Pre-Annual General Meeting Information • Nov 9, 2018
Pre-Annual General Meeting Information
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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held at Jesmond Dene House Hotel, Jesmond Dene Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 2EY on Wednesday 12 December 2018 at 8.30 am for the following purposes:
To consider and if thought fit, pass the following resolutions which will be proposed as ordinary resolutions:
To consider and if thought fit, pass the following resolution which will be proposed as an ordinary resolution:
and so that the directors may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which they consider necessary or appropriate to deal with any treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates, legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory or any other matter.
The authorities conferred on the directors under paragraphs (a) and (b) above shall apply in substitution for all pre-existing authorities under that section and shall expire at the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company or on 12 March 2020 whichever is sooner, unless previously revoked or varied by the Company, and such authority shall extend to the making before such expiry of an offer or an agreement that would or might require equity securities to be allotted after such expiry, and the directors may allot shares in the Company and grant rights to subscribe for, or to convert any security into, shares in the Company in pursuance of that offer or agreement as if the authority conferred hereby had not expired.
To consider and if thought fit, pass the following resolutions which will be proposed as special resolutions:
and so that the directors may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which they consider necessary or appropriate to deal with any treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates, legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory or any other matter; and
(b) in the case of the allotment of equity securities and/or sale of treasury shares (otherwise than under paragraph (a) above) up to an aggregate nominal amount of £768,631;
such authority to expire at the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company (or, if earlier, at the close of business on 12 March 2020) but, in each case, prior to its expiry the Company may make offers and enter into agreements which would, or might, require equity securities to be allotted (and treasury shares to be sold) after the authority expires and the directors may allot equity securities (and sell treasury shares) under any such offer or agreement as if authority had not expired.
such authority to expire at the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company (or, if earlier, at the close of business on 12 March 2020) but, in each case, prior to its expiry the Company may make offers, and enter into agreements, which would, or might, require equity securities to be allotted (and treasury shares to be sold) after the authority expires and the directors may allot equity securities (and sell treasury shares) under any such offer or agreement as if authority had not expired.
unless previously renewed, varied or revoked, the authority to purchase conferred by this resolution shall expire at the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company or, if earlier, 15 months after the passing of this resolution provided that any contract for the purchase of any shares, as aforesaid, which was concluded before the expiry of the said authority may be executed wholly or partly after the said authority expires and the relevant shares purchased pursuant thereto.
By order of the Board
Group General Counsel and Company Secretary
Registered Office
Bellway p.l.c. Seaton Burn House Dudley Lane Seaton Burn Newcastle upon Tyne, NE13 6BE
Registered in England and Wales Number 1372603
15 October 2018
These resolutions require more than 50% of votes cast to be cast in favour in order to be passed.
These resolutions require at least 75% of votes cast to be cast in favour in order to be passed.
Under section 437 of the Companies Act 2006, the directors must present the reports of the directors and the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 July 2018 to the shareholders at the meeting. This is an ordinary resolution and the Board asks that the shareholders receive the reports and accounts.
This is an ordinary resolution, which is advisory only and seeks shareholder approval to the Remuneration Report, excluding the Directors' Remuneration Policy.
Pursuant to the Board's recommendation, this is an ordinary resolution to declare a final dividend of 95.0p per 12.5p ordinary share for the year ended 31 July 2018.
The Articles require one third of the directors to retire and submit themselves for re-election. The Board has, however, adopted the provision in the UK Corporate Governance Code whereby all of the directors are subject to annual re-election. Therefore all of the directors will retire and offer themselves for re-election or election as appropriate. These are ordinary resolutions to approve their reelection or election.
John Watson will step down at the conclusion of the meeting and is accordingly not seeking re-election.
The Board is content that each non-executive director proposed for re-election or election is independent for the purposes of the UK Corporate Governance Code and there are no relationships or circumstances likely to affect their character or judgement. Biographical details of each of the directors can be found on pages 42 and 43 of the Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 July 2018. Following formal rigorous evaluation of all of the directors, the Chairman, acting on behalf of the Board, is satisfied as to the effectiveness and commitment of all of the directors.
In accordance with section 489 of the Companies Act 2006, the auditors of a company must be reappointed before the end of each general meeting at which accounts are laid. This is an ordinary resolution which proposes the reappointment of the Company's existing auditors, KPMG LLP, until the conclusion of the next general meeting of the Company at which the accounts are laid.
