AGM Information • Jun 8, 2017
AGM Information
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Tuesday, 11 July 2017 Notice of Annual General Meeting
THIS DOCUMENT IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT AS TO THE ACTION YOU SHOULD TAKE, YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR STOCKBROKER, BANK, SOLICITOR, ACCOUNTANT, FUND MANAGER OR OTHER APPROPRIATE INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISER.
If you have sold or otherwise transferred all of your shares in Pets at Home Group Plc (the "Company"), you should send this document together with the accompanying documents as soon as possible 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 is given that the Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held at the Hilton Hotel, 303 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 4LQ on Tuesday, 11 July 2017 at 11.00 am for the following purposes and to consider, and if thought fit, to pass the following resolutions, of which resolutions 1 to 11 (inclusive) will be proposed as ordinary resolutions and resolutions 12 to 15 (inclusive) will be proposed as special resolutions.
and so that the Directors may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which they consider 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,
such authorities to expire at the conclusion of the Company's next Annual General Meeting after this resolution is passed or, if earlier, at the close of business on 11 October 2018, but, in each case, so that the Company may make offers or agreements before the authority expires which would or might require shares to be allotted or Rights to be granted after the authority expires, and so that the Directors may allot shares or grant Rights in pursuance of any such offer or agreement notwithstanding that the authority conferred by this resolution has expired.
For the purposes of this authority "political parties", "independent election candidates", "political organisation" and "political expenditure" have the meanings given by sections 363 to 365 of the Act. The authority conferred under this resolution shall expire at the conclusion of the Company's next Annual General Meeting after this resolution is passed.
and so that the Directors may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which they consider 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
(ii) to the allotment (otherwise than in the circumstances set out in paragraph (i) of this resolution) of equity securities or sale of treasury shares pursuant to the authority granted by paragraph (i) of resolution 10 up to an aggregate nominal amount of £250,000,
such power to expire at the conclusion of the Company's next Annual General Meeting after this resolution is passed or, if earlier, at the close of business on 11 October 2018, but so that the Company may make offers or agreements before the power expires which would or might require equity securities to be allotted (and/or treasury shares to be sold) after the power expires and so that the Directors may allot equity securities (and/or sell treasury shares) in pursuance of any such offer or agreement notwithstanding that the power conferred by this authority has expired.
such power to expire at the conclusion of the Company's next Annual General Meeting after this resolution is passed or, if earlier, at the close of business on 11 October 2018, but so that the Company may make offers or agreements before the power expires which would or might require equity securities (and/or treasury shares to be sold) to be allotted after the power expires and so that the Directors may allot equity securities (and/or sell treasury shares) in pursuance of any such offer or agreement notwithstanding that the power conferred by this authority has expired.
Your board of Directors (the "Board") believe that each of the resolutions to be proposed at the Annual General Meeting is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders as a whole. Accordingly, the Directors unanimously recommend that shareholders vote in favour of all of the resolutions proposed, as the Directors intend to do in respect of their own beneficial holdings.
Louise Stonier Group Company Secretary Pets at Home Group Plc 9 June 2017
Registered Office: Epsom Avenue Stanley Green Trading Estate Handforth Cheshire SK9 3RN
Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 8885072
Resolutions 1 to 11 (inclusive) will be proposed as ordinary resolutions, which means that for each of those resolutions to be passed, more than half the votes cast must be cast in favour of the resolution. Resolutions 12 to 15 (inclusive) will be proposed as special resolutions, which means that for each of those resolutions to be passed, at least three-quarters of the votes cast must be cast in favour of the resolution.
The Directors are required to lay the Company's audited financial statements and the Directors' and auditor's reports before shareholders each year at the Annual General Meeting ("AGM"). The audited financial statements and the Directors' and auditor's reports for the year ended 30 March 2017 are included in the 2017 Annual Report.
The Directors' remuneration report (the "Directors' Remuneration Report") is presented in three sections:
The annual statement from the Chairman of the Remuneration Committee, set out on pages 90 to 92 of the 2017 Annual Report, summarises, for the year ended 30 March 2017, the major decisions taken on Directors' remuneration, any substantial changes relating to Directors' remuneration made during the year, and the context in which those changes occurred and decisions have been taken.
