AGM Information • Mar 19, 2018
AGM Information
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THIS DOCUMENT IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. If you are in any doubt about its contents or as to the action which you should take, you are recommended to seek your own independent financial advice from your stockbroker, accountant or other professional adviser authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended).
If you have sold or transferred all of your shares in Domino's Pizza Group plc, please pass this document together with the accompanying Annual Report and Accounts for the 53 weeks ended 31 December 2017 (the 'Annual Report and Accounts') and Proxy Form 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 onward transmission to the purchaser or transferee.
To be held at: Domino's Pizza Group plc Supply Chain Centre 1 Thornbury West Ashland Milton Keynes MK6 4BB
Date and time: Thursday 19 April 2018 at 12:00 noon
This document should be read as a whole together with the accompanying Annual Report and Accounts, the Proxy Form and the Notice of Annual General Meeting set out at the end of this document. Whether or not you propose to attend the Annual General Meeting, shareholders are requested to complete the enclosed Proxy Form in accordance with the instructions printed on it and return it to the Company's registrars, Equiniti Limited, Aspect House, Spencer Road, Lancing, West Sussex BN99 6DA, by no later than 12:00 noon on Tuesday 17 April 2018 or, in the event of any adjournment of the Meeting, the time being 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the Meeting. The return of a form of proxy will not preclude a member from attending and voting at the Annual General Meeting in person should he/she subsequently decide to do so.
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| Letter from the Chairman | 3 |
| Board of Directors | 7 |
| Notice of Annual General Meeting | 9 |
| Explanatory notes | 12 |
| Appendix | 14 |
Incorporated and registered in England and Wales with registered number 03853545
Stephen Hemsley (Non-executive Chairman) 1 Thornbury Colin Halpern (Non-executive Vice-Chairman) West Ashland David Wild (Chief Executive Officer) Milton Keynes Rachel Osborne (Chief Financial Officer) MK6 4BB Steve Barber (Non-executive Director) Kevin Higgins (Non-executive Director) Ebbe Jacobsen (Non-executive Director) Helen Keays (Non-executive Director)
Directors: Registered office:
16 March 2018
To: Shareholders of Domino's Pizza Group plc
Dear fellow shareholder,
I have pleasure in inviting you to the 2018 Annual General Meeting (the 'Meeting', 'AGM' or 'Annual General Meeting') of Domino's Pizza Group plc (the 'Company'), which will be held at Domino's Pizza Supply Chain Centre, 1 Thornbury, West Ashland, Milton Keynes MK6 4BB, at 12:00 noon on Thursday 19 April 2018. This document includes the Notice of AGM, which sets out the resolutions that shareholders are being asked to consider and vote on. These resolutions are a very important part of the governance of the Company and all shareholders are urged to vote, whether they are able to attend the Meeting or not.
If you are unable to attend the AGM, but have any questions on the business to be discussed at the Meeting, the Company would like to hear from you ahead of the AGM and ask that you contact the Company Secretary directly via post to the Company's registered office.
The Notice of Meeting contains certain items of business which are of a technical nature and are therefore explained in detail below.
There are ordinary resolutions numbered 1 to 15 and special resolutions numbered 16 to 20 to be transacted. All of these items of business are summarised and explained below.
Ordinary resolutions 1 to 4 deal with the receipt by the shareholders of the Company's Annual Report and Accounts (including the Directors' report and the Auditor's report for the 53-week period ended 31 December 2017 (resolution 1)), the re-appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as auditor of the Company (resolution 2), the power to determine the auditor's remuneration (resolution 3) and the declaration of a final dividend of 5.25p per Ordinary share in the capital of the Company which has been recommended by the Directors of the Company (each a 'Director' and together the 'Directors') (resolution 4).
