Share Buyback Programme
Summary by AI BETAClose X
This announcement contains inside information
for the purposes of UK Market Abuse Regulation.
EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc
("EKF" or the "Company")
Share Buyback Programme
EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc (AIM: EKF), the AIM-listed global diagnostics business, announces that it intends to conduct on-market purchases under a share buyback programme to repurchase up to 5,000,000 ordinary shares of 1p each in the capital of the Company ("Ordinary Shares"), representing up to approximately 1.15 per cent. of the Company's current issued share capital, pursuant to the authorities obtained at the Company's last annual general meeting ("AGM") held on 20 May 2025 (the "Buyback").
The purpose of the Buyback is to return cash to shareholders and to reduce the share capital of the Company. The Buyback will be funded from the Company's existing surplus cash resources and all Ordinary Shares purchased will be held in treasury. Any repurchases made following the Company's next AGM being held on 19 May 2026 ("2026 AGM") will be conditional upon a further shareholder approval of the Company's general buyback authority being obtained at that meeting and subject to the limit of 67,730,993 Ordinary Shares, or such other number as would represent approximately 15 per cent. of the Company's issued share capital at the time of issue of notice of the 2026 AGM. The Company intends to operate the Buyback from the date of this announcement until the earlier of the date on which purchase of 5,000,000 Ordinary Shares has been completed, the 2026 AGM in the event further shareholder approval is not obtained, or 31 December 2026.
The Company has appointed Singer Capital Markets Securities Limited ("Singer Capital Markets") to execute and manage the Buyback and has given an irrevocable instruction to Singer Capital Markets to make market purchases of Ordinary Shares on its behalf, independently to the Company. Singer Capital Markets will make its trading decisions in relation to the Ordinary Shares independently of the Company.
The maximum price which may be paid by the Company per Ordinary Share shall not be more than 5 per cent above the average middle market quotations for an Ordinary Share (as derived from the London Stock Exchange Daily Official List) for the five business days immediately preceding the date of repurchase. The maximum aggregate amount which may be paid for Ordinary Shares acquired as part of the Buyback shall be subject to a limit of £1 million.
Christopher Mills, Non-Executive Director of the Company, is the Chief Investment Officer of Harwood Capital Management (Gibraltar) Limited ("Harwood"), which is investment manager to Oryx International Growth Fund Limited ("Oryx") and Chief Investment Officer of North Atlantic Smaller Companies Investment Trust PLC ("NASCIT"). Mr. Mills is a director and shareholder in Oryx and also a director and shareholder in NASCIT. Oryx and NASCIT hold 35,581,729 and 90,999,271 Ordinary Shares, respectively, and 127,381,000 Ordinary Shares in aggregate (with 800,000 Ordinary Shares held by Harwood Capital LLP), which is equivalent to approximately 29.49% of the current total voting rights in the Company. Harwood will facilitate the participation of these entities in the share buy back pro rata to their existing aggregate holding, with the intention that the aggregate indirect beneficial interest of Mr. Mills remains at approximately this level and in any event does not exceed 30.00% of the prevailing total voting rights in the Company following any repurchases. This is solely in order for Mr. Mills and the above connected entities (which are, unless otherwise established, deemed to be acting in concert in accordance with the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers) to avoid otherwise being subject to an obligation under the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers to make a mandatory offer for the Company's entire share capital or to obtain the requisite shareholder approval for a waiver from the Takeover Panel from such obligation.
There is no guarantee that the Buyback programme will be implemented in full or that any purchases will be made.
As at the time of this announcement, the Company's total issued share capital consists of 431,963,112 Ordinary Shares. 3,419,980 Ordinary Shares were previously held in treasury but were cancelled on 18 February 2026. Therefore, the total number of Ordinary Shares carrying voting rights is 431,963,112.
The above figure of 431,963,112 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. Following any completed purchases, further updates will be provided as to the total voting rights in the Company's shares and the number of shares held in treasury.
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014 (which forms part of domestic UK law pursuant to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018).
The person responsible for arranging the release of this Announcement
on behalf of the Company is Julian Baines, Executive Chair.
|
EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc |
|||
|
Julian Baines, Executive Chair |
via Walbrook PR |
||
|
Gavin Jones, Chief Executive Officer
|
|
||
|
Singer Capital Markets (Nominated Adviser & Broker) |
Tel: +44 (0)20 7496 3000 |
||
|
Phil Davies / Patrick Weaver |
|
||
|
|
|
||
|
Walbrook PR Limited |
Tel: +44 (0)20 7933 8780 or ekf@walbrookpr.com |
||
|
Paul McManus / Alice Woodings |
Mob: +44 (0)7980 541 893 / +44 (0)7407 804 654 |
||
About EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc (www.ekfdiagnostics.com)
EKF is an AIM-listed global diagnostics business focussed on:
|
● |
Point-of-Care analysers in the key areas of Hematology and Diabetes |
|
● |
Life Sciences services provide specialist manufacture of enzymes and custom products for use in diagnostic, food and industrial applications. |
EKF has headquarters in Penarth (near Cardiff) and operates five manufacturing sites across the US and Germany, selling into over 120 countries world-wide.
RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our Privacy Policy.
Latest directors dealings
- 11 hours ago Johnson Matthey
- 13 hours ago Galliford Try
- 13 hours ago Galliford Try
- 13 hours ago Centrica
- 13 hours ago Smith & Nephew