Tesco PLC - US Tender Offer

RNS Number : 1630M

Tesco PLC

19 January 2021

 

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU) 596/2014 AS IT FORMS PART OF DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 (EUWA).

TESCO PLC ANNOUNCES CASH TENDER OFFER FOR ANY AND ALL OF ITS 6.15% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2037

Tesco PLC (the "Offeror") announces today an offer to purchase any and all of its outstanding U.S.$1,150,000,000 6.15% Senior Notes due 2037 (the "Securities") for cash (the "Offer"). The terms and conditions of the Offer are described in a tender offer memorandum dated January 19, 2021 (the "TenderOffer Memorandum"). Capitalized terms not otherwise defined in this announcement have the same meaning as assigned to them in the Tender Offer Memorandum.

Holders are advised to read carefully the Tender Offer Memorandum for full details of, and information on the procedures for participating in, the Offer.

The following table sets forth certain information relating to pricing for the Offer.

Title of Security	ISIN / CUSIP	Principal Amount Outstanding	U.S. Treasury Reference Security	Fixed Spread (basis points)	Bloomberg Reference Page	Amount subject to the Offer
6.15% Senior Notes due 2037	Rule 144A: US881575AC87 / 881575AC8 Regulation S: USG87621AL52 / G87621AL5	U.S.$525,000,000	1.375% due August, 2050	160 bps	FIT1	Any and all

Rationale for the Offer

The Offer and the concurrent Non-U.S. Tender Offers (as defined herein) are being made in the context of the Offeror's strategic aim of strengthening the balance sheet by addressing upcoming debt maturities and achieving net annual interest savings.

The Offer

The Offeror will pay a "Purchase Price" per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Securities validly tendered and not validly withdrawn prior to the Expiration Deadline (including those validly tendered in accordance with the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures) calculated as described in the Tender Offer Memorandum in a manner intended to result in a yield to maturity as of the Settlement Date equal to the sum of:

· the yield to maturity of the Reference Treasury Security as measured at the Price Determination Time; and

· the Fixed Spread.

In addition to the payment of the Purchase Price, each Holder whose Securities are validly tendered and delivered (and not validly withdrawn) (including those validly tendered in accordance with the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures) and accepted for purchase will also be paid Accrued Interest equal to interest accrued and unpaid on the Securities from (and including) the immediately preceding interest payment date for the Securities to (but excluding) the Settlement Date.

Accrued Interest will cease to accrue on the Settlement Date, and (in the case of Securities for which the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures are used) no additional accrued interest will be paid in respect of the period from the Settlement Date to the Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date.

The Purchase Price and the Accrued Interest for the Securities validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) in the Offer will be paid on the Settlement Date or the Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date, as applicable (subject to any postponement of the applicable Settlement Date or the Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date, as applicable, as described in the Tender Offer Memorandum).

The Offer is not conditioned on any minimum amount of Securities being tendered. The Offeror's obligation to accept and pay for Securities in the Offer is, however, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the General Conditions contained in the Tender Offer Memorandum. Subject to applicable securities laws and the terms set within the Tender Offer Memorandum, the Offeror reserves the right, with respect to the Offer made by it, (i) to waive or modify in whole or in part any and all conditions to the Offer, (ii) to extend the Withdrawal Deadline or the Expiration Deadline, (iii) to modify or terminate the Offer or (iv) to otherwise amend the Offer in any respect.

Announcements in connection with the Offer will be made by the delivery of a press release to a recognized financial news service and by publication through RNS.

A tender of Securities for purchase pursuant to the Offer should be made by the submission of a valid Tender Instruction. If any Holder wishes to tender its Securities but such Holder cannot comply with the procedures for the submission of a valid Tender Instruction prior to the Expiration Deadline, such Holder may tender its Securities according to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures, as set out in the Tender Offer Memorandum.

