Proposed placing, acquisition and trading update
Proposed placing, acquisition and trading update
Next Fifteen Communications Plc
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THE APPENDIX) AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN, INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
10 December 2015
Next Fifteen Communications Group plc
Proposed placing, acquisition and trading update
Summary
Next Fifteen Communications Group plc (AIM:NFC), today announces its intention to place up to 3,358,366 new ordinary shares of 2.5 pence each in the capital of the Company at a price of 240 pence per Placing Share to raise approximately £7.8 million after expenses.
The net proceeds from this Placing will be used to finance the initial consideration payable for the acquisition of ODD Communications Limited. It will also enable the Group to pursue certain other specific investment and acquisition opportunities and to otherwise strengthen its balance sheet and provide financial flexibility. The pipeline of opportunities includes technology investments and digital agency acquisitions, in both the United Kingdom and the United States, identified by the Company; some of which are expected to close in the next six months.
Acquisition of ODD
The Company has today completed the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of ODD. The initial consideration payable is £3.74 million in cash (of which £0.8 million is working capital) with a further top-up payment in July 2016 dependent on ODD’s annual profits to 30 June 2016. Deferred consideration may be payable over the course of the next six years subject to the achievement of certain revenue and profit performance targets. Any deferred consideration that becomes payable may be satisfied by cash or up to 15 per cent. in new Ordinary Shares, at the option of Next 15. The total consideration is subject to an undisclosed cap. ODD's management team will remain with the Group.
ODD is a London-based digital agency that specialises in consumer-facing communications for fashion and lifestyle brands. ODD's key clients include Primark, Dr. Martens, Benefit and Eastpak. The Company believes that, as a result of the Acquisition, there are growth opportunities within the Group through expansion into the US and further collaboration with the Group's consumer brand clients.
ODD grew revenues by 20 per cent. in the year to 30 June 2015 and generated an adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of £0.8 million for that period. At Completion, ODD had net assets of approximately £0.9 million.
Due to the timing of the Acquisition, ODD is unlikely to make a material contribution to the current financial year ending on 31 January 2016, but it is expected to be earnings enhancing in the financial year ending 31 January 2017.
Trading update
The Group has experienced an encouraging start to the second half of its financial year. In particular, organic growth has accelerated due to strong sales in North America and a steadily improving UK business. New client wins include Paypal, Oculus (owned by Facebook), PricewaterhouseCoopers and Tinder.
Trading in the Group's Asia Pacific and EMEA regions continues in line with management's expectations and recent acquisitions are integrating well.
The Group has delivered organic revenue growth of 10 per cent. for the four months to 30 November 2015, compared with a reported 4.1 per cent. for the six months to 31 July 2015. In addition, the US dollar/pounds sterling foreign exchange rate has moved in the Group's favour and the Group's net debt position at 31 January 2016 is expected to be approximately £9.0 million (excluding the net proceeds of the Placing and the acquisition of ODD) after taking into account capital expenditure on property consolidations in London and New York.
The strong trading performance has prompted the Group to bring forward certain modest restructuring and investment initiatives. The Company continues to trade in line with management expectations for the financial year ended 31 January 2016.
Commenting on the acquisition of ODD, CEO, Tim Dyson said:
“Next 15 believes that marketing is a technology-driven activity. As such we are keen to invest in businesses that are delivering technology enabled marketing solutions to clients. ODD’s ability to deliver digital campaigns in the fashion and lifestyle markets not only demonstrates their ability to see how technology can be used to solve marketing challenges but also their domain expertise in these specialist industries. We are excited to work with them to help them expand their business both here in the UK and in the US over time.â€
Simon Glover, one of the founders of ODD said:
“As ODD continues to grow, we see the partnership with Next 15 as an exciting step in the development of both UK and international business opportunities, notably in the US. Next 15’s entrepreneurial approach naturally complements our own strategy and ambition, allowing ODD to maintain its brand equity moving forward.â€
Details of the proposed Placing
Under the terms of the Placing, Next 15 intends to place up to 3,358,366 Placing Shares, representing approximately 5.0 per cent. of the existing issued share capital of the Company, with existing shareholders and new institutional investors at the Placing Price. Members of the public are not entitled to participate in the Placing.
The Placing Price of 240 pence per Placing Share represents a discount of 8.4 per cent. to the closing middle market price of 262 pence per Ordinary Share on 9 December (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this Announcement).
Investec is acting as nominated adviser, broker and sole bookrunner in connection with the Placing.
Investec, as agent for and on behalf of the Company, has agreed to use its reasonable endeavours to procure Placees for the Placing Shares at the Placing Price. A further announcement will be made later today once the Placing has been completed.
The Placing Shares, when issued, will be fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the Ordinary Shares, including the right to receive all dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid after the date of issue.
Application will be made for the Placing Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM of the London Stock Exchange.
The Placing is conditional, amongst other things, upon Admission becoming effective and the Placing Agreement between the Company and Investec not being terminated in accordance with its terms.
Settlement for the Placing Shares and Admission is expected to take place at 8.00 a.m. on 15 December 2015.
The Appendix sets out further information relating to the Placing and the terms and conditions of the Placing.
Enquiries:
|
Next Fifteen Communications Group plc |
 |  |  |  | +44 (0) 20 8846 0853 |
| Tim Dyson, CEO | |||||
| Peter Harris, CFO | |||||
| Â | |||||
|
Investec Bank plc – Nominated adviser and Broker |
+44 (0) 20 7597 4000 | ||||
| Keith Anderson / Matt Lewis | |||||
| Dominic Emery | |||||
| Â | |||||
This Announcement should be read in its entirety. In particular, you should read and understand the information provided in the "Important Notices" section of this Announcement.
