Tender Offer
Eckoh PLC
16 January 2007
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR FROM THE UNITED
STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA, THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND OR JAPAN
Eckoh PLC
Tender Offer
by
Eckoh PLC
to purchase Ordinary Shares for up to a maximum
value of approximately £7 million at a price of between
11.5 pence and 13.5 pence per Ordinary Share
and
Notice of an Extraordinary General Meeting
Introduction
On 29 November 2006 the Board of Eckoh PLC ('Eckoh' or 'the Company') announced
that it had commenced a buy-back of its ordinary shares of 0.25 pence ('Ordinary
Shares') through the purchase of 10,500,000 Ordinary Shares at 11.5 pence in the
market and that a wider return of capital to all Shareholders would be announced
in the coming weeks. A further announcement was made by the Board on 13 December
2006 that it had purchased 15,000,000 Ordinary Shares in the market at 12.5
pence per share.
Today the Board announces its intention to return surplus cash to Shareholders
by way of a tender offer for a maximum value of approximately £7 million at a
price of between 11.5 pence and 13.5 pence per Ordinary Share ('Tender Offer').
The Tender Offer documentation will be posted to shareholders today and the
Tender Offer requires the approval of Shareholders at an Extraordinary General
Meeting to be held on 22 February 2007. In addition, the Company is seeking the
authority to make market purchases of its own shares, if appropriate, following
the completion of the Tender Offer.
Background to and Reasons for the Tender Offer
On 18 July 2006, the Company disposed of its interests in Symphony Telecom
Holdings plc to Redstone plc. This disposal generated approximately £11 million
of cash for the Company and since then the Company has had funds surplus to its
operational requirements. The Board believes that now is an appropriate time to
return up to £7 million of cash to its Shareholders by way of the Tender Offer.
In arriving at the level of cash to be returned to Shareholders, the Board has
taken account of the levels of funding remaining in the Group to enable it to
maintain its financial strength and to allow it to pursue acquisition
opportunities should they arise.
Current Trading and Prospects
On 28 November 2006, the Company announced its results for the six months ending
30 September 2006. These results showed significant growth in revenue and
profits from continuing operations and confirmed that the Group was trading
ahead of market expectations. At the time of those results, Nik Philpot, Chief
Executive, commented that 'The first six months of trading has significantly
out-performed expectations and the good levels of new business generation
combined with a traditionally strong second half means our overall prospects are
excellent. As a Board we remain extremely confident in the outlook for our core
business.'
Since those results, there has been continued growth in the second half of the
current financial year to date and the Board continues to believe that the
prospects for the Company are very positive.
The Tender Offer
The Board is proposing to return up to approximately £7 million of capital
through its purchase of up to 60,869,565 existing Ordinary Shares from eligible
shareholders. Once purchased, those Ordinary Shares will be cancelled and will
not be available for re-issue.
The Tender Offer is being made on the terms and subject to the conditions set
out in a Circular and tender form to be posted to shareholders today in respect
of up to 60,869,565 Ordinary Shares within a price range of 11.5 pence ('Minimum
Price') to 13.5 pence ('Maximum Price') per Ordinary Share. The Minimum Price
represents a discount of approximately 2.1 per cent. over the middle market
closing price (as derived from the AIM Appendix to the Daily Official List of
the London Stock Exchange) of 11.75 pence per Ordinary Share on 15 January 2007
and the Maximum Price represents a premium of approximately 14.9 per cent. over
the middle market closing price (as derived from the AIM Appendix to the Daily
Official List of the London Stock Exchange) of 11.75 pence per Ordinary Share on
15 January 2007.
None of the directors of Eckoh, who in aggregate hold 2,928,550 Ordinary Shares
(representing 1.2 per cent. of the Company's issued ordinary shares), intend to
tender any of their Ordinary Shares pursuant to the Tender Offer.
Expected Timetable for the Tender Offer
2007
Tender Offer opens 16 January
Latest time and date for receipt of Tender Forms by 1.00 p.m. on 6 February
Record date for the Tender Offer 5.00 p.m. on 6 February
Announcement of results of the Tender Offer 7 February
Purchase Agreement available for inspection from 7 February until 22 February
Latest time and date for receipt of
Form of Proxy by 10.00 a.m. on 20 February
Extraordinary General Meeting 10.00 a.m. on 22 February
Announcement of result of Extraordinary
General Meeting and completion of purchase 22 February
CREST accounts credited with Tender Offer
proceeds and revised holdings of
uncertificated Ordinary Shares by 27 February
Despatch of cheques for Tender Offer
proceeds for certificated Ordinary Shares by 27 February
Despatch of balance share certificates for unsold
Ordinary Shares and share certificates for
unsuccessful tenders by 5 March
The above times and/or dates may be subject to change and in the event of any
such change, the revised times and/or dates will be notified to Shareholders by
an announcement through a Regulatory Information Service.
For further enquiries, please contact:
Eckoh plc Tel: 08701 100 700
Nik Philpot, Chief Executive Officer
Adam Moloney, Group Finance Director
Corporate Synergy Plc Tel: 020 7448 4400
Brian Stockbridge / Jerry Keen / John Prior
Buchanan Communications Tel: 020 7466 5000
Mark Edwards / Jeremy Garcia
This Announcement does not constitute an invitation to purchase any securities
or the solicitation of any vote in any jurisdiction. The full terms and
conditions of the Tender Offer will be set out in the Tender Offer document.
Shareholders of the Company are advised to read carefully the formal
documentation in relation to the Tender Offer once it has been despatched.
The Tender Offer is not being made, directly or indirectly, in the United
States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, the Republic of Ireland or Japan and
neither this Announcement nor the Tender Offer documentation may be distributed
or sent in or into or from the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa,
the Republic of Ireland or Japan and doing so may render invalid any purported
tender.
Corporate Synergy plc, which is regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial
Services Authority, is acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in
connection with the Tender Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other
than the Company for providing the protections afforded to customers of
Corporate Synergy or for giving advice in relation to the Tender Offer.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange