NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION.
THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT FALLING UNDER RULE 2.4 OF THE CITY CODE ON TAKEOVERS AND MERGERS (THE "CODE") AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF A FIRM INTENTION TO MAKE AN OFFER UNDER RULE 2.7 OF THE CODE. THERE CAN BE NO CERTAINTY THAT ANY FIRM OFFER WILL BE MADE NOR AS TO THE TERMS ON WHICH ANY FIRM OFFER MIGHT BE MADE.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION
For immediate release
11 April 2018
FirstGroup plc
Statement re possible offer
The Board of FirstGroup plc ("FirstGroup" or the "Company") notes the recent movement in FirstGroup share price and confirms that it has received a preliminary and highly conditional indicative proposal from Apollo Management IX L.P. ("Apollo") relating to a possible cash offer for the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of FirstGroup (the "Proposal"). The Board of FirstGroup has considered the Proposal in detail and believes that it fundamentally undervalues the Company and is opportunistic in nature. Accordingly, the Board of FirstGroup has unanimously rejected the Proposal.
There can be no certainty that any firm offer will be made nor as to the terms on which any firm offer might be made. A further announcement will be made in due course if and when appropriate.
In accordance with Rule 2.6(a) of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the "Code"), Apollo must, by not later than 5.00 p.m. on 9 May 2018, either announce a firm intention to make an offer for the Company in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the Code or announce that it does not intend to make an offer in which case the announcement will be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Code applies. This deadline will only be extended with the consent of the Takeover Panel in accordance with Rule 2.6(c) of the Code.
This announcement has been made by FirstGroup without the agreement or approval of Apollo.
In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Code, a copy of this announcement will be available on FirstGroup's website at www.firstgroupplc.com by no later than 12 noon (London time) on 12 April 2018. The content of the website referred to in this announcement is not incorporated into and does not form part of this announcement.
The person responsible for arranging the release of this announcement on behalf of FirstGroup is Michael Hampson, Group General Counsel and Company Secretary.
Enquiries:
FirstGroup plc Tel: +44 (0) 20 7725 3354
Faisal Tabbah, Head of Investor Relations
Goldman Sachs International Tel: +44 (0) 20 7774 1000
Eduard van Wyk
Nick Harper
Phil Raper
J.P. Morgan Cazenove Tel: +44 (0) 20 7742 4000
Charles Harman
Richard Perelman
Adam Laursen
Brunswick Group LP Tel: +44 (0) 20 7404 5959
Alison Kay
Goldman Sachs International, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting for FirstGroup and no one else in connection with the matters described in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than FirstGroup for providing the protections afforded to clients of Goldman Sachs International, or for giving advice in connection with the matters described in this announcement or any matter referred to herein.
J.P. Morgan Securities plc, which conducts its UK investment banking business as J.P. Morgan Cazenove ("J.P. Morgan Cazenove"), is authorised in the United Kingdom by the Prudential Regulation Authority (the "PRA") and regulated in the United Kingdom by the PRA and the Financial Conduct Authority. J.P. Morgan Cazenove is acting as financial adviser exclusively for FirstGroup and no one else in connection with the matters set out in this announcement and will not regard any other person as its client in relation to the matters in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than FirstGroup for providing the protections afforded to clients of J.P. Morgan Cazenove, nor for providing advice in relation to any matter referred to herein.
Disclosure requirements of the Code
Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who is interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of an offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement of the offer period and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a Dealing Disclosure.
Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s), save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the business day following the date of the relevant dealing.
If two or more persons act together pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a securities exchange offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3.
Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4).
Details of the offeree and Bidder companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Takeover Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any Bidder was first identified. You should contact the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on +44 (0)20 7638 0129 if you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure.
Rule 2.9 disclosure
In accordance with Rule 2.9 of the Code, FirstGroup confirms that as at the date of this announcement, it has 1,210,886,159 ordinary shares of 5 pence each in issue and admitted to trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. FirstGroup holds 157,229 of its ordinary shares in treasury. The total number of voting rights in FirstGroup is currently 1,210,728,930. The International Securities Identification Number for FirstGroup's ordinary shares is GB0003452173.
Legal Entity Identifier: 549300DEJZCPWA4HKM93
