certificate with the Company's Registrar. Since October 2013,
Praxis has been able to purchase any remaining Shares which it does
not own, from Minority Shareholders, without having to extend that
offer to all the remaining Shareholders, this position will
continue post Delisting and after the end of the Sale Period.
Financial Information on Progility
Copies of the report and accounts of Progility for each of the
three financial years ended 30 June 2015, 2016, 2017 and the half
year report to 31 December 2017 are available from
https://www.progility.com/investor-relations/financial-reports.
United Kingdom taxation
The following paragraphs, which are intended as a general guide
only and are based on current UK tax legislation and our
understanding of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs practice,
summarise certain limited aspects of the UK taxation treatment of
the disposal of Shares by Minority Shareholders. They relate only
to the position of certain classes of taxpayer and only to those
Minority Shareholders who hold their Shares beneficially as an
investment (other than under an individual savings account) and who
are resident or, in the case of individuals, resident and domiciled
in the UK for tax purposes. If you are in any doubt as to your
taxation position, or if you are subject to taxation in any
jurisdiction other than the UK, you should consult an appropriate
independent professional adviser immediately.
(a) UK taxation of chargeable gains ("CGT")
Liability to UK tax on chargeable gains will depend on the
individual circumstances of each Ordinary Shareholder. The sale by
a Minority Shareholder of his Shares for cash will constitute a
disposal for the purposes of UK tax on chargeable gains which may,
depending on the Shareholder's individual circumstances (including
the availability of exemptions or allowable losses), give rise to a
liability to CGT or an allowable loss.
(b) Stamp Duty and Stamp Duty Reserve Tax ("SDRT")
No stamp duty or SDRT will be payable by Minority Shareholders
as a result of their sale of Ordinary Shares.
Procedure for selling your Ordinary Shares
Praxis is willing to purchase Ordinary Shares from Minority
Shareholders at a fixed price of 55.0 pence per Ordinary Share at
any time between the date of this document and 1.00 p.m. on 3
August 2018. SPARK has received written confirmation from Praxis
that it has deposited funds with Link Asset Services sufficient to
purchase all of the 562,980 Ordinary Shares held by Minority
Shareholders and that it has irrevocably instructed Link Asset
Services to purchase, on Praxis's behalf, up to 562,980 Ordinary
Shares at a price of 55.0 pence per Share from Minority
Shareholders who have submitted Purchase Facility Forms with Link
Asset Services by 1.00 p.m. on 3 August 2018, which is the end of
the Sale Period.
Shareholders do not have to sell any Ordinary Shares if they do
not wish to, but, once submitted a Purchase Facility Form and/or
TTE Instruction are irrevocable and cannot be withdrawn.
Subject to the passing of the necessary Resolution at the
General Meeting, after the close of business on 20 July 2018, there
will be no public market for any Ordinary Shares not purchased by
Praxis as part of the above Purchase Facility process.
a) Shares held in certificated form
Qualifying Shareholders who hold Ordinary Shares in certificated
form and who wish to participate in the Purchase Facility should
follow the instructions on the Purchase Facility Form that will
accompany the document and return it to the Receiving Agent by post
or by hand (during normal business hours only) to Link Asset
Services, Corporate Actions, The Registry, 34 Beckenham Road,
Beckenham, Kent, BR3 4TU, to arrive by no later than the Closing
Time. Qualifying Shareholders who hold their Ordinary Shares in
certificated form should also send their share certificate(s) or
other documents of title in respect of the Ordinary Shares tendered
with their Purchase Facility Form to the Receiving Agent at Link
Asset Services, Corporate Actions, The Registry, 34 Beckenham Road,
Beckenham, Kent BR3 4TU, to be received no later than the Closing
Time. Further details of the procedure for selling and settlement
are set out in this Circular and on the accompanying Purchase
Facility Form. COMPLETED PURCHASE FACILITY FORMS MUST BE RECEIVED
BY NOT LATER THAN 1.00 P.M. ON 3 AUGUST 2018.
The execution of the Purchase Facility Form will constitute the
irrevocable appointment of any director or officer of the Company,
or other person(s) nominated by Praxis, as a Shareholder's attorney
and/or agent and an irrevocable instruction and authorisation for
the Attorney to complete and execute all or any instruments of
transfer and/or other documents at the Attorney's absolute
discretion in relation to the Ordinary Shares being tendered by
that Qualifying Shareholder. Further details of the procedures for
the Purchase Facility and settlement will be set out in the
Circular and, in the case of Qualifying Shareholders selling
Ordinary Shares held in certificated form, in the Purchase Facility
Form. Further copies of the Purchase Facility Form may be obtained
on request from the Link Asset Services on 0371 664 0321. Calls are
charged at the standard geographic rate and will vary by provider.
