FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOT
FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART,
DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN, INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES,
AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION
WHERE TO DO SO WOULD BE IN BREACH OF APPLICABLE LAWS OF THAT
JURISDICTION
Admiral Acquisition Limited
19 February 2024
Annual Report and Financial Statements
Admiral Acquisition Limited (the
"Company"), today announced
the publication of its report and audited financial statements for
the period 16 December 2022 to 30 November 2023 (the "Annual Report and Financial
Statements"). Copies of the Annual Report and Financial
Statements will be available on the Company's website at
www.admiralacquisition.com
and are set out in full below.
For
further information please contact:
Oak
Fund Services (Guernsey) Limited, Company
Secretary
|
|
+44 (0) 1481 723450
|
James Christie
Hannah Crocker
|
|
|
About Admiral
Admiral (LSE: ADMR) is a British
Virgin Islands company founded by Sir Martin E. Franklin, Ian G.H.
Ashken, Desiree DeStefano, Michael E. Franklin, Robert A.E.
Franklin, and James E. Lillie. The Company was created to pursue
its objective of acquiring a target company or business (the
"Acquisition"). There is no
specific expected target value for the Acquisition and the Company
expects that any funds not used for the Acquisition will be used
for future acquisitions, internal or external growth and expansion,
purchase of outstanding debt and/or working capital in relation to
the acquired company or business. The Company's efforts in
identifying a prospective target business will not be limited to a
particular industry or geographic region.
Important Notices
This announcement does not contain
or constitute an offer of, or the solicitation of an offer to buy
or subscribe for, securities to any person in any jurisdiction
including the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan or South
Africa. The securities referred to herein have not been registered
under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"Securities Act") and may
not be offered, sold, transferred or delivered, directly or
indirectly, in or into the United States absent registration under
the Securities Act or an exemption from, or in a transaction not
subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
There will be no public offer of the securities in the United
States.
This announcement is an
advertisement and not a prospectus and does not constitute or form
part of, and should not be construed as, an offer to sell or issue,
or a solicitation of any offer to buy or subscribe for, any
securities, nor should it or any part of it form the basis of, or
be relied on in connection with, any contract or commitment
whatsoever. Investors should not subscribe for or purchase any
securities referred to in this announcement except on the basis of
information in the Prospectus published by the Company in
connection with such securities. This announcement is only
addressed to, and directed at, persons in member states of the
European Economic Area and the United Kingdom who are "qualified
investors" within the meaning of Article 2(e) of Regulation (EU)
2017/1129 as amended. In the United Kingdom, this announcement is
directed only at "qualified investors" within the meaning of
Article 2(e) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of UK
domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018
(as amended) who are also (i) persons having professional
experience in matters relating to investments who fall within the
definition of "investment professionals" in Article 19(5) of the
Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order
2005, as amended (the "Order"), or (ii) persons who are high
net worth bodies corporate, unincorporated associations or
partnerships or trustees of high value trusts as described in
Article 49(2) of the Order; or (iii) other persons to whom it may
lawfully be communicated. Under no circumstances should persons of
any other description rely or act upon the contents of this
announcement.
LEI: 213800ZDFRNC8QXEZ48
Chairman's Statement
It is with pleasure that I present to you, the
shareholders, the report and audited financial statements of
Admiral Acquisition Limited (the ''Company'') for the period from
incorporation on 15 December 2022 to 30 November 2023.
The
Company
The Company raised gross proceeds of US$539.5
million in its initial public offering ("IPO"), through the placing
of ordinary shares of no par value in the capital of the Company
("Ordinary Shares") (with matching "Warrants") to subscribe for
Ordinary Shares issued at a placing price of US$10.00 per Ordinary
Share, Warrants will be exercisable in multiples of four for one
Ordinary Share. A further US$10.5 million was raised through the
subscription of the founder preferred shares of no par value
("Founder Preferred Shares") (with Warrants being issued on the
basis of one Warrant per Founder Preferred Share) at a price of
US$10.50 per Founder Preferred Share. The Company was admitted to
the Official List of the FCA by way of a standard listing and to
trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange on 22 May
2023 ("Admission"). As at 16 February 2024, the Company had
53,975,000 Ordinary Shares and 54,975,000 Warrants in issue. The
net proceeds from the IPO are easily accessible when
required.
As set out in the Company's prospectus dated 17
May 2023 (the "Prospectus"), the Company was formed to undertake an
acquisition of a target company or business. There is no specific
expected target value for the acquisition and the Company expects
that funds not used for the initial acquisition if any, will be
used for future acquisitions, internal or external growth and
expansion, purchase of outstanding debt and/or working capital in
relation to the acquired company or business. Following
completion of the acquisition, the objective of the Company is
expected to be to operate the acquired business and implement an
operating strategy with the objective of building and growing the
business and generating value for the Company's shareholders
("Shareholders") through operational improvements as well as
potentially through additional complementary
acquisitions.
The Board of Directors continues to review a
number of acquisition targets and will remain disciplined in only
proceeding with an acquisition that it believes can produce
attractive returns to its Shareholders.
Financial
Results
During the period commenced 15 December 2022 and
ended 30 November 2023, the Company has incurred operating costs of
US$1.29 million. These expenses were offset by investment
income totalling approximately US$15.28 million. Costs of
Admission of US$11.01 million were recorded as an offset to the
gross proceeds from the IPO in the Company's Balance
Sheet.
Rory
Cullinan
Rory Cullinan
Chairman
16 February 2024
Report of the Directors
The Directors have pleasure in submitting their
Report and the audited financial statements for the period from 15
December 2022 through 30 November 2023. The financial statements on
pages 20 to 32 were approved by the Board on 16 February 2024 and
signed on their behalf by Rory Cullinan.
Status and
activities
The Company was incorporated with limited
liability under the laws of the British Virgin Islands under the
BVI Business Companies Act, 2004, on 15 December 2022. The address
of the Company's registered office is Ritter House, Wickhams Cay
II, Road Town, Tortola, VG 1110, British Virgin Islands. The
Ordinary Shares and Warrants were admitted for trading on the main
market of the London Stock Exchange on 22 May 2023. The Company
raised gross proceeds of US$539.5 million in its IPO and a further
US$10.5 million through the subscription of Founder Preferred
Shares for a potential acquisition of a target company or business
(which may be in the form of a merger, capital stock exchange,
asset acquisition, stock purchase, scheme of arrangement,
reorganization or similar business combination) of an interest in
an operating company or business (an "Acquisition"). Costs of
Admission of US$11.01 million were paid in relation to the IPO,
resulting in net proceeds of US$538.99 million.
There is no specific expected target value for
the Acquisition and the Company expects that funds not used for the
Acquisition, if any, will be used for future acquisitions, internal
or external growth and expansion, purchase of outstanding debt
and/or working capital in relation to the acquired company or
business. Following the completion of any Acquisition, the
objective of the Company is expected to be to operate the acquired
business and implement an operating strategy with the objective of
building and growing the business and generating value for its
Shareholders through operational improvements as well as
potentially through additional complementary acquisitions.
Following the Acquisition, the Company intends to seek re-admission
of the enlarged group to such listing venue as is appropriate for
it based on the industry, geographic focus and track record of the
company or business acquired, subject to fulfilling the relevant
eligibility criteria at the time. The Company expects to acquire a
controlling interest in a target company or business. The Company
(or its successor) may consider acquiring a controlling interest
constituting less than the whole voting control or less than the
entire equity interest in a target company or business if such
opportunity is attractive; provided, the Company (or its successor)
would acquire a sufficient portion of the target entity such that
it could consolidate the operations of such entity for applicable
financial reporting purposes (and, in any event, would not be
required to register as an investment company under the U.S.
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended). In connection with an
Acquisition, the Company may issue additional Ordinary Shares which
could result in the Company's then existing Shareholders owning a
minority interest in the Company following the
Acquisition.
The Company's efforts in identifying a
prospective target company or business will not be limited to a
particular industry or geographic region. The Company may
subsequently seek to raise further capital for the purposes of the
Acquisition.
Unless required by applicable law or other
regulatory process, no Shareholder approval will be sought by the
Company in relation to the Acquisition. The Acquisition will be
subject to Board approval, including by a majority of the Company's
Board, including a majority of those Directors of the Board from
time to time considered by the Board to be independent for
the purposes of the UK Corporate Governance Code issued by the
Financial Reporting Council (the "FRC") in the UK from time to time
(the "Code") (or any other appropriate corporate governance regime
complied with by the Company from time to time) together with the
chairman of the Board provided that such person was considered by
the Board to be independent on appointment for the purposes of the
Code (or any other appropriate corporate governance regime complied
with by the Company from time to time).
The determination of the Company's
post-Acquisition strategy and whether any of the Directors will
remain with the combined company and on what terms will be made at
or prior to the time of the Acquisition.
In the event that the Acquisition has not been
announced by 22 May 2025, being the second anniversary of
Admission, the Board will recommend to Shareholders either that the
Company be wound up (in order to return capital to Shareholders and
holders of the Founder Preferred Shares, to the extent assets are
available) or that the Company continue to pursue the Acquisition
for a further twelve months from the second anniversary of
Admission. The Board's recommendation will then be put to a
Shareholder vote (from which the Directors, the Founders (as
defined below) and Mariposa Acquisition IX, LLC (the "Founder
Entity") will abstain).
The Company has identified the following
criteria and guidelines that it believes are important in
evaluating potential acquisition opportunities. It will generally
use these criteria and guidelines in evaluating acquisition
opportunities but the Company may decide to complete an Acquisition
that does not meet these criteria and guidelines. The Company
intends to target companies or businesses that:
•
have a leading competitive industry position with a
defensible moat;
•
have strong underlying free cash flow
characteristics;
•
are established with a proven track record;
•
have an experienced management team; and
•
have a diversified customer and supplier base.
