Transaction in Own Shares

RNS Number : 0526H

Character Group PLC

12 February 2010

 



Date: Friday, 12 February 2010

The Character Group plc

('Company' or 'Group')

designers, developers and international distributors of toys, games and gifts

Transaction in Own Shares

As part of the Group's buy back programme announced on Wednesday 27 January 2010, the Company advises that on Thursday 11 February 2010 it bought back for cancellation 601,372 ordinary shares of the Company in the market, through Charles Stanley Securities at a price of 105 pence per share. This represents approximately 1.90 per cent. of the current issued share capital of the Company.

For the purposes of the Financial Services Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rules, the total number of ordinary shares in issue as at the date of this notice (taking into account the ordinary shares purchased for cancellation by the Company announced above) is 31,137,654 ("Revised Issued Voting Share Capital").

The Company holds 4,019,456 ordinary shares in treasury, representing approximately 12.91 per cent. of the Revised Issued Voting Share Capital, which do not carry voting rights.

The above figure of 31,137,654 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest, or change to their interest, in the Company under the Disclosure and Transparency Rules. 

Since 27 January 2010, the Company has bought 3,454,327 ordinary shares (approximately 11.09 per cent. of the Revised Issued Voting Share Capital) for cancellation pursuant to the buy back programme at a cost of approximately £3,565,700 (excluding dealing costs and stamp duty).

Whilst the beneficial interests of Mr. R King (Executive Chairman) Mr. K Shah (Group Finance Director & Joint Managing Director) remain unchanged, following these transactions, the percentages represented by such interests have changed as follows:

Director                          Beneficial interest in shares            % of Revised Issued Voting

                                                                                     Share Capital

R. King ¹                         5,571,209                                    17.89

K.P. Shah ²                      7,853,250                                    25.22

Orbis Pension Trustees       285,000                                      0.92

Limited

Notes:

1.       included in the interests of R. King are his interests in 1,885,428 Ordinary Shares/voting rights held by Cedarberg Investments Limited, 320,000 Ordinary Shares/voting rights held by his spouse, Mrs M.H. King and 1,186,750 ordinary shares held by the TOPS Pension Scheme;

2.       included in the interests of K.P. Shah are the interests of Sarissa Holdings Limited in 7,220,000 Ordinary Shares/voting rights and 608,250 ordinary shares of Mr Shah's personal pension scheme;

3.       Orbis Pension Trustees Limited is the trustee of the Company's Employee Share Ownership Trust. Each of R. King and K.P. Shah is deemed to be interested in such Ordinary Shares/voting rights by virtue of being within the class of beneficiaries defined by such trust.

Enquiries:
	Richard King, Chairman	Fiona Tooley	Russell Cook
	Kiran Shah, Group Finance Director & Joint MD	Keith Gabriel	Jen Boorer
	The Character Group plc	Citigate Dewe Rogerson	Charles Stanley Securities
	Mobile: [phone] (RK)	Mobile: [phone] (FT)	(Nominated Adviser)
	Mobile: [phone] (KS)	Tel: [phone]	Tel: [phone]
	Tel: [phone]
	www.thecharacter.com
	Ticker: AIM: CCT

 

END

 

 

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