Proposed Placing of Ordinary Shares

RNS Number : 5548K

DFS Furniture PLC

22 April 2020

 

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING THE APPENDICES AND THE INFORMATION IN THEM, IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.

FURTHER, THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT AN OFFER OF SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT INCLUDES INSIDE INFORMATION

For Immediate Release

22 April 2020 

DFS Furniture PLC

PROPOSED PLACING OF NEW ORDINARY SHARES AND NEW COMMITTED FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS

DFS Furniture PLC ("DFS" or the "Group" or the "Company") today announces a proposed Placing of new ordinary shares in the Company (the "Placing Shares") to institutional investors (the "Placing") and credit-approved inter-conditional new committed financing arrangements which will significantly strengthen the Group's balance sheet and liquidity position during this period of unprecedented uncertainty due to COVID-19.  If the Placing Price (as defined below) is less than £1.50 per Placing Share, the Placing will be conditional on shareholder approval at a General Meeting (see the section "Share Split" below for further details). 

In conjunction with the Placing, certain directors and members of the senior management team of the Company also intend to subscribe (the "Subscription") for new ordinary shares in the capital of the Company (the "Subscription Shares") at the Placing Price (as defined below).  The total contributed as part of the Subscription will be approximately £445,000 and includes contributions from the Chairman, CEO and CFO.  Together, the total number of Placing Shares and Subscription Shares will result in the issue of up to approximately 19.9% of DFS's existing ordinary share capital.

The Placing will be conducted through an accelerated bookbuild, which will be launched immediately following release of this announcement. Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies") and Peel Hunt LLP ("Peel Hunt") are acting as joint global coordinators, joint bookrunners and corporate brokers, and Barclays Bank PLC, acting through its investment bank ("Barclays") and BNP PARIBAS ("BNP Paribas") are acting as joint global coordinators and joint bookrunners in connection with the Placing (together, the "Joint Bookrunners" or the "Banks", and each a " Joint Bookrunner"). The Placing is subject to the terms and conditions set out in Appendix 1 to this announcement (which forms part of this announcement, together being this "Announcement"). The Subscription Shares will be subscribed for on the basis agreed pursuant to subscription letters with the Company, rather than pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Placing contained in Appendix 1 to this Announcement.

Current trading and financing arrangements

DFS has separately announced today a trading update (the "Trading Update") that outlines the significant impact of COVID-19 on the Company's operations and its outlook. This reflects the closure of its entire store network and the suspension of its delivery operations to comply with social distancing guidelines.

The Group has also announced a number of mitigating actions to protect its financial position, which have reduced its current cash operating costs to under £ 14 million per month.

The Group also announces today that it has received credit approval for a new 12-month bank facility of £70 million from its existing lending banks, which further strengthens the Group's balance sheet beyond the existing bank facilities of £250 million. Existing covenants will drop away whilst this incremental facility is in place and for the six months following, but new financial covenants of minimum rolling quarterly EBITDA and cash covenants will apply. The Group also has undertaken to not pay dividends or conduct any acquisitions until either six months after the repayment of the incremental facility, or following the refinancing of the existing bank facilities.   This new facility is subject to documentation on terms and conditions in line with the existing facilities and is conditional on the completion of the Placing.

This Announcement should be read in conjunction with the Trading Update.

Reasons for the Placing

Based on their scenario planning, which includes a continuation of current levels of government and other stakeholder support through the COVID-19 lockdown, management believe that the cost saving and deferral measures they have put in place, together with the Placing and bank financing announced today gives the Company liquidity headroom through a pessimistic scenario of a lockdown to December 2020, followed by a historically weak sofa market.

DFS acknowledges that it is seeking to issue Placing Shares and Subscription Shares amounting up to approximately 19.9% of its existing issued ordinary share capital on a non-pre-emptive basis. Members of the Board have consulted with the Company's major institutional shareholders ahead of the release of this Announcement. The Placing structure has been chosen to minimise costs, time to completion and use of management time during an important and unprecedented period for DFS.

Share Split

The Company is unable to issue new ordinary shares at a discount to their nominal value. If the Placing Price (as defined below) is below the nominal value of £1.50 per share, the Company will seek to reduce the nominal value of its ordinary shares. Any such reduction in nominal value will be affected through a share split, which would require shareholder approval. If the share split is necessary, DFS will send an explanatory Circular together with a notice of General Meeting to shareholders, who will be asked to pass two ordinary resolutions required in order to split each existing £1.50 ordinary share into a £0.10 new ordinary share which will be listed and a £1.40 deferred share which will be unlisted with no voting or dividend rights (the "Share Split").

If the Share Split is required and is approved by shareholders, the Placing Shares and the Subscription Shares are expected to be issued and admitted to trading on Thursday, 14 May 2020 following a general meeting.  If the Share Split is not required, new shares are expected to be issued and admitted to trading on Monday, 27 April 2020.  

Details of the Placing

The Banks will commence a bookbuilding process in respect of the Placing (the "Bookbuild") immediately following the release of this Announcement.

The Placing is subject to the terms and conditions set out in Appendix 1 to this Announcement. Members of the public are not entitled to participate in the Placing.

The book will open with immediate effect following this Announcement. The Placing Shares and the Subscription Shares will, when issued, be credited as fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing issued ordinary shares of DFS   at that time (whether or not the Share Split is required). This includes the right to receive all dividends and other distributions declared or paid in respect of such ordinary shares after the date of issue of the Placing Shares and the Subscription Shares.

The number of Placing Shares and the price at which the Placing Shares are to be placed (the "Placing Price") will be agreed by the Banks and DFS at the close of the Bookbuild. The timing of the closing of the Bookbuild, pricing and allocations are at the discretion of the Banks and DFS. Details of the Placing Price and the number of Placing Shares and Subscription Shares will be announced as soon as practicable after the close of the Bookbuild.

Applications have been made for the Placing Shares and Subscription Shares to be admitted to the premium listing segment of the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA") and to trading on the main market for listed securities of the London Stock Exchange plc (the "London Stock Exchange") ("Admission"). It is expected that Admission will take place (i) at or around 8.00 a.m. (London time) on Thursday, 14 May 2020 if the Share Split is required or (ii) at or around 8.00 a.m. (London time) on Monday, 27 April 2020 if the Share Split is not required (or, in any case, such later date as may be agreed between the Company and the Banks). The Placing is conditional upon, inter alia, approval by DFS's shareholders of the Share Split at the General Meeting, Admission becoming effective and the placing agreement between the Company and the Banks (the "Placing Agreement") not being terminated in accordance with its terms.

Appendix 1 to this Announcement sets out further information relating to the Bookbuild and the terms and conditions of the Placing. The attention of investors is drawn in particular to the "Conditions of the Placing" section of Appendix 1 (including the condition that no Material Adverse Effect can have occurred prior to Admission) and the "Termination of the Placing Agreement" section of Appendix 1 (including various force majeure events set out therein).

For further information please contact:

DFS PLC

Tim Stacey, CEO

Mike Schmidt, CFO 

Via Tulchan

Jefferies (Joint Global Coordinator, Joint Bookrunner and Joint Corporate Broker)

Paul Nicholls

Max Jones

Lee Morton

[phone]

Peel Hunt (Joint Global Coordinator, Joint Bookrunner and Joint Corporate Broker)

Dan Webster

Al Rae

[phone]

Barclays   (Joint Global Coordinator and Joint Bookrunner)

Ken Brown

Chris Madderson

[phone]

BNP Paribas   (Joint Global Coordinator and Joint Bookrunner)

Abid Chaudhri

Paul Frankfurt

Lewis Burnett

[phone]

Tulchan (Financial PR)

James Macey-White

Jessica Reid

[phone]

Appendix 1


Terms and Conditions of the Placing for invited placees only

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING EXCEPT AS DISCLOSED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT UNDER "DETAILS OF THE PLACING". THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (INCLUDING THE APPENDIX) AND THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET OUT HEREIN (THE "ANNOUNCEMENT") IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS DIRECTED ONLY AT PERSONS WHOSE ORDINARY ACTIVITIES INVOLVE THEM IN ACQUIRING, HOLDING, MANAGING AND DISPOSING OF INVESTMENTS (AS PRINCIPAL OR AGENT) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THEIR BUSINESS AND WHO HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS AND ARE: (A) IF IN A MEMBER STATE OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA (THE "EEA"), PERSONS WHO ARE QUALIFIED INVESTORS ("QUALIFIED INVESTORS"), BEING PERSONS FALLING WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 2(E) OF PROSPECTUS REGULATION (EU) 2017/1129 (THE "PROSPECTUS REGULATION"); OR (B) IF IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, QUALIFIED INVESTORS WHO ARE (I) PERSONS WHO FALL WITHIN THE DEFINITION OF "INVESTMENT PROFESSIONAL" IN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005, AS AMENDED (THE "ORDER"), OR (II) PERSONS WHO FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) ("HIGH NET WORTH COMPANIES, UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATIONS, ETC") OF THE ORDER, OR (C) PERSONS TO WHOM IT MAY OTHERWISE BE LAWFULLY COMMUNICATED (ALL SUCH PERSONS REFERRED TO IN (A), (B) AND (C) ABOVE TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS").

