AGM Information • Jan 27, 2015
AGM Information
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THIS DOCUMENT IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. If you are in any doubt about the contents of this document and/or the action you should take, you should consult a person authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 who specialises in advising on the acquisition of shares and other securities if you are resident in the United Kingdom or, if not, another appropriately authorised independent financial adviser.
If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your Ordinary Shares, please send this document together with 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 onward delivery to the purchaser or transferee. If you have sold or otherwise transferred only part of your holding of Ordinary Shares, please contact your stockbroker, bank or other agent through whom the sale or transfer was effected immediately.
This document comprises a circular and has been prepared in accordance with Chapter 13 of the Listing Rules made under section 73A of the FSMA. However, this document has not been approved by the UK Financial Conduct Authority.
Your attention is drawn to the letter from the Chairman of the Company set out on pages 3 to 6 of this document, recommending that you vote in favour of the resolutions to be proposed at the General Meeting. You should read this document in its entirety and consider whether to vote in favour of the Resolutions in light of the information contained in this document.
Notice of a General Meeting of Gresham Computing plc to be held at the offices of N+1 Singer Capital Markets Limited of One Bartholomew Lane, London EC2N 2AX at 11.00 a.m. on Tuesday 24 February 2015 is set out at the end of this document. The Form of Proxy for use at the General Meeting accompanies this document and, to be valid, should be completed and returned in accordance with the instructions set out therein as soon as possible but, in any event, so as to reach the Company Secretary by no later than 11.00 a.m. on 22 February 2015, either by post to Gamma House, Room 2 Ground Floor North, Enterprise Road, University of Southampton Science Park, Chilworth, Southampton SO16 7NS; or, alternatively, electronically as an attachment to an authenticated e-mail (as referred to in note (h) to the Notice of General Meeting) sent to [email protected]. Completion and return of a Form of Proxy will not prevent a Shareholder from attending the meeting and voting in person.
GRESHAM COMPUTING PLC
(Incorporated under the Companies Act 1985 and registered in England and Wales with registered number 1072032)
and
This document does not constitute an offer to buy or subscribe for, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for, Ordinary Shares.
This document contains a number of forward looking statements relating to the Group with respect to, amongst others, the following: financial conditions; results of operations; the business of the Group; and management plans and objectives. The Company considers any statements that are not historical facts as "forward looking statements". They relate to events and trends that are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause the actual results and financial position of the Group to differ materially from the information presented in the relevant forward looking statement. When used in this document, the words "estimate", "intend", "aim", "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "should" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Group or management of it, are intended to identify such forward looking statements. Shareholders are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward looking statements which speak only as at the date of this document. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or revise any of the forward looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, save in respect of any requirement under applicable laws, the Listing Rules or other regulations.
| Section | Page |
|---|---|
| Letter from the Chairman of the Company | 3 |
| Definitions | 7 |
| Notice of General Meeting | 8 |
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Circular posted | 27 January 2015 |
| Latest time and date for receipt of Forms of Proxy | 11.00 a.m. on 22 February 2015 |
| General Meeting | 11.00 a.m. on 24 February 2015 |
| Court hearing for Cancellation | *18 March 2015 |
| Effective date for Cancellation | *On or about 19 March 2015 |
* These dates are estimated dates and are subject to change. Any change will be notified via a Regulatory Information Service
(registered in England and Wales under number 1072032)
Rob Grubb London Max Royde EC4N 1TX
Directors Registered office
| Ken Archer | Aldermary House |
|---|---|
| Chris Errington | 10-15 Queen Street |
| Rob Grubb | London |
| Max Royde | EC4N 1TX |
27 January 2015
To Shareholders and, for information only, to participants in the Share Option Plans
Dear Shareholder
The purpose of this circular is to seek the approval of Shareholders at a General Meeting to be held on 24 February 2015 for the Company to cancel its Share Premium Account and thereby create, subject to confirmation by the Court, distributable reserves to support the Company's ability to declare and pay dividends, and make other returns of capital to Shareholders.
In addition, for the purposes of incentivising senior employees of the Group, the Board will seek approval at the General Meeting to amend each of the Share Option Plans to increase the maximum number of Ordinary Shares which may be issued or are issuable under the Share Option Plans.
These proposals are set out in detail below. The Notice of General Meeting is set out at the end of this document.
