Pre-Annual General Meeting Information • Jul 18, 2023
Pre-Annual General Meeting Information
Open in ViewerOpens in native device viewer
THIS DOCUMENT IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. If you are in any doubt as to the action you should take, you should seek advice from your stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant, or other financial adviser authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your ordinary shares in Braemar Plc, please send this document, together with the accompanying documents, as soon as possible to the purchaser or transferee, or to the stockbroker, bank or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was effected, for delivery to the purchaser or transferee.
Notice of the Annual General Meeting of Braemar Plc, to be held at the Company's offices at One Strand, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5HR, at 10:00 a.m. on 9 August 2023 is set out in this document.
A form of proxy for use at the Annual General Meeting is enclosed. To be valid, the form of proxy should be completed, signed and returned in accordance with the instructions printed on it to the Company's registrar, Equiniti, Aspect House, Spencer Road, Lancing, West Sussex, BN99 6DA as soon as possible but, in any event, so as to arrive no later than 10:00 a.m. on 7 August 2023.
Braemar Plc
(incorporated and registered in England and Wales under company registration number 02286034)
17 July 2023
Dear Shareholder,
I am pleased to confirm the details of the forthcoming Annual General Meeting ("AGM") of Braemar Plc (the "Company"), which will be held at 10:00 a.m. on 9 August 2023 at the offices of the Company at One Strand, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5HR.
We are delighted that shareholders will be able to attend the AGM in person as usual. However, for those shareholders unable to attend, the Company continues to encourage shareholders to exercise their voting rights in relation to the resolutions set out in the Notice (the "Resolutions") by appointing a proxy using one of the methods set out in the notes to the Notice. A form of proxy is enclosed with the Notice.
As detailed in an announcement on 26 June 2023, due to an ongoing investigation into a historic transaction originating in 2013, the Company has not yet published the financial results for the year ended 28 February 2023. The investigation into this transaction and any related matters which may arise, is still ongoing. The board has appointed FRP, an independent specialist firm to assist with the investigation and has established a specific investigation committee to oversee the matter, which I am chairing. As a result, the Company's financial results for the year ended 28 February 2023, will be delayed until this work is completed. Due to this delay, the Company has been unable to publish the 2023 annual report and accounts together with this Notice. Under the Companies Act 2006 (the "Act"), the annual report and accounts must be provided to shareholders at least 21 days before the meeting at which they are approved. Given that the Company is required to hold an AGM each year within 6 months of its financial year end, the Company's 2023 AGM will be held on 9 August 2023, however, it is expected that this meeting will only deal with the resolutions that do not relate to the 2023 annual report and accounts. It is further expected that after having dealt with all Resolutions other than those that relate to the 2023 annual report and accounts, the AGM will then be adjourned in order to deal with those Resolutions at a later date. It will then be reconvened at such date and time as will be notified to shareholders as soon as possible once the Company's 2023 annual report and accounts are available.
This AGM notice includes 18 resolutions that will be put to shareholders during the 2023 AGM, however, it is expected that at the AGM on 9 August 2023, only resolutions 5-18 (inclusive) will be voted upon. Resolutions 1–4 (inclusive) will be voted upon at the reconvened meeting and you will receive a separate proxy form in relation to those Resolutions in due course once the 2023 annual report and accounts are available and the date of such meeting is confirmed by the Company. Accordingly, the proxy form included with this AGM notice only relates to Resolutions 5-18 (inclusive).
The Company will continue to welcome questions from shareholders on the business of the AGM, or any other matters relating to the Company, which should be submitted by e-mail to [email protected] by 10:00 a.m. on 7 August 2023 (or the date and time which is 48 hours prior to any reconvened meeting). Questions should include: the shareholder's full name, number of shares held and telephone contact details. Responses will be given either at the AGM, by telephone, e-mail or by publication on the Company's website at the appropriate time. Questions may, of course, be asked at the AGM.
