Pre-Annual General Meeting Information • Apr 13, 2023
Pre-Annual General Meeting Information
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It contains proposals relating to Riverstone Credit Opportunities Income Plc (the "Company") on which you are being asked to vote. If you are in any doubt about the contents of this document or the action you should take, you are recommended to seek immediately your own personal financial advice from your independent financial adviser, stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant, or from another appropriately qualified and duly authorised independent adviser, and if you are taking advice in the United Kingdom, is duly authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your shares in Riverstone Credit Opportunities Income Plc, please send this document and the accompanying documents at once to the purchaser or transferee or to the stockbroker, banker or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was affected for onward transmission to the purchaser or transferee.
(Incorporated in England and Wales with company number 11874946 and registered as an investment company under section 833 of the Companies Act 2006)
Notice of the Annual General Meeting to be held at 9.00 a.m. (BST) on Thursday, 18 May 2023 at the offices of Hogan Lovells International LLP, Atlantic House, Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2FG is set out at the end of this document.
Shareholders are requested to return the Form of Proxy accompanying this document for use at the Annual General Meeting. To be valid, the Form of Proxy must be completed and returned in accordance with the instructions printed thereon so as to be received by Link Group, PXS1, Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4DL as soon as possible and, in any event, not later than 2.00 p.m. (BST) on Tuesday, 16 May 2023. Alternatively, Shareholders may submit proxies electronically not later than 2.00 p.m. (BST) on Tuesday, 16 May 2023 using the Link Share Portal Service at www.signalshares.com.
Your attention is drawn to the letter from the Chairman of Riverstone Credit Opportunities Income Plc, which is set out in Part I of this document and which recommends that you vote in favour of the Resolutions to be proposed at the Annual General Meeting.
Your attention is also drawn to the section entitled "Action to be Taken" on page 4 of this document.
(Incorporated in England and Wales with company number 11874946 and registered as an investment company under section 833 of the Companies Act 2006)
Directors: Registered Office: Mr Reuben Jeffery, III (Chairman) 5th Floor Ms Emma Davies 20 Fenchurch St. Mr Edward Cumming-Bruce London
EC3M 3BY
13th April 2023
Dear Shareholder,
The Fourth Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held at the offices of Hogan Lovells International LLP, Atlantic House, Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2FG on Thursday, 18 May 2023 at 9.00 a.m. (BST). The business to be considered at the Annual General Meeting is contained in the Notice of Annual General Meeting beginning on page 6-7 of this document. A brief explanation of each of the Resolutions to be considered is set out below.
This letter explains the business to be considered at the Annual General Meeting and includes a recommendation that you vote in favour of the resolutions set out in the notice of the Annual General Meeting.
The Directors must lay the annual audited financial statements for the financial period ending 31 December 2022 and the reports of the Directors and the Auditor thereon before Shareholders, and the Shareholders will be asked to receive and consider the financial statements and the reports ("Annual Report and Accounts").
Shareholders will be asked to receive and approve the Directors' Remuneration Report for the financial period ended 31 December 2022. The Directors' Remuneration Report is set out in full on pages 31 of the Annual Report and Accounts, copies of which can be viewed on the Company's website at www.riverstonecoi.com and hard copies are available to Shareholders on request. The vote on the Directors' Remuneration Report is advisory in nature and does not affect the actual remuneration paid to any Director.
Shareholders will be asked to receive and approve the Directors' Remuneration Policy which is set out in full on page 31 of the Directors' Remuneration Report contained within the Annual Report and Accounts.
The Directors' Remuneration Policy sets out the Company's policy with respect to the making of remuneration payments and payments for loss of office to Directors and it is intended to take effect immediately following its approval at the Annual General Meeting. The vote on the Directors' Remuneration Policy is binding since, in general terms, once the Directors' Remuneration Policy becomes effective, the Company will only be able to make a remuneration payment to a current or a prospective Director or a payment for loss of office to a current or past Director if that payment is either consistent with the Directors' Remuneration Policy or, if it is inconsistent with the Directors' Remuneration Policy, is approved by a separate Shareholder resolution. Shareholders should note that, as the Company has only non-executive Directors (and the Articles impose a limit on the aggregate remuneration payable to Directors) the Directors' Remuneration Policy is necessarily limited in scope.
