November 29, 2024
LSEGA Financing plc announces early results of its tender
offer
LSEGA Financing plc (the
"Offeror") announces today
the early results of its previously announced tender offer (the
"Offer") for its
outstanding U.S.$1,250,000,000 2.500% Notes due 2031 (the
"Notes"), issued by the
Offeror and guaranteed by London Stock Exchange Group plc (the
"Guarantor", and, together
with its subsidiaries, the "Group"). The terms and conditions of
the Offer are described in an offer to purchase dated November 14,
2024 (the "Offer to
Purchase"). Capitalized terms not otherwise defined in this
announcement have the same meaning as assigned to them in the Offer
to Purchase.
The Early Tender Deadline for the
Offer was 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on November 27, 2024.
Pursuant to the terms of the Offer, the deadline to withdraw
tendered Notes expired at the Early Tender Deadline and all Notes
validly tendered prior to the Early Tender Deadline may no longer
be withdrawn. The Offeror hereby announces that, as of the Early
Tender Deadline, the aggregate principal amount of Notes that had
been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the
Offer (the "Early Tender
Amount") was as set out in the table below.
The Offeror hereby announces its
intention to accept (subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the
conditions of the Offer), on the Early Settlement Date, such Notes
tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline in the amount
equal to the Maximum Acceptance Amount, subject to the Scaling
Factor set out in the table below.
Description of Notes
(CUSIP/ISIN)
|
Principal Amount
Outstanding
|
Early Tender
Amount
|
Early Acceptance
Amount
|
Scaling
Factor
|
Principal Amount Outstanding
after Acceptance
|
US$1,250,000,000 2.500 per cent.
Notes due 2031 issued by LSEGA Financing plc guaranteed by London
Stock Exchange Group plc
(Rule
144A: 50220P AD5/
US50220PAD50
Reg
S:
G5690P
AD3/
USG5690PAD36)
|
US$1,250,000,000
|
US$611,731,000
|
US$250,000,000
|
39.72979%
|
US$1,000,000,000
|
The Reference Yield, the Early
Tender Offer Consideration and the Tender Offer Consideration will
be announced as soon as practicable after the Price Determination
Date of 10:00 a.m., New York City time on November 29, 2024, unless
extended by the Offeror.
Although the Offer will finally
expire at 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on December 13, 2024,
unless extended by the Offeror (such time and date, as the same may
be extended, the "Expiration
Deadline"), as the aggregate principal amount of Notes
tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline was greater than
the Maximum Acceptance Amount, no Notes tendered after the Early
Tender Deadline will be accepted for purchase. Because the Offer was oversubscribed as at the Early Tender
Deadline, the Offeror intends to accept for purchase Notes tendered
at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline on a prorated basis. If
such proration and rounding down would result in Notes in a
principal amount of less than the Minimum Denomination being
returned to a Noteholder, then the Offeror, in its sole and
absolute discretion, intends to purchase all of such Noteholder's
validly tendered Notes, without applying proration.
The settlement date for the Notes
validly tendered on or prior to the Early Tender Deadline and
accepted for purchase by the Offeror is expected to be December 3,
2024, unless extended by the Offeror (the "Early Settlement Date"). Noteholders
whose Notes are accepted for purchase will also receive Accrued
Interest on such Notes.
Noteholders are advised to read
carefully the Offer to Purchase for full details of and information
on the procedures for participating in the Offer.
Further information
Noteholders may access the Offer to
Purchase at https://www.gbsc-usa.com/LSEGA/.
Questions and requests for
assistance in connection with the Offer may be directed to the
Dealer Managers:
Dealer Managers
BNP PARIBAS
16, boulevard des
Italiens
75009
Paris
France
|
Merrill Lynch
International 2 King Edward
Street
London EC1A 1HQ
United Kingdom
|
Attention: Liability
Management Group
Telephone (Europe):
+33 1 55 77 78 94
Telephone (U.S. Toll
Free): +1 888 210 4358
Telephone (U.S.): +1
212 841 3059
Email:
liability.management@bnpparibas.com
|
Attention: Liability
Management Group
Telephone (Europe): +44 207 996 5420
Telephone (U.S. Toll Free): +1 (888) 292-0070
Telephone (U.S.): +1 (980) 387-3907
Email: DG.LM-EMEA@bofa.com
|
Questions and requests for
assistance in connection with the tender of Notes including
requests for a copy of the Offer to Purchase may be directed
to:
Information Agent:
Global Bondholder Services
Corporation
65
Broadway - Suite 404
New York,
New York 10006
Attention: Corporate Actions
Bankers
and Brokers call: +1 (212) 430-3774
Toll
free: +1 (855) 654-2015
Website: https://www.gbsc-usa.com/LSEGA/
|
Depositary Agent:
Global Bondholder Services
Corporation
By
facsimile (For Eligible Institutions only): +1 (212)
430-3775/3779
Confirmation: +1 (212) 430-3774
Email: contact@gbsc-usa.com
|
NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER
This press release is neither an
offer to purchase, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell the Notes
or any other securities. The Offeror is making the Offer only by,
and pursuant to, the terms of the Offer to Purchase. The Offer is
not being made in any jurisdiction in which the making of or
acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities
laws, blue sky laws or other laws of such jurisdiction. None of the
Offeror, the Dealer Managers or the Information & Depositary
Agent is making any recommendation as to whether Noteholders should
tender or refrain from tendering their Notes in response to the
Offer or how much they should tender. Each Noteholder must make
his, her or its own decision as to whether to tender or refrain
from tendering Notes and, if a Noteholder determines to tender, as
to how many Notes to tender.
