NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
19 JUNE 2019
RECOMMENDED CASH ACQUISITION
OF
SAFECHARGE INTERNATIONAL GROUP LIMITED ("SafeCharge")
BY
11411802
a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Nuvei Corporation ("Nuvei")
to be effected by means of a scheme of arrangement under Part VIII of The Companies (
Publication of Scheme Document
On 22 May 2019, the boards of SafeCharge and Nuvei announced that they had reached an agreement on the terms of a recommended cash acquisition by Nuvei Bidco, a wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of Nuvei, of the entire issued and to be issued share capital of SafeCharge (the "Acquisition").
The Acquisition is to be effected by means of a scheme of arrangement under Part VIII of The Companies (
SafeCharge and Nuvei are pleased to announce that the Scheme Document, together with the related Forms of Proxy and Form of Election, are being sent, or made available, to SafeCharge Shareholders and, for information purposes only, to persons with information rights and those holding options over SafeCharge Shares under the SafeCharge Share Plans today. SafeCharge and Nuvei Bidco will also in due course be sending details of the proposals being made to participants in the SafeCharge Share Plans to such participants. The Scheme Document contains, amongst other things, a letter from the Chairman of SafeCharge, the full terms and conditions of the Scheme and the Acquisition, an explanatory statement in compliance with Section 108 of Part VIII of The Companies (
A copy of the Scheme Document will be made available on SafeCharge's and Nuvei's websites at, respectively, www.safecharge.com and www.nuvei.com/en-us/.
Unless otherwise defined, all capitalised terms in this announcement shall have the meaning given to them in the Scheme Document.
Notices of the Court Meeting and General Meeting
As described in the Scheme Document, in order to become Effective, the Scheme requires, among other things: (i) the approval by a majority in number of Scheme Shareholders present and voting (and entitled to vote), either in person or by proxy, at the Court Meeting, representing not less than 75 per cent. in value of the Scheme Shares held by such Scheme Shareholders present and voting at the Court Meeting (or any adjournment thereof); and (ii) SafeCharge Shareholders passing the Special Resolution to be proposed at the General Meeting. The Scheme must also be sanctioned by the Court. The Scheme is also subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the Conditions and further terms that are set out in the Scheme Document.
Notices of the Court Meeting and the General Meeting, which will each be held at Ground Floor, Dorey Court, Admiral Park,
The SafeCharge Board, which has been so advised by Shore Capital as to the financial terms of the Acquisition, considers the terms of the Acquisition to be fair and reasonable. In providing its advice to the SafeCharge Board, Shore Capital has taken into account the commercial assessments of the SafeCharge Board. Shore Capital is providing independent financial advice to the SafeCharge Board for the purposes of Rule 3 of the Code.
Accordingly, the SafeCharge Board believes the terms of the Acquisition are in the best interests of SafeCharge Shareholders as a whole and recommends unanimously that SafeCharge Shareholders vote to approve the Scheme at the Court Meeting and vote in favour of the Special Resolution to be proposed at the General Meeting, as all of the SafeCharge Directors who are interested in SafeCharge Shares have irrevocably undertaken to do or procure (in respect of SafeCharge Shares in which their spouses, civil partners and related trusts become interested) to be done, in relation to their beneficial holdings of, in aggregate, 3,443,579 SafeCharge Shares representing approximately 2.3 per cent. of the SafeCharge Shares in issue on 17 June 2019 (being the Latest Practicable Date).
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT, FOR THE COURT MEETING, AS MANY VOTES AS POSSIBLE ARE CAST SO THAT THE COURT MAY BE SATISFIED THAT THERE IS A FAIR AND REASONABLE REPRESENTATION OF SCHEME SHAREHOLDERS' OPINION. YOU ARE THEREFORE STRONGLY URGED TO COMPLETE, SIGN AND RETURN YOUR FORMS OF PROXY OR SUBMIT YOUR FORMS OF PROXY ELECTRONICALLY AT THE REGISTRAR'S WEBSITE OR APPOINT A PROXY THROUGH THE CREST PROXY APPOINTMENT SERVICE (AS APPROPRIATE) AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Timetable
The Scheme Document contains an expected timetable of principal events relating to the Scheme, which is also set out in the Appendix to this announcement. Subject to obtaining the approval of SafeCharge Shareholders at the Court Meeting and the General Meeting, the sanction of the Court and the satisfaction or, where applicable, the waiver of the other Conditions (as set out in the Scheme Document), the Scheme is expected to become Effective in the third quarter of 2019.
