22nd Dec 2015 07:00
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION
22 December 2015
Irrevocable Undertakings
CSC Computer Sciences International Operations Limited ("CSC Bidco"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Computer Sciences Corporation ("CSC"), has received notification that Stephen Wilson, a non-executive director of Xchanging plc ("Xchanging"), has transferred 20,000 ordinary shares of 5p each in Xchanging (the "Xchanging Shares") to his wife, Catherine Wilson.
Catherine Wilson has irrevocably undertaken to accept CSC Bidco's recommended cash offer for the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of Xchanging (the "Offer") in respect of the 20,000 Xchanging Shares that were transferred to her by Stephen Wilson. The irrevocable undertaking to accept the Offer received from Stephen Wilson has also been amended to reflect the transfer.
As a result, there is no change to the total number of Xchanging Shares in respect of which CSC Bidco has received irrevocable undertakings to accept the Offer from Xchanging Directors, being 1,137,804 Xchanging Shares[i], as described in the offer document published and posted by CSC Bidco on 15 December 2015 (the "Offer Document").
A copy of the irrevocable undertakings referred to above are on display on CSC's and Xchanging's websites (www.csc.com and www.xchanging.com/takeoverbid respectively) until the end of the Offer Period.
CSC and CSC Bidco | |
Paul N. Saleh, Chief Financial Officer H.C. Charles Diao, Vice President, Finance & Corporate Treasurer Neil DeSilva, Investor Relations Rich Adamonis, Media Relations
| Tel: +1 703 876 1000 Tel: +1 703 876 1000 Tel: +1 703 641 3000 Tel: +1 862 228 3481 |
Goldman Sachs (financial adviser to CSC and CSC Bidco) | |
Nick Harper Jonathan Hall Colin Ryan Nick Pomponi
| Tel: +44 (0) 20 7774 1000
Tel: +1 415 393 7500 |
Capitalised terms used but not defined in this announcement have the meanings set out in the Offer Document.
Goldman Sachs International, which is authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and the PRA in the United Kingdom, and its affiliate, Goldman, Sachs & Co., are acting exclusively for CSC and CSC Bidco and no one else in connection with the Offer or any other matter referred to in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than CSC and CSC Bidco for providing the protections afforded to clients of Goldman Sachs, or for providing advice in connection with the Offer or any other matter referred to herein.
This announcement is for information purposes only and is not intended to, and does not, constitute or form part of any offer to sell or invitation to purchase any securities or the solicitation of any vote for approval in any jurisdiction, nor shall there be any sale, issue or transfer of the securities referred to in this announcement in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. The Offer is made solely through the Offer Document and the accompanying Form of Acceptance, which will together contain the full terms and conditions of the Offer, including details of how to accept the Offer. Any response in relation to the Offer should be made only on the basis of the information contained in the Offer Document or any document by which the Offer is made.
This announcement has been prepared for the purpose of complying with the laws of England and Wales and the Code and the information disclosed may not be the same as that which would have been disclosed if this announcement had been prepared in accordance with the laws of jurisdictions outside England and Wales.
Overseas Shareholders
The release, publication or distribution of this announcement in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons who are not resident in the United Kingdom or the United States or who are subject to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the United Kingdom or the United States should inform themselves of, and observe, any applicable legal or regulatory requirements. Further details in relation to overseas shareholders are contained in the Offer Document.
Unless otherwise determined by CSC Bidco or required by the Code, and insofar as permitted by applicable law and regulation, the Offer will not be made available, directly or indirectly, in, into or from a Restricted Jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction and no person may vote in favour of the Offer by any such use, means, instrumentality or form within a Restricted Jurisdiction or any other jurisdiction if to do so would constitute a violation of the laws of that jurisdiction. Accordingly, copies of this announcement and all documents relating to the Offer are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from a Restricted Jurisdiction where to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction, and persons receiving this announcement and all documents relating to the Offer (including agents, custodians, nominees and trustees) must not mail or otherwise forward, distribute or send them in, into or from such jurisdictions where to do so would violate the laws in that jurisdiction.
The availability of the Offer to Xchanging Shareholders who are not resident in the United Kingdom may be affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdictions in which they are resident. Persons who are not resident in the United Kingdom should inform themselves of, and observe, any applicable requirements.
