Form 8.3 - Ascential plc

Societe Generale SA

03 September 2024

 

FORM 8.3

PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY

A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE

Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the "Code")

1.         KEY INFORMATION

(a) Full name of discloser:	SOCIETE GENERALE SA
(b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):      The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient.  For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.
(c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:      Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree	Ascential plc
(d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:
(e) Date position held/dealing undertaken:      For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure	02/09/2024
(f)  In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?      If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state "N/A"	N/A

2.         POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

(a)        Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

Class of relevant security:	1.7p ordinary
	Interests		Short positions
	Number	%	Number	%
(1)  Relevant securities owned and/or controlled:	6,184,220	3.02	1,129	0.00
(2)  Cash-settled derivatives:	0	0.00	3,608,641	1.76
(3)  Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:	0	0.00	0	0.00
TOTAL:	6,184,220	3.02	3,609,770	1.76

All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

(b)        Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors' and other employee options)

Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:
Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:

3.         DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

(a)        Purchases and sales

Class of relevant security	Purchase/sale	Number of securities	Price per unit GBP
1.7p ordinary	Purchase	8	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Purchase	4	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Purchase	20	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Purchase	19	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Purchase	20	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Purchase	6	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Purchase	61	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Purchase	20	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Purchase	11	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Purchase	36	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	4,729	5.69
1.7p ordinary	Sale	699	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	19	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	450	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	309	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	467	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	154	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	1,004	5.705
1.7p ordinary	Sale	607	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	733	5.7025
1.7p ordinary	Sale	572	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	112	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	126	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	311	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	174	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	49	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	481	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	489	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	894	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	189	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	109	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	713	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	700	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	395	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	660	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	965	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	189	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	291	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	97	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	594	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	1,291	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	481	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	20	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	111	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	102	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	411	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	11	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	768	5.7075
1.7p ordinary	Sale	276	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	569	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	267	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	19	5.705
1.7p ordinary	Sale	1,486	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	694	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	216	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	1,004	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	279	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	201	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	909	5.705
1.7p ordinary	Sale	19	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	549	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	551	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	435	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	728	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	52	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	486	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	20	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	564	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	578	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	85	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	957	5.705
1.7p ordinary	Sale	686	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	777	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	816	5.7025
1.7p ordinary	Sale	706	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	391	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	728	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	1,071	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	216	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	74	5.705
1.7p ordinary	Sale	94	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	1,654	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	467	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	720	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	221	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	125	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	911	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	558	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	758	5.7025
1.7p ordinary	Sale	189	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	86	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	32	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	748	5.6975
1.7p ordinary	Sale	646	5.7
1.7p ordinary	Sale	574	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	635	5.695
1.7p ordinary	Sale	694	5.7

(b)        Cash-settled derivative transactions

Class of relevant security	Product description e.g. CFD	Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position	Number of reference securities	Price per unit GBP
1.7p ordinary	CFD	Increasing a short position	8	5.7
1.7p ordinary	CFD	Increasing a short position	4	5.7
1.7p ordinary	CFD	Increasing a short position	20	5.695
1.7p ordinary	CFD	Increasing a short position	19	5.7
1.7p ordinary	CFD	Increasing a short position	20	5.695
1.7p ordinary	CFD	Increasing a short position	6	5.7
1.7p ordinary	CFD	Increasing a short position	61	5.695
1.7p ordinary	CFD	Increasing a short position	20	5.695
1.7p ordinary	CFD	Increasing a short position	11	5.7
1.7p ordinary	CFD	Increasing a short position	36	5.7

(c)        Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

(i)         Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

Class of relevant security

Product description e.g. call option

Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc.

Number of securities to which option relates

Exercise price per unit

Type e.g. American, European etc.

Expiry date

Option money paid/ received per unit

(ii)        Exercise

Class of relevant security

Product description e.g. call option

Exercising/ exercised against

Number of securities

Exercise price per unit

(d)        Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

Class of relevant security

Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion

Details

Price per unit (if applicable)

4.         OTHER INFORMATION

(a)        Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included.  If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"

None

(b)        Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i)  the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"

None

(c)        Attachments

Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached?

NO

Date of disclosure:	03/09/2024
Contact name:	Paul Jenkins
Telephone number:	[phone]

Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code's disclosure requirements on [phone].

The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

 

END