AGM Information • Jun 30, 2019
AGM Information
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If you are in any doubt as to what action you should take, you are recommended to seek your own financial advice from your stockbroker, solicitor, accountant or other professional adviser or other independent adviser authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your shares in DFS Furniture plc, please forward this document, together with the accompanying documents, as soon as possible either to the purchaser or transferee or to the person who arranged the sale or transfer so they can pass the documents to the person who now holds the shares.
Notice of Annual General Meeting Thursday 14 November 2019 at 2.30pm
This document should be read as a whole. Your attention is drawn to the letter from the Chairman of DFS Furniture plc set out on page 2 of this document which contains the recommendation by the Directors to Shareholders to vote in favour of the resolutions to be proposed at the Annual General Meeting. Shareholders should read the whole of this document and not rely just on the summarised information set out in the Letter from the Chair.
Notice of the Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held at 2.30pm on 14 November 2019 at DFS Group Support Centre, 1 Rockingham Way, Redhouse Interchange, Adwick-le-Street, Doncaster, DN6 7NA is set out on pages 3 to 4 of this document. Shareholders will also find enclosed with this document a form of proxy to use in connection with the Annual General Meeting.
To be valid, the form of proxy should be completed, signed and returned in accordance with the instructions printed thereon, as soon as possible and, in any event, so as to reach the Company's registrars, Equiniti, by no later than 2.30pm on 12 November 2019. You may appoint a proxy in CREST by completing and transmitting a CREST proxy instruction to Equiniti so that it is received by no later than 2.30pm on 12 November 2019. The form of proxy can be delivered by post or by hand to Equiniti Limited, Aspect House, Spencer Road, Lancing, West Sussex, BN99 6DA. Completion and return of a form of proxy will not preclude shareholders from attending and voting at the Annual General Meeting should they choose to do so. Further instructions relating to the form of proxy are set out in the notice of the Annual General Meeting.
14 October 2019
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I am pleased to give you notice of DFS Furniture plc's Annual General Meeting ("AGM") which will be held at 2.30pm on Thursday 14 November 2019 at DFS Group Support Centre, 1 Rockingham Way, Redhouse Interchange, Adwick-le-Street, Doncaster, DN6 7NA.
The formal Notice of AGM and the resolutions to be proposed at the AGM are set out on pages 3 to 4 of this document. The following is a brief summary of the items of business:
Resolution 1 relates to the receiving of the reports and accounts for the 48 weeks ended 30 June 2019.
Resolution 2 relates to the approval of the final dividend. As set out in the Company's full year results announcement on 26 September 2019, the Directors recommend a final dividend of 7.5 pence per share in respect of the 48 weeks ended 30 June 2019 which will be paid on 27 December 2019 to the holders of ordinary shares on 6 December 2019.
Resolution 3 relates to the approval of the Directors' Remuneration Report which is set out in the Annual Report.
Resolutions 4 to 9 relate to the re-election/election of the Directors in accordance with the Company's Articles of Association and the UK Corporate Governance Code.
Resolutions 10 and 11 relate to the re-appointment of auditors and authorise the Audit Committee to set their fees.
Resolutions 12 to 15 relate to the share capital of the Company.
Resolution 16 seeks shareholder approval to allow the Directors to call general meetings (other than annual general meetings) on 14 days' notice provided that facilities are available to shareholders to vote by electronic means for meetings called on such notice. The Company will not use such authority as a matter of routine, and only in circumstances where the flexibility is merited by the business of the meeting or where it would be to the advantage of the members as a whole, and moreover where the proposals are not of a complexity that might require more time for consideration by members.
Fuller explanations of the resolutions that we will be proposing are set out in the Explanation of Resolutions section on pages 8 to 10.
The business of the meeting will be conducted on a poll. I would encourage shareholders to exercise their right to vote in the following ways:
The results of voting on the resolutions will be published on the Company's corporate website, www.dfscorporate.co.uk, as soon as practicable following the conclusion of the AGM.
In the opinion of the Directors, each of the resolutions to be proposed at the AGM are in the best interests of the Company and Shareholders as a whole. Accordingly, the Directors of the Company recommend that shareholders vote in favour of the resolutions at the AGM, as the Directors intend to do in respect of their own beneficial holdings of ordinary shares, which amount to 0.46% of the voting rights, as at 4 October 2019, being the last practicable date before publication of this Notice.