The formal notice of the AGM and resolutions to be proposed are set out on pages 3 and 4 of this document. The Board considers that the Resolutions are likely to promote the success of the Company and are in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole. The directors therefore unanimously recommend that you vote in favour of the Resolutions as they intend to do in respect of their own beneficial holdings.
Yours faithfully,
Nigel Payne Chairman
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual General Meeting (the "AGM") of Braemar Plc (the "Company") will be held at One Strand, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 5HR at 10:00 a.m. on 9 August 2023 for the purpose of considering and, if thought fit, passing the following resolutions listed below of which resolutions numbered 1 to 14 inclusive will be proposed as ordinary resolutions and resolutions numbered 15 to 18 inclusive will be proposed as special resolutions.
Annual Report and Accounts
This authority shall expire (unless previously varied as to duration, revoked or renewed by the Company in general meeting) on 19 November 2024 or, if earlier, at the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company in 2024, except that the Company may before such expiry make any offer or agreement which would or might require shares to be allotted or such rights to be granted after such expiry and the directors may allot shares or grant such rights in pursuance of such offer or agreement as if the authority conferred by this resolution had not expired.
Disapplication of pre-emption rights
This authority shall expire, unless previously revoked or renewed by the Company in general meeting, at such time as the general authority conferred on the directors by resolution 14 expires, except that the Company may before such expiry make any offer or agreement which would or might require equity securities to be allotted or equity securities held as treasury shares to be sold after such expiry and the directors may allot equity securities and/or sell equity securities held as treasury shares in pursuance of such an offer or agreement as if the power conferred by this resolution had not expired.
This authority shall expire, unless previously revoked or renewed by the Company in general meeting, at such time as the general authority conferred on the directors by resolution 14 expires, except that the Company may before such expiry make any offer or agreement which would or might require equity securities to be allotted or equity securities held as treasury shares to be sold after such expiry and the directors may allot equity securities and/or sell equity securities held as treasury shares in pursuance of such an offer or agreement as if the power conferred by this resolution had not expired.
This authority shall expire on 19 November 2024 or, if earlier, at the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company in 2024, except that the Company may, if it agrees to purchase ordinary shares under this authority before it expires, complete the purchase wholly or partly after this authority expires.
| By order of the Board | Registered office address: |
|---|---|
| Rebecca-Joy Wekwete | One Strand, Trafalgar Square |
| Company Secretary | London |
| 17 July 2023 | WC2N 5HR |
Resolutions 1 to 14 are ordinary resolutions. These resolutions will be passed if more than 50% of the votes cast are in favour.
The directors are required by the Act to present to the shareholders of the Company at a general meeting the reports of the directors (including the strategic report) and the auditor, and the audited accounts of the Company, for the year ended 28 February 2023. A copy of each of these documents may be found in the Company's 2023 annual report and accounts.
Resolution 2 is to approve the directors' remuneration report on the implementation of the Company's existing directors' remuneration policy, which was approved at the Company's 2020 AGM.
The Act requires UK-incorporated listed companies to put their directors' remuneration report to an advisory shareholder vote. As the vote is advisory, it does not affect the actual remuneration paid to any individual director. The directors' remuneration report will be set out in the Company's 2023 annual report and accounts.
Resolution 3 is to approve the directors' remuneration policy as set out in the annual report and accounts for the financial year ended 28 February 2023 (the "Policy"). The result of this vote will be binding on the Company and the Company will not be able to make a remuneration payment or payment for loss of office to a person who is, is to be or has been a director of the Company unless that payment is consistent with the approved Policy, or has otherwise been approved by a resolution of the shareholders. If resolution 3 is passed, the Policy will take effect immediately after the end of the AGM. Following expiry of the three-year period following approval of the Policy, or, if it should prove necessary or desirable to amend or replace the policy within that period, the directors will seek further shareholder approval to the DRP (as amended or replaced, if relevant).
