AGM Information • Oct 6, 2023
AGM Information
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If you are in any doubt as to any aspect of the proposals referred to in this document or as to the action you should take, you should consult your stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant, or other professional adviser authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 immediately.
If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your Ordinary Shares, please send this document, together with the accompanying documents, at once to the purchaser or transferee, or to the stockbroker, bank or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was affected for transmission to the purchaser or transferee.
(incorporated and registered in England and Wales under number 2877315)
Notice of the 2023 Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held at Village Hotel Chester St. David's, St. David's Park, Ewloe, Deeside CH5 3YB on Friday 10 November 2023 at 10.00 a.m. (the "AGM") is set out in Part II of this document.
We are intending to hold the AGM this year as a physical meeting. Any changes to the AGM arrangements will be communicated to Shareholders before the meeting through our website investors.redrowplc.co.uk and by RNS announcement.
You may request a hard copy of this document and information incorporated into this document by reference to another source by contacting the Company's Registrar, Computershare, either by calling +44 (0)370 707 1257 or writing to Computershare Investor Services PLC, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol BS99 6ZY. Hard copies will only be sent where valid requests are received from such persons.
A copy of this document, together with all information incorporated into this document by reference to another source, will be made available on the Company's website at http://investors.redrowplc.co.uk from the date of this document. For the avoidance of doubt, the contents of this website are not incorporated into and do not form part of this document.
A Form of Proxy for use at the AGM is enclosed and, to be valid, should be completed and returned in accordance with the instructions printed on the form to be received by the Company's Registrars, Computershare Investor Services PLC of The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol BS99 6ZY as soon as possible but, in any event, so as to arrive no later than 10.00 a.m. on Wednesday 8 November 2023. Completion and return of a Form of Proxy will not prevent members from attending and voting in person should they wish to do so.
This document is published on 6 October 2023.
(the "Company") (Incorporated and registered in England and Wales under number 2877315)
Redrow House St. David's Park Flintshire CH5 3RX
6 October 2023
To the holders of Ordinary Shares
Dear Shareholder,
I am pleased to be writing to you with details of the Annual General Meeting ("AGM") of the Company which we are holding at Village Hotel Chester St. David's, St. David's Park, Ewloe, Deeside CH5 3YB on Friday 10 November 2023 at 10.00 a.m. The formal notice of AGM is set out in Part II of this document.
An explanation of the business to be considered at this year's AGM appears in Part III of this document.
As outlined in more detail on page 6 of this document, voting on all resolutions at the AGM will be conducted by way of a poll.
A Shareholder who is entitled to attend and vote at the AGM is entitled to appoint a proxy or proxies to attend, speak and vote on their behalf. A proxy need not be a member of the Company. If more than one proxy is appointed, each proxy must be appointed to exercise the rights attached to different shares.
If you would like to vote on the resolutions but cannot come to the AGM, please fill in the Form of Proxy sent to you with this notice and return it in accordance with the instructions printed on the form as soon as possible. It must be received by 10.00 a.m. on Wednesday 8 November 2023.
The Board recognises the ongoing importance of communication with Shareholders and if any Shareholder is unable to attend the meeting in person but would like to ask a question on the formal business of the meeting, please write to myself at Redrow House, St. David's Park,
Ewloe, Flintshire, CH5 3RX or email the Company Secretary at [email protected].
All questions must be received no later than 10:00 a.m. on Friday 3 November 2023. Please ensure that you include your name and shareholder reference number on your question submission. The Company will publish responses to questions, where appropriate, on Friday 10 November 2023 at https://investors.redrowplc.co.uk/shareholderinformation/agm.
Further details on the process relating to question submissions ahead of the AGM can be seen in note 9 on page 6 of this document.
Shareholders are being asked to approve a final dividend of 20p per Ordinary Share for the year ended 2 July 2023.
If the recommended final dividend is approved, this will be paid on 16 November 2023 to all Shareholders who were on the register of members as at the close of business on 22 September 2023.
The Directors consider that all resolutions to be put to the meeting are in the best interests of the Company and its Shareholders as a whole, and unanimously recommend that Shareholders vote in favour of them, as they intend to do in respect of their own shareholdings in the Company.
