Statement re Possible Offer

Released : 28.05.2021

RNS Number : 2617A
Senior PLC
28 May 2021
 

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION.

THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT FALLING UNDER RULE 2.4 OF THE CITY CODE ON TAKEOVERS AND MERGERS (THE "CODE") AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF A FIRM INTENTION TO MAKE AN OFFER UNDER RULE 2.7 OF THE CODE. THERE CAN BE NO CERTAINTY THAT ANY OFFER WILL BE MADE.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

28 May 2021

Senior plc

Response to Lone Star announcement

The Board of Senior plc ("Senior" or the "Company") notes the recent announcement by LSF XI Investments, LLC, a company advised by Lone Star Global Acquisitions, Ltd ("Lone Star").  Senior confirms that, on 20 May 2021 it received a preliminary conditional proposal from Lone Star regarding a possible cash offer for the entire issued, and to be issued share capital of Senior at 176p per Senior share (the "Proposal").  This Proposal is the third unsolicited proposal received from Lone Star.

The Board of Senior considered the proposal, together with its advisers, and concluded that it fundamentally undervalued Senior and its future prospects.  Accordingly, on 21 May 2021 the Board of Senior unanimously rejected the Proposal.

There can be no certainty that an offer will be made.  A further announcement will be made when appropriate.

In accordance with Rule 2.6(a) of the Code, Lone Star is required, by no later than 5.00 p.m. (London time) on 25 June 2021, being 28 days after today's date, to either announce a firm intention to make an offer for the Company in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the Code or announce that it does not intend to make an offer, in which case the announcement will be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Code applies.  This deadline can be extended with the consent of the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers in accordance with Rule 2.6(c) of the Code.

Enquiries:

Senior plc

Gulshen Patel

Tel: +44 (0)1923 714722

Lazard

Financial adviser to Senior

Richard Shaw / Louise Campbell / James Cliffe

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7187 2000

Credit Suisse

Joint corporate broker to Senior

Antonia Rowan / David Watkins

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7888 8888

Jefferies

Joint corporate broker to Senior

Paul Nicholls / David Genis

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7029 8000

Disclaimer

Lazard & Co., Limited ("Lazard"), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting exclusively as financial adviser to Senior and no one else in connection with the matters set out in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Senior for providing the protections afforded to clients of Lazard & Co., Limited nor for providing advice in relation to the matters set out in this announcement. Neither Lazard & Co., Limited nor any of its affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Lazard &  Co., Limited in connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Credit Suisse International ("Credit Suisse"), which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting as joint corporate broker exclusively for Senior and for no one else in connection with the matters set out in this announcement, and will not be responsible to anyone other than Senior for providing the protections afforded to clients of Credit Suisse, nor for providing advice to any other person in relation to the content of this announcement or any other matter referenced herein. Neither Credit Suisse nor any of its subsidiaries, branches or affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Credit Suisse in connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies"), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting for Senior and no one else in connection with the matters set out in this Announcement. In connection with such matters, Jefferies will not regard any other person as their client, and will not be responsible to any persons other than Senior  for providing the protections afforded to clients of Jefferies or for providing advice in relation to the contents of this announcement or any other matter referred to herein. Neither Jefferies nor any of its subsidiaries, affiliates or branches owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct, indirect, consequential, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Jefferies in connection with this announcement, in any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Rule 26.1 Disclosure

In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Code, a copy of this announcement will be available at www.seniorplc.com, by no later than 12 noon (London time) on 1 June 2021. The content of the website referred to in this announcement is not incorporated into and does not form part of this announcement.

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) of the Code applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a Dealing Disclosure.

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, save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8 of the Code. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) of the Code applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the business day following the date of the relevant dealing.

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 of the Code.

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 of the Code).

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.

Rule 2.9 disclosure

In accordance with Rule 2.9 of the Code, as at the close of business on 27 May 2021 (being the business day prior to the date of this announcement), Senior confirms that it had in issue 419,418,082 ordinary shares of GBP 0.10 each with voting rights and admitted to trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange under the ISIN code GB0007958233.

 

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