Calls outside the United Kingdom will be charged at the applicable
international rate. The helpline is open between 9.00 a.m. and 5.30
p.m. (UK time), Monday to Friday excluding public holidays in
England and Wales. Please note that Link Asset Services cannot
provide any financial, legal or tax advice and calls may be
recorded and monitored for security and training purposes.
b) Interest in Ordinary Shares held in uncertificated form in CREST
Qualifying Shareholders who hold their interest in Ordinary
Shares in uncertificated form in CREST and who wish to sell all or
any of their Ordinary Shares under the Purchase Facility should
sell electronically through CREST so that the TTE Instruction
settles no later than the Closing Time.
The input and settlement of a TTE Instruction shall constitute
an instruction to sell the specified number of Ordinary Shares at
the purchase price, by transferring such Ordinary Shares to the
relevant escrow account as detailed below.
If a Shareholder is a CREST sponsored member, the Shareholder
should refer to his/her CREST sponsor before taking any action. A
Shareholder's CREST sponsor will be able to confirm details of the
Shareholder's Participant ID and the member account ID under which
the Shareholder's Ordinary Shares are held. In addition, only the
Shareholder's CREST sponsor will be able to send the TTE
Instruction to Euroclear in relation to the Shareholder's Ordinary
Shares.
To sell Shares in uncertificated form you should send (or, if
you are a CREST sponsored member, procure that your CREST sponsor
sends) a TTE Instruction to Euroclear, which must be properly
authenticated in accordance with Euroclear's specifications for
transfers to escrow and which must contain, in addition to the
other information that is required for the TTE Instruction to
settle in CREST, the following details:
(A) the ISIN for the Ordinary Shares which is: GB00BF5L3580;
(B) the number of Ordinary Shares to be transferred to an escrow balance;
(C) your Member Account ID;
(D) your Participant ID;
(E) the Participant ID of the Receiving Agent, in its capacity
as a CREST receiving agent, which is RA10;
(F) the member account ID of the escrow agent, which is 29743PRO;
(G) the Corporate Action Number of the Purchase Facility, which
is allocated by Euroclear and is available by viewing the relevant
corporate action detail, in CREST;
(H) the intended settlement date for the transfer to escrow.
This should be as soon as possible and, in any event, no later than
the Closing Time of 1.00 p.m. on 3 August 2018;
(I) the standard delivery instruction with Priority 80; and
(J) contact name and telephone number inserted in the shared note field.
After settlement of the TTE Instructions, Shareholders will not
be able to access their Ordinary Shares, the subject of such TTE
Instruction in CREST for any transaction or charging purposes,
notwithstanding that, the Ordinary Shares will be held by the
Receiving Agent until they are transferred to the Receiving Agent,
as escrow agent for Praxis, unless the Exit Facility becomes void
or is terminated. Shareholders are recommended to refer to the
CREST Manual published by Euroclear for further information on the
CREST procedures outlined above.
If Shareholders are in any doubt as to the procedure for
acceptance under the purchase facility, please contact Link Asset
Services on 0371 664 0321. Calls are charged at the standard
geographic rate and will vary by provider. Calls outside the UK
will be charged at the applicable international rate. The helpline
is open between 9.00 a.m. and 5.30 p.m., Monday to Friday excluding
pubic holidays in the UK. Please note that Link Asset Services
cannot provide advice on the merits of the Purchase Facility nor
give any financial, legal or tax advice. Shareholders are reminded
that, if he/she are a CREST sponsored member, he/she should contact
his/her CREST sponsor before taking any action.