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST NOT BE ACTED ON OR RELIED ON BY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS. PERSONS DISTRIBUTING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST SATISFY THEMSELVES THAT IT IS LAWFUL TO DO SO. ANY INVESTMENT OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO RELEVANT PERSONS AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH RELEVANT PERSONS. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT ITSELF CONSTITUTE AN OFFER FOR SALE OR SUBSCRIPTION OF ANY SECURITIES IN THE COMPANY.

EACH PLACEE SHOULD CONSULT WITH ITS OWN ADVISERS AS TO LEGAL, TAX, BUSINESS AND RELATED ASPECTS OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE PLACING SHARES.

THE PLACING SHARES HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 (THE "SECURITIES ACT"), OR UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF, OR WITH ANY SECURITIES REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF, ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR TRANSFERRED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES ABSENT REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES. SUBJECT TO CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS, THE PLACING IS BEING MADE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES IN OFFSHORE TRANSACTIONS WITHIN THE MEANING OF, AND IN RELIANCE ON, REGULATION S UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT. NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF THE SHARES REFERRED TO IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS BEING MADE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE UNITED STATES ANY RESTRICTED TERRITORY OR ELSEWHERE.

Unless otherwise stated, capitalised terms in this Appendix have the meanings ascribed to them in Appendix 2.

This Announcement is for information only and does not itself constitute or form part of an offer to sell or issue or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for securities referred to herein in any jurisdiction including, without limitation, the United States, any Restricted Territory (as defined below) or in any jurisdiction where such offer or solicitation is unlawful. No public offering of securities will be made in connection with the Placing in the United Kingdom, the United States, any Restricted Territory or elsewhere.

This Announcement, and the information contained herein, is not for release, publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, to persons in the United States, Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan (each a "Restricted Territory") or in any jurisdiction in which such publication or distribution is unlawful. The distribution of this Announcement and the Placing and/or the offer or sale of the Placing Shares in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. No action has been taken by the Company or Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies"), or Peel Hunt LLP ("Peel Hunt") or Barclays Bank PLC, acting through its investment bank ("Barclays"), or BNP Paribas ("BNP Paribas", together with Jefferies, Peel Hunt and Barclays, the "Banks") or any of their respective Affiliates or agents which would permit an offer of the Placing Shares or possession or distribution of this Announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating to such Placing Shares in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Persons distributing any part of this Announcement must satisfy themselves that it is lawful to do so. Persons (including, without limitation, nominees and trustees) who have a contractual or other legal obligation to forward a copy of this Announcement should seek appropriate advice before taking any such action. Persons into whose possession this Announcement comes are required by the Company and the Banks to inform themselves about, and to observe, any such restrictions.

All offers of the Placing Shares will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to produce a prospectus. This Announcement is being distributed and communicated to persons in the UK only in circumstances to which section 21(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended ("FSMA") does not apply.

The Placing has not been approved and will not be approved or disapproved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, any State securities commission or any other regulatory authority in the United States, nor have any of the foregoing authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the Placing or the accuracy or adequacy of this Announcement. Any representation to the contrary is unlawful.

Subject to certain exceptions, the securities referred to in this Announcement may not be offered or sold in any Restricted Territory or to, or for the account or benefit of, a citizen or resident, or a corporation, partnership or other entity created or organised in or under the laws of a Restricted Territory.

This Announcement has been issued by, and is the sole responsibility of, the Company. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be made as to, or in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by any of the Banks or their respective Affiliates or agents as to or in relation to, the accuracy or completeness of this Announcement or any other written or oral information made available to or publicly available to any party or its advisers, and any liability therefore is expressly disclaimed.

Each of Jefferies and Peel Hunt is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA").  Barclays is authorised by the Prudential Regulatory Authority (the "PRA") and regulated in the United Kingdom by the PRA and the FCA.  BNP Paribas is lead supervised by the European Central Bank ("ECB") and the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution ("ACPR") (and its London Branch is authorised by the ECB, the ACPR and the PRA and subject to limited regulation by the FCA and the PRA). The Banks are acting exclusively for the Company and no-one else in connection with the Placing and are not, and will not be, responsible to anyone (including the Placees) other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients nor for providing advice in relation to the Placing and/or any other matter referred to in this Announcement.

None of the Company, the Banks or their respective Affiliates or agents makes any representation or warranty, express or implied to any Placees regarding any investment in the securities referred to in this Announcement under the laws applicable to such Placees. Each Placee should consult its own advisers as to the legal, tax, business, financial and related aspects of an investment in the Placing Shares.

By participating in the Placing, Placees (including individuals, funds or otherwise) by whom or on whose behalf a commitment to acquire Placing Shares has been given will (i) be deemed to have read and understood this Announcement, in its entirety; and (ii) be making such offer on the terms and conditions contained in this Appendix, including being deemed to be providing (and shall only be permitted to participate in the Placing on the basis that they have provided) the representations, warranties, acknowledgements and undertakings set out herein .

In particular each such Placee represents, warrants and acknowledges that:

(a)  it is a Relevant Person and undertakes that it will acquire, hold, manage or dispose of any Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the purposes of its business;

(b)  it is and, at the time the Placing Shares are acquired, will be, either (i) outside the United States and is acquiring the Placing Shares in an "offshore transaction" in accordance with Rule 903 or Rule 904 of Regulation S under the Securities Act ("Regulation S"), or (ii) a Qualified Institutional Buyer, (a "QIB") subscribing for the Placing Shares pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements under the Securities Act, acknowledging that the Placing Shares have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act or with any State or other jurisdiction of the United States. With respect to (ii) above, it is subscribing for the Placing Shares for its own account, or for one or more accounts as to each of which it exercises sole investment discretion and each of which is a QIB, for investment purposes only and not with a view to any distribution or for resale in connection with the distribution thereof in whole or in part, in the United States, and it has full authority to, and does, make the acknowledgements, representations and agreements herein on behalf of each such account; and

(c)  if it is a financial intermediary, as that term is used in Article 2(d) of the Prospectus Regulation, that it understands the resale and transfer restrictions set out in this Appendix and that any Placing Shares acquired by it in the Placing will not be acquired on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor will they be acquired with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in circumstances which may give rise to an offer of securities to the public other than an offer or resale in a member state of the EEA to Qualified Investors or in the United Kingdom to Relevant Persons, or in circumstances in which the prior consent of the Managers has been given to each such proposed offer or resale.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PLACEES ONLY REGARDING THE PLACING

Defined terms used in this Appendix are set out at in Appendix 2.

Bookbuild

Following this Announcement, the Banks will commence a bookbuilding process in respect of the Placing (the "Bookbuild") to determine demand for participation in the Placing by Placees. No commissions will be paid to Placees or by Placees in respect of any Placing Shares. The book will open with immediate effect. Members of the public are not entitled to participate in the Placing. This Appendix gives details of the terms and conditions of, and the mechanics of participation in, the Placing.

Details of the Placing Agreement and of the Placing Shares

Jefferies and Peel Hunt are acting as joint global coordinators, joint bookrunners and corporate brokers, and Barclays and BNP Paribas are acting as joint global coordinators and joint bookrunners in connection with the Placing, which, if and only if the Placing Price (as defined below) is less than £1.50 per Placing Share, will be conditional upon completion of the Share Split. The Banks have entered into an agreement with the Company (the "Placing Agreement") under which, subject to the conditions set out therein, the Banks will agree to use their respective reasonable endeavours to procure Placees for the Placing Shares at a price determined following completion of the Bookbuild and as set out in the Placing Agreement, or failing which to subscribe as principal for the Placing Shares.

The price per Ordinary Share at which the Placing Shares are to be placed (the "Placing Price") and the final number of Placing Shares will be decided at the close of the Bookbuild following the execution of the placing terms by the Company and the Banks (the "Placing Terms"). The timing of the closing of the book, pricing and allocations are at the discretion of the Company and the Banks. Details of the Placing Price and the number of Placing Shares will be announced as soon as practicable after the close of the Bookbuild.

The Placing Shares have been duly authorised and will, when issued, be credited as fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing Ordinary Shares (other than treasury shares which are non-voting and do not qualify for dividends), including the right to receive all dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid in respect of the Ordinary Shares after the date of issue. The Placing Shares will be issued free of any encumbrances, liens or other security interests.

The Placing will be effected by way of a placing of new Ordinary Shares in the Company for non-cash consideration. Jefferies will subscribe for ordinary shares and redeemable preference shares in Club Financing Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, for an amount approximately equal to the net proceeds of the Placing. The Company will allot and issue the Placing Shares on a non-pre-emptive basis to Placees in consideration for the transfer of the ordinary shares and redeemable preference shares in Club Financing Limited that will be issued to Jefferies.

