20th Mar 2007 15:37
20 March 2007
Transparency Obligations Directive
(Disclosure and Transparency Rules) Instrument 2006
We have today received the following notice dated 19 March 2007 from an official of Artisan Partners Limited Partnership of 875E Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 800, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.
a) In compliance with the Disclosure and Transparency Rules, they confirm that Artisan Partners Limited Partnership, Artisan Investment Corporation, ZFIC, Inc., Andrew A Ziegler and Carlene M Ziegler have a notifiable interest in and are the indirect holders of 14,828,979 ordinary shares in Countrywide plc. This equates to 8.68% of the issued share capital of 170,888,317 shares.
b) The registered holders of such shares are State Street Bank, Bank of New York, Mellon Trust, Brown Brothers Harriman and JP Morgan Chase.
c) Notification is made to satisfy the FSA's Disclosure and Transparency requirements of the creation of ZFIC, Inc., a new entity subject to the notification obligation following a restructuring of the Artisan Group.
d) Artisan Partners Limited Partnership ("APLP"), a U.S. registered investment adviser, is a limited partnership organised under the laws of the State of Delaware on December 8, 1994. Control of APLP is vested in its general partner, Artisan Investment Corporation, a corporation organised under the laws of the State of Wisconsin on December 7, 1994. All of the outstanding stock of Artisan Investment Corporation is owned by ZFIC, Inc., a corporation organised under the laws of the State of Wisconsin. Andrew A Ziegler and Carlene M Ziegler each own 50% of the voting stock of ZFIC, Inc. APLP, pursuant to advisory contracts, has the power to purchase and sell securities on behalf of its clients and the power to vote for most clients. Persons other than APLP are entitled to receive all dividends from, and proceeds from the sale of, all of the securities reported hereunder.
e) Artisan International Value Fund ("ARTIV"), is a series of Artisan Funds Inc., a U.S. registered investment company. Certain officers and a director of Artisan Funds, Inc., are employees of APLP. APLP, pursuant to its advisory contact with ARTIV, has the power to purchase and sell securities on behalf of ARTIV and to vote for ARTIV. ARTIV, as of 19 March 2007, was interested in 8,595,012 shares, representing 5.03% of the 8.68% disclosed above, of Countrywide plc.
Their previous holding was 14,471,172 shares, as reported on 19 January 2007.
Director/Secretary
Countrywide plc
COUNTRYWIDE PLCRelated Shares:
CWD.L