THE INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS DEEMED BY THE COMPANY TO CONSTITUTE INSIDE
INFORMATION AS STIPULATED UNDER THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU)
NO. 596/2014 AS IT
FORMS PART OF UK DOMESTIC LAW PURSUANT TO THE EUROPEAN UNION
(WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018, AS AMENDED.
UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT VIA A
REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE, THIS INFORMATION IS CONSIDERED TO
BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING THE
APPENDICES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED
HEREIN, IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR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, THE REPUBLIC OF
SOUTH AFRICA OR NEW ZEALAND OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH IT
WOULD BE UNLAWFUL TO DO SO.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING THE
APPENDICES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY
AND DOES NOT ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN OFFER FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION OF
ANY SECURITIES IN THE COMPANY.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE APPENDICES DO NOT
CONSTITUTE OR CONTAIN ANY INVITATION, SOLICITATION, RECOMMENDATION,
OFFER OR ADVICE TO ANY PERSON TO SUBSCRIBE FOR, OTHERWISE ACQUIRE
OR DISPOSE OF ANY SECURITIES OF ALIEN METALS LTD IN ANY
JURISDICTION IN WHICH ANY SUCH OFFER OR SOLICITATION WOULD BE
UNLAWFUL.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT SHOULD BE READ IN
ITS ENTIRETY. IN
PARTICULAR, YOU SHOULD READ AND UNDERSTAND THE INFORMATION PROVIDED
IN THE APPENDICES INCLUDING APPENDIX II WHICH CONTAINS THE TERMS
AND CONDITIONS OF THE PLACING.
1
August 2024
Alien Metals
Ltd
("Alien
Metals", the "Company" or the "Group") (AIM: UFO, FWB:
I3A1)
Proposed Placing to raise up
to £0.6 million
Alien Metals Ltd (LSE AIM:UFO), a
global minerals exploration and development
company, announces its intention to
raise gross proceeds of up to £0.6 million by means of a placing of
new Common Shares to certain institutional and other investors at a
price of 0.11 pence per share (the "Placing" or the "Fundraising").
The Placing Price represents a
discount of approximately 10.20 per cent. to the Closing Price of
0.1225 pence per Common Share on 31 July 2024, being the latest
practicable business day prior to the publication of this
Announcement.
The Placing is to be conducted by
way of an accelerated bookbuild process which will commence
immediately following this Announcement and will be subject to the
terms and conditions set out in Appendix II to this
Announcement.
A further announcement confirming
the 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.
Capitalised terms used but not
otherwise defined in this Announcement shall have the meanings
ascribed to such terms in Appendix I of this Announcement, unless
the context requires otherwise.
Potential Joint Venture
Further to the Company's
announcement of 20 June 2024, the Company is actively progressing
discussions with a potential joint venture partner for the Hancock
Project. Due to its size, any such joint venture, should it
proceed, will likely require the approval of shareholders in a
general meeting pursuant to the AIM Rules. Whilst there can
be no guarantee that any transaction will progress, the Directors
are encouraged by the conversations to date. Further announcements
will be made in due course.
Placing Highlights
·
The Company intends to raise up to £0.6 million
before expenses through the Placing arranged by Zeus Capital
Limited ("Zeus" or "the
Bookrunner") by way of the
issue of up to 545,454,545 new Common Shares (the
"Placing
Shares") at the Placing
Price.
·
Placing to be conducted via an accelerated
bookbuild process launching today.
·
The Placing Shares, assuming full take-up of the
Placing, will represent approximately 7 per cent. of the Enlarged
Issued Share Capital.
·
The net proceeds of the Placing will be
principally used to advance the Company's iron ore project, and
silver and precious metals project, in Western Australia and for
general working capital purposes, as follows:
o Complete additional permitting and clearances at
Hancock
o Investigate methods to expand base and precious metals
resource at Pinderi Hills
o The
anticipated transaction costs in relation to any concluded
financing for the Hancock Project
o Working capital
·
The Company is advancing a number of initiatives
and opportunities as previously announced which would provide
capital to the Company and its key projects. However, and assuming
receipt of the net proceeds of the Placing in full, as an
exploration company the Company may be required to raise further
funds towards the end of the calendar year to continue to progress
its activities in circumstances where these initiatives do not come
to fruition or provide the necessary funding sufficient for the
Group's planned operations.
