Pre-Annual General Meeting Information • Jun 11, 2018
Pre-Annual General Meeting Information
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THIS DOCUMENT IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. If you are in any doubt as to the action you should take, you are recommended to seek your own personal financial advice from your stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant or other independent financial adviser (who in the United Kingdom should be authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000).
If you have sold or otherwise transferred all your holding of Ordinary Shares in HICL Infrastructure Company Limited, please send this document, together with the attached Form of Proxy, 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. If you have sold any part of your holding of Ordinary Shares in HICL Infrastructure Company Limited, please contact your stockbroker, bank or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was effected immediately.
(an authorised closed-ended investment company incorporated in Guernsey with limited liability and with registered number 44185)
This document should be read as a whole. Your attention is drawn to the letter from your Chairman which is set out on pages 3 to 8 of this Document and which recommends that you vote in favour of each of the resolutions to be proposed at the Annual General Meeting to be held at 4PM on Tuesday, 17 July 2018.
Your attention is also drawn to the Notice of Annual General Meeting which is set out on pages 9 to 11 of this document.
Proxy Forms for the Annual General Meeting must be received by the Company's Receiving Agent and UK Transfer Agent, Link Asset Services, PXS 1, 34 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 4TU by no later than 4PM on Friday, 13 July 2018.
The Company is a Guernsey domiciled authorised closed-ended investment scheme pursuant to Section 8 of the Protection of Investors (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 1987, as amended and Rule 6.02 of the Authorised Closed-Ended Investment Scheme Rules 2008. Neither the Guernsey Financial Services Commission nor the States of Guernsey Policy Council has taken any responsibility for the financial soundness of the Company or for the correctness of any of the statements made or opinions expressed with regard to it in this document.
| LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN 3 | |
|---|---|
| Ordinary Business 3 | |
| Directors 4 | |
| Directors' Remuneration Report 4 | |
| Directors' Remuneration 4 | |
| Dividend Policy (resolution 12) 6 | |
| Special Business 6 | |
| Scrip Dividend (resolution 13) 6 | |
| Share Buy Back Authority (resolution 14) 7 | |
| Directors' Remuneration Cap (resolution 15) 7 | |
| Waiver of pre-emption for limited issue of Ordinary Shares (resolution 16) 7 | |
| ACTION TO BE TAKEN 7 | |
| NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 9 | |
| ORDINARY BUSINESS 9 | |
| Ordinary Resolutions 9 | |
| SPECIAL BUSINESS 9 | |
| Special Resolutions 10 | |
| Notes 11 | |
| Additional Notes (CREST Members) 12 |
(an authorised closed-ended investment company incorporated in Guernsey with limited liability and with registered number 44185)
Directors:
Ian Russell (Chairman) Sally-Ann Farnon Simon Holden Frank Nelson Kenneth Reid Christopher Russell
Registered Office:
East Wing, Trafalgar Court Les Banques St Peter Port Guernsey Channel Islands GY1 3PP
11 June 2018
Dear Shareholder,
This document should be read in conjunction with the Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements of HICL Infrastructure Company Limited (the "Company") for the year ended 31 March 2018 (the "Annual Report") which can be found on the Company's website (www.hicl.com), under the Investor Relations, Reports & Publications, 'Results & Updates' section. The purpose of this letter is to provide you with information relating to the business to be considered and resolutions to be put forward to shareholders at the Annual General Meeting to be held at the offices of Aztec Group, secretary to the Company (at the registered office above), at 4PM on Tuesday, 17 July 2018 (the "2018 AGM").
The Notice convening the AGM of the Company and setting out the resolutions to be proposed is set out on pages 9 to 12 of this document.
The ordinary business proposed for the 2018 AGM comprises the consideration of and, if thought fit, the passing of ordinary resolutions to:
Independent Director and each other non-executive Director, for routine business and additional corporate work (resolution 9; see section entitled "Directors' Remuneration Report" below);
In accordance with the Company's Articles of Incorporation, each of the six continuing Directors is seeking reelection and the newly appointed Director (see details below) is seeking election.
