Announcement of Offer Price

RNS Number : 5611D

Baltic Classifieds Group PLC

30 June 2021

 

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, JAPAN OR AUSTRALIA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.

This announcement is an advertisement for the purposes of the Prospectus Regulation Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA") and is not a prospectus nor an offer of securities for sale in any jurisdiction, including in or into the United States, Canada, Japan or Australia.

Neither this announcement, nor anything contained herein shall form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any offer or commitment whatsoever in any jurisdiction. Investors should not subscribe for or purchase any shares referred to in this announcement except solely on the basis of the information contained in the prospectus in its final form (together with any supplementary prospectus, if relevant, the "Prospectus"), including the risk factors set out therein, expected to be published later today by Baltic Classifieds Group PLC (the "Company"), a new company to be inserted as the ultimate holding company of ANTLER MidCo S.à r.l. and its direct and indirect subsidiaries (the Company and ANTLER MidCo S.à r.l., together with their subsidiaries and subsidiary undertakings, the "Group", "Baltic Classifieds Group" or "BCG"), in connection with the offer of ordinary shares (the "Shares") in the Company (the "Offer")  and the proposed admission to listing of such Shares to the premium listing segment of the Official List of the FCA and to trading on the main market for listed securities of the London Stock Exchange plc (the "London Stock Exchange") (together "Admission", and Admission together with the Offer, the "IPO").  A copy of the Prospectus will, following publication, be available for inspection on the Company's website at https://balticclassifieds.com, subject to certain access restrictions.

30 June 2021

Baltic Classifieds Group PLC

Announcement of Offer Price

Offer Price set at 165 pence per Share

Following the confirmation of intention to float announcement on 11 June 2021, Baltic Classifieds Group today announces the successful pricing of its initial public offering  (the "Offer") at 165 pence per Share (the "Offer Price"). Based on the Offer Price, the Company's market capitalisation will be approximately £825.0 million at the commencement of conditional dealings on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.

Justinas Šimkus, CEO of BCG, said:

"Listing on the London Stock Exchange is a very special milestone for our company and I would like to thank everyone at BCG for their incredible hard work. Together, we have created the leading online classifieds group in the Baltics that is still in the early stages of its monetisation journey and we believe has a considerable growth runway. We are delighted with the level of support we have attracted from such high quality investors and look forward to the future with great excitement."

Offer Highlights

· The Offer Price has been set at 165 pence per Share

· BCG's total market capitalisation at the commencement of conditional dealings on the main market for listed securities of the London Stock Exchange will be approximately £ 825.0 million based on the Offer Price

· The Offer comprises 61.3 million Shares issued by the Company (the "Primary Raise") and 138.7 million existing Shares sold by ANTLER EquityCo S.à r.l. (the "Major Shareholder", a company owned by funds advised by Apax Partners LLP) and certain other BCG shareholders. This equates to a total Offer size of £ 330.0 million   and represents 40.0 per cent of BCG's issued share capital on Admission

· The directors intend to use the net proceeds from the Primary Raise for the repayment of existing debt in conjunction with the refinancing of the Senior Facilities Agreement targeting a net debt at IPO of approximately 2.75x FY21 Adjusted EBITDA

· An additional 30.0 million Shares are being made available by the Major Shareholder pursuant to the over-allotment option

· Immediately following Admission, the Company's issued share capital will be 500.0 million Shares

· In connection with the Offer, each of the Company, its directors, the Major Shareholder and certain other BCG shareholders have agreed to lock-up arrangements restricting the disposal of Shares for a period of time following Admission subject to waiver by Merrill Lynch International ("BofA Securities") and certain exceptions

· Full details of the Offer will be included in the Prospectus, which is expected to be published later today and will be available on the Company's website ( https://balticclassifieds.com/ )

Admission and Dealings

· Conditional dealings in BCG Shares are expected to commence on the London Stock Exchange at 8:00 a.m. (London time) on 30 June 2021 under the ticker "BCG". Investors should note that only those who applied for and were allocated Shares in the Offer will be able to deal in the Shares on a conditional basis

· Admission of BCG's entire issued ordinary share capital to the premium listing segment of the Official List of the FCA and to trading on the main market for listed securities of the London Stock Exchange, and the commencement of unconditional dealings, is expected to take place at 8.00 a.m. (London time) on 5 July 2021

· Subject to Admission and other conditions being met, the Company expects that it would be eligible for inclusion in the FTSE UK indices

Enquiries

Sponsor, Global Co-ordinator and Joint Bookrunner

BofA Securities

Peter Luck / Aukse Jurkute / Richard Abel / Kieran Millar / Petras Vaicius

[phone]

Joint Bookrunner

BNP Paribas

Igor Donnio / Thomas Marcot 

[phone]

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFORMATION

The contents of this announcement, which has been prepared by and is the sole responsibility of the Company, have been approved by Merrill Lynch International solely for the purposes of section 21(2)(b) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended).

The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. No reliance may be placed by any person for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy, fairness or completeness.

