Stmnt re Share Price Movement

RNS Number : 8659J

James Halstead PLC

04 April 2018

 

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION.THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT FALLING UNDER RULE 2.4 OF THE CITY CODE ON TAKEOVERS AND MERGERS (THE "CODE") AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF A FIRM INTENTION TO MAKE AN OFFER UNDER RULE 2.7 OF THE CODE. THERE CAN BE NO CERTAINTY THAT ANY FIRM OFFER WILL BE MADE.

James Halstead plc

("James Halstead" or the "Company")

Airea plc

Statement regarding share price movement

James Halstead plc ("James Halstead") notes the recent movement in the share price of Airea plc ("Airea") and confirms that the Board of directors of James Halstead (the "Board") is at the very early stages of evaluating making an offer for Airea which could lead to an offer being made for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Airea (the "Possible Offer").

As a consequence of this announcement, an "Offer Period" has commenced in respect of Airea in accordance with the rules of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the "Code").

In accordance with Rule 2.6(a) of the Code, James Halstead is required, by no later than 5.00 p.m. on 3 May 2018, to either announce a firm intention to make an offer for Airea in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the Code or announce that it does not intend to make an offer, in which case the announcement will be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Code applies. This deadline will only be extended with the consent of the Takeover Panel in accordance with Rule 2.6(c) of the Code.

This is an announcement falling under Rule 2.4 of the Code and the Board would like to emphasise that this announcement does not amount to a firm offer under Rule 2.7 of the Code and there can be no certainty that any Possible Offer will be made, nor as to the terms on which any Possible Offer might be made.

A further announcement will be made as and when appropriate.

Enquiries:

James Halstead plc	Tel: [phone]
Mark Halstead, Chief Executive
Hudson Sandler	Tel: [phone]
Nick Lyon
Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited (Financial Adviser and Joint Broker to James Halstead)	Tel: [phone]
Ben Thorne
Andrew Potts
Arden Partners (Joint Broker)	Tel: [phone]
Chris Hardie

Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting exclusively for James Halstead and the Board and no one else in connection with the Possible Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than James Halstead and the Board for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the Offer or any other matters referred to herein.

Rule 2.9

In accordance with Rule 2.9 of the Code, James Halstead confirms that, as of the date of the announcement, it has in issue 207,973,608 ordinary shares of 1 pence each. The International Securities Identification Number ("ISIN") number of the ordinary shares is GB00B0LS8535.

Disclosure requirements of the Code

Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who is interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of an offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement of the offer period and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a Dealing Disclosure.

Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s), save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the business day following the date of the relevant dealing.

If two or more persons act together pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a securities exchange offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3.

Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4).

Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Takeover Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. You should contact the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on [phone] if you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure.

Publication of this announcement

A copy of this announcement will be made available (subject to certain restrictions relating to persons resident in restricted jurisdictions) at www.jameshalstead.com by no later than 12 noon (London time) on 5 April 2018 , being the date following the date of this announcement.

Additional Information

This announcement is not intended to, and does not, constitute or form part of any offer, invitation or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of, any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, pursuant to this announcement or otherwise. Any offer, if made, will be made solely by certain offer documentation which will contain the full terms and conditions of any offer, including details of how it may be accepted.

The distribution of this announcement in jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom and the availability of any offer to shareholders of James Halstead who are not resident in the United Kingdom may be affected by the laws of relevant jurisdictions. Therefore any persons who are subject to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the United Kingdom or shareholders of James Halstead who are not resident in the United Kingdom will need to inform themselves about, and observe, any applicable requirements.

Inside Information

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by James Halstead to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014.  Upon the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

 

END

 

 

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