Statement by the Board of Carillion plc

RNS Number : 8751N

Carillion PLC

31 July 2014

 



THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF A FIRM INTENTION TO UNDERTAKE ANY TRANSACTION UNDER RULE 2.7 OF THE CITY CODE ON TAKEOVERS AND MERGERS (THE "CODE") AND THERE CAN BE NO CERTAINTY THAT ANY TRANSACTION WILL PROCEED, OR AS TO THE TERMS OF ANY SUCH TRANSACTION, EVEN IF THE PRE-CONDITIONS BELOW ARE SATISFIED.

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 OR REGULATIONS OF THAT JURISDICTION.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Statement by the Board of Carillion plc ("Carillion")

31 July 2014

The Board of Carillion is making this announcement in response to this morning's statement by Balfour Beatty plc ("Balfour Beatty") that it has unilaterally terminated discussions regarding a combination of the two businesses.

The Board of Carillion yesterday concluded, on the basis of analysis to date, that for the combination to satisfy Carillion's requirements (as set out in the announcement made last Thursday), it would be essential to retain the stability and dependability of Parsons Brinckerhoff's earnings.

The Board of Carillion is surprised by Balfour Beatty's reaction as the work to date has led to increased confidence in the potential to realise very material value for the benefit of both sets of shareholders.

The Board of Carillion continues to believe in the powerful strategic rationale of a combination and the capability of such a combination to create very significant shareholder value. The Board of Carillion will therefore give further consideration to its position in the light of its requirements that (i) due diligence would have to be concluded to its satisfaction; and (ii) the Boards of Carillion and Balfour Beatty would have to recommend a combination to their shareholders.  In accordance with Rule 2.5(c)(i) of the Code, Carillion confirms that the pre-conditions referenced in (i) and (ii) above must be satisfied prior to the agreement of any transaction.

Carillion will make a further announcement in due course. In the meantime, there can be no certainty that any offer will be made by Carillion or as to the terms on which any such offer might be made.   

As required by Rule 2.6(a) of the Code, Carillion is required, by not later than 5.00 p.m. on 21 August 2014 to either announce a firm intention to undertake a transaction in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the Code or announce that it does not intend to undertake a transaction, in which case the announcement will be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Code applies. This deadline may be extended with the consent of the Takeover Panel in accordance with Rule 2.6(c) of the Code. Carillion understands that, in accordance with Rule 2.6(c), the Takeover Panel will take into account the views of Balfour Beatty in considering whether to grant such an extension.

This announcement is not being made with the consent of Balfour Beatty.

Enquiries:

Carillion

John Denning, Director Group Corporate Affairs              [phone]

Finsbury (PR Adviser to Carillion)

James Murgatroyd                                                                          [phone]
Gordon Simpson

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, 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 offeror 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 http://www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. If you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure, you should contact the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on [phone].

Publication on websites

A copy of this announcement will be made available subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in restricted jurisdictions on Carillion's website at www.carillionplc.com by no later than 12 noon (London time) on 1 August 2014.

The content of the website referred to in this announcement is not incorporated into and does not form part of this announcement.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A TAKEOVER OFFER OR AN OFFER OF SECURITIES. NO OFFER OR SALE OF SECURITIES MAY OCCUR IN THE UNITED STATES UNLESS THE TRANSACTION HAS BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE US SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 (THE "SECURITIES ACT") OR IS EXEMPT FROM REGISTRATION THEREUNDER. NO SECURITIES HAVE BEEN OR WILL BE REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND THERE WILL BE NO PUBLIC OFFER OF SECURITIES IN THE UNITED STATES.

 

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