Circ. re BGHL EGM 31 Oct 08

CIRCULAR THIS DOCUMENT IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. If you are in any doubt about the contents of this document or the action you should take, you are recommended to seek immediately your own personal financial advice from independent financial adviser, stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant or from an appropriately qualified independent adviser authorised pursuant to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended. If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your shares in the Company please send this document and the accompanying documents at once to the purchaser or transferee or to the stockbroker, banker or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was effected for onward transmission to the purchaser or transferee. BOUSSARD & GAVAUDAN HOLDING LIMITED (a closed-ended investment company incorporated with limited liability under the laws of Guernsey with registration number 45582 and registered with the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets) Extraordinary General Meeting Recommended proposal to renew the Company's authority to make market acquisitions of its Shares The Proposal described in this document is conditional on Shareholder approval at an EGM. Notice of an EGM of the Company to be held at 10 a.m. on 31 October 2008 at the offices of Close Fund Services Limited, Trafalgar Court, Admiral Park, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 2JA is set out at the end of this document. Shareholders are requested to return the Form of Proxy accompanying this document for use at the EGM. To be valid, a Form of Proxy for use at the EGM must be completed and returned in accordance with the instructions printed thereon so as to be received by Close Fund Services Limited, Trafalgar Court, Admiral Park, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 2JA as soon as possible and, in any event, not later than 48 hours before the time of the EGM. Your attention is drawn to the letter from the Chairman of Boussard & Gavaudan Holding Limited which is set out on pages 3 to 4 of this document and which recommends that you vote in favour of the Resolution. Your attention is also drawn to the section entitled "Action to be Taken" on page 4 of this document. This Circular is not a prospectus and is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction. The Shares will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended and the Company has not been, and will not be, registered under the US Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. EXPECTED TIMETABLE Latest time and date for receipt of Forms of 10 a.m. on 29 October 2008 Proxy for the EGM EGM of the Company 10 a.m. on 31 October 2008 ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY SHAREHOLDERS ALL HOLDERS OF SHARES ARE RECOMMENDED TO COMPLETE AND RETURN THEIR FORMS OF PROXY TO INDICATE HOW THEY WISH TO VOTE ON THE PROPOSAL. COMPLETION AND RETURN OF THE FORM OF PROXY WILL NOT AFFECT A SHAREHOLDER'S RIGHT TO ATTEND AND VOTE AT THE EGM. Shareholders are requested to complete and return the Form of Proxy for the EGM as soon as possible and in any event not later than 48 hours before the meeting and/or attend and vote at the meeting on 31 October 2008. BOUSSARD & GAVAUDAN HOLDING LIMITED (a closed-ended investment company incorporated with limited liability under the laws of Guernsey with registration number 45582 and registered with the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets) Directors: Registered office: Christopher Fish (Chairman) Trafalgar Court Sameer Sain Admiral Park Nicolas Wirz St Peter Port Guernsey GY1 2JA 13 October 2008 Dear Shareholder RECOMMENDED PROPOSAL TO RENEW THE COMPANY'S AUTHORITY TO MAKE MARKET ACQUISITIONS OF ITS SHARES AND NOTICE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING Introduction Your Board is proposing to hold an extraordinary general meeting on 31 October 2008 at 10 a.m. (the "EGM"). The sole business of the EGM will be to approve by ordinary resolution the renewal of the Company's authority to make market acquisitions of its own shares (the "Proposal"). The purpose of this Circular is to provide you with details, and to seek your approval, of the Proposal. A notice of the EGM is set out at the end of this document. Your Board believes that approval of the Proposal at the EGM is in the best interests of the Company and the Shareholders as a whole and recommends that you vote in favour of the Proposal at the EGM. You are therefore urged to complete and return the enclosed Form of Proxy without delay. The Proposal Your Board is seeking Shareholder approval to renew the Company's authority to make market purchases of up to 14.99 per cent. of each class of its Shares in issue (excluding Shares held in treasury). Purchases will only be made through the market for cash at prices below the estimated prevailing net asset value per Share of the relevant class where the Directors believe such purchases will result in an increase in the net asset value per share of