Announcement re Nissin Foods Holdings

RNS Number : 1534T

Premier Foods plc

24 March 2016

 

ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING NISSIN FOODS HOLDINGS' ACQUISITION OF SHARES

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY (IN WHOLE OR IN PART), IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF THAT JURISDICTION. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A TAKEOVER OFFER OR AN OFFER OF SECURITIES.

24 March 2016

For immediate release

Premier Foods plc

Nissin Foods Holdings Co., Ltd. agrees to acquire shareholding in Premier Foods plc

·     Nissin agrees to acquire 17.27 per cent. shareholding in Premier

·     The Board of Premier welcomes Nissin as a long-term shareholder

·     Premier and Nissin seeking to finalise the terms of a Relationship Agreement, conditional on completion by Nissin of the acquisition and Premier no longer being in an offer period

The Board of Premier Foods plc ("Premier") notes that Nissin Food Holdings Co., Ltd. ("Nissin") has unconditionally agreed to acquire a 17.27 per cent. shareholding in Premier from an existing shareholder.  The Board of Premier welcomes Nissin as a long-term shareholder who understands and supports Premier's growth ambitions.

David Beever, Chairman of Premier said:

"We welcome Nissin as a new long-term shareholder in our business.  By gaining a strategic investor who understands and supports our growth ambitions, we have an exceptional opportunity to deliver shareholder value.  Based on the conditional cooperation agreement we announced yesterday, we very much look forward to working with Nissin to develop ways our two businesses can co-operate to drive growth."

Relationship Agreement and Board Representation

As previously announced, Premier and Nissin are seeking to finalise a formal Relationship Agreement on terms and conditions that are customary for a substantial shareholding of this nature, conditional upon: (i) completion of the share acquisition by Nissin; (ii) Premier no longer being subject to an offer period under the Takeover Code; and (iii) no third party having, by the date on which such offer period expires, announced that any offer for Premier has become or been declared unconditional as to acceptances or that a scheme of arrangement has become effective.  As part of that agreement, it is expected that Nissin will, following satisfaction of the conditions, have the right to appoint a non-executive director to the Board of Premier for so long as Nissin holds an interest in shares representing 15 per cent. or more of the ordinary issued share capital of Premier.

There remains no other information required to be disclosed under paragraph 9.6.13R of the Listing Rules in connection with the above potential appointment.

For further information please contact:

Premier Foods plc

[phone]

Richard Johnson (Corporate Affairs Director)

Richard Godden (Head of Investor Relations)

Maitland

[phone]

Neil Bennett

Kate O'Neill

Tom Eckersley

Ondra Partners (Joint Lead Financial Adviser to Premier)

[phone]

Robert Hingley

Jason Meers

Michael Tory

HSBC Bank plc (Joint Lead Financial Adviser to Premier)

[phone]

Charles Packshaw

Keith Welch

Alex Thomas

Jefferies International Limited

[phone]

(Joint Co-Financial Adviser and Corporate Broker to Premier)

Paul Nicholls

David Watkins

Credit Suisse International

[phone]

(Joint Co-Financial Adviser and Corporate Broker to Premier)

Stuart Field

Ben Deary

About Nissin

With annual revenues of around USD3.8 billion and operating profit of around USD216 million, Nissin, which invented the world's first instant noodles in 1958, operates in 19 different countries, spanning Asia Pacific, the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa.  It is a global leader in instant noodles holding the number one or two positions in key markets, including Japan, the United States and Brazil and has a growing presence in chilled and frozen foods, cereal-based confectionery and yoghurt beverages in Japan.  Nissin's presence in Europe includes Hungary, Germany and Spain, with brands such as Cup Noodles, Soba and Top Ramen.  It also benefits from a state-of-the-art global research and innovation centre in Japan that develops more than a thousand new products that are distributed around the globe every year and has significant expertise in starch technologies, sodium reduction and production techniques.

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 the offeree 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 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, 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 the 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.

HSBC Bank plc, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, is acting as financial adviser exclusively for Premier and for no-one else in connection to the matters in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than Premier for providing the protections afforded to its clients nor for providing advice in connection with the Offer or any matter referred to herein.

Ondra Partners, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, is acting as financial adviser exclusively for Premier and for no-one else in connection to the matters in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than Premier for providing the protections afforded to its clients nor for providing advice in connection with the Offer or any matter referred to herein.

Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies"), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting exclusively for Premier as financial adviser and corporate broker and no-one else in connection with the Proposal and Jefferies will not regard any other person as its client(s) of Jefferies in in connection to the matters in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than Premier Foods for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in in connection to the matters in this announcement, the contents of this announcement or any transaction, arrangement or other matter referred to in this announcement.

Credit Suisse International (Credit Suisse), which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, is acting exclusively for Premier Foods and no one else in connection with the matters in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than Premier Foods for providing the protections afforded to clients of Credit Suisse nor for providing advice in relation to the Offer , the content of this announcement or any other matter referred to herein. Neither Credit Suisse nor any of its subsidiaries, branches or affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Credit Suisse in connection with this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

 

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