AGM Information • Apr 25, 2019
AGM 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 should immediately consult your stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant or other independent financial advisor authorised pursuant to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
If you have sold or otherwise transferred your ordinary shares of 5 pence each in the share capital of Pendragon PLC (the "Company") please forward this document and the accompanying form of proxy at once to the purchaser or transferee, or to the stockbroker, bank or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was effected, for transmission to the purchaser or transferee.
Pendragon PLC
PENDRAGON PLC
Registered Office: Loxley House 2 Oakwood Court Little Oak Drive Annesley Nottingham NG15 0DR
(Incorporated in England with Registered No. 2304195)
To Shareholders, and, for information only, to holders of options under the Company's share option schemes.
Dear Shareholder
This notice gives details of the business to be transacted at the 2019 annual general meeting of the Company (the "AGM" or "Annual General Meeting").
This year's AGM will be held on 25 April 2019 at 10.30 am at Loxley House, 2 Oakwood Court, Little Oak Drive, Annesley, Nottingham, NG15 0DR. The formal notice of the meeting (the "Notice") is contained in pages 4 to 7 of this notice.
A form of proxy for the 2019 AGM does not accompany this document. Instead, if you would like to vote on the resolutions you can:
Alternatively, you can request a hard copy proxy card by emailing [email protected]. Hard copy proxy forms must be returned to the Company's registrars at PXS, 34 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 4TU
Voting by proxy prior to the AGM does not affect your right to attend the AGM and vote in person should you so wish. Proxy votes must be received by no later than 10.30 am on 23 April 2019.
I summarise below the proposed business to be transacted at the AGM.
Resolutions 1 to 13 as set out in the Notice deal with the business of the AGM to be passed by way of ordinary resolution of the shareholders. An ordinary resolution will be passed if more than 50 per cent. of the votes cast are in favour of it.
The directors are required by the Companies Act 2006 (the "Act") to present to the shareholders of the Company at a general meeting the reports of the directors (including the strategic report) and auditors and the audited accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2018. The report of the directors and the audited accounts have been approved by the Board and the report of the auditors has been approved by the auditors. A copy of each of these documents may be found in the 2018 annual report and accounts (the "Annual Report and Accounts"), starting at page 44.
The Act requires the Company to seek shareholder approval at its AGM of the annual report on directors' remuneration. The annual report on directors' remuneration is included in the Annual Report and Accounts, starting at page 63, and details payments made during the year ended 31 December 2018. Voting on this resolution is advisory only, which means that, by voting for the resolution, shareholders indicate their approval of the report. However, should the resolution not be carried, shareholders cannot require the Company or the Board to change or reverse decisions the Board has already made and implemented as regards directors' remuneration in 2018.
The directors are recommending a final dividend for the year ended 31 December 2018 of 0.70 pence per ordinary share, payable on 30 May 2019 to holders on the register of members as at 6.30pm on 23 April 2019. The final dividend will not be paid without shareholder approval and its amount may not exceed the amount recommended by the directors.
Resolutions 4 to 10 as set out in the Notice deal with the re-appointment or re-election of the directors in accordance with the provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code (the "Code") and the Company's articles of association. The Code requires that all directors should be subject to annual re-election.
Brief biographical details of all directors appear on page 8 of this notice and page 42 of the Annual Report and Accounts.
The Act requires that the auditor be appointed at each general meeting at which accounts are laid, to hold office until the next such meeting. Resolution 11 seeks shareholder approval for the re-appointment of KPMG LLP. The Audit Committee keeps under review the independence and objectivity of the external auditor, further information on which can be found in the Annual Report and Accounts on pages 50 to 53. After considering relevant information, the Audit Committee recommended to the directors that KPMG LLP be reappointed.
Resolution 12 gives the directors the authority to determine the remuneration of the auditors for the audit work to be carried out by them in the next financial year. The amount of the remuneration paid to the auditors for the next financial year will be disclosed in the next audited accounts of the Company. In accordance with new rules on statutory audit services for large companies that came into force on 1 January 2015, the fee for the audit work will be agreed between the Audit Committee and the auditors.
