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REG-Provident Fin.PLC. Issue of Debt and Tender Offer
Released: 14/10/2009
com:20091014:RnsN7699A
.
RNS Number : 7699A
Provident Financial PLC
14 October 2009
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS (INCLUDING PUERTO
RICO, THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS, GUAM, AMERICAN SAMOA, WAKE ISLAND AND THE
NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS), ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA OR THE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (the United States) OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN
THE REPUBLIC OF ITALY, CANADA, HONG KONG, JAPAN OR NEW ZEALAND.
Company: Provident Financial plc
Date: 14 October 2009
PROVIDENT FINANCIAL PLC (the "ISSUER") ANNOUNCES A NEW 10 YEAR SENIOR BOND ISSUE
AND PROVIDENT FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS LIMITED (the "OFFEROR")
LAUNCHES UNMODIFIED DUTCH AUCTION OFFER FOR THE ISSUER'S £100,000,000 7.125%
SUBORDINATED STEP-UP BONDS DUE 2015 ISIN/COMMON CODE: XS0220965759/022096575
(the "BONDS")
Provident Financial plc (the "Issuer") today announces the issue of new senior
10 year bonds (the "New Issue").
Provident Financial Investments Limited (the "Offeror") simultaneously announces
that it is inviting Bondholders to tender for cash for any and all of the
£100,000,000 in aggregate principal amount outstanding of the Bonds issued by
the Issuer for purchase by the Offeror, subject to certain conditions, in an
Unmodified Dutch Auction (the "Offer").
The Bonds are listed on the Official List of the UK Listing Authority and
admitted to trading on the Regulated Market of the London Stock Exchange plc.
The terms and conditions of the Offer are set out in a Tender Offer Memorandum
dated 14 October 2009 (the "Tender Offer Memorandum"), which will only be made
available to Bondholders (subject to certain restrictions). Bondholders may
request documents by contacting the Tender Agent or the Dealer Managers listed
below.
The Purchase Price per £1,000 principal amount will not be less than £975. The
Offeror will determine the Purchase Price and the aggregate principal amount to
be purchased based on the Unmodified Dutch Auction procedure described in the
Tender Offer Memorandum.
The completion of the purchase of the Bonds is conditional on the Issuer raising
such amount as the Issuer determines necessary for its general corporate
purposes, from the New Issue and other conditions set out in the Tender Offer
Memorandum.
The Offer will expire at 4:00 p.m. (London time) on 20 October 2009, unless
extended, amended or terminated by the Offeror as provided in the Tender Offer
Memorandum (such date and time with respect to the Offer, as it may be extended,
the "Expiration Deadline").
In order to be eligible to receive the relevant consideration, Bondholders must
validly tender their Bonds at or prior to the Expiration Deadline. Settlement of
the Purchase Price payable by the Offeror for the purchase of Bonds will occur
promptly after the Expiration Deadline and is expected to take place on 23
October 2009.
Bondholders who hold through Euroclear Bank SA/NV or Clearstream Banking,
societe anonyme (each a "Clearing System") wishing to tender their Bonds must
submit, or arrange to have submitted on their behalf, at or before the
Expiration Deadline and before the respective deadlines set by such Clearing
Systems, duly completed electronic instructions, in each case in accordance with
the terms and conditions of the Tender Offer Memorandum and with such Clearing
Systems' respective requirements.
Background
The Issuer is seeking to diversify its sources of committed debt funding by
accessing the senior public debt markets through the New Issue. The Offeror is
seeking to take advantage of the prevailing market conditions to repurchase some
of the subordinated debt of the Group (being the Issuer and its consolidated
subsidiaries, including the Offeror) at a price below its par value, with the
aim of further strengthening its financial position and creating additional core
capital in the capital structure of the Group.
The Issuer believes that the New Issue together with the purchase of the Bonds
by the Offeror will, accordingly, enhance the overall business and prospects of
the Group.
Expected Timetable of Events
Date and time Event
14October 2009 Commencement of the Offer
Offer announced. Tender Offer Memorandum available from the
Dealer Managers and the Tender Agent.
4.00 p.m. (London time) on, 20October 2009 Expiration Deadline
The Offer expires unless the Offeror extends it or terminates
it earlier in its sole discretion. Final deadline for receipt
of valid Tender Instructions by the Tender Agent in order for
Bondholders to be able to participate in the Offer.
11 a.m. (London time), on 21October 2009 Announcement of Offer Results
Announcement of whether the Offeror will accept valid tenders
of Bonds pursuant to the Offer and, if so accepted, the
average Purchase Price and Accrued Interest Payment.
23October 2009 Settlement Date
Expected settlement date for the Offer.
Additional Information
Capitalised terms used and not otherwise defined in this announcement have the
meaning given in the Tender Offer Memorandum.
The Offeror may, in its sole discretion, extend, re-open, amend, waive any
condition of or terminate the Offer at any time (subject to applicable law and
as provided in the Tender Offer Memorandum).