Resolutions 5 to 12 deal with the re-election of each of the Directors. The Company's Articles of Association require all Directors to submit themselves for re-election at least every three years or, in the case of a Director appointed since the last Annual General Meeting, he/she must retire and submit himself/herself for election at the AGM. However, the UK Corporate Governance Code issued by the Financial Reporting Council in April 2016 (the 'Code') recommends that all directors in FTSE 350 companies should be put forward for re-election every year. Therefore, in accordance with the Code, each of the Directors is choosing to retire voluntarily at the AGM and, being eligible, submits themselves for re-election.
Biographical details of all Directors standing for re-election can be found on pages 7 and 8 of this document and pages 34 and 35 of the Annual Report and Accounts.
Following a full performance evaluation of the Board (as at 9 March 2018), which included an assessment of the performance of each individual Director, the Nomination Committee has confirmed to the Board that each Director continues to make an effective and valuable contribution and that they demonstrate commitment to their respective roles. The Board therefore supports each Director's re-election.
The Companies Act 2006 (the '2006 Act') requires quoted companies, at each general meeting at which statutory accounts are to be laid, to propose an ordinary resolution approving the Directors' remuneration report for the year. Resolution 13 seeks shareholders' approval of the Directors' remuneration report for the financial year ended 31 December 2017, which is included in the Annual Report and Accounts on pages 46 to 64. This vote will be in respect of the contents of that report. It has an advisory effect and, whether or not the resolution is passed, has no impact on any Director's level or terms of remuneration.
Resolution 14 deals with the authority of the Directors to issue and allot new Ordinary shares. The 2006 Act provides that Directors shall only allot unissued shares with the prior authority of shareholders in a general meeting. The existing authority granted to the Directors at the last Annual General Meeting to allot unissued Ordinary shares expires at the conclusion of the AGM.
Accordingly, an ordinary resolution will be proposed to renew the Directors' authority pursuant to section 551 of the 2006 Act to allot Ordinary shares with a nominal value of up to £835,896, which represents approximately one-third of the total current issued Ordinary share capital as at 9 March 2018, being the last practicable date prior to the publication of this document (the 'Latest Practicable Date').
In accordance with institutional guidelines issued by the Investment Association, paragraph (b) of resolution 14 will be proposed to allow the Directors to allot equity securities (as defined within section 560 of the 2006 Act), including the Ordinary shares referred to in paragraph (a) of resolution 14, in connection with a pre-emptive offer by way of a rights issue to Ordinary shareholders up to a maximum nominal amount of £1,671,792, representing approximately two-thirds of the Company's existing share capital as at the Latest Practicable Date. Although the Directors have no present intention to exercise this authority other than in connection with the satisfaction of share awards granted pursuant to the Company's employee share schemes, it will give the Directors flexibility to allot shares as may be necessary in the interests of the Company as a whole.
The authority granted under resolution 14 will, if granted, expire on the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held in 2019 or, if earlier, 15 months from the date of the passing of the resolution, unless such authority is renewed prior to this time. The Directors intend to renew such power at successive Annual General Meetings in accordance with current best practice.
Resolution 15 is designed to deal with the rules on political donations contained in Part 14 of the 2006 Act. Political donations to any political parties, independent election candidates or political organisations or the incurring of political expenditure are prohibited unless authorised by shareholders in advance. A precise definition of political donation, a political party, a political organisation or political expenditure is not easy to decide, as the legislation is capable of extremely wide interpretation. Sponsorship, subscriptions, payment of expenses, paid leave for employees fulfilling public duties and support for bodies representing the business community in policy review or reform may fall within this.
Although the Company does not make and does not intend to make political donations to political parties or political organisations or independent election candidates, or to incur political expenditure, the legislation is very broadly drafted and may catch such activities as funding seminars or functions to which politicians are invited, or may extend to bodies concerned with policy review, law reform and representation of the business community that the Company and its subsidiaries might wish to support. Accordingly, the Directors have decided to put forward this resolution to permit political donations and political expenditure in case any of its activities in its normal course of business are, or could be, caught by the legislation. This authority will cover the period from the date resolution 15 is passed until the conclusion of the 2019 Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held in 2019, or, if earlier, 15 months from the date of the passing of the resolution. As permitted under the 2006 Act, resolution 15 also covers any political donations made, or any political expenditure incurred, by any subsidiaries of the Company.