If I am appointed as proxy I will, of course, vote in accordance with any instructions given to me. If I am given discretion as to how to vote, I will vote in favour of each of the resolutions to be proposed at the AGM.
Yours faithfully
Ian Durant
Non-Executive Chairman DFS Furniture plc
DFS Furniture plc Notice of Annual General Meeting 2019 Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of DFS Furniture plc will be held at 2.30pm on Thursday 14 November 2019 at DFS Group Support Centre, 1 Rockingham Way, Redhouse Interchange, Doncaster, DN6 7NA to consider and, if thought appropriate, pass the following resolutions of which resolutions 1 to 12 will be proposed as ordinary resolutions and resolutions 13 to 16 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 laws of, any territory or any matter.
The authorities conferred on the Directors to allot securities under paragraph (a) and (b) will expire on the date of the Company's next annual general meeting, or on 28 February 2021, 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 relevant securities to be allotted after such expiry and the Directors may allot relevant securities in pursuance of that offer or agreement as if the authority conferred hereby had not expired.
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 laws of, any territory or any matter; and
(b) to the allotment of equity securities or sale of treasury shares (otherwise than under paragraph (a) above) up to a nominal amount of £15,913,941,
such authority to expire at the conclusion of the Company's next annual general meeting or on 28 February 2021, whichever is sooner (unless previously revoked or varied by the Company in general meeting), 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 ends and the Directors may allot equity securities (and sell treasury shares) under any such offer or agreement as if the authority had not expired.
such authority to expire at the conclusion of the Company's next annual general meeting or on 28 February 2021 whichever is sooner (unless previously revoked or varied by the Company in general meeting), 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 the authority had not expired.
THAT the Company be and is hereby authorised generally and unconditionally to make market purchases (within the meaning of section 693(4) of the Companies Act 2006) of ordinary shares of £1.50 each in the capital of the Company provided that:
(a) The maximum aggregate number of ordinary shares that may be purchased is 21,218,588
The authority conferred by this resolution shall expire at the conclusion of the Company's next annual general meeting or on 28 February 2021, whichever is sooner, save that the Company may, before the expiry of the authority granted by this resolution, enter into a contract to purchase ordinary shares under the authority conferred by this resolution which will or may be executed wholly or partly after the expiry of such authority.
By order of the Board of Directors
Group Company Secretary DFS Furniture plc 14 October 2019
DFS Furniture plc 1 Rockingham Way, Redhouse Interchange, Adwick-le-Street Doncaster DN6 7NA
Registered in England and Wales No. 07236769
• If a CREST member, register their proxy appointment by utilising the CREST electronic proxy appointment service (see Note 10).
Appointment of a proxy does not preclude you from attending the meeting and voting in person.
In the case of a shareholder which is a company, the Proxy Form must be executed under its common seal or signed on its behalf by an officer of the company or an attorney for the company. Any power of attorney or any other authority under which the Proxy Form is signed (or a duly certified copy of such power or authority) must be included with the Proxy Form. If you have not received a Proxy Form and believe that you should have one, or if you require additional Proxy Forms, please contact Equiniti Limited at Aspect House, Spencer Road, Lancing, West Sussex, BN99 6DA or on 0371 384 2030, lines open 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Thursday (excluding bank or public holidays). Overseas holders should contact +44 (0)121 415 7047.
10 .CREST members who wish to appoint a proxy or proxies by utilising the CREST electronic proxy appointment service may do so for the meeting and any adjournment(s) of it by using the procedures described in the CREST Manual (available via www.euroclear.com).
CREST Personal Members or other CREST sponsored members, and those CREST members who have appointed a voting service provider(s), should refer to their CREST sponsor or voting service provider(s), who will be able to take the appropriate action on their behalf. In order for a proxy appointment made using the CREST service to be valid, the appropriate CREST message (a CREST Proxy Instruction) must be properly authenticated in accordance with Euroclear UK & Ireland Limited's (EUI) specifications and must contain the information required for such instructions, as described in the CREST Manual. The message, regardless of whether it constitutes the appointment of a proxy or is an amendment to the instruction given to a previously appointed proxy, must, in order to be valid, be
transmitted so as to be received by Equiniti Limited (ID RA19) no later than 2.30pm on 12 November 2019, or, in the event of an adjournment of the meeting, 48 hours before the adjourned meeting. 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 issuer'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.