IMPORTANT NOTICES
This Announcement may contain and the Company may make verbal statements containing "forward-looking statements" with respect to certain of the Company's plans and its current goals and expectations relating to its future financial condition, performance, strategic initiatives, objectives and results. Forward-looking statements sometimes use words such as "aim", "anticipate", "target", "expect", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "goal", "believe", "seek", "may", "could", "outlook" or other words of similar meaning. By their nature, all forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances which are beyond the control of the Company, including amongst other things, United Kingdom domestic and global economic business conditions, market-related risks such as fluctuations in interest rates and exchange rates, the policies and actions of governmental and regulatory authorities, the effect of competition, inflation, deflation, the timing effect and other uncertainties of future acquisitions or combinations within relevant industries, the effect of tax and other legislation and other regulations in the jurisdictions in which the Company and its respective affiliates operate, the effect of volatility in the equity, capital and credit markets on the Company's profitability and ability to access capital and credit, a decline in the Company's credit ratings; the effect of operational risks; and the loss of key personnel. As a result, the actual future financial condition, performance and results of the Company may differ materially from the plans, goals and expectations set forth in any forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements made in this Announcement by or on behalf of the Company speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required by applicable law or regulation, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to publish any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this Announcement to reflect any changes in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Investec is authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and the PRA in the United Kingdom and is acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection with the Placing, and Investec will not be responsible to anyone (including any Placees) other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the Placing or any other matters referred to in this Announcement.
No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be made as to, or in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by Investec or by any of its affiliates or agents as to, or in relation to, the accuracy or completeness of this Announcement or any other written or oral information made available to or publicly available to any interested party or its advisers, and any liability therefore is expressly disclaimed.
APPENDIX - TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE PLACING
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR INVITED PLACEES ONLY REGARDING THE PLACING.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING THIS APPENDIX AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN (TOGETHER THE "ANNOUNCEMENT") IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED BY THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, NOR IS IT INTENDED THAT IT WILL BE SO APPROVED.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS DIRECTED ONLY AT: (A) PERSONS IN MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA ("EEA") WHO ARE QUALIFIED INVESTORS AS DEFINED IN SECTION 86(7) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000, AS AMENDED ("QUALIFIED INVESTORS"), BEING PERSONS FALLING WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 2(1)(e) OF DIRECTIVE 2003/71/EC AS AMENDED, INCLUDING BY THE 2010 PROSPECTUS DIRECTIVE AMENDING DIRECTIVE (DIRECTIVE 2010/73/EC) AND TO THE EXTENT IMPLEMENTED IN THE RELEVANT MEMBER STATE (THE "PROSPECTUS DIRECTIVE"); AND (B) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, QUALIFIED INVESTORS WHO ARE PERSONS WHO (I) HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS FALLING WITHIN ARTICLE 19(5) (INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005, AS AMENDED (THE "ORDER"); (II) ARE PERSONS FALLING WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) (HIGH NET WORTH COMPANIES, UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATIONS, ETC.) OF THE ORDER; OR (III) ARE PERSONS TO WHOM IT MAY OTHERWISE BE LAWFULLY COMMUNICATED (ALL SUCH PERSONS TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS").
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION IN IT MUST NOT BE ACTED ON OR RELIED ON BY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS. PERSONS DISTRIBUTING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST SATISFY THEMSELVES THAT IT IS LAWFUL TO DO SO. ANY INVESTMENT OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO RELEVANT PERSONS AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH RELEVANT PERSONS. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN OFFER FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION OF ANY SECURITIES IN NEXT FIFTEEN COMMUNICATIONS GROUP PLC.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER OF SECURITIES FOR SALE INTO THE UNITED STATES. THE PLACING SHARES HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT 1933, AS AMENDED (THE "SECURITIES ACT") OR WITH ANY SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF ANY STATE OR JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR TRANSFERRED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN THE UNITED STATES EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES. THE PLACING SHARES ARE BEING OFFERED AND SOLD ONLY OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES IN "OFFSHORE TRANSACTIONS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF, AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH, REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND OTHERWISE IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS. NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF THE PLACING SHARES IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED STATES, THE UNITED KINGDOM OR ELSEWHERE. NO MONEY, SECURITIES OR OTHER CONSIDERATION FROM ANY PERSON INSIDE THE UNITED STATES IS BEING SOLICITED AND, IF SENT IN RESPONSE TO THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
EACH PLACEE SHOULD CONSULT WITH ITS OWN TAX ADVISERS AS TO LEGAL, TAX, BUSINESS AND RELATED ASPECTS OF AN INVESTMENT IN PLACING SHARES. THE DISTRIBUTION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, ANY PART OF IT OR ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED IN IT MAY BE RESTRICTED BY LAW IN CERTAIN JURISDICTIONS, AND ANY PERSON INTO WHOSE POSSESSION THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, ANY PART OF IT OR ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED IN IT COMES SHOULD INFORM THEMSELVES ABOUT, AND OBSERVE, SUCH RESTRICTIONS.
No action has been taken by the Company, Investec or any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees that would permit an offer of the Placing Shares or possession or distribution of this Announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating to such Placing Shares in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required.
This Announcement or any part of it does not constitute or form part of any offer to issue or sell, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe for, any securities in the United States (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia), Canada, Australia, the Republic of South Africa, Japan or any other jurisdiction in which the same would be unlawful. No public offering of the Placing Shares is being made in any such jurisdiction.
All offers of the Placing Shares will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Directive from the requirement to produce a prospectus. In the United Kingdom, this Announcement is being directed solely at persons in circumstances in which section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply.
The Placing Shares have not been approved or disapproved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or other regulatory authority in the United States, nor have any of the foregoing authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the Placing or the accuracy or adequacy of this Announcement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United States. The relevant clearances have not been, nor will they be, obtained from the securities commission of any province or territory of Canada, no prospectus has been lodged with, or registered by, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission or the Japanese Ministry of Finance; the relevant clearances have not been, and will not be, obtained for the South Africa Reserve Bank or any other applicable body in the Republic of South Africa in relation to the Placing Shares and the Placing Shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under or offering in compliance with the securities laws of any state, province or territory of Australia, Canada, Japan or the Republic of South Africa. Accordingly, the Placing Shares may not (unless an exemption under the relevant securities laws is applicable) be offered, sold, resold or delivered, directly or indirectly, in or into Australia, Canada, Japan or the Republic of South Africa or any other jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom.
Persons (including, without limitation, nominees and trustees) who have a contractual right or other legal obligations to forward a copy of this Announcement should seek appropriate advice before taking any action.