The
Placing
The Company intends to issue up
to 545,454,545 Placing Shares, to raise gross proceeds of up to £0.6 million,
to participants in the Placing. The Placing Shares are expected to
be admitted to trading on AIM on or around 7 August
2024.
Zeus Capital Limited, is acting as
bookrunner in connection with the Placing. The Placing Shares are
being offered by way of an accelerated bookbuild (the "Bookbuild"), which will be launched
immediately following this Announcement in accordance with the
terms and conditions set out in Appendix II to this
Announcement.
Admission of the Placing Shares is
conditional, inter alia,
upon the placing agreement dated 1 August 2024 between the Company
and the Bookrunner (the "Placing
Agreement") not having been terminated and becoming
unconditional in all respects.
The Placing is conditional upon,
amongst other things:
•
Admission of the Placing Shares becoming effective by no later than
8.00 a.m. on 7 August 2024 (or such later time and / or date as the
Company and the Bookrunner shall agree, not being later than 31
August 2024);
• the
delivery by the Company to the Bookrunner of certain documents
required under the Placing Agreement;
• the
Company having fully performed its obligations under the Placing
Agreement to the extent that such obligations fall to be performed
prior to Admission of the Placing Shares; and
• the
Placing Agreement not having been terminated by the Bookrunner in
accordance with its terms.
The timing of the closure of the
Bookbuild and the allocation of the Placing Shares to be issued at
the Placing Price are to be determined at the discretion of the
Company and the Bookrunner.
Admission to trading
Application will be made to the
London Stock Exchange for Admission of the Placing Shares to
trading on AIM. It is expected that Admission will become effective
and dealings in the Placing Shares will commence at 8.00 a.m. on or
around 7 August 2024.
A further announcement will be made
following the closure of the Bookbuild, confirming final details of
the Placing.
The Placing is not being
underwritten and the Placing is not conditional on a minimum amount
being raised.
For further information on the
Company, please visit www.alienmetals.uk or
contact:
Alien Metals
Limited
Guy Robertson
T: +44 (0)20 7983 521488
(c/o Yellow Jersey)
Zeus Capital
Limited (Broker and
Bookrunner)
Harry Ansell/Dan
Bristowe/Katy Mitchell/Andrew de Andrade
Tel: +44 (0) 203 829 5000
Strand Hanson (Nominated
Adviser)
James Harris / James Dance /
Robert Collins
Tel: +44 (0) 207 409 3494
CMC Markets (Joint
Broker)
Douglas Crippen
Tel: +44 (0) 203 003 8632
Yellow Jersey PR (Financial
PR)
Charles Goodwin / Shivantha Thambirajah / Zara McKinlay
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3004 9512
alienmetals@yellowjerseypr.com
Additional Information
Further details of the Placing
Pursuant to the Placing Agreement,
the Bookrunner, as agent for the Company, has conditionally agreed
to use reasonable endeavours to procure subscribers at the Placing
Price for the Placing Shares.
The Bookrunner intends to
conditionally place the Placing Shares with certain institutional
and other investors at the Placing Price.
The Company intends to issue up to
545,454,545 Placing Shares, to raise gross
proceeds of up to £0.6 million, pursuant to
the Placing. The Placing Shares are expected to be admitted to
trading on AIM on or around 7 August
2024 (or such later date and/or time as the
Bookrunner and the Company may agree, being no later than 8.00 a.m.
on 31 August 2024).
Admission of the Placing Shares is
conditional, inter alia,
upon the Placing Agreement not having been terminated and becoming
unconditional in all respects.
The Bookrunner (acting in good
faith) has the right to terminate the Placing Agreement in certain
circumstances prior to Admission, including (but not limited to):
in the event that there is a breach, or an alleged breach, of any
of the warranties set out in the Placing Agreement where such
breach or alleged breach is material. The Bookrunner may also
terminate the Placing Agreement if there has been a material
adverse change in certain international financial markets, a
suspension or material limitation in trading on certain stock
exchanges which, in the opinion of the Bookrunner (acting in good
faith), makes it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the
Placing. If this termination right is exercised or if the
conditionality in the Placing Agreement is not satisfied, the
Placing will not proceed.