In addition, the Company expects to consider a
variety of factors with respect to potential acquisition
opportunities, including, among others:
•
financial condition and results of operations;
•
growth potential;
•
brand recognition and potential;
•
experience and skill of management and availability of
additional personnel;
•
capital requirements;
•
stage of development of the business and its products or
services;
•
existing distribution or other sales arrangements and the
potential for expansion;
•
degree of current or potential market acceptance of the
products or services;
• proprietary
aspects of products and the extent of intellectual property or
other protection for products or formulas;
•
impact of regulation and potential future regulation on the
business;
•
regulatory environment of the industry;
•
seasonal sales fluctuations and the ability to offset these
fluctuations through other acquisitions, introduction of new
products, or product line extensions; and
•
the amount of working capital available.
Results
For the period from incorporation on 15 December
2022 to 30 November 2023, the Company's net income was US$13.99
million. Refer to page 1 of the Chairman's Statement for Financial
Results.
Dividend
The Directors do not propose a dividend for the
period.
Share
capital
General:
As at 30 November 2023, the Company had in issue
53,975,000 Ordinary Shares and 1,000,000 Founder Preferred Shares.
In addition, the Company had 54,975,000 Warrants in
issue.
1 Founder Preferred Share was issued on 21
December 2022 with a further 999,999 Founder Preferred Shares
issued on 22 May 2023. There are no Founder Preferred Shares held
in Treasury. Each Founder Preferred Share was issued at US$10.50
per share with an associated Warrant as described in note 4 to the
financial statements. 53,975,000 Ordinary Shares were issued on 22
May 2023 (53,950,000 were issued in the IPO at US$10.00 per share
and 25,000 were issued, in aggregate, to Rory Cullinan, Thomas V.
Milroy and Melanie Stack (the "Independent Non-Founder Directors")
in connection with the IPO. There are no Ordinary Shares held
in Treasury. Each Ordinary Share was issued with an associated
Warrant as described in note 4 to the financial
statements.
Founder Preferred
Shares:
Details of the Founder Preferred Shares can be
found in note 4 to the financial statements and are incorporated
into this Report by reference.
Securities carrying special
rights:
Other than as disclosed in note 4 in relation to
the Founder Preferred Shares, no person holds securities in the
Company carrying special rights with regard to control of the
Company.
Voting rights:
Holders of Ordinary Shares and Founder Preferred
Shares have the right to receive notice of and to attend and vote
at any meetings of members except, in the case of holders of
Ordinary Shares, in relation to any Resolution of Members that the
Directors, determine is (i) necessary or desirable in connection
with a merger or consolidation in relation to, in connection with
or resulting from the Acquisition (including at any time after the
Acquisition has been made); or (ii) to approve matters in relation
to, in connection with or resulting from the Acquisition (whether
before or after the Acquisition has been made). Each Shareholder
entitled to attend and being present in person or by proxy at a
meeting will, upon a show of hands, have one vote and upon a poll
each such Shareholder present in person or by proxy will have one
vote for each share held by him.
In the case of joint holders of an Ordinary
Share, if two or more persons hold an Ordinary Share jointly, each
of them may be present in person or by proxy at a meeting of
members and may speak as a member, and if one or more joint holders
are present at a meeting of members, in person or by proxy, they
must vote as one.
Restrictions on
voting:
No member shall, if the Directors so determine,
be entitled in respect of any share held by him to attend or vote
(either personally or by proxy) at any meeting of members or
separate class meeting of the Company or to exercise any other
right conferred by membership in relation to any such meeting if he
or any other person appearing to be interested in such shares has
failed to comply with a notice requiring the disclosure of
shareholder interests and given in accordance with the Company's
articles of association (the "Articles") within 14 calendar days,
in a case where the shares in question represent at least 0.25 per
cent. of their class, or within seven days, in any other case, from
the date of such notice. These restrictions will continue until the
information required by the notice is supplied to the Company or
until the shares in question are transferred or sold in
circumstances specified for this purpose in the
Articles.
Transfer of shares:
Subject to the BVI Business Companies Act, 2004
(as amended) (the "BVI Companies Act") and the terms of the
Articles, any member may transfer all or any of his certificated
shares by an instrument of transfer in any usual form or in any
other form which the Directors may approve. The Directors may
accept such evidence of title of the transfer of shares (or
interests in shares) held in uncertificated form (including in the
form of depositary interests or similar interests, instruments or
securities) as they shall in their discretion determine. The
Directors may permit such shares or interests in shares held in
uncertificated form to be transferred by means of a relevant system
of holding and transferring shares (or interests in shares) in
uncertificated form.
No transfer of shares will be registered if, in
the reasonable determination of the Directors, the transferee is or
may be a Prohibited Person (as defined in the Articles) or is or
may be holding such shares on behalf of a beneficial owner who is
or may be a Prohibited Person. The Directors shall have power to
implement and/or approve any arrangements they may, think fit in
relation to the evidencing of title to and transfer of interests in
shares in the Company in uncertificated form (including in the form
of depositary interests or similar interests, instruments or
securities).
Rights to
appoint and remove Directors
Subject to the BVI Companies Act and the
Articles, the Directors shall have power from time to time, without
sanction of the members, to appoint any person to be a Director,
either to fill a casual vacancy or as an additional Director.
Subject to the BVI Companies Act and the Articles, the members may
by a Resolution of Members appoint any person as a Director and
remove any person from office as a Director.
For so long as the initial holders of Founder
Preferred Shares (being the Founder Entity together with its
affiliates and permitted transferees) holds 20 per cent. or more of
the Founder Preferred Shares in issue, such holders shall be
entitled to nominate up to three persons as Directors of the
Company and the Directors shall appoint such persons.
In the event such holders notify the Company to
remove any Director nominated by them the other Directors shall
remove such Director, and in the event of such a removal the
relevant holders shall have the right to nominate a Director to
fill such vacancy.
No Director has a service contract with the
Company, nor are any such contracts proposed. There are no pension,
retirement, benefits or other similar arrangements in place
with the Directors nor are any such arrangements
proposed.
Powers of the
Directors
Subject to the provisions of the BVI Companies
Act and the Articles, the business and affairs of the Company shall
be managed by, or under the direction or supervision of, the
Directors. The Directors have all the powers necessary for
managing, and for directing and supervising, the business and
affairs of the Company. The Directors may exercise all the powers
of the Company to borrow or raise money (including the power to
borrow for the purpose of redeeming shares) and secure any debt or
obligation of or binding on the Company in any manner including by
the issue of debentures (perpetual or otherwise) and to secure the
repayment of any money borrowed, raised, or owing by mortgage,
charge, pledge, or lien upon the whole or any part of the Company's
undertaking property or assets (whether present or future) and also
by a similar mortgage, charge, pledge, or lien to secure and
guarantee the performance of any obligation or liability undertaken
by the Company or any third party.
Directors and
their interests
The Directors of the Company who served during
the period and subsequent to the date of this Report are disclosed
in the below on page 33.
As of 16 February 2024, all of the Directors as
disclosed continue to serve as Directors of the Company. As
at 16 February 2024, (the latest practicable date prior to
the publication of this Report), the Directors have the following
interests in the Company's securities:
Director
|
No. of Ordinary
Shares
|
Percentage of issued Ordinary
Shares
|
No. of
Warrants
|
No. of Founder Preferred
Shares
|
Sir Martin E.
Franklin1
|
8,950,000
|
16.6
|
9,950,000
|
1,000,000
|
Robert A.E. Franklin
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Rory Cullinan
|
10,000
|
0.02
|
10,000
|
-
|
Thomas V. Milroy
|
7,500
|
0.01
|
7,500
|
-
|
Melanie Stack
|
7,500
|
0.01
|
7,500
|
-
|
1 Represents an interest
held by the Founder Entity. Sir Martin E. Franklin is the managing
member of the Founder Entity and controls 100 per cent. of the
voting and dispositive power of the Founder Entity. Sir
Martin E. Franklin, Robert A.E. Franklin, Michael E. Franklin,
James E. Lillie, Ian G.H. Ashken and Desiree A. DeStefano
(collectively, the "Founders"), in aggregate, hold an indirect
pecuniary interest of approximately 69 per cent. in the Founder
Entity.
Directors'
remuneration
Each of the Directors entered into a Director's
letter of appointment with the Company dated 17 May 2023. Under the
Independent Non-Founder Directors' letters of appointment, Thomas
V. Milroy and Melanie Stack are entitled to a fee of US$0.075
million per annum and Rory Cullinan, as Chairman, is entitled to
receive a fee of US$0.1 million per annum. Fees are payable
quarterly in arrears. During the period from 15 December 2022 to 30
November 2023, the Company issued 25,000 Ordinary Shares, in
aggregate, to the Independent Non-Founder Directors in lieu
of their first year's annual cash remuneration. The shares were
valued at US$10.00 per share and are being expensed over the
one-year service period. Sir Martin E. Franklin and Robert A.E.
Franklin do not receive a fee in connection with their appointment
as Non-Executive Directors of the Company. In addition, all of the
Directors are entitled to be reimbursed by the Company for travel,
hotel and other expenses incurred by them in the course of their
directors' duties relating to the Company.
Director
|
Remuneration
US$
|
Sir Martin E.
Franklin1
|
-
|
Robert A.E. Franklin
|
-
|
Rory Cullinan
|
57,808
|
Thomas V. Milroy
|
43,357
|
Melanie Stack
|
43,357
|
Substantial
shareholdings
As at 16 February 2024, (the latest practicable
date prior to the publication of this Report), the following had
disclosed an interest in the issued Ordinary Share capital of the
Company (being 5% or more of the voting rights in the Company) in
accordance with the requirements of the Disclosure and Transparency
Rules (the "DTRs"):
Shareholder
|
Number of Ordinary
Shares
|
Date of disclosure to
Company
|
Notified percentage of voting
rights 1
|
Viking
Global Investors LP
|
10,000,000
|
23-May-23
|
18.53%
|
Progeny 3,
Inc.
|
10,000,000
|
25-May-23
|
18.53%
|
Mariposa
Acquisition IX, LLC
|
8,950,000
|
22-May-23
|
16.58%
|
1 Since the date of
disclosures to the Company, the interest of any person listed above
in Ordinary Shares may have increased or decreased without any
obligation on the relevant person to make further notification to
the Company pursuant to the DTRs.
Change of
control
The Company is not party to any significant
contracts that are subject to change of control provisions in the
event of a takeover bid. There are no agreements between the
Company and its Directors or employees providing compensation for
loss of office or employment that occurs because of a takeover
bid.
Corporate
Governance Statement
Compliance
The Company is a BVI registered company with a
standard listing on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.
The Company is firmly committed to high standards of corporate
governance and maintaining a sound framework through which the
strategy and objectives of the Company are set and the means of
attaining these objectives and monitoring performance are
determined. At Admission, the Company stated its intention to
voluntarily observe the requirements of the Code. The Code is
available on the FRC's website, www.frc.co.uk. The Company also
complies with the corporate governance regime applicable to the
Company pursuant to the laws of the British Virgin
Islands
As at the date of this Report, the Company is in
compliance with the Code with the exception of the
following:
• Given the wholly
non-executive composition of the Board, certain provisions of the
Code (in particular the provisions relating to the division of
responsibilities between the Chairman and chief executive and
executive compensation), are considered by the Board to be
inapplicable to the Company. In addition, the Company does not
comply with the requirements of the Code in relation to the
requirement to have a senior independent director.
• The Code also
recommends the submission of all directors for re-election at
annual intervals. No Director will be required to submit for
re-election until the first annual general meeting of the Company
following the Company's first acquisition.
•
Until the Company completes its first acquisition, the
Company will not have nomination, remuneration, audit or risk
committees. The Board as a whole will instead review its size,
structure and composition, the scale and structure of the
Directors' fees (taking into account the interests of Shareholders
and the performance of the Company), take responsibility for the
appointment of auditors and payment of their audit fee, monitor and
review the integrity of the Company's financial statements and take
responsibility for any formal announcements on the Company's
financial performance. Following the Company's first acquisition,
the Board intends to put in place nomination, remuneration, audit
and risk committees.
• Given
the nature of the Company and its activities prior to an
acquisition, the Company does not describe in the annual report how
the matters set out in s.172 of the UK Companies Act 2006 have been
considered in board discussions and decision making.
• The
Code recommends that remuneration for all non-executive directors
should not include share options or other performance-related
elements. The Independent Non-Founder Directors were issued share
options at the time of the IPO as described in note 6 to the
financial statements.
• The
Code recommends the inclusion of a viability statement in addition
to the statement of going concern. This is not considered by the
Board to be applicable given the nature of the Company and its
activities prior to an acquisition.
Share dealing code
As at the date of this Report the Board has
adopted a share dealing code which is consistent with the rules of
the Market Abuse Regulation. The Board is responsible for taking
all proper and reasonable steps to ensure compliance with such
share dealing code by the Directors.
Relations with
Shareholders
The Directors are available for communication
with shareholders and all shareholders will have the opportunity,
and are encouraged, to attend and vote at any future Annual General
Meeting of the Company, the first of which will take place within
18 months following completion of the Company's first acquisition,
during which the Board will be available to discuss issues
affecting the Company.
Diversity policy
As the Company currently does not have
nomination, remuneration, audit or risk committees or any
employees, it currently does not have a diversity policy in
place. Following the Company's first acquisition, the Board
intends to put a diversity policy in place.
Environmental matters, employees, social
matters, human rights, anti-corruption and
anti-bribery
The Company has no employees. The Company has
minimal environmental and social impact in its current state. The
Directors will ensure that when the Company makes an acquisition,
they have sufficiently considered the acquisition's potential
impact on both the environment and its consideration of social
corporate responsibilities and will ensure that appropriate
safeguards are in place. The Company is not required to report
against the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures
recommendations under the Listing Rules. The Board will continue to
monitor this position for future financial periods. The Board has
adopted an anti-bribery and anti-corruption policy designed to
ensure that the Company complies with all applicable laws,
standards and expectations in relation to anti-bribery and
anti-corruption matters.
Composition of the
Board
As at the date of this Report, the Directors of
the Company are:
Name
|
Position
|
Date
of appointment
|
Sir Martin E. Franklin
|
Founder and Non-Executive
Director
|
15-Dec-22
|
Robert A.E. Franklin
|
Founder and Non-Executive
Director
|
04-May-23
|
Rory Cullinan
|
Chairman and Independent
Non-Executive Director
|
04-May-23
|
Thomas V. Milroy
|
Independent Non-Executive
Director
|
04-May-23
|
Melanie Stack
|
Independent Non-Executive
Director
|
04-May-23
|
All the Directors are non-executive directors.
The Board as a whole manages the Company's business and may
exercise all powers in this respect.
Board meetings and
attendance
The Board meets on a regular basis, with the
Board meetings and committee meetings conducted in accordance with
the articles of incorporation of the Company. Board packs for
standard meetings of the Directors are circulated at least five
days prior to the meeting unless circumstances dictate otherwise.
The Board ensures that minutes are taken at each meeting and
subsequently approved by the Board. During the period from
incorporation to 30 November 2023 the Board held three meetings,
each of which were attended by all Directors.
Internal control and risk
management
The Board is responsible for determining the
nature and extent of the significant risks it is willing to take in
achieving its strategic objectives. The Board maintains sound risk
management and internal control systems. The Board has reviewed the
Company's risk management and control systems and believes that the
controls are satisfactory given the nature and size of the Company.
Controls will be reviewed following completion of its first
acquisition.
Financial Risk Profile
The Company's financial instruments comprise
mainly of cash, marketable securities and various items such as
payables and receivables that arise directly from the Company's
operations. Cash and US Treasury Bills, which are priced in an
active market are custodied with Barclays, whom have a stable
credit rating. Treasury bills are backed by the US Government and
not by Barclays. The US Treasury Bills are highly liquid, and their
use is unrestricted, The Company's liabilities are insignificant
against the ash and marketable securities held. The Board has
conducted a robust assessment of the Company's emerging and
principal risks including those that would threaten its business
model, future performance, solvency or liquidity.
Statement of going
concern
The financial statements have been prepared on a
going concern basis. The Board has assessed the Company's financial
position as at 30 November 2023 and the factors that may impact the
Company up to 22 May 2025 a period of at least 12 months from the
date these financial statements are signed.
The Company believes it has adequate resources
to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future
given the available cash and forecast cash inflows and outflows.
This assessment considers the initial net proceeds of the capital
raise of US$538.99 million and the interest being earned thereon
along with reasonable assumptions about the Company's ongoing
operating costs (which are nominal in relation to the cash on
hand). The Company's actual ongoing operational costs from 15
December 2022 to 30 November 2023. were used to estimate ongoing
costs with increases for inflation and conservatism. The
company's investable cash was assumed to continue to earn interest
rates at the current market rates. There are no restrictions
on the use of the IPO proceeds.
The Company was formed to undertake an
acquisition of a target company or business. The Company has a
period of 24 months from the date on which the Company listed on
the London Stock Exchange, 22 May 2023, to do so, the deadline
being 22 May 2025, unless such period is extended for a further 12
months by Board recommendation and shareholder
vote.
The Company believes that
there is material uncertainty regarding an Acquisition which
may cast significant doubt on the Company's ability to continue as
a going concern, that being to announce the Acquisition by 22 May
2025. Material uncertainty is similar to the definition of
substantial doubt about an entity's ability to continue as a going
concern in line with ASC 205-40-50. In the event that an
Acquisition has not been announced by the second anniversary of
Admission, the Board will recommend to Shareholders either that the
Company be wound up (in order to return capital to Shareholders and
holders of the Founder Preferred Shares, to the extent assets are
available) or that the Company continue to pursue the Acquisition
for a further 12 months from the second anniversary of Admission.
The Board's recommendation will then be put to a shareholder vote
(from which the Directors, the Founders and the Founder Entity will
abstain) which is outside of the Company's control. The Company
believes that this risk is mitigated by the Founders experience and
track record in finding and completing acquisitions within the 2
year time frame of its previous similar acquisition
vehicles.
Based on the progress
made in assessing opportunities and identifying a target company
and believes it is well positioned to announce the Acquisition in
the time frame allowed, the financial statements have been prepared
on a going concern basis and do not include the adjustments that
would result if the Company was unable to continue as a going
concern.
Branches
At the date of this Report, the Company does not
have any branches.
Management Report
For the purposes of compliance with DTR 4.1.5(2)
and DTR 4.1.8R and DTR 4.1.11R, the required content of the
"Management Report" can be found in this Report of Directors and
the Principal Risks and Uncertainties section on page
11.
Directors'
Responsibilities
The Directors of the Company (as listed in the
Report) are responsible for preparing the Report and the financial
statements in accordance with applicable law and
regulations.
The Directors have prepared the Company's
financial statements in accordance with United States of America
generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") and the
DTRs. The Directors must not approve the financial statements
unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of
the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of
the company for that period. In preparing these financial
statements, the directors are required to:
•
select suitable accounting policies and then apply them
consistently;
•
make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable
and prudent;
• state whether
applicable U.S. GAAP have been followed, subject to any material
departures disclosed and explained in the financial
statements;
• prepare the
financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is
inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in
business.
The Directors are responsible for keeping
adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain
the company's transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at
any time the financial position of the company and enable them to
prepare the financial statements. They are also responsible for
safeguarding the assets of the Company and hence taking reasonable
steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other
irregularities.
The Directors are responsible for the
maintenance and integrity of the company's website. A copy of the
annual financial statements is available on our website
www.admiralacquisition.com. Legislation in the BVI governing the
preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ
from legislation in other jurisdictions.
The Directors consider that the annual report
and accounts, taken as a whole, are fair, balanced and
understandable and provide the information necessary for
shareholders to assess the Company's performance, business model
and strategy.
Each of the Directors, who are in office and
whose names and functions are listed on page 33, confirms that, to
the best of his or her knowledge:
• the Company
financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance
with U.S. GAAP, give a true and fair view of the assets,
liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the Company;
and
• the management
report includes a fair review of the development and performance of
the business and the position of the Company, together with a
description of the principal risks and uncertainties that it
faces.
Disclosure of
information to Auditors
Each of the persons who is a Director at the
date of approval of this Report confirms that:
• so far as the
Directors are aware, there is no relevant audit information of
which the Company's auditors are unaware; and
• each Director has
taken all the steps that he/she ought to have taken as a director
in order to make himself/herself aware of any relevant audit
information and to establish that the Company's auditors are aware
of that information.
Directors'
indemnities
As at the date of this Report, indemnities
granted by the Company to the Directors are in force to the extent
permitted under BVI law. The Company also maintains Directors' and
Officers' liability insurance, the level of which is reviewed
annually.
By order of the Board
Rory
Cullinan
___________________________
Rory Cullinan
Chairman
Date: 16 February 2024
Principal Risks and Uncertainties
The Board has identified the following
principal risks and uncertainties facing the Company as set out in
the Prospectus. The Directors consider that these principal risks
and uncertainties remain unchanged since that document was
published. A copy of the Prospectus is available on the
Company's website (www.admiralacquisition.com) and was submitted to
the National Storage Mechanism and is available for inspection
at:
https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism.
The risks referred to below do not purport to be
exhaustive and are not set out in any particular order of priority.
Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to the Board
or which the Board currently deem immaterial may also have an
adverse effect on the Company's business. In particular, the
Company's performance may be affected by changes in the market
and/or economic conditions and in legal, regulatory and tax
requirements.
Key information
on the key risks that are specific to the issuer or its
industry
Business Strategy
•
The Company is a newly formed entity with no operating
history and has not yet identified any potential target company or
business for the Acquisition.
•
The Company may acquire either less than whole voting control
of, or less than a controlling equity interest in, a target, which
may limit its operational strategies.
•
The Company may be unable to complete the Acquisition in a
timely manner or at all or to fund the operations of the target
business if it does not obtain additional funding.
The Company's relationship with the Directors,
the Founders and the Founder Entity and conflicts of
interest
• The
Company is dependent on its Directors and Mariposa Capital, LLC
("Mariposa Capital") to identify potential acquisition
opportunities and to execute the Acquisition and the loss of the
services of any of them could materially adversely affect
it.
• The
Founders, the Founder Entity and Mariposa Capital are currently
affiliated and the Founders, the Founder Entity, Mariposa Capital
and the Directors, may in the future become affiliated with
entities engaged in business activities similar to those intended
to be conducted by the Company and may have conflicts of interest
in allocating their time and business opportunities.
• The
Directors will allocate a portion of their time to other businesses
leading to the potential for conflicts of interest in their
determination as to how much time to devote to the Company's
affairs, which could have a negative impact on the Company's
ability to complete the Acquisition.
• The
Company may be required to issue additional Ordinary Shares
pursuant to the terms of the Founder Preferred Shares, which could
dilute the value of existing Ordinary Shares.
Taxation
•
The Company may be a "passive foreign investment company" for
U.S. federal income tax purposes and adverse tax consequences could
apply to U.S. investors.
Key information
on the key risks that are specific to the
securities
The
Ordinary Shares and Warrants
•
The Standard Listing of the Ordinary Shares and Warrants will
not afford Shareholders the opportunity to vote to approve the
Acquisition.
•
The Warrants can only be exercised during the Subscription
Period and to the extent a Warrant holder has not exercised its
Warrants before the end of the Subscription Period, those Warrants
will lapse, resulting in the loss of a holder's entire investment
in those Warrants.
•
The Warrants are subject to mandatory redemption and
therefore the Company may redeem a Warrantholder's unexpired
Warrants prior to their exercise at a time that is disadvantageous
to a Warrantholder, thereby making those Warrants
worthless.
•
The issuance of Ordinary Shares pursuant to the exercise of
the Warrants will dilute the value of a Shareholder's Ordinary
Shares.
Independent
auditor's report to the members of Admiral Acquisition
Limited
Opinion
Our opinion on the financial
statements is unmodified.
We have
audited the non-statutory financial statements of Admiral
Acquisition Limited (the 'company') for the period ended 30
November 2023, which compromise the Balance Sheet, Statement of
Income, Statement of Shareholders' Equity, Statement of Cash Flows
and Notes to the audited financial statements, including a summary
of the significant accounting policies. The financial reporting
framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable
law and accounting principles generally accepted in the United
States of America ('US GAAP').
In our
opinion, the financial statements:
· give a
true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at 30
November 2023 and of its profit for the period then ended;
and
· have
been properly prepared in accordance with accounting principles
generally accepted in the United States of America.
|
Basis for
opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance
with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and
applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are
further described in the 'Auditor's responsibilities for the audit
of the financial statements' section of our report. We are
independent of the Company in accordance with the ethical
requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial
statements in the UK, including the FRC's Ethical Standard as
applied to listed entities, and we have fulfilled our other ethical
responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe
that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and
appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.
Material uncertainty related
to going concern
We draw attention to note 2 in the
financial statements, which indicates that there is the existence
of a material uncertainty in announcing an acquisition by 22 May
2025, failure to announce an acquisition would trigger a
shareholder vote that could result in the company being wound up.
As stated in note 2, these events or conditions, along with the
other matters as set forth in note 2, indicate that a material
uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt on the company's
ability to continue as a going concern. Our opinion is not modified
in respect of this matter.
In auditing the financial
statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going
concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial
statements is appropriate.
Our
evaluation of management's assessment of the entity's ability to
continue as a going concern.
Our evaluation of the directors'
assessment of the company's ability to continue to adopt the going
concern basis of accounting included obtaining management's
assessment of going concern covering the period to 22 May 2025, and
performing the following procedures:
· examined minutes of meeting of board of directors and
enquiring with those charged with governance and management about
progress to acquire a target business.
· obtaining an understanding of key processes and controls over
management's going concern assessment, including those related to
the underlying assumptions used;
· analysing management's base case cash flow forecasts covering
the period to 22 May 2025, challenging the underlying assumptions
throughout the going concern period, including those related to
forecast expenditure;
· corroborating key assumptions, such as agreeing committed
costs to supporting agreements, and challenging management where
necessary; and
· assessing the adequacy of management's disclosures surrounding
the material uncertainty relating to going concern and whether they
offer a fair and transparent presentation of the events and
conditions which cast significant doubt over the company's ability
to continue as a going concern.
Our
responsibilities
We are responsible for concluding on
the appropriateness of the directors' use of the going concern
basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained,
whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or
conditions that may cast significant doubt on the company's ability
to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material
uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our report
to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such
disclosures are inadequate, to modify the auditor's opinion. Our
conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date
of our report. However, future events or conditions may cause the
company to cease to continue as a going concern.
Our responsibilities and the
responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are
described in the relevant sections of this report.
Reporting
under the UK Corporate Governance Code
In relation to the company's
reporting on how they have applied the UK Corporate Governance
Code, we have nothing material to add or draw attention to in
relation to the directors' statement in the financial statements
about whether the directors considered it appropriate to adopt the
going concern basis of accounting and directors' identification in
the financial statements of any material uncertainties related to
the entity's ability to continue to do so over a period of at least
twelve months from the date of approval of the financial
statements.
Our approach to the
audit
|
Overview of our audit
approach
|
Overall
materiality: £5.5 million, which represents approximately 1% of the
company's total assets.
|
Key audit
matters were identified as
· accounting
treatment and presentation of founder shares, warrants and options;
and
· going
concern
|
This is the
first accounting period in which we are providing an audit opinion
as the company only incorporated during the period.
|
Key audit
matters
Key audit matters are those matters
that, in our professional judgement, were of most significance in
our audit of the financial statements of the current period and
include the most significant assessed risks of material
misstatement (whether due to fraud) that we identified. These
matters included those that had the greatest effect on the overall
audit strategy; the allocation of resources in the audit; and
directing the efforts of the engagement team. These matters were
addressed in the context of our audit of the financial statements,
and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a
separate opinion on these matters.
In the graph below, we have
presented the key audit matters, significant risks, and other risks
relevant to the audit.
Key audit matters
(continued)
In addition to the matter described
in the Material uncertainty related to going concern section, we
have determined the matter described below to be the key audit
matters to be communicated in our report.
Key Audit
Matter
|
How our scope addressed the
matter
|
|
Accounting treatment and
presentation of founder preferred shares, warrants and
options
|
We identified the accounting
treatment and presentation of founder preferred shares, warrants
and options as one of the most significant assessed risks of
material misstatement due to error.
The financial instruments issued by
the company include founder preferred shares which generated funds
of $10.5 million, warrants (note 4) and options (note 6). The
founder preferred shares carry right to receive dividend which are
linked to market price of ordinary shares for a period of ten years
following a business combination and automatic conversion to
ordinary shares at the end of the tenth year. The warrants have
mandatory redemption features linked with market price of ordinary
shares. Furthermore, the options have a performance condition of
vesting on an acquisition.