This Announcement should be read in its entirety. In particular, you should read and understand the information provided in the "Important Notices" section of this Announcement.
By participating in the Placing, each Placee will be deemed to have read and understood this Announcement in its entirety, to be participating, making an offer and acquiring Placing Shares on the terms and conditions contained herein and to be providing the representations, warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements and undertakings contained in this Appendix.
In particular, each such Placee represents, warrants, undertakes, agrees and acknowledges (amongst other things) that:
1. it is a Relevant Person and undertakes that it will acquire, hold, manage or dispose of any Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the purposes of its business;
2. in the case of a Relevant Person in a Relevant Member State who acquires any Placing Shares pursuant to the Placing:
a) is a Qualified Investor within the meaning of Article 2(1)(E) of the Prospectus Directive; and
b) in the case of any Placing Shares acquired by it as a financial intermediary, as that term is used in Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive:
i) the Placing Shares acquired by it in the Placing have not been acquired on behalf of, nor have they been acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in any Relevant Member State other than Qualified Investors or in circumstances in which the prior consent of Investec has been given to the offer or resale; or
ii) where Placing Shares have been acquired by it on behalf of persons in any member state of the EEA other than Qualified Investors, the offer of those Placing Shares to it is not treated under the Prospectus Directive as having been made to such persons; and
3. it is acquiring the Placing Shares for its own account or is acquiring the Placing Shares for an account with respect to which it exercises sole investment discretion and has the authority to make and does make the representations, warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements, undertakings and agreements contained in this Announcement; and
4. it understands (or if acting for the account of another person, such person has confirmed that such person understands) the resale and transfer restrictions set out in this Appendix; and
5. except as otherwise permitted by the Company and subject to any available exemptions from applicable securities laws, it (and any account referred to in paragraph 3 above) is outside the United States acquiring the Placing Shares in offshore transactions as defined in and in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act.
No prospectus
No prospectus or other offering document has been or will be submitted to be approved by the FCA in relation to the Placing or the Placing Shares and Placees' commitments will be made solely on the basis of the information contained in this Announcement and any Publicly Available Information announced through a Regulatory Information Service (as defined in the AIM Rules) and subject to any further terms set forth in the contract note to be sent to individual Placees.
Each Placee, by participating in the Placing, agrees that the content of this Announcement is exclusively the responsibility of the Company and confirms that it has neither received nor relied on any information (other than the Publicly Available Information), representation, warranty or statement made by or on behalf of Investec or the Company or any other person and none of Investec, the Company nor any other person acting on such person's behalf nor any of their affiliates has or shall have any liability for any Placee's decision to participate in the Placing based on any other information, representation, warranty or statement. Each Placee acknowledges and agrees that it has relied on its own investigation of the business, financial or other position of the Company in accepting a participation in the Placing. Nothing in this paragraph shall exclude the liability of any person for fraudulent misrepresentation.
Details of the Placing Agreement and the Placing Shares
Investec has today entered into the Placing Agreement with the Company under which, on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in the Placing Agreement, Investec, as agent for and on behalf of the Company, has agreed to use its reasonable endeavours to procure Placees for the Placing Shares at the Placing Price.
The Placing Shares will, when issued, be subject to the articles of association of the Company and credited as fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing Ordinary Shares of the Company, including the right to receive all dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid in respect of such Ordinary Shares after the date of issue of the Placing Shares. As part of the Placing, the Company has agreed that it will not for a period of 90 days after (but including) Admission, enter into any or procure or permit the Company or any group company to enter into any commitment or agreement which could materially or adversely affect the Placing, or is material in the context of the business or affairs of the Group taken as a whole, without the prior written consent of Investec (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed).
Application for admission to trading
Application will be made to the London Stock Exchange for admission of the Placing Shares to trading on AIM.
It is expected that Admission will take place at 8.00 a.m. on 15 December 2015 and that dealings in the Placing Shares on AIM will commence at the same time.
Principal terms of the Placing
- Investec is acting as nominated adviser, broker and sole bookrunner to the Placing, as agent for and on behalf of the Company. Investec is authorised in the United Kingdom by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and the PRA, is acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection with the matters referred to in this Announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to the customers of Investec or for providing advice in relation to the matters described in this Announcement.
- Participation in the Placing will only be available to persons who may lawfully be, and are, invited by Investec to participate. Investec and any of its affiliates are entitled to participate in the Placing as principal.
- The Placing Price is fixed at 240 pence and is payable to Investec by all Placees.
- Each Placee's allocation will be determined by Investec in its discretion following consultation with the Company and will be confirmed orally by Investec and a contract note will be dispatched as soon as possible thereafter. That oral confirmation will give rise to an irrevocable, legally binding commitment by that person (who at that point becomes a Placee), in favour of Investec and the Company, under which it agrees to acquire the number of Placing Shares allocated to it on the terms and subject to the conditions set out in this Appendix and in accordance with the Company's articles of association. Except with Investec's consent, such commitment will not be capable of variation or revocation.
- Each Placee's allocation and commitment will be evidenced by a contract note issued to such Placee by Investec. The terms of this Appendix will be deemed to be incorporated in that contract note.
- Each Placee will have an immediate, separate, irrevocable and binding obligation, owed to Investec (as agent for the Company), to pay to it (or as it may direct) in cleared funds an amount equal to the product of the Placing Price and the number of Placing Shares such Placee has agreed to acquire and the Company has agreed to allot and issue to that Placee.
- Irrespective of the time at which a Placee's allocation(s) pursuant to the Placing is/are confirmed, settlement for all Placing Shares to be acquired pursuant to the Placing will be required to be made at the same time, on the basis explained below under "Registration and Settlement".
- All obligations under the Placing will be subject to fulfilment of the conditions referred to below under "Conditions of the Placing" and to the Placing not being terminated on the basis referred to below under "Termination of the Placing".
- By participating in the Placing, each Placee will agree that its rights and obligations in respect of the Placing will terminate only in the circumstances described below and will not be capable of rescission or termination by the Placee.
