31st Oct 2005 16:43
Smith WH PLC31 October 2005 SCHEDULE 10 NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES 1) NAME OF COMPANY WH SMITH PLC 2) NAME OF SHAREHOLDER HAVING A MAJOR INTEREST SILCHESTER INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS LIMITED 3) Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of holding of the Shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a non-beneficial interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is a holding of that person's spouse or children under the age of 18 SEE LETTER BELOW DATED 31 OCTOBER 2005 4) Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the number of shares held by each of them. SEE LETTER BELOW DATED 31 OCTOBER 2005 5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired. N/A 6) Percentage of issued Class (any treasury shares held by the listed company should not be taken into account when calculating percentage) 7) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed N/A 8) Percentage of issued Class (any treasury shares held by the listed company should not be taken into account when calculating percentage) 9) Class of security ORDINARY SHARES OF 2 13/81 PENCE EACH 10) Date of transaction N/A 11) Date company informed 31 OCTOBER 2005 12) Total holding following this notification 32,588,571 13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification (any treasury shares held by the listed company should not be taken into account when calculating percentage) 18.01% 14) Any additional information 15) Name of contact and telephone number for queries C A WHITE (01793) 562446 16) Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for making this notification I HOUGHTON, COMPANY SECRETARY Date of Notification 31 OCTOBER 2005 Letter to WH Smith plc dated 31 October 2005 Silchester International Investors Limited ("Silchester") acts as an Investment Manager for a number of commingled funds (our "Clients"). In acting for our Clients, we are given full discretion over their investments, and are empowered to vote on their behalf. However, we do not act as their Custodian, and therefore shares are not held in our name, but in the nominee name of our Clients' Custodian bank. In addition, Silchester holds 49.9% of the issued share capital of Sanderson Asset Management Limited ("Sanderson") a UK limited company that also acts as anInvestment Manager for a number of commingled funds and separate accounts. In acting for its clients, Sanderson are given full discretion over their investments, and are empowered to vote on their behalf. However, Sanderson donot act as its clients' Custodian and therefore shares are not held in Sanderson's name, but in the nominee name of Sanderson's clients' Custodianbank. Silchester's share ownership in Sanderson does not allow Silchester to exercise any direct or indirect control over Sanderson's investment strategy, philosophy or implementation, the investments that Sanderson may purchase or sell on behalf of its clients, or the manner in which Sanderson may vote proxies that arise from its Client investments. However, Silchester is deemed to have an 'interest' in shares that Sanderson controls by virtue of Section 203(2)(b) of the Companies Act 1985. Recent purchases/sales of shares in your company by Silchester, on behalf of its clients, have resulted in Silchester having an interest in the following shares (also see below): SILCHESTER 28,262,192 Recent purchases/sales of shares in your company by Sanderson, on behalf of its clients, have resulted in Sanderson having an interest in the following shares, and Silchester having an interest over the same shares for the purposes of Section 203(2)(b) of the Companies Act 1985 (also see below): SANDERSON 4,326,379 Our records show that you have the following shares in that class: WH SMITH PLC 180,952,584 As such, Silchester has an interest over 18.01% of the shares of that class and,of that, two of our clients control 9.94% and 4.35%. This interest is beingnotified in fulfillment of the obligations imposed by Sections 198-202 of theCompanies Act 1985. Silchester does not have an interest mentioned in Section2O8(5) of the Companies Act 1985 in any of the shares to which thisnotification relates. Please note that the Takeover Panel has advised Silchester that it is not required to report its Clients' shareholdings in aggregate with Sanderson for purposes of the SARs. In addition, the Takeover Panel has advised that Silchester is not required to report its Clients' shareholdings in aggregate with Sanderson for purposes of Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code. ALISON RAVENSCROFTHead of Dealing SILCHESTER INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS LIMITED - CLIENT OWNERSHIP Company: WH Smith Plc Share Class: ORDINARY Issued Shares: 180,952,584 SII Client Ownership:28,262,192 % of Shares Date: 31 October 200515.62 SilchesterSII Account Silchester Current Voting Share % Holding at Nominee Authority Holding Fund LevelSilchester Int'l InvestorsInternational Value Equity Group Trust Northern Trust Company YES 7,871,703 4.35 Silchester Int'l Investors Tobacco FreeInternational Value Equity Trust Northern Trust Company YES 1,269,903 0.70 Silchester Int'l InvestorsInternational Value Equity Trust Northern Trust Company YES 17,992,526 9.94 The Calleva Trust Northern rust Company YES 1,128,060 0.62 TOTAL 28,262,192 Please refer below for information on Sanderson Asset Management Limited's("Sanderson's") client holdings. Under the terms of Sanderson's privacy policy, the names, addresses or other identifying information of Sanderson'sclient accounts are not shared with Silchester employees. SANDERSON ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED - CLIENT OWNERSHIP Company: WH Smith Plc Share Class: ORDINARY Issued Shares: 180,952,584 SAM Client Ownership:4,326,379 % of Shares Date: 31 October 20052.39 Sanderson % Sanderson Current Holding at Voting Share FundSAM Account Nominee Authority Holding Level BUST Northern Trust Co YES 1,474,200 0.81 CAT Pictet & Cie YES 109,000 0.06 DYN State Street YES 67,000 0.04 EUF State Street YES 317,026 0.18GOLF Bank of New York YES 82,000 0.05GRIT Northern Trust Co YES 605,000 0.33 INGOT Mellon Trust YES 139,680 0.08MINI State Street YES 230,400 0.13OCEAN Northern Trust Co YES 68,000 0.04 OVAL Mellon Trust YES 131,800 0.07PEARL Northern Trust Co YES 72,000 0.04 RAIN Citigroup YES 109,000 0.06RANGER Northern Trust Co YES 34,000 0.02STAMP Northern Trust Co YES 75,600 0.04SURF Northern Trust Co YES 58,000 0.03TIME Bank of New York YES 29,000 0.02TOXIC Northern Trust Co YES 23,573 0.01TRAY Northern Trust Co YES 350,100 0.19 WHEAT Mellon Trust YES 143,000 0.08WINDY Northern Trust Co YES 98,000 0.05 WOGAN Northern Trust Co YES 110,000 0.06 TOTAL 4,326,379 Under the terms of Sanderson Asset Management Limited's ("Sanderson's") privacy policy, the names, addresses or other identifying information of Sanderson'sclient accounts are not shared with Silchester employees. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
Wh Smith