Information relating to the concurrent Non-U.S. Tender Offers

Concurrently with the launch of the Offer, the Offeror has launched offers to purchase for cash (the "Non-U.S. Tender Offers") certain of its outstanding sterling- and euro-denominated debt securities (the "Non-U.S. Notes"). The Non-U.S. Tender Offers are described in a separate offer document, and are not the subject of this Tender Offer Memorandum.

The Non-U.S. Tender Offers are not open to any holder of Non-U.S. Notes that is located or resident in the U.S. Holders that are located or resident in the U.S. and hold any Non-U.S. Notes may not offer to sell them pursuant to the Non-U.S. Tender Offers. Holders may not tender any securities in this Offer other than the Securities specified on the cover page of this Tender Offer Memorandum.

On January 19, 2021 the Offeror announced that it intends to issue a new series of euro-denominated fixed rate notes to be guaranteed by the Offeror (the "New Notes"), subject to market conditions. The Offeror's obligation to accept and pay for any Securities validly tendered pursuant to the Offer is not conditioned on the completion of the offering of the New Notes in any way, and the purchase of any Securities pursuant to the Offer will not be financed with the proceeds of the New Notes. T he New Notes have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and are being offered only outside the United States to non-U.S. persons in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act.

INDICATIVE TIMETABLE

The following table sets out the expected dates and times of the key events relating to the Offer. This is an indicative timetable and is subject to change.

Date and Time	Action
January 19, 2021.......	Commencement of the Offer Tender Offer Memorandum available from the Information & Tender Agent. Offer announced through a press release to a recognized financial news service, and the Regulatory News Service provided by the London Stock Exchange plc ("RNS").
January 26, 2021, 11:00 a.m. (New York City time)......	Price Determination Time The Dealer Managers will calculate the Purchase Price in the manner described in the Tender Offer Memorandum.
January 26, 2021, Promptly after the Price Determination Time.......................	Announcement of Purchase Price The Offeror will announce the Purchase Price by publication through a recognized financial news service and RNS.
January 26, 2021, 5:00 p.m. (New York City time)......	Expiration Deadline The last time and date for Holders to submit Tender Instructions (or, where applicable, Notices of Guaranteed Delivery) in order to be able to participate in the Offer and to be eligible to receive the Purchase Price and Accrued Interest on the Settlement Date or the Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date, as applicable.
January 26 2021, 5:00 p.m. (New York City time)......	Withdrawal Deadline Deadline for Holders to properly withdraw tenders of their Securities (or, where applicable, Notices of Guaranteed Delivery). If a tender of Securities (or, where applicable, a Notice of Guaranteed Delivery) is properly withdrawn, the Holder will not receive any consideration on the Settlement Date or the Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date, as applicable (unless that Holder validly re-tenders such Securities at or prior to the Expiration Deadline and the Securities are accepted by the Offeror).
January 27, 2021.......	Announcement of Results of the Offer The Offeror expects to announce the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer (assuming that Securities tendered in accordance with the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures are validly delivered by the Guaranteed Delivery Deadline).
January 28, 2021, 5:00 p.m. (New York City time)......	Guaranteed Delivery Deadline The last time and date for Holders to validly deliver Securities in respect of which a Notice of Guaranteed Delivery was delivered at or prior to the Expiration Deadline.
Expected to be January 28, 2021....	Settlement Date Expected Settlement Date for Securities validly tendered and accepted for purchase by the Offeror, other than in the case of Securities validly tendered pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures. Payment of the Purchase Price and any Accrued Interest in respect of any such Securities.
Expected to be January 29, 2021....	Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date Expected Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date for Securities validly tendered and accepted for purchase by the Offeror pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures. Payment of the Purchase Price and any Accrued Interest in respect of any such Securities.

The above dates and times are subject, where applicable, to the right of the Offeror to extend, re-open, amend, and/or terminate the Offer, subject to applicable laws. Holders of Securities are advised to check with any bank, securities broker or other intermediary through which they hold Securities when such intermediary would require to receive instructions to participate in, or withdraw their instruction to participate in, the Offer before the deadlines set out above.