Shareholders will be asked to confirm the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as Auditor until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting due to be held in 2024 and to grant authority to the Board to determine their remuneration. Ernst & Young LLP have indicated their willingness to continue in office. Accordingly, Resolution 4 appoints Ernst & Young LLP as Auditor to the Company and Resolution 5 authorises the Directors to fix their remuneration.
In accordance with the Articles and corporate governance best practice as set out in the AIC Code of Corporate Governance, all Directors will retire from office at the Annual General Meeting. Each Director has offered himself or herself to stand for re-election. Each Director re-elected will hold office until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting due to be held in 2024 unless in the meantime he or she retires or ceases to be a Director in accordance with the Articles, by operation of law or until he or she resigns.
Following a performance evaluation of the Directors, the Board believes that each Director standing for re-election continues to make an effective and valuable contribution and demonstrates commitment to the role. Biographical details of all the Directors standing for re-election appear on pages 26-27 of the Annual Report and Accounts.
Shareholders will be asked to grant the Directors authority to offer a scrip dividend alternative to Shareholders in respect of any financial period ending on or before the Fourth Annual General Meeting of the Company. This authority would allow the Board to provide Shareholders with the opportunity to receive future dividends wholly or partly in the form of new ordinary shares in the Company, rather than cash. Providing such an alternative may enable certain Shareholders to increase their holdings of ordinary shares in the Company in a more cost-effective manner. Specific details, including pricing information, relating to any scrip dividend proposed by the Directors will be provided to Shareholders at the relevant time. Any scrip dividend alternative offered by the Company would only be offered in accordance with the restrictions relating to retention of income which apply as a condition of the Company's continuing status as an investment trust under section 1158 of the Corporation Tax Act 2010.
The authority given to the Directors to allot further equity securities in the capital of the Company and to grant rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into equity securities for any purpose requires the prior authorisation of the Shareholders in a general meeting under section 551 of the Companies Act. Upon the passing of Resolution 11, the Directors will have authority to allot equity securities up to an aggregate nominal amount of US\$302,684.12 which is approximately one-third of the Company's current issued ordinary share capital as at 13th April 2023, being the latest practicable date before the publication of this document.
The authority will expire immediately following the Annual General Meeting in 2024, or on the date which falls 15 months after the date on which Resolution 11 is passed, whichever is the earlier 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 or rights to subscribe for or convert securities into equity securities to be granted after the authority ends and the Board may allot equity securities or grant rights to subscribe for or convert securities into equity securities under any such offer or agreement as if the authority had not ended.
The Directors intend to continue to seek to renew this authority at each Annual General Meeting, in accordance with current best practice.
If the Directors wish to exercise the authority under Resolution 10 and allot and issue equity securities and/or grant rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into equity securities (or sell any shares which the Company may purchase and elect to hold as treasury shares) for cash, the Companies Act requires that, unless Shareholders have given specific authority for the waiver of their statutory pre-emption rights, the new equity securities must be offered first to existing Shareholders in proportion to their existing shareholdings in accordance with the provisions set out in the Companies Act. In certain circumstances, it may be in the best interests of the Company to allot new equity securities (or to grant rights over or to subscribe for or to convert any security into equity securities) for cash, or to sell treasury shares for cash, without first offering them to existing Shareholders in proportion to their holdings.
Resolution 11 would authorise the Directors to allot equity securities for cash (or to sell treasury shares for cash) by way of a rights issue (subject to certain exclusions), or by way of an open offer or other offer of securities made in favour of existing Shareholders in proportion to their shareholding (subject to certain exclusions).
Resolution 12 would allow the Directors to allot new equity securities (or to grant rights over or to subscribe for or to convert any security into equity securities) for cash, or to sell treasury shares for cash, without the pre-emption rights of existing Shareholders applying in respect of such allotment, in respect of equity securities up to an aggregate nominal value of US\$90,805.24 (which is equivalent to approximately 10 per cent. of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company on 13th April 2023 (being the latest practicable date prior to the printing of this document)).
