Results of placing in London Stock Exchange Group

Barclays Bank PLC

17 May 2023

 

PRICING PRESS RELEASE

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN ARE RESTRICTED AND NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, INTO OR IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA, JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH OFFERS OR SALES WOULD BE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR FORM AN OFFER FOR SALE OF, OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY, THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN IN ANY JURISDICTION, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA, JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH OFFERS OR SALES WOULD BE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE END OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

PLACING OF 33.0 MILLION VOTING ORDINARY SHARES IN LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE GROUP PLC ("LSEG" OR THE "COMPANY")

17 May 2023

Further to the announcement released on 16 May 2023, BCP York Holdings (Delaware) L.P. (an entity owned by a consortium of certain investment funds affiliated with Blackstone Inc. ("Blackstone") and including an affiliate of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, an affiliate of GIC Special Investments Pte. Ltd. and certain other co-investors) ("BCP York"), York Holdings II Limited ("York Holdings II") and York Holdings III Limited ("York Holdings III") (entities owned by BCP York, Thomson Reuters and certain other minority holders) (BCP York, York Holdings II and York Holdings III together, the "Consortium" or the "Sellers") have sold an aggregate of 33,000,000 voting ordinary shares of 6⁷⁹/₈₆ pence each in the capital of the Company at a price of 8,050 pence per ordinary share (the "Placing Price") via a placing to institutional investors (the "Placing") and a separate offer to retail investors (the "Retail Offer") at the Placing Price. The Placing was upsized from 28.0 million voting ordinary shares (as announced on 16 May 2023) to 33.0 million voting ordinary shares.

The aggregate gross sale proceeds raised through the Placing and the Retail Offer are approximately £2.7 billion.

The Placing and the Retail Offer are being undertaken in compliance with the Relationship Agreement (as defined in the Prospectus (see below)), a summary of the terms of which is set out in the prospectus published by LSEG on 9 December 2020 (the "Prospectus"). As detailed in the Relationship Agreement, as of 30 January 2023 the lock-up arrangements governing Blackstone and Thomson Reuters' indirect shareholding in LSEG no longer applied to approximately 66.1 million of the voting ordinary shares owned indirectly by Blackstone and Thomson Reuters (in aggregate) which are free to be sold. In March 2023, the Consortium completed the sale of 28.0 million of such voting ordinary shares, and accordingly prior to the Placing have approximately 38.1 million voting ordinary shares remaining free to be sold in accordance with the Relationship Agreement. The balance of approximately 5.1 million voting ordinary shares owned indirectly by Blackstone and Thomson Reuters not sold in the Placing or the Retail Offer are subject to a 90 day lock-up, subject to customary exceptions and waiver by the Joint Global Coordinators (as defined below). The lock-up also contains an exception for disposals of shares pursuant to share repurchases by the Company.

The Company is not party to the Placing or the Retail Offer and will not receive any proceeds from the Placing or the Retail Offer.

The proceeds of the Placing and the Retail Offer are payable in cash on usual settlement terms, and closing of the Placing and the Retail Offer is expected to occur on a T+2 basis on 19 May 2023, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain customary conditions.

Barclays Bank PLC ("Barclays"), Citigroup Global Markets Limited ("Citigroup"), J.P. Morgan Securities plc (which conducts its UK investment banking business as J.P. Morgan Cazenove) ("JPMC") and Merrill Lynch International ("BofA Securities" and, together with Barclays, Citigroup, and JPMC, the "Joint Global Coordinators") are acting as Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners in connection with the Placing.

For further information, please contact:

Barclays                                  [phone]
BofA Securities                       [phone]
Citigroup                                [phone]
J.P. Morgan Cazenove          [phone]

The table below sets out the names of other banks and their respective roles in connection with the Placing (together with the Joint Global Coordinators, the "Managers"). The Retail Offer was made via the PrimaryBid platform.

Bank	Role
Goldman Sachs International	Co-Global Coordinator
Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc	Co-Global Coordinator
Mizuho International plc.	Co-Global Coordinator
RBC Capital Markets	Joint Bookrunner
Banco Santander, S.A.	Joint Bookrunner
BMO Capital Markets Limited	Joint Bookrunner
BNP Paribas London Branch	Joint Bookrunner
Jefferies International Limited	Joint Bookrunner
TD Securities Inc.	Joint Bookrunner
Deutsche Bank AG	Joint Bookrunner
HSBC Bank plc	Joint Bookrunner
UBS AG London Branch	Joint Bookrunner
Blackstone Capital Markets	Co-lead manager
BTIG Limited	Co-lead manager
Huatai Securities	Co-lead manager
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods - A Stifel Company	Co-lead manager
Wells Fargo Securities, LLC	Co-lead manager