Yours sincerely,
Non-Executive Chairman 6 October 2023
| Part I Letter from the Non-Executive Chairman | 03 |
|---|---|
| Part II Notice of AGM | 04 |
| Part III Explanatory Notes to the Resolutions | 08 |
| Definitions | 12 |
provided that this authority shall (unless previously revoked or renewed) expire at the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company or at the close of business on 31 December 2024 (whichever may be the earlier) but so that the Company may, before such expiry, make offers and enter into agreements which would or might require shares to be allotted or rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into shares to be granted after such expiry and the Directors may allot shares or grant rights to subscribe for or convert any security into shares in pursuance of any such offer or agreement as if the authority had not expired.
For the purposes of this Resolution 12, "rights issue" means an offer to:
to subscribe for further securities by means of the issue of a renounceable letter (or other negotiable document) which may be traded for a period before payment for the securities is due, but subject in both cases to such exclusions or other arrangements as the Directors may deem necessary or appropriate in relation to treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates or legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory or any other matter.
Notice is hereby given that the AGM of Redrow plc will be held at Village Hotel Chester St. David's, St. David's Park, Ewloe, Deeside CH5 3YB on Friday 10 November 2023 at 10.00 a.m. for the following purposes.
Resolutions 13 to 16 (inclusive) will be proposed as special resolutions. All other resolutions will be proposed as ordinary resolutions.
as if Section 561(1) of the Companies Act 2006 did not apply to any such allotment, and such authority shall (unless previously revoked or renewed) expire at the earlier of the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company or the close of business on 31 December 2024 save that the said authority shall permit the Company to make offers and enter into agreements before the expiry of such authority which would or might require equity securities to be allotted and treasury shares to be sold after such expiry and the Directors may allot equity securities and sell treasury shares in pursuance of any such offer or agreement as if such authority had not expired. For the purposes of this Resolution 13, the nominal amount of any securities shall be taken to be, in the case of rights to subscribe for or convert any security into shares of the Company, the nominal amount of such shares which may be allotted pursuant to such rights.
For the purposes of this Resolution 13:
"pre-emptive offer" means an offer of equity securities open for acceptance for a period fixed by the Directors to (a) holders of Ordinary Shares (other than the Company) on the register of members on a record date fixed by the Directors in proportion to their respective holdings and (b) other persons so entitled by virtue of the rights attaching to any other equity securities held by them, but subject in both cases to such exclusions or other arrangements as the Directors may deem necessary or expedient in relation to treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates or legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory; and
"rights issue" has the meaning given to such term in Resolution 12.
(ii) used only for the purposes of financing (or refinancing, if the authority is to be used within six months after the original transaction) a transaction which the Board determines to be an acquisition or other capital investment of a kind contemplated by the Pre-Emption Group's Statement of Principles most recently published by the Pre-Emption Group prior to the date of this notice,
such authority shall (unless previously revoked or renewed) expire at the earlier of the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company or the close of business on 31 December 2024 save that the said authority shall permit the Company to make offers and enter into agreements before the expiry of such authority which would or might require equity securities to be allotted and treasury shares to be sold after such expiry and the Directors may allot equity securities and sell treasury shares in pursuance of any such offer or agreement as if such authority had not expired.
16. That a general meeting of the Company, other than an AGM, may be called on not less than 14 clear days' notice.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD
6 October 2023
Registered in England and Wales No. 2877315 Registered Office: Redrow House St. David's Park Flintshire CH5 3RX
The Company will publish responses to questions on https://investors. redrowplc.co.uk/shareholder-information/agm, where appropriate, on Friday 10 November 2023.
These documents will also be available at the place of the meeting from 9.30 a.m. on Friday 10 November 2023 until the end of the meeting.
The following pages explain the proposed resolutions.
Resolutions 1 to 12 are proposed as ordinary resolutions. This means that for each of those resolutions to be passed, more than half of the votes cast must be in favour of the resolution.
Resolutions 13 to 16 are proposed as special resolutions. This means that for each of those resolutions to be passed, at least three-quarters of the votes cast must be in favour of the resolution.
For each financial year the Directors must lay the Company's accounts, the Directors' report and the Auditor's report before members at a General Meeting. Resolution 1 therefore asks Shareholders to receive and adopt these accounts and reports.
The Board has proposed a 2023 final dividend of 20p per share which will be paid on 16 November 2023 to Shareholders on the register on 22 September 2023, subject to Shareholder approval at the AGM. Resolution 2 therefore asks Shareholders to approve the payment of the final dividend.