The Placing Shares are not subject
to clawback. The Placing is not being underwritten. The Placing is
not conditional on a minimum amount being raised.
Placing Shares
The Placing Shares, when issued,
will be fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the
Existing Common Shares in issue, including the right to receive all
dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid after the
date of issue.
Application will be made to London
Stock Exchange for Admission of the Placing Shares to trading on
AIM.
It is expected that Admission will
take place on or around 8.00 a.m. on 7
August 2024 and that dealings in the
Placing Shares on AIM will commence at the same time.
IMPORTANT
NOTICES
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", "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 and the
Directors' intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning,
amongst other things, the Company's prospects, growth and strategy.
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.
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 Announcement. In
addition, even if the Company's results of operations, performance,
achievements and financial condition are consistent with the
forward-looking statements in this Announcement, those results or
developments may not be indicative of results or developments in
subsequent periods. Any forward-looking statements that the Company
makes in this Announcement speak only as of the date of such
statement and (other than in accordance with their legal or
regulatory obligations) neither the Company, nor the Bookrunner nor
Strand Hanson Limited ("Strand
Hanson") nor any of their respective
associates, directors, officers or advisers shall be obliged to
update such statements. 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.
Strand Hanson, 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 Strand Hanson by the Financial
Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended ("FSMA") or the regulatory regime
established thereunder, Strand Hanson 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. Strand Hanson 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 Strand Hanson 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.
Zeus Capital, which is authorised
and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA, is acting as
broker and Bookrunner 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 Zeus Capital by FSMA or the regulatory
regime established thereunder, Zeus Capital 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. Zeus Capital 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 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 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. Subject to certain exceptions, the
securities referred to herein may not be offered or sold in the
United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic
of South Africa or to, or for the account or benefit of, any
national, resident or citizen of the United States, Australia,
Canada, Japan, New Zealand or the Republic of South
Africa.
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, the Financial Markets Authority of New Zealand 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, and nor will they be, registered under or offered in
compliance with the securities laws of any state, province or
territory of Canada, Australia, 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 Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand or the Republic of South
Africa or any other jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom or to,
or for the account or benefit of any national, resident or citizen
of Australia, Japan, New Zealand or the Republic of South Africa or
to any investor located or resident in Canada.
No public offering of the Placing
Shares is being made in the United States, 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 shares 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 shares. 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 (in accordance with the EU
Prospectus Regulation or the UK Prospectus Regulation, as the case
may be) to be published. 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 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
Bookrunner or by any of its 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.
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.
The Placing Shares to be issued
pursuant to the Placing will not be admitted to trading on any
stock exchange, other than AIM.
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.
APPENDIX I
Definitions
The following definitions apply
throughout this Announcement unless the context otherwise
requires:
"Admission"
|
admission of the Placing Shares to
AIM becoming effective in accordance with Rule 29 of the AIM
Rules
|
"AIM''
|
the market of that name operated by
the London Stock Exchange
|
"AIM Rules"
|
the AIM Rules for Companies
(including the guidance notes) published by the London Stock
Exchange and as amended from time to time
|
"Announcement"
|
this announcement (including the
Appendices which forms part of this announcement)
|
"Articles"
|
the articles of association of the