For further information on the Offer and the further terms and conditions on
which the Offer is made, Bondholders should refer to the Tender Offer
Memorandum.
Questions and requests for assistance in connection with (i) the Offer, may be
directed to the Dealer Managers, and (ii) the delivery of Tender Instructions,
may be directed to the Tender Agent, the contact details for each of which are
listed below and in the Tender Offer Memorandum.
Bondholders are advised to check with the bank, securities broker, or other
intermediary through which they hold their Bonds whether such intermediary
applies different deadlines for any of the events specified above, and then to
allow for such deadlines if such deadlines are prior to those set out above. The
deadlines set by each Clearing System will be earlier than the relevant
deadlines above.
The Offer is not being made in the United States, Republic of Italy, Canada,
Hong Kong, Japan or New Zealand or to any U.S. person or to any person located
or resident in the Republic of Italy, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan or New Zealand
and there are also restrictions in other jurisdictions, as more fully described
below and in the Tender Offer Memorandum.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Any questions or requests for information in relation to the Offer, including
copies of the Tender Offer Memorandum, should be directed to the Tender Agent
and the Dealer Managers at the telephone numbers and addresses listed below:
DEALER MANAGERS
Lloyds TSB Bank plc
10 Gresham Street
London EC2V 7AE
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7158 2020
Attention:Liability Management - Chris White
Email: chris.white@lloydsbanking.com
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc
135 Bishopsgate
London EC2M 3UR
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7085 8056/2338
Attention: Andrew Burton/Ed Jennings
Email: liabilitymanagement@rbs.com
TENDER AGENT
Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch
Winchester House
1 Great Winchester Street
London EC2N 2DB
Telephone: + 44 (0)20 7547 5000
Attention: Trust & Securities Services
Email: xchange.offer@db.com
Bondholders should be aware that the Offer is not being made to, and any offers
to tender will not be accepted from, or on behalf of, holders in any
jurisdiction in which the making of such Offer would not be in compliance with
the laws or regulations of such jurisdictions. In particular, persons located or
resident in the Republic of Italy, the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan
or New Zealand may not participate in the Offer.
Neither this announcement nor the Tender Offer Memorandum shall constitute the
solicitation of a tender or an offer to purchase securities in the Republic of
Italy, the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan or New Zealand or in any
other jurisdiction where it is unlawful to do so. The Offer is being made by the
Offeror only pursuant to a confidential Tender Offer Memorandum and related
documentation and only to such persons and in such jurisdictions as is permitted
under applicable law.
The distribution of the Tender Offer Memorandum and related documents in certain
jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession the Tender
Offer Memorandum and related documents come are required by the Offeror to
inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.
United States
The Offer is not being made, and will not be made, directly or indirectly in or
into, or by use of the mail of, or by any means or instrumentality of interstate
or foreign commerce of or of any facilities of a national securities exchange
of, the United States. This includes, but is not limited to, facsimile
transmission, electronic mail, telex, telephone, the internet and other forms of
electronic communication. The Bonds may not be tendered in the Offer by any such
use, means, instrumentality or facility from or within the United States or by
persons located or resident in the United States. Accordingly, copies of the
Tender Offer Memorandum and any other documents or materials relating to the
Offer are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly mailed or otherwise
transmitted, distributed or forwarded (including, without limitation, by
custodians, nominees or trustees) in or into the United States or to any persons
located or resident in the United States. Any purported tender of Bonds in the
Offer resulting directly or indirectly from a violation of these restrictions
will be invalid and any purported tender of Bonds made by a person located in
the United States or any agent, fiduciary or other intermediary acting on a
non-discretionary basis for a principal giving instructions from within the
United States will be invalid and will not be accepted.
Each Bondholder participating in the Offer will represent that it is not located
in the United States and is not participating in the Offer from the United
States or it is acting on a non-discretionary basis for a principal located
outside the United States that is not giving an order to participate in the
Offer from the United States. For the purposes of this and the above paragraph,
United States means United States of America, its territories and possessions
(including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Wake
Island and the Northern Mariana Islands), any state of the United States of
America and the District of Columbia.
Republic of Italy
The Offer is not being made, directly or indirectly, in the Republic of Italy
(Italy). The Offer and the Tender Offer Memorandum have not been submitted to
the clearance procedures of the Commissione Nazionale per le Societss e la Borsa
(CONSOB) pursuant to Italian laws and regulations. Accordingly, Bondholders are
notified that, to the extent they are located or resident in Italy, the Offer is
not available to them and they may not tender Bonds in the Offer and, as such,
any Tender Instructions received from such persons shall be ineffective and
void, and neither the Tender Offer Memorandum nor any other documents or
materials relating to the Offer or the Bonds may be distributed or made
available in Italy.
United Kingdom
The communication of the Tender Offer Memorandum and any other documents or
materials relating to the Offer is not being made, and such documents and/or
materials have not been approved, by an authorised person for the purposes of
section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Accordingly, such
documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passed
on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of such
documents and/or materials as a financial promotion is only being made to those
persons in the United Kingdom falling within the definition of investment
professionals (as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets
Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the Financial Promotion Order)) or
persons who are within Article 43 of the Financial Promotion Order or any other
persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be made under the Financial Promotion
Order.