The Company's Articles of Association provide that any Director appointed to the Board since the last AGM is required to retire at the first AGM after the appointment. Geeta Nanda was appointed to the Board on 1 May 2023 and will retire at the AGM and stand for election by Shareholders for the first time since her appointment. The biographical details of Geeta Nanda are set out on page 135 of the Annual Report.
In accordance with the provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code (the "Code"), all other Directors will retire and offer themselves for re-election at the meeting. The Board has satisfied itself that all Directors continue to perform satisfactorily. For full biographies of all Directors and further details in relation to their re-election, please see pages 134 and 135 of the Annual Report.
The Company's Nomination Committee considers the appointment and replacement of Directors subject to the rules set out in the Company's Articles of Association and in accordance with the Nomination Committee's Terms of Reference. When an appointment is considered appropriate, the Nomination Committee will evaluate the balance of skills, knowledge, and experience of the Board and, in light of this evaluation, prepare a description of the role and capabilities required for a particular appointment. Details of the process followed in appointing the Directors can be found within the Nomination Committee report set out on pages 156 to 161 of the Annual Report.
The Board believes the wide variety of skills and experiences of the Directors (covering a range of areas, including operational, finance, property, housing, sustainability, climate change and customer service) brings a valuable breadth and depth to the Board's deliberations. In addition, following the formal Board performance evaluation process carried out during the year and having considered the performance and contribution of each of the Directors the Board considers each of the Directors seeking reappointment to be highly effective and committed. Accordingly, the Board considers their individual contributions, as outlined on pages 134 and 135 of the Annual Report, to be important to the Company's long-term sustainable success and considers their reappointment to be in the best interests of the Company.
In considering the independence of each Independent Non-Executive Director, the Board has taken into consideration the guidance provided by the Code. The Board considers the Independent Non-Executive Directors seeking re-election, being Richard Akers, Nicky Dulieu, Oliver Tant and Geeta Nanda, to be independent in accordance with Provision 10 of the Code as they:
The Board considers that each of the Independent Non-Executive Directors proposed for re-election continues to bring independent challenge, oversight, and advice to the Company.
The Board confirms that all Directors standing for reappointment continue to be effective and demonstrate the appropriate commitment to their roles.
The Company is required to appoint Auditors at every general meeting at which the accounts are presented to Shareholders. Following the conclusion of the tender process led by the Audit Committee, the Company announced on 9 November 2018 that the Board had approved the proposed appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company's external auditor for the financial year commencing 1 July 2019. The appointment was subsequently approved by Shareholders at the 2019 AGM and KPMG LLP have been re-appointed as the Company's external auditor by Shareholders each year since.
Resolution 9, which is recommended by the Audit Committee, proposes the re-appointment of KPMG LLP who are willing to seek re-appointment this year.
Resolution 10 authorises the Directors to determine the Auditor's fees. If this resolution is passed, the Audit Committee will approve the fees for recommendation to the Board.
This resolution deals with the remuneration of the Directors and seeks approval for the remuneration paid to the Directors during the year under review. The Company is required to ask Shareholders to approve the Directors' remuneration report (other than the remuneration policy). The remuneration report is set out on pages 166 to 191 of the Annual Report. Resolution 11 is an advisory vote.
Shareholders are being invited to renew the authority given to Directors in previous years to allot new shares.
If passed, the authority in paragraph (i) of Resolution 12 would renew this authority by authorising the Directors to allot shares and grant rights to subscribe for or convert other securities into shares up to an aggregate nominal amount of £11,575,800 (which is equivalent to approximately 33.33% of the Issued Share Capital of the Company as at the Latest Practicable Date).
The authority in paragraph (ii) of Resolution 12 will allow the Directors to allot shares and grant rights to subscribe for or convert other securities into shares up to a further nominal amount of £11,575,800 (which is equivalent to approximately 33.33% of the Issued Share Capital of the Company as at the Latest Practicable Date) only in connection with a rights issue.
The Directors are aware of the latest Share Capital Management Guidelines published by the Investment Association in February 2023, which update the previous guidance to allow this authority to incorporate all fully pre-emptive offers, not just fully pre-emptive rights issues. The Directors have decided that they will propose limiting the relevant limb of the allotment authority to rights issues in line with best practice but intend to keep emerging market practice under review.
The Company does not, as of the Latest Practicable Date, hold any shares in treasury.
The authority will expire at the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company or, if earlier, at the close of business on 31 December 2024.
