AGM Information • Apr 6, 2017
AGM Information
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THIS DOCUMENT IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. If you are in doubt about the action you should take, you are recommended to immediately seek your own personal financial advice from your stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, accountant or other independent professional financial adviser who, if you are taking advice in Ireland, is authorised or exempted pursuant to the European Communities (Markets in Financial Instruments) Regulations (Nos. 1 to 3) 2007 of Ireland (as amended) or the Investment Intermediaries Act, 1995 of Ireland (as amended), or, if you are taking advice in the United Kingdom, is authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 of the United Kingdom.
If you have sold or otherwise transferred all your Grafton Units, please send this document and the accompanying Form of Proxy at once to the purchaser or transferee, or to the stockbroker, bank or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was effected for delivery to the purchaser or transferee.
Notice of 2017 Annual General Meeting
A letter from the Chairman of Grafton Group plc is set out on pages 3 to 5 of this document.
Your attention is drawn to the Notice of the Annual General Meeting to be held at 10.30am on 9 May 2017 at the IMI Conference Centre, Sandyford Road, Dublin 16, Ireland, which is set out on pages 6 to 9 of this document.
A Form of Proxy for use at the meeting is enclosed and, if you wish to appoint a proxy, the Form of Proxy should be returned to the Company's Registrars, Capita Asset Services, Shareholder solutions (Ireland) at P.O. Box 7117, Dublin 2, Ireland (if delivered by post) or at 2 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2 (if delivered by hand) so as to be received no later than 10.30am on 7 May 2017. Alternatively, you may appoint a proxy electronically by visiting the website of the Company's Registrars at www.capitashareportal.com and entering the Company name, Grafton Group plc. You will need to register for the Share Portal by clicking on "registration section" (if you have not registered previously) and following the instructions. You will need your Investor Code (IVC) to submit your appointment.
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Expected Timetable of Events | 2 |
| Agenda of Annual General Meeting | 2 |
| Letter from the Chairman | 3 |
| Notice of Annual General Meeting | 6 |
| Notes to Notice of Annual General Meeting | 10 |
Latest time for return of proxies for Annual General Meeting 10.30am on Sunday, 7 May 2017
Annual General Meeting 10.30am on Tuesday, 9 May 2017
(Registered in Ireland No. 8149)
Michael Roney (Chairman) Heron House Gavin Slark (Chief Executive Officer) Corrig Road David Arnold (Chief Financial Officer) Sandyford Industrial Estate Roderick Ryan (Senior Independent Director) Dublin 18 Charles M. Fisher (Non-Executive Director) Frank van Zanten (Non-Executive Director) Paul Hampden Smith (Non-Executive Director) Susan Murray (Non-Executive Director) Vincent Crowley (Non-Executive Director)
31 March 2017
Dear Shareholder,
I am writing to you to explain the resolutions to be proposed as special business at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting (the "AGM"), all of which the Board is recommending for your approval.
Your attention is drawn to the notice of the AGM which will be held at the IMI Conference Centre, Sandyford Road, Dublin 16, Ireland at 10.30am on 9 May 2017, which is set out on pages 6 to 9 of this document.
The Board has agreed that all continuing Directors will retire and seek election/re-election at the forthcoming AGM. This is not required legally or by the Company's Articles of Association but is in line with best practice and the provisions of the 2014 UK Corporate Governance Code. I recommend that each of the Directors going forward be elected/re-elected at the 2017 AGM.
In Resolution 4, the Board is proposing to submit the Chairman's Annual Statement and the Annual Report on Remuneration of the Remuneration Committee, as set out on pages 54 to 56 and 63 to 70 of the 2016 Annual Report, to a non-binding advisory vote.
In Resolution 5, the Board is proposing to submit a new Remuneration Policy which is set out on pages 57 to 62 of the 2016 Annual Report (the "2017 Remuneration Policy") to a non-binding advisory vote. It is the Company's intention that the 2017 Remuneration Policy will apply for up to three years until the annual general meeting in 2020 unless the Remuneration Committee seeks approval from shareholders to adopt a new policy at an earlier date.
