LTIP Executive Director Option Awards

RNS Number : 4311W

Empiric Student Property PLC

23 April 2021

 

23 April 2021

Empiric Student Property plc

("Empiric" or the "Company" or, together with its subsidiaries, the "Group")

LTIP Executive Director Option Awards for the financial year ending 31 December 2021

The Board of Empiric Student Property plc (ticker: ESP), the owner and operator of premium student accommodation across the UK, announces that on 22 April 2021, the Company granted the following nil-cost options in ordinary shares in the Company ("Ordinary Shares") to the Executive Directors pursuant to the Empiric Long Term Incentive Plan (the "LTIP") for the 2021 financial year.

The Executive Directors

Duncan Garrood, Chief Executive Officer	800,000 shares
Lynne Fennah, Chief Financial & Operating Officer	632,400 shares

The number of shares granted is based on the maximum 150% salary permitted to the Executive Directors and a share price of 75p. This is 12.9% above the 12-month average daily closing price of the Ordinary Shares on the London Stock Exchange for the period ended 31 March 2021 of 66.45p, which is the basis usually applied to calculating the number of LTIP shares to be granted. However, the Remuneration Committee exercised its discretion in adopting a higher share price as a result of the exceptional market conditions due to Covid-19.

The vesting of the LTIP award is subject to a three year performance period and two performance measures, each being 50% of the award: Total Accounting Return (target range of 6-10% p.a.) and Total Shareholder Return relative to a FTSE All Share Real Estate companies peer group. The Remuneration Committee considers having two performance measures, one relative to a peer group and one based on absolute performance, is appropriate in the current conditions, and further that the absolute performance range of 6-10% p.a. will be very challenging due to the expected issues faced in the first year of the three-year performance period ending 31 December 2023. The Executive Directors' awards are also subject to an additional holding period of two years before being released and becoming exercisable.

The total number of Ordinary Shares over which nil-cost options were granted to the Executive Directors on 22 April 2021 represents approximately 0.24% of the Company's total issued share capital.

The LTIP transaction took place in the   United Kingdom, with a grant date of 22 April 2021 and the Executive Directors being notified on 22 April 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY, PLEASE CONTACT:

Empiric Student Property plc	(via Maitland/AMO below)
D uncan Garrood (Chief Executive Officer)
Lynne Fennah (Chief Financial & Operating Officer)
Jefferies International Limited	020 7029 8000
S tuart Klein
Tom Yeadon
RBC Europe Limited (trading as RBC Capital Markets)	020 7653 4000
Charlie Foster Marcus Jackson
M aitland/AMO (Communications Adviser)	0 7747 113 930
James Benjamin	[e-mail]

The Company's LEI is 213800FPF38IBPRFPU87.

Further information on Empiric can be found on the Company's website at www.empiric.co.uk .

Notes:

Empiric Student Property plc is a leading provider and operator of modern, predominantly direct-let, premium student accommodation located in high-demand university towns and cities across the UK. Investing in both operating and development assets, Empiric is a fully integrated operational student property business focused on premium studio-led accommodation managed through its Hello Student® operating platform, that attracts affluent growing student segments.

The Company, an internally managed real estate investment trust ("REIT") incorporated in England and Wales, listed on the premium listing segment of the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority and was admitted to trading on the main market for listed securities of the London Stock Exchange in June 2014.

APPENDIX I

1.	Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
(a)	Name	1.  Duncan Garrood 2.  Lynne Fennah
2.	Reason for the notification
(a)	Position/status	Directors Duncan Garrood - Chief Executive Officer Lynne Fennah - Chief Financial & Operating Officer
(b)	Initial notification/ Amendment	Initial Notification
3.	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
(a)	Name	Empiric Student Property plc
(b)	LEI	213800FPF38IBPRFPU87
4.	Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
(a)	Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument	Nil cost options over ordinary shares of 1p each
	Identification code	GB00BLWDVR75
(b)	Nature of the transaction	Grant of an option with an exercise price of zero (nil cost option)
(c)	Price(s) and volume (s)	Price(s) Volume(s) 1)  N/A 800,000 2)  N/A 632,400
(d)	Aggregated information - Aggregated volume - Price	As stated above.
(e)	Date of the transaction	22 April 2021
(f)	Place of the transaction	London

 

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