IMPORTANT NOTICE

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY ANY OF THESE SECURITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA, JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL PRIOR TO REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH JURISDICTION. THE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES ABSENT REGISTRATION OR AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM UNITED STATES REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS. NO PUBLIC OFFER OF SECURITIES IS TO BE MADE IN THE UNITED STATES AND NEITHER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT NOR ANY COPY OF IT MAY BE TAKEN, TRANSMITTED OR DISTRIBUTED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES (INCLUDING ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA), CANADA, AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA, JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH TAKING, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF UNITED STATES, CANADIAN, AUSTRALIAN, SOUTH AFRICAN OR JAPANESE SECURITIES LAWS.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND ANY OFFER OF SHARES IF MADE SUBSEQUENTLY ARE ONLY ADDRESSED TO AND DIRECTED AT PERSONS (1) IN THE EEA WHO ARE QUALIFIED INVESTORS WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 2(E) OF REGULATION (EU) 2017/1129 (THE "PROSPECTUS REGULATION") AND (2) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM WHO ARE QUALIFIED INVESTORS WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 2(E) OF THE PROSPECTUS REGULATION AS IT FORMS PART OF UK LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018, AS AMENDED WHO (A) HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS WHO FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005, AS AMENDED (THE "ORDER") OR (B) ARE HIGH NET WORTH ENTITIES FALLING WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) OF THE ORDER OR (3) ARE PERSONS TO WHOM AN OFFER OF THE PLACING SHARES MAY OTHERWISE BE LAWFULLY COMMUNICATED (ALL SUCH PERSONS BEING REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS"). PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS SHOULD NOT TAKE ANY ACTION ON THE BASIS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND SHOULD NOT ACT OR RELY ON IT.

THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN WILL BE OFFERED WITHIN THE UNITED STATES ONLY TO QUALIFIED INSTITUTIONAL BUYERS IN RELIANCE ON RULE 144A UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE "SECURITIES ACT"), AND OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES IN RELIANCE ON REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT, SUBJECT TO PREVAILING MARKET AND OTHER CONDITIONS. THERE IS NO ASSURANCE THAT THE PLACING WILL BE COMPLETED, OR IF COMPLETED, AS TO THE TERMS ON WHICH IT IS COMPLETED. THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES WITHOUT REGISTRATION THEREUNDER OR UNLESS PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION THEREFROM. NEITHER THIS DOCUMENT NOR THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN CONSTITUTES OR FORMS PART OF AN OFFER TO SELL, OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY, SECURITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. THERE WILL BE NO PUBLIC OFFER OF ANY SECURITIES IN THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION. THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY ANY SECURITIES, NOR SHALL IT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT, AND SHALL NOT, IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES CONSTITUTE A PUBLIC OFFERING, NOR AN OFFER TO SELL OR TO SUBSCRIBE, NOR A SOLICITATION TO OFFER TO PURCHASE OR TO SUBSCRIBE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION. THE DISTRIBUTION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE OFFERING OR SALE OF THE SECURITIES IN CERTAIN JURISDICTIONS MAY BE RESTRICTED BY LAW. NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN BY YORK HOLDINGS II, YORK HOLDINGS III OR BCP YORK, THE MANAGERS, OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES THAT WOULD, OR WHICH IS INTENDED TO, PERMIT A PUBLIC OFFER OF THE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION OR POSSESSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OR ANY OTHER OFFERING OR PUBLICITY MATERIAL RELATING TO THE SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE ACTION FOR THAT PURPOSE IS REQUIRED. PERSONS INTO WHOSE POSSESSION THIS ANNOUNCEMENT COMES ARE REQUIRED BY YORK HOLDINGS II, YORK HOLDINGS III AND BCP YORK AND THE MANAGERS TO INFORM THEMSELVES ABOUT AND TO OBSERVE ANY APPLICABLE RESTRICTIONS.

