Extension of PUSU deadline

Assura PLC

14 March 2025

 

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 FIRM OFFER WILL BE MADE.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                            

14 March 2025

Assura plc

Extension of PUSU Deadline

On 10 March 2025, the Board of Assura plc ("Assura" or the "Company") (the "Board") announced that it had received an indicative, non-binding proposal from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. Partners L.L.P. ("KKR") and Stonepeak Partners (UK) LLP ("Stonepeak") (together, the "Consortium") regarding a possible all-cash offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Assura (the "Possible Cash Offer").

In order to facilitate ongoing discussions with the Consortium and to provide additional time for the Consortium to progress its due diligence, the Board has requested, and the Takeover Panel has consented to, an extension of the current deadline of 5.00 pm (London time) on 14 March 2025 by which time the Consortium was required to either announce a firm intention to make an offer for Assura in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the Code or announce that it does not intend to make an offer for Assura, in which case the announcement would be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Code applies (the "PUSU Deadline").

Consequently, in accordance with Rule 2.6(c) of the Code, the Consortium is now required by no later than 5.00 pm (London time) on 11 April 2025, to either announce a firm intention to make an offer for Assura in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the Code or announce that it does not intend to make an offer for Assura, in which case the announcement would be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Code applies. The revised deadline may only be extended further at the request of the Board and with the consent of the Takeover Panel.

There can be no certainty that any firm offer will be made by the Consortium or any other party.

This announcement is made with the consent of the Consortium.

Enquiries:

Assura plc                                                                                                                  0161 515 2043

Ed Smith

Jonathan Murphy

Jayne Cottam

Lazard (Lead Financial Adviser)                                                                               020 7187 2000

Cyrus Kapadia

Patrick Long

Caitlin Martin

Barclays (Joint Corporate Broker and Financial Adviser)                                     020 7623 2323

Bronson Albery

Tom Macdonald

Callum West

Stifel (Joint Corporate Broker and Financial Adviser)                                            020 7710 7600

Mark Young

Jonathan Wilkes-Green

Catriona Neville

FGS Global (PR Adviser)                                                                                           020 7251 3801

Gordon Simpson

Grace Whelan

Important notice

The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom may be restricted by law and therefore any persons who are subject to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the United Kingdom should inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable requirements. Any failure to comply with such requirements may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The information disclosed in this announcement may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws and regulations of any jurisdiction outside of the United Kingdom. This announcement does not constitute an offer or an invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities pursuant to this announcement or otherwise in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful.

Inside information

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by Assura to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No.596/2014 (as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018). On the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, such information is now considered to be in the public domain.

For the purposes of MAR, this announcement is being made on behalf of Assura by Orla Ball, Company Secretary.

Notices

Lazard & Co., Limited ("Lazard") and Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited ("Stifel"), which are authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA") and Barclays Bank PLC ("Barclays") which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority ("PRA") and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FCA and the PRA, are acting exclusively as lead financial adviser, joint corporate broker, and financial adviser and joint corporate broker, respectively, to Assura and no one else in connection with the Possible Cash Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than Assura for providing the protections afforded to clients of Lazard or Barclays or Stifel nor for providing advice in relation to the Possible Cash Offer or any other matters referred to in this announcement. None of Lazard, Barclays or Stifel or any of their respective affiliates (nor any of their respective directors, officers, employees or agents), 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 theirs in connection with the Possible Cash Offer, this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

In accordance with the Code, normal United Kingdom market practice and Rule 14e-5(b) of the Exchange Act, Barclays and its affiliates will continue to act as exempt principal trader in Assura plc on the London Stock Exchange. These purchases and activities by exempt principal traders which are required to be made public in the United Kingdom pursuant to the Code will be reported to a Regulatory Information Service and will be available on the London Stock Exchange website at www.londonstockexchange.com. This information will also be publicly disclosed in the United States to the extent that such information is made public in the United Kingdom.

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 (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. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) 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.

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 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. If you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure, you should contact the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on [phone].

Rule 26.1 information

In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Code, a copy of this announcement will be made available free of charge, subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in restricted jurisdictions, on Assura's website at www.assuraplc.com/investor-relations no later than 12 noon (London time) on the business day following the date of this announcement.

For the avoidance of doubt, the contents of the website referred to in this announcement are not incorporated into, and do not form part of, this announcement.

 

END