The Directors will exercise the authority to allot new shares or undertake a rights issue only when satisfied that it is in the best interests of the Company and its Shareholders as a whole to do so. There are no present plans to undertake a rights issue or to allot new shares. The Directors consider it desirable to have the maximum flexibility permitted by the Investment Association guidance to respond to market developments and to enable allotments to take place to finance business opportunities as they arise.
The Directors may only allot shares and other equity securities, or sell treasury shares, for cash (other than in connection with an employee share scheme) to persons who are not already Shareholders in the Company if authorised to do so by the Shareholders at a general meeting of the Company.
The purpose of paragraphs (i)(a) and (ii) of Resolution 13 is to authorise the Directors to allot new shares and other equity securities, or sell treasury shares, for cash on a pre-emptive basis. The resolution also enables the Directors to modify the strict requirements for a preemptive offer or pre-emptive rights issue in circumstances where they consider it necessary or expedient.
In addition, there may be circumstances when the Directors consider it in the best interests of the Company to allot a limited number of Ordinary Shares or other equity securities, or sell treasury shares, for cash on a non-preemptive basis. The Pre-Emption Group's Statement of Principles, as updated in March 2015, supports the annual disapplication of pre-emption rights in respect of allotments of shares and other equity securities and sales of treasury shares for cash representing no more than 5% of the Issued Share Capital of the Company, without restriction as to the use of proceeds of those allotments.
Accordingly, the purpose of paragraph (i)(b) of Resolution 13 is to authorise the Directors to allot new shares and other equity securities pursuant to the authority given in Resolution 12, or sell treasury shares, for cash up to an aggregate nominal amount of £1,736,543, equivalent to approximately 5% of the Issued Share Capital of the Company as at the Latest Practicable Date, without the
shares first being offered to existing Shareholders in proportion to their existing holdings. The Company does not, as of the Latest Practicable Date, hold any shares in treasury.
The Pre-Emption Group's Statement of Principles also supports the annual disapplication of pre-emption rights in respect of allotments of shares and other equity securities and sales of treasury shares for cash representing no more than an additional 5% of the Issued Share Capital of the Company, to be used only in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment. The Pre-Emption Group's Statement of Principles defines "specified capital investment" as meaning one or more specific capital investment related uses for the proceeds of an issue of equity securities, in respect of which sufficient information regarding the effect of the transaction on the Company, the assets the subject of the transaction and (where appropriate) the profits attributable to them is made available to Shareholders to enable them to reach an assessment of the potential return.
Accordingly, and in line with the template resolutions published by the Pre-Emption Group in May 2016, the purpose of Resolution 14 is to authorise the Directors to allot new shares and other equity securities pursuant to the authority given in Resolution 12, or sell treasury shares, for cash up to a further aggregate nominal amount of £1,736,543, equivalent to approximately 5% of the Issued Share Capital of the Company as at the Latest Practicable Date, only in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment which is announced contemporaneously with the allotment, or which has taken place in the preceding six-month period and is disclosed in the announcement of the allotment. If the authority given in Resolution 14 is used, the Company will publish details of the placing in its next annual report and accounts.
In respect of the power under Resolution 13, the Board intends to adhere to the provisions in the Pre-emption Group's Statement of Principles regarding cumulative usage of authorities where the Principles provide that usage more than an amount equal to 7.5% of the Issued Share Capital of the Company within a rolling three-year period should not take place other than with prior consultation with Shareholders.
Resolution 14 is intended to give the Company flexibility to make non-pre-emptive issues of Ordinary Shares in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment which is announced contemporaneously with the allotment, or which has taken place in the preceding six-month period and is disclosed in the announcement of the allotment as contemplated by the Pre-emption Group's Statement of Principles.
The Board has no current intention of exercising the authorities in Resolutions 13 and 14 but considers such authorities to be appropriate in order to allow the Company flexibility to finance business opportunities or to conduct a
pre-emptive offer or rights issue without the need to comply with the strict requirements of the statutory pre-emption provisions.
The authority will expire on whichever is the earlier of the conclusion of the next AGM or at the close of business on 31 December 2024.
The Directors are seeking authority to make market purchases of Ordinary Shares. The proposed authority would be limited by the terms of Resolution 15 to the purchases of 33,077,024 Ordinary Shares with an aggregate nominal value of £3,473,087.52, which is equivalent to approximately 10% of the Issued Share Capital of the Company at the Latest Practicable Date.