On 17 April 2018, the Company announced the Board had appointed Michael Bane as a Director of the Company, effective from 1 July 2018. This appointment was made following a comprehensive search carried out by a thirdparty recruitment consultant.
The biographical details of the six continuing Directors are contained within the Company's Annual Report and are also available on the Company's website (www.hicl.com). Mr Bane's biographical details are as follows:
Mr Bane has more than 35 years of audit and advisory experience in the asset management industry including in relation to infrastructure investment companies. He has been resident in Guernsey for over 20 years and currently leads EY's services to the asset management industry in the Channel Islands and is a member of EY's EMEIA Wealth and Asset Management Board. Prior to EY, Mr Bane was previously at PwC, in both London and Guernsey. He will retire as an EY partner on 29 June 2018.
Mr Bane graduated with a BA in Mathematics from the University of Oxford and is a long-standing member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
The Directors' Remuneration Report is set out in the Annual Report. It includes the Directors' Remuneration Policy as well as details regarding the current and proposed remuneration of the Directors (based on the findings of the Trust Associates' Independent Report), extracts of which are set out below in the 'Directors' Remuneration' section.
All Directors of the Company are non-executive and are paid a fixed annual remuneration for routine business of the Company. In addition, fixed fees are paid for additional corporate work.
In February 2017, a formal review of the Directors' remuneration was undertaken by an independent consultant, Trust Associates, their recommendations included an assessment for the financial year ending 31 March 2019.
Trust Associates noted that the workload and time involved had increased since the previous review (driven by the increasing size and complexity of the Company and its operations, and in line with inflation).
Taking account of these factors and the remuneration paid to directors of investment companies of a similar size and with similar characteristics, Trust Associates recommended the following changes to remuneration for routine business for the 2018-19 year:
The Chairman of the Risk Committee's fee rise to £52,500 from £50,000.
The Chairman of the Audit Committee's fee to rise to £56,500 from £54,000.
The applicable premium to the base Directors' fee for each of the first four roles is calibrated to recognise the additional responsibility involved in performance of the task.
In addition, a fee is paid to the Director who also acts as director of the two Luxembourg subsidiary company boards. This is unchanged at an additional £6,000 annually.
For comparative purposes the table below sets out the Directors' remuneration approved and actually paid for the year to 31 March 2018 as well as proposed for the year ending 31 March 2019.
| Role (YE 2019) | Total Fees Proposed (YE 2019) |
Fees Approved * (YE 2018) |
|---|---|---|
| Chairman | £75,000 | £72,000 |
| Senior Independent Director | £57,500 | £55,000 |
| Audit Committee Chair | £56,500 | £54,000 |
| Risk Committee Chair | £52,500 | £50,000 |
| Director (inc. Luxembourg subsidiary companies) | £51,000 | £49,000 |
| Director | £45,000 | £43,000 |
| Subtotal | £337,500 | £323,000 |
| Director | £45,000 | - |
| Total | £382,500 | £323,000 |
* Approved at the AGM on 17 July 2017
As in previous years, should the Company require Directors to work on specific corporate actions such as further equity raisings (other than scrip dividend alternative or tap issues), or should a Director undertake incremental work, such as that currently undertaken by Mr C Russell in relation to the Luxembourg subsidiaries, then this is remunerated appropriately as determined by the Remuneration Committee.
The effect of the above recommendation for the year ending 31 March 2019 is to increase aggregate Directors' fees (including the subsidiary company fee) to £382,500 (from £323,000) a level which is approximately 0.016% of the Company's market capitalisation as at 31 March 2018. Trust Associates confirmed that, in percentage terms, this is towards the low end of the range for investment companies.
