14th Jul 2015 16:39
NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH IT WOULD BE UNLAWFUL TO DO SO.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN, IN OR INTO ANY JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL PRIOR TO REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH JURISDICTION.
PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE END OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
INTENTION TO SELL APPROXIMATELY 21.7 MILLION ORDINARY SHARES IN MICRO FOCUS INTERNATIONAL PLC (THE "COMPANY", "MICRO FOCUS") BY WIZARD PARENT LLC ("WIZARD")
14 July 2015
Wizard announces its intention to sell approximately 21.7 million ordinary shares (the "Placing Shares") in Micro Focus. The Placing Shares represent approximately 10% of the Company's issued share capital.
The Placing Shares are being offered by way of an accelerated bookbuild (the "Placing"), which will be launched immediately following this announcement. Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc and UBS Limited are acting as joint global co-ordinators and joint bookrunners in connection with the Placing (the "Joint Global Co-ordinators"). Merrill Lynch International and Numis Securities Limited are also acting as joint bookrunners in connection with the Placing.
As stated in the Company's full year results announcement on 8 July 2015, Wizard were released from the lock-up on their shares entered into as part of the Company's acquisition of the Attachmate Group. Any of the Company's ordinary shares held by Wizard which are not sold in the Placing will be subject to a new 90 day lock-up (subject to customary exceptions). Assuming all the shares available in the Placing are sold, Wizard will continue to hold approximately 29.9% of the issued share capital of the Company.
The final number of Placing Shares to be placed and the placing price will be agreed by the Joint Global Co-ordinators and Wizard at the close of the bookbuild process, and the results of the Placing will be announced as soon as practicable thereafter. The timings for the close of the bookbuild process, pricing and allocations are at the absolute discretion of the Joint Global Co-ordinators.
Important Notice
MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN THE PLACING. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND ANY OFFER OF SECURITIES TO WHICH IT RELATES ARE ONLY ADDRESSED TO AND DIRECTED AT (1) IN ANY MEMBER STATE OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA, PERSONS WHO ARE QUALIFIED INVESTORS WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 2(1)(E) OF EU DIRECTIVE 2003/71/EC AND ANY RELEVANT IMPLEMENTING MEASURES (THE "PROSPECTUS DIRECTIVE"); AND (2) IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, PERSONS WHO (I) HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS WHO FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005 (AS AMENDED) (THE "ORDER"); OR (II) FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) OF THE ORDER OR (III) ARE PERSONS TO WHOM AN OFFER OF THE PLACING SHARES MAY OTHERWISE LAWFULLY BE MADE (ALL SUCH PERSONS REFERRED TO IN (1) AND (2) TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS"). THE INFORMATION REGARDING THE PLACING SET OUT IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST NOT BE ACTED ON OR RELIED ON BY PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RELEVANT PERSONS. ANY INVESTMENT OR INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO RELEVANT PERSONS AND WILL BE ENGAGED IN ONLY WITH RELEVANT PERSONS.
This announcement and the information contained herein is for information purposes only and does not constitute or form part of any offer of, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire or dispose of securities in the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa or Japan or in any other jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is unlawful.
The Placing Shares have not been, and will not be, registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "US Securities Act"), or under the applicable securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa or Japan. The Placing Shares may not be offered or sold in the United States unless registered under the US Securities Act or offered in a transaction exempt from, or not subject to, the registration requirements of the US Securities Act and the securities laws of any relevant state or other jurisdiction of the United States. There will be no public offering of the Placing Shares in the United States or elsewhere.
The Placing Shares have not been approved or disapproved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission or other regulatory authority in the United States, nor have any of the foregoing authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the Placing or the accuracy or adequacy of this announcement. Any representation to the contrary is an offence in the United States.
No prospectus or offering document has been or will be prepared in connection with the Placing. Any investment decision to buy securities in the Placing must be made solely on the basis of publicly available information. Such information is not the responsibility of and has not been independently verified by any of Wizard Parent LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc, UBS Limited, Merrill Lynch International, or Numis Securities Limited, or any of their respective affiliates.
Neither this announcement nor any copy of it may be taken, transmitted or distributed, directly or indirectly, in or into or from the United States (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia), Canada, Australia, South Africa or Japan. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of United States, Canadian, Australian, South African or Japanese securities laws.
The distribution of this announcement and the offering or sale of the Placing Shares in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. No action has been taken by Wizard Parent LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc, UBS Limited, Merrill Lynch International, or Numis Securities Limited, or any of their respective affiliates that would, or which is intended to, permit a public offer of the Placing Shares in any jurisdiction or possession or distribution of this announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating to the Placing Shares in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required by Wizard Parent LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc, UBS Limited, Merrill Lynch International, or Numis Securities Limited to inform themselves about and to observe any applicable restrictions.
Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc, UBS Limited, Merrill Lynch International, and Numis Securities Limited, which are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority in the United Kingdom, are acting only for Wizard Parent LLC in connection with the Placing and will not be responsible to anyone other than Wizard Parent LLC for providing the protections offered to the clients of Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc, UBS Limited, Merrill Lynch International, and Numis Securities Limited, nor for providing advice in relation to the Placing or any matters referred to in this announcement.
Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc, UBS Limited, Merrill Lynch International, and Numis Securities Limited may participate in the offering on a proprietary basis.
Related Shares:
MCRO.L