The annual report on remuneration, set out on pages 105 to 112 of the 2017 Annual Report, provides details of the remuneration paid to Directors in respect of the year ended 30 March 2017, including base salary, taxable benefits, short-term incentives (including percentage deferred), long-term incentives vested in the year, pension-related benefits, any other items in the nature of remuneration and any sum(s) recovered or withheld during the year in respect of amounts paid in earlier years.
The Directors' remuneration policy, set out on pages 92 to 104 of the 2017 Annual Report, provides details of the Company's proposed policy on Directors' remuneration (including the proposed policy on payments for loss of office).
The Directors' Remuneration Report (other than the part containing the Directors' remuneration policy) is subject to an annual advisory shareholder vote by way of an ordinary resolution; Resolution 2 is to approve the Directors' Remuneration Report (other than the part containing the Directors' remuneration policy).
The Directors' remuneration policy is subject to a binding shareholder vote by way of an ordinary resolution, at least once every three years; Resolution 3 is to approve the Directors' remuneration policy. The Directors' remuneration policy will, subject to shareholder approval, take effect from the conclusion of the AGM. Payments (including payments for loss of office) will continue to be made to the current and any former Directors in line with existing contractual arrangements until this time.
Once the Directors' remuneration policy takes effect, all remuneration payments and payments for loss of office made by the Company to the current and any former Directors must be consistent with the Directors' remuneration policy or, if inconsistent with the Directors' remuneration policy, must have been separately approved by way of an ordinary resolution of the shareholders in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Act.
If the Directors' remuneration policy is approved and remains unchanged, it will be valid for up to three years without a new shareholder approval. If the Company wishes to change the Directors' remuneration policy, it must first seek the approval of the proposed revised Directors' remuneration policy from the shareholders before it can implement the proposed new Directors' remuneration policy.
In accordance with Listing Rule 9.4.1(2), this resolution seeks shareholder approval for the adoption of a new employee share scheme, being the Pets at Home Group plc Restricted Stock Plan (the "RSP"). The principal terms of the RSP are summarised below. A full copy of the RSP rules are available for inspection during normal business hours on any weekday (Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays excluded) at the Company's registered offices from today's date until the close of the AGM. The rules will also be available for inspection at the place of the AGM for at least 15 minutes prior to the start of and during the meeting.
All employees of the Company and its subsidiaries (the "Group") (including executive directors who are employees) are eligible to participate in the RSP (the "Qualifying Employees"), subject to the absolute discretion of the Remuneration Committee of the Board (the "Committee").
The RSP provides for the grant of nil cost awards to acquire ordinary shares in the capital of the Company (whether by purchase or subscription) (the "Shares") in such form as the Committee shall determine in its absolute discretion, including in the form of options and/or conditional share awards (together the "Awards").
Awards may be granted during the period of 42 days from the date on which the RSP is adopted or within any 42 day period following (i) the announcement of the Company's results for any financial period; (ii) the commencement date of a Qualifying Employee's employment with the Group or (iii) the occurrence of an exceptional event relating to or affecting the Company or Group. No Awards may be granted more than 10 years after the adoption of the RSP.
The number of Shares over which Awards to subscribe for Shares may be granted under the RSP on any date shall be limited so that:
For the purposes of these limits (and for the avoidance of doubt) no account will be taken of options or awards which were granted in connection with the Company's admission to trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange, nor options or awards that have lapsed or otherwise ceased to capable of exercise and no account will be taken of options or awards granted over (or in respect of) Shares purchased (or to be purchased) in the market by the trustee of an employee benefit trust.
Awards may be granted on an annual basis. However, the maximum original market value of Shares granted under the RSP to a Qualifying Employee in any financial year may not exceed 75 per cent. of the Qualifying Employee's annual salary for that year.
Awards will be granted to the Company's executive directors subject to the satisfaction of a financial underpin measured over a minimum of three financial years (the "Measurement Period"). If the financial underpin is satisfied, (i) 50% of the Award will vest and become exercisable on the third anniversary of grant, (ii) 25% of the Award will vest and become exercisable on the fourth anniversary of grant and (iii) 25% of the Award will vest and become exercisable on the fifth anniversary of grant, in each case subject to continued employment with the Group.
If the financial underpin is not satisfied at the end of the relevant Measurement Period, then there will be no re-testing and the Awards relating to that grant will lapse and cease to be exercisable in their entirety.