The Board considers that it is important that the Company has the flexibility to pay dividends and make other returns of capital to Shareholders when the Board considers it appropriate and desirable to do so, having regard to the circumstances at the time. Specifically, the Board wishes to commence a progressive dividend policy and the proposal regarding cancellation of the Share Premium Account will remove the restrictions set out below.
The Act restricts the circumstances in which a company may pay dividends or return funds to its shareholders. In particular, the Act provides that a public company may only pay dividends on its shares out of its accumulated distributable reserves. The Company's capital reserves including its Share Premium Account are non-distributable reserves. However, the Act does permit the Company (subject to the approval of Shareholders and the confirmation of the Court) to cancel its Share Premium Account and to credit the resulting sums to the Company's profit and loss account.
As at 31 December 2013, the Company reported an accumulated deficit on the Company's profit and loss account of approximately £0.74 million and is therefore prohibited from paying dividends.
The amount standing to the credit of the Share Premium Account as at 31 December 2013 is approximately £15.9 million. Accordingly, to create distributable reserves, the Board is proposing, subject to Shareholder approval and confirmation of the Court, to cancel the Share Premium Account (the "Cancellation"). This Cancellation will create a reserve equal to the value of the Share Premium Account as at the effective time of Cancellation which will be used to eliminate the accumulated deficit on the Company's profit and loss account, creating distributable reserves. Based on the Company's audited financial position as at 31 December 2013, the Cancellation would create approximately £15.16 million of distributable reserves, although the actual amount of distributable reserves created will depend on the amount standing to the credit of the Share Premium Account and the accumulated profit and loss account position as at the date on which the Cancellation is confirmed by the Court. These distributable reserves would then be available (subject to approval of the Court and the protection of the creditors of the Company as described more fully below) for any corporate purposes as the Board may consider appropriate including the declaration and payment of dividends.
The Cancellation requires the passing of resolution 4 as a special resolution of the Company at the General Meeting and the subsequent approval of the Court. If the Cancellation is approved by Shareholders at the General Meeting, the Company intends, as soon as practicable thereafter, to apply to the Court for confirmation of the Cancellation in accordance with the requirements of the Act.
In order to approve the proposed Cancellation, the Court will need to be satisfied that the interests of the creditors of the Company are not prejudiced as a result of the Cancellation. In seeking the confirmation of the Court, the Company may be required by the Court to give such undertakings or other form of protection as the Court may require for the protection of creditors. These may include seeking the consent of the creditors to the cancellation of the Share Premium Account and/or the provision by the Company to the Court of an undertaking to treat the reserve arising on the cancellation of the Share Premium Account (after the elimination of the deficit on the Company's profit and loss account) as nondistributable until all the creditors at the time of the Cancellation have been discharged or have consented to the reserve being distributable or until the Company has deposited a sum of money into a blocked account sufficient to discharge the claims of non-consenting creditors. However, the terms upon which the Court is willing to confirm the Cancellation are, ultimately, for the Court to determine and the Company will give to the Court such undertakings as it is advised are appropriate.
If the consent of the Court is granted, the confirmation will take the form of a Court order and the Cancellation will become effective upon the order confirming the Cancellation being registered at Companies House but, for so long as any reserves remain undistributable pursuant to any undertakings to the Court referred to above, those reserves may not be distributed pending the discharge of any such undertakings.
Subject to Shareholder approval and the Court process, it is anticipated that the final Court hearing in relation to the Cancellation will be held on 18 March 2015, with the Cancellation becoming effective shortly thereafter, following the necessary registrations at Companies House.
If approved by Shareholders and confirmed by the Court, the Cancellation will not involve any distribution to Shareholders but will eliminate the accrued deficit in the Company's profit and loss account, and will support the Company's ability to make distributions to Shareholders should future circumstances make it desirable to do so. Any dividend that may be paid in the future will reduce the Company's cash balances and reduce its net assets by a corresponding amount. The Cancellation will not change the number of Ordinary Shares in issue or the paid up share capital of the Company or change any rights attaching to the Ordinary Shares.
The Board believes that it is important that it is able to incentivise senior employees of the Group by way of share option grants in order to attract and retain high calibre staff to continue to deliver its strategic aims.
Pursuant to the Share Option Plans adopted in December 2010 and as amended in May 2012, the maximum number of Ordinary Shares which may be issued or are issuable under those plans in any ten year period ending on the relevant date of grant is limited to 12 per cent. of the ordinary share capital of the Company in issue immediately prior to the date of grant.