As last year the fees approved/proposed relate to the roles performed, and not to individuals per se. The total remuneration paid/due for the year was in line with the fees approved at the AGM in July 2017:
| Total remuneration paid/due for year ended 31 March 2018 |
|
|---|---|
| Mr I Russell | £72,000 |
| Mr F Nelson | £55,000 |
| Mrs S Farnon | £54,000 |
| Mr S Holden | £50,000 |
| Mr C Russell | £49,000 |
| Mr K Reid | £43,000 |
| Total | £323,000 |
The total fees paid to Directors in the year to 31 March 2018 were within the annual fee cap of £450,000 which was approved by shareholders at the previous AGM on 16 July 2016.
The Board has approved the proposed increase to the fees as recommended by the Remuneration Committee, and is seeking shareholder approval for the Directors' Remuneration Report including both the remuneration paid for the year ended 31 March 2018, and proposed remuneration payable for the year ending 31 March 2019 at the AGM on 17 July 2018 with a view to implementing it back-dated to 1 April 2018.
As a non-UK issuer domiciled in Guernsey, whilst the Company is not obligated to seek approval from shareholders for the payment of dividends (either interim or final), pursuant to The Companies (Guernsey) Law, 2008, the Board recognises that best practice, corporate governance and shareholder expectations may be such that it would be appropriate for shareholders to be provided with an opportunity to review and, if appropriate, approve the Company's dividend policy on an ongoing basis.
Accordingly, shareholders are being asked to approve the Company's policy with respect to the payment of dividends for the year ending 31 March 2019.
The Company is targeting an aggregate dividend of 8.05p per share for the year to 31 March 2019 to be paid in four quarterly instalments. The first interim quarterly dividend is expected to be paid in September 2018 and the other three interim quarterly dividends with respect to the financial year ending 31 March 2019 are expected to be paid in December 2018, March 2019 and June 2019.
The above dividend payments are targets only and not profit forecasts. There can be no assurance that these targeted payments can or will be met and they should not be seen as an indication of the Company's expected or actual results or returns.
The special business proposed for the 2018 AGM comprises the consideration of and, if thought fit, the passing of the following resolutions:
Based on the historical take-up of scrip dividends, shareholders are requested to approve, by way of ordinary resolution, the renewal of the authority to provide shareholders with the opportunity to elect to receive future dividends wholly or partly in the form of new Ordinary Shares in the Company rather than cash. Providing such an alternative enables shareholders to increase their holdings of Ordinary Shares in the Company without incurring dealing costs and in a tax efficient manner. The advantage to the Company is that it is able to retain cash which would otherwise be paid out as dividends.
Whilst shareholders will need to take their own advice, election by certain shareholders to receive a distribution by way of scrip dividend may be advantageous to them.
Shareholders are requested to approve, by way of ordinary resolution, the authority for the Company to make market acquisitions of its own Ordinary Shares up to a maximum of 14.99% of the Ordinary Shares in issue as at the date upon which this resolution is passed (this equates to 268,254,545 Ordinary Shares as at the date of the notice of the 2018 AGM).
The authority will expire at the conclusion of next year's Annual General Meeting or 18 months after the passing of the resolution (whichever is earlier) and, as previously stated by the Company, it is presently intended that a resolution for the renewal of such authority will be proposed at each subsequent AGM of the Company.
The Board would consider holding, as Treasury Shares, any Ordinary Shares which the Company acquires pursuant to the authority provided by this resolution.
It is currently envisaged that Ordinary Shares acquired and held in treasury following any buyback will be used to support liquidity in the Company's Ordinary Shares. Any sales out of treasury will only be made at a price per Ordinary Share equal to or greater than the price per Ordinary Share paid by the Company and in accordance with the UK Listing Rules and subject to dis-application authority.
If resolution 9 (Directors' Remuneration) is passed, the aggregate annual remuneration of the Directors for routine work will remain within the current cap of £450,000 (which was approved at the 2015 Annual General Meeting).
The Board, following a recommendation from the Remuneration Committee, is however seeking shareholder approval, by way of special resolution, for an increase in the Directors' aggregate remuneration cap to £500,000 p.a., effective from 1 April 2018, to allow for the implementation of Trust Associates' recommendations (set out in resolution 9), to provide for moderate adjustments that may be necessary in subsequent years, including the recruitment of future Directors, and to provide contingency for any additional fees associated with non-routine business.
