Director/PDMR Notification and Issue of Options

Aquis Exchange PLC

27 April 2023

 

27 April 2023

Aquis Exchange PLC

("Aquis", the "Company" or the "Group")

Director/PDMR Notification

and

Issue of Options

Aquis Exchange PLC (AQX.L), announces that on 26 April 2023 it issued 716,179 options over the Company's ordinary shares of 10p each ("Ordinary Shares") to the executive directors of the Company under the Company's Executive Share Option Plan.

The options granted to the executive directors under the Executive Share Option Plan are exercisable at £5.0375 (a 25% premium to the average 30-day share price of £4.03). 276,680 options were issued to Alasdair Haynes, Chief Executive Officer of the Company equal to a Black Scholes fair value of 75% of salary, 214,097 to Richard Fisher Chief Financial Officer of the Company equal to a Black Scholes fair value of 65% of salary and 225,402 to Jonathan Clelland, Chief Operating Officer of the Company equal to a Black Scholes fair value of 65% of salary.

These options will vest on the third anniversary of the date of issue and expire seven years from the date of issue. Shares issued to the executive directors on exercise of the options will be subject to a further two-year holding period.  Vesting of the options are also subject to recovery and withholding provisions assessed by the Nomination and Remuneration Committee as detailed in the Company's 2022 Annual Report.

Enquiries:

Aquis Exchange PLC	Tel: [phone]
Alasdair Haynes, CEO
Richard Fisher, CFO Adele Gilbert, Head of Marketing	Tel: [phone]
VSA Capital Limited (AQSE Corporate Adviser)	Tel: [phone]
Andrew Raca
Liberum Capital Limited (Nominated Adviser and Broker)	Tel: [phone]
Clayton Bush
Chris Clarke
Edward Thomas Kane Collings Canaccord Genuity Limited (Joint Broker) Emma Gabriel Patrick Dolaghan	Tel: [phone]
Alma PR (Financial PR Adviser)	Tel: [phone]
Josh Royston	[e-mail]
Kieran Breheny
Pippa Crabtree

Notes to editors:

About Aquis Exchange PLC

Aquis Exchange PLC ("Aquis") is a creator and facilitator of next-generation financial markets, through the provision of accessible, simple and efficient stock exchanges, trading venues and technology.

Aquis consists of three divisions: Aquis Markets, a subscription-based exchange offering pan-European cash equities trading; Aquis Technologies, which develops and licenses next-generation exchange technology globally; and Aquis Stock Exchange, a growth and regulated primary exchange delivering capital to companies via the listing and trading of shares.

Aquis Markets operates lit and dark order books, covering 16 European markets. For its lit books, Aquis uses a subscription pricing model which works by charging users according to the message traffic they generate, rather than a percentage of the value of each stock that they trade and does not allow aggressive non-client proprietary trading, which has resulted in lower market impact and signalling risk on Aquis than other trading venues in Europe.

Aquis Technologies is the software and technology division of Aquis. It focuses on building better markets via the creation and licensing of cutting-edge, cost-effective exchange infrastructure technology and services, including matching engine and trade surveillance solutions.

Aquis Stock Exchange (AQSE) is a stock market providing primary and secondary markets for equity and debt products. It is authorised as a Recognised Investment Exchange, which allows it to operate a regulated listings venue. The AQSE Growth Market is divided into two segments 'Access' and 'Apex', with different levels of admission criteria. The Access market focuses on earlier stage growth companies, while Apex is the intended market for larger, more established businesses.

Aquis is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority and France's Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution and Autorité des Marchés Financiers to operate Multilateral Trading Facility businesses in the UK & Switzerland markets and in EU27 markets respectively. Aquis Exchange PLC is quoted on the Aquis Stock Exchange and on the Alternative Investment Market of the LSE (AIM) market. For more information, please go to www.aquis.eu.

Notification and public disclosure of transactions by persons discharging managerial responsibilities and persons closely associated with them:

1	Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
a)	Name	Alasdair Haynes
2	Reason for the notification
a)	Position/status	Chief Executive Officer
b)	Initial notification/ Amendment	Initial Notification
3	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)	Name	Aquis Exchange plc
b)	LEI	213800IXJSF5E1SIW150
4	Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
a)	Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code	Options over ordinary shares of 10 pence each ISIN: GB00BD5JNK30
b)	Nature of the transaction	Grant of share options
c)	Price(s) and volume(s)	Price(s) Volume(s) At an exercise value of £5.0375 276,680
d)	Aggregated information Aggregated volume Price	n/a - as above
e)	Date of the transaction	26/04/2023
f)	Place of the transaction	Outside a trading venue

1	Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
a)	Name	Richard Fisher
2	Reason for the notification
a)	Position/status	Chief Financial Officer
b)	Initial notification/ Amendment	Initial Notification
3	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)	Name	Aquis Exchange plc
b)	LEI	213800IXJSF5E1SIW150
4	Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
a)	Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code	Options over ordinary shares of 10 pence each ISIN: GB00BD5JNK30
b)	Nature of the transaction	Grant of share options
c)	Price(s) and volume(s)	Price(s) Volume(s) At an exercise value of £5.0375 214,097
d)	Aggregated information Aggregated volume Price	n/a - as above
e)	Date of the transaction	26/04/2023
f)	Place of the transaction	Outside a trading venue

1	Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
a)	Name	Jonathan Clelland
2	Reason for the notification
a)	Position/status	Chief Operating Officer
b)	Initial notification/ Amendment	Initial Notification
3	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)	Name	Aquis Exchange plc
b)	LEI	213800IXJSF5E1SIW150
4	Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
a)	Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code	Options over ordinary shares of 10 pence each ISIN: GB00BD5JNK30
b)	Nature of the transaction	Grant of share options
c)	Price(s) and volume(s)	Price(s) Volume(s) At an exercise value of £5.0375 225,402
d)	Aggregated information Aggregated volume Price	n/a - as above
e)	Date of the transaction	26/04/2023
f)	Place of the transaction	Outside a trading venue

 

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