8th Aug 2006 16:09
Balfour Beatty PLC08 August 2006 NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN, INTO ORFROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THERELEVANT LAWS IN THAT JURISDICTION RECOMMENDED CASH OFFER BY BALFOUR BEATTY PLC FOR BIRSE GROUP PLC POSTING OF COMPULSORY ACQUISITION NOTICES Balfour Beatty announces that as at 1.00 p.m. on 7 August 2006, validacceptances of the Offer had been received in respect of 172,847,743 BirseShares, representing approximately 89.8 per cent. of the Birse Shares in issue.Including the 3,500,000 Birse Shares acquired by Balfour Beatty since 30 June2006, Balfour Beatty has acquired, or received valid acceptances in respect ofthe Offer for, 176,347,743 Birse Shares in aggregate, representing approximately91.66 per cent. of the Birse Shares in issue. Pursuant to the provisions of Schedule 2 of the Interim Regulations, BalfourBeatty announces the despatch today of notices to Birse Shareholders who havenot accepted the Offer, to acquire compulsorily, on the same terms as the Offer,the remaining Birse Shares in respect of which the Offer has not been accepted. Birse Shareholders who wish to accept the Offer and who have not already done soshould, if their Birse Shares are held in certificated form, complete and returntheir Form of Acceptance as soon as possible in accordance with the instructionsprinted on it. Birse Shareholders who hold Birse Shares in uncertificated formand who have not yet accepted the Offer are reminded to follow the CRESTprocedure set out in the Offer Document. Defined terms used in this announcement have the same meanings as in the OfferDocument dated 30 June 2006. ENQUIRIES:Balfour Beatty Tel: 020 7216 6800Ian Tyler (Chief Executive)Anthony Rabin (Finance Director)Tim Sharp (Head of Corporate Communications) Citigroup Global Markets Limited Tel: 020 7986 4000(Financial Adviser to Balfour Beatty plc)Jan SkarbekJames Ireland This announcement is for informational purposes only and does not constitute anoffer to sell or invitation to purchase any securities in any jurisdiction, norshall there be any sale, issue or transfer of the securities referred to in thisannouncement in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. The Offerwill be made solely by the Offer Document and the Form of Acceptanceaccompanying the Offer Document which will contain the full terms of the Offer,including details of how the Offer may be accepted. Citigroup Global Markets Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the FSA,is acting exclusively for Balfour Beatty and no one else in connection with theOffer and will not be responsible to anyone other than Balfour Beatty forproviding the protections afforded to clients of Citigroup Global MarketsLimited or for providing advice in connection with the Offer or any othermatters referred to herein. The availability of the Offer to Birse Shareholders who are not resident in andcitizens of the United Kingdom or the United States may be affected by the lawsof the relevant jurisdictions in which they are located or of which they arecitizens. Such persons should inform themselves of, and observe, any applicablelegal or regulatory requirements of their jurisdictions. Further details inrelation to overseas shareholders are contained in the Offer Document. The Offer is not being made, directly or indirectly, in, into or from anyjurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction, and theOffer is not capable of acceptance from or within any such jurisdiction.Accordingly, copies of the Offer Document, the Form of Acceptance and anyaccompanying document are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly,mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from anyjurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction, andpersons receiving the Offer Document, the Form of Acceptance and anyaccompanying document (including custodians, nominees and trustees) must notmail or otherwise distribute or send them in, into or from any jurisdictionwhere to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction, as doing so mayinvalidate any purported acceptance of the Offer. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
Balfour Beatty