Authority was also given to the Company at the 2022 AGM to make market purchases of the Company's Ordinary Shares up to an aggregate nominal value of £3,593,814.64, which was equivalent to approximately 10% of the Issued Share Capital of the Company.
In line with the authority limits, the Company announced on 14 July 2022 that it had commenced a share buyback programme to purchase ordinary shares of 10.5p each in the Company for up to a maximum consideration of £100m.
The primary purpose of the buyback programme was to reduce the capital of the Company. The share buyback programme completed on 9 January 2023 and resulted in the Company repurchasing 21,420,175 ordinary shares of 10.5p each in the Company, of which 12,852,106 were cancelled and 8,568,069 transferred to treasury. The average price paid per share was £4.70. On 16 May 2023, all 8,568,069 shares held in treasury were cancelled, leaving no shares held in treasury.
While the Directors have no present intention of exercising the authority to make market purchases, this resolution provides the flexibility to allow them to do so in the future. The Directors would exercise this authority only if they felt it would be in the best economic interests of the Company, and of its Shareholders generally, to do so and could be expected to result in an increase in the earnings per share of the Company. Other investment opportunities, appropriate gearing levels and the overall financial position of the Company will be taken into account before deciding upon the course of action.
Details of any Ordinary Shares purchased pursuant to the proposed authority set out in Resolution 15 would be notified to the London Stock Exchange by 7.30 a.m. on the business day following the purchase and to the Registrar of Companies within 28 days. Details would also be included in the Company's annual report and accounts in respect of the financial period in which any such purchases take place. The authority set out in Resolution 15 will expire on
the earlier of the end of the next AGM or 31 December 2024, and Resolution 15 specifies the maximum and minimum prices at which the Ordinary Shares may be bought.
Ordinary Shares purchased by the Company pursuant to this authority may be held in treasury or may be cancelled. The Company currently has no Ordinary Shares in treasury. The minimum price, exclusive of expenses, which may be paid for an Ordinary Share is its nominal value. The maximum price, exclusive of expenses, which may be paid for an Ordinary Share is the highest of (i) an amount equal to 5% above the average market value for an Ordinary Share for the five business days immediately preceding the date of the purchase and (ii) the higher of the price of the last independent trade and the highest current independent bid on the trading venues where the purchase is carried out at the relevant time.
At the Latest Practicable Date, there were options outstanding over 7,178,172 Ordinary Shares, representing 2.17% of the Issued Share Capital of the Company. If the authority given by Resolution 15 were to be fully used, these options would represent 2.41% of the Issued Share Capital of the Company. There are no warrants outstanding.
Under the Companies Act 2006 the notice period required for general meetings of the Company is 21 clear days unless Shareholders approve a shorter notice period, which cannot, however, be less than 14 clear days. AGMs of the Company will continue to be held on at least 21 clear days' notice.
Resolution 16 seeks such approval. The approval will be effective until the Company's next AGM, when it is intended that a similar resolution will be proposed. The shorter notice period will not be used routinely, but only where flexibility is merited by the business of the meeting and is thought to be to the advantage of Shareholders as a whole.
"Annual Report" has the meaning given to it in Part II of this document;
"Auditors" means the external auditors of the Company;
"Company" means Redrow plc, a company incorporated under the laws of England and Wales (registered number 2877315), with its registered office at Redrow House, St David's Park, Flintshire CH5 3RX;
"Computershare" means Computershare Investor Services PLC, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol BS99 6ZY;
"Directors" or "Board" means the directors of the Company;
"Executive Directors" means Matthew Pratt and Barbara Richmond;
"Form of Proxy" means the enclosed proxy form for completion by those Shareholders who wish to vote in the resolutions set out in this document but are unable to attend the AGM;
"Independent Non-Executive Directors" means Richard Akers, Nicky Dulieu, Oliver Tant and Geeta Nanda;
"Issued Share Capital" means the issued share capital of the Company excluding treasury shares;
"Latest Practicable Date" means 5 October 2023 being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this document;
"Ordinary Shares" means the ordinary shares of 10.5 pence each in the capital of the Company; and
"Shareholders" means the holders of Ordinary Shares from time to time.
Redrow plc Notice of Annual General Meeting 2023
Redrow plc
Redrow House, St. David's Park, Flintshire CH5 3RX Telephone: 01244 520044
redrow.co.uk
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