28th Apr 2017 11:10
28 April 2017
Countrywide plc
Voting results of Annual General Meeting held on 27 April 2017
Countrywide plc ("the Company") announces that its Annual General Meeting ("AGM") held at Vintners Place, 68 Upper Thames Street, London EC4V 3BJ on 27 April 2017 at 10.00am was successfully concluded. All resolutions were duly passed by shareholders by way of a poll. The voting results are below and the voting represents 85.4% of the issued share capital of 237,931,467 shares.
Resolution 17, intended to give the Company flexibility to disapply pre-emption rights for the purposes of acquisitions or capital investment was duly passed by 79.78% of votes cast at the meeting. This resolution is contemplated by the Pre-emption Group's Statement of Principles and the approval sought by the Company is in line with market practice. The Company will seek the views of those shareholders opposed to resolution 17 in order to understand their concerns.
Resolution 20, being the ordinary resolution to approve the waiver by the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers under Rule 9 of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the "Takeover Code") in connection with the Company's buyback programme, was duly passed by 78.16% of the independent shareholders of the Company (being shareholders of the Company other than funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management (UK) LLP or any persons acting in concert with such funds, together "Oaktree") whose votes were cast at the meeting. As a result, the Company will be able to make use of the option to return value to its shareholders through a possible future buyback programme. Had resolution 20 not been passed, the Company would have been unable to exercise the share buyback authority obtained pursuant to resolution 19 (which was passed by 99.97% of the shares whose votes were cast at the meeting), as doing so would have forced Oaktree to make a mandatory offer for all remaining shares of the Company pursuant to Rule 9 of the Takeover Code. The Company intends to continue to engage with shareholders who voted against resolution 20 in order to understand their concerns.
As required by Listing Rule 9.6.3R, a copy of resolution 20, not being ordinary business, has been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection at www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/NSM.
The poll results are also to be posted on the Company's website.
A vote withheld is not a vote in law and is not counted in the calculation of the votes for or against a resolution.
Resolutions 16, 17 and 19 were special resolutions and the full text of all of the resolutions is set out in the Notice of AGM on the Company's website.
Countrywide - Poll Results by All Shareholders
RESOLUTION | VOTES | ||||||
FOR | AGAINST | WITHHELD | TOTAL | ||||
Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | |||
1 | Company's annual report and accounts | 202,391,173 | 99.99% | 4,238 | 0.01% | 790,382 | 203,185,793 |
2 | Directors' remuneration report | 202,605,393 | 99.71% | 580,400 | 0.29% | 0 | 203,185,793 |
3 | Directors' remuneration policy | 202,605,093 | 99.71% | 580,400 | 0.29% | 300 | 203,185,793 |
4 | Re-election of Peter Long | 199,800,005 | 98.33% | 3,384,511 | 1.67% | 1,277 | 203,185,793 |
5 | Re-election of David Watson | 203,111,378 | 99.96% | 74,415 | 0.04% | 0 | 203,185,793 |
6 | Re-election of Alison Platt | 202,849,052 | 99.83% | 336,741 | 0.17% | 0 | 203,185,793 |
7 | Re-election of Jim Clarke | 201,385,847 | 99.11% | 1,798,669 | 0.89% | 1,277 | 203,185,793 |
8 | Re-election of Caleb Kramer | 202,852,216 | 99.84% | 332,953 | 0.16% | 624 | 203,185,793 |
9 | Re-election of Richard Adam | 203,111,081 | 99.96% | 72,811 | 0.04% | 1,901 | 203,185,793 |
10 | Re-election of Catherine Turner | 203,111,746 | 99.96% | 73,423 | 0.04% | 624 | 203,185,793 |
11 | Re-election of Jane Lighting | 203,111,908 | 99.96% | 73,885 | 0.04% | 0 | 203,185,793 |
12 | Re-election of Rupert Gavin | 203,112,370 | 99.96% | 73,423 | 0.04% | 0 | 203,185,793 |
13 | Reappointment of auditor | 202,759,772 | 99.79% | 426,021 | 0.21% | 0 | 203,185,793 |
14 | Remuneration of auditor to be determined by the Audit and Risk Committee | 203,152,923 | 99.99% | 28,632 | 0.01% | 4,238 | 203,185,793 |
15 | Authority to allot shares | 202,998,430 | 99.91% | 187,363 | 0.09% | 0 | 203,185,793 |
16 | General power to disapply pre-emption rights | 198,835,909 | 97.86% | 4,349,884 | 2.14% | 0 | 203,185,793 |
17 | Additional authority to disapply pre-emption rights for the purpose of acquisitions or capital investments | 162,111,751 | 79.78% | 41,074,042 | 20.22% | 0 | 203,185,793 |
18 | Political donations | 202,769,730 | 99.83% | 340,363 | 0.17% | 75,700 | 203,185,793 |
19 | Authority to make market purchases | 203,125,631 | 99.97% | 60,162 | 0.03% | 0 | 203,185,793 |
20 | Approval of waiver of Rule 9 offer obligation | 102,576,490 | 78.16% | 28,666,057 | 21.84% | 71,943,236 | 203,185,783 |
Notes:-
1) Percentage of votes cast for proxy votes results calculated excludes withheld votes.
2) Total of ordinary shares in issue (eligible to vote) 237,931,467.
3) Total of votes received per Resolution (including withheld votes) 203,185,793
4) Participation level per Resolution (including withheld votes) 85.4%
Countrywide - Poll Results by Independent Shareholders
RESOLUTION | VOTES | ||||||
FOR | AGAINST | WITHHELD | Total Votes | ||||
Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | |||
4 | Re-election of Peter Long | 128,103,150 | 97.43% | 3,384,511 | 2.57% | 1,277 | 131,487,661 |
5 | Re-election of David Watson | 131,414,523 | 99.94% | 74,415 | 0.06% | 0 | 131,488,938 |
9 | Re-election of Richard Adam | 131,414,226 | 99.94% | 72,811 | 0.06% | 1,901 | 131,487,037 |
10 | Re-election of Catherine Turner | 131,414,891 | 99.94% | 73,423 | 0.06% | 624 | 131,488,314 |
11 | Re-election of Jane Lighting | 131,415,053 | 99.94% | 73,885 | 0.06% | 0 | 131,488,938 |
12 | Re-election of Rupert Gavin | 131,415,515 | 99.94% | 73,423 | 0.06% | 0 | 131,488,938 |
Note:-
1) Percentage of votes cast by independent shareholders for Resolutions 4, 5, 9, 10, 11 and 12 appointing Independent Non-Executive Directors exclude Oaktree's holding of 71,696,855.
Gareth WilliamsCompany SecretaryCountrywide plcCounty House
100 New London RoadChelmsfordEssex CM2 0RG
Enquiries:Jim ClarkeGroup Chief Financial Officer+44(0)7970 477299
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