Holders of Securities are advised to read carefully the Tender Offer Memorandum for full details of and information on the procedures for participating in the Offer.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Holders of Securities may access the Tender Offer Memorandum and the form of Notice of Guaranteed Delivery at www.lucid-is.com/tesco.

Questions and requests for assistance in connection with the Offer may be directed to the Dealer Managers:

BNP Paribas 16, boulevard des Italiens 75009 Paris France Attention: Liability Management Group In the United States: Toll Free: + 1 888 210 4358 Collect: + 1 212 841 3059 In Europe: Telephone: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail]	Citigroup Global Markets Limited Citigroup Centre Canada Square Canary Wharf London E14 5LB United Kingdom Attention: Liability Management Group In the United States: Toll Free: [phone] Collect: [phone] In Europe: Telephone: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail]
MUFG Securities EMEA plc Ropemaker Place 25 Ropemaker Street London  EC2Y 9AJ United Kingdom Attention: Liability Management Group In the United States: Toll Free: [phone] In Europe: Telephone: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail]	RBC Capital Markets, LLC Brookfield Place 200 Vesey St, 8th Floor New York, New York 10281 Attention: Liability Management Group In the United States: Toll Free: [phone] Collect: [phone] In Europe: Telephone: [phone] Email: [e-mail]

Questions and requests for assistance in connection with the tender of Securities including requests for a copy of the Tender Offer Memorandum may be directed to:

INFORMATION & TENDER AGENT

Lucid Issuer Services Limited

Tankerton Works

12 Argyle Walk

London  WC1H 8AH

United Kingdom

E-mail: [e-mail]

Telephone: [phone]

Attention: Arlind Bytyqi

Website: www.lucid-is.com/tesco

NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER

Subject to applicable law, the Offeror or any of its affiliates may at any time and from time to time following completion or cancellation of the Offer purchase remaining outstanding Securities issued by it by tender, in the open market, by private agreement or otherwise on such terms and at such prices as the Offeror or, if applicable, its affiliates may determine. Such terms, consideration and prices may be more or less favorable than those offered pursuant to the Offer.

This announcement must be read in conjunction with the Tender Offer Memorandum. This announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum contain important information which must be read carefully before any decision is made with respect to the Offer. If any holder of Securities is in any doubt as to the action it should take, it is recommended to seek its own legal, accounting and financial advice, including as to any tax consequences, immediately from its stockbroker, bank manager, attorney, accountant or other independent financial adviser. Any individual or company whose Securities are held on its behalf by a broker, dealer, bank, custodian, trust company or other nominee or intermediary must contact such entity if it wishes to participate in the Offer. None of the Offeror, the Dealer Managers, the Information & Tender Agent and any person who controls, or is a director, officer, employee or agent of such persons, or any affiliate of such persons, makes any recommendation as to whether holders of Securities should participate in the Offer.

This announcement is released by Tesco PLC and contains information that qualified or may have qualified as inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (UK MAR), encompassing information relating to the Offer described above. For the purposes of UK MAR and the Implementing Technical Standards referred to therein, this announcement is made by Robert Welch , Group Company Secretary at Tesco PLC.

LEI Number: 2138002P5RNKC5W2JZ46

OFFER AND DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTIONS

This announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum do not constitute an offer or an invitation to participate in the Offer in any jurisdiction in which, or to any person to or from whom, it is unlawful to make such offer or invitation or for there to be such participation under applicable laws. The distribution of this announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this announcement or the Tender Offer Memorandum comes are required by the Offeror, the Dealer Managers and the Information & Tender Agent to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.

United Kingdom

This announcement, the Tender Offer Memorandum and any other documents or materials relating to the Offer are not being made and such documents have not been approved by an authorised person for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Accordingly, such documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of such documents and/or materials as a financial promotion is only being made to those persons in the United Kingdom falling within the definition of investment professionals (as defined by Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 ("Financial Promotion Order")) or persons who are within Article 34 of the Financial Promotion Order or any other persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be made under the Financial Promotion Order.