Terms and Conditions
Each Shareholder by whom, or on whose behalf, a Purchase
Facility Form is executed, irrevocably undertakes, represents,
warrants and agrees to and with Praxis (so as to bind him, his
personal representatives, heirs, successors and assigns) to the
following:
(a) that the execution of the Purchase Facility Form shall
constitute an irrevocable offer to sell the total number of
Ordinary Shares as are specified on the Purchase Facility Form,
subject to the terms and conditions set out or referred to in this
document and the Purchase Facility Form;
(b) that he is the sole beneficial owner of the Ordinary Shares
in registered form in respect of which the Ordinary Shares
specified on the Purchase Facility Form and he is the legal owner
of such Ordinary Shares and he has the necessary capacity and
authority to execute the Purchase Facility Form;
(c) that such Shareholder has full power and authority to sell,
assign or transfer the Ordinary Shares and when such Ordinary
Shares are purchased by Praxis, Praxis will acquire such Ordinary
Shares free and clear from all liens, charges, restrictions,
claims, equitable interests and encumbrances and together with all
rights attaching thereto and such representation and warranty will
be true in all respects at the time Praxis purchases such Ordinary
Shares as if it had been entered into anew at such time and shall
not be extinguished by such purchase;
(d) that the execution of the Purchase Facility Form will
constitute the irrevocable appointment of Praxis and any director
of Praxis, or other person nominated by Praxis, as such
Shareholder's Attorney and an irrevocable instruction and
authorisation to the Attorney to do all acts and things as may in
the Attorney's opinion be necessary or expedient for the purpose
of, or in connection with, the Ordinary Shares being tendered by
the Shareholder pursuant to the Purchase Facility;
(e) that he agrees to ratify each and every act or thing which
may be done or effected by the Attorney or Praxis or any of its
directors or any person nominated by Praxis in the proper exercise
of his powers and/or authorities hereunder;
(f) that he shall do all such acts and things as shall be
necessary or expedient and execute any additional documents deemed
by Praxis to be desirable to complete the purchase of the Ordinary
Shares by Praxis and/or to perfect any of the authorities expressed
to be given hereunder;
(g) that the terms and conditions in this document shall be
deemed to be incorporated in, and form part of, the Purchase
Facility Form, which shall be read and construed accordingly;
(h) that, such Shareholder, if an Overseas Shareholder, has
fully observed any applicable legal requirements and that he may
tender his Shares under the Purchase Facility under the laws of the
relevant jurisdiction;
(i) that such Shareholder is participating in the Purchase
Facility from outside any Restricted Jurisdiction;
(j) that such Shareholder has not received or sent copies or
originals of this document, the Purchase Facility Form or any
related documents in, into or from a Restricted Jurisdiction.
Each Shareholder by whom, or on whose behalf, an electronic
acceptance is made by submission of a TTE instruction, irrevocably
undertakes, represents, warrants and agrees to and with Praxis (so
as to bind him, his personal representatives, heirs, successors and
assigns) to the following:
(a) that the input of a TTE Instruction shall constitute an
irrevocable offer to sell the total number of Ordinary Shares
specified in the TTE Instruction, in each case subject to the terms
and conditions set out or referred to in this document;
(b) that he is the sole beneficial owner of the Ordinary Shares
in respect of which the Ordinary Shares specified in the TTE
Instruction and he is the legal owner of such Ordinary Shares and
he has the necessary capacity and authority to effect the
electronic acceptance;
(c) that such Shareholder has full power and authority to sell,
assign or transfer the Ordinary Shares (as the case may be) and
when such Ordinary Shares are purchased by Praxis, Praxis will
acquire such Ordinary Shares free and clear from all liens,
charges, restrictions, claims, equitable interests and encumbrances
and together with all rights attaching thereto and such
representation and warranty will be true in all respects at the
time Praxis purchases such Ordinary Shares as if it had been
entered into anew at such time and shall not be extinguished by
such purchase;
(d) that the input of the TTE Instruction will constitute the
irrevocable appointment of Praxis and any director of Praxis, or
other person nominated by Praxis, as such Shareholder's Attorney
and an irrevocable instruction and authorisation to the Attorney to
do all acts and things as may in the Attorney's opinion be
necessary or expedient for the purpose of, or in connection with,
the Ordinary Shares being tendered by the Shareholder pursuant to
the Purchase Facility;
(e) that he agrees to ratify each and every act or thing which
may be done or effected by the Attorney or Praxis or any of its
directors or any person nominated by Praxis in the proper exercise
of his powers and/or authorities hereunder;
(f) that he shall do all such acts and things as shall be
necessary or expedient and execute any additional documents deemed
by Praxis to be desirable to complete the purchase of the Ordinary
Shares by Praxis and/or to perfect any of the authorities expressed
to be given hereunder;
(g) that if, for any reason, any Ordinary Shares in respect of
which a TTE Instruction has been made are, prior to the end of the
Sale Period, converted into certificated form, the electronic
tender in respect of such Ordinary Shares shall cease to be valid
and the Shareholder will need to comply with the procedures for
tendering Ordinary Shares in certificated form as set out above in
respect of the Ordinary Shares so converted, if he wishes to make a
valid tender of such Ordinary Shares pursuant to the Purchase
Facility;
(h) that, such Shareholder, if an Overseas Shareholder, has
fully observed any applicable legal requirements and that he may
tender his Shares under the Purchase Facility under the laws of the
relevant jurisdiction;
(i) that such Shareholder is participating in the Purchase
Facility from outside any Restricted Jurisdiction;
(j) that such Shareholder has not received or sent copies or
originals of this document, the Purchase Facility Form or any
related documents in, into or from a Restricted Jurisdiction.
