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
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION
RECOMMENDED CASH ACQUISITION
of
DX (GROUP) PLC
by
TRANSIT BIDCO LIMITED
an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of funds advised or managed by H.I.G. Capital LLC or its affiliates, as advised or subadvised by H.I.G. European Capital Partners LLP
(to be implemented by way of a scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the Companies Act 2006)
Court sanction of the Scheme
On 16 November 2023, the boards of directors of DX (Group) plc ("DX") and Transit Bidco Limited ("Bidco") announced that they had reached agreement on the terms and conditions of a recommended cash acquisition by Bidco, an indirectly wholly-owned subsidiary of funds advised or managed by H.I.G. Capital LLC ("H.I.G.") or its affiliates, as advised or subadvised by H.I.G. European Capital Partners LLP, of the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of DX (the "Acquisition"). The Acquisition is intended to be implemented by way of a Court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement under Part 26 of the Companies Act. A circular in relation to the Acquisition was published by DX on 11 December 2023 ("Scheme Document").
Further to the announcement of 9 January 2024, DX and Bidco are pleased to announce that the High Court in
The Scheme will become Effective upon the delivery of a copy of the Court Order to the Registrar of Companies for registration which is expected to occur on 29 January 2024.
Next Steps
DX confirms that the Scheme Record Time will be 6.00 p.m. on 26 January 2024.
A request has been made for the suspension of dealings in DX Shares on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange with effect from 7:30 a.m. on 29 January 2024. The last day of dealing in DX Shares will therefore be 26 January 2024, and once suspended, it is not expected that trading in DX Shares will recommence.
It is expected that, subject to the Scheme becoming Effective on 29 January 2024, the cancellation of the admission to trading of DX Shares on AIM will become effective from 7.00 a.m. on 30 January 2024.
A further announcement will be made when the Scheme has become Effective.
All times shown are
Capitalised terms in this announcement, unless otherwise defined, have the same meaning as set out in the Scheme Document published by DX on 11 December 2023.
Enquiries
DX Paul Ibbetson, Chief Executive Officer David Mulligan, Chief Financial Officer |
+44 20 3178 6378 (c/o KTZ Communications) |
|
|
Moelis & Company Mark Aedy, Yorick van Slingelandt, Chris Raff
|
+44 20 7634 3500 |
Liberum Capital Limited (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker to DX) Nick How
|
+44 20 3100 2000 |
KTZ Communications (PR Adviser to DX) Katie Tzouliadis/Robert Morton
|
+44 20 3178 6378 |
Addleshaw Goddard LLP is acting as legal adviser to DX in connection with the Acquisition.
Important notices relating to financial advisers
Moelis & Company
Liberum Capital Limited ("Liberum"), which is authorised and regulated in the
Further information
This announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to and does not constitute, or form part of, an 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.
The Acquisition is subject to English law and to the applicable requirements of the Code, the Panel, AIM Rules, the London Stock Exchange and the FCA.
The Acquisition is made solely by the Scheme Document (or, in the event that the Acquisition is implemented by means of a Takeover Offer, the Offer Document), which, together with the Forms of Proxy, contains the full terms and conditions of the Acquisition including details of how to vote in respect of the Scheme. Any voting decision or response in relation to the Acquisition should be made solely on the basis of the Scheme Document. DX Shareholders are advised to read the formal documentation in relation to the Acquisition carefully. Each DX Shareholder is urged to consult their independent financial adviser regarding the tax consequences of the Acquisition.
This announcement does not constitute a prospectus or a prospectus equivalent document.
If you are in any doubt about the Acquisition, the contents of the Scheme Document or as to the action you should take, you are recommended to seek your own personal financial, tax and/or legal advice immediately from your stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant, or other independent financial adviser authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, if you are in the
Overseas jurisdictions
The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in jurisdictions other than the
This announcement has been prepared for the purpose of complying with English law and the Code and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws of jurisdictions outside
The Acquisition will not be made, directly or indirectly, in or into or by use of the mails or any other means or instrumentality (including, without limitation, telephonic or electronic) of interstate or foreign commerce of, or any facility of a national, state or other securities exchange of, a Restricted Jurisdiction, and the Acquisition will not be capable of acceptance by any such use, means, instrumentality or facility or from within a Restricted Jurisdiction. Copies of this announcement and any formal documentation relating to the Acquisition are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in or into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction or any jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the laws of such jurisdiction and persons receiving such documents (including custodians, nominees and trustees) must not mail or otherwise forward, distribute or send them in or into or from any Restricted Jurisdiction. Doing so may render invalid any related purported vote in respect of acceptance of the Acquisition.
Further details in relation to DX Shareholders in overseas jurisdictions are contained in the Scheme Document.
