Pre-Annual General Meeting Information • Apr 7, 2016
Pre-Annual General Meeting Information
Open in ViewerOpens in native device viewer
If you are in any doubt as to any aspect of the proposals referred to in this document or as to the action you should take, you should seek your own advice from a stockbroker, solicitor, accountant, or other professional adviser.
If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your shares, please pass this document together with the accompanying documents to the purchaser or transferee, or to the person who arranged the sale or transfer so they can pass these documents to the person who now holds the shares.
(incorporated and registered in England and Wales under number 00177991)
Notice of the Annual General Meeting of the Company to be held at the offices of Peel Hunt, Moor House, 120 London Wall, London EC2Y 5ET on Tuesday 10 May 2016 at 11.00 a.m. is set out in this circular.
Whether or not you propose to attend the Annual General Meeting, please complete and submit a proxy form in accordance with the instructions printed on the enclosed form. The proxy form must be received not less than 48 hours before the time of the Annual General Meeting.
(incorporated and registered in England and Wales under number 00177991)
7/8 Market Place London W1W 8AG 6 April 2016
To the holders of 4imprint Group plc shares
Dear Shareholder,
I am pleased to be writing to you with details of our Annual General Meeting ("AGM") which we are holding at the offices of Peel Hunt, Moor House, 120 London Wall, London EC2Y 5ET on Tuesday 10 May 2016 at 11.00 a.m. The formal notice of Annual General Meeting is set out on page 4 of this document.
If you would like to vote on the resolutions but cannot come to the AGM, please fill in the proxy form sent to you with this notice and return it to our registrars as soon as possible. They must receive it by 11.00 a.m. on Friday 6 May 2016.
Shareholders are being asked to receive the accounts for the period ended 2 January 2016, together with the report of the directors and the auditors' report thereon.
Shareholders are being asked to approve a final dividend of 26.80 cents per ordinary share for the year ended 2 January 2016. If you approve the recommended final dividend, this will be paid on 13 May 2016 to all ordinary shareholders who were on the register of members on 8 April 2016.
Shareholders are being asked to approve the Remuneration Report for the period ended 2 January 2016, as set out on pages 34 to 40 of the Annual Report.
Charles John Brady and Paul Stephen Moody were appointed Directors by the Board on 11 June 2015 and 1 February 2016, respectively. They both offer themselves for election. Shareholders are being asked to approve both appointments.
In line with most recent corporate governance guidelines, John William Poulter, Kevin Lyons-Tarr, Andrew James Scull, David John Emmott Seekings and John Anthony Warren will retire and offer themself for re-election as a director. Shareholders are being asked to approve each of their re-elections. Biographical details concerning each of the proposed candidates for re-election can be found on pages 20 and 21 of the Annual Report and Accounts 2015 and also on our website at http://investors.4imprint.com.
The Board is satisfied that John William Poulter, the Non-Executive Chairman, Charles John Brady, Paul Stephen Moody and John Anthony Warren, the Non-Executive Directors being proposed for election and re-election (as the case may be), continue to perform effectively and demonstrate commitment to their roles. They have been chosen for their broad and relevant experience.
Shareholders are being asked to approve the re-appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as auditors to the Company for the financial period ending 31 December 2016, and to authorise the Board to set the auditors' fees.
Shareholders are being asked to authorise the Directors to allot shares pursuant to section 551 of the Companies Act 2006 and to disapply pre-emption rights in respect of some of those shares.
Shareholders are being asked to authorise the Company to purchase its own shares in accordance with section 701 of the Companies Act 2006.
We are asking Shareholders to authorise general meetings (other than an annual general meeting) being called on not less than 14 clear days' notice.
Explanatory notes on business to be considered at this year's AGM appear on pages 8 and 9 of this document.
The Board considers that all the resolutions to be put to the meeting are in the best interests of the Company and its Shareholders as a whole. Your Board will be voting in favour of them and unanimously recommends that you do so as well.
Yours sincerely,
John Poulter Chairman
The following documents will be available for inspection at the registered office of the Company from 6 April 2016 until the time of the AGM and at the offices of Peel Hunt, Moor House, 120 London Wall, London EC2Y 5ET from 15 minutes before the AGM until it ends:
This year's Annual General Meeting will be held at the offices of Peel Hunt, Moor House, 120 London Wall, London EC2Y 5ET on Tuesday 10 May 2016 at 11.00 a.m. You will be asked to consider and pass the resolutions below. Resolutions 14, 15 and 16 will be proposed as special resolutions. All other resolutions will be proposed as ordinary resolutions.
and so that the Board may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which it considers necessary or appropriate to deal with 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 authority granted under resolution 13 and/or in the case of any sale of treasury shares for cash, to the allotment (otherwise than under paragraph (A) above) of equity securities or sale of treasury shares up to a nominal amount of £537,798.
such power to apply until the end of next year's Annual General Meeting (or, if earlier, until the close of business on 9 August 2017) but, in each case, during this period 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 power ends and the Board may allot equity securities (and sell treasury shares) under any such offer or agreement as if the power had not ended.
in each case, exclusive of expenses;
such power to apply until the end of next year's Annual General Meeting (or, if earlier, 9 August 2016), but in each case so that the Company may enter into a contract to purchase ordinary shares which will or may be completed or executed wholly or partly after the power ends and the Company may purchase ordinary shares pursuant to any such contract as if the power had not ended.
