Pre-Annual General Meeting Information • Oct 21, 2019
Pre-Annual General Meeting Information
Open in ViewerOpens in native device viewer
THIS DOCUMENT IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. If you are in any doubt about what action to take, you should consult your stockbroker, solicitor, accountant or other appropriate independent professional adviser authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your shares in J D Wetherspoon plc, please forward this document and the accompanying documents to the person through whom the sale or transfer was effected, for transmission to the purchaser or transferee.
(incorporated and registered in England & Wales under the Companies Act 1985 with registered number 1709784)
Investec Bank plc ("Investec") which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, is acting for the Company in relation to the contents of this document and is not acting for or advising any other person and accordingly will not be responsible to any person other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to clients of Investec or for providing advice in relation to the contents of this announcement or any matters referred to herein. Neither Investec nor any of its affiliates owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Investec in connection with this document, any statement contained herein or otherwise.
Notice of a general meeting of the Company to be held at 10:15 a.m. (or as soon thereafter as the AGM has concluded or been adjourned) on 21st November 2019 at The Auditorium, Willis Towers Watson, 51 Lime St, London EC3M 7DQ, is set out at the end of this document.
A Form of Proxy for use at the general meeting is enclosed with the Notice. The Form of Proxy must be received by no later than 10:15 a.m. on 19th November 2019.
| DEFINITIONS | 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| PART I | LETTER FROM THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR | 4 |
| PART II | ADDITIONAL INFORMATION | 8 |
| APPENDIX 1 | NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETING | 14 |
| APPENDIX 2 | NOTES | 15 |
| DEFINITIONS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Act" | means the Companies Act 2006; | |||
| "AGM" | means the annual general meeting of the Company to be held at 10:00am on 21st November 2019 at The Auditorium, Willis Towers Watson, 51 Lime St, London EC3M 7DQ |
|||
| "Code" | means the UK City Code on Takeovers and Mergers; | |||
| "Company" | means JD Wetherspoon plc, a public limited company registered in England & Wales with registered number 1709784, whose registered office is at Wetherspoon House, Reeds Crescent, Watford, Herts, WD24 4QL; |
|||
| "Concert Party" | means Tim Martin and his close relatives and related trusts, being Felicity Martin, Margit Martin, Louise Martin and Gerald Martin, who, for the purposes of the Code, are presumed to be acting in concert; |
|||
| "Controlling Shareholder" | has the meaning given to it in the Listing Rules; | |||
| "Directors" or "Board" | means the Executive Directors and the Non-Executive Directors of the Company; | |||
| "GM" or "General Meeting" | means the general meeting of the Company to be held at 10:15 a.m. (or as soon thereafter as the AGM has concluded or been adjourned) on 21st November 2019 at The Auditorium, Willis Towers Watson, 51 Lime St, London EC3M 7DQ; |
|||
| "GM Notice" | means the Notice of General Meeting set out in Appendix 1 of this document; | |||
| "Form of Proxy" | means the enclosed proxy form for completion by those Shareholders who wish to vote on the resolution set out in this document but who are unable to attend the GM; |
|||
| "Independent Directors" | means the directors of the Company other than Tim Martin; | |||
| "Independent Shareholders" | means the Shareholders other than the Concert Party; | |||
| "Investec" | means Investec Bank plc, a company registered in England & Wales with registered number 00489604, whose registered office is at 30 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7QP; |
|||
| "issued share capital" | means, except where stated to the contrary, the issued share capital of the Company excluding treasury shares; |
|||
| "Latest Practicable Date" | means 10th October 2019, being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this document; |
|||
| "Listing Rules" | means the listing rules made by the Financial Conduct Authority under Part VI of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000; |
|||
| "Non-Executive Directors" | means Debra van Gene, Sir Richard Beckett and Harry Morley; | |||
| "Ordinary Shares" | means the ordinary shares of 2 pence each in the capital of the Company; | |||
| "Official List" | means the Official List maintained by the Financial Conduct Authority; | |||
| "Panel" | means the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers; | |||
| "Relationship Agreement" | means the relationship agreement dated 19 October 2016 and made between the Company and Tim Martin; |
|||
| "Share Buyback Authority" | means the authority for the Company to make market purchases of up to 15,701,759 Ordinary Shares to be proposed for approval by special resolution at the AGM; |
|||