This announcement must be read in
conjunction with the Offer to Purchase. This announcement and the
Offer to Purchase contain important information which should be
read carefully before any decision is made with respect to the
Offer. If any Noteholder is in any doubt as to the contents of the
Offer to Purchase or the action it should take, it is recommended
to seek its own legal, accounting and financial advice, including
in respect of any tax consequences, from its broker, bank manager,
solicitor, accountant or other independent financial, tax or legal
adviser. Any individual or company whose Notes are held on its
behalf by a broker, dealer, bank, custodian, trust company or other
nominee must contact such entity if it wishes to tender such Notes
pursuant to the Offer.
FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This announcement contains certain
forward-looking statements that reflect the Offeror's intent,
beliefs or current expectations about the future and can be
recognized by the use of words such as "expects," "will,"
"anticipate," or words of similar meaning. These forward-looking
statements are not guarantees of any future performance and are
necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of the senior
management of the Offeror and involve a number of risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. As a
consequence, these forward-looking statements should be considered
in light of various important factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from estimates or projections
contained in the forward-looking statements, which include, without
limitation, the risk factors set forth in the Offer to Purchase.
The Offeror cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement
will be realized, although they believe they have been prudent in
their respective plans and assumptions. Achievement of future
results is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may
prove to be inaccurate. Should known or unknown risks or
uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove
inaccurate, actual results could vary materially from those
anticipated, estimated or projected. The Offeror undertakes no
obligation to update publicly or release any revisions to these
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances or to
reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required
by applicable law.
OFFER AND DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTIONS
This announcement and the Offer to
Purchase do not constitute an offer or an invitation to participate
in the Offer in any jurisdiction in which, or to any person to or
from whom, it is unlawful to make such offer or invitation or for
there to be such participation under applicable laws. The
distribution of this announcement and the Offer to Purchase in
certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose
possession this announcement or the Offer to Purchase comes are
required by each of the Offeror, the Dealer Managers and the
Information & Depositary Agent to inform themselves about and
to observe any such restrictions.
United Kingdom
The communication of this
announcement, the Offer to Purchase 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, as amended. 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 ("Financial
Promotion Order")) or to persons who
are within Article 43(2) of the Financial Promotion Order
or to any other persons to whom it may otherwise
lawfully be made under the Financial Promotion Order
(such persons together being the "Relevant Persons"). The Offer is only
available to Relevant Persons and the transactions contemplated in
the Offer to Purchase will be available only to, and engaged in
only with, Relevant Persons, and this communication, the Offer to
Purchase and any other documents and/or materials produced in
connection with the Offer must not be relied or acted upon by
persons other than Relevant Persons.
France
The Offer is not being made,
directly or indirectly, in the Republic of France (other than to
Qualified Investors (as defined below)). This announcement, the
Offer to Purchase and any other documents or offering material
relating to the Offer may not be distributed or caused to be
distributed to the public in the Republic of France (other than to
Qualified Investors (as defined below)). Only qualified investors
(investisseurs qualifiés)
as defined in, and in accordance with, Article 2(e) of Regulation
(EU) 2017/1129 ("Qualified
Investors"), are eligible to participate in the Offer. None
of this announcement, the Offer to Purchase or any other documents
or materials relating to the Offer have been or will be submitted
for clearance to the Autorité des
marchés financiers.
Italy
None of the Offer, this
announcement, the Offer to Purchase or any other documents or
materials relating to the Offer has been or will be submitted to
the clearance procedure of the Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la
Borsa ("CONSOB")
pursuant to applicable Italian laws and regulations. The Offer is
being carried out in the Republic of Italy ("Italy") as an exempted offer pursuant
to article 101- bis, paragraph 3-bis of the Legislative Decree No.
58 of February 24, 1998, as amended (the "Financial Services Act") and article
35-bis, paragraph 4 of CONSOB Regulation No. 11971 of May 14, 1999,
as amended. Noteholders, or beneficial owners of the Notes, that
are located in Italy can tender some or all of their Notes pursuant
to the Offer through authorised persons (such as investment firms,
banks or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such
activities in Italy in accordance with the Financial Services Act,
CONSOB Regulation No. 20307 of February 15, 2018, as amended from
time to time, and Legislative Decree No. 385 of September 1, 1993,
as amended) and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations
or with requirements imposed by CONSOB or any other Italian
authority. Each intermediary must comply
with the applicable laws and regulations concerning information
duties vis-Ã -vis its
clients in connection with the Notes or the Offer.
General
None of this announcement, the Offer
to Purchase or the electronic transmission thereof, constitutes an
offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell Notes (and
tenders of Notes for purchase pursuant to the Offer will not be
accepted from Noteholders) in any circumstances in which such offer
or solicitation is unlawful. In those jurisdictions where the
securities, blue sky or other laws require the Offer to be made by
a licensed broker or dealer and either Dealer Manager or, where the
context so requires, any of their respective 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 such Dealer
Manager or such affiliate, as the case may be, in such
jurisdiction.
Each Noteholder participating in the
Offer will be deemed to give certain representations in respect of
the jurisdictions referred to above and generally as set out in
"Procedures for Participating in
the Offer" in the Offer to Purchase. Any tender of Notes for
purchase pursuant to the Offer from a Noteholder that is unable to
make these representations will not be accepted.
Each of the Offeror, the Guarantor,
the Dealer Managers and the Information & Depositary Agent
reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to
investigate, in relation to any tender of Notes for purchase
pursuant to the Offer, whether any such representation given by a
Noteholder 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 or submission will not
be accepted.
Please see the Offer to Purchase for
certain other important information on offer restrictions
applicable to the Offer.