Convertible Bond Offering

RNS Number : 8872U

ASOS PLC

08 April 2021

 

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

This press release relates to the disclosure of information that qualified, or may have qualified, as inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of (i) Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014, as amended (the "EU Market Abuse Regulation") and (ii) the EU Market Abuse Regulation as it forms part of United Kingdom domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.

 ASOS plc

For immediate release: 8 April 2021

ASOS plc launches senior unsecured guaranteed convertible bond offering of £ 500 million due 2026

ASOS plc (the "Company" or "ASOS") today announces the launch by its wholly owned subsidiary Cornwall (Jersey) Limited (the "Issuer") of an offering (the "Offering") of £500 million of senior unsecured guaranteed convertible bonds due 2026 (the "Bonds"), guaranteed by the Company and ASOS.com Limited (the "Guarantors").

The net proceeds of the issue of the Bonds will provide ASOS with additional flexibility to continue to invest behind its global growth strategy, as well as refinancing the acquisition of Topshop brands completed in February 2021.

The Bonds will be issued at par and are expected to carry a coupon of between 0.50% and 1.00% per annum payable semi-annually in arrear in equal instalments on 16 April and 16 October in each year, with the first interest payment date being 16 October 2021. The Bonds will be convertible into preference shares of the Issuer (the "Preference Shares") which will be exchanged for ordinary shares of the Company (the "Shares"). The initial conversion price is expected to be set at a premium between 45% and 50% above the reference share price which will be equal to the placement price of a Share in the Concurrent Delta Placement (as defined and further described below).  The conversion price will be subject to adjustment in certain circumstances in line with market practice.

Settlement and delivery of the Bonds is expected to take place on or about 16 April 2021 (the "Issue Date"). If not previously converted, redeemed or purchased and cancelled, the Bonds will be redeemed at par on 16 April 2026. The Issuer will have the option to redeem all, but not some only, outstanding Bonds on or after 7 May 202 4 , at par plus accrued interest, if the parity value on each of at least 20 dealing days in a period of 30 consecutive dealing days ending not more than 5 London business days prior to the giving of the relevant Optional Redemption Notice (as defined in the terms and conditions of the Bonds) shall have equalled or exceeded £130,000.

The Issuer will also have the option to redeem all outstanding Bonds, at par plus accrued interest, at any time if 85% or more of the principal amount of the Bonds shall have been previously converted, redeemed or repurchased and cancelled.

The Issuer and the Guarantors have been advised by the Joint Global Coordinators that the Joint Global Coordinators will organise a simultaneous placement of existing Shares (the "Concurrent Delta Placement") on behalf of certain subscribers of the Bonds who wish to sell those Shares in short sales to purchasers procured by the Joint Global Coordinators in order to hedge the market risk to which the subscribers are exposed with respect to the Bonds that they acquire in the Offering. The placement price for the short sales in the Concurrent Delta Placement shall be determined via an accelerated bookbuilding process that will be carried out by the Joint Global Coordinators. The Guarantors and the Issuer will not receive any proceeds from any sale of Shares in connection with the Concurrent Delta Placement.

Application is intended to be made for the Bonds to be admitted to trading on the unregulated open market (Freiverkehr) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange after the Issue Date but prior to the first interest payment date.

HSBC and J.P. Morgan Cazenove are acting as Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners for the Offering.

Barclays and Citigroup Global Markets Limited are also acting as Co-bookrunners for the Offering.

Background note

ASOS is an online retailer for fashion-loving 20-somethings around the world, with a purpose to give its customers the confidence to be whoever they want to be. Through its market-leading app and mobile/desktop web experience, available in ten languages and in over 200 markets, ASOS customers can shop a curated edit of 85,000 products, sourced from 850 of the best global and local third-party brands and its mix of fashion-led in-house labels - ASOS Design, ASOS Edition, ASOS 4505, Collusion, Reclaimed Vintage, Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT. ASOS aims to give all of its customers a truly frictionless experience, with an ever-greater number of different payment methods and hundreds of local deliveries and returns options, including Next-Day Delivery and Same-Day Delivery, dispatched from state-of-the-art fulfilment centres in the UK, US and Germany.

ASOS' websites attracted 248.6m visits during February 2021 (February 2020¹: 214.1m) and as at 28 February 2021 had 24.9m active customers² (29 February 2020: 22.3m), of which 7.8m were located in the UK and 17.1m were located in international territories (29 February 2020: 6.8m in the UK and 15.5m internationally).