- To the fullest extent permissible by law and applicable FCA rules, neither (a) Investec, (b) any of its affiliates, agents, directors, officers, consultants nor (c) to the extent not contained within (a) or (b), any person connected with Investec as defined in the FSMA ((b) and (c) being together "affiliates" and individually an "affiliate" of Investec) shall have any liability (including to the extent permissible by law, any fiduciary duties) to Placees or to any other person whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise. In particular, neither Investec nor any of its affiliates shall have any liability (including, to the extent permissible by law, any fiduciary duties) in respect of Investec's conduct of the Placing or of such alternative method of effecting the Placing as Investec and the Company may agree.
Registration and Settlement
If Placees are allocated any Placing Shares in the Placing they will be sent a contract note or electronic confirmation which will confirm the number of Placing Shares allocated to them, the Placing Price and the aggregate amount owed by them to Investec.
Each Placee will be deemed to agree that it will do all things necessary to ensure that delivery and payment is completed as directed by Investec in accordance with either the standing CREST or certificated settlement instructions which they have in place with Investec.
Settlement of transactions in the Placing Shares (ISIN: GB0030026057) following Admission will take place within the CREST system, subject to certain exceptions. Settlement through CREST will be on a T+3 basis unless otherwise notified by Investec and is expected to occur at 8.00 a.m. on 15 December 2015 in accordance with the contract notes. Settlement will be on a delivery versus payment basis. However, in the event of any difficulties or delays in the admission of the Placing Shares to CREST or the use of CREST in relation to the Placing, the Company and Investec may agree that the Placing Shares should be issued in certificated form. Investec reserves the right to require settlement for the Placing Shares, and to deliver the Placing Shares to Placees, by such other means as they deem necessary if delivery or settlement to Placees is not practicable within the CREST system or would not be consistent with regulatory requirements in a Placee's jurisdiction.
Interest is chargeable daily on payments not received from Placees on the due date in accordance with the arrangements set out above, in respect of either CREST or certificated deliveries, at the rate of 2 percentage points above prevailing LIBOR as determined by Investec.
Each Placee is deemed to agree that if it does not comply with these obligations, Investec may sell any or all of their Placing Shares on their behalf and retain from the proceeds, for Investec's own account and benefit, an amount equal to the aggregate amount owed by the Placee plus any interest due. The relevant Placee will, however, remain liable for any shortfall below the amount owed by it and for any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax (together with any interest or penalties) which may arise upon the sale of their Placing Shares on their behalf.
If Placing Shares are to be delivered to a custodian or settlement agent, Placees must ensure that, upon receipt, the conditional contract note is copied and delivered immediately to the relevant person within that organisation. Insofar as Placing Shares are registered in a Placee's name or that of its nominee or in the name of any person for whom a Placee is contracting as agent or that of a nominee for such person, such Placing Shares should, subject as provided below, be so registered free from any liability to United Kingdom stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax. Placees will not be entitled to receive any fee or commission in connection with the Placing.
Conditions of the Placing
The Placing is conditional upon the Placing Agreement becoming unconditional and not having been terminated in accordance with its terms.
The obligations of Investec under the Placing Agreement are, and the Placing is, conditional upon, inter alia:
(a) none of the representations or warranties on the part of the Company contained in the Placing Agreement being untrue or inaccurate or misleading at any time between the date on which the Placing Agreement is signed and Admission, by reference to the facts and circumstances from time to time subsisting;
(b) the Company complying with its obligations under the Placing Agreement to the extent that they fall to be performed on or before Admission;
(c) the Company having allotted, subject only to Admission, the Placing Shares in accordance with the Placing Agreement; and
(d) Admission having become effective at or before 8.00 a.m. on 15 December 2015 or such later time as Investec may agree with the Company (but in any event not later than 8.00 a.m. on 2 January 2016),
If any of the conditions set out in the Placing Agreement are not fulfilled or, where permitted, waived in accordance with the Placing Agreement within the stated time periods (or such later time and/or date as the Company and Investec may agree), or the Placing Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms, the Placing will lapse and the Placee's rights and obligations shall cease and terminate at such time and each Placee agrees that no claim can be made by or on behalf of the Placee (or any person on whose behalf the Placee is acting) in respect thereof.
By participating in the Placing, each Placee agrees that its rights and obligations cease and terminate only in the circumstances described above and under "Termination of the Placing" below and will not be capable of rescission or termination by it.
Investec may, in its absolute discretion and upon such terms as it thinks fit, waive fulfilment of all or any of the conditions in the Placing Agreement in whole or in part, or extend the time provided for fulfilment of one or more conditions, save that certain conditions including the condition relating to Admission referred to in paragraph (d) above may not be waived. Any such extension or waiver will not affect Placees' commitments as set out in this Announcement.
Investec may terminate the Placing Agreement in certain circumstances, details of which are set out below.
Neither Investec nor any of its affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees nor the Company shall have any liability to any Placee (or to any other person whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise) in respect of any decision any of them may make as to whether or not to waive or to extend the time and/or date for the satisfaction of any condition to the Placing nor for any decision any of them may make as to the satisfaction of any condition or in respect of the Placing generally and by participating in the Placing each Placee agrees that any such decision is within the absolute discretion of Investec.
Termination of the Placing
Investec may terminate the Placing Agreement at any time before Admission if, inter alia:
1. in the sole judgement of Investec any warranty or representation given by the Company is, or would be if repeated at any time up to Admission (by reference to the facts and circumstances then existing) untrue, inaccurate or misleading in any respect;
2. in the sole judgement of Investec there has occurred any Material Adverse Effect since the date of the Placing Agreement or there is a fact, circumstance or development reasonably likely to involve a Material Adverse Effect;
3. any statement contained in this Announcement or any other document or announcement issued or published by or on behalf of the Company in connection with the Placing has become or been discovered to be untrue, inaccurate or misleading in any respect; or
4. there has been a force majeure event which in the opinion of Investec is likely to prejudice the success of the Placing, dealings in Ordinary Shares or make it impractical to proceed with the Placing.
If the Placing Agreement is terminated in accordance with its terms, the rights and obligations of each Placee in respect of the Placing as described in this Announcement shall cease and terminate at such time and no claim can be made by any Placee in respect thereof.
