Acquisition Update

Debt Free Direct Group PLC 27 June 2007 DEBT FREE DIRECT GROUP PLC ('Debt Free Direct', the 'Company' or the 'Group') Further to the announcement relating to the acquisition of Clear Start UK Ltd ('Clear Start') released yesterday, the Company announces the following: Application for Admission In accordance with the terms of the acquisition of Clear Start, the Company has made application to the London Stock Exchange for 4,159,671 ordinary shares of 1p each in the Company ('Ordinary Shares') to be admitted to trading on AIM. Admission of these shares is expected to occur on 29 June 2007. Posting of circular A circular proposing resolutions to be considered at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company was dispatched to shareholders yesterday. A copy of the Chairman's letter to shareholders which forms Part I of the circular is included below. The Circular is available on the Company's website at http://www.debtfreedirect.co.uk/pr.php 'To the shareholders of Debt Free Direct Group plc Dear Shareholder Proposed cancellation of the share premium account of the Company and authority to make market purchases of Ordinary Shares 1. Introduction Earlier today, the Company announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire the entire issued share capital of Clear Start. The consideration for the acquisition will be settled by the issue of new Ordinary Shares in the Company. The number of Ordinary Shares issued as consideration initially will be 4,159,671. The Directors expect the acquisition to be earnings enhancing and believe that, in order to maximise earnings enhancement, it is in the best interests of Shareholders for the Company to purchase up to 4,500,000 Ordinary Shares currently in issue, from Shareholders, for cancellation. The Directors believe that the most effective method of effecting such purchase of Shares is by way of an on market share buyback programme, to be executed by Numis Securities Limited acting as agent for the Company. Since the Company's cash reserves are insufficient to fund such a buyback in full, the Company intends to fund the buyback with a new debt facility of approximately £16 million. In order to effect the buyback of Shares, the Company must first create sufficient distributable reserves to allow the purchase of Shares. It is proposed that such distributable reserves shall be created by cancelling the Company's share premium account. The initial number of Ordinary Shares issued to shareholders of Clear Start has been agreed on the assumption that the share buyback programme proceeds and that at least 4,159,671 Ordinary Shares are purchased by the Company. To compensate the Clear Start shareholders for the diluting effect of the share buyback programme not being implemented, or not being implemented in full, up to a maximum of 490,968 additional Ordinary Shares would, in such circumstances, be issued to them. The Clear Start Shareholders may become entitled to additional consideration in the form of a maximum of a further 2,363,940 Ordinary Shares in the Company depending upon the performance of the share price of the Company over the next two years. The purpose of this document is to provide you with information in relation to the proposed cancellation of the share premium account of the Company and to recommend that you vote in favour of the resolutions at the EGM to cancel the Company's share premium account and to authorise the Company to make market purchases of its own Shares. It is proposed that the Company will use the distributable reserves created by the cancellation of the share premium account to fund the buyback of Shares and for general corporate purposes. If approved, the Cancellation of the Share Premium Account will increase the distributable reserves of the Company by approximately £13.7 million. 2. Current Trading In the Company's preliminary results for the year ended 30 April 2007, which were announced earlier today, Andrew Redmond, Chief Executive Officer commented: 'The latter half of the financial year under review has been a turbulent time for all companies operating in the IVA market, as highlighted by the demise of a number of Debt Free Direct's competitors. I will not be surprised if further fall out occurs. Our own trading in the second half of the financial year has been impacted by increased competition, creditor reluctance to accept IVAs, and consumer unease caused by alarmist press coverage. Debt Free Direct entered the new financial year trading at run rates in line with those achieved in the latter half of the previous financial year. However, with our advertising 'share of voice' now improving and, with signs of renewed understanding within the creditor community, we are well positioned to build our volumes once more. Whilst fee levels have not, as yet, been impacted by creditor pressure, it is clear that their long term intention is to ensure their reduction. Debt Free Direct does, however, have the largest 'bank' of IVAs, which will not be impacted by any change in fee levels and is, therefore, well placed to cope with the changes ahead. In view of potential changes to fee structures and continued uncertainty surrounding advertising costs, it is too early to provide detailed guidance on the current financial year. Nevertheless, I remain confident that we are still on track to achieve our vision of becoming the most respected provider of advice and solutions to over-indebted consumers and that this achievement will maximise shareholder value.' 