CREST members and, where applicable, their CREST sponsors or voting service providers should note that EUI does not make available special procedures in CREST for any particular message. Normal system timings and limitations will therefore apply in relation to the input of CREST Proxy Instructions. It is the responsibility of the CREST member concerned to take (or, if the CREST member is a CREST personal member or sponsored member, or has appointed a voting service provider(s), to procure that his/her CREST sponsor or voting service provider(s) take(s)) such action as shall be necessary to ensure that a message is transmitted by means of the CREST system by any particular time. In this connection, CREST members and, where applicable, their CREST sponsors or voting service providers, are referred, in particular, to those sections of the CREST Manual concerning practical limitations of the CREST system and timings.
The Company may treat as invalid a CREST Proxy Instruction in the circumstances set out in Regulation 35(5)(a) of the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001.
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12 Shareholders may change proxy instructions by submitting a new proxy appointment using the methods set out above. Note that the cut-off time for receipt of proxy appointments (see above) also apply in relation to amended instructions; any amended proxy appointment received after the relevant cut-off time will be disregarded. Where you have appointed a proxy using the hard-copy Proxy Form and would like to change the instructions using another hard-copy Proxy Form, please contact Equiniti at Aspect House, Spencer Road, Lancing, West Sussex, BN99 6DA or on 0371 384 2030, lines open 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Thursday (excluding bank or public holidays). Overseas holders should contact +44 (0)121 415 7047.
If you submit more than one valid proxy appointment, the appointment received last before the latest time for the receipt of proxies will take precedence.
The revocation notice must be received by Equiniti no later than 2.30pm on 12 November 2019. If you attempt to revoke your proxy appointment but the revocation is received after the time specified, your original proxy appointment will remain valid unless you attend the meeting and vote in person.
The website referred to in Note 23 will include information on the number of shares and voting rights.
Where the Company is required to publish such a statement on its website:
For information on voting rights, including the total number of voting rights, see Note 15 above and the website referred to in Note 23.
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Resolutions 1 to 12 are proposed as ordinary resolutions. This means that for each of those resolutions to be passed, more than half of the votes cast must be in favour of the resolution.
Resolutions 13 to 16 are proposed as special resolutions. This means that for each of those resolutions to be passed, at least three-quarters of the votes cast must be in favour of the resolution.
An explanation of each of the resolutions is set out below.
The Directors present the Company's Annual Report, including the financial statements, the Directors' report and the Independent Auditor's report for the 48 weeks ended 30 June 2019, to the shareholders at the AGM.
This resolution seeks shareholder approval of the final dividend recommended by the Directors. The Directors are proposing a final dividend of 7.5 pence per ordinary share in respect of the 48 weeks ended 30 June 2019 for the shareholders to approve which will be paid on 27 December 2019 to the holders of ordinary shares on 6 December 2019.
Shareholders are asked to approve the Annual Remuneration Report section of the Directors' Remuneration
Report, which is set out on pages 63 to 83 of the Annual Report for the 48 weeks ended 30 June 2019. The Company's auditor, KPMG LLP, have audited those parts of the Directors' Remuneration Report that are required to be audited and their report may be found on pages 79 to 82 of the Annual Report.
Resolutions 4 to 9 deal with the re-election/election of Directors. In accordance with the requirements of the UK Corporate Governance Code, all of the Directors, with the exception of Mike Schmidt, Jo Boydell and Steve Johnson, are subject to re-election by shareholders at the AGM. Mike Schmidt, Jo Boydell and Steve Johnson are subject to election at the AGM, being the first AGM after their appointment to the Board. The biographies of each of the Directors are set out on pages 46 to 47 of the Annual Report.
The Board considers that each of the Directors proposed for re-election/election has made and continues to make an effective contribution to the Company, is committed to their roles and makes available the time necessary to perform their duties.
The Company considers that each independent Director is independent by taking into consideration the independence criteria set by the UK Corporate Governance Code. The Company confirms that there have been no previous or existing relationships, transactions or arrangements between each of the independent Directors and the Company, any of its Directors, any controlling shareholder of the Company or any associate of a controlling shareholder within the meaning of Listing Rule 13.8.17R (1).
All of the independent Directors are experienced and have a broad knowledge of the retail sector. In light of their career experience and knowledge, the Board considers that each Director brings valuable skills to the Board and provides an impartial viewpoint. Details of the skill set of each of the Directors are set out on page 51 of the Annual Report.