By participating in the Placing, each Placee agrees with Investec that the exercise by Investec of any right of termination or any other right or other discretion under the Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute discretion of Investec and that Investec does not need to make any reference to such Placee and that neither Investec nor any of its respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees shall have any liability to such Placee (or to any other person whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise) whatsoever in connection with any such exercise.
By participating in the Placing, each Placee agrees that its rights and obligations terminate only in the circumstances described above and under the "Conditions of the Placing" section above and will not be capable of rescission or termination by it after the issue by Investec of a contract note confirming each Placee's allocation and commitment in the Placing.
Representations, warranties and further terms
By participating in the Placing, each Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) represents, warrants, acknowledges and agrees (for itself and for any such prospective Placee) that (save where Investec expressly agrees in writing to the contrary):
1. it has read and understood this Announcement in its entirety and that its acquisition of the Placing Shares is subject to and based upon all the terms, conditions, representations, warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings and other information contained herein and that it has not relied on, and will not rely on, any information given or any representations, warranties or statements made at any time by any person in connection with Admission, the Placing, the Company, the Placing Shares or otherwise, other than the information contained in this Announcement and the Publicly Available Information;
2. it has not received a prospectus or other offering document in connection with the Placing and acknowledges that no prospectus or other offering document: (a) is required under the Prospectus Directive; and (b) has been or will be prepared in connection with the Placing;
3. the Ordinary Shares are admitted to trading on AIM, and that the Company is therefore required to publish certain business and financial information in accordance with the AIM Rules, which includes a description of the nature of the Company's business and the Company's most recent balance sheet and profit and loss account and that it is able to obtain or access such information without undue difficulty, and is able to obtain access to such information or comparable information concerning any other publicly traded company, without undue difficulty;
4. it has made its own assessment of the Placing Shares and has relied on its own investigation of the business, financial or other position of the Company in accepting a participation in the Placing and neither Investec nor the Company nor any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees nor any person acting on behalf of any of them has provided, and will not provide, it with any material regarding the Placing Shares or the Company or any other person other than the information in this Announcement or the Publicly Available Information; nor has it requested Investec, the Company, any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, employees or officers or any person acting on behalf of any of them to provide it with any such information;
5. neither Investec nor any person acting on behalf of it nor any of its affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees has or shall have any liability for any Publicly Available Information, or any representation relating to the Company, provided that nothing in this paragraph excludes the liability of any person for fraudulent misrepresentation made by that person;
6. the only information on which it is entitled to rely on and on which it has relied in committing to subscribe for the Placing Shares is contained in the Publicly Available Information, such information being all that it deems necessary to make an investment decision in respect of the Placing Shares and it has made its own assessment of the Company, the Placing Shares and the terms of the Placing based on Publicly Available Information; (b) neither Investec, nor the Company (nor any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers and employees) have made any representation or warranty to it, express or implied, with respect to the Company, the Placing or the Placing Shares or the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the Publicly Available Information; (c) it has conducted its own investigation of the Company, the Placing and the Placing Shares, satisfied itself that the information is still current and relied on that investigation for the purposes of its decision to participate in the Placing; and (d) has not relied on any investigation that Investec or any person acting on its behalf may have conducted with respect to the Company, the Placing or the Placing Shares;
7. the content of this Announcement and the Publicly Available Information has been prepared by and is exclusively the responsibility of the Company and that neither Investec nor any persons acting on its behalf is responsible for or has or shall have any liability for any information, representation, warranty or statement relating to the Company contained in this Announcement or the Publicly Available Information nor will they be liable for any Placee's decision to participate in the Placing based on any information, representation, warranty or statement contained in this Announcement, the Publicly Available Information or otherwise. Nothing in this Appendix shall exclude any liability of any person for fraudulent misrepresentation;
8. the Placing Shares have not been registered or otherwise qualified, and will not be registered or otherwise qualified, for offer and sale nor will a prospectus be cleared or approved in respect of any of the Placing Shares under the securities laws of the United States, or any state or other jurisdiction of the United States, Australia, Canada, Republic of South Africa or Japan and, subject to certain exceptions, may not be offered, sold, taken up, renounced or delivered or transferred, directly or indirectly, within the United States, Australia, Canada, South Africa or Japan or in any country or jurisdiction where any such action for that purpose is required;
9. it and/or each person on whose behalf it is participating:
a) is entitled to acquire Placing Shares pursuant to the Placing under the laws and regulations of all relevant jurisdictions;
b) has fully observed such laws and regulations;
c) has capacity and authority and is entitled to enter into and perform its obligations as an acquirer of Placing Shares and will honour such obligations;
d) it has paid any issue, transfer or other taxes due in connection with its participation in any territory;
e) has not taken any action which will or might result in the Company or Investec or any of their respective affiliates or any person acting on their behalf being in breach of the legal and/or regulatory requirements of any territory in connection with the Placing; and
f) has obtained all necessary consents and authorities (including, without limitation, in the case of a person acting on behalf of a Placee, all necessary consents and authorities to agree to the terms set out or referred to in this Appendix) under those laws or otherwise and complied with all necessary formalities to enable it to enter into the transactions contemplated hereby and to perform its obligations in relation thereto and, in particular, if it is a pension fund or investment company it is aware of and acknowledges it is required to comply with all applicable laws and regulations with respect to its subscription for Placing Shares;
10. it is not, and any person who it is acting on behalf of is not, and at the time the Placing Shares are subscribed will not be, a resident of, or with an address in, or subject to the laws of, Australia, Canada, Japan or the Republic of South Africa, and it acknowledges and agrees that the Placing Shares have not been and will not be registered or otherwise qualified under the securities legislation of Australia, Canada, Japan or the Republic of South Africa and may not be offered, sold, or acquired, directly or indirectly, within those jurisdictions;
11. it and the beneficial owner of the Placing Shares is, and at the time the Placing Shares are acquired will be, outside the United States and acquiring the Placing Shares in an "offshore transaction" as defined in, and in accordance with, Regulation S under the Securities Act;
