7th Sep 2006 17:30
Premier Foods plc07 September 2006 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OR TRANSMISSION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THEUNITED STATES, CANADA, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA OR THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA PREMIER FOODS PLC RESULTS OF RIGHTS ISSUE AND SUCCESSFUL PLACEMENT OF RUMP Premier Foods plc (the "Company") today announces that it has received validacceptances in respect of 242,378,218 New Ordinary Shares, representingapproximately 97.79% of the total number of New Ordinary Shares offered toShareholders pursuant to the fully underwritten Rights Issue announced by theCompany on 12 July 2006. A total of 247,848,157 New Ordinary Shares were offered to Shareholders in theRights Issue, which closed at 11.00 a.m. on 7 September 2006. It is expected that the New Ordinary Shares in uncertificated form will becredited to CREST accounts on 8 September 2006 and that definitive sharecertificates in respect of New Ordinary Shares in certificated form will bedispatched to shareholders by 15 September 2006. Merrill Lynch International and Hoare Govett have procured subscribers for theremaining 5,469,939 New Ordinary Shares for which valid acceptances were notreceived at a price of 269.5 pence per New Ordinary Share. Accordingly,sub-underwriters will not be required to subscribe for any New Ordinary Shares. The net proceeds, after deduction of the Issue Price of 185 pence per NewOrdinary Share and the expenses of procuring subscribers (including any relatedvalue added tax), will, save for amounts less than £5, be paid to those personswhose rights have lapsed in accordance with the terms of the Rights Issue, prorata to their lapsed provisional allotments. Definitions used in the prospectus dated 27 July 2006 shall have the samemeanings when used in this announcement, unless the context requires otherwise. For further information, please contact: Premier: 01727 815 850Robert Schofield, Chief ExecutivePaul Thomas, Finance DirectorRobert Lawson, M&A and Investor Relations DirectorGwyn Tyley, Investor Relations Manager Merrill Lynch International: 020 7996 1000Peter TraceyChris SnoxallPeter Brown Hoare Govett Limited: 020 7678 8000Ranald McGregor-SmithJeremy Thompson Citigate Dewe Rogerson: 020 7638 9571Michael BerkeleySara BatchelorJustin Griffiths This announcement has been issued by, and is the sole responsibility of,Premier. Merrill Lynch International, which is authorised and regulated in the UnitedKingdom by the Financial Services Authority, is acting as joint broker and jointunderwriter to the Company in connection with the Rights Issue and will not beresponsible to any person other than the Company for providing the protectionsafforded to customers of Merrill Lynch International, or for advising any suchperson on the contents of this announcement or any other transaction,arrangement or matter referred to herein. Hoare Govett Limited, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom bythe Financial Services Authority, is acting as joint broker and jointunderwriter to the Company in connection with the Rights Issue and will not beresponsible to any person other than the Company for providing the protectionsafforded to customers of Hoare Govett Limited, or for advising any such personon the contents of this announcement or any other transaction, arrangement ormatter referred to herein. The information contained in this announcement is not for release, publicationor distribution to persons in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia or theRepublic of South Africa or any other jurisdiction where doing so may constitutea violation of local securities laws. This announcement is not an offer ofsecurities for sale into the United States. The New Ordinary Shares have notbeen and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended,and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in the United Statesabsent registration or an exemption from registration. The New Ordinary Shareshave not been and will not be registered with any regulatory authority of anystate within the United States. There will be no public offer of securities inthe United States. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
Premier Foods