Application for admission to trading

The Company will apply to the Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA") for admission of the Placing Shares to the premium listing segment of the Official List of the FCA (the "Official List") and to London Stock Exchange plc (the "London Stock Exchange") for admission to trading of the Placing Shares on its Main Market for listed securities ("Admission"). It is expected that Admission will become effective at 8.00 a.m. on (i) 14 May 2020, if the Company needs to effect the Share Split; or (ii) 27 April 2020, if the Company does not need to effect the Share Split (or such later date as may be agreed between the Company and the Banks).

Participation in, and principal terms of, the Placing

1.  The Banks are arranging the Placing severally, and not jointly, nor jointly and severally, as agents of the Company. Participation will only be available to persons who may lawfully be, and are, invited to participate by any of the Banks. Each of the Banks and their respective Affiliates are entitled to enter bids as principal in the Bookbuild.

2.  The Bookbuild, if successful, will establish the Placing Price payable to the Banks by all Placees whose bids are successful. The Placing Price and the aggregate proceeds to be raised through the Placing will be agreed between the Banks and the Company following completion of the Bookbuild. The Placing Price will be announced on a Regulatory Information Service following the completion of the Bookbuild.

3.  To bid in the Bookbuild, Placees should communicate their bid by telephone or in writing to their usual sales contact at one of the Banks. Each bid should state the number of Placing Shares which the prospective Placee wishes to acquire either at the Placing Price which is ultimately established by the Company and the Banks or at prices up to a price limit specified in its bid. Bids may be scaled down by the Banks on the basis referred to in paragraph 6 below.

4.  The Bookbuild is expected to close no later than 8:00 p.m. (London time) on 22 April 2020 but may be closed earlier or later, at the discretion of the Banks. The Banks may, in agreement with the Company, accept bids that are received after the Bookbuild has closed.

5.  Each Placee's allocation will be confirmed to Placees orally by the relevant Bank following the close of the Bookbuild, and a contract note will be dispatched as soon as possible thereafter. Subject to paragraph 7 below, the relevant Bank's oral confirmation to such Placee will constitute an irrevocable legally binding commitment upon such person (who will at that point become a Placee) in favour of such Bank and the Company, under which such Placee agrees to acquire the number of Placing Shares allocated to it and to pay the relevant Placing Price on the terms and conditions set out in this Appendix and in accordance with the Company's corporate documents. The allocation of the Placing Shares shall be at the Company's discretion having consulted with the Banks.

6.  Subject to paragraphs 2 and 3 above, the Banks will, in effecting the Placing, agree with the Company the identity of the Placees and the basis of allocation of the Placing Shares and may scale down any bids for this purpose on such basis as it may determine. The Banks may also, notwithstanding paragraphs 2 and 3 above and subject to the prior consent of the Company, (i) allocate Placing Shares after the time of any initial allocation to any person submitting a bid after that time and (ii) allocate Placing Shares after the Bookbuild has closed to any person submitting a bid after that time. The acceptance of offers shall be at the absolute discretion of the Banks.

7.  The allocation of Placing Shares to Placees located in the United States shall be conditional on the execution by each Placee of an Investor Representation Letter in the form set out in the Placing Agreement.

8.  A bid in the Bookbuild will be made on the terms and subject to the conditions in this Appendix and will be legally binding on the Placee on behalf of which it is made and except with the relevant Bank's consent will not be capable of variation or revocation after the time at which it is submitted. Each Placee will also have an immediate, separate, irrevocable and binding obligation, owed to the relevant Bank, to pay it (or as it may direct) in cleared funds an amount equal to the product of the Placing Price and the number of Placing Shares that such Placee has agreed to acquire. Each Placee's obligations will be owed to the relevant Bank.

9.  Except as required by law or regulation, no press release or other announcement will be made by any of the Banks or the Company using the name of any Placee (or its agent), in its capacity as Placee (or agent), other than with such Placee's prior written consent.

10.  Irrespective of the time at which a Placee's allocation(s) pursuant to the Placing is/are confirmed, settlement for all Placing Shares to be acquired pursuant to the Placing will be required to be made at the same time, on the basis explained below under "Registration and Settlement".

11.  All obligations under the Bookbuild and Placing will be subject to fulfilment or (where applicable) waiver of the conditions referred to below under "Conditions of the Placing" and to the Placing not being terminated on the basis referred to below under "Termination of the Placing Agreement".

12.  By participating in the Bookbuild, each Placee agrees that its rights and obligations in respect of the Placing will terminate only in the circumstances described below and will not be capable of rescission or termination by the Placee after confirmation (oral or otherwise) by a Bank.

13.  To the fullest extent permissible by law, none of the Banks, the Company or any of their respective Affiliates shall have any responsibility or liability to Placees (or to any other person whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise). In particular, none of the Banks, the Company, or any of their respective Affiliates shall have any responsibility or liability (including to the extent permissible by law, any fiduciary duties) in respect of the Banks' conduct of the Bookbuild or of such alternative method of effecting the Placing as the Banks, their respective Affiliates and the Company may agree.

Conditions of the Placing

The Placing is conditional upon the Placing Agreement becoming unconditional and not having been terminated in accordance with its terms. The Banks' respective obligations under the Placing Agreement (save for certain obligations of Peel Hunt as sponsor) are subject to certain conditions, including:

(a)  Admission of the Placing Shares taking place by no later than 8:00 a.m. (London time) on 14 May 2020;

(b)  the Company having complied with all material obligations and undertakings under the Placing Agreement which fall to be performed or satisfied prior to Admission, except as would not in the sole opinion of each of the Banks (acting in good faith) be material in the context of the Group (taken as a whole), material to the underwriting of the Placing or otherwise material in the context of the Placing or Admission;

(c)  the Placing Terms having been executed and delivered by the parties thereto in their respective absolute discretions;

(d)  the publication by the Company of the Trading Update and the results of the Placing on a Regulatory Information Service immediately following the execution of the Placing Terms (the "Pricing Announcement");

(e)  none of the warranties on the part of the Company in the Placing Agreement becoming untrue or inaccurate or misleading between the date of the Placing Agreement and Admission as though, in each such case, they had been given and made on such date by reference to the facts and circumstances from time to time subsisting;

(f)  in the sole opinion of each of the Banks (acting in good faith), there not having been any Material Adverse Effect (whether or not foreseeable at the date of the Placing Agreement) at any time prior to Admission;

(g)  if, and only if, the Placing Price is less than 150 pence per Placing Share, the posting of the Circular, General Meeting Notice and the Form of Proxy by no later than 27 April 2020 and the convening of the General Meeting for the General Meeting Date. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Placing Price is 150 pence per Placing Share or more, this condition shall not apply;

(h)  if, and only if, the Placing Price is less than 150 pence per Placing Share, the completion of the Share Split as described in the Circular and the passing of the Shareholder Resolutions (without amendment, or with such amendments as each of the Banks may agree) at the General Meeting on the General Meeting Date (and not, except with the prior written agreement of each of the Banks, at any adjournment of such meeting). For the avoidance of doubt, if the Placing Price is 150 pence per Placing Share or more, this condition shall not apply;

(i)  the Option Agreement and the Subscription and Transfer Agreement each having been duly executed and delivered by the parties the Company and JerseyCo and not (without the prior written consent of each of the Banks) having been amended or varied or any condition therein waived, and there having occurred no event of default or breach of the terms thereof and the Option Agreement and the Subscription and Transfer Agreement remaining in full force and effect and having become wholly unconditional (save for any conditions therein relating to Admission); and

(j)  the Company allotting and/or issuing, as applicable, subject only to Admission, the Placing Shares in accordance with the Placing Agreement.

If any of the conditions contained in the Placing Agreement (save for certain excluded conditions as specified in the Placing Agreement), including those described above, are not fulfilled or (where applicable) waived in writing by the Banks by the relevant time and/or date specified (or such later time as the Banks may in their respective absolute discretions decide), the Placing Agreement will cease and terminate, the Placing will lapse and the Placees' rights and obligations hereunder in relation to the Placing Shares shall cease and terminate at such time and each Placee agrees that no claim can be made by it in respect thereof.

The Banks shall, in their respective absolute discretions, be entitled to waive compliance by the Company with the whole or any part of any of the Company's obligations in relation to the conditions in the Placing Agreement save that the above conditions relating, inter alia, to Admission taking place, the Company allotting and/or issuing, as applicable, the Placing Shares and the publication by the Company of the results of the Placing may not be waived. Any such extension or waiver will not affect Placees' commitments as set out in this Announcement.

None of the Banks shall have any liability to any Placee (or to any other person whether acting on behalf of a Placee or otherwise) in respect of any decision it may make as to whether or not to waive or to extend the time and/or date for the satisfaction of any condition to the Placing nor for any decision it may make as to the satisfaction of any condition or in respect of the Placing generally and by participating in the Placing each Placee agrees that any such decision is within the absolute discretion of the Banks.