12. the Placing Shares have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered, sold or resold in or into or from the United States except pursuant to an effective registration under the Securities Act, or pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in accordance with applicable state securities laws; and no representation is being made as to the availability of any exemption under the Securities Act for the reoffer, resale, pledge or transfer of the Placing Shares;
13. it (and any account for which it is purchasing) is not acquiring the Placing Shares with a view to any offer, sale or distribution thereof within the meaning of the Securities Act;
14. it will not distribute, forward, transfer or otherwise transmit this Announcement or any part of it, or any other presentational or other materials concerning the Placing in or into or from the United States (including electronic copies thereof) to any person, and it has not distributed, forwarded, transferred or otherwise transmitted any such materials to any person;
15. none of Investec, its affiliates and any person acting on behalf of any of them is making any recommendations to it, advising it regarding the suitability of any transactions it may enter into in connection with the Placing and that participation in the Placing is on the basis that it is not and will not be a client of Investec and that Investec has no duties or responsibilities to it for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the Placing nor in respect of any representations, warranties, undertakings or indemnities contained in the Placing Agreement nor for the exercise or performance of any of its rights and obligations thereunder including any rights to waive or vary any conditions or exercise any termination right;
16. it has the funds available to pay for the Placing Shares for which it has agreed to subscribe and acknowledges and agrees that it will pay the total subscription amount in accordance with the terms of this Announcement on the due time and date set out herein, failing which the relevant Placing Shares may be placed with other placees or sold at such price as Investec determines in its absolute discretion without liability to the Placee and the Placee will remain liable for any shortfall below the net proceeds of such sale and the placing proceeds of such Placing Shares and may be required to bear any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax (together with any interest or penalties due pursuant to the terms set out or referred to in this Announcement) which may arise upon the sale of such Placee's Placing Shares on its behalf;
17. no action has been or will be taken by any of the Company, Investec or any person acting on behalf of the Company or Investec that would, or is intended to, permit a public offer of the Placing Shares in the United States or in any country or jurisdiction where any such action for that purpose is required;
18. the person who it specifies for registration as holder of the Placing Shares will be: (a) the Placee; or (b) a nominee of the Placee, as the case may be. Investec and the Company will not be responsible for any liability to stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax resulting from a failure to observe this requirement. Each Placee and any person acting on behalf of such Placee agrees to acquire Placing Shares pursuant to the Placing and agrees to indemnify the Company and Investec in respect of the same on the basis that the Placing Shares will be allotted to a CREST stock account of Investec or transferred to a CREST stock account of Investec who will hold them as nominee on behalf of the Placee until settlement in accordance with its standing settlement instructions with it;
19. it is acting as principal only in respect of the Placing or, if it is acting for any other person, (a) it is duly authorised to do so and has full power to make the acknowledgments, representations and agreements herein on behalf of each such person and (b) it is and will remain liable to the Company and/or Investec for the performance of all its obligations as a Placee in respect of the Placing (regardless of the fact that it is acting for another person);
20. the allocation, allotment, issue and delivery to it, or the person specified by it for registration as holder, of Placing Shares will not give rise to a stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax liability under (or at a rate determined under) any of sections 67, 70, 93 or 96 of the Finance Act 1986 (depository receipts and clearance services) and that it is not participating in the Placing as nominee or agent for any person or persons to whom the allocation, allotment, issue or delivery of Placing Shares would give rise to such a liability;
21. it and any person acting on its behalf (if within the United Kingdom) falls within Article 19(5) and/or 49(2) of the Order and undertakes that it will acquire, hold, manage and (if applicable) dispose of any Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the purposes of its business only;
22. it will not make an offer to the public of the Placing Shares and it has not offered or sold and will not offer or sell any Placing Shares to persons in the United Kingdom or elsewhere in the EEA prior to the expiry of a period of six months from Admission except to persons whose ordinary activities involve them in acquiring, holding, managing or disposing of investments (as principal or agent) for the purposes of their business or otherwise in circumstances which have not resulted and which will not result in an offer to the public in the United Kingdom within the meaning of section 85(1) of the FSMA or an offer to the public in any other member state of the EEA within the meaning of the Prospectus Directive;
23. it is a person of a kind described in: (a) Article 19(5) (Investment Professionals) and/or 49(2) (High net worth companies etc.) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended, and/or an authorised person as defined in section 31 of the FSMA; and (b) section 86(7) of the FSMA ("Qualified Investor"), being a person falling within Article 2.1(e) the Prospectus Directive. For such purposes, it undertakes that it will acquire, hold, manage and (if applicable) dispose of any Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the purposes of its business only;
24. it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and it will only communicate or cause to be communicated any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the FSMA) relating to Placing Shares in circumstances in which section 21(1) of the FSMA does not require approval of the communication by an authorised person and it acknowledges and agrees that this Announcement has not been approved by Investec in its capacity as an authorised person under section 21 of the FSMA and it may not therefore be subject to the controls which would apply if it was made or approved as financial promotion by an authorised person;
25. it has complied and it will comply with all applicable laws with respect to anything done by it or on its behalf in relation to the Placing Shares (including all relevant provisions of the FSMA in respect of anything done in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom);
26. represents and warrants that, if it is a financial intermediary, as that term is used in Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive (including any relevant implementing measure in any member state), the Placing Shares acquired by it in the Placing will not be acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor will they be acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in a member state of the EEA which has implemented the Prospectus Directive other than Qualified Investors, or in circumstances in which the express prior written consent of Investec has been given to the offer or resale;
27. it has neither received nor relied on any confidential price sensitive information concerns in the Company in accepting this invitation to participate in the Placing;
28. none of Investec, any of its affiliates or any person acting on behalf of any of them has or shall have any liability for any information, representation or statement contained in this Announcement or for any information previously published by or on behalf of the Company or any other written or oral information made available to or publicly available or filed information or any representation, warranty or undertaking relating to the Company, and will not be liable for its decision to participate in the Placing based on any information, representation, warranty or statement contained in this Announcement or elsewhere, provided that nothing in this paragraph shall exclude any liability of any person for fraud;
