Re-classification of Listing

BH Macro Limited 07 March 2008 7 March 2008 BH Macro Limited Re-classification of Listing Introduction BH Macro Limited ('BH Macro' or the 'Company') announces that, with effect from 11 March 2008, its listing will be re-classified from that of an overseas investment company with a secondary listing under Chapter 14 of the Listing Rules of the Financial Services Authority to that of an investment company with a primary listing under Chapter 15 of the Listing Rules. Background BH Macro is a closed-ended investment company, registered and incorporated in Guernsey which invests all of its assets (net of short-term working capital requirements) in the ordinary shares of Brevan Howard Master Fund Limited (the 'Master Fund'). The Master Fund is an exempted company incorporated with limited liability in the Cayman Islands as an open-ended investment company on 22 January 2003 and launched on 1 April 2003. The investment objective of the Master Fund is to generate consistent long-term appreciation through active leveraged trading and investment on a global basis. Exposure is predominantly to global fixed income and FX markets, employing a combination of global macro and relative value trading strategies. The Master Fund was launched in April 2003 and as at 31 January 2008, its assets were in excess of US$16.8 billion. BH Macro and the Master Fund are both managed by Brevan Howard Offshore Management Limited ('BHOML'). BHOML is part of Brevan Howard whose entities currently employ over 320 personnel across its offices in London, New York, Washington, Hong Kong, Dublin, Tokyo, Tel Aviv, Bermuda, Jersey and Mumbai and manages assets in excess of US$20 billion (as at 29 February 2008). BHOML delegates investment management responsibility to various investment managers within the Brevan Howard global network. The principal investment manager is Brevan Howard Asset Management LLP ('BHAM'). Reclassification of listing BH Macro was admitted to the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange on 14 March 2007 under Chapter 14 of the Listing Rules. At the time of the Company's admission to trading ('Admission'), it was unable to apply for a listing under Chapter 15 of the Listing Rules because its investment policy is to be a feeder fund into the Master Fund. Feeder funds are now permitted to list under Chapter 15. In light of this and the other changes to the rules set out in Chapter 15, the board of BH Macro has concluded that it would be in the best interests of the Company and shareholders as a whole to move BH Macro's listing from Chapter 14 to Chapter 15. Accordingly the Company has requested and the UKLA has granted authority for the re-classification of its listing with effect from 11 March 2008. The Company currently has 28,414,084 Euro Shares, 52,539,657 US dollar Shares and 14,863,976 Sterling Shares in issue and all will be relisted under Chapter 15. In addition, the Company proposes to convene a meeting of the shareholders to amend the articles of association to provide for pre-emption rights on the issue of new shares for cash and to disapply certain of these pre-emption rights. Notice of the extraordinary general meeting will be despatched to shareholders in the near future. Effects of the re-classification The effect of the re-classification is that the provisions of Chapters 7 to 13 (inclusive) and the revised Chapter 15 of the Listing Rules will apply to the Company. In summary, these requirements relate to the following matters: • the application of certain generic 'Listing Principles' (Chapter 7); • the requirement to appoint a sponsor in certain circumstances (Chapter 8); • various continuing obligations imposed on a listed company, including specific contents requirements for circulars issued by the Company (Chapters 9 and 13); • the requirement to announce or obtain shareholder approval for certain transactions outside the scope of its published investment policy (depending on their size and nature) and for certain transactions with 'related parties' (Chapters 10 and 11); • certain restrictions in relation to the Company dealing in its own securities and treasury shares (Chapter 12); and • certain requirements, as set out in more detail below, which are specific to investment entities, including in relation to corporate governance, investment policy and investment diversification (Chapter 15). From the date of reclassification, the Company will also comply with the requirements imposed by Chapter 15, certain of the more significant of which include: • Listing Rule 15.2.2. BH Macro, through its investment in the Master Fund, will invest and manage its assets in a way which is consistent with its object of spreading investment risk. • Listing Rule 15.2.3. BH Macro will not conduct any trading activity which is significant in the context of its group as a whole. • Listing Rule 15.2.4. To the extent relevant, BH Macro will avoid cross-financing between the businesses forming part of its portfolio and the operation of treasury functions as between BH Macro and its investee companies. • Listing Rule 15.2.6. BH Macro will, at all times, ensure that (1) the Master Fund's investment policies are consistent with BH Macro's published investment policy and provide for spreading of investment risk and (2) the Master Fund in fact invests and manages its investments in a way which is consistent with BH Macro's investment policy and spreads investment risk. • Listing Rule 15.2.7. BH Macro will, at all times, invest and manage its assets in accordance with its investment policy, which is set out in full below. • The rules related to independence of the board set out in Listing Rules 15.2.11 to 15.2.13. • The rules related to obtaining shareholder approval for material changes to the investment policy of the Company set out in Listing Rules 15.4.8 and 15.4.9. • The rules relating to further issues set out in Listing Rule 15.4.11 such that the Company will not issue any further shares of a class for cash at a price below the net asset value per share of that class. Investment Policy BH Macro is organised as a feeder fund that invests all of its assets (net of short-term working capital requirements) directly in Brevan Howard Master Fund Limited (the 'Master Fund'), a hedge fund in the form of a Cayman Islands open-ended investment company, and that has as its investment objective the generation of consistent long-term appreciation by exposure to the Master Fund. The Master Fund has flexibility to invest in a wide range of instruments including, but not limited to, debt securities and obligations (which may be below investment grade), bank loans, listed and unlisted equities, other collective investment schemes, currencies, commodities, futures, options, warrants, swaps and other derivative instruments. The Master Fund employs an investment process which uses a combination of macro and relative value strategies. The underlying philosophy is to construct strategies, often contingent in nature, with superior risk/return profiles, whose outcome will often be crystallised by an expected event occurring within a pre-determined period of time. BH Macro may employ leverage for the purposes of financing share purchases or buy backs, satisfying working capital requirements or financing further investment into the Master Fund, subject to an aggregate borrowing limit of 20 per cent. of BH Macro's net asset value, calculated as at the time of borrowing. Borrowing by BH Macro is in addition to leverage at the Master Fund level, which has no limit on its own leverage. In the event of any breach of the Company's investment and other restrictions, the board of BH Macro will as soon as practicable make an announcement through an appropriate regulatory information service provider and on the Company's website. Appointment of Sponsor JPMorgan Cazenove is acting as Financial Adviser and Sponsor to BH Macro Limited. For further information please contact: Brevan Howard Asset Management, Stephen Stonberg Tel: +44 (0)20 7022 6200 JPMorgan Cazenove Limited, William Simmonds Tel: +44 (0)20 7588 2828 Maitland, Alastair Crabbe Tel: +44 (0)20 7379 5151 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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