By participating in the Bookbuild, each Placee agrees that its rights and obligations hereunder terminate only in the circumstances described above and under "Termination of the Placing Agreement" below, and will not be capable of rescission or termination by the Placee.

Termination of the Placing Agreement

Each Bank may, in its absolute discretion, at any time on or before Admission, terminate the Placing Agreement in accordance with its terms in certain circumstances as set out below, save that if one or more of the Banks (the "Continuing Bank(s)") still wish to allow Admission to proceed on the basis of the Transaction Documents subject to (i) such amendment, updating or supplementing of the Transaction Documents and/or (ii) the publication by the Company of such announcement or announcements, in each case as the Continuing Bank(s) may require and the Company may agree, they may do so (in which case the Placing Agreement shall not terminate in respect of the Continuing Bank(s) and the Company) and the Continuing Bank(s) shall assume all obligations of the other Bank(s) which remain to be performed under the Placing Agreement.

Circumstances in which each Bank may, in its absolute discretion, terminate the Placing Agreement in accordance with its terms include, inter alia, if: (i) there has been a breach by the Company of any of the obligations, material undertakings or material covenants contained in or given pursuant to the Placing Agreement or any of the warranties not being, or ceasing to be, true, accurate and not misleading which, in each case, any Bank considers (acting in good faith) to be material in the context of the Company, the Group, the Placing, Admission or the aftermarket for the Placing Shares; (ii) in the sole opinion of any Bank (acting in good faith), there has been a Material Adverse Effect (whether or not foreseeable at the date of the Placing Agreement); (iii) either of the Company's  applications for Admission are withdrawn and/or refused by the FCA or the London Stock Exchange; or (iv) there has occurred any change in the financial markets in the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union or in other international financial markets, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof, any act of terrorism or war or any declaration of emergency or martial law or other calamity or crisis (including without limitation, a significant escalation in the COVID-19 pandemic/epidemic on or after the date of this agreement) in the UK, USA or EEA or any change or development involving a prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic conditions, currency exchange rates or exchange controls, whether or not foreseeable at the date of this agreement, in each case the effect of which (either singly or together with any other event referred in this paragraph) is such as to make it, in the sole opinion of any Bank (acting in good faith), impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the Placing, the underwriting of the Placing Shares or Admission or the marketing and distribution of the Placing Shares.

By participating in the Placing, Placees agree that the exercise by the any of the Banks of any right of termination or other discretion under the Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute discretion of the Banks or for agreement between the Company and the Banks (as the case may be) and that neither the Company nor the Banks need make any reference to, or consultation with, Placees and that neither they nor any of their respective Affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees shall have any liability to Placees whatsoever in connection with any such exercise.

No prospectus

No offering document, prospectus or admission document has been or will be prepared or submitted to be approved by the FCA (or any other authority) in relation to the Placing, and Placees' commitments will be made solely on the basis of publicly available information taken together with the information contained in this Announcement, and any Exchange Information (as defined below) previously published by or on behalf of the Company simultaneously with or prior to the date of this Announcement and subject to the further terms set forth in the contract note to be provided to individual prospective Placees.

Each Placee, by accepting a participation in the Placing, agrees that the content of this Announcement and the publicly available information released by or on behalf of the Company is exclusively the responsibility of the Company and confirms to the Banks and the Company that it has neither received nor relied on any other information, representation, warranty, or statement made by or on behalf of the Company (other than publicly available information) or the Banks or their respective Affiliates or any other person and none of the Banks, the Company, or any of their respective Affiliates or any other person will be liable for any Placee's decision to participate in the Placing based on any other information, representation, warranty or statement which the Placees may have obtained or received (regardless of whether or not such information, representation, warranty or statement was given or made by or on behalf of any such persons). By participating in the Placing, each Placee acknowledges and agrees that it has relied on its own investigation of the business, financial or other position of the Company in accepting a participation in the Placing. Nothing in this paragraph shall exclude or limit the liability of any person for fraudulent misrepresentation by that person.

Lock-up

The Company has undertaken to the Banks that, between the date of the Placing Agreement and 180 calendar days after the Closing Date, it will not, without the prior written consent of the Banks (acting jointly) enter into certain transactions involving or relating to the Ordinary Shares, subject to certain carve-outs agreed between the Banks and the Company.

By participating in the Placing, Placees agree that the exercise by the Banks of any power to grant consent to waive the undertaking by the Company of a transaction which would otherwise be subject to the lock-up under the Placing Agreement shall be within the absolute discretion of the Banks and that they need not make any reference to, or consultation with, Placees and that they shall have no liability to Placees whatsoever in connection with any such exercise of the power to grant consent.

Registration and settlement

Settlement of transactions in the Placing Shares (ISIN: GB00BTCOLB89) following Admission will take place within the relevant system administered by Euroclear ("CREST"), using the delivery versus payment mechanism, subject to certain exceptions. Subject to certain exceptions, the Banks and the Company reserve the right to require settlement for, and delivery of, the Placing Shares to Placees by such other means that they deem necessary if delivery or settlement is not practicable in CREST within the timetable set out in this Announcement or would not be consistent with the regulatory requirements in the Placee's jurisdiction.

Following the close of the Bookbuild for the Placing, each Placee allocated Placing Shares in the Placing will be sent a contract note stating the number of Placing Shares to be allocated to it at the Placing Price, the aggregate amount owed by such Placee to the Banks and settlement instructions. Placees should settle against CREST ID: 393. It is expected that such contract note will be despatched on or around 14 May 2020 and that this will also be the trade date.

Each Placee agrees that it will do all things necessary to ensure that delivery and payment is completed in accordance with either the standing CREST or certificated settlement instructions that it has in place with the relevant Bank.

The Company will deliver the Placing Shares to a CREST account operated by Jefferies as agent for the Company and Jefferies will enter its delivery (DEL) instruction into the CREST system. Jefferies will hold any Placing Shares delivered to this account as nominee for the Placees. The input to CREST by a Placee of a matching or acceptance instruction will then allow delivery of the relevant Placing Shares to that Placee against payment.

It is expected that settlement will be on (i) 14 May 2020, if the Company needs to effect the Share Split; or (ii) 27 April 2020, if the Company does not need to effect the Share Split, in accordance with the instructions given to the Banks.

Interest is chargeable daily on payments not received from Placees on the due date in accordance with the arrangements set out above at the rate of two percentage points above LIBOR as determined by the Banks.

Each Placee agrees that, if it does not comply with these obligations, the Banks may sell any or all of the Placing Shares allocated to that Placee on such Placee's behalf and retain from the proceeds, for the Company's account and benefit, an amount equal to the aggregate amount owed by the Placee plus any interest due. The relevant Placee will, however, remain liable for any shortfall below the aggregate amount owed by it and shall be required to bear any stamp duty, stamp duty reserve tax or other stamp, securities, transfer, registration, execution, documentary or other similar impost, duty or tax (together with any interest or penalties) which may arise upon the sale of such Placing Shares on such Placee's behalf.

If Placing Shares are to be delivered to a custodian or settlement agent, Placees should ensure that the contract note is copied and delivered immediately to the relevant person within that organisation. Insofar as Placing Shares are registered in a Placee's name or that of its nominee or in the name of any person for whom a Placee is contracting as agent or that of a nominee for such person, such Placing Shares should, subject to as provided below, be so registered free from any liability to UK stamp duty or UK stamp duty reserve tax. If there are any circumstances in which any other stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax (and/or any interest, fines or penalties relating thereto) is payable in respect of the allocation, allotment, issue or delivery of the Placing Shares (or for the avoidance of doubt if any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax is payable in connection with any subsequent transfer of or agreement to transfer Placing Shares), neither the Banks nor the Company shall be responsible for the payment thereof.