Due to the complexity of these
terms, there is a risk that these financial instruments are not
accounted and presented in accordance with ASC 718 'Compensation -
Stock Compensation', ASC 815 'Derivatives and Hedging' and ASC 480
'Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity'.
|
In responding to the key audit
matter, we performed the following audit procedures:
Analysing the terms, conditions and
rights attached to these financial instruments.
Obtaining management's assessment of
the accounting treatment and presentation of warrants, assessing
the liability vs equity classification against the requirements of
ASC 480 'Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity'.
Obtaining management's assessment of
the accounting treatment and presentation of options and dividend
rights attached to founder preferred shares, assessing against the
requirements of ASC 718 ''Compensation - Stock Compensation' and
ASC 815 'Derivatives and Hedging'.
Obtaining the prospectus, option
deeds, memorandum and articles of association and evaluating the
settlement terms of these financial instruments.
Evaluating the adequacy and
completeness of financial statements disclosures related to the
financial instruments against requirements of ASC 718 and
480.
|
|
Relevant disclosures in the Report
and audited financial statements
Financial statements: Note 2 -
Summary of significant accounting policies, Note 4 - Shareholders
equity, and Note 6 - Share-based Compensation
|
Our results
Based on our audit work, we are
satisfied that the accounting treatment and presentation of founder
preferred shares, warrants and options were appropriate. We
consider that the disclosure to be in accordance with ASC 480, 718
& 815.
|
|
Our application of
materiality
We apply the concept of materiality
both in planning and performing the audit, and in evaluating the
effect of identified misstatements on the audit and of uncorrected
misstatements, if any, on the financial statements and in forming
the opinion in the auditor's report.
Materiality was determined as
follows:
Materiality
measure
|
Company
|
|
Materiality for financial
statements as a whole
|
We define materiality as the
magnitude of misstatement in the financial statements that,
individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to
influence the economic decisions of the users of these financial
statements. We use materiality in determining the nature, timing,
and extent of our audit work.
|
Materiality
threshold
|
$5.5 million which is approximately
1% of the company's total assets.
|
Significant
judgements made by auditor in determining materiality
|
In determining materiality, we made
the following significant judgements:
·
Total assets is considered the most appropriate
benchmark because the entity is a special purpose acquisition
company, established to enact a business combination. We therefore
considered total assets to be the most critical measure of
the size of the business and most relevant benchmark for users of
the financial statements.
·
1% of revenue is considered to be an appropriate
threshold to apply to the chosen benchmark having considered the
expectations of the users of the financial statements and the
engagement risk.
|
Performance materiality used
to drive the extent of our testing
|
We set performance materiality at an
amount less than materiality for the financial statements to reduce
to an appropriately low level the probability that the aggregate of
uncorrected and undetected misstatements exceeds materiality for
the financial statements as a whole.
|
Performance
materiality threshold
|
$3.3 million which is 60% of financial statement materiality.
|
Significant
judgements made by auditor in determining the performance
materiality
|
In determining performance
materiality, we made the following significant
judgements:
· This
is our first period of audit, therefore with limited expectation
based on prior interactions with the company in relation to the
number or quantum of potential misstatements; and
· Our
assessment of the effectiveness of the company's control
environment.
|
Specific
materiality
|
We determine specific materiality
for one or more classes of transactions, account balances or
disclosures for which misstatements of lesser amounts than
materiality for the financial statements as a whole could
reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users
taken on the basis of the financial statements.
|
Specific
materiality
|
We determined a lower level of
specific materiality for related party transactions and directors'
remuneration.
|
Communication of
misstatements to those charged with governance
|
We determine a threshold for
reporting unadjusted differences to those charged with
governance.
|
Threshold
for communication
|
$0.3 million and misstatements below
that threshold that, in our view, warrant reporting on qualitative
grounds.
|
Our application of
materiality (continued)
The graph below illustrates how
performance materiality interacts with our overall materiality and
the tolerance for potential uncorrected misstatements.
An
overview of the scope of our audit
We performed a risk-based audit that
requires an understanding of the company's business and in
particular matters related to:
Understanding the company, its
environment, including controls
· obtaining an understanding of the company and its control
environment, and assessing the risks of material misstatement;
and
· obtaining an understanding of the design and implementation of
controls over the financial reporting systems and the effectiveness
of the control environment as part of our risk
assessment.
Work to be performed on
financial information of the Company (including how it addressed the key audit matters)
· evaluating of the design and implementation of controls over
the financial reporting systems identified as part of our risk
assessment, however no reliance has been placed on the operating
effectiveness of internal control.
· performing an audit of the financial information of the
company using financial statement materiality, with key areas of
focus identified to be relating to the going concern, and complex
financial instruments during the period, being founder
preferred shares, warrants, and options.
· inquiring with management to understand the overall progress
towards completing a business combination by the required deadline,
and evaluated the impact on going concern considerations;
and
Performance of our audit
· There
are no branches or subsidiaries, and no component auditors were
used to perform our audit.
· A
full-scope audit of the Company was performed by the engagement
team, including an evaluation of the internal control environment,
including IT systems.
· We
completed all audit procedures remotely.
Other
information
The other information comprises the
information included in the Report and audited financial
statements, other than the financial statements and our auditor's
report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other
information contained within the Report and audited financial
statements. Our opinion on the financial statements does not
cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise
explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of
assurance conclusion thereon.
Our responsibility is to read the
other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other
information is materially inconsistent with the financial
statements, or our knowledge obtained in the audit or otherwise
appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material
inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required
to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the
financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have
performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of
this other information, we are required to report that
fact.
We have nothing to report in this
regard.
Corporate governance statement
We have reviewed the directors'
statement in relation to going concern, longer-term viability and
that part of the Corporate Governance Statement relating to the
group's compliance with the provisions of the UK Corporate
Governance Code specified for our review by the Listing
Rules.
Based on the work undertaken as part
of our audit, we have concluded that each of the following elements
of the Corporate Governance Statement is materially consistent with
the financial statements or our knowledge obtained during the
audit:
· the
directors' statement with regards to the appropriateness of
adopting the going concern basis of accounting and any material
uncertainties identified set out on page on page 9;
· the
directors' explanation that they have not performed an assessment
of the company's prospects is set out on page 7;
· the
directors' statement on whether they have a reasonable expectation
that the company will be able to continue in operation and meets
its liabilities set out on page 9;
· the
directors' statement on fair, balanced and understandable set out
on page 10;
· the
board's confirmation that it has carried out a robust assessment of
the emerging and principal risks set out on page 11;
· the
section of the annual report that describes the review of the
effectiveness of risk management and internal control systems set
out on page 8; and
· the
section describing that the company does not have an audit
committee as set out on page 7.
Responsibilities of directors
As explained more fully in the
directors' responsibilities statement set out on page 10, the
directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial
statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair
view, and for such internal control as the directors determine is
necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that
are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or
error.
In preparing the financial
statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the
company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as
applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going
concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to
liquidate the company or to cease operations, or have no realistic
alternative but to do so.
Auditor's responsibilities
for the audit of the financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are
free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and
to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable
assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that
an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect
a material misstatement when it exists.
Misstatements can arise from fraud
or error and are considered material if, individually or in the
aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the
economic decisions of users taken based on these financial
statements.
Irregularities, including fraud, are
instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations.
The extent to which our procedures can detect
irregularities, including fraud is detailed below:
· We
obtained an understanding of the relevant legal and regulatory
frameworks applicable to the company and the industry in which they
operate. We determined that the following laws and regulations were
most significant: US Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, UK
Corporate Governance Code, Rules applicable for standard listing on
London Stock Exchange and British Virgin Island Business Companies
Act 2004.
· We
obtained an understanding of the relevant laws and regulations and
how the company is complying with those legal and regulatory
frameworks by making inquiries of management, inquiring with those
responsible for legal and compliance procedures and with the
company secretary. We corroborated our inquiries through our review
of board minutes.
· We
assessed the susceptibility of the financial statements to material
misstatement, including how fraud might occur. Audit procedures
performed included:
Identifying and assessing the design and implementation of
controls management has in place to prevenand detect
fraud.
Understanding how those charged with governance considered and
addressed the potential for override of controls or other
inappropriate influence over the financial reporting process;
and
Identifying and testing journal
entries posted in the year which were deemed to be
unusual.
· These
audit procedures were designed to provide reasonable assurance that
the financial statements were free from fraud or error. The risk of
not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than
the risk of not detecting one resulting from error and detecting
irregularities that result from fraud is inherently more difficult
than detecting those that result from error, as fraud may involve
collusion, deliberate concealment, forgery, or intentional
misrepresentations. Also, the further removed non-compliance with
laws and regulations is from events and transactions reflected in
the financial statements, the less likely we would become aware of
it.
· The
engagement partner assessed whether the engagement team
collectively had the appropriate competence and capabilities to
identify and recognise non-compliance with laws and regulations
through an assessment of the engagement team's:
Understanding of, and practical
experience with, audit engagements of a similar nature and
complexity, through appropriate training and participation;
and
Knowledge of the industry in which
the company operates.
· We communicated relevant laws, regulations and potential fraud
risks to all engagement team members and remained alert to any
indications of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations
throughout the audit.
A further description of our
responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is
located on the Financial Reporting Council's website at:
www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities.
This description forms part of our auditor's report.
Other matters which we are
required to address:
We were appointed by the Company on
9 May 2023 to audit the financial statements for the period ending
30 November 2023. Our total uninterrupted period of engagement is
from 9 May 2023, covering the period ended 30 November
2023.
The non-audit services prohibited by
the FRC's Ethical Standard were not provided to the company and we
remain independent of the company in conducting our
audit.
Our audit opinion is consistent with
the additional report to those charged with governance.