| "Shareholders" | means the holders of Ordinary Shares; | |||
| "Waiver" | means the waiver by the Panel of any requirement under Rule 9 of the Code for the Concert Party to make a general offer to Shareholders that would otherwise arise as a result of any market purchases of Ordinary Shares by the Company; and |
|||
| "Waiver Resolution" | means the ordinary resolution set out in the GM Notice at the end of this document. |
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING PROPOSAL FOR APPROVAL OF WAIVER OF RULE 9 OF THE TAKEOVER CODE
(incorporated and registered in England & Wales under the Companies Act 1985 with registered number 1709784)
Tim Martin (Chairman) John Hutson (Chief Executive) Ben Whitley (Finance Director) Su Cacioppo (Personnel & Legal Director) Debra van Gene (Non-Executive Director)
Sir Richard Beckett (Non-Executive Director)
Harry Morley (Non-Executive Director)
21st October 2019
Dear Shareholder,
I am pleased to be writing to you with details of the General Meeting of the Company to happen on 21st November 2019 at The Auditorium, Willis Towers Watson, 51 Lime St, London EC3M 7DQ. It is intended that the GM will start immediately following the conclusion of the AGM, which is itself due to start at 10:00 a.m. Therefore, the scheduled time for the start of the GM is 10:15 a.m. or as soon thereafter as the AGM has concluded or been adjourned.
The formal notice of the GM is set out in Appendix 1.
The purpose of this letter is to provide you with details of the Waiver Resolution to be proposed at the GM and to explain why your Independent Directors consider the Waiver to be in the best interests of the Company and its Independent Shareholders as a whole and unanimously recommend that you vote in favour of the Waiver Resolution. As occurred in each of the last three years when we successfully requested an equivalent waiver, the Company has undertaken a period of consultation with certain major shareholders prior to posting this document to all shareholders.
If you would like to vote on the Waiver Resolution, but cannot attend, please fill in the proxy form and return it to our registrars, Computershare Investor Services PLC, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol, BS99 6ZY, or at the following electronic address www.investorcentre.co.uk/eproxy, as soon as possible, but no later than 10:15 a.m. on 19th November 2019.
At the last Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 15th November 2018, shareholders of the Company voted in favour of a resolution that would enable the Company to make market purchases of its own shares. Furthermore, at a general meeting of the Company's shareholders held immediately following the Annual General Meeting on 15th November 2018, shareholders of the Company voted in favour of a resolution that waived the Rule 9 offer obligation that would otherwise arise upon the Concert Party to make a general offer for the issued share capital of the Company not already held by them following an increase in the percentage of voting rights held by the Concert Party due, solely, to share repurchases made by the Company.
The Board wishes to continue to have the maximum flexibility in managing the Company's capital resources and again intends to seek shareholder approval to have the authority to purchase its own shares at the AGM. The Share Buyback Authority would enable the Company to continue to make market purchases of its own shares that could increase the Concert Party's existing shareholding in the Company.
Watford,
Registered Office: Wetherspoon House, Reeds Crescent,
Herts WD24 4QL
In this respect, the Company has applied to the Panel (and received approval from them, subject to Independent Shareholder approval) for a renewal of the waiver of the obligation which would otherwise arise for the Concert Party pursuant to Rule 9 of the Code to make an offer for the issued share capital of the Company not already held by them. The Company is, therefore, seeking Independent Shareholder approval to renew the Waiver by passing the Waiver Resolution.
| Share purchases | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over the last 10 financial years the Company has carried out the following market purchases of its own ordinary shares: | |||||||||||
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| Aggregate market purchases (£m) |
– | – | 32.8 | 22.7 | – | 24.6 | 12.7 | 53.6 | 43.9 | 36.2 | 5.4 |
At the AGM of the Company to be held immediately prior to the GM on 21st November 2019, a special resolution is to be proposed to allow the Company to be able to make market purchases of up to just under 15 per cent. of the Company's current issued ordinary share capital, at prices not less than the nominal value of an ordinary share and not exceeding 105 per cent. of the average of the middle-market quotations for an ordinary share for the five business days prior to each purchase (in each case, exclusive of expenses). If passed, the Share Buyback Authority will last until the earlier of 15 months from the date of passing the resolution and the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company. This same authority has been sought by the Company for at least the last 10 years.
