Share Buyback Programme Commences

RNS Number : 8262Q

Lloyds Banking Group PLC

23 February 2023

 

 

 

 

23 February 2023

 

LLOYDS BANKING GROUP COMMENCES SHARE

BUYBACK PROGRAMME

Lloyds Banking Group plc (the "Company") is today launching a share buyback programme to repurchase up to £2 billion of ordinary shares. The Company previously announced its intention to commence the programme on 22 February 2023.

The Company has entered into an agreement with UBS AG, London Branch (the "Broker") to conduct the share buyback programme on its behalf and to make trading decisions under the programme independently of the Company. Under the terms of the programme, the maximum consideration is £2 billion. The programme will commence on 23 February 2023 and will end no later than 29 December 2023. The sole purpose of the programme is to reduce the ordinary share capital of the Company.

The Broker will purchase the Company's ordinary shares as principal and sell them on to the Company in accordance with the terms of their engagement. The Company intends to cancel the shares it purchases through the programme.

Any purchases of ordinary shares by the Company in relation to this announcement will be made in accordance with certain pre-set parameters set out in the terms of the Broker's engagement, the general authority of the Company to repurchase shares granted by shareholders at the Company's annual general meeting held on 12 May 2022 (which permits the Company to purchase no more than 7,047,917,092 of the Company's ordinary shares), the EU Market Abuse Regulation (596/2014), the Commission Delegated Regulation (2016/1052), in each case as such legislation forms part of retained EU law (as defined in the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018), and Chapter 12 of the Financial Conduct Authority's Listing Rules. The buyback is subject to the continuing approval of the Prudential Regulatory Authority.

For the avoidance of doubt, no repurchases will be made in the United States or in respect of the Company's American Depositary Receipts.

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For further information:

Investor Relations

Douglas Radcliffe   [phone]

Group Investor Relations Director

[e-mail]

Corporate Affairs

Matt Smith   [phone]

Head of Media Relations

[e-mail]

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and section 27A of the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to the business, strategy, plans and/or results of Lloyds Banking Group plc together with its subsidiaries (the Group) and its current goals and expectations. Statements that are not historical or current facts, including statements about the Group's or its directors' and/or management's beliefs and expectations, are forward looking statements. Words such as, without limitation, 'believes', 'achieves', 'anticipates', 'estimates', 'expects', 'targets', 'should', 'intends', 'aims', 'projects', 'plans', 'potential', 'will', 'would', 'could', 'considered', 'likely', 'may', 'seek', 'estimate', 'probability', 'goal', 'objective', 'deliver', 'endeavour', 'prospects', 'optimistic' and similar expressions or variations on these expressions are intended to identify forward looking statements. These statements concern or may affect future matters, including but not limited to: projections or expectations of the Group's future financial position, including profit attributable to shareholders, provisions, economic profit, dividends, capital structure, portfolios, net interest margin, capital ratios, liquidity, risk-weighted assets (RWAs), expenditures or any other financial items or ratios; litigation, regulatory and governmental investigations; the Group's future financial performance; the level and extent of future impairments and write-downs; the Group's ESG targets and/or commitments; statements of plans, objectives or goals of the Group or its management and other statements that are not historical fact; expectations about the impact of COVID-19; and statements of assumptions underlying such statements. By their nature, forward looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend upon circumstances that will or may occur in the future. Factors that could cause actual business, strategy, plans and/or results (including but not limited to the payment of dividends) to differ materially from forward looking statements include, but are not limited to: general economic and business conditions in the UK and internationally; political instability including as a result of any UK general election and any further possible referendum on Scottish independence; acts of hostility or terrorism and responses to those acts, or other such events; geopolitical unpredictability; the war between Russia and Ukraine; the tensions between China and Taiwan; market related risks, trends and developments; exposure to counterparty risk; instability in the global financial markets, including within the Eurozone, and as a result of the exit by the UK from the European Union (EU) and the effects of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement; the ability to access sufficient sources of capital, liquidity and funding when required; changes to the Group's credit ratings; fluctuations in interest rates, inflation, exchange rates, stock markets and currencies; volatility in credit markets; volatility in the price of the Group's securities; tightening of monetary policy in jurisdictions in which the Group operates; natural pandemic (including but not limited to the COVID-19 pandemic) and other disasters; risks concerning borrower and counterparty credit quality; risks affecting insurance business and defined benefit pension schemes; risks related to the uncertainty surrounding the integrity and continued existence of reference rates; changes in laws, regulations, practices and accounting standards or taxation; changes to regulatory capital or liquidity requirements and similar contingencies; the policies and actions of governmental or regulatory authorities or courts together with any resulting impact on the future structure of the Group; risks associated with the Group's compliance with a wide range of laws and regulations; assessment related to resolution planning requirements; risks related to regulatory actions which may be taken in the event of a bank or Group failure; exposure to legal, regulatory or competition proceedings, investigations or complaints; failure to comply with anti-money laundering, counter terrorist financing, anti-bribery and sanctions regulations; failure to prevent or detect any illegal or improper activities; operational risks; conduct risk; technological changes and risks to the security of IT and operational infrastructure, systems, data and information resulting from increased threat of cyber and other attacks; technological failure; inadequate or failed internal or external processes or systems; risks relating to ESG matters, such as climate change (and achieving climate change ambitions), including the Group's ability along with the government and other stakeholders to measure, manage and mitigate the impacts of climate change effectively, and human rights issues; the impact of competitive conditions; failure to attract, retain and develop high calibre talent; the ability to achieve strategic objectives; the ability to derive cost savings and other benefits including, but without limitation, as a result of any acquisitions, disposals and other strategic transactions; inability to capture accurately the expected value from acquisitions; assumptions and estimates that form the basis of the Group's financial statements; and potential changes in dividend policy. A number of these influences and factors are beyond the Group's control. Please refer to the latest Annual Report on Form 20-F filed by Lloyds Banking Group plc with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), which is available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, for a discussion of certain factors and risks. Lloyds Banking Group plc may also make or disclose written and/or oral forward-looking statements in other written materials and in oral statements made by the directors, officers or employees of Lloyds Banking Group plc to third parties, including financial analysts. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the forward-looking statements contained in this document are made as of today's date, and the Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward looking statements contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The information, statements and opinions contained in this document do not constitute a public offer under any applicable law or an offer to sell any securities or financial instruments or any advice or recommendation with respect to such securities or financial instruments.

UBS AG, London Branch is acting on behalf of the Group in relation to the programme and no-one else and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Group for providing the protections offered to clients of UBS AG, London Branch nor for providing advice in relation to such programme.

 

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