At the AGM of the Company held on 17 July 2017, shareholders renewed the Board's authority to allot Ordinary Shares for cash without first offering them to existing shareholders on a pro rata basis. Such authority expires at the earlier of the 2018 AGM or 15 months after the AGM held on 17 July 2017. Shareholders are requested to approve, by way of special resolution, the renewal of the current authority until the earlier of the next annual general meeting or 15 months from the date upon which this resolution is passed.
The number of Ordinary Shares which may be so allotted under such authority is limited to the number of Ordinary Shares representing 10% of the Ordinary Shares in issue as at the date of the passing of this resolution (this equates to 178,955,667 Ordinary Shares as at the date of the notice of the AGM). This will allow the Company to continue to issue Ordinary Shares at a premium to the prevailing net asset value per Ordinary Share when there is sufficient demand for the Company's Ordinary Shares, and thereby to help to manage any share premium.
You will find attached at the end of this document a Form of Proxy. You are invited to complete and return the Form of Proxy as soon as possible in accordance with the written instructions, whether or not you propose to attend the 2018 AGM in person. The Form of Proxy should be lodged with the Company's Receiving Agent and UK Transfer Agent, Link Asset Services, PXS 1, 34 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 4TU, so as to be received not later than 4PM (UK Time) on Friday, 13 July 2018. Shareholders may appoint more than one proxy provided that each proxy is appointed to exercise rights attaching to different Ordinary Shares. Completing and returning the Form of Proxy will not prevent you from attending the 2018 AGM and voting in person, should you wish to do so. Any proxy need not be a member of the Company.
The Directors are unanimously of the opinion that the resolutions to be proposed at the 2018 AGM are in the best interests of shareholders as a whole and the Board recommends that you vote in favour of each of the resolutions.
Yours faithfully,
Ian Russell CBE
Chairman
(an authorised closed-ended investment company incorporated in Guernsey with limited liability and with registered number 44185)
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual General Meeting of HICL Infrastructure Company Limited (the "Company") will be held at the offices of Aztec Group, East Wing, Trafalgar Court, Les Banques, St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands, GY1 3PP at 4PM on Tuesday, 17 July 2018 (the "2018 AGM"), to consider and, if thought fit, pass the following resolutions.
The Directors propose a renewal of the annual approval that offers shareholders the opportunity to take future dividends wholly or partly in the form of new Ordinary Shares in the Company rather than cash.
The Directors propose in the following resolution to permit the Company to make market acquisitions and to arrange tender offers of Ordinary Shares within certain conditions. This resolution succeeds the authority which was granted at the previous annual general meeting and which expires on the date of the 2018 AGM.
The Directors propose an increase to the aggregate annual remuneration cap in order to allow for the implementation of Trust Associates' recommendations, to provide for moderate adjustments that may be necessary in subsequent years, including the recruitment of future Directors, and to provide a contingency.
The Directors propose a partial disapplication of the pre-emption rights in order to allow the Company to issue new Ordinary Shares. This is seeking re-approval for the disapplication which was most recently approved at the Annual General Meeting held on 17 July 2017 and allows the Company to issue Ordinary Shares at a premium to current net asset value per share by way of tap issues.
References to the Prospectus in this document refers to the Company's New Ordinary Shares prospectus dated 23 February 2017, available from the Company's website (www.hicl.com).
By Order of the Board
8 June 2018 Registered Office East Wing, Trafalgar Court Les Banques, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3PP Channel Islands
Transfer Agent. In the case of a member which is an individual the revocation notice must be under the hand of the appointer or of his attorney duly authorised in writing or in the case of a member which is a company, the revocation notice must be executed under its common seal or under the hand of an officer of the company or an attorney duly authorised. Any power of attorney or any other authority under which the revocation notice is signed (or a notarially certified copy of such power or authority) must be included with the revocation notice.
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