AGM Special Business

RNS Number : 7441X

Close Brothers Group PLC

21 November 2014

 



Close Brothers Group plc Annual General Meeting resolutions passed

Close Brothers Group plc ("the group" or "Close Brothers") announces that at the Annual General Meeting of the group duly convened and held on Thursday 20 November 2014 at 10 Crown Place, London EC2A 4FT, the following special business resolutions of the group were passed:

Ordinary resolutions

16.  To approve and adopt the Close Brothers Group plc Share Incentive Plan (the "Plan"), the main terms of which are summarised in the Appendix to this Notice and to authorise the Directors to do all things necessary or desirable to carry the Plan into effect, including making any changes that may be necessary for it to comply with Schedule 2 to the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003.

17.  To authorise the Board generally and unconditionally to allot shares in the Company and to grant rights to subscribe for or convert any security into shares in the Company:

(a)   up to a nominal amount of £12,416,741 (such amount to be reduced by the nominal amount allotted or granted under paragraph (b) below in excess of such sum); and

(b) comprising equity securities (as defined in the Companies Act 2006) up to a nominal amount of £24,833,483 (such amount to be reduced by any allotments or grants made under paragraph (a) above) in connection with an offer by way of a rights issue:

(1)   to ordinary shareholders in proportion (as nearly as may be practicable) to their existing holdings; and

(2)   to holders of other equity securities as required by the rights of those securities or as the Board otherwise considers necessary,

and so that the Board may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which it considers necessary or appropriate to deal with treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates, legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory or any other matter,

such authorities to apply until the end of next year's Annual General Meeting (or, if earlier, until the close of business on 20 February 2016) but, in each case, during this period the Company may make offers and enter into agreements which would, or might, require shares to be allotted or rights to subscribe for or convert securities into shares to be granted after the authority ends and the Board may allot shares or grant rights to subscribe for or convert securities into shares under any such offer or agreement as if the authority had not ended.

Special resolutions

18. That, if resolution 17 is passed, the Board be given power to allot equity securities (as defined in the Companies Act 2006) for cash under the authority given by that resolution and/or to sell ordinary shares held by the Company as treasury shares for cash as if section 561 of the Companies Act 2006 did not apply to any such allotment or sale, such power to be limited:

(a) to the allotment of equity securities and sale of treasury shares for cash in connection with an offer of, or invitation to apply for, equity securities (but in the case of the authority granted under paragraph (b) of resolution 17, by way of a rights issue only):

(1)   to ordinary shareholders in proportion (as nearly as may be practicable) to their existing holdings; and

(2)   to holders of other equity securities, as required by the rights of those securities or, as the Board otherwise considers necessary,

and so that the Board may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which it considers necessary or appropriate to deal with treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates, legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory or any other matter; and

(b)   in the case of the authority granted under paragraph (a) of resolution 17 and/or in the case of any sale of treasury shares for cash to the allotment of equity securities or sale of treasury shares (otherwise than under paragraph (a) above) up to a nominal amount of £1,862,511,

such power to apply until the end of next year's Annual General Meeting (or, if earlier, until the close of business on 20 February 2016) but, in each case, during this period the Company may make offers, and enter into agreements, which would, or might, require equity securities to be allotted (and treasury shares to be sold) after the power ends and the Board may allot equity securities (and sell treasury shares) under any such offer or agreement as if the power had not ended.

19.  That the Company be authorised for the purposes of section 701 of the Companies Act 2006 to make one or more market purchases (as defined in section 693(4) of the Companies Act 2006) of its ordinary shares of 25p each, such power to be limited:

(a)   to a maximum number of 14,900,090 ordinary shares;

(b)   by the condition that the minimum price which may be paid for an ordinary share is the nominal amount of that share and the maximum price which may be paid for each ordinary share is the highest of:

(1)   an amount equal to 5% above the average market value of an ordinary share for the five business days immediately preceding the day on which that ordinary share is contracted to be purchased; and

(2)   the higher of the price of the last independent trade and the highest current independent bid on the London Stock Exchange Trading System,

in each case, exclusive of expenses;

such authority to apply until the end of next year's Annual General Meeting (or, if earlier, until the close of business on 20 February 2016) but during this period the Company may enter into a contract to purchase ordinary shares which will or may be completed or executed wholly or partly after the authority ends and the Company may purchase ordinary shares pursuant to any such contract as if the authority had not ended.

20. That a general meeting other than an Annual General Meeting may be called on not less than 14 clear days' notice.  

About Close Brothers

Close Brothers is a leading UK merchant banking group providing lending, deposit taking, wealth management services and securities trading.  We employ over 2,800 people, principally in the UK.  Close Brothers Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 250.

 John Hudspith

Deputy Company Secretary

21 November 2014

020 7655 3100

 

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