If the Directors wish to exercise the authority under resolution 14 and offer shares (or sell any shares which the Company holds as treasury shares) for cash, the 2006 Act provides that unless shareholders have given specific authority for the waiver of their statutory pre-emption rights under sections 570 and 573 of the 2006 Act, these shares must be offered first to existing shareholders in proportion to their existing shareholdings. The existing authority granted to the Directors at the 2017 Annual General Meeting to allot shares for cash pursuant to sections 570 and 573 of the 2006 Act expires at the conclusion of the AGM.
Accordingly, a special resolution (resolution 16) will be proposed to authorise the Directors to allot shares for cash or to sell treasury shares for cash (i) by way of a rights issue (subject to certain exclusions), or by way of an open offer or other offer of securities (not being a rights issue) in favour of existing shareholders in proportion to their shareholdings (subject to certain exclusions) or (ii) otherwise up to an aggregate nominal value of £125,397 (representing approximately 5% of the current issued Ordinary share capital of the Company as at the Latest Practicable Date). This special resolution will, inter alia, enable the Company, in the event of a rights issue or open offer, to meet certain practical difficulties which may arise in connection with fractional entitlements or in respect of overseas shareholders as a result of local laws and which prevent shares being issued strictly pro rata.
This disapplication authority is in line with institutional shareholder guidance, and in particular with the Pre-Emption Group's Statement of Principles, and the Directors confirm that, in line with best practice, the Company has not issued more than 7.5% of its issued share capital on a non-pre-emptive basis over the last three years and that their intention is not to issue more than 7.5% of the Company's issued share capital for cash other than to existing shareholders in any rolling three-year period without prior consultation with shareholders.
The Pre-Emption Group's Statement of Principles was revised in March 2015 to allow the authority for an issue of shares for cash otherwise than in connection with a pre-emptive offer to be increased from 5% to 10% of the Company's issued share capital, provided that the additional 5% authority is used only in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment (as defined in the Statement of Principles). In May 2016, the Pre-Emption Group issued guidance recommending that the authority in respect of the additional 5% should be set out in a separate special resolution. Resolution 17 is in respect of the use of an additional 5% and complies with the recommendations of the Pre-Emption Group.
Under resolution 17, the Directors are seeking further authority to offer shares (or sell treasury shares) for cash otherwise than to existing shareholders pro rata to their holdings up to an aggregate nominal value of £125,397 which is equivalent to approximately 5% of the issued Ordinary share capital of the Company on the Latest Practicable Date. The Directors confirm that they intend to use the authority sought in resolution 17 only in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment which is announced contemporaneously with the issue, or which has taken place in the preceding six-month period and is disclosed in the announcement of the issue.
Although the Directors have no present intention to exercise the authorities sought in resolutions 16 and 17, other than in connection with the satisfaction of share awards granted pursuant to the Company's employee share schemes, they will give the Directors flexibility to allot shares as may be necessary in the interests of the Company as a whole.
The authorities in resolutions 16 and 17, if granted, will expire on the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held in 2019 or, if earlier, 15 months from the date of the passing of the resolutions, unless such authorisations are renewed prior to this time. The Directors intend to renew such powers at subsequent Annual General Meetings in accordance with current best practice.
The current authority given at the 2017 Annual General Meeting to the Company to purchase its own Ordinary shares will expire at the conclusion of the AGM.
The Directors consider that it would be beneficial if, in certain circumstances, the Company had the power to purchase its own Ordinary shares, for the purposes of returning surplus funds to shareholders and providing a return on investment. The Directors therefore consider that it would be beneficial for the shareholders of the Company as a whole if the Company were granted the flexibility to repurchase its Ordinary shares. The Directors do not consider that they have a conflict in relation to this resolution.