¹ Restated visits, previously reported number 215.4m; visits for February 2020 include an extra day, on a like for like basis February 2020 visits would have been 206.7m, ²Defined as having shopped in the last 12 months as at 28/29 February

NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN BY THE ISSUER, THE GUARANTORS, THE JOINT GLOBAL COORDINATORS OR THE CO-BOOKRUNNERS (TOGETHER, THE "MANAGERS") OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES THAT WOULD PERMIT AN OFFERING OF THE BONDS OR POSSESSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS PRESS RELEASE OR ANY OFFERING OR PUBLICITY MATERIAL RELATING TO THE BONDS, THE GUARANTEES IN RESPECT THEREOF, THE PREFERENCE SHARES OR THE SHARES (HEREINAFTER, THE "SECURITIES") IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE ACTION FOR THAT PURPOSE IS REQUIRED. PERSONS INTO WHOSE POSSESSION THIS PRESS RELEASE COMES ARE REQUIRED BY THE ISSUER, THE GUARANTORS AND THE MANAGERS TO INFORM THEMSELVES ABOUT, AND TO OBSERVE, ANY SUCH RESTRICTIONS.

THIS PRESS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES. THIS PRESS RELEASE IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL SECURITIES OR THE SOLICITATION OF ANY OFFER TO BUY SECURITIES, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY OFFER OF SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.

THE SECURITIES MENTIONED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED IN THE UNITED STATES UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 (THE "U.S. SECURITIES ACT"), AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES, ABSENT REGISTRATION OR EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT. THERE WILL BE NO PUBLIC OFFER OF THE SECURITIES IN THE UNITED STATES OR IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION.

IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING OF THE BONDS AND THE CONCURRENT DELTA PLACEMENT, THE MANAGERS AND ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES ACTING AS AN INVESTOR FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT MAY TAKE UP THE SECURITIES AND IN THAT CAPACITY MAY RETAIN, PURCHASE OR SELL FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT THE SECURITIES OR ANY OTHER SECURITIES OF THE ISSUER, THE GUARANTORS OR RELATED INVESTMENTS, AND MAY OFFER OR SELL THE SECURITIES OR OTHER INVESTMENTS OTHERWISE THAN IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING OF THE BONDS AND THE CONCURRENT DELTA PLACEMENT. THE MANAGERS DO NOT INTEND TO DISCLOSE THE EXTENT OF ANY SUCH INVESTMENT OR TRANSACTIONS OTHERWISE THAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY LEGAL OR REGULATORY OBLIGATION TO DO SO. IN ADDITION, EACH OF THE MANAGERS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE SUBSIDIARIES AND AFFILIATES MAY PERFORM SERVICES FOR, OR SOLICIT BUSINESS FROM, THE ISSUER, THE GUARANTORS OR MEMBERS OF THE COMPANY'S GROUP, MAY MAKE MARKETS IN THE SECURITIES OF SUCH PERSONS AND/OR HAVE A POSITION OR EFFECT TRANSACTIONS IN SUCH SECURITIES.

THIS PRESS RELEASE AND THE OFFERING WHEN MADE ARE ONLY ADDRESSED TO, AND DIRECTED IN, THE UNITED KINGDOM AND MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA (THE "EEA") AT PERSONS WHO ARE "QUALIFIED INVESTORS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE PROSPECTUS REGULATION ("QUALIFIED INVESTORS"). FOR THESE PURPOSES, THE EXPRESSION "PROSPECTUS REGULATION" MEANS REGULATION (EU) 2017/1129 AND REGULATION (EU) 2017/1129 AS IT FORMS PART OF UNITED KINGDOM DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018, AS AMENDED (THE "EUWA").

SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE PRODUCT GOVERNANCE REQUIREMENTS CONTAINED WITHIN: (A) EU DIRECTIVE 2014/65/EU ON MARKETS IN FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS, AS AMENDED ("MIFID II"); (B) ARTICLES 9 AND 10 OF COMMISSION DELEGATED DIRECTIVE (EU) 2017/593 SUPPLEMENTING MIFID II; (C) LOCAL IMPLEMENTING MEASURES IN THE EEA; (D) REGULATION (EU) NO 600/2014 AS IT FORMS PART OF UNITED KINGDOM DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUWA ("UK MIFIR"); AND (E) THE FCA HANDBOOK PRODUCT INTERVENTION AND PRODUCT GOVERNANCE SOURCEBOOK (TOGETHER, THE "PRODUCT GOVERNANCE REQUIREMENTS"), AND DISCLAIMING ALL AND ANY LIABILITY, WHETHER ARISING IN TORT, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE, WHICH ANY "MANUFACTURER" (FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE PRODUCT GOVERNANCE REQUIREMENTS) MAY OTHERWISE HAVE WITH RESPECT THERETO, THE BONDS HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO A PRODUCT APPROVAL PROCESS, WHICH HAS DETERMINED THAT: (I) THE TARGET MARKET FOR THE BONDS IS (A) IN THE EEA, ELIGIBLE COUNTERPARTIES AND PROFESSIONAL CLIENTS ONLY, EACH AS DEFINED IN MIFID II AND (B) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, ELIGIBLE COUNTERPARTIES (AS DEFINED IN THE FCA HANDBOOK CONDUCT OF BUSINESS SOURCEBOOK) AND PROFESSIONAL CLIENTS (AS DEFINED IN UK MIFIR); AND (II) ALL CHANNELS FOR DISTRIBUTION OF THE BONDS TO ELIGIBLE COUNTERPARTIES AND PROFESSIONAL CLIENTS ARE APPROPRIATE. ANY PERSON SUBSEQUENTLY OFFERING, SELLING OR RECOMMENDING THE BONDS (A "DISTRIBUTOR") SHOULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE MANUFACTURERS' TARGET MARKET ASSESSMENT; HOWEVER, A DISTRIBUTOR SUBJECT TO MIFID II OR THE FCA HANDBOOK PRODUCT INTERVENTION AND PRODUCT GOVERNANCE SOURCEBOOK IS RESPONSIBLE FOR UNDERTAKING ITS OWN TARGET MARKET ASSESSMENT IN RESPECT OF THE BONDS (BY EITHER ADOPTING OR REFINING THE MANUFACTURERS' TARGET MARKET ASSESSMENT) AND DETERMINING APPROPRIATE DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS.

THE TARGET MARKET ASSESSMENT IS WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF ANY CONTRACTUAL OR LEGAL SELLING RESTRICTIONS IN RELATION TO ANY OFFERING OF THE BONDS.

FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, THE TARGET MARKET ASSESSMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE: (A) AN ASSESSMENT OF SUITABILITY OR APPROPRIATENESS FOR THE PURPOSES OF MIFID II OR UK MIFIR; OR (B) A RECOMMENDATION TO ANY INVESTOR OR GROUP OF INVESTORS TO INVEST IN, OR PURCHASE, OR TAKE ANY OTHER ACTION WHATSOEVER WITH RESPECT TO THE BONDS.

THE BONDS ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE MADE AVAILABLE TO AND SHOULD NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE MADE AVAILABLE TO ANY RETAIL INVESTOR IN THE EEA OR THE UNITED KINGDOM. FOR THESE PURPOSES, A RETAIL INVESTOR MEANS (A) IN THE EEA, A PERSON WHO IS ONE (OR MORE) OF: (I) A RETAIL CLIENT AS DEFINED IN POINT (11) OF ARTICLE 4(1) OF MIFID II; OR (II) A CUSTOMER WITHIN THE MEANING OF DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/97, WHERE THAT CUSTOMER WOULD NOT QUALIFY AS A PROFESSIONAL CLIENT AS DEFINED IN POINT (10) OF ARTICLE 4(1) OF MIFID II AND (B) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, A PERSON WHO IS ONE (OR MORE) OF (I) A RETAIL CLIENT, AS DEFINED IN POINT (8) OF ARTICLE 2 OF REGULATION (EU) NO 2017/565 AS IT FORMS PART OF UNITED KINGDOM DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUWA OR (II) A CUSTOMER WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 OF THE UNITED KINGDOM (THE "FSMA") AND ANY RULES OR REGULATIONS MADE UNDER THE FSMA TO IMPLEMENT DIRECTIVE (EU) 2016/97, WHERE THAT CUSTOMER WOULD NOT QUALIFY AS A PROFESSIONAL CLIENT, AS DEFINED IN POINT (8) OF ARTICLE 2(1) OF REGULATION (EU) NO 600/2014 AS IT FORMS PART OF UNITED KINGDOM DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUWA.