Company as adopted and in force from time to time
|
"Bookbuild"
|
the accelerated bookbuilding to be
conducted by the Bookrunner pursuant to the Placing Agreement and
this Announcement
|
"Bookrunner"
|
Zeus Capital
|
"Business Day"
|
any day on which banks are usually
open for business in England and Wales for the transaction of
sterling business, other than a Saturday, Sunday or public
holiday
|
"Closing Price"
|
the closing middle market price of
an Existing Common Share as derived from the AIM Appendix to the
Daily Official List of the London Stock Exchange
|
"Common Shares"
|
Common Shares of no par value in the
capital of the Company
|
"Company" or "Alien Metals"
|
Alien Metals Ltd, a company
registered in the British Virgin Islands with registered number
1029783
|
"CREST" or "CREST system"
|
the relevant system (as defined in
the CREST Regulations) in respect of which Euroclear is the
operator (as defined in those regulations)
|
"CREST Regulations"
|
the Uncertificated Securities
Regulations 2001 (SI2001/3755)
|
"Depositary Interests"
|
depositary interests representing
the Common Shares
|
"Directors" or "Board"
|
the directors of the Company or any
duly authorized committee thereof
|
"EEA"
|
the European Economic Area,
comprising the European Union, Iceland,
Liechtenstein and Norway and "Member State" shall be construed
accordingly
|
"Enlarged Issued Share Capital"
|
the Common Shares which shall be in
issue immediately following Admission
|
"Euroclear"
|
Euroclear UK & International
Limited, the operator of CREST
|
"EUWA"
|
the European Union (Withdrawal) Act
2018, as amended
|
"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
|
"Existing Common Shares"
|
the 6,964,460,841 Common Shares in issue
at the date of this Announcement
|
"FCA"
|
the Financial Conduct
Authority
|
"FSMA"
|
the Financial Services and Markets
Act 2000, as amended
|
"HMRC"
|
HM Revenue & Customs in the
UK
|
"ITA 2007"
|
Income Tax Act 2007
|
"London Stock Exchange"
|
London Stock Exchange plc
|
"Long Stop Date"
|
31 August 2024
|
"MAR" or the "Market Abuse Regulation"
|
the Market Abuse Regulation
(2014/596/EU) as it forms part of UK domestic law pursuant to the
EUWA
|
"Placee" or "Placees"
|
any Relevant
Person(s)f (including individuals, funds or others)
subscribing for and/or purchasing Placing
Shares, or on whose behalf a commitment to
subscribe for or acquire Placing Shares has been given,
pursuant to the Placing
|
"Placing"
|
the placing of the Placing Shares at
the Placing Price by the Bookrunner on behalf of the Company
pursuant to the Placing Agreement
|
"Placing Agreement"
|
the agreement dated 1 August 2024
between the Company and the Bookrunner relating to the
Placing
|
"Placing Price"
|
0.11 pence per Placing
Share
|
"Placing Shares"
|
the new Common Shares to be issued
pursuant to the Placing, the number of which will be announced by
the Company on completion of the Bookbuild
|
"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"
|
(a) in respect of persons
in any Member State of the European Economic Area,
persons who are qualified investors
(within the meaning of article 2(e) of the EU Prospectus
Regulation; or (b) in respect of persons in the UK,
persons who are qualified
investors (within the meaning of article 2(e) of the UK Prospectus
Regulation, as the case may be
|
"Registrar"
|
Computershare Investor Services
plc
|
"Regulatory Information Service"
|
one of the regulatory information
services authorised by the FCA to receive, process and disseminate
regulatory information
|
"Securities Act"
|
the United States Securities Act of
1933, as amended
|
"Shareholders"
|
the holders of Common Shares (as the
context requires) at the relevant time
|
"Strand Hanson"
|
Strand Hanson Limited, nominated
adviser to the Company
|
"Terms and Conditions"
|
the terms and conditions in respect
of the Placing set out in Appendix II of this
Announcement
|
"UK
Prospectus Regulation"
|
the UK version of Regulation (EU)
2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June
2017, which is part of UK law by virtue of the EUWA, as amended by
The Prospectus (Amendment, etc) (EU Exit) Regulations
2019
|
"uncertificated" or "in uncertificated"
form"
|
recorded on the relevant register of
Common Shares 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
|
"United Kingdom" or
''UK"
|
the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland
|
"United States" or "US"
|
the United States of America, its
territories and possessions, any state of the United States of
America and the District of Columbia and any other area subject to
its jurisdiction
|
"US
Person"
|
has the meaning set out in
Regulation S of the Securities Act
|
"Zeus Capital"
"£", "pounds sterling", "pence"
or "p"
|
means Zeus Capital Limited, broker
to the Company
are references to the lawful
currency of the United Kingdom
|
APPENDIX II
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, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, NEW
ZEALAND 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
BOOKRUNNER, 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. THE PRICE OF
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.