Representations and warranties

By participating in the Placing each Placee (and any person acting on such Placee's behalf) irrevocably acknowledges, confirms, undertakes, represents, warrants and agrees (as the case may be) with the Banks (in their capacity as joint global coordinators and joint bookrunners and as placing agents of the Company in respect of the Placing) and the Company, in each case as a fundamental term of its application for Placing Shares, the following:

14.  it has read and understood this Announcement, including this Appendix, in its entirety and that its subscription for and purchase of Placing Shares is subject to and based upon all the terms, conditions, representations, warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings and other information contained herein and undertakes not to redistribute or duplicate this Announcement and that it has not relied on, and will not rely on, any information given or any representations, warranties or statements made at any time by any person in connection with Admission, the Bookbuild, the Placing, the Company, the Placing Shares or otherwise;

15.  that no offering document or prospectus or admission document has been or will be prepared in connection with the Placing or is required under the Prospectus Regulation and it has not received and will not receive a prospectus, admission document or other offering document in connection with the Bookbuild, the Placing or the Placing Shares;

16.  that certain Ordinary Shares are admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange and that the Company is therefore required to publish certain business and financial information in accordance with MAR and the rules and practices of the London Stock Exchange and/or the FCA (collectively, the "Exchange Information"), which includes a description of the nature of the Company's business and the Company's most recent balance sheet and profit and loss account, and similar statements for preceding financial years and that it has reviewed such Exchange Information and that it is able to obtain or access such Exchange Information;

17.  that none of the Banks, the Company or any of their respective Affiliates nor any person acting on behalf of any of them has provided, and none of them will provide, it with any material or information regarding the Placing Shares, the Bookbuild, the Placing or the Company or any other person other than this Announcement, nor has it requested any of the Banks, the Company, or any of their respective Affiliates nor any person acting on behalf of any of them to provide it with any such material or information;

18.  unless otherwise specifically agreed with the Banks, that they are not, and at the time the Placing Shares are acquired, neither it nor the beneficial owner of the Placing Shares will be, a resident of a Restricted Territory or any other jurisdiction in which it would be unlawful to make or accept an offer to acquire the Placing Shares, and further acknowledges that the Placing Shares have not been and will not be registered or otherwise qualified, for offer and sale nor will an offering document, prospectus or admission document be cleared or approved in respect of any of the Placing Shares under the securities legislation of the United States or any other Restricted Territory and, subject to certain exceptions, may not be offered, sold, transferred, delivered or distributed, directly or indirectly, in or into those jurisdictions or in any country or jurisdiction where any such action for that purpose is required;

19.  that the content of this Announcement is exclusively the responsibility of the Company and that none of the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on their behalf has or shall have any responsibility or liability for any information, representation or statement contained in this Announcement or any information previously or subsequently published by or on behalf of the Company, including, without limitation, any Exchange Information, and will not be liable for any Placee's decision to participate in the Placing based on any information, representation or statement contained in this Announcement or any information previously published by or on behalf of the Company or otherwise. Each Placee further represents, warrants and agrees that the only information on which it is entitled to rely and on which such Placee has relied in committing itself to acquire the Placing Shares is contained in this Announcement and any Exchange Information, such information being all that it deems necessary to make an investment decision in respect of the Placing Shares, and that it has neither received nor relied on any other information given or investigations, representations, warranties or statements made by the Banks or the Company and none of the Banks or the Company will be liable for any Placee's decision to accept an invitation to participate in the Placing based on any other information, representation, warranty or statement. Each Placee further acknowledges and agrees that it has relied on its own investigation of the business, financial or other position of the Company in deciding to participate in the Placing and that none of the Banks or any of their respective Affiliates have made any representations to it, express or implied, with respect to the Company, the Bookbuild, the Placing and the Placing Shares or the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the Exchange Information, and each of them expressly disclaims any liability in respect thereof. Nothing in this paragraph or otherwise in this Announcement excludes the liability of any person for fraudulent misrepresentation made by that person;

20.  that it has not relied on any information relating to the Company contained in any research reports prepared by the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on the Banks' or any of their respective Affiliates' behalf and understands that (i) none of the Banks,any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on its behalf has or shall have any liability for public information or any representation; (ii) none of the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on its behalf has or shall have any liability for any additional information that has otherwise been made available to such Placee, whether at the date of publication, the date of this document or otherwise; and that (iii) none of the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on their behalf makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of such information, whether at the date of publication, the date of this Announcement or otherwise;

21.  that the allocation, allotment, issue and delivery to it, or the person specified by it for registration as holder, of Placing Shares will not give rise to a liability under any of sections 67, 70, 93 or 96 of the Finance Act 1986 (depositary receipts and clearance services) and that it is not participating in the Placing as nominee or agent for any person to whom the allocation, allotment, issue or delivery of the Placing Shares would give rise to such a liability and that the Placing Shares are not being acquired in connection with arrangements to issue depositary receipts or to issue or transfer Placing Shares into a clearance service;

22.  acknowledges that no action has been or will be taken by the Company, the Banks or any person acting on behalf of the Company or the Banks that would, or is intended to, permit a public offer of the Placing Shares in any country or jurisdiction where any such action for that purpose is required;

23.  that it and any person acting on its behalf is entitled to acquire the Placing Shares under the laws of all relevant jurisdictions which apply to it and that it has fully observed such laws and obtained all such governmental and other guarantees, permits, authorisations, approvals and consents which may be required thereunder and complied with all necessary formalities and that it has not taken any action or omitted to take any action which will or may result in the Banks, the Company or any of their respective Affiliates acting in breach of the legal or regulatory requirements of any jurisdiction in connection with the Placing;

24.  that it (and any person acting on its behalf) has all necessary capacity and has obtained all necessary consents and authorities to enable it to commit to its participation in the Placing and to perform its obligations in relation thereto (including, without limitation, in the case of any person on whose behalf it is acting, all necessary consents and authorities to agree to the terms set out or referred to in this Announcement) and will honour such obligations;

25.  that it has complied with its obligations under the Criminal Justice Act 1993, the EU Market Abuse Regulation and in connection with money laundering and terrorist financing under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (as amended), the Terrorism Act 2000, the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001, the Terrorism Act 2006, the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 and the Money Laundering Sourcebook of the FCA and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines issued, administered or enforced by any government agency having jurisdiction in respect thereof (the "Regulations") and, if making payment on behalf of a third party, that satisfactory evidence has been obtained and recorded by it to verify the identity of the third party as required by the Regulations. If within a reasonable time after a request for verification of identity, the Banks have not received such satisfactory evidence, the Banks may, in their absolute discretion, terminate the Placee's Placing participation in which event all funds delivered by the Placee to the Banks will be returned without interest to the account of the drawee bank or CREST account from which they were originally debited;

26.  that it is acting as principal only in respect of the Placing or, if it is acting for any other person: (i) it is duly authorised to do so and has full power to make, and does make, the acknowledgments, representations and agreements herein on behalf of each such person; and (ii) it is and will remain liable to the Banks and the Company for the performance of all its obligations as a Placee in respect of the Placing (regardless of the fact that it is acting for another person);

27.  if in a Member State of the EEA and except as disclosed in this Announcement under "Details of the Placing", that it is a "Qualified Investor" within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation;

28.  if in the United Kingdom, that it is a Qualified Investor: (i) who falls within the definition of "investment professional" in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order") or (ii) who falls within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) ("High Net Worth Companies, Unincorporated Associations, etc.") of the Order or (iii) to whom this Announcement may otherwise lawfully be communicated and it undertakes that it will acquire, hold, manage and (if applicable) dispose of any Placing Shares that are allocated to it for the purposes of its business only;

29.  that it will not distribute, transfer or otherwise transmit this Announcement or any part of it, or any other presentation or other materials concerning the Placing, in or into the United States (including electronic copies thereof) to any person, and it has not distributed, forwarded, transferred or otherwise transmitted any such materials to any person;

30.  where it is acquiring the Placing Shares for one or more managed accounts, it represents, warrants and undertakes that it is authorised in writing by each managed account to acquire the Placing Shares for each managed account and it has full power to make the acknowledgements, representations and agreements herein on behalf of each such account;

31.  that if it is a pension fund or investment company, it represents, warrants and undertakes that its acquisition of Placing Shares is in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations;

32.  if it is acting as a financial intermediary, as that term is used in Article 2(d) of the Prospectus Regulation, that the Placing Shares acquired for by it in the Placing will not be acquired for on a non-discretionary basis on behalf of, nor will they be acquired for with a view to their offer or resale to, persons in a member state of the EEA other than Qualified Investors or persons in the United Kingdom other than Relevant Persons, or in circumstances in which the prior consent of the Banks has been given to the proposed offer or resale;

33.  that it has not offered or sold and, prior to the expiry of a period of six months from Admission, will not offer or sell any Placing Shares to persons in the United Kingdom, except to Relevant Persons or otherwise in circumstances which have not resulted and which will not result in an offer to the public in the United Kingdom within the meaning of section 85(1) of FSMA;

34.  that any offer of Placing Shares may only be directed at persons in member states of the EEA who are Qualified Investors and represents, warrants and undertakes that it has not offered or sold and will not offer or sell any Placing Shares to persons in the EEA prior to Admission except to Qualified Investors or otherwise in circumstances which have not resulted in and which will not result in an offer to the public in any member state of the EEA within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation;

35.  that it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the FSMA) relating to the Placing Shares in circumstances in which section 21(1) of the FSMA does not require approval of the communication by an authorised person;

36.  that it has complied and will comply with all applicable laws (including all relevant provisions of the FSMA) with respect to anything done by it in relation to the Placing Shares in respect of anything done in, from or otherwise involving, the United Kingdom;

37.  if it has received any inside sensitive information about the Company in advance of the Placing, it has not: (i) dealt in the securities of the Company; (ii) encouraged or required another person to deal in the securities of the Company; or (iii) disclosed such information to any person except as permitted by the MAR, prior to the information being made publicly available;

38.  that (i) it (and any person acting on its behalf) has capacity and authority and is otherwise entitled to purchase the Placing Shares under the laws of all relevant jurisdictions which apply to it; (ii) it has paid any issue, transfer or other taxes due in connection with its participation in any territory; (iii) it has not taken any action which will or may result in the Company, the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on their behalf being in breach of the legal and/or regulatory requirements and/or any anti-money laundering requirements of any territory in connection with the Placing; and (iv) that the subscription for and purchase of the Placing Shares by it or any person acting on its behalf will be in compliance with applicable laws and regulations in the jurisdiction of its residence, the residence of the Company, or otherwise;