Belgium

None of this announcement, the Tender Offer Memorandum or any other documents or materials relating to the Offer have been submitted to or will be submitted for approval or recognition to the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (Autoriteit voor financiële diensten en markten / Autorité des services marches financiers) and, accordingly, the Offer may not be made in Belgium by way of a public offering, as defined in Articles 3 and 6 of the Belgian Law of April 1, 2007 on public takeover bids as amended or replaced from time to time. Accordingly, the Offer may not be advertised and the Offer will not be extended, and none of this announcement, the Tender Offer Memorandum or any other documents or materials relating to the Offer (including any memorandum, information circular, brochure or any similar documents) has been or shall be distributed or made available, directly or indirectly, to any person in Belgium other than "qualified investors" in the sense of Article 10 of the Belgian Law of June 16, 2006 on the public offer of placement instruments and the admission to trading of placement instruments on regulated markets, acting on their own account. Insofar as Belgium is concerned, this announcement and/or Tender Offer Memorandum have been issued only for the personal use of the above qualified investors and exclusively for the purpose of the Offer. Accordingly, the information contained in this announcement and/or Tender Offer Memorandum may not be used for any other purpose or disclosed to any other person in Belgium.

France

The Offer is not being made, directly or indirectly, to the public in France. None of this announcement, the Tender Offer Memorandum and any other document or material relating to the Offer have only been and shall only be distributed in France to qualified investors as defined in Article 2(e) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129. Neither this announcement nor the Tender Offer Memorandum has been or will be submitted for clearance to nor approved by the Autorité des Marchés Financiers.

Italy

None of the Offer, this announcement, the Tender Offer Memorandum or any other documents or materials relating to the Offer has been or will be submitted to the clearance procedure of the Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa ("CONSOB"), pursuant to Italian laws and regulations.

The Offer is being carried out in Italy as an exempted offer pursuant to article 101-bis, paragraph 3-bis of the Legislative Decree No. 58 of February 24, 1998, as amended (the "Financial Services Act") and article 35-bis, paragraph 4 of CONSOB Regulation No. 11971 of May 14, 1999, as amended.

Holders or beneficial owners of the Securities that are located in Italy can tender Securities for purchase in the Offer through authorized persons (such as investment firms, banks or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such activities in Italy in accordance with the Financial Services Act, CONSOB Regulation No. 20307 of February 15, 2018, as amended from time to time, and Legislative Decree No. 385 of September 1, 1993, as amended) and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations or with requirements imposed by CONSOB or any other Italian authority.

Each intermediary must comply with the applicable laws and regulations concerning information duties vis-à-vis its clients in connection with the Securities and/or the Offer.

General

The Offer does not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell Securities in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. In those jurisdictions where the securities or other laws require the Offer to be made by a licensed broker or dealer and any of the Dealer Managers or, where the context so requires, any of their respective affiliates is such a licensed broker or dealer in that jurisdiction, the Offer shall be deemed to be made on behalf of the Offeror by such Dealer Manager or affiliate (as the case may be) in such jurisdiction.

Each Holder participating in the Offer will be deemed to give certain representations in respect of the jurisdictions referred to above and generally as set out in "Procedures for Participating in the Offer" in the Tender Offer Memorandum. Any tender of Securities for purchase pursuant to the Offer from a Holder that is unable to make these representations may be rejected. Each of the Offeror, the Dealer Managers and the Information & Tender Agent reserves the right, in their absolute discretion, to investigate, in relation to any tender of Securities for purchase pursuant to the Offer, whether any such representation given by a Holder is correct and, if such investigation is undertaken and as a result the Offeror determines (for any reason) that such representation is not correct, such tender may be rejected.

 

END

 

 

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