TR-1 Notification (2)

RNS Number : 3197G

British American Tobacco PLC

21 October 2008

 



British American Tobacco p.l.c.

21 October 2008

British American Tobacco p.l.c. received the following notification on 21 October 2008:-

QUOTE

TR-1: Notification of Major Interests in Shares

1    Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attached:

      British American Tobacco p.l.c.

2    Reason for the notification (please state Yes/No)

      An acquisition or disposal of voting rights (No)

      An acquisition or disposal of financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached (No)

      An event changing the breakdown of voting rights (No)

      Other: (Yes) Reinet Investments S.C.A. has become the person subject to the notification obligation on the cancellation of Compagnie Financière Richemont S.A.'s interest in Reinet Investments S.C.A. (formerly Richemont S.A.)

3     Full name of person(s) subject to the notification obligation:

Reinet Investments S.C.A. 

4.    Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3):

Reinet Investments S.C.A. (indirect)

Reinet Jersey Holdings Limited (indirect)

R&R Holdings S.A. (direct)

5.    Date of the transaction (and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached if different):  20 October 2008

6.    Date on which issuer notified:

21 October 2008

7.    Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached:

n/a (30 per cent crossed on 25 April 2008)

8.    Notified details:

A. Voting rights attached to shares

Class/type of shares	Situation previous to the Triggering transaction		Resulting situation after the triggering transaction
	Number of Shares	Number of Voting Rights	Number of shares	Number of voting rights		% of voting rights
				Direct	Indirect	Direct	Indirect
Ordinary shares of 25 pence each ISIN:   GB0002875804	604,336,627	604,336,627	604,336,627		604,336,627		30.2%

B. Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial instrument	Expiration date	Exercise/Conversion Period/Date	Number of voting rights that may be acquired if the instrument is exercised/converted	% of voting rights
N/A

Total (A+B)

Number of voting rights        % of voting rights

604,336,627            30.19%

9.    Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable:

R&R Holdings S.A. is a direct shareholder of the issuer (holding 604,336,627 ordinary shares of 25 pence each). Reinet Jersey Holdings Limited is the parent undertaking of R&R Holding S.A. for the purposes of the DTRs. Reinet Investments S.C.A. is the parent undertaking of Reinet Jersey Holdings Limited.

Proxy voting

10.    Name of the proxy holder:

N/A

11.    Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold:

N/A

12.    Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting rights:

N/A

13.    Additional information:

The total number of voting rights in the issuer used to calculate the relevant percentages in this notification was 2,001,362,843, being the number disclosed by the issuer to the market on 1 October 2008.

Contact name: 

14.    Alan Grieve

15.    Contact telephone number:

[phone]

UNQUOTE

Note: In 2007 and 2008, the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers (the "Panel") granted a waiver of the requirement for R&R Holdings S.A. ("R&R") under the City Code to make a general offer for the remainder of the entire issued share capital of British American Tobacco p.l.c. (the "Company") in the event of R&R reaching or exceeding 30 per cent of the Company's issued share capital (the "Waiver"). The Waiver was approved by the Company's shareholders (excluding R&R) at the Company's AGM in April 2008 at which time it was noted that the Directors of the Company expected to continue to seek annual approval of a waiver from its shareholders (excluding R&R) to a level not exceeding 35 per cent of the Company's issued ordinary share capital.

Details of the 2008 waiver from the Panel are set out in the Notice of Annual General Meeting (30 April 2008) and Circular to Shareholders published by the Company on 1 April 2008. 

Geoffrey Cunnington

Deputy Secretary

British American Tobacco p.l.c.

Tel: [phone]

 

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