As at the date of this document, a total of 2,697,500 new Ordinary Shares have been issued and allotted as a result of the exercise of share options granted under the Share Option Plans, representing 4.3 per cent. of the current issued share capital of the Company.
As at the date of this document, the Board has made aggregate share option grants under the Share Option Plans that remain unvested and/or unexercised and that on exercise would result in the issue of 4,198,000 new Ordinary Shares, representing 6.6 per cent. of the current issued share capital of the Company.
Accordingly, as at the date of this document, the Board has authority to grant share options in respect of up to 692,517 Ordinary Shares under the Share Option Plans, representing 1.1 per cent. of the current issued share capital of the Company.
The Board is now seeking shareholder approval to increase the maximum number of Ordinary Shares that have been issued or are issuable under the Share Option Plans by 2.3 per cent. of the ordinary share capital of the Company in issue immediately prior to the relevant date of grant (the "Plan Amendment").
The following table summarises the effect of the Plan Amendment, if approved, on the number of Ordinary Shares issuable under the Share Option Plans:
| Total Ordinary Shares issuable if Plan Amendment is approved* | 10.0% | |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary Shares issuable on exercise of additional share options available for grant if Plan Amendment is approved* | 1,432,830 | 2.3% |
| Total Ordinary Shares issuable under existing authorities* | 4,890,517 | 7.7% |
| Ordinary Shares issuable on exercise of share options available for grant under existing authorities* | 692,517 | 1.1% |
| Ordinary Shares issuable on exercise of share options granted as at the date of this document* | 4,198,000 | 6.6% |
| Issued share capital as at the date of this document | 63,233,478 |
If the Plan Amendment is approved, the maximum number of Ordinary Shares that have been issued or are issuable under the Share Option Plans would be increased from 12 per cent. to 14.3 per cent of the ordinary share capital of the Company in issue immediately prior to the date of grant, including the 2,697,500 Ordinary Shares, representing 4.3% of the current issued share capital of the Company, that have, as referred to above, been issued and allotted prior to the date of this document as a result of the exercise of share options granted under the Share Option Plans.
The principal terms and features of the Share Option Plans were fully described in the circular from the Company to Shareholders dated 4 December 2010, which remain current save for the amendments approved by shareholders in May 2012, as detailed in the Company's notice of AGM dated 21 March 2012. All other current terms and conditions of the Share Option Plans will remain unchanged. In particular:
By their express terms, the Share Option Plans may not, except in limited circumstances, be amended without the prior approval of Shareholders. The Listing Rules (Listing Rule 13.8.14) also require that Shareholder approval be sought for the amendment of any long-term incentive scheme.
Accordingly, approval for the proposed Plan Amendment will be sought at the General Meeting.
Copies of the proposed amended rules of each of the Share Option Plans are available for inspection at the Company's registered office during normal business hours until the General Meeting is held.
The Notice convening the General Meeting is set out at the end of this document. At the General Meeting the following resolutions will be proposed:
Resolution 1 will be proposed as an ordinary resolution to approve an amendment to each of the Share Option Plans to increase the maximum number of Ordinary Shares which may be issued or are issuable under the Share Option Plans in any ten year period ending on the relevant date of grant from 12 per cent. to 14.3 per cent. (including, as referred to above, the Ordinary Shares representing 4.3 per cent. of the current issued share capital of the Company that have been issued and allotted prior to the date of this document pursuant to the Share Option Plans) of the ordinary share capital of the Company in issue immediately prior to the relevant date of grant.
Resolution 2 will be proposed as an ordinary resolution to authorise the Directors, in substitution of the existing authority conferred at a general meeting on 8 May 2012 but in addition to all other authorities, to allot shares in the Company or to grant rights to subscribe for or convert any securities into shares in the Company up to an aggregate nominal value of £316,167, representing 10 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company as at the date of this document. This authority will expire immediately prior to the fifth anniversary of the date such resolution is passed.
Resolution 3 will be proposed as a special resolution to empower the Directors, in substitution of the existing authority conferred at a general meeting on 8 May 2012 but in addition to all other authorities, to dis-apply pre-emption rights in relation to allotments of Ordinary Shares and rights to subscribe for Ordinary Shares for cash made in connection with Resolution 2 pursuant to the Share Option Plans up to a maximum nominal amount of £316,167, representing 10 per cent. of the issued share capital of the Company as at the date of this document. This authority will expire immediately prior to the fifth anniversary of the date such resolution is passed.
