Statement re Possible Offer
Summary by AI BETAClose X
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF THAT JURISDICTION.
THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT FALLING UNDER RULE 2.4 OF THE CITY CODE ON TAKEOVERS AND MERGERS (THE "CODE") AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF A FIRM INTENTION TO MAKE AN OFFER UNDER RULE 2.7 OF THE CODE. THERE CAN BE NO CERTAINTY THAT AN OFFER WILL BE MADE NOR AS TO THE TERMS OF ANY OFFER IF MADE.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
23 September 2026
Statement regarding possible offer
The Board of Ashtead Technology Holdings plc ("Ashtead Technology" or the “Company”) notes the recent press speculation and confirms that it has received an unsolicited and non-binding indicative proposal from Ember Infrastructure Management, LP (“Ember”) (on behalf of its managed and advised investment funds) in relation to a possible offer to acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Ashtead Technology for cash (the “Proposal”). The Proposal follows three previous unsolicited and non-binding indicative proposals from Ember, the first two of which were unequivocally rejected by the Board of Ashtead Technology.
The Proposal is at a price of 615 pence per Ashtead Technology share. The Board of Ashtead Technology is considering the Proposal with its advisers and is providing Ember with preliminary due diligence information.
Shareholders are advised to take no action at this time. There can be no certainty that an offer will be made, nor as to the terms of any offer if made. A further announcement will be made as appropriate.
In accordance with Rule 2.6(a) of the Code, by not later than 5.00 pm (London time) on 21 October 2026, Ember must either announce a firm intention to make an offer for Ashtead Technology in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the Code or announce that it does not intend to make an offer for Ashtead Technology, in which case the announcement will be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Code applies. This deadline will only be extended with the consent of the Takeover Panel in accordance with Rule 2.6(c) of the Code.
As a consequence of this announcement an ‘offer period’ has now commenced in respect of Ashtead Technology, in accordance with the Code. The attention of the Company’s shareholders is drawn to the disclosure requirements of Rule 8 of the Code, which are summarised below.
For the purpose of Rule 2.5(a) of the Code, this announcement has been made by Ashtead Technology without the consent of Ember.
The person responsible for arranging the release of this announcement on behalf of Ashtead Technology is Ingrid Stewart, CFO.
For further information please contact:
Enquiries
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Ashtead Technology Holdings plc Bill Shannon Allan Pirie Ingrid Stewart
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Deutsche Numis (Joint Financial Adviser and Joint Broker to Ashtead Technology) Julian Cater Oliver Ives George Price Tom Burrows Smith |
+44 (0)20 7545 8000 |
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Peel Hunt LLP (Joint Financial Adviser and Joint Broker to Ashtead Technology) Edward Allsopp Michael Nicholson Sam Cann Charlotte Sutcliffe |
+44 (0)20 7418 8900 |
Ashurst Perkins Coie UK LLP is acting as legal adviser to the Company.
Important information
Deutsche Bank AG is a stock corporation (Aktiengesellschaft) incorporated under the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany with its principal office in Frankfurt am Main. It is registered with the local district court (Amtsgericht) in Frankfurt am Main under No HRB 30000 and licensed to carry on banking business and to provide financial services. The London branch of Deutsche Bank AG is registered as a branch office in the register of companies for England and Wales at Companies House (branch registration number BR000005) with its registered branch office address and principal place of business at 21, Moorfields, London EC2Y 9DB. Deutsche Bank AG is subject to supervision by the European Central Bank (ECB), Sonnemannstrasse 22, 60314 Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht or BaFin), Graurheindorfer Strasse 108, 53117 Bonn and Marie-Curie-Strasse 24-28, 60439 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. With respect to activities undertaken in the United Kingdom, Deutsche Bank AG is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. It is subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of Deutsche Bank AG's authorisation and regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority are available from Deutsche Bank AG on request. Deutsche Bank AG, acting through its London branch (which is trading for these purposes as Deutsche Numis) ("Deutsche Bank") is acting exclusively for Ashtead Technology and no one else in connection with any possible offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than Ashtead Technology for providing the protections afforded to clients of Deutsche Bank nor for providing advice in relation to any possible offer or any other matters referred to in this announcement. Neither Deutsche Bank nor any of its affiliates (nor any of their respective directors, officers, employees or agents), owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Deutsche Bank in connection with any possible offer, this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.
Peel Hunt LLP ("Peel Hunt"), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK, is acting exclusively for Ashtead Technology and no one else in connection with the matters described in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than Ashtead Technology for providing the protections afforded to clients of Peel Hunt nor for providing advice in connection with the matters referred to herein. Neither Peel Hunt nor any of its subsidiaries, branches or affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Peel Hunt in connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.
This announcement contains inside information as stipulated under the EU Market Abuse Regulation No. 596/2014 (incorporated into UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 as amended by virtue of the Market Abuse (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019). Upon the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
This announcement is not intended to, and does not, constitute or form part of any offer, invitation or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of, any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, whether pursuant to this announcement or otherwise. Any offer, if made, will be made solely by certain offer documentation, which will contain the full terms and conditions of any offer, including details of how it may be accepted.
The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom and the availability of any offer to shareholders of Ashtead Technology who are not resident in the United Kingdom may be affected by the laws of relevant jurisdictions. Therefore any persons who are subject to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the United Kingdom or shareholders of Ashtead Technology who are not resident in the United Kingdom will need to inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable requirements. Any failure to comply with such requirements may constitute a violation of the securities law of any such jurisdiction.
Disclosure requirements of the Code
Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who is interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of an offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement of the offer period and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person’s interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a Dealing Disclosure.
Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person’s interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s), save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the business day following the date of the relevant dealing.
If two or more persons act together pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a securities exchange offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3.
Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4).
Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Takeover Panel’s website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. You should contact the Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit on +44 (0)20 7638 0129 if you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure.
Rule 2.9 information
In accordance with Rule 2.9 of the Code, the Company confirms that as at the close of business on 22 September 2026 its issued share capital consisted of 80,976,397 ordinary shares of 5 pence each.
The Ordinary Shares are voting shares (each such Ordinary Share carries one vote per Ordinary Share) and are admitted to trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange under the International Securities Identification Number GB00BLH42507. The legal entity identifier (LEI) of Ashtead Technology is 213800LHEWVY66RPGR58.
Publication on website
In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Code, a copy of this announcement will be available on Ashtead Technology’s website at https://www.ashtead-technology.com/investors promptly and by no later than 12 noon (London time) on the business day following this announcement. The content of the website referred to in this announcement is not incorporated into and does not form part of this announcement.
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