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. Resolution 13 will, if passed, authorise the directors to allot the Company's unissued shares up to a maximum nominal amount of £46,564,813 which represents an amount which is approximately equal to two-thirds of the issued share capital of the Company as at 1 March 2019 (being the latest practicable date prior to publication of this notice).
As provided in paragraph (a) of the resolution, up to half of this authority (equal to one-third of the issued ordinary 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. Paragraph (b) of the resolution provides that the remainder of the authority (equal to a further one-third of the issued share capital of the Company) may only be used in connection with a rights issue in favour of ordinary shareholders. As paragraph (a) imposes no restrictions on the way the authority may be exercised, it could be used in conjunction with paragraph (b) so as to enable the whole two-thirds authority to be used in connection with a rights issue. Where usage of the 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 date that is fifteen months after the date of the passing of the resolution and the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company.
Passing Resolution 13 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. There are no current plans to issue new shares except in connection with employee share schemes (including directors' long term incentive plans).
As at 1 March 2019, the Company had 1,396,944,405 ordinary shares of 5 pence each in issue. The Company does not at present hold any shares in treasury.
Resolutions 14 to 17 as set out in the Notice deal with the business to be transacted at the AGM to be passed by way of special resolution of the shareholders. A special resolution will be passed if not less than 75 per cent. of the votes cast are in favour of it.
The Company must give at least 21 clear days' notice of any general meeting, but is permitted to call meetings other than the annual general meeting on at least 14 clear days' notice if it obtains annual shareholder approval. The Company must also offer, for any meeting held on fewer than 21 clear days' notice, a facility to vote by electronic means that is accessible to all members. The directors do not intend to call a meeting on fewer than 21 clear days' notice unless they consider it would be to the advantage of shareholders as a whole.
The Act requires that, 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 proportion to their current holdings in respect of:
(i) up to an aggregate nominal amount of £3,492,261. This amount represents approximately 5 per cent. of the Company's issued share capital as at 1 March 2019, being the latest practicable date prior to publication of this notice. This part of the authority is designed to provide the directors with flexibility to raise further equity funding and to pursue acquisition opportunities as and when they may arise; and
(ii) a rights issue, open offer or other offer that generally provides existing shareholders with the opportunity to subscribe for new shares pro rata to their existing holdings. This part of the authority is designed to give the directors flexibility to exclude certain shareholders from such an offer where the directors consider it necessary or desirable to do so in order to avoid legal, regulatory or practical problems that would otherwise arise.
Under Resolution 16, it is proposed that the directors be authorised to disapply statutory pre-emption rights in respect of an additional 5 per cent. of the Company's issued share capital (as at 1 March 2019, being the latest practicable date prior to publication of this notice, and excluding shares held in treasury). In accordance with the Pre-Emption Group's Principles, the directors confirm that this 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 Resolution 15 and Resolution 16 will expire at the same time as the authority to allot shares given pursuant to Resolution 13. 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 per cent of the issued share capital on a non-pre-emptive basis in any rolling three-year period.
If passed, this resolution will grant the Company authority for the period of up to 15 months after the date of passing of the resolution to buy its own shares in the market. The resolution limits the number of shares that may be purchased to 10 per cent. of the Company's issued share capital as at 1 March 2019 (being the latest practicable date prior to publication of this Notice). The price per ordinary share that the Company may pay is set at a minimum amount (excluding expenses) of its nominal value per ordinary share and a maximum amount (excluding expenses) of the higher of: (i) 5 per cent. 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.
