Grant and variation of Options

Mercia Asset Management PLC

27 March 2024

 

RNS	27 March 2024

Mercia Asset Management PLC

("Mercia", the "Company" or the "Group")

Grant and variation of Options

Mercia Asset Management PLC (AIM: MERC), the proactive, regionally focused specialist asset manager with c.£1.5billion of assets under management, announces that options (the "CSOP Options") over a total of 1,000,000 new Ordinary shares ("Ordinary Shares") were awarded to Jocelyne Bath, the new Chief Operating Officer of the Group and a person discharging managerial responsibilities ("PDMR") pursuant to the 2014 Mercia Company Share Option Plan ("2014 CSOP"), at an exercise price of 33.00p per Ordinary Share (being the closing mid-market price of an Ordinary Share on 26 March 2024). The Options will, subject to the satisfaction of the performance condition, vest in three equal tranches on the third, fourth and fifth anniversary of the date of grant of the Options.

The Company further announces that, pursuant to the existing 2021 Performance Share Plan, the performance period for the existing 8,800,000 nominal cost options (the "PSP Options") over Ordinary Shares granted on 9 July 2021 to the Executive Directors and one further PDMR, has been extended.

Pursuant to the rules of the Mercia CSOP, the Company's Remuneration Committee has elected to vary the vesting period in which the performance condition of the PSP Options has to be satisfied, by an additional year.  The Remuneration Committee considers that this is the most appropriate way of continuing to align the interests of the Executive Directors and one further PDMR with the shareholders of the Company, whilst continuing to provide a strong incentive. This facilitates the retention of high calibre individuals, who are leading the delivery of positive investment returns for Mercia's clients and as a direct consequence, the continuing successful growth of Mercia's Assets under Management and its profitability.

The PSP Options will, subject to the satisfaction of the performance condition, now vest on 9 July 2025, being the fourth anniversary of the date of grant of the options (the "Vesting Date") and will continue to be subject to a subsequent two-year holding period. The number of PSP Options which will vest on the Vesting Date will depend on the Company's total shareholder return ("TSR") over a performance period of four financial years, which started on 1 April 2021. The number of PSP Options vesting will be calculated as follows: 50% of the PSP Options will vest based on the achievement of 10.0% TSR per annum (compounded) over the new four-year performance period. Vesting will then increase on a straight-line basis to full vesting for the achievement of 20.0% TSR per annum (compounded). 

Following the grant of the CSOP Options and the amendment to the PSP Options above, the Company has a total of 35,039,150 options in issue pursuant to the 2014 CSOP, equating to 8.6% of the existing issued share capital of the Company.

Following the grant of the CSOP Options and the amendment to the PSP Options above, the PDMRs listed below hold the following options and Ordinary Shares:

PDMR	Role	Grant of CSOP Options or amendment of PSP Options under 2014 CSOP	Total number of options over Ordinary Shares	Interest in existing issued Ordinary Shares
Mark Payton*	Chief Executive Officer	2,596,430	5,422,932	7,184,876
Martin Glanfield**	Chief Financial Officer	2,113,652	4,536,697	1,744,947
Julian Viggars***	Chief Investment Officer	2,113,652	4,536,697	978,640
Peter Dines	Chief Operating Officer	1,976,266	4,245,813	1,078,389
Jocelyne Bath	Chief Operating Officer	1,000,000	1,000,000	-

*     Including 12,793 Ordinary shares held by Katharine Yeo

**   Including 125,784 Ordinary shares held by Bryonie Glanfield

*** Including 84,064 Ordinary shares held by Emma Viggars

Notification and public disclosure of transactions by persons discharging managerial responsibilities:

1	Details of the persons discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
a)	Name	(i)         Mark Payton, Chief Executive Officer (ii)        Martin Glanfield, Chief Financial Officer (iii)       Julian Viggars, Chief Investment Officer (iv)       Peter Dines, Chief Operating Officer (v)        Jocelyne Bath, Chief Operating Officer
2	Reason for the notification
a)	Position/status	Executive Directors and PDMRs of the Company
b)	Initial Notification/ Amendment	Initial Notification
3	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)	Name	Mercia Asset Management PLC
b)	Legal Entity Identifier	213800A1Q4CF57NECG66
4	Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
a)	Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code	Ordinary Shares of £0.00001 each ISIN - GB00BSL71W47
b)	Nature of transaction	(i) to (iv): variation of performance condition of existing options. (v): grant of options
c)	Currency	GBP
d)	Price(s) and volume(s)	Exercise Price	No. of Ordinary Shares
		£0.00001	(i)            2,596,430
		£0.00001	(ii)           2,113,652
		£0.00001	(iii)          2,113,652
		£0.00001	(iv)         1,976,266
		£0.3300	(v)          1,000,000
e)	Aggregate information - Aggregate volume - Price - Aggregate total	N/A - single transactions
f)	Date of the transaction	26 March 2024
g)	Place of the transaction	Outside a trading venue

- Ends -

For further information, please contact:

Mercia Asset Management PLC Mark Payton, Chief Executive Officer Martin Glanfield, Chief Financial Officer www.mercia.co.uk	[phone]
Canaccord Genuity Limited (NOMAD and Joint Broker)	[phone]
Simon Bridges, Emma Gabriel
Singer Capital Markets (Joint Broker)	[phone]
Harry Gooden, James Moat
FTI Consulting	[phone]
Tom Blackwell, Jenny Boyd
[e-mail]

About Mercia Asset Management PLC

Mercia is a proactive, specialist asset manager focused on supporting regional SMEs to achieve their growth aspirations. Mercia provides capital across its four asset classes of venture, private equity, debt and proprietary capital: the Group's 'Complete Connected Capital'. The Group initially nurtures businesses via its third-party funds under management, then over time Mercia can provide further funding to the most promising companies, by deploying direct investment follow-on capital from its own balance sheet.

The Group has a strong UK footprint through its regional offices, university partnerships and extensive personal networks, providing it with access to high-quality deal flow.

Mercia Asset Management PLC is quoted on AIM with the EPIC "MERC".

 

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