In Resolution 6, the Board is seeking approval to increase the limit on the amount of the aggregate annual fees for Directors to €950,000. The current limit, approved at the 2015 Annual General Meeting, is €750,000.
Resolution No. 7 is a special resolution which, if adopted, will maintain the existing authority in the Articles of Association which permits the Company to convene an Extraordinary General Meeting on 14 days' notice in writing where the purpose of the meeting is to consider an ordinary resolution. As a matter of policy, the 14 days' notice will only be utilised where the Directors believe that it is merited by the business of the meeting and is to the advantage of shareholders as a whole.
In addition to the ordinary business to be transacted at the AGM, there are various items of special business which are described further below.
In Resolution 8, shareholders are being asked to renew the Directors' authority to allot and issue shares. If adopted, this authority will authorise the Directors to issue shares up to the authorised but unissued share capital of the Company up to an aggregate amount of €3,170,934. This is equal to approximately 27 per cent of the nominal value of the existing issued share capital of the Company as at the date of Notice of the AGM. The authority under this resolution will expire at next year's AGM or 15 months after the forthcoming AGM, whichever is the earlier.
At the AGM held in 2016, shareholders gave the Directors power to allot shares for cash otherwise than in accordance with statutory pre-emption rights. That power will expire at the close of business on the date of the forthcoming AGM.
The Directors will, at the forthcoming AGM, seek power to allot shares for cash, otherwise than in accordance with statutory pre-emption rights, by way of rights issue up to the amount of the unissued share capital of the Company, or otherwise up to an aggregate nominal value of approximately €591,991 on the basis that this limit shall apply to all allotments for cash and any treasury shares that may be reissued for cash. This limit is equivalent to approximately 5 per cent of the nominal value of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company. The power under this Resolution will expire (under the Articles of Association of the Company) at next year's AGM or 15 months after the forthcoming AGM, whichever is the earlier. The Board has no present intention of making such an issue of shares.
Resolution 10 has not been proposed before and is therefore new. This resolution has been prepared in accordance with the Statement of Principles on Disapplying Pre-emption Rights most recently published by the Pre-Emption Group.
If adopted, this resolution would authorise the Directors to allot shares for cash up to an aggregate nominal value of approximately €591,991 on the basis that this limit shall apply to all allotments for cash and any treasury shares that may be reissued for cash. This limit is equivalent to approximately 5 per cent of the nominal value of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company. This authority may only be used where the proceeds of any such allotment are to be used for the purposes of financing (or re-financing, if the authority is to be used within six months after the original transaction) a transaction which the Directors determine to be an acquisition or other capital investment of a kind contemplated by the Statement of Principles on Disapplying Pre-emption Rights published by the Pre-Emption Group. The power under this Resolution will expire (under the Articles of Association of the Company) at next year's AGM or 15 months after the forthcoming AGM, whichever is the earlier. The Board has no present intention of making such an issue of shares.
At the 2016 AGM, shareholders gave the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries authority to make stock market purchases of up to 10 per cent of the Company's own shares. Under Resolution 11 shareholders are being asked to renew this authority.
The Directors monitor the Company's share price and may from time to time exercise this power to make stock market purchases of the Company's own shares, at price levels which they consider to be in the best interests of shareholders generally, after taking account of the Company's overall financial position. The minimum price which may be paid for any market purchase of the Company's own shares will be the nominal value of the shares and the maximum price which may be paid will be 105 per cent of the then average market price of the shares. The power under this Resolution will expire (under the Articles of Association of the Company) at next year's AGM or 15 months after the forthcoming AGM, whichever is the earlier. The Board has no present intention of exercising this authority.
In Resolution 12, shareholders are being asked to sanction the price range at which any treasury share (that is a share of the Company redeemed or purchased and held by the Company rather than being cancelled) may be re-issued other than on the Stock Exchange. The maximum and minimum prices at which such a share may be re-issued are 120 per cent and 95 per cent, respectively of the average market price of a share calculated over the five business days immediately preceding the date of such re-issue.