The Directors recommend that the existing power to purchase its Ordinary shares (in defined circumstances) up to a maximum prescribed limit be renewed for a further limited period. Such period will be up to the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held in 2019 or, if earlier, 15 months from the date of the passing of the resolution, unless such authority is renewed prior to this time. The Board intends to seek renewal of this power at subsequent Annual General Meetings in accordance with current best practice.
The Company will only make purchases of its Ordinary shares if it has the requisite distributable reserves to do so and the Directors are satisfied, after careful consideration, that these are in the best interests of the Company and shareholders generally and could be reasonably expected to result in an increase in expected earnings per share. Furthermore, account will be taken of the overall financial implications for the Company.
If such purchases were made, the Company would be able to do either, or a combination, of the following:
Treasury shares themselves may be cancelled, sold for cash or transferred for the purpose of the Company's share schemes. The statutory pre-emption rights apply to a sale of treasury shares for cash and the disapplication of the statutory pre-emption rights in resolutions 16 and 17 includes, within the authorised amounts, any sales of treasury shares for cash which may occur. Finally, if such purchases were made, to the extent the purchased shares are held as treasury shares, any increase in earnings per share would only be temporary, until the shares in question were either cancelled, or sold, or transferred out of treasury.
The resolution specifies that the maximum number of Ordinary shares that the Company may purchase will be 48,152,453 Ordinary shares (being approximately 10% of the Company's issued Ordinary share capital as at the Latest Practicable Date).
The maximum price per Ordinary share payable on any exercise of the authority set out in resolution 18 shall be the higher of:
The minimum price payable shall be 25/48ths of a penny (approximately 0.520833p) per Ordinary share. For this purpose, both the maximum and minimum prices permitted to be paid are exclusive of expenses and any stamp duty.
The number of Ordinary shares in respect of which options have been granted that remain outstanding is 7,022,938 (constituting approximately 1.46% of the current issued Ordinary share capital of the Company as at the Latest Practicable Date). If the Company were to buy back the maximum number of Ordinary shares permitted pursuant to resolution 18, then the total number of options to subscribe for Ordinary shares outstanding as at the Latest Practicable Date would represent 1.62% of the reduced issued share capital, as at the same date.
Resolution 19 is a resolution to allow the Company to hold general meetings (other than Annual General Meetings) on 14 clear days' notice. Changes made to the 2006 Act by the Companies (Shareholders' Rights) Regulations 2009 increase the notice period required for general meetings of the Company to 21 clear days unless shareholders approve a shorter notice period, which cannot, however, be less than 14 clear days. Such approval will not affect Annual General Meetings, which will continue to be held on at least 21 clear days' notice.
Following shareholder approval at the last Annual General Meeting, the Company is currently able to call general meetings (other than Annual General Meetings) on 14 clear days' notice and the Directors believe it is in the best interests of the shareholders of the Company to preserve the shorter notice period and accordingly are putting this resolution to the Meeting. The Directors intend that this shorter notice period would not be used as a matter of routine for such meetings 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 approval will be effective until the Company's next Annual General Meeting, when it is expected that a similar resolution will be proposed.
In order to be able to call a general meeting on less than 21 clear days' notice, the Company must make a means of electronic voting available to all shareholders for that meeting.
Resolution 20 proposes the adoption of new Articles of Association in substitution for the Company's current Articles of Association. The Board has reviewed the Company's current Articles of Association (the 'Current Articles') and, in light of the full implementation of the Companies Act 2006 and the Company's disclosure obligations under the UK Listing Rules, has, as a result, decided to adopt a new set of Articles of Association (the 'New Articles').
An explanation of the main differences between the New Articles and the Current Articles is set out in the Appendix on pages 14 and 15 of this document. Other changes, which are of a minor, technical or clarifying nature, have not been noted in the Appendix.
A copy of the New Articles is available for inspection at the Company's registered office, 1 Thornbury, West Ashland, Milton Keynes MK6 4BB, during normal business hours on any weekday (Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays excluded) from the date of this Notice until the close of the Annual General Meeting and on the Company's website at http://investors.dominos.co.uk.