the relevant class of the remaining Shares and as a means of addressing any imbalance between the supply of, and demand for, such Shares. Such purchases will only be made in accordance with the Guernsey Companies Law, the Listing Rules and any rules applicable to the Company by virtue of the listing and trading of its shares on Euronext Amsterdam by NYSE Euronext, which include, but are not limited to, that the maximum price to be paid per Share must not be more than the higher of (i) five per cent. above the average market value of such Shares for the five business days prior to the day the purchase is made and (ii) the higher of the price of the last independent trade and the highest current independent bid for such Shares. The minimum price which may be paid for a Share shall be ¤0.01 or £0.01, as the case may be. Approval of the Proposal will allow the Company to make further market purchases of its Shares in order to manage imbalances in the supply of Shares and/or any discount to net asset value at which the Shares may trade. Shares purchased in this manner may be cancelled by the Company or held as treasury shares. Prospective Shareholders should note that the exercise by the Directors of the Company's powers to repurchase Shares is entirely discretionary and they should place no expectation or reliance on the Directors exercising such discretion on any one or more occasions. Resolution You will find set out at the end of this document, a Notice convening an EGM of the Company to be held at the offices of Close Fund Services Limited, Trafalgar Court, Admiral Park, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 2JA on 31 October 2008. The resolution to be proposed at the EGM will be proposed as an ordinary resolution. ACTION TO BE TAKEN Form of Proxy Shareholders will find enclosed a Form of Proxy for use at the EGM. Whether or not you intend to attend the EGM, you should complete and return the Form of Proxy by post or by hand (during normal business hours) to Close Fund Services Limited, Trafalgar Court, Admiral Park, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 2JA so as to arrive not later than 48 hours before the time for holding of the EGM. Completion and return of the Form of Proxy will not affect a Shareholder's right to attend and vote at the EGM. A quorum consisting of two Shareholders entitled to vote and attending in person or by proxy is required for the EGM. Euroclear Investors who hold their Shares through Euroclear and who wish to attend or to exercise the voting rights attached to their Shares at the EGM should inform their admitted institution via Kempen in writing at least seven full days before the EGM, after which they will receive an attendance ticket and proxy card. Recommendation Your Board considers that the Proposal is in the best interests of the Company and its Shareholders as a whole. Accordingly, the Board unanimously recommends Shareholders to vote in favour of the Resolution. Your Directors intend to vote in favour of the Resolution in respect of their entire shareholdings of 64,121 Shares, representing 0.08 per cent. of the total number of issued Shares (excluding treasury shares) in the Company as at 10 October 2008. Yours faithfully Christopher Fish Chairman DEFINITIONS "Board" or "Directors" the board of directors of the Company "Circular" this document "Company" Boussard & Gavaudan Holding Limited "Euro" or "¤" the Euro, being the currency introduced at the start of the third stage of European Economic and Monetary Union pursuant to the Treaty establishing the European Community, as amended "Euro Shares" ordinary shares of ¤0.0001 each in the capital of the Company, designated as Euro shares "Extraordinary General the extraordinary general meeting of the Meeting" or "EGM" Company convened for 10 a.m. on 31 October 2008 (or any adjournment thereof), notice of which is set out at the end of this document "Form of Proxy" the form of proxy for use at the EGM "Kempen" Kempen & Co. N.V. "Listing Rules" the Listing Rules made by the UK Listing Authority pursuant to Part VI of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended "Proposal" the proposal described in this document relating to the Company's authority to make market acquisitions of the Shares "Resolution" the ordinary resolution to be proposed at the EGM and contained in the notice of the EGM "Shares" Euro Shares and/or Sterling Shares, as the context may require "Shareholders" holders of Shares "Sterling Shares" ordinary shares of ¤0.0001 each in the capital of the Company, designated as Sterling shares BOUSSARD & GAVAUDAN HOLDING LIMITED (a closed-ended investment company incorporated with limited liability under the laws of Guernsey with registration number 45582 and registered with the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets) (the "Company") NOTICE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING NOTICE is hereby given that an extraordinary general meeting of the Company will be held at Trafalgar Court, Admiral Park, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 