3. The Proposals Cancellation of Share Premium Account Subject to the approval of Shareholders and Court Approval, the Company's share premium account (standing at £13,777,240 as at 25 June 2007) will be cancelled. The reserve created will constitute a realised profit and be transferred to the profit and loss account of the Company and create additional distributable reserves. The Cancellation of Share Premium Account will not reduce the net assets of the Company. It is currently expected that the Court's sanction of the cancellation of the share premium account of the Company will be sought at a hearing on Wednesday 22nd August 2007 and, if the Court's sanction is granted on that date, the Cancellation of Share Premium Account is expected to become effective on Thursday 23rd August 2007 (being the date on which it is anticipated that the court order will be registered with the Registrar of Companies). The Court will be concerned to protect the interests of creditors of the Company as at the date the Cancellation of Share Premium Account becomes effective. The precise form of creditor protection will be determined by the Court and the Company will take such steps as it thinks appropriate in order to satisfy the Court in that regard. Authority to make market purchases of own Shares The Company is, in addition, seeking authority to purchase Shares in the market to enable it to conduct the proposed share buyback. The Board is seeking authority to purchase up to 4,500,000 Shares in the market, representing approximately 11.97 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company at not more than 105 per cent of the average middle market price of a Share for the five days preceding the purchase and not less than 1p per Share for purchases of Shares under this authority. Any Shares purchased under the share buyback will be cancelled and the number of shares in issue reduced accordingly. The authority will expire on the earlier of the Company's annual general meeting in 2008 and 17 January 2009. The amount of the reserve arising on the proposed Cancellation of Share Premium Account may be greater than the final amount required to buy back Shares under the share buyback. In this event the additional distributable reserves will be available for other corporate purposes of the Company. 4. Directors' intentions In the unlikely event that Shareholders do not take up the opportunity to participate in the share buyback, Directors (other than the executive Directors) might be requested to make Shares available in order to ensure the success of the share repurchase programme. 5. Shareholder approval Implementation of the Proposals requires the passing by Shareholders of Resolutions 1 and 2 to be proposed at the Extraordinary General Meeting which has been convened for 1pm on Wednesday 18th July 2007. Notice of the Extraordinary General Meeting is set out at the end of this document. Descriptions of the Resolutions to be proposed at the Extraordinary General Meeting are set out below. Resolution 1 to be proposed at the Extraordinary General Meeting Resolution 1, which is to be proposed as a special resolution and which is set out in the notice of Extraordinary General Meeting, will, if passed (and subject to receipt of Court Approval), cancel the share premium account of the Company. Resolution 2 to be proposed at the Extraordinary General Meeting Resolution 2, which is to be proposed as a special resolution and which is set out in the notice of Extraordinary General Meeting, will, if passed, generally and unconditionally authorise the Board for the purpose of section 166 of the Companies Act 1985 to make one or more market purchases of Shares provided that: (a) the maximum aggregate number of Shares authorised to be purchased is 4,500,000, representing 11.97 per cent, of the Company's issued share capital; (b) the minimum price which may be paid for such shares is 1p per Share (exclusive of expenses); (c) the maximum price (exclusive of expenses) which may be paid for a Share shall be not more than an amount equal to 105 per cent of the average of the middle market price of a Share as derived from the Official List of the London Stock Exchange for the five business days immediately preceding the date on which the Share is purchased; and (d) unless previously renewed, varied or revoked, the authority conferred shall expire on the earlier of the holding of the Company's annual general meeting for 2008 and 17 January 2009. All previous authorities to make market purchases of Ordinary Shares (to the extent unused) will be revoked. 6. Further Information with respect to the Proposals and action to be taken Your attention is drawn to the financial information set out in Part II of this document. Shareholders will find enclosed a Form of Proxy for use in connection with the Extraordinary General Meeting. Whether or not you intend to attend the EGM, you are requested to complete and return the Form of Proxy so as to be received by Capita Registrars at Capita Registrars, Proxy Department, The Registry, 34 Beckenham Road, BR3 4ZB not later than the close of business on 16th July 2007. Completion and return of the Form of Proxy will not prevent you from attending and voting in person at the EGM should you wish to do so. 7. Recommendation The Board considers the Proposals to be in the best interests of the Company and Shareholders as a whole. Accordingly, the Board unanimously recommends that Shareholders vote in favour of the Resolutions to be proposed at the Extraordinary General Meeting as they intend to do in respect of their own beneficial holdings of 11,530,405 Ordinary Shares, representing in aggregate 30.67 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company. Yours faithfully, Jeffrey Michael Blackburn Chairman' Enquiries: Debt Free Direct Group plc Andrew Redmond, Chief Executive Officer 0845 296 0100 Paul Latham, Finance Director 0845 296 0200 Numis Securities 020 7260 1000 Iain McDonald, Corporate Broking Lee Aston, Corporate Finance Financial Dynamics Ed Gascoigne-Pees 020 7269 7132 Nick Henderson 020 7269 7114 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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