REG - Genus - Result of placing to raise approximately £68m

GenusAnnouncement

07/12/2018 07:05

RNS Number : 7465J
Genus PLC
07 December 2018
 


NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN, INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, CANADA, JAPAN OR THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE SAME WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO BUY, ACQUIRE OR SUBSCRIBE FOR (OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY, ACQUIRE OR SUBSCRIBE FOR) ORDINARY SHARES TO ANY PERSON WITH A REGISTERED ADDRESS IN, LOCATED IN, OR WHO IS A RESIDENT OF, THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, CANADA, JAPAN OR THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL OR CONTRAVENE ANY REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH JURISDICTION.
7 December 2018
Genus plc
('Genus', the 'Company' or the 'Group')
Result of equity placing to raise approximately £68 million
Genus plc (LSE: GNS), a leading global animal genetics company, is pleased to announce the successful completion of the placing announced yesterday (the "Placing").
A total of 3,097,200 new ordinary shares of 10 pence each in the capital of the Company (the "Placing Shares") have been conditionally placed by Peel Hunt LLP ("Peel Hunt") and Liberum Capital Limited ("Liberum") (together, the "Joint Bookrunners") with new and existing investors at a price of 2,200 pence per Placing Share (the "Placing Price") raising gross proceeds of £68 million for the Company. The Placing Price represents a 7.8 per cent. discount to the closing price of 2,386 pence on 6 December 2018 (being the last business day prior to the announcement of the Placing released yesterday).
The Placing Shares will, when issued, be credited as fully paid and will be issued subject to the Company's articles of association and will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing issued ordinary shares in the capital of the Company, including the right to receive all dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid on or in respect of such shares by reference to a record date falling after their issue.
Application has been made to the Financial Conduct Authority for admission of the Placing Shares to the premium listing segment of the Official List and to the London Stock Exchange for admission to trading on the London Stock Exchange's main market for listed securities (together, "Admission"). Admission of the Placing Shares is expected to occur at 8.00 a.m. on 12 December 2018 or such other date as the Company, Peel Hunt and Liberum may agree (being not later than 8.00 a.m. on 19 December 2018).
The Placing is conditional upon the Placing Agreement becoming unconditional and not having been terminated prior to Admission.
Capitalised terms used but not defined in this announcement have the same meanings as set out in the placing announcement of the Company released at 4.41 p.m.  (London time), 6 December 2018.
Total Voting Rights
Following the issue of the Placing Shares, the Company's issued share capital will comprise 65,045,705 ordinary shares of 10 pence each. The total number of voting rights in the Company following the issue of the Placing Shares will be 65,045,705. This figure 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 share capital of the Company under the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority.
Enquiries



Genus plc
Karim Bitar, Chief Executive
Stephen Wilson, Group Finance Director
 


Tel: +44(0)1256 345970




Peel Hunt (Joint Bookrunner)
Dr. Christopher Golden
Oliver Jackson
Jock Maxwell Macdonald
 


Tel: +44 (0)20 7418 8900
 




Liberum Capital (Joint Bookrunner)
Clayton Bush
Joshua Hughes
 


Tel: +44 (0)20 3100 2222
 




Buchanan


Tel: +44 (0)20 7466 5000




Charles Ryland


 




Chris Lane


 




Sophie Wills


 



About Genus
Genus is a world-leading animal genetics company. Genus creates advances to animal breeding and genetic improvement by applying biotechnology and sells added value products for livestock farming and food producers. Its technology is applicable across livestock species and is currently commercialised by Genus in the dairy, beef and pork food production sectors.
Genus's worldwide sales are made in over seventy-five countries under the trademarks 'ABS' (dairy and beef cattle) and 'PIC' (pigs) and comprise semen, embryos and breeding animals with superior genetics to those animals currently in farms. Genus's customers' animals produce offspring with greater production efficiency, and quality, and use these to supply the global dairy and meat supply chains.
The Group's competitive edge has been created from the ownership and control of proprietary lines of breeding animals, the biotechnology used to improve them and its global supply chain, technical service and sales and distribution network.
With headquarters in Basingstoke, United Kingdom, Genus companies operate in over twenty-five countries on six continents, with research laboratories located in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Important Notice
This announcement has been issued by, and is the sole responsibility of, the Company.
Members of the public are not eligible to take part in the Placing. All offers of the Placing Shares have been and will be made pursuant to an exemption under Directive 2003/71/EC (and amendments thereto, including Directive 2010/73/EC (the "2010 PD Amending Directive") to the extent implemented, and including any relevant implementing measure, in the relevant member state of the European Economic Area ("EEA")) (the "Prospectus Directive"), from the requirement to produce a prospectus for offers of the Placing Shares. This Announcement is for information purposes only and are directed only at: (a) persons in member states of the EEA who are qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive and amendments thereto ("Qualified Investors") (b) persons in the United Kingdom, who are Qualified Investors and (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order"); or (ii) high net worth companies, unincorporated associations and other persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order; and (c) persons to whom it may otherwise by lawfully communicated (all such persons together being referred to as ("Relevant Persons").
 