Subject to the 2023 annual report and accounts, the Board expects to be in a position to recommend a final dividend per ordinary share for the year ended 28 February 2023. The amount of such dividend and the Board's recommendation for it to be paid will be confirmed (together with the date of when such dividend shall be paid and the record date) as part of the Company's results announcement via the RNS and will be included in the separate proxy form you will receive for the reconvened AGM meeting.
Resolutions 5 to 11 deal with the (re)election of the directors of the Company. Joanne Lake and Cat Valentine joined the Board on 1 March 2022 and 16 May 2023 respectively. Lesley Watkins and Steve Kunzer resigned as directors with effect from 31 March 2022 and 31 January 2023 respectively. As announced on 20 June 2023, Nick Stone will be leaving the Company on 31 July 2023 and will therefore not be standing for reelection. Nick's successor, Grant Foley will join the Board on 1 August 2023. In accordance with best corporate governance practice, the directors are standing for re-election at this year's AGM, with Cat Valentine and Grant Foley standing for election for the first time.
The Board has determined that, in its judgement, all of the non-executive directors meet the independence criteria set out in the UK Corporate Governance Code as all are independent in character and judgement and there are no relationships or circumstances that are likely to affect, or could appear to affect, their judgement. The Board confirms that the directors standing for re-election continue to perform effectively and demonstrate commitment to their role.
The Act requires that auditors be appointed at each general meeting at which accounts are laid, to hold office until the next such meeting. This resolution seeks shareholder approval for the re-appointment of BDO LLP as the Company's auditor to hold office until the next AGM of the Company. The Audit and Risk Committee keeps under review the independence and objectivity of the external auditor and after considering relevant information, the Audit and Risk Committee recommended to the Board that BDO LLP be reappointed.
This resolution authorises the directors to set the remuneration of the auditor for the audit work to be carried out by it in the next financial year. The amount of the remuneration paid to the auditor for the next financial year will be disclosed in the next audited accounts of the Company. The directors have delegated the responsibility of setting the auditor's remuneration to the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board.
The Act provides that the directors may only allot shares or grant rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into shares if authorised by shareholders to do so. This resolution will, if passed, authorise the directors to allot shares up to a maximum nominal amount of £2,194,992, which represents an amount which is approximately equal to two-thirds of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 11 July 2023, the latest practicable date prior to the publication of the Notice. As at the date of this letter, the Company did not hold any ordinary shares in the capital of the Company in treasury.
As provided in sub-paragraph (a) of the resolution, up to half of this authority (equal to one-third of the issued share capital of the Company), will enable the directors to allot and issue new shares in whatever manner (subject to pre-emption rights) they see fit. Sub-paragraph (b) of the resolution provides that the remainder of the authority (equal to a further one-third) may only be used in connection with a rights issue in favour of ordinary shareholders. As sub-paragraph (a) imposes no restrictions on the way the authority may be exercised, it could be used in conjunction with subparagraph (b) so as to enable the whole two-thirds authority to be used in connection with a rights issue. Where usage of this authority exceeds the one-third of the issued share capital, the directors intend to follow emerging best practice as regards its use.
The authority will expire at the earlier of the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company and 19 November 2024.
Passing this resolution will ensure that the directors continue to have the flexibility to act in the best interests of shareholders, when opportunities arise, by issuing new shares. However, there are no current plans to issue new shares except in connection with employee share schemes.
A similar authority was granted at last year's AGM, which is set to expire at the conclusion of the 2023 AGM.
Resolutions 15 to 18 are special resolutions. These resolutions will be passed if at least 75% of the votes cast are in favour.
The Act prescribes certain pre-emption rights under which, if the Company issues new shares, or grants rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into shares, for cash or sells any treasury shares, it must first offer them to existing shareholders in proportion to their current holdings.