39.  that it (and any person acting on its behalf) will make payment for the Placing Shares allocated to it in accordance with this Announcement on the due time and date set out herein against delivery of such Placing Shares to it, failing which the relevant Placing Shares may be placed with other Placees or sold as the Banks may in their absolute discretion determine and without liability to such Placee. It will, however, remain liable for any shortfall below the net proceeds of such sale and the placing proceeds of such Placing Shares and may be required to bear any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax (together with any interest or penalties) due pursuant to the terms set out or referred to in this Announcement which may arise upon the sale of such Placee's Placing Shares on its behalf;

40.  that its allocation (if any) of Placing Shares will represent a maximum number of Placing Shares to which it will be entitled, and required, to acquire, and that the Banks or the Company may call upon it to acquire a lower number of Placing Shares (if any), but in no event in aggregate more than the aforementioned maximum;

41.  that none of the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on their behalf, is making any recommendations to it, or advising it regarding the suitability or merits of any transactions it may enter into in connection with the Placing and that participation in the Placing is on the basis that it is not and will not be a client of the Banks and that the Banks do not have any duties or responsibilities to it for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients or customers or for providing advice in relation to the Placing nor in respect of any representations, warranties, undertakings or indemnities contained in the Placing Agreement nor for the exercise or performance of any of the Banks' rights and obligations thereunder including any rights to waive or vary any conditions or exercise any termination right;

42.  that the person whom it specifies for registration as holder of the Placing Shares will be (i) itself or (ii) its nominee, as the case may be. None of the Banks, the Company or any of their respective Affiliates will be responsible for any liability to stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or other similar duties or taxes (together with any interest or penalties) resulting from a failure to observe this requirement. Each Placee and any person acting on behalf of such Placee agrees to indemnify each of the Banks, the Company and any of their respective Affiliates in respect of the same on an after-tax basis on the basis that the Placing Shares will be allotted to the CREST stock account of Jefferies who will hold them as nominee on behalf of such Placee until settlement in accordance with its standing settlement instructions;

43.  that these terms and conditions and any agreements entered into by it pursuant to these terms and conditions, and any non-contractual obligations arising out of or in connection with such agreements, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales and it subjects (on behalf of itself and on behalf of any person on whose behalf it is acting) to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts as regards any claim, dispute or matter arising out of any such contract, except that enforcement proceedings in respect of the obligation to make payment for the Placing Shares (together with any interest chargeable thereon) may be taken by the Banks or the Company in any jurisdiction in which the relevant Placee is incorporated or in which any of its securities have a quotation on a recognised stock exchange;

44.  that each of the Banks, the Company and their respective Affiliates and others will rely upon the truth and accuracy of the representations, warranties, agreements, undertakings and acknowledgements set forth herein and which are given to each of the Banks on their own behalf and on behalf of the Company and are irrevocable and it irrevocably authorises each of the Banks and the Company to produce this Announcement, pursuant to, in connection with, or as may be required by any applicable law or regulation, administrative or legal proceeding or official inquiry with respect to the matters set forth herein;

45.  that it will indemnify on an after-tax basis and hold each of the Banks, the Company and their respective Affiliates and any person acting on their behalf harmless from any and all costs, claims, liabilities and expenses (including legal fees and expenses) arising out of, directly or indirectly, or in connection with any breach by it of the representations, warranties, acknowledgements, agreements and undertakings in this Appendix and further agrees that the provisions of this Appendix shall survive after completion of the Placing;

46.  acknowledges that it irrevocably appoints any director of the Banks as its agent for the purposes of executing and delivering to the Company and/or its registrars any documents on its behalf necessary to enable it to be registered as the holder of any of the Placing Shares agreed to be taken up by it under the Placing;

47.  that it acknowledges that its commitment to acquire Placing Shares on the terms set out herein and in the contract note will continue notwithstanding any amendment that may in future be made to the terms and conditions of the Placing and that Placees will have no right to be consulted or require that their consent be obtained with respect to the Company's or the Banks' conduct of the Placing;

48.  that in making any decision to acquire the Placing Shares (i) it has sufficient knowledge, sophistication and experience in financial, business and international investment matters as is required to evaluate the merits and risks of subscribing for or purchasing the Placing Shares, (ii) it is experienced in investing in securities of this nature in this sector and is aware that it may be required to bear, and is able to bear, the economic risk of participating in, and is able to sustain a complete loss in connection with, the Placing, (iii) it has relied on its own examination, due diligence and analysis of the Company and its Affiliates taken as a whole, including the markets in which the Group operates, and the terms of the Placing, including the merits and risks involved and not upon any view expressed or information provided by or on behalf of the Banks, (iv) it has had sufficient time and access to information to consider and conduct its own investigation with respect to the offer and purchase of the Placing Shares, including the legal, regulatory, tax, business, currency and other economic and financial considerations relevant to such investment and has so conducted its own investigation to the extent it deems necessary for the purposes of its investigation, and (v) it will not look to the Company, the Banks, any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on their behalf for all or part of any such loss or losses it or they may suffer;

49.  acknowledges and agrees that neither the Banks nor the Company owe any fiduciary or other duties to it or any Placee in respect of any representations, warranties, undertakings or indemnities in the Placing Agreement;

50.  understands and agrees that it may not rely on any investigation that the Banks or any person acting on its behalf may or may not have conducted with respect to the Company and its Affiliates or the Placing and the Banks have not made any representation or warranty to it, express or implied, with respect to the merits of the Placing, the subscription for or purchase of the Placing Shares, or as to the condition, financial or otherwise, of the Company and its Affiliates, or as to any other matter relating thereto, and nothing herein shall be construed as any investment or other recommendation to it to acquire the Placing Shares. It acknowledges and agrees that no information has been prepared by, or is the responsibility of, the Banks for the purposes of this Placing;

51.  acknowledges and agrees that it will not hold any of the Banks or any of their respective Affiliates or any person acting on their behalf responsible or liable for any misstatements in or omission from any publicly available information relating to the Group or information made available (whether in written or oral form) relating to the Group (the "Information") and that none of the Banks or any person acting on behalf of the Banks makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of such Information or accepts any responsibility for any of such Information;

52.  that in connection with the Placing, the Banks and any of their respective Affiliates acting as an investor for its own account may take up shares in the Company and in that capacity may retain, purchase or sell for its own account such shares in the Company and any securities of the Company or related investments and may offer or sell such securities or other investments otherwise than in connection with the Placing. Accordingly, references in this Announcement to shares being issued, offered or placed should be read as including any issue, offering or placement of such shares in the Company to the Banks and any of their respective Affiliates acting in such capacity. In addition, the Banks may enter into financing arrangements and swaps with investors in connection with which the Banks may from time to time acquire, hold or dispose of such securities of the Company, including the Placing Shares. None of the Banks or any of their respective Affiliates intend to disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligation to do so;

53.  acknowledges that (i) the Placing Shares have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or under the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States, nor approved or disapproved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission in the United States or any other United States regulatory authority; (ii) subject to certain exceptions, the Placing Shares are being offered and sold outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S; and (iii) the Placing Shares may not be reoffered, resold, pledged or otherwise transferred except in transactions not requiring registration under the Securities Act;

54.  represents and warrants that, subject to certain exceptions, (a) each of it and each beneficial owner of the Placing Shares for whom it is acting is and at the time the Placing Shares are acquired will be, located outside the United States and is and will be acquiring the Placing Shares in an "offshore transaction" as defined in, and in accordance with, Regulation S and (b) it will not offer or sell, directly or indirectly, any of the Placing Shares except in an "offshore transaction" in accordance with Regulation S or in the United States pursuant to an available exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act;

55.  that it is not acquiring any of the Placing Shares as a result of any form of general solicitation or general advertising (within the meaning of Rule 502(c) of Regulation D under the Securities Act) or any form of directed selling efforts (as defined in Regulation S); and

56.  that the Placing Shares have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act or with any State or other jurisdiction of the United States, that the Placing Shares will be "restricted securities" within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act and that, if the Placee is located in the United States, the Placing Shares may not be reoffered, resold, pledged or otherwise transferred except (a) pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, (b) outside the United States pursuant to Rule 903 or Rule 904 of Regulation S under the Securities Act, (c) pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act (if available) or (d) in a transaction pursuant to another exemption from, or a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act, in each case in compliance with all applicable laws. Each such Placee agrees that it will notify any transferee to whom it subsequently reoffers, resells, pledges or otherwise transfers the Placing Shares of the foregoing restrictions on transfer. For so long as the Placing Shares are "restricted securities", each such Placee agrees that it shall not deposit such Placing Shares in any unrestricted depositary facility established or maintained by a depositary bank, and each such Placee also understands that no representation can be made by the Company or the Banks as to the availability of Rule 144, Rule 144A or any other exemption under the Securities Act for the reoffer, resale, pledge or transfer of the Placing Shares.