The directors' present intention is that shares purchased pursuant to this authority will be cancelled immediately on purchase. Alternatively, to the extent statutory and regulatory requirements are met, such shares may be held in treasury, for future cancellation, sale for cash, or transfer for the purpose of or pursuant to an employee share scheme. 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 directors will only make purchases under this authority if they believe that to do so would result in an increase in earnings per share for the remaining shareholders and would be in the best interests of shareholders generally. Where performance conditions attaching to variable remuneration of executive directors would be affected consequent on a reduction of share capital on the exercise of this authority, for the affected performance periods, calculations of the performance condition will take due account of the reduction in share capital so arising.
As at 1 March 2019 (being the latest date prior to the publication of this Notice), options were outstanding over 5,623,795 ordinary shares of 5 pence each in the Company, representing approximately 0.40 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company at that date. If the proposed market purchase authority were used in full, shares over which options were outstanding would, as at that date, represent approximately 0.45 per cent. of the Company's issued share capital.
The directors consider that the resolutions to be proposed at the AGM are in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole and unanimously recommend shareholders to vote in favour of them, as the directors intend to do in respect of their own beneficial holdings.
Yours sincerely
Chairman
The following documents will be available for inspection at the registered office of the Company and at the offices of CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP at Cannon Place, 78 Cannon Street, London, EC4N 6AF during normal business hours on Monday to Friday up to and including the date of the AGM, and will also be available at the place of the AGM for at least 15 minutes before, and during, the meeting:
(Incorporated in England with Registered No. 2304195)
Notice is hereby given that the thirty first Annual General Meeting of Pendragon PLC (the "Company") will be held at Loxley House, 2 Oakwood Court, Little Oak Drive, Annesley, Nottinghamshire, NG15 0DR on Thursday 25 April 2019 at 10.30 am for the following purposes:
To consider and, if thought fit, to pass the following resolutions, which will be proposed as ordinary resolutions:
such authority to expire (unless renewed, varied or revoked by the Company in general meeting) fifteen months after the date of this resolution is passed, or, if earlier, at the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company to be held in 2020, 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 pursuant to any such offer or agreement as if such authority had not expired.
To consider, and if thought fit, to pass the following resolutions, which will be proposed as special resolutions:
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 13 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 9 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 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 fifteen months after the date this resolution is passed or, if earlier, at the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company to be held in 2020, 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 Directors Loxley House R J Maloney 2 Oakwood Court Secretary Little Oak Drive
21 March 2019 Nottingham
Annesley NG15 0DR
in each case to be received by the registrars, Link Asset Services no later than 10.30 am on 23 April 2019.
Chris joined Pendragon on 28 January 2013 and became Chairman on 23 October 2017. He is a banker with particular expertise in retail and property, and is Chairman of Leonteq, Lonrho and a member of the supervisory board of Berenberg Bank.
Gillian joined Pendragon on 23 May 2013. Formerly Managing Director of MSN UK, Microsoft and holds a number of nonexecutive roles including Ascential plc, Mothercare and NAHL plc as well as working with high growth technology start-ups.
Richard joined Pendragon on 12 November 2018 following an extensive executive career with the General Electric Company, where most recently he held the position of Chairman and CEO of GE Capital.
Mike joined Pendragon in April 2018. He is a former executive director of Jaguar Land Rover Limited, Ford Motor Company and British Aerospace, with particular expertise in the international automotive sector.
Mark joined Pendragon on 04 March 2019 as Chief Executive Officer Designate, and will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer on 01 April 2019. Prior to joining Pendragon, Mark spent 20 years with Jardine Matheson Group, including positions as Group Finance Director and Chief Executive Officer.
Having spent his entire career with Pendragon businesses, from apprentice mechanic to group general manager, Martin became operations director in September 1995 and chief operating officer in November 2001.
Mark is due to join Pendragon in April 2019 from Ten Entertainment Group PLC where he has been CFO since taking it through its IPO in April 2017. Prior to this Mark worked at Home Retail Group PLC, including roles as Argos Finance Director, Director of Group Finance and Investor relations Director.
In accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code, all directors are subject to annual re-election or election, in the case of newly appointed directors.
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