CONSEQUENTLY, NO KEY INFORMATION DOCUMENT REQUIRED BY REGULATION (EU) NO 1286/2014, AS AMENDED (THE "PRIIPS REGULATION") OR THE PRIIPS REGULATION AS IT FORMS PART OF UNITED KINGDOM DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUWA (THE "UK PRIIPS REGULATION") FOR OFFERING OR SELLING THE BONDS OR OTHERWISE MAKING THEM AVAILABLE TO RETAIL INVESTORS IN THE EEA OR THE UNITED KINGDOM HAS BEEN PREPARED AND THEREFORE OFFERING OR SELLING THE BONDS OR OTHERWISE MAKING THEM AVAILABLE TO ANY RETAIL INVESTOR IN THE EEA OR THE UNITED KINGDOM MAY BE UNLAWFUL UNDER THE PRIIPS REGULATION AND/OR THE UK PRIIPS REGULATION.

IN ADDITION, IN THE UNITED KINGDOM THIS PRESS RELEASE IS BEING DISTRIBUTED ONLY TO, AND IS DIRECTED ONLY AT, QUALIFIED INVESTORS (I) WHO HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS FALLING WITHIN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005, AS AMENDED (THE "ORDER") AND QUALIFIED INVESTORS FALLING WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) OF THE ORDER, AND (II) TO WHOM IT MAY OTHERWISE LAWFULLY BE COMMUNICATED (ALL SUCH PERSONS TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS"). THIS PRESS RELEASE MUST NOT BE ACTED ON OR RELIED ON (I) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, BY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS, AND (II) IN ANY MEMBER STATE OF THE EEA, BY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT QUALIFIED INVESTORS. ANY INVESTMENT OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS PRESS RELEASE RELATES IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO (A) RELEVANT PERSONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH RELEVANT PERSONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND (B) QUALIFIED INVESTORS IN MEMBER STATES OF THE EEA.

THE BONDS MAY BE SOLD ONLY TO PURCHASERS IN THE PROVINCES OF CANADA PURCHASING AS PRINCIPAL THAT ARE ACCREDITED INVESTORS, AS DEFINED IN NATIONAL INSTRUMENT 45-106 PROSPECTUS EXEMPTIONS OR SUBSECTION 73.3(1) OF THE SECURITIES ACT (ONTARIO), AND ARE PERMITTED CLIENTS, AS DEFINED IN NATIONAL INSTRUMENT 31-103 REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS, EXEMPTIONS AND ONGOING REGISTRANT OBLIGATIONS. ANY RESALE OF THE BONDS, THE PREFERENCE SHARES ISSUED ON CONVERSION OF THE BONDS OR THE SHARES ISSUED OR TRANSFERRED AND DELIVERED ON EXCHANGE OF THE PREFERENCE SHARES MUST BE MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH AN EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE PROSPECTUS REQUIREMENTS OF APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS.

ANY DECISION TO PURCHASE ANY OF THE SECURITIES SHOULD ONLY BE MADE ON THE BASIS OF AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW BY A PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR OF THE ISSUER'S AND THE GUARANTORS' PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION AND THE TERMS OF THE SECURITIES. NEITHER THE MANAGERS NOR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY ARISING FROM THE USE OF, OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION AS TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF, THIS PRESS RELEASE OR THE ISSUER'S AND THE GUARANTORS' PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE IN ITS ENTIRETY WITHOUT NOTICE UP TO THE ISSUE DATE.

EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR SHOULD PROCEED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT IT MUST BEAR THE ECONOMIC RISK OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE SECURITIES. NONE OF THE ISSUER, THE GUARANTORS OR THE MANAGERS MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION AS TO (I) THE SUITABILITY OF THE SECURITIES FOR ANY PARTICULAR INVESTOR, (II) THE APPROPRIATE ACCOUNTING TREATMENT AND POTENTIAL TAX CONSEQUENCES OF INVESTING IN THE SECURITIES OR (III) THE FUTURE PERFORMANCE OF THE SECURITIES EITHER IN ABSOLUTE TERMS OR RELATIVE TO COMPETING INVESTMENTS.

THE MANAGERS ARE ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE ISSUER AND THE GUARANTORS AND NO ONE ELSE IN CONNECTION WITH THE SECURITIES AND WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE TO ANY OTHER PERSON FOR PROVIDING THE PROTECTIONS AFFORDED TO CLIENTS OF THE MANAGERS OR FOR PROVIDING ADVICE IN RELATION TO THE SECURITIES.

Each of the Issuer, the GuarantorS, the Managers and their respective affiliates expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update, review or revise any statement contained in this PRESS RELEASE whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

 

END

 

 

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