The authority to purchase Ordinary Shares will only be utilised when the Directors believe that such purchases would be in the best interests of Shareholders as a whole and would result in an increase in earnings per Ordinary Share or would otherwise benefit the overall financial position of the Company.
It is the Company's current intention to cancel all of the shares it may purchase pursuant to the Share Buyback Authority (if passed). However, in order to respond properly to the Company's capital requirements and the prevailing market conditions, the board of the Company will need to assess at the time of any and each actual purchase whether to hold the shares in treasury or to cancel them, provided it is permitted to do so.
The Concert Party comprises Tim Martin (Chairman of the Company) and his close relatives and related trusts, being Felicity Martin, Margit Martin, Louise Martin and Gerald Martin who, for the purposes of the Code, are presumed to be acting in concert. The Concert Party's aggregate holding, comprises 32,241,004 Ordinary Shares in which Tim Martin is interested, 1,225,930 Ordinary Shares in which Felicity Martin is interested, 109,970 Ordinary Shares in which Margit Martin is interested, 1300 Ordinary Shares in which Louise Martin is interested, and 85,142 shares held by Wilfred T Fry as Executor and Trustee on behalf of Margit Martin, Gerald Martin and Tim Martin. The Concert Party held in total 33,663,346 Ordinary Shares (representing approximately 32.16 percent of the issued share capital of the Company) as at the Latest Practicable Date, all of which shares are beneficially owned by the persons stated above.
Should this total interest in Ordinary Shares increase as a result of market purchases of shares by the Company permitted under the Share Buyback Authority (if passed), the Concert Party would be required under Rule 9 of the Code to make a general offer for the issued share capital of the Company not already held by them. Therefore, the Company is seeking the approval of a waiver, granted by the Panel, of any requirement under Rule 9 of the Code for the Concert Party to make a general offer to Shareholders that would otherwise arise as a result of any market purchases of Ordinary Shares by the Company pursuant to the Share Buyback Authority (if passed). The approval of the Independent Shareholders is therefore being sought, by means of the Waiver Resolution to be taken on a poll at the GM, for the Waiver, which the Panel has granted (subject to such approval).
Under Rule 9 of the Code, when any person, together with persons acting in concert with him, is interested in shares which, in aggregate, carry not less than 30 per cent. of the voting rights but does not hold shares carrying more than 50 per cent. of the voting rights of such a company, a general offer will normally be required if any further interests in shares are acquired by any such person. Such an offer would have to be made in cash at a price not less than the highest price paid by him, or by any member of the group of persons acting in concert with him, for any interest in shares in the company during the 12 months prior to the announcement of the offer.
Under Rule 37 of the Code, any increase in the percentage holding of a shareholder or group of shareholders acting in concert which results from a company purchasing its own shares will also be treated as an acquisition for the purposes of Rule 9 of the Code.
If the Share Buyback Authority is utilised in full, and if the Concert Party does not participate on a pro rata basis in any future share repurchases by the Company of its own shares pursuant to the the Share Buyback Authority, and/or otherwise sell down in the market, the Concert Party will become interested in a greater percentage of Ordinary Shares than its existing aggregate shareholding of 32.16 per cent. (being the Concert Party's current interest in Ordinary Shares) and will therefore be subject to the provisions of Rule 9 of the Code.
As a result, the Independent Directors have consulted with the Panel which has agreed, subject to approval by the Independent Shareholders of the Waiver Resolution on a poll, that it would waive any obligation that would otherwise arise on the Concert Party to make a mandatory offer under Rule 9 as a result of market purchases of Ordinary Shares by the Company, pursuant to the authority to be granted under the Share Buyback Authority, that would take the Concert Party's interest in Ordinary Shares from 32.16 per cent. up to a maximum level of 37.83 per cent. of the issued share capital, as at the date of this document. The Independent Directors intend to only seek shareholder approval for future repurchases of the Company's Ordinary Shares to the extent that the interest of the Concert Party in the Company's Ordinary Shares will not exceed 39 per cent, the self-imposed limit they have committed to and stated in each of the last three years equivalent waiver requests.
