Proposals for continuation

Henderson Eurotrust PLC 8 May 2002 Proposals for the continuation of Henderson EuroTrust plc ('Henderson EuroTrust' or the 'Company') Introduction In the Chairman's statement in the 2001 Report & Accounts, the Chairman stated that the Board of Henderson EuroTrust (the 'Board') intended to provide shareholders with the possibility of continuing their investment in Henderson EuroTrust beyond the Company's scheduled wind-up date of 31 October 2002. The proposals announced by Henderson Global Investors Limited ('Henderson') in relation to Charter European Trust plc, had they been successful, would have achieved this effect. The Board has discussed alternatives with Henderson, Intelli Corporate Finance Limited ('Intelli'), the financial advisers to Henderson EuroTrust, and with some of the Company's larger shareholders in relation to the Company's continuation. The Board is pleased to announce proposals (the 'Proposals') which will provide for the continuation of the Company beyond October 2002 as well as giving ordinary shareholders the opportunity to realise all or a proportion of their investment in the Company for cash early. Outline of the Proposals The Proposals will provide for: • the continuation of the Company beyond 31 October 2002; • a facility to provide a cash exit for existing ordinary shareholders to tender all or part of their shareholding, for purchase by new investors, at an exit price calculated by reference to Formula Asset Value ('FAV') (the 'Buy Out Facility'); • a placing and an offer for sale to fund the Buy Out Facility at an entry price calculated by reference to FAV; • a placing and an offer for subscription at an issue price calculated by reference to FAV; • the repayment of the zero dividend preference ('ZDP') shares at 70 pence per share on 31 October 2002 in accordance with their entitlement; and • changes to the Company's constitution and management arrangements with Henderson. The FAV will take into account the costs of the Proposals, excluding the costs associated with the placing and the offers for sale and subscription, and the costs of revaluing the ZDP shares to their current market rate of 6.9 per cent. The estimated FAV will be 97.7 per cent. of net assets. A discount of 1 per cent. of net assets will be applied to the FAV in calculating the exit price under the Buy Out Facility. The FAV will not need to include any realisation provisions for the portfolio as, under the Proposals, the Company's existing investments will be maintained in full. Information on the 'Costs of the Proposals' is provided later in this announcement. If the Buy Out Facility is implemented, a second interim dividend will be paid to all ordinary shareholders on the register prior to implementation of the Proposals, to reflect the net accrued income for the period. As the Company is expected to continue in existence beyond 31 October 2002, the Board will not distribute accumulated revenue reserves for prior periods. Any remaining revenue reserves will be accounted for in the FAV calculation for the benefit of existing ordinary shareholders. Following 31 October 2002, the Company will have only one class of share in issue and any future gearing in the Company will be through the use of borrowings on a more flexible basis of up to 30 per cent. of total assets. New investors Intelli has received indications from institutional investors of intentions to invest £26 million in acquiring existing and/or new ordinary shares. Intelli and UBS Warburg Ltd. will seek to obtain further commitments under the placing and there will also be a general offer to the public. The general offer will, depending on the extent of shares tendered under the Buy Out Facility and the size of the placing, comprise existing and/or new ordinary shares. Monies raised under the placing and general offer will be applied first in acquiring existing ordinary shares under the Buy Out Facility. Shareholders continuing with their investment The Proposals will provide a number of benefits for continuing shareholders and will also entail changes to the Company's constitution and management arrangements. The main impact of the Proposals on continuing shareholders and the Company are: • ensuring the continuation of the Company, thus providing a tax effective means of remaining invested in Europe; • lower estimated costs incurred compared to the estimated costs of liquidating the Company and providing a rollover option; • a reduction in the management fee from 0.85 per cent. to 0.70 per cent. per annum together with the introduction of a performance fee; • share buy back powers for up to 14.99 per cent. of the issued share capital, subject to annual renewal; • the ability to borrow up to 30 per cent. of total assets; and • the prospect of investment in a larger company with consequential benefits for the liquidity of the ordinary shares and economies of scale in making investments. It is intended to keep the total annual running costs of the Company, exclusive of debt costs and any performance fees, at 1 per cent. or less of total assets. The Board intend, in due course, to introduce a mechanism permitting shareholders to tender their ordinary shares to the Company every five years for purchase at a price close to net asset value. Shareholders electing to realise all or part of their investment Ordinary shareholders in Henderson EuroTrust will be able to tender all or part of their shareholding at FAV less a discount of 1 per cent. of net assets for purchase by new investors. The benefits to existing shareholders who wish to exit include: • an earlier than anticipated cash exit; • an exit at an estimated 5.5 per cent. uplift to the current market price of the ordinary shares (calculated as at 3 May 2002); • an exit at an estimated 0.3 per cent. uplift to the estimated exit value available through a liquidation of the Company (calculated as at 3 May 2002); and • an exit without any portfolio realisation costs, as the Company will not reduce in size as a result