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Form 8 (OPD) (Cable & Wireless Communications)

5th Nov 2015 12:34

RNS Number : 7175E
Liberty Global PLC
05 November 2015
 



FORM 8 (OPD)

 

PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE BY A PARTY TO AN OFFER

Rules 8.1 and 8.2 of the Takeover Code (the "Code")

 

1. KEY INFORMATION

 

(a) Full name of discloser:

LIBERTY GLOBAL PLC

(b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):

The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.

N/A

(c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:

Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree

OFFEREE - CABLE & WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS PLC

(d) Is the discloser the offeror or the offeree?

OFFEROR

(e) Date position held:

The latest practicable date prior to the disclosure

4 NOVEMBER 2015

(f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?

If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state "N/A"

YES - LIBERTY GLOBAL PLC AS OFFEROR

 

2. POSITIONS OF THE PARTY TO THE OFFER MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

 

If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

 

(a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates

 

Class of relevant security:

 

Ordinary shares of US$0.05 each

 

 

Interests

Short positions

Number

%

Number

%

(1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled:

Nil

-

Nil

-

(2) Cash-settled derivatives:

 

Nil

-

Nil

-

(3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:

Nil

-

Nil

-

 

TOTAL:

Nil

-

Nil

-

 

All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

 

Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

 

Details of any securities borrowing and lending positions or financial collateral arrangements should be disclosed on a Supplemental Form 8 (SBL).

 

(b) Rights to subscribe for new securities

 

Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:

None

Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:

None

 

 

3. POSITIONS OF PERSONS ACTING IN CONCERT WITH THE PARTY TO THE OFFER MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

 

Details of any interests, short positions and rights to subscribe (including directors' and other employee options) of any person acting in concert with the party to the offer making the disclosure:

 

3(a) Interests of Columbus Holding LLC and John Malone (as the ultimate controller of Columbus Holding LLC)

 

Entity

Number of ordinary shares

Percentage of total issued ordinary share capital (excluding treasury shares) (%)

Columbus Holding LLC

575,096,759

13.165%

 

3(b) Interests of connected advisors in Cable & Wireless Communications ordinary shares

 

Entity

Number of ordinary shares

Percentage of total issued ordinary share capital (excluding treasury shares) (%)

Fleetside Legal Representative Services Limited

1

0.000

 

 

 

Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

 

Details of any securities borrowing and lending positions or financial collateral arrangements should be disclosed on a Supplemental Form 8 (SBL).

 

4. OTHER INFORMATION

 

(a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

 

Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the party to the offer making the disclosure or any person acting in concert with it:

Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"

 

Columbus Holding LLC (which is ultimately controlled by John Malone) (the "Option Party") has entered into lock-up and put option agreements with Cable & Wireless Communications Plc ("CWC").

 

 

 

Put options

 

Under the terms of these agreements, the CWC shares held by the Option Party are subject to lock-up arrangements, an exception to which enables the Option Party to either (i) require CWC to purchase for cash up to a certain number of its CWC shares each year from 2016 to 2019 inclusive for the notional issue price of USD0.734917 per share (such right of the Option Party each year being a "Put Option" and the maximum number of shares that the Option Party can require CWC to purchase under these agreements each year being the "Relevant Annual Put Shares"); or (ii) sell up to that number of CWC shares each year from 2016 to 2019 in the market (subject to orderly market arrangements with CWC).

 

Each Put Option is exercisable, in respect of some or all of the Relevant Annual Put Shares to which it relates, in the first 14 days following CWC's preliminary results announcement in the relevant year (not counting any period during which CWC is in a "prohibited period" for the purposes of the UK Model Code).

 

The maximum number of CWC shares that the Option Party may require CWC to purchase under the Put Options in each year is set out below.

 

Shareholder

2016 Option period

2017 Option Period

2018 Option Period

2019 Option Period

Columbus Holding LLC

Up to 103,419,059

Up to 103,419,059

Up to 129,269,753

Up to 238,988,888

 

If a Put Option is not exercised, or is not exercised in full, in any year the Option Party is permitted to sell in the market up to the balance of its Relevant Annual Put Shares for that year, in the first 60 days following the closing of the exercise window (not counting any period during which CWC is in a prohibited period) (the "Permitted Sale Period"). In any year, if the Option Party does not exercise its Put Option or does not exercise it in full, and if, in the Permitted Sale Period for those Relevant Annual Put Shares it does not dispose of all of the Relevant Annual Put Shares, it may "carry over" some or all of those Relevant Annual Put Shares and dispose of them in any subsequent Permitted Sale Period ("Carried Over Shares"). The Carried Over Shares may be disposed of in a Permitted Sale Period in addition to any shares permitted to be disposed of in that Permitted Sale Period.

 

Lock-up

 

Other than in respect of the exercise of its Put Option over the Relevant Annual Put Shares and the disposals permitted in the Permitted Sale Period each year, the Option Party is subject to a lock-up in respect of all of its CWC shares until two months after the exercise window for the Put Option has closed in 2019 (the "Restricted Period") save as set out below.

 

After the end of the Permitted Sale Period in 2017, the Option Party is permitted to dispose of its CWC Shares outside of Permitted Sale Periods, subject to its future Put Options immediately ceasing to have effect and becoming incapable of exercise if it does so dispose of any CWC shares.

 

There is also an exception to the lock-up permitting the grant of security over CWC shares to a third party lender, provided that, prior to the grant of the security, the lender acknowledges to CWC in writing that, if the security is enforced, the relevant CWC shares will be subject to the terms of the agreements described in this section 4(a).

 

In addition, the Option Party is permitted to accept a general offer in respect of any of its CWC shares made to all CWC shareholders in accordance with the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers on terms which treat all such holders equally (whether by way of takeover offer, scheme of arrangement or otherwise) and which has been recommended by the Board of Directors of CWC.

 

 

(b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

 

Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the party to the offer making the disclosure, or any person acting in concert with it, and any other person relating to:

(i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or

(ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:

If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"

 

Under the lock-up and put option agreements described at 4(a) above, all of the CWC shares held by the Option Party are to be voted at all shareholder meetings of CWC in line with the recommendation of the Board of Directors of CWC until the end of the Restricted Period, other than in relation to any resolutions (i) which, if implemented, would be a breach of or be otherwise inconsistent with the terms of the lock-up and put option agreements or the sale and purchase agreement entered into by CWC on 6 November 2014 in relation to the acquisition of Columbus International Inc., or (ii) to implement a scheme of arrangement in respect of a takeover offer made for CWC that has been recommended by the Board of Directors of CWC.

 

 

(c) Attachments

 

Are any Supplemental Forms attached?

 

Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions)

No

Supplemental Form 8 (SBL)

No

 

 

Date of disclosure:

5 November 2015

Contact name:

John Winter

Telephone number:

+1 303 220 6600

 

Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service and must also be emailed to the Takeover Panel at [email protected]. The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code's disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

 

The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

 

 

This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
END
 
 
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