Shareholders should note that, if the Whitewash Resolution is passed by the Independent Shareholders at the General Meeting, the Concert Party will not be restricted from making an offer for the Company.
The Independent Directors took into account the following factors in making their recommendation:
Pursuant to the Code, it is necessary to provide an illustration of the Concert Party's maximum potential interest in Ordinary Shares based on certain assumptions.
Assuming (i) exercise by the Company of the authority proposed to be granted under the Share Buyback Authority to the maximum level permitted; and (ii) no pro rata participation or other sales of interests in Ordinary Shares by the Concert Party in connection with any share re-purchases or otherwise, the Concert Party's maximum potential interest in the Ordinary Shares would be as set out in the following table:
| Name | Number of Ordinary Shares |
Minimum potential number of Ordinary Shares in issue |
Maximum potential interest in Ordinary Shares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Martin | 32,241,004/30.80% | 32,241,004/36.24% | |
| Felicity Martin | 1,225,930/1.17% | 1,225,930/1.38% | |
| Margit Martin | 109,970/0.11% | 109,970/0.12% | |
| Wilfred T Fry (Executor & Trustee) Limited (Mrs Margit Martin, Mr Gerald Martin, Mr Tim Martin) |
85,142/0.08% | 85,142/0.10% | |
| Louise Martin | 1,300/0.00% | 1,300/0.00% | |
| 33,663,346/32.16% | 89,976,636 | 33,663,346/37.83% |
The Waiver relating to the authority proposed to be granted under the Share Buyback Authority would apply, provided the Waiver Resolution is approved by the Independent Shareholders on a poll, only in respect of increases in the percentage interest in Ordinary Shares held by the Concert Party resulting from market purchases of such number of Ordinary Shares by the Company that would take the Concert Party's shareholding from 32.16 per cent. up to a maximum of 37.83 per cent.
The Concert Party has confirmed to the Company that it is not proposing to seek any change in the composition of the Board or to the general nature or any other aspect of the Company's business, including R&D.
Tim Martin, as Executive Chairman of the Company, is involved in the decision making of the future of the Company's (and its subsidiaries') businesses, the balance of skills and functions of the Company's employees and management, the location and function of the Company's headquarters, locations of the Company's (and its subsidiaries') places of business, the continued employment of its employees and management, including any material change in conditions of employment, employer's contributions to the Company's pension schemes, the accrual of benefits for existing members and the admission of new members, the redeployment of the fixed assets of the Company (or any of its subsidiaries) and any change in the existing trading facilities for the Ordinary Shares as a result of such proposals.
The Concert Party has no intentions to change any of the above, as a result of the proposals set out within this document.
Set out in Appendix 1 to this document is a notice convening the General Meeting to be held at 10:15 a.m. (or as soon thereafter as the AGM has concluded or been adjourned) on 21st November 2019. At this meeting, an ordinary resolution will be proposed for the approval of the Waiver.
If you are not able to attend the GM but would like to vote on the Waiver Resolution, please fill in the Form of Proxy sent to you with this notice and return it to our registrars, Computershare Investor Services PLC, at The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol, BS99 6ZY, or at the following electronic address www.investorcentre.co.uk/eproxy, as soon as possible.
Completion and return of the Form of Proxy will not prevent you from attending and voting at the GM should you so wish.
Voting in respect of the Waiver Resolution will be conducted by means of a poll.
The Independent Directors, who have been so advised by Investec, consider the buyback and the Waiver to be fair and reasonable and in the best interests of the Independent Shareholders and the Company as a whole. In providing advice to the Independent Directors, Investec has taken into account the Independent Directors' commercial assessments. Accordingly, the Independent Directors unanimously recommend that Independent Shareholders vote in favour of the Waiver Resolution at the GM, as they intend to do in respect of their own beneficial shareholdings. The Concert Party will not be permitted to vote its interest in 33,663,346 Ordinary Shares, representing approximately 32.16 per cent. of the Company's current issued share capital, in relation to the Waiver Resolution. In addition, the Concert Party has not participated in the Board's consideration of the Waiver.