2JA on 31 October 2008 at 10 a.m. to consider and, if thought fit, to pass the following resolution, which will be proposed as an ordinary resolution: ORDINARY RESOLUTION THAT, in replacement for all previous authorities, the Company be generally and, subject as hereinafter appears, unconditionally authorised, in accordance with section 315 (1)(a) of the Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008, as amended (the "2008 Law"), to make market acquisitions (within the meaning of section 316 of the 2008 Law) of shares in the capital of the Company, and to cancel such shares or hold such shares as treasury shares, provided that: (a) the maximum number of shares hereby authorised to be purchased shall be such number as shall represent 14.99 per cent. of each class of shares in issue (excluding shares held in treasury), rounded to the nearest whole number, immediately prior to commencement of dealings in the shares on the date on which this resolution is passed; (b) the maximum price which may be paid for a share shall be the higher of (a) an amount equal to 105 per cent. of the average of the closing quotation for a share of the relevant class taken from and calculated by reference to (i) in the case of the Sterling shares in the Company, the London Stock Exchange plc's Daily Official List or (ii) in the case of the Euro shares in the Company, Eurolist by NYSE Euronext, as the case may be, for the five business days immediately preceding the day on which the shares are purchased and (b) the higher of the price of the last independent trade and highest current independent bid on the relevant market when the purchase is carried out PROVIDED that the Company shall not be authorised to acquire shares at a price above the estimated prevailing net asset value of the relevant class of share on the date of purchase; (c) the minimum price which may be paid for a share shall be ¤0.01 or £0.01, as the case may be; and (d) unless previously varied, revoked or renewed, the authority hereby conferred shall expire at the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company, save that the Company may, prior to such expiry, enter into a contract to purchase shares under such authority, and may make a purchase of shares pursuant to any such contract notwithstanding such expiry. By order of the Board Registered Office Close Fund Services Limited Trafalgar Court Secretary Admiral Park, St Peter Port Dated 13 October 2008 Guernsey GY1 2JA Notes: (1) A member entitled to attend and vote at the EGM is entitled to appoint one or more proxies to attend and vote instead of him. A proxy need not be a member of the Company. (2) For the convenience of members who may be unable to attend the EGM, a Form of Proxy is enclosed with this document. To be valid, the Form of Proxy should be completed in accordance with the instructions printed on it and sent, so as to reach the Company's registrar, Close Fund Services Limited, Trafalgar Court, Admiral Park, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 2JA no later than 48 hours before the time fixed for the meeting. The fact that members may have completed Forms of Proxy will not prevent them from attending and voting in person should they subsequently decide to do so. (3) The Company, pursuant to regulation 41 of the Uncertificated Securities Regulation 2001, specifies that only Shareholders registered in the register of members of the Company at 5 p.m. on 29 October 2008 shall be entitled to attend or vote at the aforesaid general meeting in respect of the number of Shares registered in their name at that time or in the event that the meeting is adjourned, in the register of members at close of business two days before the time of any adjourned meeting. Changes to entries on the register of members after such time or, in the event that the meeting is adjourned, to entries in the register of members after close of business two days before the time of the adjourned meeting, shall be disregarded in determining the rights of any person to attend or vote at the meeting. (4) In the event that a Form of Proxy is returned without an indication as to how the proxy shall vote on the Resolution, the proxy will exercise his discretion as to whether, and if so how, he votes. (5) Investors who hold their Shares via Euroclear and who wish to attend or to exercise the voting rights attached to their Shares at the meeting should inform their admitted institution via Kempen in writing at least seven full days before the meeting, after which they will receive an attendance ticket and proxy card. (6) Copies of the Form of Proxy will be available from the Company's Dutch paying agent, Kempen & Co. N.V. Beethovenstraat 300, 1077 WZ Amsterdam, P.O. Box 75666, 1070 AR Amsterdam, The Netherlands and from the Company's registrar, Close Fund Services Limited, Trafalgar Court, Admiral Park, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 2JA. ---END OF MESSAGE--- This announcement is originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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