29. neither Investec, the Company nor any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees nor any person acting on behalf of Investec or its affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees is making any recommendations to it, advising it regarding the suitability of any transactions it may enter into in connection with the Placing nor providing advice in relation to the Placing nor in respect of any representations, warranties, acknowledgements, agreements, undertakings, or indemnities contained in the Placing Agreement nor the exercise or performance of any of Investec's rights and obligations thereunder including any rights to waive or vary any conditions or exercise any termination right;
30. acknowledges and accepts that Investec may, in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory provisions, engage in transactions in relation to the Placing Shares and/or related instruments for their own account for the purpose of hedging their underwriting exposure or otherwise and, except as required by applicable law or regulation, Investec will not make any public disclosure in relation to such transactions;
31. Investec and its affiliates, acting as an investor for its or their own account(s), may bid or subscribe for and/or purchase Placing Shares and, in that capacity, may retain, purchase, offer to sell or otherwise deal for its or their own account(s) in the Placing Shares, any other securities of the Company or other related investments in connection with the Placing or otherwise. Accordingly, references in this Announcement to the Placing Shares being offered, subscribed, acquired or otherwise dealt with should be read as including any offer to, or subscription, acquisition or dealing by, Investec and/or any of their respective affiliates acting as an investor for its or their own account(s). Neither Investec nor the Company intend to disclose the extent of any such investment or transaction otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligation to do so;
32. it has not offered or sold and will not offer or sell any Placing Shares to persons in the EEA prior to the expiry of a period of six months from Admission except to persons whose ordinary activities involve them in acquiring, holding, managing or disposing of investments (as principal or agent) for the purpose of their business or otherwise in circumstances which have not resulted and which will not result in an offer to the public in any member state of the EEA within the meaning of the Prospectus Directive;
33. it has complied with its obligations in connection with money laundering and terrorist financing under the Regulations and, if making payment on behalf of a third party, that satisfactory evidence has been obtained and recorded by it to verify the identity of the third party as required by the Regulations;
34. it is aware of the obligations regarding insider dealing in the Criminal Justice Act 1993, section 118 of the FSMA and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and confirms that it has and will continue to comply with those obligations;
35. in order to ensure compliance with the Money Laundering Regulations 2007, Investec (for itself and as agent on behalf of the Company) or the Company's registrars may, in their absolute discretion, require verification of its identity. Pending the provision to Investec or the Company's registrars, as applicable, of evidence of identity, definitive certificates in respect of the Placing Shares may be retained at Investec's absolute discretion or, where appropriate, delivery of the Placing Shares to it in uncertificated form may be delayed at Investec's or the Company's registrars', as the case may be, absolute discretion. If within a reasonable time after a request for verification of identity Investec (for itself and as agent on behalf of the Company) or the Company's registrars have not received evidence satisfactory to them, Investec and/or the Company may, at its absolute discretion, terminate its commitment in respect of the Placing, in which event the monies payable on acceptance of allotment will, if already paid, be returned without interest to the account of the drawee's bank from which they were originally debited;
36. acknowledges that its commitment to acquire Placing Shares on the terms set out in this Announcement and in the contract note will continue notwithstanding any amendment that may in future be made to the terms and conditions of the Placing and that Placees will have no right to be consulted or require that their consent be obtained with respect to the Company's or Investec's conduct of the Placing;
37. it has knowledge and experience in financial, business and international investment matters as is required to evaluate the merits and risks of subscribing for the Placing Shares. It further acknowledges that it is experienced in investing in securities of this nature and is aware that it may be required to bear, and is able to bear, the economic risk of, and is able to sustain, a complete loss in connection with the Placing. It has relied upon its own examination and due diligence of the Company and its affiliates taken as a whole, and the terms of the Placing, including the merits and risks involved;
38. it irrevocably appoints any duly authorised officer of Investec as its agent for the purpose of executing and delivering to the Company and/or its registrars any documents on its behalf necessary to enable it to be registered as the holder of any of the Placing Shares for which it agrees to subscribe or purchase upon the terms of this Announcement;
39. the Company, Investec and others (including each of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers and employees) will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the foregoing representations, warranties, acknowledgements and agreements, which are given to Investec on its own behalf and on behalf of the Company and are irrevocable;
40. if it is acquiring the Placing Shares as a fiduciary or agent for one or more investor accounts, it has full power and authority to make, and does make, the foregoing representations, warranties, acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings on behalf of each such accounts;
41. time is of the essence as regards its obligations under this Appendix;
42. any document that is to be sent to it in connection with the Placing will be sent at its risk and may be sent to it at any address provided by it to Investec;
43. the Placing Shares will be issued subject to the terms and conditions of this Appendix; and
44. these terms and conditions in this Appendix and all documents into which this Appendix is incorporated by reference or otherwise validly forms a part and/or any agreements entered into pursuant to these terms and conditions and all agreements to acquire shares pursuant to the Placing will be governed by and construed in accordance with English law and it submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts in relation to any claim, dispute or matter arising out of any such contract, except that enforcement proceedings in respect of the obligation to make payment for the Placing Shares (together with any interest chargeable thereon) may be taken by the Company or Investec in any jurisdiction in which the relevant Placee is incorporated or in which any of its securities have a quotation on a recognised stock exchange.
By participating in the Placing, each Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) agrees to indemnify and hold the Company, Investec and each of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers and employees harmless from any and all costs, claims, liabilities and expenses (including legal fees and expenses) arising out of or in connection with any breach of the representations, warranties, acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings given by the Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) in this Appendix or incurred by Investec, the Company or each of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees arising from the performance of the Placee's obligations as set out in this Announcement, and further agrees that the provisions of this Appendix shall survive after the completion of the Placing.