Yours sincerely,
Harry Morley Independent Director
Registered Number: 1709784
Registered office: Wetherspoon House Reeds Crescent Watford WD24 4QL
2.1 The Directors of the Company and their functions are as follows:
| Director | Role |
|---|---|
| Tim Martin | Chairman |
| John Hutson | Chief Executive |
| Ben Whitley | Finance Director |
| Su Cacioppo | Personnel & Legal Director |
| Debra van Gene | Non-Executive Director |
| Sir Richard Beckett | Non-Executive Director |
| Harry Morley | Non-Executive Director |
3.1 Tim Martin and his close relatives are treated as acting in concert for the purposes of the Code. As at the Latest Practicable Date, the Concert Party and any person acting in concert with the Concert Party's interests, rights to subscribe and short positions in Ordinary Shares, in respect of which they are treated as acting in concert, were as follows:
| Name | Number of Ordinary Shares |
Percentage of current issued Ordinary Shares |
|---|---|---|
| Tim Martin | 32,241,004 | 30.80% |
| Felicity Martin | 1,225,930 | 1.17% |
| Margit Martin | 109,970 | 0.11% |
| Wilfred T Fry (Executor & Trustee) Limited (Mrs Margit Martin, Mr Gerald Martin, Mr Tim Martin) |
85,142 | 0.08% |
| Louise Martin | 1,300 | 0.00% |
3.2 As at the close of business on the Latest Practicable Date, the interests, rights to subscribe and short positions of the Directors, their immediate families and persons connected with them (within the meaning of Part 22 of the Act) in Ordinary Shares (all of which are beneficial unless stated) were as set out below:
| Director | Number of Ordinary Shares held beneficially |
Percentage of current issued Ordinary Shares |
|---|---|---|
| Tim Martin | 33,466,934 | 31.97% |
| John Hutson | 119,883 | |
| John Hutson - Share Incentive Plan | 43,035 | |
| John Hutson - Deferred Bonus Scheme | 17,170 | |
| John Hutson total | 180,088 | 0.17% |
| Ben Whitley | 7,312 | |
| Ben Whitley - Share Incentive Plan | 11,485 | |
| Ben Whitley - Deferred Bonus Scheme | 5,611 | |
| Ben Whitley total | 24,408 | 0.02% |
| Su Cacioppo | 25,769 | |
| Su Cacioppo - Share Incentive Plan | 24,157 | |
| Su Cacioppo - Deferred Bonus Scheme | 9,639 | |
| Su Cacioppo total | 59,565 | 0.06% |
| Debra van Gene | 1,000 | 0.00% |
| Sir Richard Beckett | 2,000 | 0.00% |
| Harry Morley | 2,000 | 0.00% |
3.3 During the period of 12 months preceding the date of this document, there have been the following dealings in relevant securities by the Concert Party:
| Name | Date | Purchase/Sale | Price (p) | No. of Ordinary Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louise Martin | 3 April 2019 | Sale | 1316.00 | 500 |
| Gerald Martin | 22 March 2019 | Sale | 1299.04 | 120 |
| The Estate of Mrs Olive Muriel Hamilton |
10 September 2019 | Sale | 1614.00 | 2418 |
3.4 As at the close of business on the Latest Practicable Date:
9
3.5 As at the close of business on the Latest Practicable Date, Investec had the following interests in relevant J D Wetherspoon securities:
| Number of Ordinary Shares |
Percentage of current issued Ordinary Shares |
|
|---|---|---|
| Investec Asset Management Limited | 542,414 | 0.52% |
| Investec Wealth & Investment Limited | 15,546 | 0.01% |
5.1 Details of the service contracts currently in place between the Company and the Executive Directors are set out below:
| Executive Director | Date of contract | Term | Notice period |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Hutson | 02 February 1998 | - | 6 months |
| Ben Whitley | 05 November 2015 | - | 6 months |
| Su Cacioppo | 10 March 2008 | - | 6 months |
| Non-Executive Director/chairman | Date of letter | Term | Notice period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Martin | 20 October 1992 | - | 6 months |
| Debra van Gene | 01 November 2018 | 1 year | 12 months |
| Sir Richard Beckett | 01 November 2018 | 1 year | 12 months |
| Harry Morley | 01 November 2018 | 1 year | 12 months |
| Salary £ | Taxable benefits £ |
Performance bonus £ |
Long Term Incentives £ |
Pension Contributions £ |
Total £ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive | ||||||
| John Hutson | 620 | 21 | 31 | 276 | 87 | 1,035 |
| Ben Whitley | 220 | 17 | 11 | 84 | 26 | 358 |
| Su Cacioppo | 348 | 20 | 17 | 155 | 49 | 589 |
| Non-Executive/chairman | ||||||
| Tim Martin | 324 | 17 | - | - | - | 341 |
| Elizabeth McMeikan | 53 | - | - | - | - | 53 |
| Debra van Gene | 53 | - | - | - | - | 53 |
| Sir Richard Beckett | 53 | - | - | - | - | 53 |
| Harry Morley | 53 | - | - | - | - | 53 |