The distribution of the Terms and
Conditions and/or the Placing and/or issue of the Placing Shares in
certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. No action has been
taken by the Company, the Bookrunner or any of their respective
affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees that would
permit an offer of the Placing Shares or possession or distribution
of the Terms and Conditions or any other offering or publicity
material relating to such Placing Shares in any jurisdiction where
action for that purpose is required. Persons into whose possession
these Terms and Conditions come are required by the Company and the
Bookrunner to inform themselves about and to observe any such
restrictions.
The Terms and Conditions or any part
of them are for information purposes only and do not constitute or
form part of any offer to issue or sell, or the solicitation of an
offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe for, any securities in the
United States (including its territories and possessions, any state
of the United States and the District of Columbia), Australia,
Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other
jurisdiction in which the same would be unlawful. No public
offering of the Placing Shares is being made in any such
jurisdiction.
In the United Kingdom, the Terms and
Conditions are being directed solely at persons in circumstances in
which section 21(1) of FSMA does not apply.
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 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 the United States,
Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, or the Republic of South
Africa or any other jurisdiction in which such offer, sale, resale
or delivery would be unlawful.
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 Common Shares may decline and investors
could lose all or part of their investment; the Common Shares offer
no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an investment
in the Common Shares 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 Bookrunner 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 Common
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.
The Terms and Conditions should be
read in their entirety.
These Terms and Conditions apply to
persons making an offer to acquire Placing Shares. Each Placee
hereby agrees with the Bookrunner and the Company to be bound by
these terms and conditions as being the terms and conditions upon
which Placing Shares will be issued or acquired. A Placee shall,
without limitation, become so bound if the Bookrunner confirms to
such Placee its allocation of Placing Shares.
By participating in the Placing
(such participation to be confirmed in and evidenced by either (i)
a recorded telephone conversation; or (ii) a contract note or email
correspondence, in either case between representatives of the
Bookrunner (a "Recorded Commitment")), each Placee will be deemed
to have read and understood these Terms and Conditions in their
entirety, to be participating and acquiring Placing Shares on these
Terms and Conditions and to be providing the representations,
warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements and undertakings
contained in these Terms and Conditions.
In particular, each such Placee
irrevocably represents, warrants, undertakes, agrees and
acknowledges (amongst other things) to the Company and the
Bookrunner that:
1. it is a Relevant
Person and that it will acquire, hold, manage or dispose of any
Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the purposes of its
business; and
2. it is acquiring the
Placing Shares for its own account or is acquiring the Placing
Shares for an account with respect to which it exercises sole
investment discretion and has the authority to make and does make
the representations, warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements,
undertakings and agreements contained in these Terms and
Conditions; and
3. it understands (or if
acting for the account of another person, such person has confirmed
that such person understands) and agreed to comply with the resale
and transfer restrictions set out in these Terms and Conditions;
and
4. except as otherwise
permitted by the Company and subject to any available exemptions
from applicable securities laws, it (and any account referred to in
paragraph 3 above) is outside the United States acquiring the
Placing Shares in offshore transactions as defined in and in
accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act.
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 Placing Price 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.
Details of the Placing Agreement and
the Placing Shares
The Bookrunner and the Company have
entered into a Placing Agreement, under which the Bookrunner has,
on the terms and subject to the conditions set out therein,
undertaken to use its reasonable endeavours to procure subscribers
for Placing Shares at the Placing Price. The Placing is not being
underwritten by the Bookrunner or any other person.
The number of Placing Shares will be
determined following completion of the Bookbuild as set out in this
Announcement. The timing of the closing of the Bookbuild, the
number of Placing Shares and allocations are at the discretion of
the Bookrunner, following consultation with the Company.
Allocations will be confirmed orally or by email by the Bookrunner
following the close of the Bookbuild. A further announcement
confirming these details will then be made as soon as practicable
following completion of the Bookbuild.
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 Common Shares, including the right to
receive all dividends and other distributions (if any) declared,
made or paid on or in respect of Common Shares after the date of
issue of the Placing Shares.
Subject to
Admission, the Placing Shares will trade on AIM under the trading
symbol "UFO" and with ISIN VGG0472G1063.
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. It is expected that settlement of any such shares
(via Depositary Interests) and Admission will become effective on
or around 8.00 a.m. on 7 August 2024 and that dealings in the
Placing Shares will commence at that time.