The last day of dealings in, and registration of transfers of, SafeCharge Shares (other than the registration of the transfer of the Scheme Shares to Nuvei Bidco pursuant to the Scheme) on AIM is expected to be on the last Business Day before the Effective Date and no transfers will be registered after the Scheme Record Time, which is expected to be 6.00 p.m. on the last Business Day before the Effective Date. It is also intended that dealings in SafeCharge Shares will be suspended on the Business Day following the Scheme Record Time. SafeCharge will make an application to AIM for the cancellation of the admission to trading of SafeCharge Shares on AIM, which is expected to take effect at 8.00 a.m. on the Business Day following the Effective Date.
The dates and times given are indicative only and are based on SafeCharge's current expectations and may be subject to change. If any of the expected times and/or dates set out in the timetable change, SafeCharge will give notice of the revised times and/or dates to SafeCharge Shareholders by issuing an announcement through a Regulatory Information Service. Such announcement will also be made available on SafeCharge's and Nuvei's websites at, respectively, www.safecharge.com and www.nuvei.com/en-us/.
Helpline
If you have any questions relating to this announcement, the Scheme Document, the Court Meeting, the General Meeting or the completion and return of the Forms of Proxy or the Form of Election, please call the helpline on 0370 707 4040 (if calling from within the
Enquiries:
Nuvei Corporation Philip Fayer, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David Schwartz, Chief Financial Officer Scott Calliham, SVP, M&A and Strategy |
+1 (514) 313 1190 |
Credit Suisse International (Financial Adviser to Nuvei and Nuvei Bidco) Gary Katz Steven Geller Joe Hannon Stephen Pick |
+44 (0) 20 7888 8888 |
SafeCharge International Group Limited David Avgi, Chief Executive Officer Tsach Einav, Chief Financial Officer c/o FTI Consulting Jean Beaubois, Head of Investor Relations |
+44 (0) 20 3727 1725
+44 (0) 7826 36619 |
Shore Capital (Financial Adviser, Broker and Nominated Adviser to SafeCharge) Simon Fine Toby Gibbs Mark Percy |
+44 (0) 20 7408 4090 |
FTI Consulting Matthew O'Keeffe Elena Kalinskaya |
+44 (0) 20 3727 1725 |
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP and Ogier (
Further information
This announcement is for information purposes only and 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, pursuant to the Acquisition or otherwise nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities of SafeCharge in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law.
The Acquisition is being implemented solely by means of the Scheme Document (or if the Acquisition is to be implemented by way of a Takeover Offer, the offer document), which contains the full terms and conditions of the Acquisition including details of how to vote in respect of (or, if applicable, accept) the Acquisition. Any vote in respect of the Scheme (or, if applicable, acceptance of the Takeover Offer) or other response in relation to the Acquisition should be made only on the basis of the information contained in the Scheme Document (or, if applicable, the offer document). Each SafeCharge Shareholder is urged to consult its independent professional adviser immediately regarding the tax consequences to it (or to its beneficial owners) of the Acquisition.
Credit Suisse, which is authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and the PRA in the
Shore Capital, which is authorised and regulated in the
Notice to Overseas Shareholders
General
The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in or into jurisdictions other than the
The Acquisition is not being made, directly or indirectly, in, into or from a Restricted Jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws of that jurisdiction and no person may vote in favour of the Acquisition by any use, means, instrumentality or from within a Restricted Jurisdiction or any other jurisdiction if to do so would constitute a violation of the laws of that jurisdiction. Copies of this announcement and formal documentation relating to the Acquisition will not be, and must not be, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction or any jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws of that jurisdiction and persons receiving such documents (including custodians, nominees and trustees) must not mail or otherwise forward, distribute or send them in, into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction. Doing so may render invalid any related purported vote in respect of the Acquisition. If the Acquisition is implemented by way of a Takeover Offer (unless otherwise permitted by applicable law or regulation), the Takeover Offer may not be made, directly or indirectly, in, into or from within any Restricted Jurisdiction.
Further details in relation to Overseas Shareholders are contained in the Scheme Document.