| Total | 1,724 | 75 | 59 | 515 | 162 | 2,535 |
5.4 None of the Executive Directors' current service contracts are for a fixed term. Each service contract is to continue until terminated by the relevant Executive Director or the Company and incorporates a provision for termination or a compensation payment in lieu of notice. Whilst none of the Executive Directors' service contracts are for a fixed term, all Executive and Non-Executive Directors are subject to annual re-election by shareholders. An Executive Directors' compensation payment in lieu of notice comprises basic salary for the relevant notice period plus value of the benefits (if any) the Executive Director would have been entitled to. The compensation payment is payable where the relevant notice period is not given to the Executive Director except in circumstances where no notice is given due to termination with immediate effect because of cause, such as gross misconduct.
5.5 Each Executive Directors' rights in respect of any options or awards granted to him or her under any employee share or long term bonus scheme of the Company will be determined in accordance with the rules of the relevant scheme. Pension entitlements are dealt with in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable pension scheme and do not form part of the part of the contractual compensation payment.
7.1 During the period beginning two years preceding the date of this document and ending on the Latest Practicable Date, the Company and its subsidiaries have not entered into any material contracts otherwise than in the ordinary course of business, save for the Relationship Agreement described in paragraph 4 of this Part II.
Set out below are the middle market quotations for an Ordinary Share, as derived from the Daily Official List of the London Stock Exchange PLC, for the first business day of each of the last six months and for the latest business day before the date of this document:
| Date | Price per Ordinary Share (pence) |
|---|---|
| 01 May 2019 | 1375p |
| 03 June 2019 | 1310p |
| 01 July 2019 | 1450p |
| 01 August 2019 | 1526p |
| 02 September 2019 | 1579p |
| 01 October 2019 | 1549p |
| 10 October 2019 | 1474p |
Copies of the following documents will be available for inspection on the Company's website www.jdwetherspoon. com/investors-home and documents available for display at the Company's registered office, Wetherspoon House, Reeds Crescent, Watford, Herts WD24 4QL (by contacting Nigel Connor on +44 1923 477777) and at the offices of Macfarlanes LLP, 20 Cursitor Street, London EC4A 1LT, during usual business hours on any weekday (Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays excepted) from the date of posting of this document up to the close of the General Meeting:
Any documents incorporated by reference into this document have been incorporated in compliance with Rule 24.15 of the Code.
(incorporated and registered in England & Wales under the Companies Act 1985 with registered number 1709784)
Notice is hereby given that the General Meeting of J D Wetherspoon plc (the "Company") will be held at 10:15a.m. (or as soon thereafter as the AGM (as defined in the document of which this Notice forms part) has concluded or been adjourned) on 21st November 2019 at The Auditorium, Willis Towers Watson, 51 Lime St, London EC3M 7DQ to consider and, if thought fit, pass on a poll the following resolution which is proposed as an ordinary resolution.
In accordance with the requirements of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers, the Concert Party will not be voting, in respect of the resolution, the Concert Party's interest in 33,663,346 shares in the Company, representing approximately 32.16 per cent. of the Company's current issued share capital.
By order of the Board Wetherspoon House
Reeds Crescent Nigel Connor Watford Company Secretary WD24 4QL
21st October 2019
In order for a proxy appointment or instruction 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 and Ireland Limited's ("Euroclear") 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 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 the issuer's agent (ID number 3RA50) by 10:15 a.m. on 19th November 2019. For this purpose, the time of receipt will be taken to be the time (as determined by the time stamp 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.
Building tools?
Free accounts include 100 API calls/year for testing.
Have a question? We'll get back to you promptly.