Every shareholder has a right to attend the AGM or to appoint one or more proxies to attend in his/her place. Enclosed with this letter is a Proxy Form for use at the AGM.
Proxy Forms should be completed and returned in accordance with the instructions printed thereon so that they arrive at the Company's registrars, Equiniti Limited, as soon as possible and in any event not later than 12:00 noon on Tuesday 17 April 2018 or, in the event of any adjournment of the Meeting, the time being 48 hours before the time appointed for holding the Meeting. Completion and return of a form of proxy will not prevent shareholders from attending and voting at the AGM should they wish to do so.
Your Directors consider that the resolutions to be put to the Meeting are in the best interests of the Company and are most likely to promote the success of the Company for the benefit of members as a whole. Accordingly, the Directors unanimously recommend that you vote in favour of the resolutions to be proposed at the AGM, as they intend to do in respect of their own interests (both beneficial and non-beneficial), amounting in aggregate to 3,507,171 Ordinary shares.
I look forward to meeting you at the AGM.
Yours faithfully,
Stephen Hemsley Chairman
Non-executive Chairman Stephen joined the Board as Finance Director in 1998, was appointed as Chief Executive in 2001 and as Executive Chairman in 2008 and became non-executive Chairman in March 2010.
Stephen is a chartered accountant by profession.
Stephen is also executive chairman of AIM-listed Franchise Brands plc and its subsidiary companies.
Non-executive Vice-Chairman Colin was appointed to the Board as non-executive Vice-Chairman in December 2007, prior to which he held a variety of senior Executive roles within the Group.
Colin acquired the Domino's Pizza Master Franchise Agreement for the UK and ROI in 1993 through International Franchise Systems Inc. In 1999, with Colin as Chairman, the Company was taken public and listed on AIM and subsequently moved to the Main Market in 2008.
Colin is the managing director of HS Real Company LLC and Dayenn Limited and non-executive director of several other companies.
Chief Executive Officer David was appointed to the Board as a non-executive Director in November 2013, became Interim Chief Executive Officer in January 2014 and was appointed as Chief Executive Officer on 30 April 2014.
David was previously chief executive officer of Halfords Group plc and held senior roles within Walmart Stores Inc., Tesco Stores plc and RHM Foods Limited. He was also senior independent director of Premier Foods and a non-executive director of Practicology Limited and The Bankers Investment Trust.
David is senior independent director of Ten Entertainment Group plc.
Chief Financial Officer Rachel was appointed Chief Financial Officer in October 2016.
Rachel is a chartered accountant who joined the Group from Vodafone, where she was CFO for group enterprise. Prior to this she was finance and strategy director for John Lewis and also held senior roles at Sodexo, Kingfisher and PepsiCo.
Rachel is currently non-executive director of HM Courts and Tribunals Service, an agency of the Ministry of Justice.
Non-executive Director Steve was appointed to the Board as a non-executive Director in July 2015.
Steve has almost 30 years' experience in accountancy, principally with PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he was a senior partner, and also with Ernst & Young. He has also worked in industry, and was formerly the chief operating officer of Whitehead Mann, the finance director of Mirror Group plc and a non-executive director of Next plc – where he also chaired the audit committee.
Steve is a founder of The Objectivity Partnership, a member of the steering group of the Audit Quality Forum and a director of Fenwick Limited.
Non-executive Director Kevin was appointed to the Board as a non-executive Director in September 2014.
Kevin's career spans more than 20 years in branded consumer foods in both Europe and the United States, and he has previously served as president of Burger King Europe, Middle East and Africa. Prior to his role with Burger King, Kevin served as general manager of Yum! Brands (Pizza Hut, KFC and Taco Bell) Europe and Russia Franchise Business Unit based in Switzerland. Earlier in his career he held executive roles with PepsiCo and Mars.
chairman of Lunch Garden, a Belgian restaurant chain.
Non-executive Director Ebbe was appointed to the Board as a non-executive Director in January 2014.