NO PROSPECTUS OR OFFERING DOCUMENT HAS BEEN OR WILL BE PREPARED IN CONNECTION WITH THE PLACING OR THE RETAIL OFFER. ANY INVESTMENT DECISION IN CONNECTION WITH THE PLACING OR THE RETAIL OFFER MUST BE MADE SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION RELATING TO THE COMPANY AND ITS SHARES. SUCH INFORMATION HAS NOT BEEN INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED AND BLACKSTONE, THOMSON REUTERS, YORK HOLDINGS II, YORK HOLDINGS III, BCP YORK AND THE MANAGERS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY LIABILITY, FOR SUCH INFORMATION. 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 FOR ANY PURPOSES WHATSOEVER ON THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OR ON ITS ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING THE PLACING OR THE RETAIL OFFER. THE PRICE AND VALUE OF SECURITIES AND ANY INCOME FROM THEM CAN GO DOWN AS WELL AS UP. PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT A GUIDE TO FUTURE PERFORMANCE. ACQUIRING SHARES TO WHICH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES MAY EXPOSE AN INVESTOR TO A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF LOSING ALL OF THE AMOUNT INVESTED. POTENTIAL INVESTORS SHOULD CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL ADVISOR AS TO THE SUITABILITY OF THE PLACING OR THE RETAIL OFFER FOR THE ENTITY OR PERSON CONCERNED.

CERTAIN FIGURES CONTAINED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO ROUNDING ADJUSTMENTS. ACCORDINGLY, IN CERTAIN INSTANCES, THE SUM OR PERCENTAGE CHANGE OF THE NUMBERS CONTAINED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MAY NOT CONFORM EXACTLY WITH THE TOTAL FIGURE GIVEN.

EACH OF BARCLAYS, BOFA SECURITIES, CITIGROUP, JPMC, GOLDMAN SACHS, MORGAN STANLEY, MIZUHO INTERNATIONAL PLC, RBC EUROPE LIMITED (WHICH TRADES UNDER THE NAME RBC CAPITAL MARKETS) AND HSBC BANK PLC IS AUTHORISED BY THE PRUDENTIAL REGULATION AUTHORITY ("PRA") AND REGULATED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BY THE FINANCIAL CONDUCT AUTHORITY ("FCA") AND THE PRA. EACH OF BMO CAPITAL MARKETS LIMITED, JEFFERIES INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, BTIG LIMITED AND STIFEL NICOLAUS EUROPE LIMITED (WHICH TRADES UNDER THE NAME KEEFE, BRUYETTE & WOODS) IS AUTHORISED AND REGULATED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BY THE FCA. EACH OF BNP PARIBAS AND DEUTSCHE BANK AG IS AUTHORISED AND REGULATED BY THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK, AUTHORISED BY THE PRA AND IS SUBJECT TO REGULATION BY THE FCA AND LIMITED REGULATION BY THE PRA.  BNP PARIBAS IS AUTHORISED AND REGULATED BY THE AUTORITÉ DE CONTRÔLE PRUDENTIEL ET DE RÉSOLUTION.  DEUTSCHE BANK AG IS AUTHORISED AND REGULATED BY THE GERMAN FEDERAL FINANCIAL SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY (BAFIN). UBS AG LONDON BRANCH IS AUTHORISED AND REGULATED BY THE FINANCIAL MARKET SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY IN SWITZERLAND. IT IS AUTHORISED BY THE PRA AND SUBJECT TO REGULATION BY THE FCA AND LIMITED REGULATION BY THE PRA IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.

THE MANAGERS ARE ACTING FOR YORK HOLDINGS II, YORK HOLDINGS III AND BCP YORK ONLY IN CONNECTION WITH THE PLACING AND NO ONE ELSE, AND WILL NEITHER BE RESPONSIBLE TO ANYONE OTHER THAN YORK HOLDINGS II, YORK HOLDINGS III AND BCP YORK FOR PROVIDING THE PROTECTIONS OFFERED TO CLIENTS NOR FOR PROVIDING ADVICE IN RELATION TO THE PLACING SHARES OR THE PLACING, THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION, ARRANGEMENT OR OTHER MATTER REFERRED TO IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

BLACKSTONE CAPITAL MARKETS, A CO-LEAD MANAGER, IS ALSO AN AFFILIATE OF INVESTMENT FUNDS MANAGED BY BLACKSTONE THAT ARE INDIRECTLY INVESTED IN THE SELLERS.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT INCLUDES 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 "INTENDS", "EXPECTS", "WILL", OR "MAY", OR, IN EACH CASE, THEIR NEGATIVE OR OTHER VARIATIONS OR COMPARABLE TERMINOLOGY, OR BY DISCUSSIONS OF STRATEGY, PLANS, OBJECTIVES, GOALS, FUTURE EVENTS OR INTENTIONS. THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS INCLUDE ALL MATTERS THAT ARE NOT HISTORICAL FACTS AND INCLUDE STATEMENTS REGARDING INTENTIONS, BELIEFS OR CURRENT EXPECTATIONS. NO ASSURANCES CAN BE GIVEN THAT THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE REALISED. AS A RESULT, NO UNDUE RELIANCE SHOULD BE PLACED ON THESE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AS A PREDICTION OF ACTUAL EVENTS OR OTHERWISE.

 

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