The foregoing acknowledgements, agreements, undertakings, representations, warranties and confirmations are given for the benefit of the Company as well as each of the Banks (for their own benefit and, where relevant, the benefit of their respective Affiliates and any person acting on their behalf) and are irrevocable. Each Placee, and any person acting on behalf of a Placee, acknowledges that none of the Banks or the Company owe any fiduciary or other duties to any Placee in respect of any representations, warranties, undertakings or indemnities in the Placing Agreement.

Please also note that the agreement to allot and issue Placing Shares to Placees (or the persons for whom Placees are contracting as nominee or agent) free of UK stamp duty and UK stamp duty reserve tax relates only to their allotment and issue to Placees, or such persons as they nominate as their agents, direct from the Company for the Placing Shares in question. Neither the Company nor the Banks will be responsible for any UK stamp duty or UK stamp duty reserve tax (including any interest and penalties relating thereto) arising in relation to the Placing Shares in any other circumstances.

Such agreement is subject to the representations, warranties and further terms above and also assumes, and is based on a warranty from each Placee, that the Placing Shares are not being acquired in connection with arrangements to issue depositary receipts or to issue or transfer the Placing Shares into a clearance service. Neither the Banks nor the Company are liable to bear any stamp duty or stamp duty reserve tax or any other similar duties or taxes ("transfer taxes") that arise (i) if there are any such arrangements (or if any such arrangements arise subsequent to the acquisition by Placees of Placing Shares) or (ii) on a sale of Placing Shares, or (iii) for transfer taxes arising otherwise than under the laws of the United Kingdom. Each Placee to whom (or on behalf of whom, or in respect of the person for whom it is participating in the Placing as an agent or nominee) the allocation, allotment, issue or delivery of Placing Shares has given rise to such transfer taxes undertakes to pay such transfer taxes forthwith, and agrees to indemnify on an after-tax basis and hold the Banks and/or the Company and their respective Affiliates harmless from any such transfer taxes, and all interest, fines or penalties in relation to such transfer taxes.  Each Placee should, therefore, take its own advice as to whether any such transfer tax liability arises.

Each Placee and any person acting on behalf of each Placee acknowledges and agrees that any of the Banks or any of their respective Affiliates may, at their absolute discretion, agree to become a Placee in respect of some or all of the Placing Shares. Each Placee acknowledges and is aware that the Banks are receiving a fee in connection with their role in respect of the Placing as detailed in the Placing Agreement.

When a Placee or person acting on behalf of the Placee is dealing with the Banks, any money held in an account with any of the Banks on behalf of the Placee and/or any person acting on behalf of the Placee will not be treated as client money within the meaning of the rules and regulations of the FCA made under the FSMA. The Placee acknowledges that the money will not be subject to the protections conferred by the client money rules; as a consequence, this money will not be segregated from the Banks' money in accordance with the client money rules and will be used by the Banks in the course of its own business; and the Placee will rank only as a general creditor of the Banks.

All times and dates in this Announcement may be subject to amendment by the Banks (in their absolute discretion). The Banks shall notify the Placees and any person acting on behalf of the Placees of any changes.

Past performance is no guide to future performance and persons needing advice should consult an independent financial adviser.

The rights and remedies of the Banks and the Company under these Terms and Conditions are in addition to any rights and remedies which would otherwise be available to each of them and the exercise or partial exercise of one will not prevent the exercise of others.

Each Placee may be asked to disclose in writing or orally to the Banks:

(a)  if he or she is an individual, his or her nationality; or

(b)  if he or she is a discretionary fund manager, the jurisdiction in which the funds are managed or owned.

Appendix 2

Definitions

The following definitions apply throughout this Announcement unless the context otherwise requires:

1  Admission		means admission of the Placing Shares to the premium listing segment of the Official List and to trading on the London Stock Exchange's main market for listed securities;
2  Admission Announcement		means the press announcement in the agreed form announcing Admission to be released outside the United States by the Company;
3  Affiliate		has the meaning given in Rule 501(b) of Regulation D under the Securities Act or Rule 405 under the Securities Act, as applicable and, in the case of the Company, includes its subsidiary undertakings;
4  Announcement		means this announcement (including its Appendices);
5  Banks		means Jefferies, Peel Hunt, Barclays and BNP Paribas;
6  Barclays		means Barclays Bank PLC, acting through its investment bank;
7  BNP Paribas		means BNP PARIBAS;
8  Bookbuild		means the bookbuilding process to be commenced by the Banks to use their respective reasonable endeavours to procure placees for the Placing Shares, as described in this Announcement and subject to the terms and conditions set out in this Announcement and the Placing Agreement;
9  Circular		means the shareholder circular to be dated on or around the date of this agreement, including the General Meeting Notice, in connection with convening the General Meeting;
10  Closing Date		means the day on which the transactions effected in connection with the Placing will be settled;
11  Company		means DFS Furniture PLC;
12  CREST		means the relevant system (as defined in the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001 (SI 2001 No. 3755)) in respect of which Euroclear is the Operator (as defined in such Regulations) in accordance with which securities may be held and transferred in uncertificated form;
13  Euroclear		means Euroclear UK & Ireland Limited, a company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales;
14  FCA or Financial Conduct Authority		means the UK Financial Conduct Authority;
15  Form of Proxy		means the form of proxy in the agreed form to be sent to shareholders of the Company for use in connection with the General Meeting;
16  FSMA		means the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended);
17  General Meeting		means the general meeting of the Company to be convened for the General Meeting Date if the Company needs to effect the Share Split in order to complete the Placing, at which the Shareholder Resolutions will be proposed;
18  General Meeting Date		means 13 May 2020 or, if the General Meeting is adjourned with the prior written consent of each of the Banks, the date of any such adjourned meeting;
19  General Meeting Notice		means the notice in the agreed form convening the GM;
20  General Meeting Results Announcement		means the announcement giving details of the results of the General Meeting;
21  Group		means the Company and its subsidiary undertakings;
22  Investor Representation Letter		means the letter in the form set out in the Placing Agreement;
23  Jefferies		means Jefferies International Limited;
24  Listing Rules		means the rules and regulations made by the FCA under FSMA;
25  LSE or London Stock Exchange		means London Stock Exchange plc;
26  MAR		means the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No.596/2014;
27  Material Adverse Effect		means a material adverse effect or change (whether or not foreseeable at the date of this agreement) in, or any development reasonably likely to involve a prospective material adverse change in or affecting, the condition (financial, operational, management, legal, regulatory or otherwise) or in the earnings, management, results of operations, business affairs or business prospects of the Group taken as a whole, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business;
28  Option Agreement		means the option agreement entered into between the Company, Jefferies and Club Financing Limited on or about the date hereof;
29  Ordinary Share		means an ordinary share of 150 pence each in the capital of the Company and/or, following the Share Split if applicable, the ordinary shares of 10 pence each in the capital of the Company, as the context may require;
30  Peel Hunt		means Peel Hunt LLP;
31  Placee		means any person (including individuals, funds or otherwise) by whom or on whose behalf a commitment to acquire Placing Shares has been given;
32  Placing		has the meaning given to that term in paragraph 1 of this Announcement;
33  Placing Agreement		has the meaning given to that term in Appendix 1 to this Announcement;
34  Placing Price		means the price per Ordinary Share at which the Placing Shares are placed;
35  Placing Shares		has the meaning given to that term in paragraph 1 of this Announcement;
36  Placing Terms		has the meaning given to that term in Appendix 1 to this Announcement;
37  Press Announcements		means this Announcement, the Pricing Announcement, the General Meeting Results Announcement, the Admission Announcement (if any), the Trading Update and any other document or announcement issued or published by or on behalf of the Company in connection with the Placing, each containing the legend required by Rule 135e of the Securities Act, and "Press Announcement" means any one of them;
38  Pricing Announcement		means the announcement published by the Company confirming the results of the Placing on a Regulatory Information Service immediately following the execution of the Placing Terms;
39  Prospectus Regulation		means the Prospectus Regulation (EU) 2017/1129;
40  QIB		means qualified institutional buyers as defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act;
41  Regulation S		means Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act;
42  Regulatory Information Service		means any of the services set out in Appendix 3 of the Listing Rules;
43  Restricted Territory		means the United States, Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan;
44  Securities Act		means the US Securities Act of 1933;
45  Share Split		means a share subdivision pursuant to which (if and only if the Placing Price is less than £1.50 per Placing Share) each existing ordinary share of £1.50 in the capital of the Company will be subdivided into one new ordinary share of £0.10 in the capital of the Company and one deferred share of £1.40 in the capital of the Company.
46  Shareholder Resolutions		means the two ordinary resolutions set out in the General Meeting Notice in relation to the Share Split;
47  Subscription and Transfer Agreement		means the subscription and transfer agreement entered into between the Company, Jefferies and Club Financing Limited on or about the date hereof;
48  subsidiary		has the meaning given to that term in the Companies Act 2006;
49  subsidiary undertaking		has the meaning given to that term in the Companies Act 2006;
50  Terms and Conditions		means the terms and conditions of the Placing set out in Appendix 1 to this Announcement;
51  Trading Update		has the meaning given to that term on page 2 of this Announcement;
52  Transaction Documents		Means, inter alia, each of the General Meeting Notice, this Announcement and the Press Announcements;
53  uncertificated or in uncertificated form		means in respect of a share or other security, where that share or other security is recorded on the relevant register of the share or security concerned as being held in uncertificated form in CREST and title to which may be transferred by means of CREST;
54  United Kingdom or UK		means the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; and
55  United States or US		means the United States of America, its territories and possessions, any state of the United States of America, the District of Columbia and all other areas subject to its jurisdiction and any political sub-division thereof.