The agreement to allot and issue Placing Shares to Placees (or the persons for whom Placees are contracting as agent) free of stamp duty and stamp duty reserve tax in the United Kingdom relates only to their allotment and issue to Placees, or such persons as they nominate as their agents, direct by the Company. Such agreement assumes that the Placing Shares are not being acquired in connection with arrangements to issue depositary receipts or to transfer the Placing Shares into a clearance service. If there are any such arrangements, or the settlement related to any other dealings in the Placing Shares, stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax may be payable. In that event, the Placee agrees that it shall be responsible for such stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax and neither the Company nor Investec shall be responsible for such stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax. If this is the case, each Placee should seek its own advice and they should notify Investec accordingly. In addition, Placees should note that they will be liable for any capital duty, stamp duty and all other stamp, issue, securities, transfer, registration, documentary or other duties or taxes (including any interest, fines or penalties relating thereto) payable outside the United Kingdom by them or any other person on the acquisition by them of any Placing Shares or the agreement by them to acquire any Placing Shares and each Placee, or the Placee's nominee, in respect of whom (or in respect of the person for whom it is participating in the Placing as an agent or nominee) the allocation, allotment, issue or delivery of Placing Shares has given rise to such non-United Kingdom stamp, registration, documentary, transfer or similar taxes or duties undertakes to pay such taxes and duties, including any interest and penalties (if applicable), forthwith and to indemnify on an after-tax basis and to hold harmless the Company and Investec in the event that either the Company and/or Investec have incurred any such liability to such taxes or duties.
The representations, warranties, acknowledgements and undertakings contained in this Appendix are given to Investec for itself and on behalf of the Company and are irrevocable.
Investec is authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and the PRA in the UK and is acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection with the Placing, and Investec will not be responsible to anyone (including any Placees) other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the Placing or any other matters referred to in this Announcement.
Each Placee and any person acting on behalf of the Placee acknowledges that Investec does not owe any fiduciary or other duties to any Placee in respect of any representations, warranties, undertakings, acknowledgements, agreements or indemnities in the Placing Agreement.
Each Placee and any person acting on behalf of the Placee acknowledges and agrees that Investec may (at its absolute discretion) satisfy its obligations to procure Placees by itself agreeing to become a Placee in respect of some or all of the Placing Shares or by nominating any connected or associated person to do so.
When a Placee or any person acting on behalf of the Placee is dealing with Investec, any money held in an account with Investec on behalf of the Placee and/or any person acting on behalf of the Placee will not be treated as client money within the meaning of the relevant rules and regulations of the FCA made under the FSMA. Each Placee acknowledges that the money will not be subject to the protections conferred by the client money rules: as a consequence this money will not be segregated from Investec's money in accordance with the client money rules and will be held by it under a banking relationship and not as trustee.
References to time in this Announcement are to London time, unless otherwise stated.
All times and dates in this Announcement may be subject to amendment.
No statement in this Announcement is intended to be a profit forecast or profit estimate, and no statement in this Announcement should be interpreted to mean that earnings per share of the Company for that current or future financial years would necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings per share of the Company.
The price of shares and any income expected from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the full amount invested upon disposal of the shares. Past performance is no guide to future performance, and persons needing advice should consult an independent financial adviser.
The Placing Shares to be issued or sold pursuant to the Placing will not be admitted to trading on any stock exchange other than AIM.
Neither the content of the Company's website nor any website accessible by hyperlinks on the Company's website is incorporated in, or forms part of, this Announcement.
Definitions
"Acquisition" means the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of ODD;
"Admission" means admission of the Placing Shares to trading on AIM becoming effective in accordance with rule 6 of the AIM Rules;
"affiliates" or individually "affiliate" means (a) in relation to Investec, (b) any of its affiliates, agents, directors, officers, consultants, and (c) to the extent not contained within (a) and (b), any person connected with Investec as defined in the FSMA;
"AIM" means AIM, a market of the London Stock Exchange;
"AIM Rules" means the AIM Rules for Companies, published by the London Stock Exchange;
"Announcement" means this announcement (including the Appendix) and the information contained herein, dated 10 December 2015;
"Company" or "Next 15" means Next Fifteen Communications Group plc (AIM:NFC), a company incorporated and registered in England and Wales with number 01579589 which has its registered office at The Triangle, 5-17 Hammersmith Grove, London, W6 0LG, United Kingdom, and together with its subsidiary undertakings, the "Group";
"Completion" means the completion of the Acquisition as of today's date;
"CREST" means the relevant system (as defined in the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001) in respect of which Euroclear UK & Ireland Limited is the Operator (as defined in the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001);
"EEA" means European Economic Area;
"EMEA" means Europe, the Middle East and Africa;
"FCA" means the Financial Conduct Authority;
"FSMA" means the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended);
"Investec" means Investec Bank plc;
"London Stock Exchange" means the London Stock Exchange plc;
"Material Adverse Effect" means any adverse change in, or any development reasonably likely to involve a prospective adverse change in, or affecting, the condition (financial, operational, legal or otherwise), earnings, business, management, properties, assets, rights, results of operations or prospects of the Group which is material in the context of the Group as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business;
"ODD" means ODD Communications Limited, a company incorporated and registered in England and Wales with number 07861569 which has its registered office at Mowbray House, Castle Meadow Road, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG2 1BJ;
"Order" means the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, (as amended);
"Ordinary Shares" means the existing ordinary shares of 2.5 pence each in the capital of the Company;
"Placees" means the persons who are to subscribe for or be allotted Placing Shares pursuant to the Placing, subject to the conditions, and "Placee" shall mean any one of them;
"Placing" means the proposed placing of the Placing Shares by Investec pursuant to the Placing Agreement, this Announcement and other related documents;
"Placing Agreement" means the agreement between the Company and Investec dated 10 December 2015;
"Placing Price" means the price per Placing Share being 240 pence;
"Placing Shares" means up to 3,358,366 new Ordinary Shares to be issued and allotted by the Company pursuant to the Placing;
"PRA" means the Prudential Regulation Authority;
"Prospectus Directive" means the 2010 Prospectus Directive Amending Directive (Directive 2010/73/EC);
"Publicly Available Information" means any information publicly announced through a Regulatory Information Service by or on behalf of the Company on or prior to the date of this Announcement;
"Qualified Investors" means qualified investors as defined in section 86(7) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000;
"Regulatory Information Service" means a regulatory information service that is on a list maintained by the FCA from time to time;
"Regulations" means the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, the Terrorism Act 2000, the Terrorism Act 2006 and the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 together;
"Relevant Member State" means a member state of the EEA which has implemented the Prospectus Directive; and
"Securities Act" means the United States Securities Act 1933, as amended.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151209006520/en/
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