Under section 489 of the Companies Act 2006, the auditor of a public company has to be appointed before the end of each AGM at which the Company's annual accounts are presented. The Board recommends the re-appointment of KPMG LLP as auditor of the Company, to hold office from the conclusion of the AGM until the conclusion of the next AGM at which accounts are presented.
Resolution 11 seeks shareholder consent for the Audit Committee of the Company to determine KPMG LLP's remuneration.
Under the Companies Act 2006, the directors of a company may only allot new shares (or grant rights over shares) if authorised to do so by the shareholders in a general meeting. The authority which is sought in this respect is dealt with in Resolution 12. The authority sought in paragraph (a) of Resolution 12 will allow the Directors to allot shares up to a maximum nominal amount of £106,092,940 which represents approximately one third of the Company's issued ordinary shares (excluding treasury shares) as at 4 October 2019, being the last practicable date prior to publication of this Notice.
In accordance with the latest institutional guidelines issued by the Investment Association, the authority sought in paragraph (b) of Resolution 12 will also allow the Directors to allot shares (in connection with a rights issue and inclusive of any ordinary shares issued pursuant to the authority granted under paragraph (a)) up to a maximum nominal amount of £212,185,882 which represents approximately two thirds of the Company's issued ordinary shares (excluding treasury shares) as at 4 October 2019, being the last practicable date prior to publication of this Notice.
The Directors have no present intention to allot shares or grant rights to subscribe for or convert any security into shares pursuant to this authority. However, the Directors consider it desirable to have the flexibility to respond to market developments and to enable allotments to take place in appropriate circumstances.
If this resolution is passed, it will expire at the conclusion of the Company's next annual general meeting or on 28 February 2021, whichever is sooner.
If the Directors wish to allot shares or other equity securities for cash or to sell any shares which the Company holds in treasury, the Companies Act 2006 requires that such shares or other equity securities are offered first to existing shareholders in proportion to their existing holding.
Resolution 13 renews the Directors' power to allot equity securities and sell treasury shares for cash without first offering them to existing shareholders. Apart from rights issues or any other pre-emptive offer concerning equity securities, the authority contained in this resolution will be limited to the issue of shares for cash up to a nominal value of £15,913,941 (which includes the sale on a non-pre-emptive basis of any shares held in treasury). This number represents approximately 5% of the Company's issued share capital (excluding treasury shares) as at 4 October 2019, being the latest practicable date prior to publication of this Notice.
Resolution 13 also seeks a disapplication of pre-emption rights on a rights issue, so as to allow the Directors to make appropriate arrangements in relation to fractional entitlements or other legal or practical problems which might arise. If this resolution is passed, it will expire at the conclusion of the Company's next annual general meeting or on 28 February 2021, whichever is sooner.
The Pre-emption Group Statement of Principles ("Statement of Principles") supports the annual disapplication of pre-emption rights in respect of allotments of shares and other equity securities (and sales of treasury shares for cash) representing no more than an additional 5% of issued ordinary share capital (exclusive of treasury shares), to be used only in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment. The Statement of Principles defines 'specified capital investment' as meaning one or more specific capital investment related uses for the proceeds of an issuance of equity securities, in respect of which sufficient information regarding the effect of the transaction on the company, the assets the subject of the transaction and (where appropriate) the profits attributable to them is made available to shareholders to enable them to reach an assessment of the potential return.
Resolution 14 seeks this separate and additional authority. The Directors confirm, in accordance with the Statement of Principles, that they will only allot shares representing more than 5% of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company (excluding treasury shares) for cash pursuant to the authority referred to in Resolution 14 where the allotment is in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment, which is announced contemporaneously with the allotment. Where the authority granted under Resolution 14 is used, the circumstances that have led to its use and the consultation process undertaken will be disclosed by the Company in its next Annual Report.
The Board also intends to adhere to the guidelines set out in the Statement of Principles and will not (except in relation to an issue pursuant to Resolution 14 in respect of the additional 5% referred to above) allot shares for cash on a non-pre-emptive basis pursuant to the authority in Resolution 13:
If this resolution is passed, it will expire at the conclusion of the Company's next annual general meeting or on 28 February 2021, whichever is sooner.
The Board has no present intention to exercise the authority granted under Resolution 13 or 14, other than to satisfy existing employee share-based awards, but the Directors consider that the authority sought is appropriate as it also provides the Company with the necessary flexibility to take advantage of business opportunities as they arise.