Ebbe has wide experience of operating in Germany and other European countries, most recently with Delsey. He has been in retail all his working life and has pan-EU retail knowledge with significant experience in franchising, multi-site and single brand retail. He pioneered the introduction of US fast food chain Burger King into the Nordic countries in the 1970s and held the position of director and operating partner when the franchise was sold in 1985. Other significant retail experience includes having been CEO of IKEA in Germany, CEO of Delsey and CEO of Habitat.
Other appointments None
Helen has over 20 years' experience in travel, retail, consumer markets and telecoms, having held a number of other non-executive directorships, including most recently at Majestic Wine. The majority of her executive career was spent at GE Capital and Vodafone, where she held various senior marketing roles.
Helen is currently a non-executive director of Communisis plc and Nichols plc and a trustee of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Domino's Pizza Group plc
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 2018 Annual General Meeting ('AGM') of Domino's Pizza Group plc ('the Company') will be held at Domino's Supply Chain Centre, 1 Thornbury, West Ashland, Milton Keynes MK6 4BB, on Thursday 19 April 2018 at 12:00 noon, or at any adjournment thereof, for the following purposes:
To consider and, if thought fit, to pass the following resolutions, of which numbers 1 to 15 will be proposed as ordinary resolutions and numbers 16 to 20 will be proposed as special resolutions of the Company.
To receive and adopt the Company's audited accounts and financial statements for the 53 weeks ended 31 December 2017 together with the Directors' report and the Auditor's report.
To re-appoint Ernst & Young LLP as auditor of the Company to hold office until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting at which the accounts are to be laid before the Company.
To authorise the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company to agree the remuneration of the Company's auditor.
To declare payable the recommended final dividend for the 53 weeks ended 31 December 2017 of 5.25p per Ordinary share on 24 April 2018 to Ordinary shareholders whose names appear on the register of members at close of business on 16 March 2018.
To re-elect Stephen Hemsley as a Director of the Company.
To re-elect Colin Halpern as a Director of the Company.
To re-elect David Wild as a Director of the Company.
To re-elect Kevin Higgins as a Director of the Company.
To re-elect Ebbe Jacobsen as a Director of the Company.
To re-elect Helen Keays as a Director of the Company.
To re-elect Steve Barber as a Director of the Company.
To re-elect Rachel Osborne as a Director of the Company.
To approve the Directors' remuneration report (other than the part containing the Directors' remuneration policy) contained on pages 46 to 64 of the Annual Report and Accounts for the financial year ended 31 December 2017.
THAT, in substitution for any existing authority, the Directors of the Company be and are hereby generally and unconditionally authorised in accordance with section 551 of the Companies Act 2006 (the '2006 Act') to exercise all the powers of the Company to allot shares in the Company and to grant rights to subscribe for, or to convert any security into, shares in the Company:
but subject to such exclusions or other arrangements as the Directors of the Company may deem necessary or expedient to deal with treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates, legal or regulatory or practical problems in or under the laws of, or the requirements of any relevant recognised regulatory body or any stock exchange in, any territory or any other matter.
The authorities hereby conferred shall expire at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held in 2019 or, if earlier, 15 months from the date of the passing of this resolution, unless such authorities are renewed prior to such time. Under the authorities hereby conferred the Directors of the Company may before such expiry make an offer or agreement which would or might require shares to be allotted or rights to subscribe for, or convert any security into, shares to be granted after such expiry and the Directors of the Company may allot shares or grant rights to subscribe for, or convert any security into, shares (as the case may be) in pursuance of such an offer or agreement as if the relevant authority conferred in this resolution had not expired.
THAT, in accordance with sections 366 and 367 of the 2006 Act, the Company and all companies which are subsidiaries of the Company at the date on which this resolution 15 is passed or during the period when this resolution 15 has effect, are authorised to:
during that period beginning with the date of the passing of this resolution and ending on the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held in 2019 or, if earlier, 15 months from the date of the passing of this resolution.