In Resolution 13, shareholders are being asked to approve two amendments to the Rules of the Long Term Incentive Plan which would be needed in order to operate the proposed 2017 Remuneration Policy. The principal amendment increases the limit on an individual award from 150% of a person's Base Salary to 200% of a person's Base Salary and deletes the reference to the authority of the Remuneration Committee to make increased awards up to 200% of a Nominated Person's Base Salary where the Remuneration Committee determines that there are exceptional circumstances. The other amendment will allow the principal amendment to apply to awards which are to be granted in 2017 following the AGM.
A Form of Proxy for use at the AGM is enclosed. To be valid, the Form of Proxy must be completed and returned to the Company's Registrars, Capita Asset Services, Shareholder solutions (Ireland) at P.O. Box 7117, Dublin 2, Ireland (if delivered by post) or at 2 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2 (if delivered by hand) no later than 10.30am on 7 May 2017. Alternatively, you may appoint a proxy electronically, by visiting the website of the Company's Registrars at www.capitashareportal.com and entering the Company name, Grafton Group plc. You will need to register for the Share Portal by clicking on "registration section" (if you have not registered previously) and following the instructions. You will need your Investor Code (IVC), which can be found at the top of your proxy form. The completion and lodging of a Form of Proxy will not prevent you from attending and voting in person at the meeting should you so wish.
Your Board considers that the proposals set out above are in the best interests of shareholders as a whole and, accordingly, your Board recommends that you vote in favour of the resolutions at the AGM.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Roney Chairman
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of Grafton Group plc will be held at the IMI Conference Centre, Sandyford Road, Dublin 16, Ireland on 9 May, 2017 at 10.30am for the following purposes:
(1) To receive and consider the Company's Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2016 together with the reports of the Directors and the auditors thereon, and to review the Company's affairs.
(2) By separate resolutions, to elect/re-elect the following Directors who retire and, being eligible, offer themselves for election/re-election:
| Michael Roney | (Resolution No. 2a) |
|---|---|
| Frank van Zanten | (Resolution No. 2b) |
| Paul Hampden Smith | (Resolution No. 2c) |
| Susan Murray | (Resolution No. 2d) |
| Vincent Crowley | (Resolution No. 2e) |
| David Arnold | (Resolution No. 2f) |
| Gavin Slark | (Resolution No. 2g) |
Biographical information on the Directors eligible for election/re-election is set out on pages 40 and 41 of the 2016 Annual Report.
(3) To authorise the Directors to fix the remuneration of the Auditors for the year ending 31 December 2017.
(4) To receive and consider the Chairman's Annual Statement and the Annual Report on Remuneration of the Remuneration Committee for the year ended 31 December 2016, which is set out on pages 54 to 56 and 63 to 70 of the 2016 Annual Report. (This is an advisory, nonbinding resolution.)
(5) To consider the new Remuneration Policy, which is set out on pages 57 to 62 of the 2016 Annual Report. (This is an advisory, non-binding resolution.)
(6) To increase the limit of the aggregate annual fees for Directors to €950,000.
"That it is hereby resolved that the provision in Article 58 allowing for the convening of an Extraordinary General Meeting by at least fourteen Clear Days' notice (where such meetings are not convened for the passing of a special resolution) shall continue to be effective."
"That the Directors of the Company be and are hereby generally and unconditionally authorised to allot relevant securities (within the meaning of Section 1021 of the Companies Act 2014) in accordance with the powers, provisions and limitations in Article 9(b) of the Articles of Association of the Company provided that the sum of the nominal value of all allotments made pursuant to this authority shall not exceed €3,170,934, representing approximately 27% of the nominal value of the issued share capital of the Company."
To the extent provided in Article 9(b) of the Articles of Association of the Company, this authority shall expire at the close of business on the earlier of the date of the Annual General Meeting in 2018 or 8 August 2018.
"That subject to the approval of Resolution 8 in the Notice of this meeting, the Directors be and are hereby authorised to allot equity securities for cash in accordance with the powers, provisions and limitations in Article 9(c)(i) and (ii) of the Articles of Association of the Company provided that the sum of the nominal value of all allotments made pursuant to this authority in accordance with sub-paragraph (ii) of Article 9(c) and all treasury shares (as defined in Section 106 of the Companies Act 2014) re-issued pursuant to Resolution 12 in the Notice of this meeting shall not exceed an aggregate nominal value of approximately €591,991 (11,839,811 Ordinary Shares) representing 5% of the nominal value of the ordinary issued share capital."