6 April 2016
By order of the Board
Andrew Scull Company Secretary
Registered Office:
7/8 Market Place London W1W 8AG Registered in England and Wales No. 00177991
the right to require the Company to publish on a website a statement setting out any matter relating to: (i) the audit of the Company's accounts (including the auditor's report and the conduct of the audit) that are to be laid before the Annual General Meeting; or (ii) any circumstance connected with an auditor of the Company ceasing to hold office since the previous meeting at which annual accounts and reports were laid in accordance with section 437 of the Companies Act 2006. The Company may not require the Shareholders requesting any such website publication to pay its expenses in complying with sections 527 or 528 of the Companies Act 2006. Where the Company is required to place a statement on a website under section 527 of the Companies Act 2006, it must forward the statement to the Company's auditor not later than the time when it makes the statement available on the website. The business which may be dealt with at the Annual General Meeting includes any statement that the Company has been required under section 527 of the Companies Act 2006 to publish on a website.
The notes on the following pages give an explanation of the proposed resolutions.
Resolutions 1 to 13 (inclusive) 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 14, 15 and 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.
This resolution would give the Directors the authority to allot ordinary shares or grant rights to subscribe for or convert any securities into ordinary shares up to an aggregate nominal amount equal to £3,585,323 (representing 9,321,843 ordinary shares of 386/13p each). This amount represents approximately one-third of the issued ordinary share capital (excluding treasury shares) of the Company as at 4 April 2015, the latest practicable date prior to publication of this Notice.
The authority sought under this resolution will expire at the earlier of 9 August 2017 and the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of the Company held in 2017.
The Directors have no present intention to exercise the authority sought under this resolution.
As at the date of this Notice, no ordinary shares are held by the company in treasury.
This resolution will be proposed as a special resolution, which requires a 75% majority of the votes to be cast in favour. It would give the Directors the authority to allot ordinary shares (or sell any ordinary shares which the Company elects to hold in treasury) for cash without first offering them to existing shareholders in proportion to their existing shareholdings.
This authority would be limited to allotments or sales in connection with pre-emptive offers and offers to holders of other equity securities if required by the rights of those shares or as the Board otherwise considers necessary, or otherwise up to an aggregate nominal amount of £537,798 (representing 1,398,276 ordinary shares). This aggregate nominal amount represents approximately 5% of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 4 April 2016, the latest practicable date prior to publication of this Notice. In respect of this aggregate nominal amount, the Directors note the Pre-Emption Group's revised Statement of Principles published in March 2015, regarding such authority being increased from 5% to 10% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital in certain circumstances. However, the Directors consider that such additional authority is not needed by the Company. The Directors confirm their intention to follow the provisions of the Pre-Emption Group's Statement of Principles regarding cumulative usage of authorities within a rolling 3-year period where the Principles provide that usage in excess of 7.5% should not take place without prior consultation with shareholders.
The authority will expire at the earlier of 9 August 2017 and the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of the Company held in 2017.
Authority is sought for the Company to purchase up to 10 per cent. of its issued ordinary shares (excluding any treasury shares), renewing the authority granted by the shareholders at previous annual general meetings.
The Directors have no present intention of exercising the authority to make market purchases, however the authority provides the flexibility to allow them to do so in the future. The Directors will exercise this authority only when to do so would be in the best interests of the Company, and of its shareholders generally, and could be expected to result in an increase in the earnings per shares of the Company.
Ordinary shares purchased by the Company pursuant to this authority may be held in treasury or may be cancelled. The Directors will consider holding any ordinary shares the Company may purchase as treasury shares. The Company currently has no ordinary shares in treasury. The minimum price, exclusive of expenses, which may be paid for an ordinary share is 386/13p, its nominal value. The maximum price, exclusive of expenses, which may be paid for an ordinary share is the highest of (i) an amount equal to 5% above the average market value for an ordinary share for the five business days immediately preceding the date of the purchase and (ii) the higher of the price of the last independent trade and the highest current independent bid on the trading venues where the purchase is carried out.
The Company has options outstanding over 156,464 ordinary shares, 0.6% per cent. of the Company's ordinary issued share capital as at 2 January 2016.
If the existing authority given at the 2015 Annual General Meeting and the authority now being sought by resolution 15 were to be fully used, the options outstanding would represent 0.7% per cent. of the Company's ordinary issued share capital.
The authority will expire at the earlier of 9 August 2017 and the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting of the Company held in 2017.
Resolution 16 seeks the approval of the Shareholders (as required by the Companies (Shareholders' Rights) regulations 2009 (the "Shareholders' Rights Regulations")) to replace a similar authority granted to the Directors at the 2015 Annual General Meeting to allow the Company to call general meetings (other than annual general meetings) on 14 clear days' notice. The approval will be effective until the company's next AGM, when it is intended that a similar resolution will be proposed. The Company does not intend to use this authority routinely. The Company intends that this authority will only be used in limited circumstances for time-sensitive matters where a shorter notice period would be to the advantage of the shareholders as a whole. The Company will also need to meet the requirements for electronic voting under the Shareholder Rights' Regulations before it can call a general meeting on 14 days' notice.
4imprint Group plc 7/8 Market Place London W1W 8AG Telephone +44 (0)20 7299 7201 Fax +44 (0)20 7299 7209 E-mail [email protected]
Building tools?
Free accounts include 100 API calls/year for testing.
Have a question? We'll get back to you promptly.