This is an ordinary resolution to authorise the Audit Committee on behalf of the Board to agree the remuneration of the auditors.
Five resolutions will be proposed as special business. The effect of these resolutions is as follows:
This is an ordinary resolution which authorises the directors to allot ordinary shares up to an aggregate nominal value of £10,248,411, which is equivalent to approximately two-thirds of the Company's issued ordinary share capital, as at 15 October 2018, of which half (being ordinary shares up to a nominal value of £5,124,205), representing approximately one-third of the Company's issued share capital, as at 15 October 2018, may only be allotted in connection with a rights issue. Such authority, if granted, will expire at the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company. As at 15 October 2018, the Company held no shares as treasury shares. At present, the directors only intend to use this authority to satisfy the exercise of awards under the Company's share schemes. The directors wish to obtain the necessary authority from shareholders so that allotments can be made (if required and if suitable market conditions arise) at short notice and without the need to convene a general meeting of the Company which would be both costly and time consuming.
These are special resolutions, in substitution for the authority granted to the directors by shareholders on 13 December 2017, which expires at the conclusion of the forthcoming AGM, that shareholders empower the directors to allot ordinary shares for cash without first offering them pro-rata to existing shareholders, as would otherwise be required by section 561 of the Companies Act 2006 (a) in connection with a rights issue or other pre-emptive offer and (b) (otherwise than in connection with a rights issue or other pre-emptive offer) by Resolution 13 up to an aggregate nominal value of £768,631, being approximately 5% of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 15 October 2018, and by Resolution 14 up to a further aggregate nominal value of £768,631, being approximately 5% of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 15 October 2018. If both resolutions are approved, the total aggregate nominal value of ordinary shares which may be allotted for cash without first offering them pro-rata to existing shareholders would be £1,537,262, being approximately 10% of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 15 October 2018.
These disapplication authorities are in line with institutional shareholder guidance and in particular with the Pre-Emption Group's Statement of Principles (the 'Pre-emption Principles'). The Pre-emption Principles were revised in 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 Company confirms that it intends to use the additional 5% authority only in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment. The Board therefore confirms, in accordance with the Pre-emption Principles, that to the extent of the authority in Resolution 14, it intends that this will only be used 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.
The renewed authorities will expire at the conclusion of the 2019 AGM or at the close of business on 12 March 2020 whichever is the sooner.
The directors have no present intention of exercising the authority in Resolution 13 or in Resolution 14, but consider it prudent to obtain the flexibility that this authority provides.
In accordance with the Pre-emption Principles, the directors confirm their intention not to issue more than 7.5% of the Company's issued share capital for cash, on a non pre-emptive basis, in any rolling three-year period without prior consultation with shareholders, save for shares issued in respect of an acquisition or specified capital investment, as described above.
The Company's authority to purchase its own ordinary shares, given at the last AGM, expires at the conclusion of the forthcoming AGM. The directors propose, as a special resolution, that it should be renewed for a further year to expire on the date of the next AGM. The directors will review opportunities to use this authority in light of stock market conditions and trading opportunities during the year. The directors will only make purchases (which will reduce the number of shares in issue) after paying due attention to the effect on the financing of the Group, its assets and earnings per share for the remaining shareholders. Any shares purchased under this authority may be cancelled (in which case the number of shares in issue will be reduced accordingly) or may be held in treasury.
At 15 October 2018 there were options outstanding over 713,355 ordinary shares, representing 0.58% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital. This includes 193,983 (0.16%) outstanding PSP awards which can be satisfied from existing shares held in trust rather than by the issue of new shares.
If the authority given by this resolution were to be fully used, these would represent 0.64% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital. There are no warrants outstanding. Details of any substantial shareholders holding more than 10% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital are included in the 'Major interests in shares' table on page 79 of the Annual Report.
Shareholder approval for the holding of general meetings of the Company, other than an AGM, on 14 days' notice, given at the last AGM, expires at the conclusion of the forthcoming AGM. The directors propose, as a special resolution, that it should be renewed for a further year to expire on the date of next year's AGM. There is no current intention to use this authority and the Company will only consider using this authority where it is considered that this would be for the benefit of shareholders as a whole.
The directors consider each of the resolutions set out in the Notice of AGM to be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole, accordingly they recommend voting in favour of the resolutions as they intend to do in respect of their own beneficial shareholdings.
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