This resolution seeks authority for the Company to make market purchases of its own ordinary shares and is proposed as a special resolution. If passed, the resolution gives authority for the Company to purchase up to 21,218,588 of its ordinary shares, representing 10% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital (excluding treasury shares) as at 4 October 2019, being the last practicable date before the publication of this Notice.
The resolution specifies the minimum and maximum prices which may be paid for any ordinary shares purchased under this authority, which reflect the requirements of the Listing Rules. Having reviewed the resolution the Board has approved setting the minimum purchase price for own shares below the nominal value of the shares to allow for share buybacks in the event of disruption in the market due to wider economic uncertainty. If this resolution is passed, it will expire at the conclusion of the Company's next annual general meeting or on 28 February 2021, whichever is sooner.
Pursuant to the Companies Act 2006, the Company can hold the shares which have been purchased as treasury shares and either resell them for cash, cancel them, either immediately or at a point in the future, or use them for the purposes of its employee share schemes. No dividends will be paid on, and no voting rights will be exercised in respect of, treasury shares. The Directors believe that it is desirable for the Company to have this choice as holding the purchased shares as treasury shares gives the Company the ability to re-sell or transfer them in the future, and so provide the Company with additional flexibility in the management of its capital base. The Directors therefore intend to hold any ordinary shares purchased under this authority as treasury shares.
Ordinary shares will only be repurchased for the purposes of employee share schemes, or if the directors consider such purchases to be in the best interests of shareholders generally and that they can be expected to result in an increase in earnings per share. The authority will only be used after careful consideration, taking into account market conditions prevailing at the time, other investment opportunities, appropriate gearing levels and the overall financial position of the Company. Ordinary shares held as treasury shares will not automatically be cancelled and will not be taken into account in future calculations of earnings per share (unless they are subsequently resold or transferred out of treasury).
As at 4 October 2019 (being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this Notice), there were 7,441,358 outstanding sharebased awards or options granted under all incentive plans operated by the Company, which if exercised would represent 3.51% of the issued share capital of the Company (excluding shares held in treasury). If this authority were exercised in full, that percentage would increase to 3.90%.
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This resolution seeks the approval of shareholders to reduce the notice period required for a general meeting to 14 clear days. Changes made to the Companies Act 2006 by the Companies (Shareholders' Rights) Regulations 2009 (the "Shareholders' Rights Regulations") increased the notice period required for general meetings (other than annual general meetings) to 21 days unless shareholders approve a shorter notice period, which cannot be less than 14 clear days. Please note that if this resolution is approved, it will not apply to AGMs, which will continue to be held on at least 21 clear days' notice.
It is intended that the 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 in the interests of the shareholders as a whole. The Company will comply with the requirement under the Shareholders' Rights Regulations to provide appropriate facilities for electronic voting at general meetings held on less than 21 clear days' notice. If given, the approval will be effective until the Company's next annual general meeting, at which point it is intended that a similar resolution will be proposed.
DFS Group Support Centre
1 Rockingham Way Redhouse Interchange Adwick-le-Street Doncaster DN6 7NA
Leave the A1(M) at junction 38 and take the A638 towards Doncaster. At the 1st roundabout ("Redhouse Interchange"), take the 3rd exit (signposted "Business Park"). Within approximately 100 metres, go straight over the next small roundabout and take the 2nd turning on the left into the Group Support Centre car park.
Leave the A1 at junction 38 and take the 1st right turn (signposted "The NORTH, Wakefield A638, Business Park"). At the roundabout ("Redhouse Interchange"), take the 2nd exit (signposted "Business Park"). Within approximately 100 metres, go straight over the next small roundabout and take the 2nd turning on the left into the Group Support Centre car park.
Leave the M1 at junction 32 and take the M18 northbound towards Doncaster. Leave the M18 at junction 2 and take the A1(M) northbound. Follow the directions above for "From the A1(M) Northbound".
Leave the M62 at junction 33 and take the A1 southbound. Follow the directions above for "From the A1 southbound".
Take the A638 towards Wakefield. Follow this road for approximately 5 miles until you reach the "Redhouse Interchange" roundabout. At the roundabout, take the 1st exit, (signposted "Business Park"). Within approximately 100 metres, go straight over the next small roundabout and take the 2nd turning on the left into the Group Support Centre car park.
Doncaster railway station is situated within 5 miles (c.20 minutes by car).
Doncaster Sheffield airport ("Robin Hood airport") is situated within 15 miles (c.30 minutes by car).
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