Domino's Pizza Group plc
Resolution 16 – Disapplication of pre-emption rights
THAT (subject to the passing of resolution 14) the Directors of the Company be and are authorised to allot equity securities (as defined in section 560 of the 2006 Act) for cash under the authority given by resolution 14 and/or to sell Ordinary shares held by the Company as treasury shares for cash as if section 561 of the 2006 Act did not apply to any such allotment or sale, provided that such authority be limited:
The authority hereby conferred shall expire at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held in 2019 or, if earlier, 15 months from the date of the passing of this resolution, unless such authority is renewed prior to such time. Under the authority hereby conferred, the Directors of the Company may, before such expiry, make an offer or agreement which would or might require shares to be allotted or rights to subscribe for, or convert any security into, shares (and treasury shares to be sold) after such expiry and the Directors of the Company may allot shares or grant rights to subscribe for, or convert any security into, shares (as the case may be) in pursuance of such an offer or agreement as if the relevant authority conferred in this resolution had not expired.
THAT (subject to the passing of resolution 14) the Directors of the Company be authorised in addition to any authority granted under resolution 16 to allot equity securities (as defined in the 2006 Act) for cash under the authority given by resolution 14 and/or to sell Ordinary shares held by the Company as treasury shares for cash as if section 561 of the 2006 Act did not apply to any such allotment or sale, provided that such authority be:
(a) limited to the allotment of equity securities or sale of treasury shares up to a nominal value of £125,397 (representing not more than 5% of the Company's issued Ordinary share capital as at 9 March 2018, being the last practicable date prior to the publication of the Notice of AGM); and
(b) 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 Directors of the Company determine to be an acquisition or other capital investment of a kind contemplated by the Statement of Principles on Disapplying Pre-Emption Rights most recently published by the Pre-Emption Group prior to the date of this Notice.
The authority hereby conferred shall expire at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held in 2019 or, if earlier, 15 months from the date of the passing of this resolution, unless such authority is renewed prior to such time. Under the authority hereby conferred, Directors of the Company may, before such expiry, make offers or enter into agreements which would or might require shares to be allotted or rights to subscribe for, or convert any security into, shares (and treasury shares to be sold) after such expiry and the Directors of the Company may allot shares or grant rights to subscribe for, or convert any security into, shares (as the case may be) in pursuance of such an offer or agreement as if the relevant authority conferred in this resolution had not expired.
Resolution 18 – Company's authority to purchase its own shares THAT, pursuant to the authorities contained in its Articles, the Company be generally and unconditionally authorised for the purposes of section 701 of the 2006 Act to make one or more market purchases (within the meaning of section 693(4) of the 2006 Act) of Ordinary shares of 25/48ths of a penny each ('Ordinary shares') in the capital of the Company on such terms and in such manner as the Directors of the Company may think fit, provided that:
THAT a general meeting of the Company, other than an Annual General Meeting, may be called on not less than 14 clear days' notice, provided that this authority shall expire at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held in 2019 or, if earlier, 15 months from the date of the passing of the resolution.
THAT with effect from the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting, the Articles of Association produced to the Meeting and initialled by the Chairman of the Meeting for the purpose of identification be adopted as the Articles of Association of the Company in substitution for, and to the exclusion of, the existing Articles of Association (including those provisions of the Company's Memorandum of Association which, by virtue of section 28 Companies Act 2006, are treated as provisions of the Company's Articles of Association).
By order of the Board
Company Secretary 16 March 2018
Registered office: 1 Thornbury, West Ashland, Milton Keynes MK6 4BB
The following notes explain your general rights as a shareholder and your rights to attend and vote at the AGM or to appoint someone else to vote on your behalf.
The provisions regulating the operations of the Company were until 1 October 2009 set out in the Company's memorandum and Articles of Association.
