PDMR Dealings

Focusrite PLC

03 May 2023

 

Focusrite plc

("the Company" or "the Group")

 PDMR Dealings

Focusrite plc (AIM:TUNE), the global music and audio products company that trades under the Focusrite and Novation brands, announces that on 26 April 2023:

1.    Sally McKone, the Company's Chief Financial Officer and a Person Discharging Managerial Responsibilities ("PDMR") was issued with the third and final tranche of 6,132 management share awards. As set out in the Company's announcement of 18 May 2021, such awards were made as compensation for certain incentive arrangements which she forfeited or was otherwise not awarded on leaving her former employer to join the Group. The shares, to be issued from the Company's Employee Benefit Trust were determined by the Company's Remuneration Committee and approved by the Board.

The Company will cash settle the resulting tax and National Insurance elements. Accordingly, Ms McKone will be awarded a net holding of 3,249 shares. Following the award, Ms McKone will have a beneficial holding of 12,008 shares, being 0.02% of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company.

2.    Simon Holt, a PDMR, (i) made a market purchase of 2,042 ordinary shares at a price of £4.89 per share and (ii) exercised nominal cost options over 9,394 shares granted to him under the Company's Performance Share Plan and acquired ordinary shares of 0.1p each in the Company.

The option was granted on 23 December 2019 and became vested and exercisable as from 24 December 2022. The exercise of the option was settled in part by the transfer of 4,978 ordinary shares and in part with a cash payment equal to market value of 4,416 ordinary shares to meet the PDMR's liability to income tax and employee national insurance arising on the exercise of the option.

Following the transaction Mr. Holt will have a beneficial holding of 151,076 Ordinary Shares which represents 0.25% of the current issued share capital.

The information set out below is provided in accordance with the requirements of Article 19(3) of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No 596/2014.

1	Details of the persons discharging managerial responsibilities I person closely associated
a)	Name	Sally McKone
2	Reason for the notification
a)	Position/status	Chief Financial Officer
b)	Initial notification /Amendment	Initial notification
3	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)	Name	Focusrite plc
b)	LEI	213800JJ51KA4LOTF736
4A	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	Ordinary Shares of 0.1p each in Focusrite plc
	Identification code	GB00BSBMW716
b)	Nature of the transaction	Issue of shares ordinary shares from EBT of 0.1p each in Focusrite plc.
c)	Price(s) and volume(s)	Price(s) Volumes Nil cost 6,132 (settled in part by the transfer of 3,249 ordinary shares and in part with a cash payment equal to market value of 2,883  ordinary shares to meet the PDMR's liability to income tax and employee national insurance arising on the issue of 6,132 shares)
d)	Aggregated information - Aggregated volume  - Price	Not applicable - single transaction
e)	Date of the transaction	26 April 2023
f)	Place of the transaction	Outside a trading venue

1	Details of the persons discharging managerial responsibilities I person closely associated
a)	Name	Simon Charles Holt
2	Reason for the notification
a)	Position/status	Engineering Director
b)	Initial notification /Amendment	Initial notification
3	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)	Name	Focusrite plc
b)	LEI	213800JJ51KA4LOTF736
4A	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	Ordinary Shares of 0.1p each in Focusrite plc
	Identification code	GB00BSBMW716
b)	Nature of the transaction	Acquisition of 2,042 ordinary shares at a price of £4.89 per share.
c)	Price(s) and volume(s)	Price(s) Volumes £4.89 2,042
d)	Aggregated information - Aggregated volume  - Price	Not applicable - single transaction
e)	Date of the transaction	26 April 2023
f)	Place of the transaction	London Stock Exchange

1	Details of the persons discharging managerial responsibilities I person closely associated
a)	Name	Simon Charles Holt
2	Reason for the notification
a)	Position/status	Engineering Director
b)	Initial notification /Amendment	Initial notification
3	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)	Name	Focusrite plc
b)	LEI	213800JJ51KA4LOTF736
4A	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	Ordinary Shares of 0.1p each in Focusrite plc
	Identification code	GB00BSBMW716
b)	Nature of the transaction	Exercise of a nominal cost option under the Focusrite plc Performance Share Plan and acquisition of ordinary shares of 0.1p each in Focusrite plc (or, as to 47.73% of the vested shares number, cash in lieu of such shares).
c)	Price(s) and volume(s)	Price(s) Volumes £9.394 9,394 (settled in part by the transfer of 4,978 ordinary shares and in part with a cash payment equal to market value of  4,416 ordinary shares to meet the PDMR's liability to income tax and employee national insurance arising on the exercise of the option over 9,394 shares)
d)	Aggregated information - Aggregated volume  - Price	Not applicable - single transaction
e)	Date of the transaction	26 April 2023
f)	Place of the transaction	Outside a trading venue

-ends-

Enquiries:

Focusrite plc:
Tim Carroll (CEO)	[phone]
Sally McKone (CFO)	[phone]
Investec Bank plc (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) David Flin Ed Knight William Brinkley	[phone]
Peel Hunt LLP (Joint broker) Paul Gillam Michael Burke James Smith	[phone]
Belvedere Communications	[phone]
John West
Llew Angus

Notes to Editors

Focusrite plc is a global audio products group that develops and markets proprietary hardware and software products. Used by audio professionals and musicians, its solutions facilitate the high-quality production of recorded and live sound. The Group trades under eleven established brands: Focusrite, Focusrite Pro, Novation, Ampify, ADAM Audio, Martin Audio, Optimal Audio, Linea Research, Sequential, Oberheim and Sonnox.

With a high-quality reputation and a rich heritage spanning decades, its brands are category leaders in the music-making and audio recording industries. Focusrite and Focusrite Pro design and manufacture audio interfaces and other products for recording musicians, producers and professional audio facilities. Novation and Ampify products are used in the creation of electronic music, from synthesisers and grooveboxes to industry-shaping controllers and inspirational music-making apps. ADAM Audio studio monitors have earned a worldwide reputation based on technological innovation in the field of studio loudspeaker technology.  Martin Audio designs and manufactures performance-ready systems across the spectrum of sound reinforcement applications. Linea Research designs, develops, manufactures and sells market innovative professional audio equipment globally. Sequential designs and manufactures high end analogue synthesizers under the Sequential and Oberheim brands.  Sonnox is a leading designer of innovative, high quality, award-winning audio processing software plug-ins for professional audio engineers.

The Group has offices in four continents and a global customer base with a distribution network covering approximately 240 territories.

Focusrite plc is traded on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

 

END