US Shareholders
The Offer has been made for securities of an English company with a listing on the London Stock Exchange, and Xchanging Shareholders in the United States should be aware that this announcement, the Offer Document and any other documents relating to the Offer have been or will be prepared in accordance with the Code and UK disclosure requirements, format and style, all of which differ from those generally applicable in the United States. Xchanging's financial statements and all financial information that is included in this announcement, or that may be included in the Offer Document or any other documents relating to the Offer, have been or will be prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards adopted in the European Union and may not be comparable to the financial statements or other financial information of US companies.
The Offer is for the securities of a non-US company which does not have securities registered under Section 12 of the US Securities Exchange Act. The Offer has been made in the United States pursuant to Section 14(e) of, and Regulation 14E under, the US Securities Exchange Act, and otherwise in accordance with the requirements of the Code. Accordingly, the Offer will be subject to disclosure and other procedural requirements, including with respect to withdrawal rights, offer timetable, settlement procedures and timing of payments that are different from those applicable under US domestic tender offer procedures and laws. In the United States, the Offer is deemed made solely by CSC Bidco and not by any of its financial advisers.
In accordance with, and to the extent permitted by, the Code, normal UK market practice and Rule 14e-5 under the US Securities Exchange Act, CSC Bidco or its nominees or brokers (acting as agents) may from time to time make certain purchases of, or arrangements to purchase, Xchanging Shares outside the United States, other than pursuant to the Offer, before or during the period in which the Offer remains open for acceptance. These purchases may occur either in the open market at prevailing prices or in private transactions at negotiated prices. Such purchases, or arrangements to purchase, will comply with all applicable UK rules, including the Code and the rules of the London Stock Exchange, and Rule 14e-5 under the US Securities Exchange Act to the extent applicable. In addition, in accordance with, and to the extent permitted by, the Code, normal UK market practice and Rule 14e-5 under the US Securities Exchange Act, Goldman Sachs and its affiliates will continue to act as exempt principal traders in Xchanging Shares on the London Stock Exchange and engage in certain other purchasing activities consistent with their respective normal and usual practice and applicable law. Any information about such purchases will be disclosed on a next day basis to the Panel and will be available to all investors (including US investors) from any Regulatory Information Service including the Regulatory News Service on the London Stock Exchange website, www.londonstockexchange.com.
The receipt of cash pursuant to the Offer by a US holder of Xchanging Shares may be a taxable transaction for US federal income tax purposes and under applicable US state and local, as well as foreign and other, tax laws. Each US shareholder of Xchanging is urged to consult with his, her or its independent professional adviser regarding any acceptance of the Offer including, without limitation, to consider the tax consequences associated with such holder's acceptance of the Offer. Furthermore, the payment and settlement procedure with respect to the Offer will comply with the relevant United Kingdom rules, which differ from the United States payment and settlement procedures, particularly with regard to the date of payment of consideration.
Neither the US Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other US state securities commission has approved or disapproved the Offer, or passed judgment upon the fairness or merits of the Offer or passed judgment upon the adequacy or completeness of this announcement or the Offer Document. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence.
Dealing Disclosure Requirements
Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who is interested in 1 per cent. or more of any class of relevant securities of an offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement of the offer period and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 p.m. (London time) on the 10th Business Day following the commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 p.m. (London time) on the 10th Business Day following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a Dealing Disclosure.
Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in 1 per cent. or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s), save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8 of the Code. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) of the Code applies must be made by no later than 3.30 p.m. (London time) on the Business Day following the date of the relevant dealing.
If two or more persons act together pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a securities exchange offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Code.
Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4 of the Code).
Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. You should contact the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on +44 (0)20 7638 0129 if you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure.
Information relating to Xchanging Shareholders
Please be aware that addresses, electronic addresses and certain information provided by Xchanging Shareholders, persons with information rights and other relevant persons for the receipt of communications from Xchanging may be provided to CSC Bidco during the Offer Period as requested under Section 4 of Appendix 4 of the Code to comply with Rule 2.12(c).
Publication on Website
A copy of this announcement will be available on CSC's website (www.csc.com). For the avoidance of doubt, the contents of this website are not incorporated by reference into, and do not form part of, this announcement.
[i] Nicolette Bauernfeind, David Bauernfeind's wife, has irrevocably undertaken to accept the Offer in respect of 170,000 Xchanging Shares that were transferred to her by David Bauernfeind as announced by Xchanging on 20 November 2015. Catherine Wilson, Stephen Wilson's wife, has irrevocably undertaken to accept the Offer in respect of 20,000 Xchanging Shares that were transferred to her by Stephen Wilson on 21 December 2015. The Xchanging Shares held by each of Nicolette Bauernfeind and Catherine Wilson are included in the totals set out above.
Related Shares:
XCH.L