Issue of Sharesave options and PDMR shareholding

Watkin Jones plc

05 July 2023

 

For immediate release

5 July 2023

Watkin Jones plc

('Watkin Jones' or the 'Company')

Issue of Sharesave options and PDMR shareholding

Watkin Jones announces that on 4 July 2023, the Company granted options ("Options") over 2,077,512 ordinary shares pursuant to the Watkin Jones plc Sharesave Scheme.

The Options have a contract start date of 1 August 2023 and normally vest and become exercisable on completion of the three year savings period. The exercise price, which was set in accordance with HM Revenue & Customs rules, is 53.36 pence per ordinary share.

Within the Options described above, Options over 16,866 ordinary shares were granted to Alex Pease, Chief Investment Officer. The Notification of Dealing Form provided in accordance with the requirements of MAR in relation to this transaction is set out below.

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	Alex Pease
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	Watkin Jones plc
b)	LEI	2138009X19O21NU5SG79
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	Ordinary Shares of £0.01 each ISIN: GB00BD6RF223
b)	Nature of the transaction	Grant of SAYE options
c)	Price(s) and volume(s)	Price No. of shares 53.36 16,866
d)	Aggregated information - Aggregated      volume - Price	N/A
e)	Date of the transaction	4 July 2023
f)	Place of the transaction	Outside of a trading venue

- Ends -

Watkin Jones plc
Richard Simpson, Chief Executive Officer	Tel: [phone]
Sarah Sergeant, Chief Financial Officer	www.watkinjonesplc.com
Peel Hunt LLP (Nominated Adviser & Joint Corporate Broker)		Tel: [phone]
Mike Bell / Ed Allsopp		www.peelhunt.com
Jefferies Hoare Govett (Joint Corporate Broker)		Tel: [phone]
James Umbers /David Sheehan/Paul Bundred		www.jefferies.com

Media enquiries:

Buchanan
Henry Harrison-Topham / Jamie Hooper	Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]	www.buchanan.uk.com

Notes to Editors

Watkin Jones is the UK's leading developer and manager of residential for rent, with a focus on the build to rent, student accommodation and affordable housing sectors. The Group has strong relationships with institutional investors, and a reputation for successful, on-time-delivery of high quality developments.  Since 1999, Watkin Jones has delivered 48,000 student beds across 143 sites, making it a key player and leader in the UK purpose-built student accommodation market, and is increasingly expanding its operations into the build to rent sector.  In addition, Fresh, the Group's specialist accommodation management business, manages over 22,000 student beds and build to rent apartments on behalf of its institutional clients.  Watkin Jones has also been responsible for over 80 residential developments, ranging from starter homes to executive housing and apartments.

The Group's competitive advantage lies in its experienced management team and capital-light business model, which enables it to offer an end-to-end solution for investors, delivered entirely in-house with minimal reliance on third parties, across the entire life cycle of an asset.

Watkin Jones was admitted to trading on AIM in March 2016 with the ticker WJG.L.  For additional information please visit www.watkinjonesplc.com

 

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