This announcement is not for publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Australia, Canada or Japan, or any other jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction. The distribution of this announcement may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession any document or other information referred to herein comes should inform themselves about and observe any restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

This announcement does not contain, constitute nor form part of any offer to sell or issue, or any invitation or solicitation of an offer to buy, Shares to any person in any jurisdiction to whom or in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful, including the United States, Australia, Canada or Japan. The Shares referred to herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The Shares referred to herein may not be offered or sold in the United States, except to qualified institutional buyers ("QIBs") as defined in, and in reliance on, Rule 144A under the Securities Act ("Rule 144A") or pursuant to another exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The offer and sale of the Shares referred to herein has not and will not be registered under the applicable securities laws of Australia, Canada or Japan. There will be no public offer of securities in the United States, Australia, Canada or Japan.

In the United Kingdom, this announcement is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, persons who: (A) (i) are "investment professionals" specified in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order") and/or (ii) fall within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (and only where the conditions contained in those Articles have been, or will at the relevant time be, satisfied); and (B) are "qualified investors" within the meaning of Article 2(e) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of retained EU law as defined in the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018; and (C) persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated (all such persons being "relevant persons").In the European Economic Area (the "EEA"), this announcement is addressed only to and directed only at, persons in member states who are "qualified investors" within the meaning of Article 2(e) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 ("Qualified Investors"). This announcement must not be acted on or relied on (i) in the United Kingdom, by persons who are not relevant persons, and (ii) in any member state of the EEA, by persons who are not Qualified Investors. Any investment or investment activity to which this announcement relates is available only to (i) in the United Kingdom, relevant persons, and (ii) in any member state of the EEA, Qualified Investors, and will be engaged in only with such persons.

This announcement may include statements that are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believes", "estimates", "plans", "projects", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will" or "should" or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. Forward-looking statements may and often do differ materially from actual results. Any forward-looking statements reflect the Group's current view with respect to future events and are subject to risks relating to future events and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the Group's business, results of operations, financial position, liquidity, prospects, growth and strategies. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made.

In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the events in the forward-looking statements may not occur or the Company's or the Group's actual results, performance or achievements might be materially different from the expected results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Merrill Lynch International, BNP PARIBAS, the Company or any member of the Group, or any of such person's affiliates or their respective directors, officers, employees, agents or advisers expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update, review or revise any such forward-looking statement or any other information contained in this announcement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law.

Any subscription or purchase of Shares in the IPO should be made solely on the basis of information contained in the Prospectus which is expected to be published by the Company in connection with the IPO. The information in this announcement is subject to change. Before subscribing for or purchasing any Shares, persons viewing this announcement should ensure that they fully understand and accept the risks which will be set out in the Prospectus, when published. No reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy or completeness. This announcement shall not constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer to acquire, whether by subscription or purchase, any Shares or any other securities, nor shall it (or any part of it), or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, or act as any inducement to enter into, any contract or commitment whatsoever.

The date of Admission may be influenced by a variety of factors which include market conditions.  The Group may decide not to go ahead with the IPO and there is therefore no guarantee that Admission will occur at all or in accordance with the timing indicated in this announcement and you should not base your financial decisions on the Company's intentions in relation to Admission at this stage. Potential investors should not base their financial decision on this announcement. Acquiring investments to which this announcement relates may expose an investor to a significant risk of losing all of the amount invested. Persons considering making investments should consult an authorised person specialising in advising on such investments. This announcement does not constitute a recommendation concerning any possible offer. The value of shares can decrease as well as increase. Potential investors should consult a professional advisor as to the suitability of a possible offer for the person concerned.

Nothing contained herein constitutes or should be construed as (i) investment, tax, accounting or legal advice; (ii) a representation that any investment or strategy is suitable or appropriate to your individual circumstances; or (iii) a personal recommendation to you.

None of the Banks (as defined below) or any of their respective affiliates or any of their or their affiliates' directors, officers, employees, advisers or agents accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for, or makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to, the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from the announcement) or any other information relating to the Company, the Group or its associated companies, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available, or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of the announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith.

Merrill Lynch International of 2 King Edward Street, London EC1A 1HQ is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (the "PRA") and regulated by the FCA and the PRA in the United Kingdom. BNP PARIBAS of 16, boulevard des Italiens, 75009 Paris, France is (i) authorised and regulated by the European Central Bank and the AUTORITÉ DE CONTRÔLE PRUDENTIEL ET DE RESOLUTION, (ii) deemed authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and with deemed variation of permission, and (iii) subject to regulation by the FCA and limited regulation by the PRA (details of the Temporary Permissions Regime, which allows EEA-based firms to operate in the UK for a limited period while seeking full authorisation, are available on the FCA's website). Each of Merrill Lynch International and BNP PARIBAS (together the "Banks") will be acting exclusively for the Company with Merrill Lynch International acting exclusively as Global Co-ordinator, Joint Bookrunner and Sponsor to the Company and BNP PARIBAS as Joint Bookrunner to the Company and no one else in connection with the IPO. The Banks will not regard any other person as their client in relation to the IPO and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients nor for giving advice in relation to the IPO, the contents of this announcement or any transaction, arrangement or other matter referred to herein. In connection with the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union, the Banks may, at their discretion, undertake their obligations in connection with the IPO by any of their affiliates based in the EEA.