Settlement
Unless the Purchase Facility becomes void or is terminated or is
extended, the outcome of the Purchase Facility is expected to be
announced on or about 6 August 2018. The payment of any
consideration for Ordinary Shares will be made only after the
relevant TTE Instruction has settled or (in the case of Ordinary
Shares in certificated form) timely receipt by the Receiving Agent
of share certificate(s) and/or other document(s) of title, or an
indemnity in lieu thereof, a properly completed and duly executed
Purchase Facility Form and any other documents required by the
Purchase Facility Form.
Settlement of the consideration to which any Shareholder is
entitled pursuant to the Purchase Facility, will be made as
follows:
Ordinary Shares held in uncertificated form
Where the Purchase Facility is accepted in relation to Ordinary
Shares held in CREST any cash consideration will be paid by means
of CREST by Link Asset Services acting as Receiving Agent procuring
the creation of an assured payment obligation in favour of the
payment of accepting Shareholders in accordance with the CREST
assured payment arrangements, expected to be not later than five
Business Days after the day that the outcome of the Purchase
Facility is announced.
Ordinary Shares in certificated form
Where an acceptance of the Purchase Facility relates to Ordinary
Shares in certificated form cheques for the consideration will be
despatched by first class post, expected to be not later than five
Business Days after the day that the outcome of the Purchase
Facility is announced at the risk of the person entitled thereto.
All cash payments will be made in pounds sterling by cheque drawn
on a branch of a UK clearing bank. Delivery of cash for the
Ordinary Shares will be made by the Receiving Agent. The Receiving
Agent will act as agent Praxis in relation to the Purchase Facility
for the purpose of receiving the cash and transmitting such cash to
such Shareholders.
Overseas Shareholders
The Purchase Facility is not available to Shareholders whose
address, as stated on the Register, is in a Restricted
Jurisdiction, or who are resident in a Restricted Jurisdiction. The
Board shall use its discretion in deciding whether the Purchase
Facility is made available to Shareholders whose address or place
of residence is not in a Restricted Jurisdiction but is outside the
UK.
The availability of the Purchase Facility in, or to persons
resident in, jurisdictions outside the United Kingdom or
custodians, nominees or trustees for persons who are citizens,
residents or nationals of jurisdictions outside the United Kingdom
may be prohibited or affected by the laws of the relevant overseas
jurisdiction. Shareholders who are Overseas Shareholders should
inform themselves about and observe any applicable legal or
regulatory requirements. It is the responsibility of any such
Shareholder wishing to tender Ordinary Shares to satisfy himself as
to the full observance of the laws of the relevant jurisdiction in
connection therewith, including the obtaining of any governmental,
exchange control or other consents which may be required, the
compliance with other necessary formalities and the payment of any
issue, transfer or other taxes due in such jurisdiction. If you are
in any doubt about your position, you should consult your
professional adviser in the relevant jurisdiction. Any such
Shareholder will be responsible for any such issue, transfer or
other taxes payable and the Company and any person acting on their
behalf shall be fully indemnified and held harmless by such
Shareholder for any such issue, transfer or other taxes such person
may be required to pay. No steps have been taken to register or
qualify the Purchase Facility or to authorise the extending of the
Purchase Facility or the distribution of this Circular, the
Purchase Facility Form and any related documents in any territory
outside the United Kingdom.
These provisions and any other terms of the Purchase Facility
relating to Overseas Shareholders may be waived, varied or modified
as regards specific Shareholders or on a general basis by the
Company in its absolute discretion.
General Meeting and action to be taken
The Delisting is conditional upon the approval of Shareholders
holding not less than 75 per cent. of the votes cast (whether in
person or by proxy) at the General Meeting. The meeting will be
held at 10.00 a.m. on 10 July 2018 at the Company's Head Office,
7(th) Floor, 95 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4JF. Shareholders should note
that Praxis, which holds approximately 64.75 per cent. of the
Shares, Mmilt Pty Limited, trustee of the Vecchio Family Trust and
Arden Nominees Pty Limited (as trustee for the Vecchio
Superannuation Fund) which together own 260,264 Ordinary Shares,
which together represent approximately 81.05 per cent. of the
Company's share capital have confirmed to the Board their intention
to vote in favour of the Resolutions at the General Meeting.