Resolution 4 will be proposed as a special resolution to approve the Cancellation of the Share Premium Account.
Copies of the proposed amended rules of the Share Option Plans will be available for inspection during normal business hours on any normal working day (Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays excepted) at the registered office of the Company from and including the date of this document up to and including the date of the General Meeting, and also at the place of the meeting for fifteen minutes prior to and during such meeting.
A Form of Proxy for use in relation to the General Meeting is enclosed. Whether or not you intend to be present at the meeting, you are requested to complete, sign and return the Form of Proxy in accordance with the instructions printed on it to the Company Secretary as soon as possible, but, in any event, so as to be received no later than 11.00 a.m. on 22 February 2015, either at Gamma House, Room 2 Ground Floor North, Enterprise Road, University of Southampton Science Park, Chilworth, Southampton SO16 7NS or alternatively, electronically as an attachment to an authenticated e-mail (as referred to in note (h) to the Notice of General Meeting) sent to [email protected]. The completion and return of a Form of Proxy will not prevent you from attending the General Meeting and voting in person if you wish to do so.
The Directors believe that the proposed Cancellation and the proposed Plan Amendment would be in the best interests of the Company and Shareholders as a whole and most likely to promote the success of the Company for the benefit of those shareholders. Accordingly, the Directors unanimously recommend that you vote in favour of all Resolutions at the General Meeting, as they intend to do in respect of a total of 6,973,309 Ordinary Shares held, directly or indirectly, by them, representing approximately 11.03 per cent. of the Company's existing issued share capital.
Yours faithfully
Ken Archer Non Executive Chairman
The following definitions apply throughout this document, except where the context requires otherwise.
| "Act" | the Companies Act 2006 as amended |
|---|---|
| "Board" or "Directors" | the board of directors of the Company |
| "Cancellation" | the proposed cancellation of the Share Premium Account as set out in this document |
| "Company" | Gresham Computing plc |
| "Court" | the High Court of Justice in England and Wales |
| "Daily Official List" | the daily record setting out the prices of all trades in shares and other securities conducted on the London Stock Exchange |
| "Form of Proxy" | the form of proxy accompanying this document for use by Shareholders in connection with the General Meeting |
| "FSMA" | the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (as amended) |
| "General Meeting" | the general meeting of the Company convened for 11.00 a.m. on Tuesday 24 February 2015 (or any adjournment thereof) as specified in the Notice of General Meeting |
| "Group" | the Company and its subsidiary undertakings |
| "Listing Rules" | the listing rules made by the UK Financial Conduct Authority in the exercise of its function as competent authority pursuant to Part VI of FSMA |
| "Notice of General Meeting" or "Notice" | the notice of General Meeting set out at the end of this document |
| "Ordinary Shares" | ordinary shares of 5 pence each in the capital of the Company |
| "Plan Amendment" | the proposed amendments to the Share Option Plans as set out in this document |
| "Remuneration Committee" | the remuneration committee of the Board |
| "Resolutions" | the ordinary and special resolutions to be proposed at the General Meeting as set out in the Notice |
| "Shareholders" | holders of the Company's existing issued share capital |
| "Share Option Plans" | together, the Gresham Computing plc Enterprise Management Incentive Plan 2010, the Gresham Computing plc Unapproved Share Option Plan 2010 and the Gresham Computing plc Non Employee Share Option Plan 2010 (each as amended in May 2012) |
| "Share Premium Account" | the share premium account of the Company |
(Incorporated and registered in England and Wales with registered number 1072032)
NOTICE is hereby given that a General Meeting of Gresham Computing plc (the "Company") will be held at the offices of N+1 Singer Capital Markets Limited of One Bartholomew Lane, London EC2N 2AX at 11.00 a.m. on Tuesday 24 February 2015 for the purpose of considering and, if thought fit, passing the following resolutions of which resolutions 1 and 2 will be proposed as ordinary resolutions and resolutions 3 and 4 will be proposed as special resolutions:
Dated: 27 January 2015
By order of the Board Jonathan Cathie Secretary
Registered office Aldermary House 10-15 Queen Street London EC4N 1TX
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