Share Option Grant

Samarkand Group PLC

14 August 2024

 

14 August 2024

Samarkand Group plc

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

Share Option Grant

Samarkand Group plc (AQSE:SMK), the consumer brand owner and cross border eCommerce distribution services group, announces that on the 13 August 2024, the Company granted a total of 3,172,089 options to certain Executive Directors and PDMRs with respect to ordinary shares of 1 pence each in the capital of the Company under the existing Bonus Scheme set out in the annual report for the year ending 31 March 2023.

The Bonus Scheme was based on the achievement of pre-set Group Financial and Non-Financial Performance Targets for the year ending 31 March 2023.To align the executives' interests with those of shareholders, and manage cash costs, 100% of the bonus payable is deferred into Company Share Awards in the form of nil cost options. The number of options to be granted has been determined by the share price of the last equity transaction by the Company, which was 55 pence per share at the open offer in September 2022. It was agreed that 50% of the bonus award was to be granted after the approval of the 31 March 2023 accounts and will vest one year from the date of grant, the remaining 50% to be granted a year from the first grant date.

As the Company has been in a close period since the signing of the Accounts last year, due to the Acquisition of Optimised Energetics Ltd and the disposal of Probio 7, the first tranche of the award was not granted after last year's signing of the accounts. The Company have therefore granted both tranches of the bonus options.

Following the grant of options, the number of options outstanding over unissued ordinary shares is 4,059,655 representing 7.0 % of the Company's Issued Share Capital.

The notification below, made in accordance with the requirements of the EU Market Abuse Regulation, provides further detail.

Notification and public disclosure of transactions by persons discharging managerial responsibilities and persons closely associated with them.

1.	Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
a)	Name:	David Hampstead
2.	Reason for the notification
a)	Position/status:	Chief Executive Officer / PDMR
b)	Initial notification/Amendment:	Initial notification
3.	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)	Name:	Samarkand Group plc
b)	LEI:	213800IYL86FVL5UJB61
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: Identification code:	Options over Ordinary shares of 1 pence each ISIN Code: GB00BLH1QT30
b)	Nature of the transaction:	Grant of Options
c)	Price(s) and volume(s):	Price(s) Volume(s) 1 pence 687,273
d)	Aggregated information: ·      Aggregated volume: ·      · Price:	N/A
e)	Date of the transaction:	13 August 2024
f)	Place of the transaction:	Off market transaction

1.	Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
a)	Name:	Simon Smiley
2.	Reason for the notification
a)	Position/status:	Chief Operating Officer / PDMR
b)	Initial notification/Amendment:	Initial notification
3.	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)	Name:	Samarkand Group plc
b)	LEI:	213800IYL86FVL5UJB61
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: Identification code:	Options over Ordinary shares of 1 pence each ISIN Code: GB00BLH1QT30
b)	Nature of the transaction:	Grant of Options
c)	Price(s) and volume(s):	Price(s) Volume(s) 1 pence 687,273
d)	Aggregated information: ·      Aggregated volume: ·      · Price:	N/A
e)	Date of the transaction:	13 August 2024
f)	Place of the transaction:	Off market transaction

1.	Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
a)	Name:	Gregory Philip Smiley
2.	Reason for the notification
a)	Position/status:	Executive Director / PDMR
b)	Initial notification/Amendment:	Initial notification
3.	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)	Name:	Samarkand Group plc
b)	LEI:	213800IYL86FVL5UJB61
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: Identification code:	Options over Ordinary shares of 1 pence each ISIN Code: GB00BLH1QT30
b)	Nature of the transaction:	Grant of Options
c)	Price(s) and volume(s):	Price(s) Volume(s) 1 pence 687,273
d)	Aggregated information: ·      Aggregated volume: ·      · Price:	N/A
e)	Date of the transaction:	13 August 2024
f)	Place of the transaction:	Off market transaction

1.	Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
a)	Name:	Eva Hang
2.	Reason for the notification
a)	Position/status:	Chief Financial Officer / PDMR
b)	Initial notification/Amendment:	Initial notification
3.	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)	Name:	Samarkand Group plc
b)	LEI:	213800IYL86FVL5UJB61
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: Identification code:	Options over Ordinary shares of 1 pence each ISIN Code: GB00BLH1QT30
b)	Nature of the transaction:	Grant of Options
c)	Price(s) and volume(s):	Price(s) Volume(s) 1 pence 300,000
d)	Aggregated information: ·      Aggregated volume: ·      · Price:	N/A
e)	Date of the transaction:	13 August 2024
f)	Place of the transaction:	Off market transaction

1.	Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
a)	Name:	Samuel Deacon
2.	Reason for the notification
a)	Position/status:	Chief Commercial Officer / PDMR
b)	Initial notification/Amendment:	Initial notification
3.	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)	Name:	Samarkand Group plc
b)	LEI:	213800IYL86FVL5UJB61
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: Identification code:	Options over Ordinary shares of 1 pence each ISIN Code: GB00BLH1QT30
b)	Nature of the transaction:	Grant of Options
c)	Price(s) and volume(s):	Price(s) Volume(s) 1 pence 300,000
d)	Aggregated information: ·      Aggregated volume: ·      · Price:	N/A
e)	Date of the transaction:	13 August 2024
f)	Place of the transaction:	Off market transaction

For more information, please contact:

Samarkand Group plc	Via Guild:
David Hampstead, Chief Executive Officer Eva Hang, Chief Financial Officer	http://samarkand.global/
Guild Financial Advisory Limited
Ross Andrews	T: [phone]
	E: [e-mail]
Tomas Klaassen	T: [phone]
	E: [e-mail]

Notes to Editors

Samarkand is a consumer brand owner and distributor operating a scale up platform for niche, premium, multichannel, health and healing brands. Core owned brands include Napiers the Herbalists, Scotland's oldest natural herbal apothecary, Zita West, a leading specialist supplement line for fertility and reproductive health and Probio7, a long-established probiotic supplements brand. Platform services include marketing, sales and channel development with a focus on social commerce, China market entry, international expansion and manufacturing.  In addition, the Group works as the exclusive China market partner for a select portfolio of niche luxury skin care brands and connects these brands to the Chinese consumer via cross border eCommerce.

Founded in 2016, Samarkand is headquartered in Tonbridge, UK with offices in Shanghai.

For further information please visit https://www.samarkand.global/  

 

END