Bookbuild
The Bookrunner will today commence
an accelerated bookbuilding process to determine demand for
participation in the Placing by potential Placees at the Placing
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 Bookrunner and the Company shall
be entitled to effect the Placing by such alternative method to the
Bookbuild as it may, in its sole discretion, determine.
The principal terms of the Placing
are as follows:
1. The Bookrunner
is arranging the Placing as agent for, and broker 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
Bookrunner.
3. The Bookbuild,
if successful, will establish the number of Placing Shares to be
issued at the Placing Price, which will be determined by the
Bookrunner, in consultation with the Company, following completion
of the Bookbuild. The number of Placing Shares will be announced on
a Regulatory Information Service following completion of the
Bookbuild.
4. To bid in the
Bookbuild, prospective Placees should communicate their bid by
telephone to their usual contact at the Bookrunner. Each bid should
state the number of Placing Shares which the prospective Placee
wishes to subscribe for or purchase at the Placing Price. Bids may
be scaled down by the Bookrunner on the basis referred to in
paragraph 8 below.
5. The timing of
the closing of the Bookbuild will be at the discretion of the
Bookrunner. 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 Bookrunner, following
consultation with the Company. Each Placee's allocation will be
confirmed to Placees orally, or by email, by the Bookrunner
following the close of the Bookbuild and a trade confirmation or
contract note will be dispatched as soon as possible thereafter.
Oral or emailed confirmation from the Bookrunner will give rise to
an irrevocable, legally binding commitment by that person (who at
that point becomes a Placee), in favour of the Bookrunner and the
Company, under which it agrees to acquire by subscription the
number of Placing Shares allocated to it at the Placing 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
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
Bookbuild detailing the number of Placing Shares to be issued at
the Placing Price.
8. Subject to
paragraphs 4 and 5 above, the Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner 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
Bookbuild 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 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 Bookrunner 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
Bookrunner 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
Bookrunner, 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 Bookrunner, 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 Bookrunner's conduct
of the Placing or of such alternative method of effecting the
Placing as the Bookrunner and the Company may determine.
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 Bookrunner's obligations under
the Placing Agreement in respect of the Placing Shares are
conditional on, inter
alia:
1. the delivery by
the Company to the Bookrunner of certain documents required under
the Placing Agreement;
2. the Company
having 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
occurring by no later than 8.00 a.m. (London time) on
7 August 2024 or such
other date and time as may be agreed between the Company and the
Bookrunner, not being later than 8 am (London time) on
31 August 2024 (the "Long
Stop Date"); and
5. the Placing
Agreement not having been terminated by the Bookrunner 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
Bookrunner by the respective time or date where specified (or such
later time or date as the Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner may, at its
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 Bookrunner, 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
Bookrunner.
Right to terminate the Placing
Agreement
The Bookrunner is entitled, at any
time before Admission, to terminate the Placing Agreement by giving
notice to the Company in certain circumstances, including,
inter alia, if before
Admission:
1. the Bookrunner
becoming aware of any fact, matter or circumstance which
constitutes or might reasonably be expected to constitute a
material breach of the warranties given in the Placing Agreement or
which indicates that any of such warranties has become or might
reasonably be expected to become untrue, inaccurate or misleading
in any material respect by reference to the facts and circumstances
then subsisting;
2. the Company has
failed to comply with its obligations under the Placing Agreement,
or with the requirements of any applicable laws or regulations
(including MAR and the AIM Rules) in relation to the
Placing;
3. any of the
conditions set out in the Placing Agreement are not fulfilled or
(if capable of waiver) waived by the Bookrunner or shall have
become incapable of being fulfilled by the respective time(s) and
date(s) (if any) specified in the Placing Agreement;
4. there occurs or
arises prior to Admission any significant change or new material
matter which the Bookrunner, in its discretion, determines should
be notified to Placees or Shareholders; or
5. there has been
a change in national or international financial, political,
economic, monetary or stock market conditions (primary or
secondary) or an imposition of or compliance with any law or
governmental or regulatory order, rule, regulation, restriction or
direction,
which, in the opinion of the
Bookrunner, would or would be likely to prejudice materially the
Company or render the Placing (or any material part thereof) or
Admission impractical 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 Bookrunner of any right of termination or other discretion
under the Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute discretion
of the Bookrunner and that the Bookrunner need not make any
reference to Placees in this regard and that neither the Bookrunner
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 otherwise. 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 Bookrunner or any other person and neither the
Bookrunner, 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 Bookrunner, 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 Bookrunner 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, financial,
business or other 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 Bookbuild,
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 Bookrunner, stating the number of
Placing Shares allocated to it at the Placing 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 Bookrunner in accordance
with the standing CREST settlement instructions which they have in
place with the Bookrunner.