Notice to US Holders
The Acquisition relates to shares of a
Accordingly, the Acquisition is subject to the disclosure and procedural requirements applicable in the
Bidco reserves the right, subject to the prior consent of the Panel and in accordance with the Co-operation Agreement, to elect to implement the Acquisition by means of a Takeover Offer for the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of DX, as an alternative to the Scheme. If Bidco were to elect to implement the Acquisition by means of a Takeover Offer and determines to extend the Acquisition into
In accordance with normal
The receipt of consideration by a US holder for the transfer of its DX Shares pursuant to the Scheme will likely be a taxable transaction for
Some or all of DX's officers and directors reside outside the US, and some or all of its assets are or may be located in jurisdictions outside the US. Therefore, investors may have difficulty effecting service of process within the US upon those persons or recovering against DX or its officers or directors on judgments of US courts, including judgments based upon the civil liability provisions of the US federal securities laws. Further, it may be difficult to compel a non-US company and its affiliates to subject themselves to a US court's judgment. It may not be possible to sue DX or its officers or directors in a non-US court for violations of the US securities laws.
Neither the SEC nor any US state securities commission has approved or disproved or passed judgment upon the fairness or the merits of the Acquisition or determined if this document is adequate, accurate or complete.
Financial information relating to DX included in or incorporated by reference into this document has been or will have been prepared in accordance with IFRS and may not therefore be comparable to the financial information of US companies or companies whose financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the US.
Forward-looking statements
This announcement (including information incorporated by reference in this announcement), oral statements made regarding the Acquisition, oral statements made regarding the Acquisition, and other information published by DX, any member of the DX Group, Bidco or any other member of the Bidco Group contain statements which are, or may be deemed to be, "forward looking statements". These forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate only to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements often use words such as, without limitation, "anticipate", "target", "expect", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "goal", "believe", "aim", "will", "may", "hope", "continue", "would", "could" or "should" or other words of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the following: (i) future capital expenditures, expenses, revenues, economic performance, financial conditions, dividend policy, losses and future prospects, (ii) business and management strategies and the expansion and growth of the operations of DX, any member of the DX Group, Bidco or any other member of the Bidco Group, (iii) the effects of government regulation on the business of DX, any member of the DX Group, Bidco or any other member of the Bidco Group, (iv) negative effects relating to this document and/or status of the Acquisition, (v) the possibility that any of the conditions to the Acquisition will not be satisfied, and (vi) significant transaction costs or unknown liabilities. There are many factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements. Among such factors are changes in global, political, economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory forces, future exchange and interest rates, changes in tax rates and future business combinations or disposals. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations.
These forward looking statements are prospective in nature and are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and on numerous assumptions regarding the business strategies and the environment in which DX, any member of the DX Group, Bidco or any member of the Bidco Group shall operate in the future and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those statements. By their nature, these forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. The factors described in the context of such forward-looking statements in this document may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of any such person, or industry results and developments, to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct and persons reading this document are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements which speak only as at the date of this document. None of DX, any member of the DX Group, Bidco or any other member of the Bidco Group, or their respective members, directors, officers, employees, advisers or any person acting on behalf of one or more of them, provides any representation, assurance or guarantee that the occurrence of the events expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements in this document will actually occur.
None of DX, any member of the DX Group, Bidco or any other member of the Bidco Group, or their respective members, directors, officers, employees, advisers or any person acting on behalf of one or more of them, has any intention or accepts any obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent legally required. All subsequent oral or written forward-looking statements attributable to DX, any member of the DX Group, Bidco or any other member of the Bidco Group or any persons acting on their behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statement above.
No profit forecasts, estimates or quantified financial benefits statements
No statement in this announcement is intended as a profit forecast or estimate for any period or a quantified financial benefits statement and no statement in this announcement should be interpreted to mean that earnings or earnings per ordinary share, for Bidco or DX, respectively for the current or future financial years would necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings or earnings per ordinary share for Bidco or DX, respectively.
Disclosure requirements of the Code
Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who is interested in one 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 one 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 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 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 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 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.
Publication on a website and availability of hard copies
In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Code, a copy of this announcement will be made available, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in Restricted Jurisdictions, on Bidco's website at https://delta-offer.com/ and DX's website at www.investors.dxdelivery.com and in any event by no later than 12:00 noon (
In accordance with Rule 30.3 of the Code, DX Shareholders and persons with information rights may request a hard copy of this document (and any information incorporated into this document by reference) free of charge by contacting DX's registrar, Link Group, on 0371 664 0300 (from within the
You may request that all future documents, announcements and information be sent to you in relation to the Acquisition in hard copy.
Rounding
Certain figures included in this announcement have been subjected to rounding adjustments. Accordingly, figures shown for the same category presented in different tables may vary slightly and figures shown as totals in certain tables may not be an arithmetic aggregation of figures that precede them.
Electronic communications
Please be aware that addresses, electronic addresses and certain other information provided by DX Shareholders, persons with information rights and other relevant persons for the receipt of communications from DX may be provided to Bidco during the Offer Period as required under Section 4 of Appendix 4 of the Code to comply with Rule 2.11(c) of the Code.
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