Belgium
Neither the Tender Offer Memorandum nor any other documents or materials
relating to the Offer have been submitted to or will be submitted for approval
or recognition to the Belgian Banking, Finance and Insurance Commission
(Commission bancaire, financiere et des assurances/Commissie voor het Bank-,
Financie- en Assurantiewezen) and, accordingly, the Offer may not be made in
Belgium by way of a public offering, as defined in Article 3 of the Belgian Law
of 1 April 2007 on public takeover bids or as defined in Article 3 of the
Belgian Law of 16 June 2006 on the public offer of placement instruments and the
admission to trading of placement instruments on regulated markets (together,
the Belgian Public Offer Law), each as amended or replaced from time to time.
Accordingly, the Offer may not be advertised and the Offer will not be extended,
and neither the Tender Offer Memorandum nor any other documents or materials
relating to the Offer (including any memorandum, information circular, brochure
or any similar documents) has been or shall be distributed or made available,
directly or indirectly, to any person in Belgium other than "qualified
investors" in the sense of Article 10 of the Belgian Public Offer Law (as
amended from time to time), acting on their own account. Insofar as Belgium is
concerned, the Tender Offer Memorandum has been issued only for the personal use
of the above qualified investors and exclusively for the purpose of the Offer.
Accordingly, the information contained in the Tender Offer Memorandum may not be
used for any other purpose or disclosed to any other person in Belgium.
Republic of France
The Offer is not being made, directly or indirectly, to the public in the
Republic of France (France). Neither the Tender Offer Memorandum nor any other
document or material relating to the Offer has been or shall be distributed to
the public in France and only (i) providers of investment services relating to
portfolio management for the account of third parties (personnes fournissant le
service d'investissement de gestion de portefeuille pour compte de tiers) and/or
(ii) qualified investors (investisseurs qualifies) other than individuals, all
as defined in, and in accordance with, Articles L.411-1, L.411-2 and D.411-1 to
D.411-3 of the French Code monetaire et financier, are eligible to participate
in the Offer. The Tender Offer Memorandum has not been and will not be submitted
for clearance to nor approved by the Autorite des Marches Financiers.
General
The Tender Offer Memorandum does not constitute an offer to buy or the
solicitation of an offer to sell Bonds, and tenders of Bonds in the Offer will
not be accepted from Bondholders, in any circumstances in which such offer or
solicitation is unlawful. In those jurisdictions where the securities or other
applicable laws require the Offer to be made by a licensed broker or dealer and
either Dealer Manager or any of its affiliates is such a licensed broker or
dealer in any such jurisdiction, the Offer shall be deemed to be made on behalf
of the Offeror by the relevant Dealer Manager or such affiliate, as the case may
be, on behalf of the Offeror in such jurisdiction.
In addition to the representations referred to above in respect of the United
States, each Bondholder participating in an Offer will also be deemed to give
certain representations in respect of the other jurisdictions referred to above
and generally as set out in "Procedures for Participating in the Offer". Any
tender of Bonds for purchase pursuant to the Offer from a Bondholder that is
unable to make these representations will not be accepted. Each of the Offeror,
the Dealer Managers and the Tender Agent reserve the right, in their absolute
discretion, to investigate, in relation to any tender of Bonds for purchase
pursuant to the Offer, whether any such representation given by a Bondholder is
correct and, if such investigation is undertaken and as a result the Offeror
determines (for any reason) that such representation is not correct, such tender
shall not be accepted.
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TENDER OFFER
MEMORANDUM. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE TENDER OFFER MEMORANDUM CONTAIN IMPORTANT
INFORMATION WHICH SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE ANY DECISION IS MADE WITH
RESPECT TO THE OFFER. IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT AS TO THE ACTION YOU SHOULD TAKE,
YOU ARE RECOMMENDED TO SEEK YOUR OWN FINANCIAL AND LEGAL ADVICE, INCLUDING AS TO
ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES, IMMEDIATELY FROM YOUR STOCKBROKER, BANK MANAGER,
SOLICITOR, ACCOUNTANT OR OTHER INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL OR LEGAL ADVISER. ANY
INDIVIDUAL OR COMPANY WHOSE BONDS ARE HELD ON ITS BEHALF BY A BROKER, DEALER,
BANK, CUSTODIAN, TRUST COMPANY OR OTHER NOMINEE OR INTERMEDIARY MUST CONTACT
SUCH ENTITY IF IT WISHES TO TENDER BONDS IN THE OFFER. NONE OF THE DEALER
MANAGERS, THE TENDER AGENT OR THE OFFEROR MAKES ANY RECOMMENDATION AS TO WHETHER
BONDHOLDERS SHOULD TENDER BONDS IN THE OFFER OR PARTICIPATE IN THE OFFER.
END
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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