The authorities granted under Resolutions 11 and 12 will expire immediately following the Annual General Meeting in 2024, or on the date which falls 15 months after the date on which the relevant Resolution is passed, whichever is the earlier.
The Directors do not currently intend to allot shares pursuant to the authorities provided under Resolutions 11 and 12.
In accordance with the provisions of the Listing Rules with which the Company has agreed voluntarily to comply, any non-pre-emptive issue of shares will be priced at or above the Company's then prevailing net asset value per ordinary share unless prior Shareholder approval is obtained.
As part of the Company's discount management arrangements, the Directors are seeking to renew the Company's authority to purchase from time to time its own shares in the market up to 13,611,705.03 ordinary shares (equivalent to 14.99 per cent. of the ordinary shares in issue (excluding shares held in treasury) as at 13th April 2023, being the latest practicable date prior to the date of publication of this document) either for cancellation or to hold as treasury shares for future resale or transfer.
Purchases will only be made in the market at prices at or below the prevailing net asset value per ordinary share in circumstances in which the Directors believe such purchases should result in an increase in the net asset value per ordinary share of the remaining ordinary shares or as a means of addressing any imbalance between the supply of, and demand for, ordinary shares.
The Board intends to seek renewal of this authority at subsequent Annual General Meetings in accordance with current best practice.
As at 13th April 2023, being the latest practicable date before the publication of this document, the Company held no equity securities in treasury.
Resolution 14 is a resolution to allow the Company to call general meetings (other than the Company's Annual General Meeting) on 14 clear days' notice.
Under the Companies (Shareholders' Rights) Regulations 2009 and the Companies (Shareholders Rights to Voting Confirmations) Regulations 2020, traded companies such as the Company must provide 21 clear days' notice of a general meeting, unless, amongst other things, shareholders approve the holding of general meetings on 14 clear days' notice on an annual basis. The Company does not intend to use this shorter notice period as a matter of routine for such meetings but is seeking the flexibility to do so where merited by the business of the meeting in question and where the Board considers it to be in the best interests of Shareholders as a whole.
You will find enclosed the Form of Proxy for use at the Annual General Meeting. In the event a shareholder is unable to attend in person, the Company recommends you to vote by proxy at the Annual General Meeting and to appoint the chairman of the meeting as your proxy for that purpose. To be valid, the Form of Proxy must be completed in accordance with the instructions printed on it and lodged with Link Group, PXS1, Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4DL, as soon as possible and, in any event, not later than 2.00 p.m. (BST) on Tuesday, 16 May 2023. Alternatively, Shareholders may submit proxies electronically not later than 2.00 p.m. (BST) on Tuesday, 16 May 2023 using the Link Share Portal Service at www.signalshares.com.
The lodging of the Form of Proxy will not prevent you from attending the Annual General Meeting and voting in person if you so wish. If you have any queries relating to the completion of the Form of Proxy, please contact Link Group, by post at PXS1, Central Square, 29 Wellington Street, Leeds, LS1 4DL; by telephone on UK: 0371 664 0391. Calls are charged at the standard geographic rate and will vary by provider. Calls outside the United Kingdom will be charged at the applicable international rate. We are open between 09:00 - 17:30, Monday to Friday excluding public holidays in England and Wales. Link Group can only provide information regarding the completion of the Form of Proxy and cannot provide you with investment or tax advice.
A quorum for the Annual General Meeting consisting of two Shareholders present (in person or by attorney or proxy or, in the case of a corporation Shareholder, by a duly appointed representative) and entitled to vote is required for the Annual General Meeting.
Resolutions 1 to 10 are proposed as ordinary resolutions, which, on a poll, require a simple majority of more than 50 per cent of the total voting rights cast on the relevant resolution (excluding any votes that are withheld) to be in favour.
Resolutions 11 to 14 are proposed as special resolutions, which, on a poll, require not less than 75 per cent. of the total voting rights cast on the relevant resolution (excluding any votes that are withheld) to be in favour.
The Board considers that the proposals and subjects of the Resolutions are in the best interests of Shareholders as a whole. Accordingly, the Board unanimously recommends Shareholders, as those Directors who own shares in the Company intend to do so in respect of their own beneficial holdings, to vote in favour of the Resolutions. You are urged to complete and return the enclosed Form of Proxy without delay.
