9 January 2023
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY (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
RECOMMENDED CASH ACQUISITION
of
TP Group plc
("TP Group" or the "Company")
by
Science Group plc
("Science Group")
to be effected by way of scheme of arrangement
under Part 26 of the Companies Act 2006 ("Companies Act")
Receipt of regulatory clearance & scheme timetable update
On 14 December 2022, the Company announced that the requisite majority of Scheme Shareholders voted in favour of the Scheme at the Court Meeting and the requisite majority of TP Group Shareholders voted in favour of the Special Resolution to implement the Scheme in connection with the Acquisition at the General Meeting. The Company also announced that Completion of the Scheme remained conditional on the satisfaction or (if capable of waiver) waiver of the other Conditions set out in the Scheme Document, including the sanction of the Court at the Court Hearing, subject to Science Group obtaining (or waiving) the NSIA and FATA clearances.
The Company announces that Science Group has now attained the requisite NSIA clearance. It is anticipated that the condition relating to FATA clearance will be satisfied or waived prior to the Court Hearing which has been scheduled for 24 January 2023. Accordingly, the Scheme is expected to become effective on 26 January 2023, subject to the sanction of the Court at the Court Hearing.
The last day of dealings in TP Group Shares is expected to be 25 January 2023, with TP Group Shares expected to be suspended from trading on AIM at 7.30 a.m. (
Event* |
Date/time |
Court Hearing |
24 January 2023 |
Last day of dealings in, and for registration of transfers of, and disablement in CREST of, Shares |
25 January 2023 |
Scheme Record Time |
6.00 p.m. on 25 January 2023 |
Effective Date ("ED") of the Scheme |
26 January 2023 |
Suspension of Shares to trading on AIM |
7.30 a.m. on 26 January 2023 |
Cancellation of admission to trading of Shares on AIM |
by 7.00 a.m. on 27 January 2023 |
Latest date for despatch of cheques or settlement through CREST in respect of the cash consideration. |
by 9 February 2023 |
Long-stop Date |
20 April 2023 |
* All times shown are
A further announcement will be made when the Scheme becomes Effective.
Capitalised terms used in this announcement (the "Announcement") shall, unless otherwise defined, have the same meanings as set out in the Scheme Document.
All references to times in this Announcement are to
Enquiries: |
|
TP Group plc |
Tel: +44 (0) 1753 285802 |
Derren Stroud, Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary |
|
Cenkos Securities plc, financial adviser, nominated adviser and broker to TP Group |
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7397 8980 |
Stephen Keys, Mark Connelly, Callum Davidson |
|
Science Group plc |
|
Sarah Cole, Group Legal Counsel & Company Secretary Jon Brett, Group Finance Director |
Tel: +44 (0) 1223 875 200 |
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited, exclusive financial adviser, nominated adviser and joint broker to Science Group ("Stifel") |
|
Nick Adams, Alex Price, Richard Short |
Tel: +44 (0) 207710 7600 |
|
|
|
|
Publication on website
In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Code, a copy of this Announcement will be available (subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in restricted jurisdictions) on TP Group's website at www.tpgroupglobal.com/investors and on Science Group's website at www.sciencegroup.com/investor-information/, by no later than 12.00 noon (
The content of the website referred to above is not incorporated into and does not form part of this Announcement.
Important notice
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, whether pursuant to this Announcement or otherwise, or the solicitation of any vote or approval of any offer in any jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the laws of such jurisdiction and any such offer (or solicitation) may not be extended in any such jurisdiction.
Any securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or with any securities regulatory authority of any state of
This Announcement has been prepared in accordance with the laws of
Cenkos, which is authorised and regulated in the
Stifel, which is authorised and regulated in the
Liberum, which is authorised and regulated in the
Disclosure requirements of the Takeover Code (the "Code")
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 (
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 (
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.
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