Announcement by HDFC

RNS Number : 3028L

Standard Life plc

17 July 2017

 

Standard Life plc

Announcement by Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited ("HDFC")

Standard Life plc ("Standard Life") notes the announcement today by HDFC that the Board of Directors of HDFC Standard Life Insurance Company Limited ("HDFC Life"), at its meeting on 17 July 2017, approved an enabling resolution for an initial public offering ("IPO") of HDFC Life by way of offer for sale by HDFC and Standard Life (Mauritius Holdings) 2006 Limited (in the ratio as mutually agreed amongst them and subject to their respective approvals), up to a maximum of 20% of HDFC Life's paid up and issued equity share capital . 

The IPO is subject to relevant regulatory and other necessary approvals.

Attached to the announcement was a letter from HDFC Life to HDFC.  The letter stated that, with reference to HDFC Life's earlier announcement of a proposed merger between HDFC Life and Max Life Insurance Company Limited ("Max Life"), it continues to believe that such a transaction, if it can obtain the necessary approvals, would create strategic value for both companies.  The letter also stated that, at the present time, no structure prior to an IPO of HDFC Life has been identified which satisfies shareholders' requirements, but if Max Life and HDFC Life are able to obtain all the necessary regulatory approvals, HDFC Life's Board and its promoters would be willing to re-evaluate the option of a merger with Max Life in due course.

17 July 2017

Enquiries:

Institutional Equity Investors Jakub Rosochowski Neil Longair	[phone]* [phone] [phone]* [phone]
Media Graeme McEwan	[phone]* [phone]
Group Secretariat Kenneth Gilmour	[phone]*

* Calls may be monitored and/or recorded to protect both you and us and help with our training. Call charges will vary.

Important Notices

Defined terms not otherwise defined in this announcement shall have the meaning given to them in the Prospectus.

This Announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute or form part of any offer to sell or subscribe for or any invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities of the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction pursuant to the Proposed Merger. It does not constitute a prospectus or prospectus equivalent document.

Overseas Jurisdictions

The release, publication or distribution of this Announcement in or into jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom may be restricted by law and therefore any persons who are subject to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the United Kingdom should inform themselves about, and observe any applicable legal or regulatory requirements. Any failure to comply with the applicable restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law the companies and persons involved in the Merger disclaim any responsibility or liability for the violation of such restrictions by any person. This Announcement has been prepared for the purpose of complying with English law and the City Code and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this Announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws of jurisdictions outside the United Kingdom.

Unless otherwise determined by Standard Life or required by the City Code, and permitted by applicable law and regulation, the New Shares to be issued pursuant to the Merger to Aberdeen Shareholders will not be made available, directly or indirectly, in, into or from a Restricted Jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction and no person may vote in favour of the Merger by any such use, means, instrumentality or form within a Restricted Jurisdiction or any other jurisdiction if to do so would constitute a violation of the laws of that jurisdiction. Accordingly, copies of this Announcement and any formal documentation relating to the Merger are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in or into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction or any other jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the laws of that jurisdiction, and persons receiving such documents (including custodians, nominees and trustees) must not mail or otherwise forward, distribute or send such documents in or into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction. If the Merger is implemented by way of an Offer (unless otherwise permitted by applicable law and regulation), the Offer may not be made directly or indirectly, in or into, or by the use of mails or any means or instrumentality (including, but not limited to, facsimile, e-mail or other electronic transmission or telephone) of interstate or foreign commerce of, or of any facility of a national, state or other securities exchange of any Restricted Jurisdiction and the Offer may not be capable of acceptance by any such use, means, instrumentality or facilities or from within any Restricted Jurisdiction.

Further details in relation to Aberdeen Shareholders in overseas jurisdictions and holders of Aberdeen ADRs are contained in the Scheme Document.

Additional Information for US Investors

The Merger relates to the shares of a Scottish company and is being made by means of a scheme of arrangement provided for under Scottish company law. A transaction effected by means of a scheme of arrangement is not subject to the tender offer rules or the proxy solicitation rules under the US Exchange Act. Accordingly, the Merger is subject to the disclosure requirements and practices applicable in the United Kingdom to schemes of arrangement which differ from the disclosure requirements of United States tender offer and proxy solicitation rules. If, in the future, Standard Life exercises the right to implement the Merger by way of an Offer and determines to extend the Offer into the United States, the Merger will be made in compliance with applicable United States laws and regulations.

It may be difficult for US holders of Aberdeen Shares to enforce their rights and any claim arising out of the US federal laws, since Aberdeen and Standard Life are located in a non-US jurisdiction, and some or all of their officers and directors may be residents of a non-US jurisdiction. US holders of Aberdeen Shares may not be able to sue a non-US company or its officers or directors in a non-US court for violations of the US securities laws. Further, it may be difficult to compel a non-US company and its affiliates to subject themselves to a US court's judgement.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This Announcement (including information incorporated by reference into this Announcement), oral statements regarding the Merger and other information published by Standard Life and Aberdeen contain certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, strategies, objectives, results of operations and businesses of Standard Life and Aberdeen and their respective groups and certain plans and objectives with respect to the Combined Group. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate only to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements are prospective in nature and are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and projections of the management of Standard Life and Aberdeen about future events, and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements often use words such as "anticipate", "target", "expect", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "goal", "believe", "hope", "aims", "continue", "will", "may", "should", "would", "could", or other words of similar meaning. These statements are based on assumptions and assessments made by Standard Life, and/or Aberdeen in light of their experience and their perception of historical trends, current conditions, future developments and other factors they believe appropriate. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty, because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future and the factors described in the context of such forward-looking statements in this Announcement could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although it is believed that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct and readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

There are several factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements are changes in the global, political, economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory forces, future exchange and interest rates, changes in tax rates and future business combinations or dispositions. For a discussion of important factors which could cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements in relation to the Standard Life Group or the Aberdeen Group, refer to the annual report and accounts of the Standard Life Group for the financial year ended 31 December 2016 and of the Aberdeen Group for the financial year ended 30 September 2016, respectively.

Each forward-looking statement speaks only as at the date of this Announcement. Neither Standard Life nor Aberdeen, nor their respective groups assumes any obligation to update or correct the information contained in this Announcement (whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise), except as required by applicable law.

Publication on website and availability of hard copies

A copy of this Announcement is and will be available, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, for inspection on Standard Life's website www.standardlife.com by no later than 12 noon (London time) on the Business Day following this Announcement. For the avoidance of doubt, the contents of the websites referred to in this Announcement are not incorporated into and do not form part of this Announcement.

Standard Life Shareholders may request a hard copy of this Announcement by: (i) contacting Standard Life Shareholder Services during business hours on 0345 113 0045 or [phone] or (ii) by submitting a request in writing to Standard Life Shareholder Services, 34 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 4TU.

LEI: OTMBS544NMO7GLCE7H90

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