The Companies Act 2006 ("the '2006 Act'") significantly reduces the constitutional significance of a company's memorandum. The CA 2006 provides that the memorandum will record only the names of subscribers and the number of shares each subscriber has agreed to take in the company. Under the CA 2006 the majority of the previous provisions of the memorandum, most notably the objects clause, are deemed to be part of the Company's articles of association with effect from 1 October 2009.
Further the CA 2006 states that, unless a company's articles provide otherwise, a company's objects are unrestricted. This abolishes the need for companies to have objects clauses. For this reason the Company is proposing to remove its objects clause (together with all other provisions of its memorandum which, by virtue of the CA 2006, are treated as forming part of the Company's Articles of Association as of 1 October 2009). This will be achieved by the adoption of New Articles which contain no such provisions other than a statement regarding the limited liability of shareholders.
The CA 2006 removes the concept of authorised share capital. As with the objects clause (see paragraph 1 above), the statement of authorised share capital previously contained in a company's memorandum of association is deemed with effect from 1 October 2009 to be a provision of the Company's articles of association (and takes effect as setting out the maximum number of shares that may be allotted by the company). The adoption of the New Articles will have the effect of removing this provision.
Directors will still be limited as to the number of shares they can at any time allot because allotment authority continues to be required under the CA 2006, save in respect of employee share schemes.
The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 abolished the creation of any new bearer shares or share warrants. The adoption of the New Articles will therefore have the effect of removing this provision.
The New Articles provide additional flexibility and forfeiture rights in relation to the sale of shares owned by shareholders who are untraced after a period of 12 years. Under the Current Articles, the Company is required to give notice to untraced shareholders of an intention to sell their shares by way of an advertisement in a national newspaper and a leading local newspaper. Under the New Articles, the Company must instead send a final notice to the last registered address of the shareholder and use reasonable steps to trace the shareholder. Under the Current Articles, the Company may sell the shares of shareholders who have been untraced for a period of 12 years or more and can use the proceeds of that sale for the purposes of its business. The former shareholder must be listed as a creditor in its accounts, so that they may subsequently claim the proceeds at any time. The New Articles treat the proceeds of such a sale as forfeited by the former shareholder, who will be listed as a creditor for only two years, after which they have no further right to claim the proceeds.
In line with common practice, the New Articles provide that, on a consolidation or subdivision of shares, the Board may provide that any amounts representing fractional entitlements are sold and the proceeds can be retained for the benefit of the Company.
Under the Current Articles, when a Director is abroad he can request that notice of Directors' meetings are sent to him at a specified address and if he does not do so he is not entitled to receive notice while he is away. This provision has been removed, as modern communications mean that there may be no particular obstacle to giving notice to a Director who is abroad. It has been replaced with a more general provision that a Director is treated as having waived his entitlement to notice unless he supplies the Company with the information necessary to ensure that he receives notice of a meeting before it takes place.
8. Records to be kept (Current Articles 50 and 51) The provisions in the Current Articles requiring the Board to keep accounting records have been removed as this requirement is contained in the CA 2006.
Under the Current Articles, the Board's borrowing power threshold is equivalent to five times the amount of the Company's adjusted share capital and reserves. This cap has been retained in the New Articles. However, under this article "borrowings" includes "any liability under a finance or operating lease". The application of IFRS 16: Leases, which is due to come into force on 1 January 2019, could have a significant impact on how such liability is accounted for. Accordingly, it is proposed that in determining any liability under a finance or operating lease the accounting policies and principles applying as at the date of adoption of the New Articles should be used to determine such liability and accordingly IFRS 16: Leases should be disregarded for these purposes.
Under the New Articles any notices sent by post shall be deemed served on the Company 24 hours after it was posted, rather than 48 hours in the Current Articles. The New Articles also provide minor clarifications in relation to the method and receipt of notices, including via personal delivery.
As we are proposing to adopt the New Articles to make the changes described above, the opportunity has been taken generally to update provisions to reflect current statutory and regulatory rules and to remove redundant provisions.
Domino's Pizza Group plc 1 Thornbury, West Ashland, Milton Keynes MK6 4BB
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