Use of our
report
This report is made solely to the
company's members, as a body, in accordance with our engagement
letter dated 9 May 2023. Our audit work has been undertaken so that
we might state to the company's members those matters we are
required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other
purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept
or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the
company's members as a body, for our audit work, for this report,
or for the opinions we have formed.
Christopher
Raab, ACA
Senior
Statutory Auditor
for and on behalf of Grant Thornton UK LLP
Statutory Auditor, Chartered Accountants
London
16 February
2024
Balance Sheet
As
of 30 November 2023 (Audited)
|
30 November
2023
|
|
US$
(in thousands, except
share and per share
amounts)
|
ASSETS
|
|
Current assets
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents
|
2,662
|
Marketable securities at fair
value
|
550,789
|
Prepayments and other
assets
|
401
|
Total assets
|
553,852
|
|
|
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
|
Current liabilities
|
|
Accrued expenses
|
625
|
Total current liabilities
|
625
|
|
|
Total liabilities
|
625
|
|
|
Stockholders' equity
|
|
Founder
Preferred Shares, no par value; unlimited authorised shares;
1,000,000 shares issued and outstanding as of 30 November
2023
|
-
|
Ordinary
Shares, no par value; unlimited authorised shares;
53,975,000 shares issued and outstanding as of 30 November
2023
|
-
|
Additional paid-in capital (net of
costs)
|
539,234
|
Retained earnings
|
13,993
|
Total stockholders' equity
|
553,227
|
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
|
553,852
|
The notes on pages 24 to 32 form an integral
part of these audited financial statements.
The financial statements on pages 20 to 32 were
approved by the board of directors and authorised for issue on 16
February 2024 and are signed on its behalf by:
Rory
Cullinan
___________________________
Rory Cullinan
Chairman
Statement of Income
for
the period from incorporation on 15 December 2022 to 30 November
2023 (Audited)
|
For the period from
incorporation on
|
|
15 December 2022
to
|
|
30 November
2023
|
|
US$
(in thousands, except
share and per share
amounts)
|
|
|
Operating expenses:
|
|
General and administrative
|
(1,285)
|
Loss
from operations
|
(1,285)
|
|
|
Other income:
|
|
Investment income
|
8,909
|
Unrealised gain on marketable
securities at fair value
|
6,369
|
Total other income
|
15,278
|
|
|
Net
income
|
13,993
|
|
|
Basic income per Ordinary
Share
|
0.2545
|
Diluted income per Ordinary
Share
|
0.2545
|
Weighted average Ordinary Shares
outstanding, basic
|
53,975,000
|
Weighted average Ordinary Shares
outstanding, diluted
|
53,975,000
|
The notes on pages 24 to 32 form an integral
part of these audited financial statements.
Statement of Shareholders' Equity
for
the period from incorporation on 15 December 2022 to 30 November
2023 (Audited)
|
Preferred
Shares
|
|
Ordinary
Shares
|
|
|
|
No. of
Shares
|
|
US$
|
|
No. of
Shares
|
|
US$
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance as of incorporation, 15 December
2022
|
1
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Issue of shares
|
999,999
|
|
|
|
53,950,000
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Issue costs
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Share-based compensation -
directors
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
25,000
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Net income
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
Balance as at 30 November 2023
|
1,000,000
|
|
-
|
|
53,975,000
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
Additional paid in
capital
|
|
Retained
earnings
|
|
Total
equity
|
|
US$
|
|
US$
|
|
US$
|
|
(in thousands, except share
amounts)
|
|
(in thousands, except share
amounts)
|
|
(in thousands, except share
amounts)
|
Balance as of incorporation, 15 December
2022
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
Issue of shares
|
550,000
|
|
-
|
|
550,000
|
Issue costs
|
(11,016)
|
|
-
|
|
(11,016)
|
Share-based compensation -
directors
|
250
|
|
-
|
|
250
|
Net income
|
-
|
|
13,993
|
|
13,993
|
Balance as at 30 November 2023
|
539,234
|
|
13,993
|
|
553,227
|
The notes on pages 24 to 32 form an integral
part of these audited financial statements.
Statement of Cash Flows
for
the period from incorporation on 15 December 2022 to 30 November
2023 (Audited)
|
For the period from
incorporation on
|
|
15 December 2022
to
|
|
30 November
2023
|
|
US$
(in thousands)
|
|
|
Net
income
|
13,993
|
Adjustments
to reconcile net income to net cash provided operating
activities:
|
|
Unrealized
gain on marketable securities
|
(6,369)
|
Share based
payment
Changes in
operating assets and liabilities:
|
250
|
Prepaids
and other assets
|
(401)
|
Accruals
|
625
|
|
|
Net cash provided by
operating activities
|
8,098
|
|
|
INVESTING
ACTIVITIES:
|
|
Purchase of
marketable securities - short-term
|
(1,080,091)
|
Redemption
of marketable securities - short-term
|
535,671
|
Net cash used in investing
activities
|
(544,420)
|
|
|
FINANCING
ACTIVITIES:
|
|
Proceeds
from issuance of Founder Preferred Shares and Warrants
|
10,500
|
Proceeds
from issuance of Ordinary Shares and Warrants, gross
|
539,500
|
Issue
costs
|
(11,016)
|
Net cash provided by
financing activities
|
538,984
|
|
|
|
|
Net
increase in cash and cash equivalents
|
2,662
|
Cash and
cash equivalents at beginning of period
|
-
|
Cash and
cash equivalents at end of period
|
2,662
|
Supplementary
information:
Share based
payment
250
The notes on pages 24 to 32 form an integral
part of these audited financial statements.
Notes to the audited financial statements
for
the period from incorporation on 15 December 2022 to 30 November
2023.
1.
Organisation
The Company was incorporated with limited
liability under the laws of the British Virgin Islands under the
BVI Business Companies Act, 2004, on 15 December 2022. The address
of the Company's registered office is Ritter House, Wickhams Cay
II, Road Town, Tortola, VG 1110, British Virgin Islands. The
Ordinary Shares and Warrants were admitted for trading on the main
market of the London Stock Exchange on 22 May 2023. The Company
raised gross proceeds of US$539.5 million in its initial public
offering ("IPO"), through the placing of ordinary shares of no par
value in the capital of the Company ("Ordinary Shares") (with
matching warrants ("Warrants") to subscribe for Ordinary Shares)
issued at a placing price of US$10.00 per Ordinary Share and a
further US$10.5 million was raised through the subscription of the
founder preferred shares of no par value ("Founder Preferred
Shares") (with Warrants being issued on the basis of one Warrant
per Founder Preferred Share) at a price of US$10.50 per Founder
Preferred Share, for a potential acquisition of a target company or
business (which may be in the form of a merger, capital stock
exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, scheme of arrangement,
reorganization or similar business combination) of an interest in
an operating company or business (an "Acquisition"). The Company
was admitted to the Official List of the FCA by way of a standard
listing and to trading on the main market of the London Stock
Exchange on 22 May 2023 ("Admission"). Costs of Admission of
US$11.02 million were paid in relation to the IPO, resulting in net
proceeds of US$538.98 million.
2. Summary of
significant Accounting Policies
Basis of
preparation
The accompanying financial statements are
presented in U.S. dollars rounded to the nearest thousand and have
been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP") and pursuant
to the accounting and disclosure rules and regulations of the
London Stock Exchange.
As the Company was incorporated on 15 December
2022, there is no comparative information.
Going
concern
The financial statements have been prepared on a
going concern basis. The Board has assessed the Company's financial
position as at 30 November 2023 and the factors that may impact the
Company up to 22 May 2025 a period of at least 12 months from the
date these financial statements are signed.
The Company believes it has adequate resources
to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future
given the available cash and forecast cash inflows and outflows.
This assessment considers the initial net proceeds of the capital
raise of US$538.98 million and the interest being earned thereon
along with reasonable assumptions about the Company's ongoing
operating costs (which are nominal in relation to the cash on
hand). The Company's actual ongoing operational costs from 15
December 2022 to 30 November 2023 were used to estimate ongoing
costs with increases for inflation and conservatism. The
company's investable cash was assumed to continue to earn interest
rates at the current market rates. There are no restrictions
on the use of the IPO proceeds.
The Company was formed to undertake an
acquisition of a target company or business. The Company has a
period of 24 months from the date on which the Company listed on
the London Stock Exchange, 22 May 2023, to do so, the deadline
being 22 May 2025, unless such period is extended for a further 12
months by Board recommendation and shareholder vote which is
outside of the Company's control.
The Company believes that there is material
uncertainty regarding an Acquisition which may cast significant
doubt on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, that
being to announce the Acquisition by 22 May 2025. Material
uncertainty is similar to the definition of substantial doubt about
an entity's ability to continue as a going concern in line with ASC
205-40-50. In the event that an Acquisition has not
been announced by the second anniversary of Admission, the Board
will recommend to Shareholders either that the Company be wound up
(in order to return capital to Shareholders and holders of the
Founder Preferred Shares, to the extent assets are available) or
that the Company continue to pursue the Acquisition for a further
12 months from the second anniversary of Admission. The Board's
recommendation will then be put to a shareholder vote (from which
the Directors, the Founders and the Founder Entity will abstain).
The Company believes that this risk is mitigated by the Founders
experience and track record in finding and completing acquisitions
within the 2 year time frame of its previous similar acquisition
vehicles.
Based on the progress
made in assessing opportunities and identifying a target company
and believes it is well positioned to announce the Acquisition in
the time frame allowed, the financial statements have been prepared
on a going concern basis and do not include the adjustments that
would result if the Company was unable to continue as a going
concern.