of the Buy Out Facility. The indications from institutional investors to acquire existing and/or new ordinary shares represent approximately 50 per cent. of the value of the existing issued ordinary shares. ZDP shareholders The Proposals provide for ZDP shareholders to be paid their full entitlement of 70 pence per share on 31 October 2002. This will require the approval of all shareholders and the sanction of the Court. The ZDP shares are already covered over 5 times by the assets of the Company. The level of cover will not be reduced as a result of the Proposals and, if new ordinary shares are issued under the Proposals, the Proposals will provide increased cover for ZDP shareholders. Costs of the Proposals For continuing ordinary shareholders it is estimated that the costs of the Proposals will be approximately 2.32 per cent. of net assets, inclusive of 0.40 per cent. costs of revaluing the ZDP shares to their current market rate. For ordinary shareholders who wish to realise cash through the Buy Out Facility a 1 per cent. discount will be applied to the FAV, resulting in total costs of approximately 3.32 per cent. of net assets. For new investors it is estimated that the costs of acquiring ordinary shares will be approximately 1.20 per cent. of monies subscribed. This estimate assumes that a total of £26 million is available for investment in existing and new ordinary shares and that 30 per cent. of the existing ordinary shares are tendered under the Buy Out Facility. Background information Henderson EuroTrust Henderson EuroTrust's aim is to achieve a superior total return from a portfolio of high quality European investments. Henderson EuroTrust invests predominantly in large and medium sized European companies, which are perceived to be undervalued in view of their growth prospects or on account of significant changes in management or structure. Henderson EuroTrust is managed by Henderson for an annual management fee of 0.85 per cent. of net chargeable assets. Accounting, secretarial, administration and UK custody services are all included within this fee. As at 30 April 2002, Henderson EuroTrust had total assets of circa £62.5 million and the net asset value performance of an ordinary share was +12 per cent., -15 per cent. and +75 per cent. over 6 months, 1 year and 5 years respectively. Henderson Global Investors Limited Henderson is part of the AMP Group, one of Australia's leading financial services companies. Originally founded in 1934, Henderson was acquired by AMP in 1998 and managed over £150 billion as at 31 December 2001. Henderson is one of the UK's largest investment trust managers, responsible for the management of over £5.2 billion as at 31 December 2001 across a range of 17 investment trusts and closed end funds. Conditions and timetable The Proposals will be subject to the approval of ordinary and ZDP shareholders at an EGM of Henderson EuroTrust and at separate class meetings. In addition, the repayment of the ZDP shares will be conditional on the Court subsequently sanctioning the reduction in share capital and the cancellation of the Company's share premium account. If there are excess tenders from existing ordinary shareholders under the Buy Out Facility which cannot be met by monies committed pursuant to the placing and the offer for sale, the Board will consider other means of ensuring that shareholders obtain a cash exit. ZDP shareholders will however be paid 70 pence per ZDP share in cash on 31 October 2002. In extremis, either situation described above may require the voluntary liquidation of the Company in October 2002. The Company intends to publish shareholder documentation within the next few weeks giving full details of the Proposals and convening the requisite meetings to approve the Proposals. The offer and the Buy Out Facility will be open for approximately three weeks from publication of the documentation. If this indicative timetable is adhered to, cash will become available under the Buy Out Facility around the middle of July 2002. Existing and new shares will be eligible for inclusion in PEPs and ISAs. Enquiries: Stephen Westwood Henderson Global Investors Limited 020 7818 4100 Robin Archibald Intelli Corporate Finance Limited 020 7653 6300 0131 222 9400 Andrzej Sobczak Intelli Corporate Finance Limited 020 7653 6300 01395 578 554 John Szymanowski/ UBS Warburg Ltd. 020 7567 8000 Phil Higgs/Will Rogers Henderson Global Investors Limited is regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Intelli Corporate Finance Limited and UBS Warburg Ltd., who are both regulated by the Financial Services Authority, are acting for Henderson EuroTrust and are not acting for any other persons and will not be responsible to such other persons for providing the protections afforded to customers of Intelli Corporate Finance Limited and UBS Warburg Ltd. or advising them on the contents of this announcement. Unless otherwise stated, the information contained in this announcement has been prepared as at 3 May 2002. The estimated costs of the Proposals and the estimated uplifts compared with the current market price of the ordinary shares and liquidation have been calculated using published net asset value and share price statistics for the Company together with estimates for the direct costs of implementing the Proposals and estimates of the direct costs of a liquidation, including the costs of marking to market the ZDP shares. The estimated costs of marking the ZDP shares to market have been calculated using an estimated market value based on the previous 5 day average gross redemption yield of the ZDP shares up to 3 May 2002 and the book value of the ZDP shares on 5 July 2002, the assumed date for implementation of the Proposals. The cash exit value includes a discount of 1 per cent. of net asset value. Performance information for Henderson EuroTrust has been sourced from the Consortium Investment Trust Service. End This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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