To the extent provided in Article 9(c) of the Articles of Association of the Company, this authority shall expire at the close of business on the earlier of the date of the Annual General Meeting in 2018 or 8 August 2018.
"That subject to the approval of Resolution 8 in the Notice of this meeting, the Board be and are hereby authorised in addition to any authority granted under Resolution 9 in the notice of this meeting to allot equity securities (as defined in Section 1023 of the Companies Act 2014) for cash as if Section 1022 of the Companies Act 2014 did not apply to any such allotment, provided that:
(a) the proceeds of any such allotment are to be used only for the purposes of financing (or re-financing, if the authority is to be used in within six months after the original transaction) a transaction which the Directors determine to be an acquisition or other capital investment of a kind contemplated by the Statement of Principles on Disapplying Pre-emption Rights most recently published by the Pre-Emption Group prior to the date of this Notice; and
(b) the nominal value of all equity securities allotted pursuant to this authority together with the nominal value of all treasury shares (as defined in Section 1078 of the Companies Act 2014) re-issued pursuant to Resolution 12 in the Notice of this Meeting may not exceed €591,991 (11,839,811 Ordinary Shares) representing 5% of the nominal value of the ordinary issued share capital.
This authority shall expire at the close of business on the earlier of the date of the Annual General Meeting in 2018 or 8 August 2018 save that the Company may before such expiry make an offer or agreement which would or might require equity securities to be allotted after such expiry date and the Directors may allot equity securities in pursuance of such offer or agreement as if such power had not expired."
"That, the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries (as defined by section 7 of the Companies Act 2014) be and are hereby generally authorised to purchase on a securities market (within the meaning of Section 1072 of the Companies Act 2014) from time to time shares of any class in the Company up to a maximum number of shares equal to ten per cent of the Company's issued share capital at the date of the passing of this resolution and provided further that purchases of shares will be limited to a maximum price which will not exceed the higher of:
and shall be limited to a minimum price which will not be less than the par value of the shares at the time the purchase is made.
This authority shall expire at the close of business on the earlier of the date of the Annual General Meeting in 2018 or 8 August 2018 save that the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries may before such expiry make a contract of purchase which would or might be executed wholly or partly after the expiry of this authority."
"That, for the purposes of Section 1078 of the Companies Act 2014, the re-issue price range at which any treasury shares (as defined by the said Section 1078) for the time being held by the Company may be re-issued off-market shall be as follows:
For the purposes of this resolution the expression "Appropriate Price" shall mean the average of five amounts resulting from determining whichever of the following {(i), (ii) or (iii) specified below} in relation to shares of the class of which such treasury shares is to be re-issued shall be appropriate in respect of each of the five business days immediately preceding the day on which the treasury share is re-issued, as determined from information published in the Official List of the London Stock Exchange reporting the business done on each of these five business days:-
and if there shall be only a bid (but not an offer) or an offer (but not a bid) price reported, or if there shall not be any bid or offer price reported, for any particular day then that day shall not count as one of the said five business days for the purposes of determining the Appropriate Price. If the means of providing the foregoing information as to dealings and prices by reference to which the Appropriate Price is to be determined is altered or is replaced by some other means, then the Appropriate Price shall be determined on the basis of the equivalent information published by the relevant authority in relation to dealings on the London Stock Exchange. This authority shall expire at the close of business on the earlier of the date of the Annual General Meeting in 2018 or 8 August 2018."
That the amendment of the Rules of the Long Term Incentive Plan be and is hereby approved so that:
(Resolution No. 13)
Charles Rinn Company Secretary Grafton Group plc Heron House Corrig Road Sandyford Industrial Estate Dublin 18
31 March 2017
In the case of joint holders, the vote of the senior who tenders a vote, whether in person or by proxy, will be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other registered holder(s) and, for this purpose, seniority will be determined by the order in which the names stand in the register of members.
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