Use of
Estimates
The preparation of the financial statements in
conformity with U.S. GAAP requires the Company to make estimates
and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at
the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of
revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results
could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash
Equivalents
The Company believes that no
material credit or market risk exposure exists due to the high
quality of the institutions at which cash is held. The
Company has US$2.66 million of cash and cash equivalents as of 30
November 2023. The Company considers all highly liquid investments
purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be
cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are carried at cost, which
approximates fair value.
The cash balances may at times exceed the
Depositors' Compensation Scheme ("DCS") limits.
Investments in
Marketable Securities
Marketable securities being instruments with a
maturity date of more than three months from transaction date are
securities carried at fair value as determined by the most recently
traded price of each security at the balance sheet date. All
unrealised gains and losses are reported in the statement of
income.
Fair Value
Measurements
Fair value is determined using the principles of
ASC 820, Fair Value
Measurement. Fair value is the price that would be received
to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly
transaction between market participants at the measurement date.
The fair value hierarchy prioritises and defines the inputs to
valuation techniques as follows:
• Level 1- Observable quoted
prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active
markets.
• Level 2-Quoted prices for
similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices in
markets that are not active, or inputs which are observable, either
directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the
asset or liability.
• Level 3-Unobservable inputs
that reflect the Company's own assumptions about the assumptions
market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability in
which there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or
liability at the measurement date.
Marketable securities are recorded at fair
value. The Company uses the Level 1 fair value hierarchy
assumptions to measure the marketable securities as of 30 November
2023. The Company's cash and cash equivalents and accrued
expenses are carried at cost, which approximates fair value due to
the short-term nature of these instruments and are considered level
1 securities.
The inputs used to measure the fair value of an
asset or a liability are categorised within levels of the fair
value hierarchy. The fair value measurement is categorised in its
entirety in the same level of the fair value hierarchy as the
lowest level input that is significant to the measurement.
There have not been any transfers between the levels of the
hierarchy for the period ended 30 November 2023.
Share-based
Compensation
The Company expenses share-based compensation
over the requisite service period of the awards (usually the
vesting period) based on the grant date fair value of awards.
For share option grants with performance-based milestones, the
expense is recorded over the service period after the achievement
of the milestone is probable or the performance condition is
achieved. The Company estimates the fair value of share option
grants using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. An
offsetting increase to shareholders' equity will be recorded equal
to the amount of the compensation expense charge. The Company
recognises forfeitures as they occur as a reduction of
expense. The Company does not have any forfeitures for the
period ended 30 November 2023. See note 4.
Founder
Preferred Shares
In connection with the IPO, the Company issued
1,000,000 Founder Preferred Shares at US$10.50 per share to
Mariposa Acquisition IX, LLC (the "Founder Entity") an entity
controlled by Sir Martin E. Franklin. The Founder Preferred
Shares are not mandatorily redeemable and do not embody an
unconditional obligation to settle in a variable number of equity
shares. As such, the Founder Preferred Shares are classified
as permanent equity in the accompanying balance sheets. The
Founder Preferred Shares are not unconditionally redeemable or
conditionally puttable by the Holder for cash.
The Founder Preferred Shares do not have a par value or stated
value and thus the Founder Preferred Shares have been recorded in
additional paid-in capital. The Founders Preferred Shares have been
accounted for under ASC 718 - Compensation - Stock
compensation.
Warrants
The Company has Warrants issued with its
Ordinary Shares that were determined to be equity classified in
accordance with ASC 815,
Derivatives and Hedging and ASC 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from
Equity (see note 4). The Company also issued Warrants with
Ordinary Shares issued to non-executive directors for compensation,
and Warrants issued with the Founder Preferred Shares that were
determined to be equity classified in accordance with ASC 718 - Compensation - Stock Compensation
and ASC 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from
Equity. The fair value of the Warrants was recorded as
additional paid-in capital on the issuance date, and no further
adjustments were made.
Earnings per
Share
Basic earnings per ordinary share excludes
dilution and is computed by dividing net income by the weighted
average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the
period. The Company has determined that its Founder Preferred
Shares are participating securities as the Founder Preferred Shares
participate in undistributed earnings on an as-if-converted basis.
Accordingly, the Company used the two-class method of computing
earnings per share, for Ordinary Shares and Founder Preferred
Shares according to participation rights in undistributed earnings.
Under this method, net income applicable to holders of Ordinary
Shares is allocated on a pro rata basis to the holders of Ordinary
and Founder Preferred Shares to the extent that each class may
share income for the period; whereas undistributed net loss is
allocated to Ordinary Shares because Founder Preferred Shares are
not contractually obligated to share the loss.
Income
Taxes
Income taxes are recorded in accordance with
ASC 740, Accounting for Income
Taxes ("ASC 740"), which provides for deferred taxes using
an asset and liability approach. The Company recognises deferred
tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences
of events that have been included in the financial statements or
tax returns. The Company determines its deferred tax assets and
liabilities based on differences between financial reporting and
tax bases of assets and liabilities, which are measured using the
enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when the
differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are
provided if, based upon the weight of available evidence, it is
more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets
will not be realised. The Company does not have any deferred
taxes.
As a British Virgin Islands limited liability
company, the Company is not subject to any income, withholding or
capital gains taxes.
Comprehensive
Income
Comprehensive income is the same as net income
for all periods presented.
Segment
reporting
Operating segments are reported in a manner
consistent with the internal reporting provided to the chief
operating decision-maker. The chief operating decision-maker, who
is responsible for allocating resources and assessing performance
of the operating segments, has been identified as the Board of
Directors as it is the body that makes strategic decisions. The
Company only has one operating segment.
Recently
Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
For public business entities, the amendments in
this update require that an entity disclose current-period gross
write-offs by year of origination for financing receivables and net
investments in leases within the scope of Subtopic 326-20,
Financial Instruments-Credit Losses-Measured at Amortised
Cost.
Effective Date: Effective for fiscal years
beginning after December 15, 2022, and interim periods within those
fiscal years. The adoption of this update did not impact the
Company's financial statements.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
There are no new recent accounting
pronouncements applicable to the Company.
3. Marketable
Securities
Marketable securities are held at fair value,
The Company's investment in marketable securities consists of U.S.
Treasury Bills. Investment income is recorded as a realised
investment income at the time the investment in U.S. Treasury Bills
matures.
The change in the unrealised gains on these
investments are included in the Statement of Income. Unrealised
gains on the U.S. Treasury Bills are summarised in thousands as
follows:
|
Cost
|
|
Gross
Unrealized
Gain
|
|
Net
Unrealized
Gain
|
|
Fair Value
|
|
US$
|
|
US$
|
|
US$
|
|
US$
|
As at 30 November 2023
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
U.S. Treasury Bills Held
|
544,420
|
|
6,369
|
|
6,369
|
|
550,789
|
4.
Shareholders' Equity
On 22 May 2023, the Company's IPO raised gross
proceeds of US$550 million, consisting of US$539.50 million through
the placement of Ordinary Shares at US$10.00 per share, and US$10.5
million through the subscription of 1,000,000 Founder Preferred
Shares at US$10.50 per share by the Founders through the Founder
Entity. Costs of Admission of US$11.01 million were paid in
relation to the IPO, resulting in net proceeds of US$538.98
million. In addition, 25,000 Ordinary Shares were issued, in
aggregate, to the Independent Non-Founder Directors in lieu of cash
totalling a combined value US$0.25 million (See note 6). Each
Ordinary Share and Founder Preferred Share was issued with a
Warrant as described below.
Founder Preferred Shares
The Founder Preferred Shares are accounted for
under ASC 718 - Compensation - Stock Compensation. After the
closing of an Acquisition, and if the Average Price (as defined in
the Articles) of the Ordinary Shares is at least US$11.50 per share
for any ten consecutive trading days, the holders of the Founder
Preferred Shares will be entitled to receive a dividend in the form
of Ordinary Shares or cash, at the option of the Company, equal to
20 per cent. of the appreciation of the market price of ordinary
shares issued to Ordinary Shareholders in the IPO. In the first
year an Annual Dividend
Amount (as defined in the Articles) is payable
(if any), the Annual Dividend Amount will be calculated at the end
of the calendar year based on the Dividend Price, (as defined
below) compared to the initial Ordinary Share offering price of
US$10.00 per Ordinary Share. In subsequent years, the Annual
Dividend Amount will be calculated based on the appreciated
Dividend Price compared to the highest Dividend Price previously
used in calculating the Annual Dividend Amount. For the
purposes of determining the Annual Dividend Amount, the Dividend
Price is the Average Price per Ordinary Share for the last ten
consecutive trading days in the relevant Dividend Year. Upon
the liquidation of the Company, an Annual Dividend Amount shall be
payable for the shortened Dividend Year and the holders of Founder
Preferred Shares shall have the right to a pro rata share (together
with holders of the Ordinary Shares) in the distribution of the
surplus assets of the Company.
The Founder Preferred Shares will participate in
any dividends on the Ordinary Shares on an as converted basis. In
addition, commencing on and after consummation of the Acquisition,
where the Company pays a dividend on its Ordinary Shares the
Founder Preferred Shares will also receive an amount equal to 20
per cent of the dividend which would be distributable on such
number of Ordinary Shares. All such dividends on the Founder
Preferred Shares will be paid at the same time as the dividends on
the Ordinary Shares. Dividends are paid for the term the Founder
Preferred Shares are outstanding.
The Founder Preferred shares will be
automatically converted into Ordinary Shares on a one for one basis
upon the last day of the tenth full financial year following an
Acquisition (the "Conversion"). Each Founder Preferred Share is
convertible into one Ordinary Share at the option of the holder
until the Conversion. If there is more than one holder of
Founder Preferred Shares, a holder of Founder Preferred Shares may
exercise its rights independently of any other holder of Founder
Preferred Shares.