Certain data in this announcement, including financial, statistical, and operating information has been rounded. As a result of the rounding, the totals of data presented in this announcement may vary slightly from the actual arithmetic totals of such data. Percentages in tables may have been rounded and accordingly may not add up to 100%.

In connection with the IPO, any of the Merrill Lynch International and BNP PARIBAS (the "Underwriters" and each an "Underwriter") and any of their affiliates, acting as investors for their own accounts, may take up a portion of the Shares in the IPO as a principal position, and in that capacity may retain, purchase, sell, offer to sell or otherwise deal for its own accounts in such Shares and other securities of the Company or related investments and other securities of the Company or related investments in connection with the IPO or otherwise. Accordingly, references in the Prospectus, when published, to the Shares being issued, offered, subscribed for, acquired, placed or otherwise dealt in should be read as including any issue or offer to, or subscription, acquisition, placing of or dealing by, any Underwriter and any of its affiliates acting as an investor for its own accounts. In addition, certain of the Underwriters or their affiliates may enter into financing arrangements (including swaps, warrants or contracts for differences) with investors in connection with which the Underwriters (or any of their affiliates) may from time to time acquire, hold or dispose of Shares. Neither the Underwriters nor any of their affiliates intend to disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligations to do so.

In connection with the IPO, Merrill Lynch International, as stabilising manager (the "Stabilising Manager"), or any of its agents, may (but will be under no obligation to), to the extent permitted by applicable law and for stabilisation purposes, over allot Shares up to a total of 15% of the total number of Shares included in the IPO or effect other transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the Shares or any options, warrants or rights with respect thereto, or other interest in the Shares or other securities of the Company, in each case at a higher level than that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. The Stabilising Manager is not required to enter into such transactions and such transactions may be effected on any securities market, over the counter market, stock exchange or otherwise and may be undertaken at any time during the period commencing on the date of the conditional dealings in the Shares on the London Stock Exchange and ending no later than 30 calendar days thereafter. Stabilisation transactions aim at supporting the market price of the securities during the stabilisation period. Such stabilisation, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time without prior notice. If such stabilisation occurs, it will be undertaken at the London Stock Exchange. However, there will be no obligation on the Stabilising Manager or any of its agents to effect stabilising transactions and there is no assurance that stabilising transactions will be undertaken. In no event will measures be taken to stabilise the market price of the Shares above the Offer Price. Except as required by law or regulation, neither the Stabilising Manager nor any of its agents intends to disclose the extent of any over allotments made and/or stabilisation transactions conducted in relation to the IPO.

For the purposes of allowing the Stabilising Manager to cover short positions resulting from any such over-allotment and/or from sales of Shares effected by it during the stabilisation period, the Stabilising Manager will be been granted an over-allotment option (the "Over-allotment Option") by the Major Shareholder, pursuant to which it may purchase, or procure purchasers for, additional Shares representing up to 15% of the total number of Shares included in the IPO at the Offer Price (the "Over-allotment Shares"). The Over-allotment Option will be exercisable in whole or in part upon notice by the Stabilising Manager at any time on or before the 30th calendar day after the commencement of conditional dealings in the Shares on the London Stock Exchange. Any Over-allotment Shares made available pursuant to the Over-allotment Option will be made available on the same terms and conditions as Shares being offered or sold pursuant to the IPO, will rank pari passu in all respects with all other Shares (including with respect to pre-emption rights) and will form a single class with all other Shares for all purposes, including with respect to voting and for all dividends and distributions thereafter declared, made or paid on the ordinary share capital of the Company.

For the avoidance of doubt, the contents of the Company's website or any website directly or indirectly linked to the Company's website, are not incorporated by reference into, and do not form part of, this announcement.

Information to Distributors

Solely for the purposes of the product governance requirements contained within (a) EU Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments, as amended ("MiFID II"); (b) articles 9 and 10 of Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 supplementing MiFID II; (c) local implementing measures (the "EEA Product Governance Requirements") and (d)  Chapter 3 of the FCA Handbook Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook (the "UK Product Governance Requirements" and together with the EEA Product Governance Requirements, the "Product Governance Requirements"), and disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any "manufacturer" (for the purposes of the Product Governance Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Shares have been subject to a product approval process, which has determined that such Shares are: (i) compatible with an end target market of retail clients and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each as defined in MiFID II or Chapter 3 of the FCA Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook ("COBS"), as applicable; and (ii) eligible for distribution through all permitted distribution channels (the "Target Market Assessment"). Notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, distributors (for the purposes of the Product Governance Requirements) should note that: the price of the Shares may decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment; the Shares offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an investment in the Shares is compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom. The Target Market Assessment is without prejudice to any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the IPO. Furthermore, it is noted that, notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, the Underwriters will only procure investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (a) an assessment of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of MiFID II or Chapters 9A or 10A respectively of COBS; or (b) a recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest in, or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to the Shares.

Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the Shares and determining appropriate distribution channels.

 

END

 

 

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