Settlement of transactions in the
Placing Shares via the Depositary Interests (ISIN: VGG0472G1063)
following Admission will take place within CREST provided that,
subject to certain exceptions, the Bookrunner 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.
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 LIBOR rate as determined by the
Bookrunner.
Each Placee is deemed to agree that,
if it does not comply with these obligations, the Bookrunner 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
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 Bookrunner 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
Bookrunner such authorities and powers necessary to carry out any
such sale and agrees to ratify and confirm all actions which the
Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner 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) makes
the following representations, warranties, acknowledgements,
agreements and undertakings (as the case may be) to the Bookrunner
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 or purchase of 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 Bookrunner of any right or discretion under the
Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute discretion of the
Bookrunner and the Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner 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
Bookrunner 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, (a) persons in any Member
State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the EU
Prospectus Regulation or (b) persons in the UK in accordance with
the UK Prospectus Regulation, respectively, other than Qualified
Investors or in circumstances in which the prior consent of the
Bookrunner 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 the case may be) as having been made to such
persons;
6. that neither it
nor, as the case may be, its clients expect the Bookrunner 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
Bookrunner is not acting for it or its clients, and that the
Bookrunner will not be responsible for providing the protections
afforded to customers of the Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner 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
Bookrunner, 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
Bookrunner or the Company or any of their respective affiliates,
agents, directors, officers 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 Bookrunner, 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, New Zealand, the Republic of
South Africa or Japan or a corporation, partnership or other entity
organised under the laws of Australia, Canada, New Zealand,
the Republic of South Africa or Japan 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, New Zealand, the
Republic of South Africa or Japan or to or for the benefit of any
person resident in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of
South Africa or Japan 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 Securities Commission of New Zealand, the Japanese Ministry of
Finance 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, New Zealand, the
Republic of South Africa, Japan 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 Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner;
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 Bookrunner, it is a Qualified Investor;
21. that, unless otherwise
agreed by the Bookrunner, 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 Bookrunner (or its nominee) 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
Bookrunner's (or its nominee's) money in accordance with such
client money rules and will be used by the Bookrunner in the course
of its own business and each Placee will rank only as a general
creditor of the Bookrunner;
24. that it will (or will
procure that its nominee will) if applicable, make notification to
the Company of the interest in its Common Shares in accordance with
the Articles (which incorporate 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 and/or purchasing under
the Placing unless and until Admission becomes
effective;
27. that it appoints
irrevocably any director of the Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner and the Company. All
confirmations, warranties, acknowledgements and undertakings given
by the Placee, pursuant to this Announcement (including this
Appendix) are given to the Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner shall notify it of such
amendments;
34. that (i) it has complied
with its obligations under the Criminal Justice Act 1993 and 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 and Terrorist Financing
Regulations 2019 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 Bookrunner such evidence, if any, as to the identity or
location or legal status of any person which the Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner 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 and/or purchased by
it or at its direction pursuant to the Placing being reduced to
such number, or to nil, as the Bookrunner 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 UK Prospectus Regulation (as the case may be) 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
stockbroker 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 Bookrunner 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
Bookrunner;
39. that the Bookrunner owes
no fiduciary or other duties to any Placee in respect of any
representations, warranties, undertakings or indemnities in the
Placing Agreement;
40. that the Bookrunner or its
respective affiliates may, at 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; and
42. 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 Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner
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 Bookrunner.
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 (via Depositary Interests) 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
Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner in the event that any of
the Company and/or the Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner
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 Bookrunner 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 Bookrunner 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.