Under Resolution 15, it is proposed that the directors be authorised to issue shares for cash and/or sell shares from treasury (if any are so held) without offering them first to existing shareholders in accordance with statutory pre-emption rights:
Under Resolution 16, it is proposed that the directors be authorised to disapply statutory pre-emption rights in respect of an additional 5% of the Company's issued share capital (as at 11 July 2023, being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of the Notice). The directors consider that proposing this resolution is appropriate for the Company's circumstances and, in accordance with the Pre-Emption Group's Principles, the directors confirm that the authority will be used only in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment that is announced contemporaneously with the issue, or that has taken place in the preceding six-month period and is disclosed in the announcement of the issue.
If passed, the authorities in Resolutions 15 and 16 will expire at the same time as the authority to allot shares given pursuant to Resolution 14. Excluding any shares issued in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment as described above, the directors do not intend to issue more than 7.5% of the issued share capital on a non-pre-emptive basis under these authorities in any rolling three-year period.
This resolution gives the Company authority to buy back its own ordinary shares in the market. The authority limits the number of shares that could be purchased to a maximum of 3,292,488 (representing approximately 10% of the Company's issued share capital as at 11 July 2023, being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of the Notice). The price per ordinary share that the Company may pay is set at a minimum amount (excluding expenses) of ten pence per ordinary share and a maximum amount (excluding expenses) of the higher of: (i) 5% over the average of the previous five days' middle market prices; and (ii) the higher of the price of the last independent trade and the highest current independent bid on the trading venue where the purchase is carried out. This authority will only be exercised if market conditions make it advantageous to do so. This authority will expire at the earlier of the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company and 19 November 2024.
The directors have no present intention of exercising the authority to purchase the Company's ordinary shares, but will keep the matter under review, taking into account the financial resources of the Company, the Company's share price and future funding opportunities. The authority will be exercised only if the directors believe that to do so would result in an increase in earnings per share and would be in the interests of shareholders generally. If the directors were to exercise the authority, their present intention is that the shares purchased (to the extent statutory requirements are met and provided any treasury shares held do not exceed 10% of the Company's issued share capital) will be held in treasury for future cancellation, sale for cash, or transfer for the purposes of or pursuant to an employee share scheme, although they may be cancelled immediately on repurchase in the light of circumstances at the time. The effect of any cancellation would be to reduce the number of shares in issue. For most purposes, while held in treasury, shares are treated as if they have been cancelled (for example, they carry no voting rights and do not rank for dividends). The Board will have regard to any guidelines published by any of the investor groups in force at the time of any such purchase, holding or resale of treasury shares.
As at 11 July 2023, which is the latest practicable date prior to the publication of the Notice, the total number of options and warrants to subscribe for ordinary shares in the capital of the Company was 2,767,735 representing approximately 8.4% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital at that date. If the proposed market purchase authority were to be exercised in full and all of the repurchased shares were cancelled (but the Company's issued share capital otherwise remained unaltered), the total number of options and warrants to subscribe for ordinary shares in the capital of the Company would represent approximately 9.34% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital.
This resolution seeks to continue to allow the Company to hold general meetings (other than the AGM) on 14 clear days' notice (rather than 21 clear days' notice). The Company must offer, for any meeting held on less than 21 clear days' notice, a facility to vote by electronic means that is accessible to all members. The shorter notice period would not be used as a matter of routine, but only where the flexibility is merited by the business of the meeting and is thought to be to the advantage of shareholders as a whole.
The authority granted by this resolution is valid up to the next AGM and needs to be renewed annually.
For this purpose, the time of receipt will be taken to be the time (as determined by the timestamp applied to the message by the CREST Applications Host) from which the Company's agent is able to retrieve the message by enquiry to CREST in the manner prescribed by CREST. After this time, any change of instructions to proxies appointed through CREST should be communicated to the appointee through other means.
Building tools?
Free accounts include 100 API calls/year for testing.
Have a question? We'll get back to you promptly.