Recommendation by the Independent Directors
The Independent Directors, who have been so advised by SPARK,
consider the price of 55.0 pence per Ordinary Share at which Praxis
is willing to buy Ordinary Shares from Minority Shareholders to be
fair and reasonable and that the Proposals are in the best
interests of Ordinary Shareholders as a whole. In providing advice
to the Independent Directors, SPARK has taken into account the
Independent Directors' commercial assessments. Ordinary
Shareholders should be aware that, following the Delisting and the
end of the Sale Period, there will be no public market for their
Ordinary Shares and the opportunity for realising any value for
their shareholdings will be uncertain. The Independent Directors
therefore recommend that those Minority Shareholders wishing to
realise their investment should sell their Ordinary Shares to
Praxis via the process outlined above. John Caterer, who owns 100
Ordinary Shares (representing 0.006 per cent. of the issued share
capital of the Company) has irrevocably undertaken to vote in
favour of all the Resolutions and has indicated that he will sell
his Shares under the Purchase Facility following the General
Meeting.
Expected timetable of principal events
2018
Circular and Form of Proxy posted to Shareholders 22 June
Latest time and date for receipt of Form of 10.00 a.m. on
Proxy 8 July
10.00 a.m. on
General Meeting 10 July
Last day for dealings in Shares on AIM 20 July
7.00 a.m. on
Cancellation of trading of Shares on AIM 23 July
Sale Period opens 22 June
1.00 p.m. on
Sale Period closes 3 August
6.00 p.m. on
Record Time 3 August
on or about 6
Announcement of take up of the Purchase Facility August
Cheques despatched and payment through CREST by 13 August
for the Purchase Facility 2018
Documents
In compliance with AIM Rule 20, the circular to Shareholders
will be available on its website www.progility.com pursuant to AIM
Rule 26 later today.
Terms in this announcement will have the same meaning as in the
circular.
Further announcements will be made as appropriate.
For further information, please contact:
Progility plc
Wayne Bos
Executive Chairman
020 7371 4444
www.progility.com
SPARK Advisory Partners Limited (Nominated Adviser)
Mark Brady
020 3368 3551
W H Ireland Limited
(Broker)
Adrian Hadden
020 7220 1666
Cautionary notice regarding forward looking statements
This announcement includes statements that are, or may be deemed
to be, "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking
statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking
terminology, including the terms "believes", "estimates",
"forecasts", "plans", "prepares", "anticipates", "projects",
"expects", "intends", "may", "will", "seeks", or "should" or, in
each case, their negative or other variations or comparable
terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives,
goals, future events or intentions. These forward-looking
statements include all matters that are not historical facts. They
appear in a number of places throughout this announcement and
include statements regarding the Company's, the Directors' and
Praxis' intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning,
amongst other things, the Company's prospects, growth and strategy.
No statement in this announcement is intended to be a profit
forecast and no statement in this document should be interpreted to
mean that earnings per ordinary share of the Company for the
current or future years would necessarily match or exceed the
historical published earnings per ordinary share of the
Company.
By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties because they relate to future events and depend on
circumstances that may or may not occur in the future.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future
performance. The Company's actual performance, achievements and
financial condition may differ materially from those expressed or
implied by the forward-looking statements in this document. In
addition, even if the Company's results of operations, performance,
achievements and financial condition are consistent with the
forward-looking statements in this document, those results or
development may not be indicative of results or developments in
subsequent periods.
Any forward-looking statements that the Company or Praxis makes
in this announcement speak only as of the date of such statement,
and none of the Company or the Directors or Praxis undertake any
obligation to update such statements unless required to do so by
applicable law. Comparisons of results for current and any prior
periods are not intended to express any future trends or
indications of future performance, unless expressed as such, and
should only be viewed as historical data.
This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the
London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct
Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United
Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution
of this information may apply. For further information, please
contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.
END
MSCBLGDLRSDBGID
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 22, 2018 13:17 ET (17:17 GMT)
Progility (LSE:PGY)
過去 株価チャート
から 11 2024 まで 12 2024
Progility (LSE:PGY)
過去 株価チャート
から 12 2023 まで 12 2024