Unless otherwise indicated in this Announcement, all references to "£", "GBP", "pounds", ''pound sterling'', "sterling'', "p", "penny" or ''pence'' are to the lawful currency of the UK.  All references to "US$", "$" or "dollars" are to the lawful currency of the United States of America.

IMPORTANT NOTICES

The distribution of this Announcement and the offering of the Placing Shares in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. No action has been taken by the Company, the Banks or any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees that would permit an offer of the Placing Shares or possession or distribution of this Announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating to such Placing Shares in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Persons into whose possession this Announcement comes are required by the Company and the Banks to inform themselves about, and to observe, such restrictions.

No prospectus will be made available in connection with the matters contained in this Announcement and no such prospectus is required (in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1129, as amended from time to time (the "Prospectus Regulation")) to be published. This Announcement is being distributed to persons in the United Kingdom only in circumstances in which section 21(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended ("FSMA") does not apply. Persons needing advice should consult an independent financial adviser.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, INCLUDING THE APPENDICES AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THEM, IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (COLLECTIVELY, THE "UNITED STATES"), AUSTRALIA, CANADA, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.  FURTHER, THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT AN OFFER OF SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED BY THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, NOR IS IT INTENDED THAT IT WILL BE SO APPROVED.

This Announcement or any part of it does not constitute or form part of any offer to issue or sell, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe for, any securities in the United States, Canada, Australia, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which the same would be unlawful. No public offering of the Placing Shares is being made in any such jurisdiction.

The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act 1933 (the "Securities Act") or under the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States, and may not be offered or sold directly or indirectly in or into the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in compliance with the securities laws of any state or any other jurisdiction of the United States. The Placing Shares are, subject to certain exceptions, being offered and sold only outside the United States in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. No public offering of securities is being made in the United States. No money, securities or other consideration from any person inside the United States is being solicited and, if sent in response to the information contained in this Announcement, will not be accepted.

The relevant clearances have not been, nor will they be, obtained from the securities commission of any province or territory of Canada, no prospectus has been lodged with, or registered by, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission or the Japanese Ministry of Finance; the relevant clearances have not been, and will not be, obtained for the South Africa Reserve Bank or any other applicable body in the Republic of South Africa in relation to the Placing Shares and the Placing Shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under or offering in compliance with the securities laws of any state, province or territory of Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa or Japan.  Accordingly, the Placing Shares may not (unless an exemption under the relevant securities laws is applicable) be offered, sold, resold or delivered, directly or indirectly, in or into Australia, Canada, the Republic of South Africa, or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which such activities would be unlawful.

By participating in the Bookbuilding Process and the Placing, each person who is invited to and who chooses to participate in the Placing (each a "Placee") by making an oral and legally binding offer to acquire Placing Shares will be deemed to have read and understood this Announcement in its entirety, to be participating, making an offer and acquiring Placing Shares on the terms and conditions contained in the Appendices to this Announcement and to be providing the representations, warranties, indemnities, acknowledgements and undertakings contained in the Appendices to this Announcement.

Certain statements contained in this Announcement may constitute "forward-looking statements" with respect to the financial condition, performance, strategic initiatives, objectives, results of operations and business of the Company. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this Announcement are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements.  Without limitation, any statements preceded or followed by or that include the words ''targets'', ''plans'', ''believes'', ''expects'', ''aims'', ''intends'', ''anticipates'', ''estimates'', ''projects'', ''will'', ''may'', "would", "could" or "should", or words or terms of similar substance or the negative thereof, are forward-looking statements.  Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect expected results and are based on certain key assumptions.  Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those projected or implied in any forward-looking statements.  The important factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, economic and business cycles, the terms and conditions of the Company's financing arrangements, foreign currency rate fluctuations, competition in the Company's principal markets, acquisitions or disposals of businesses or assets and trends in the Company's principal industries.  Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the events described in the forward-looking statements in this Announcement may not occur. The forward-looking statements contained in this Announcement speak only as of the date of this Announcement.  The Company, its directors and the Banks each expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required to do so by applicable law or regulation, the Listing Rules, MAR, the DTRs, the rules of the London Stock Exchange or the FCA.

Each of Jefferies and Peel Hunt is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA").  Barclays is authorised by the Prudential Regulatory Authority (the "PRA") and regulated in the United Kingdom by the PRA and the FCA.  BNP Paribas is lead supervised by the European Central Bank ("ECB") and the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution ("ACPR") (and its London Branch is authorised by the ECB, the ACPR and the PRA and subject to limited regulation by the FCA and the PRA).The Banks are acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection with the Placing, the content of this Announcement and other matters described in this Announcement.  The Banks will not regard any other person as their clients in relation to the Placing, the content of this Announcement and other matters described in this Announcement and will not be responsible to anyone (including any Placees) other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to their clients or for providing advice to any other person in relation to the Placing, the content of this Announcement or any other matters referred to in this Announcement.

This Announcement has been issued by and is the sole responsibility of the Company. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be made as to, or in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by the Banks or by any of their affiliates or agents as to, or in relation to, the accuracy or completeness of this Announcement or any other written or oral information made available to or publicly available to any interested party or its advisers, and any liability therefore is expressly disclaimed.

This Announcement does not constitute a recommendation concerning any investor's options with respect to the Placing. The price of shares and any income expected from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the full amount invested upon disposal of the shares. Past performance is no guide to future performance. The contents of this Announcement are not to be construed as legal, business, financial or tax advice. Each investor or prospective investor should consult his, her or its own legal adviser, business adviser, financial adviser or tax adviser for legal, financial, business or tax advice.

This Announcement does not identify or suggest, or purport to identify or suggest, the risks (direct or indirect) that may be associated with an investment in the Placing Shares. Any investment decision to buy Placing Shares in the Placing must be made solely on the basis of publicly available information, which has not been independently verified by the Banks.

Any indication in this Announcement of the price at which ordinary shares have been bought or sold in the past cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance. No statement in this Announcement is intended as a profit forecast or estimate for any period and no statement in this Announcement should be interpreted to mean that earnings, earnings per share or income, cash flow from operations or free cash flow for the Company, as appropriate, for the current or future years would necessarily match or exceed the historical published earnings, earnings per share or income, cash flow from operations or free cash flow for the Company.

The information in this Announcement may not be forwarded or distributed to any other person and may not be reproduced in any manner whatsoever. Any forwarding, distribution, reproduction or disclosure of this information in whole or in part is unauthorised. Failure to comply with this directive may result in a violation of the Securities Act or the applicable laws of other jurisdictions.

The Placing Shares to be issued or sold pursuant to the Placing will not be admitted to trading on any stock exchange other than the London Stock Exchange.

Neither the content of the Company's website (or any other website) nor the content of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Company's website (or any other website) is incorporated into or forms part of this Announcement.

This Announcement has been prepared for the purposes of complying with applicable law and regulation in the United Kingdom and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this Announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws and regulations of any jurisdiction outside the United Kingdom.

Information to Distributors

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; and (c) local implementing measures (together, the "MiFID II Product Governance Requirements"), and disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any 'manufacturer' (for the purposes of the MiFID II Product Governance Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Placing Shares have been subject to a product approval process, which has determined that such Placing Shares are: (i) compatible with an end target market of retail investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each as defined in MiFID II; and (ii) eligible for distribution through all distribution channels as are permitted by MiFID II (the "Target Market Assessment"). Notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, distributors should note that: the price of the Placing Shares may decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment; the Placing Shares offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an investment in the Placing Shares is compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom. The Target Market Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the Placing. Furthermore, it is noted that, notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, the Banks will only procure investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties.

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 (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 Placing Shares.

Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the Placing Shares and determining appropriate distribution channels.

NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING IN THE FOREGOING, NO PUBLIC OFFERING OF THE PLACING SHARES IS BEING MADE BY ANY PERSON ANYWHERE AND THE COMPANY HAS NOT AUTHORISED OR CONSENTED TO ANY SUCH OFFERING IN RELATION TO THE PLACING SHARES.

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact [e-mail] or visit www.rns.com.

 

END

 

 

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