Propose Director Placing

RNS Number : 1161T

Judges Scientific PLC

09 October 2017

 

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN, INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES (INCLUDING ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA), AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL ("RESTRICTED JURISDICTIONS").

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 ("MAR"). Market soundings, as defined in MAR, were taken in respect of the Placing, with the result that certain persons became aware of inside information, as permitted by MAR. That inside information is set out in this announcement. Therefore, those persons that received inside information during these market soundings are no longer in possession of inside information relating to the Company and its securities and the inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.

PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE END OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT

9 October 2017

Judges Scientific plc

("Judges Scientific", "the Company", or "the Group")

 Proposed Director Placing

 
Judges Scientific, a group involved in the buy and build of scientific instrument businesses, announces that David Cicurel, CEO of the Group, is proposing to sell ordinary shares in the Company ("Ordinary Shares"). This will broaden the shareholder base of the Company and assist the liquidity in the Company's shares.

David Cicurel intends to sell up to 157,727 Ordinary Shares (the "Placing Shares") at 1,900 pence per Ordinary Share (the "Placing"). The Placing Shares represent approximately 2.6 per cent. of the Company's current issued share capital. Assuming the full amount of Placing Shares are sold, David Cicurel will hold 759,227 Ordinary Shares in aggregate representing approximately 12.4 per cent. of the current issued share capital.

Shore Capital Stockbrokers Limited ("Shore Capital") is acting as sole Bookrunner in relation to the Placing.

David Cicurel has committed to entering into a 12 month restriction on the sale of Ordinary Shares ("Lock-in"). Under the terms of the Lock-in David Cicurel will enter into an irrevocable undertaking that he will not (and will procure, insofar as he is able, that any of his associates will not) dispose of any interest in ordinary shares for a period of 12 months following the Placing, save in certain very limited circumstances or without the written consent of the Company and Shore Capital.

For further enquiries, please contact:

Judges Scientific plc David Cicurel, CEO Brad Ormsby, FD	Tel: [phone]
Shore Capital (Nominated Adviser & Broker) Stephane Auton Edward Mansfield	Tel: [phone]
Abchurch (Financial Public Relations) Julian Bosdet/Dylan Mark/ Alejandra Campuzano	Tel: [phone]

Important Notice

MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND ANY OFFER OF SECURITIES TO WHICH IT RELATES ARE ONLY ADDRESSED TO AND DIRECTED AT (1) IN ANY MEMBER STATE OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA, PERSONS WHO ARE QUALIFIED INVESTORS WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 2(1)(E) OF EU DIRECTIVE 2003/71/EC (AND ANY AMENDMENTS THERETO, INCLUDING DIRECTIVE 2010/73/EU) AND ANY RELEVANT IMPLEMENTING MEASURES (THE "PROSPECTUS DIRECTIVE"); AND (2) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, PERSONS WHO (I) HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS WHO FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005 (AS AMENDED) (THE "ORDER"); OR (II) FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) OF THE ORDER OR (III) ARE PERSONS TO WHOM AN OFFER OF THE PLACING SHARES MAY OTHERWISE LAWFULLY BE MADE (ALL SUCH PERSONS REFERRED TO IN (1) AND (2) TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS"). THE INFORMATION REGARDING THE PLACING SET OUT IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST NOT BE ACTED ON OR RELIED ON BY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS. 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 and the information contained herein is for information purposes only and does not constitute or form part of any offer of, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire or dispose of securities in the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa or Japan or in any other jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is unlawful.

The Placing Shares are not being made available to the public and none of the Placing Shares are being offered or sold in any jurisdiction where it would be unlawful to do so. The Placing Shares have not been and will not be registered under the relevant laws of any of the Restricted Jurisdictions or any state, province or territory thereof and may not be offered, sold, resold, delivered or distributed, directly or indirectly in or into any Restricted Jurisdiction or to, or for the account or benefit of, any person with a registered address in, or who is a resident of or ordinarily resident in, or a citizen of, any Restricted Jurisdiction except pursuant to an applicable exemption.

The securities referred to herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "US Securities Act"), or under the applicable securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States or of Canada, Australia, South Africa or Japan. Such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States unless registered under the US Securities Act or offered in a transaction exempt from, or not otherwise subject to, the registration requirements of the US Securities Act and the securities laws of any relevant state or other jurisdiction of the United States. There will be no public offering of such securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction.

The securities referred to herein have not been approved or disapproved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or 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 a criminal offence in the United States.

No prospectus or offering document has been or will be prepared in connection with the Placing. Any investment decision to buy securities in the Placing must be made solely on the basis of publicly available information. Such information is not the responsibility of and has not been independently verified by any of the Company, David Cicurel, Shore Capital, or any of their respective affiliates.

Neither this announcement nor any copy of it may be taken, transmitted or distributed, directly or indirectly, in or into or from the United States (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia), Canada, Australia, South Africa or Japan. The distribution of this announcement may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession this document or other information referred to herein comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

The distribution of this announcement and the offering or sale of the Placing Shares in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. No action has been taken by David Cicurel, the Company, Shore Capital, or any of their respective affiliates, that would, or which is intended to, permit a public offer of the Placing Shares in any jurisdiction or possession or distribution of this announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating to the Placing Shares in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required to inform themselves about and to observe any applicable restrictions.

Shore Capital, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting only for the Company and David Cicurel in connection with the Placing and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company and David Cicurel for providing the protections offered to the clients of Shore Capital, nor for providing advice in relation to the Placing or any matters referred to in this announcement.

Shore Capital and any of its respective affiliates acting as an investor for its own account may participate in the offering on a proprietary basis and in that capacity may retain, purchase or sell for their own account such Placing Shares. In addition they may enter into financing arrangements and swaps with investors in connection with which they may from time to time acquire, hold or dispose of Placing Shares. Shore Capital does not intend to disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligation to do so.

This document includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "intends", "expects", "will", or "may", or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. These forward-looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts. Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks relating to future events and assumptions relating to the Company's business, in particular from changes in political conditions, economic conditions or evolving business strategy. No assurances can be given that the forward-looking statements in this document will be realised. As a result, no undue reliance should be placed on these forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results or otherwise

 

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