Yours faithfully
REUBEN JEFFERY, III Chairman
"Annual General Meeting" means the Annual General Meeting of the Company convened for 9.00 a.m. (BST) on Thursday, 18 May 2023 (or any adjournment thereof), notice of which is set out at the end of this document;
"Articles" means the articles of association of the Company in force from time to time;
"Auditor" means the statutory auditor of the Company from time to time (currently Ernst & Young LLP);
"Board" or "Directors" (each a "Director") means the board of directors of the Company from time to time;
"Companies Act" means The Companies Act 2006;
"Company" means Riverstone Credit Opportunities Income Plc;
"Form of Proxy" means the form of proxy for use at the Annual General Meeting;
"Listing Rules" means the Listing Rules of the Financial Conduct Authority;
"Ordinary shares" means the ordinary shares of US\$0.01 in the capital of the Company issued and designated as "ordinary shares", having the rights and being subject to such restrictions as contained in the Articles;
"Resolutions" (each a "Resolution") means the resolutions to be proposed at the Annual General Meeting and contained in the notice of the Annual General Meeting; and
"Shareholders" (each a "Shareholder") means the shareholders of the Company, whose name is entered in the share register as the holder of shares in the capital of the Company from time to time.
5th Floor, 20 Fenchurch St., London, EC3M 3BY
(Incorporated in England and Wales with company number 11874946 and registered as an investment company under section 833 of the Companies Act 2006)
NOTICE is hereby given that the Fourth Annual General Meeting of Riverstone Credit Opportunities Income Plc (the "Company") will be held at the offices of Hogan Lovells International LLP, Atlantic House, Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2FG on Thursday, 18 May 2023 at 9.00 a.m. (BST) to consider and, if thought fit, to pass the following resolutions which will be proposed as ordinary resolutions and special resolutions as set out below:
The authority hereby conferred on the Directors shall expire at the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company after the date of the passing of this Resolution, or the date which falls 15 months after the date on which this Resolution is passed, whichever is the earlier, save that under this authority the Company may, before such expiry, make offers or enter into agreements which would or might require shares to be allotted or rights to subscribe for, or to convert any security into, shares to be granted after such expiry and the Directors may allot shares or grant rights to subscribe for, or to convert any security into, shares (as the case may be) in pursuance of such an 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 or securities represented by depositary receipts, record dates, legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or under the laws of, any territory or the requirements of any regulatory body or stock exchange or any other matter.
The authority hereby conferred shall expire at the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company after the passing of this Resolution, or the date which falls 15 months after the date on which this Resolution is passed, whichever is the earlier, save that the Company may, before such expiry, make offers and enter into agreements which would or might require equity securities to be allotted after such expiry and the Directors may allot equity securities in pursuance of such offers or agreements as if the authority conferred hereby had not expired.
The authority hereby conferred shall expire at the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company after the passing of this Resolution, or the date which falls 15 months after the date on which this Resolution is passed, whichever is the earlier, save that the Company may, before such expiry, make offers and enter into agreements which would or might require equity securities to be allotted after such expiry and the Directors may allot equity securities in pursuance of such offers or agreements as if the authority conferred hereby had not expired.
By order of the Board
Yours faithfully
REUBEN JEFFERY, III Chairman
Registered Office
5th Floor, 20 Fenchurch St., London, EC3M 3BY
The Company may not require the members requesting any such website publication to pay its expenses in complying with sections 527 or 528 Companies Act 2006.Where the Company is required to place a statement on a website under section 527 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 meeting includes any statement that the Company has been required under section 527 Companies Act 2006 to publish on a website.
A resolution may properly be moved or a matter may properly be included in the business unless:
Such a request may be in hard copy form or in electronic form, and must identify the resolution of which notice is to be given or the matter to be included in the business, must be authorised by the person or persons making it, must be received by the Company not later than 4 May 2023, being 14 days before the meeting, and (in the case of a matter to be included in the business only) must be accompanied by a statement setting out the grounds for the request.
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