4. Shareholders' Equity
(continued)
In accordance with ASC 718 - Compensation - Stock
Compensation ("ASC 718"), the Annual Dividend Amount based
on the market price of the Company's Ordinary Shares is akin to a
market condition award settled in shares. As the right to the
Annual Dividend Amount will only be triggered upon the Acquisition
(which is not considered probable until consummated) and
accordingly no expense has been recognised. The fair value of
the any potential future Annual Dividend amounts to US$72.76
million, which has been measured using a Monte Carlo method which
takes into consideration different share price paths.
Following are the assumptions used in calculating the issuance date
fair value:
Number of securities
issued
|
1,000,000
|
Vesting period
|
Immediate
|
Assumed price upon
Acquisition
|
US$10.00
|
Probability of winding-up
|
40.50%
|
Probability of Acquisition
|
59.50%
|
Time to Acquisition
|
1.17 years
|
Volatility
(post-Acquisition)
|
46.47%
|
Risk free interest rate
|
3.54%
|
The Founder Preferred Shares carry the same
voting rights as are attached to the Ordinary Shares being one vote
per Founder Preferred Share. Additionally, the Founder Preferred
Shares alone carry the right to vote on any Resolution of Members
required, pursuant to BVI law, to approve any matter in connection
with an Acquisition, or a merger or consolidation in connection
with an Acquisition. Initial Founder Preferred Shareholders, that
hold 20 per cent. of the Founder Preferred Shares, can nominate up
to three people as directors of the Company.
See note 6 for details on share based payments
the expense of which has not been recognised until the performance
condition of vesting on an Acquisition (which is not considered
probable until an Acquisition).
Ordinary
shares
In connection with the IPO on 22 May 2023, the
Company issued 53,950,000 Ordinary Shares for gross proceeds of
US$539.50 million. In conjunction with the IPO, the Company also
issued an aggregate of 25,000 Ordinary Shares to the Independent
Non-Founder Directors for US$10.00 per share in lieu of their cash
directors' fees for one year. Each Ordinary Share was issued
with a Warrant. Ordinary Shares have voting rights and
winding-up rights.
Warrants
The Company issued 54,975,000 Warrants to the
purchasers of both Ordinary Shares and Founder Preferred Shares
(including the 25,000 Warrants that were issued to the Independent
Non-Founder Directors in connection with their fees). Each
Warrant has a term of 3 years following an Acquisition and entitles
a Warrant holder to purchase one-fourth of an Ordinary Share upon
exercise. Warrants will be exercisable in multiples of four for one
ordinary share at a price of US$11.50 per whole ordinary share. The
Warrants are mandatorily redeemable by the Company at a price of
US$0.01 should the average market price of an Ordinary Share exceed
US$18.00 for 10 consecutive trading days (subject to any prior
adjustment in accordance with the terms of the Warrants). The
Warrants expire worthless at the end of year 3, if not exercised or
redeemed.
5.
Commitments and Contingencies
There were no known or threatened lawsuits or
unasserted claims known at the balance sheet date up to date of
singing these audited financial statements.
6.
Share-based Compensation
Refer to Note 4 in relation to the
Founder Preference Shares and attached Warrants.
On 22 May 2023, the Company issued its
Independent Non-Founder Directors an aggregate of 125,000 share
options (the "Share Options") to purchase Ordinary Shares of the
Company that vest upon the Acquisition. The Independent
Non-Founder Directors are required to have continued service until
the time of the Acquisition to vest in the Share Options. The
options expire on the 5th anniversary following the Acquisition and
have an exercise price of US$11.50 per Ordinary Share (subject to
such adjustment as the Directors consider appropriate in accordance
with the terms of the Option Deeds). The Share Options have a
performance condition of vesting on an Acquisition (which is not
considered probable until an Acquisition). Therefore, in
accordance with ASC 718, the fair value of the awards, as
determined on the grant date, will be recognised as an expense and
an increase of additional paid-in capital upon consummation of an
Acquisition.
The following table summarises the share option
activity:
|
Number of
Shares
|
|
Weighted Average Exercise
Price US$
|
|
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
US$
|
Options
outstanding at inception
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
Granted
|
125,000
|
|
11.50
|
|
-
|
Options
outstanding at 30 November 2023.
|
125,000
|
|
11.50
|
|
-
|
Options
vested and exercisable
|
-
|
|
-
|
|
-
|
The fair value of each Share Option was
estimated at US$1.647 on the grant date using the Black-Scholes
option pricing model with the following assumptions for the grant
during the period from 22 May 2023 to 30 November 2023:
Share
Price
|
$10.00
|
Exercise
Price
|
$11.50
|
Risk-Free
Rate
|
3.52%
|
Dividend
Yield
|
-
|
Post-Acquisition Volatility
|
46.39%
|
On 22 May 2023, the Company issued 25,000
Ordinary Shares and Warrants, in aggregate, to Independent
Non-Founder Directors for their first year's annual fees in lieu of
cash. The US$10.00 per share fair value of the Ordinary Shares and
Warrants was based on the price paid by outside shareholders in the
equity offering on 22 May 2023 (see Note 4). In accordance
with ASC 718, as the Ordinary Shares and related Warrants were
fully vested and have a non-substantive service period, the fair
value of US$0.25 million was recorded as an expense on the grant
date.
7. Related
Parties
During the period ended 30 November 2023,
1,000,000 Founder Preferred Shares, 8,950,000 Ordinary Shares and
9,950,000 Warrants were issued to the Founder Entity. Sir
Martin E. Franklin, a Founder and Director, is a beneficial owner
and the managing member of the Founder Entity and, as such, may be
considered to have beneficial ownership of all the Founder Entity's
interests in the Company. The Founders, in aggregate, hold an
indirect pecuniary interest of approximately 69 percent in the
Founder Entity. Other Directors were issued 25,000 Ordinary Shares
and 25,000 Warrants along with 125,000 Share Options in lieu of
directors fees.
Except as set forth herein, there were no other
Ordinary Shares, Warrants and options issued to the directors of
the Company for the period from inception ended 30 November
2023.
An entity owned by Sir Martin E. Franklin,
Mariposa Capital, LLC, earned advisory fees of US$0.14 million for
the period.
8. Earnings
Per Share
Net income is allocated between the ordinary
share and other participating securities based on their
participation rights. The Founder Preferred Shares (see note 4),
represent participating securities. Earnings attributable to
Founder Preferred Shares are not included in earnings attributable
to Ordinary Shares in calculating earnings per ordinary share. For
the period from 15 December 2022 to 30 November 2023, the Company
excluded the Share Options to purchase 125,000 Ordinary Shares from
the diluted earnings per ordinary share as the performance
condition (see note 6) for these Share Options was not considered
probable until the time of the Acquisition. The Company has
also excluded the Warrants in issue from such earnings on the basis
they are non-dilutive.
The following table sets forth the computation
of basic and diluted earnings per ordinary share using the
two-class method (see note 2): The application of the two-class
method yields the same dilutive effects applying if-converted to
the preferred shares given 1:1 participation:
|
|
|
|
For the period ended
|
|
|
|
|
|
30 November 2023
All amounts in thousands with the
exception of share data
|
|
Numerator:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income
|
|
|
|
$13,993
|
|
Undistributed earnings
for participating preferred stock
|
|
(255)
|
|
Adjusted net
earnings
|
|
$13,738
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Denominator:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average
shares outstanding - basic
|
|
53,975,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic earnings per ordinary
share
|
|
$0.25
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the period ended
|
|
|
|
|
|
30 November 2023
All amounts in thousands with the
exception of share data
|
|
Numerator:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Adjusted net
earnings
|
|
|
|
$13,738
|
|
Undistributed earnings
for participating preferred stock
Undistributed earnings
reallocated to participating shares
|
|
(255)
255
|
|
Adjusted net
earnings
|
|
$13,738
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Denominator:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average
shares outstanding - basic
Stock
options
|
|
53,975,000
-
|
|
Weighted average EPS
Shares outstanding - diluted
|
|
53,975,000
|
|
Diluted earnings per ordinary
share
|
|
$0.25
|
|
9. Subsequent
Events
There were no subsequent events for
the period from year end 16 February 2024, the date financial
statements were available to be issued.
Corporate information
Directors
|
Legal advisers to the Company
(English and US Law)
|
Sir Martin
E. Franklin
|
Greenberg
Traurig, LLP
|
Robert A.E.
Franklin
|
8th
Floor
|
Rory
Cullinan (Chairman)
|
The
Shard
|
Thomas V.
Milroy (Independent)
|
32 London
Bridge Street
|
Melanie
Stack (Independent)
|
London
|
|
SE1
9SG
|
Registered
office
|
|
Ritter
House
|
Legal advisers to the Company
(BVI Law)
|
Wickhams
Cay II
|
Carey
Olsen
|
Road Town,
Tortola
|
Carey
House
|
VG1
110
|
Les
Banques
|
British
Virgin Islands
|
St Peter
Port
|
|
Guernsey
GY1 4BZ
|
Administrator and
secretary
|
|
Oak Fund
Services (Guernsey) Limited
|
Depositary
|
PO Box
282
|
Computershare Investor Services PLC
|
Oak
House
|
The
Pavilions
|
Hirzel
St
|
Bridgewater
Road
|
St Peter
Port
|
Bristol
|
Guernsey
|
BS 13
8AE
|
GY1
3RH
|
|
|
Principal
bankers
|
Registrar
|
Barclays
PLC
|
Computershare Investor Services (BVI) Limited
|
1st
Floor
|
Woodbourne
Hall
|
Eagle
Court
|
PO Box
3162
|
Circular
Road
|
Road
Town
|
Douglas
|
Tortola
|
Isle of
Man
|
British
Virgin Islands
|
IM1
1AD
|
|
|
Auditors
|
|
Grant
Thornton LLP
|
|
30 Finsbury
Square
|
|
London
|
|
EC2A
1AG
|
|