This Announcement must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not Relevant Persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this Announcement relates is only available to, and will be engaged in only with, Relevant Persons. Persons distributing this Announcement must satisfy themselves that is lawful to do so. This Announcement is for information only and does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy or otherwise acquire, any securities in any jurisdiction. Persons needing advice should consult an independent financial adviser.
The distribution of this Announcement and the offering, Placing and/or issue of the Placing Shares in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. No action has been taken by the Company, the Joint Bookrunners or any of their respective affiliates that would permit an offer of the Placing Shares or possession or distribution of this Announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating to such Placing Shares in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required.  Persons into whose possession this Announcement comes are required by the Company and the Joint Bookrunners to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.
This Announcement is for information purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or issue or the solicitation of an offer to buy, subscribe for or otherwise acquire securities in any jurisdiction in which any such offer or solicitation would be unlawful. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of the securities laws of such jurisdictions.
This Announcement or any part of it does not constitute or form part of any offer to issue or sell, or the a solicitation of an offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe for, any securities in the United States (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States (the "United States" or "US"), Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the Republic of South Africa, Japan or any other jurisdiction in which the same would be unlawful. No public offering of the Placing Shares is being made in any such jurisdiction.
The Placing Shares have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or under the securities laws or with any securities regulatory authority of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States and accordingly the Placing Shares may not be offered, sold, pledged or transferred in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and the securities laws of any relevant state or other jurisdiction of the United States. There is no intention to register any portion of the offering in the United States or to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States. There will be no public offering of the Placing Shares in the United States.
The Placing Shares have not been approved or disapproved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or other regulatory authority in the United States, nor have any of the foregoing authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the Placing or the accuracy or adequacy of this Announcement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United States.
This Announcement is not for publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States of America.  This Announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the United States.  The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, except pursuant to an applicable exemption from registration.  No public offering of securities is being made in the United States.
This Announcement may contain and the Company may make verbal statements containing "forward-looking statements" with respect to certain of the Company's plans and its current goals and expectations relating to its future financial condition, performance, strategic initiatives, objectives and results. Forward-looking statements sometimes use words such as "aim", "anticipate", "target", "expect", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "goal", "believe", "seek", "may", "could", "outlook" or other words of similar meaning. By their nature, all forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances which are beyond the control of the Company, including amongst other things, domestic and global economic business conditions, market-related risks such as fluctuations in interest rates and exchange rates, the policies and actions of governmental and regulatory authorities, the effect of competition, inflation, deflation, the timing effect and other uncertainties of future acquisitions or combinations within relevant industries, the effect of tax and other legislation and other regulations in the jurisdictions in which the Company and its respective affiliates operate, the effect of volatility in the equity, capital and credit markets on the Company's profitability and ability to access capital and credit, a decline in the Company's credit ratings; the effect of operational risks; and the loss of key personnel. As a result, the actual future financial condition, performance and results of the Company may differ materially from the plans, goals and expectations set forth in any forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements made in this Announcement by or on behalf of the Company speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required by applicable law or regulation, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to publish any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this Announcement to reflect any changes in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
No statement in this Announcement is intended to be a profit forecast, and no statement in this Announcement should be interpreted to mean that earnings per share of the Company for the current or future financial years would necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings per share of the Company.
Peel Hunt LLP, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA"), is acting for the Company in connection with the Placing and no-one else and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to clients of Peel Hunt LLP nor or for providing advice in relation to the Placing or any other matter referred to in this Announcement.
Liberum Capital Limited, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA, is acting for the Company in connection with the Placing and no-one else and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to clients of Liberum Capital Limited nor for providing advice in relation to the Placing or any other matter referred to in this Announcement.
No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be made as to, or in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by the Joint Bookrunners or by any of their respective affiliates or their respective affiliates' agents, directors, officers and employees, respectively as to, or in relation to, the accuracy or completeness of this Announcement or any other written or oral information made available to or publicly available to any interested party or its advisers, and any liability therefor is expressly disclaimed.
This Announcement does not constitute a recommendation concerning any investor's options with respect to the Placing. The price of shares and any income expected from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the full amount invested upon disposal of the shares. Past performance is no guide to future performance. The contents of this Announcement are not to be construed as legal, business, financial or tax advice. Each investor or prospective investor should consult his, her or its own legal adviser, business adviser, financial adviser or tax adviser for legal, financial, business or tax advice.
The Placing Shares to be issued or sold pursuant to the Placing will not be admitted to trading on any stock exchange other than the London Stock Exchange.
Neither the content of the Company's website nor any website accessible by hyperlinks on the Company's website is incorporated in, or forms part of, this Announcement.




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