Notices to US investors in SafeCharge
The Acquisition relates to the shares of a
The receipt of cash by a beneficial owner of SafeCharge Shares pursuant to the Acquisition as consideration for the transfer of its Scheme Shares pursuant to the Scheme will be a taxable transaction for
If the Acquisition is implemented by way of a Takeover Offer and Nuvei Bidco determines to extend such offer into
SafeCharge is incorporated under the laws of
If Nuvei Bidco commences a Takeover Offer in respect of SafeCharge, in accordance with normal
Disclosure requirements
Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who is interested in 1 per cent. 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 p.m. (
Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in 1 per cent. 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 Nuvei. 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, 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 p.m. (
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 an offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by an 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 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.
In accordance with the Code, normal
Information relating to SafeCharge Shareholders
Please be aware that addresses, electronic addresses and certain other information provided by SafeCharge Shareholders, persons with information rights and other relevant persons in connection with the receipt of communications from SafeCharge may be provided to Nuvei Bidco during the Offer Period as required under Section 4 of Appendix 4 of the Code.
Publication of this announcement and availability of hard copies
A copy of this announcement and the documents required to be published by Rule 26 of the Code will be available, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, on SafeCharge's and Nuvei's websites at, respectively, www.safecharge.com and www.nuvei.com/en-us/. The contents of the websites referred to in this announcement are not incorporated into and do not form part of this announcement.
SafeCharge Shareholders who receive this announcement in electronic form may, subject to applicable securities laws, request a hard copy of this announcement by contacting the Registrar on 0370 707 4040 (if calling from within the
APPENDIX - EXPECTED TIMETABLE OF PRINCIPAL EVENTS
All times shown in this announcement are
Event |
Time and/or date |
Latest time for lodging Form of Proxy for the Court Meeting or for submitting proxy instructions in respect of the Court Meeting via the CREST proxy voting service |
1.00 p.m. on 15 July 2019 |
Latest time for lodging Form of Proxy for the General Meeting or for submitting proxy instructions in respect of the General Meeting via the CREST proxy voting service |
1.15 p.m. on 15 July 2019 |
Scheme Voting Record Time1 |
6.00 p.m. on 15 July 2019 |
Court Meeting |
1.00 p.m. on 17 July 2019 |
General Meeting2 |
1.15 p.m. on 17 July 2019 |
The following dates are indicative only and are subject to change3 |
|
Court Hearing |
"CH Date" |
Last day of dealings in, and for registration of transfers of, and disablement in CREST of SafeCharge Shares |
CH Date |
Latest time for lodging Form of Election or CREST instructions regarding the Sterling Currency Election4 |
1.00 p.m. on CH Date |
Scheme Record Time |
6.00 p.m. on CH Date |
Dealings in SafeCharge Shares suspended |
7.30 a.m. on CH Date + 1 |
Effective Date of the Scheme5 |
CH Date + 1 |
Cancellation of admission to trading on AIM of SafeCharge Shares |
8.00 a.m. on CH Date + 2 |
Latest date for despatch of cheques or settlement through CREST in each case, for both US$ or £ sterling payments |
Effective Date + 14 |
Long Stop Date |
31 December 2019 |
1 If either the Court Meeting or the General Meeting is adjourned, the Scheme Voting Record Time for the relevant adjourned Meeting will be 6.00 p.m. on the date falling two days before the date of such adjourned meeting (provided that the adjourned meeting shall not commence on or after 6.00 p.m. on the date of such meeting).
2 Or as soon thereafter as the Court Meeting shall have concluded or been adjourned.
3 These dates and times are indicative only and will depend, among other things, on the date upon which: (i) the Conditions set out in Part 4 of the Scheme Document are satisfied or (if applicable) waived; and (ii) the Court sanctions the Scheme.
4 SafeCharge Shareholders who fail (or choose not) to make a Sterling Currency Election by 1.00 p.m. on the Sterling Currency Election Deadline, or who make elections which are in any way invalid, will be deemed to have elected to receive Cash Consideration in respect of their SafeCharge Shares in US$.
5 A copy of the Court Order must be filed with the Guernsey Registry as promptly as is practicable and in any event within seven days after its making. The Scheme will become Effective on the date prescribed by the Court Order (which is currently expected to be one calendar day following the Court Hearing).
This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the