Acquisition

21st May 2007 17:30

M&C Saatchi PLC21 May 2007 M&C SAATCHI PLC ("M&C Saatchi" or the "Company") M&C Saatchi to acquire half of Philip Georgiadis' shareholding in Walker Media Holdings Limited M&C Saatchi plc is pleased to announce that it has agreed to acquire half of theissued ordinary shares held by Phil Georgiadis in Walker Media Holdings Limited("Walker Media"). Phil Georgiadis will retain the remainder of hisshareholding. Walker Media is a media planning and buying company that Christine Walkerfounded with Phil Georgiadis and M&C Saatchi in 1997. Walker Media is theeighth largest media agency in the UK, with annual billings in excess of £300million. As at today's date, M&C Saatchi owns 75% of the shares in Walker Media. On 4May 2007, M&C Saatchi announced its agreement to purchase all of the shares heldby Christine Walker in Walker Media which represented approximately 14% of theissued share capital of Walker Media. Phil Georgiadis is currently the chiefexecutive of Walker Media and as a result of his current position, theacquisition of the shares held by Phil Georgiadis in Walker Media ("SaleShares") now being announced is a related party transaction under the AIM Rules. The Sale Shares represent approximately 4.75% of the issued share capital ofWalker Media. As consideration for the acquisition of the Sale Shares, PhilGeorgiadis will receive an amount per share based on a valuation of the WalkerMedia group equal to 15.7 times the consolidated profit for the Walker Mediagroup (after tax, interest, depreciation and amortisation) for the financialyear ending 31 December 2007. This will be satisfied by the issue of shares inM&C Saatchi to the value of £730,825, with the remainder to be satisfied bycash. This transaction is scheduled to complete on 2 July 2007. M&C Saatchi haveagreed to make a cash payment by way of initial consideration on such date equalto £2,134,038. This will be subject to an adjustment payment in cash by eitherM&C Saatchi or Phil Georgiadis (as applicable) following the determination ofthe consolidated profit for the Walker Media group for the financial year ending31 December 2007. M&C Saatchi's directors, having consulted with Numis Securities Limited,consider the terms of the transaction to be fair and reasonable insofar as M&CSaatchi's shareholders are concerned. For further information: M&C Saatchi plc 020 7543 4500David Kershaw, Chief Executive Tulchan Communications 020 7353 4200Celia Gordon Shute Notes Walker Media started trading in January 1998 as a 50:50 joint venture with M&CSaatchi. In July 2004 M&C Saatchi acquired a further 25% of Walker Media'sshares when the Company was launched on the London AIM market. On 4 May 2007, M&C Saatchi announced its agreement to purchase all of the shares held byChristine Walker in Walker Media which represented approximately 14% of theissued share capital of Walker Media. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

---

Related Shares:

M&C Saatchi