It is currently proposed that the first Awards granted under the RSP to the Company's executive directors following its adoption, will be granted subject to a financial underpin that requires absolute Total Shareholder Return ("TSR") to be positive over the Measurement Period. If absolute TSR is negative at the end of the Measurement Period, the proposed Awards will lapse and cease to be exercisable in their entirety.
Subsequent Awards (and/or Awards granted to colleagues outside of the executive directors) may be granted subject to different financial underpins, which shall be determined by the Committee, in its absolute discretion, on or prior to the relevant date of grant.
If events occur which cause the Committee to reasonably believe that the original financial underpin is no longer a fair measure of performance, then it may be amended or waived in such manner as may be fair and reasonable in the Committee's discretion provided that any amended financial underpin cannot be more difficult to achieve than the original financial underpin was considered to be when it was first set.
Awards will normally only vest if the award holder is still an employee of the Group and all subsisting Awards will lapse (vested or otherwise) on cessation of employment save in the circumstances set out below.
If an award holder ceases to be an employee by reason of (i) death, (ii) ill-health, injury or disability (iii) retirement (iv) the sale of the business or the company in the Group for which they work and (v) any other circumstances approved by the Committee in its absolute discretion then he or she shall be treated as a 'good leaver'. Good leavers will be entitled to (a) retain their vested Awards and (b) retain their unvested Awards until the normal vesting date at which point their Awards will vest subject to the satisfaction of any financial underpin in the usual way and subject to a pro-rata reduction to the number of Shares subject to the Award by reference to the time that has elapsed between the relevant date of grant and the relevant date of cessation. The Committee also has discretion to (i) permit accelerated vesting (i.e. vesting earlier than the normal vesting date) and/or (ii) to disapply the pro-rata reduction.
All Awards will be granted subject to malus provisions. In addition, Awards granted to members of the executive management team (including to the executive directors) and/or any other colleague who is considered to be sufficiently senior by the Committee in its absolute discretion, will be granted subject to clawback provisions, commencing on the date of grant and ending two years following vesting.
Malus and Clawback will be applied in the event of:
Malus and Clawback will continue to apply to any Awards held by leavers and/or any Awards exercised in connection with a Change of Control.
Awards will vest on an accelerated basis in the event of a change of control of the Company (whether by way of general offer or scheme of arrangement or otherwise) as well as in the event of a voluntary winding up of the Company (the "Relevant Event"). In such circumstances the Committee shall determine the extent to which the Awards shall vest taking account of (i) the time that has elapsed since the relevant date of grant; (ii) the amount of progress made by the award holder/Company towards meeting any financial underpin attaching to the Awards (iii) the likelihood of the financial underpin being met had the Relevant Event not taken place and (iv) any other factors that the Committee considers, in its absolute discretion, to be relevant. For the avoidance of doubt, having taken the foregoing into account, the Committee is permitted to allow accelerated vesting in full.
In the event of a capitalisation issue or offer by way of rights (including an open offer), or upon any consolidation, subdivision or reduction or other variation of the Company's capital, the number of Shares the subject of an Award and/or the price payable on vesting (if any) may be adjusted by the Board of Directors (following consultation with the Committee) in such a way as the Committee considers to be fair and reasonable.
No rights under an Award may be transferred by an award holder to any other person except in the event of an award holder's death. Awards granted under the RSP shall not be pensionable.
The RSP may be amended by the Board of Directors (following consultation with the Committee) in any way provided that:
Note: The above is a summary of the principal terms of the proposed RSP. The Board of Directors reserve the right (up to the time of the Annual General Meeting) to make such amendments and additions to the rules of the RSP as they may consider necessary or desirable provided that such amendments and additions do not conflict in any material respect with the summary set out above.
The Board is recommending, and the shareholders are being asked to approve, the declaration of a final dividend of 5.0 pence per ordinary share for the year ended 30 March 2017. The final dividend will, subject to shareholder approval, be paid on 14 July 2017 to the holders of ordinary shares whose names are recorded on the register of members of the Company at the close of business on 16 June 2017.
In accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code (the "Code") and the Articles, every Director will stand for re-election at the AGM. Biographical details of each Director can be found on pages 60 and 70 to 71 of the 2017 Annual Report. Over half of the Directors standing for re-election/election are non-executive directors whom are considered independent under the Code.
Brian Carroll, a non-executive director of the Company resigned on 2nd December 2016 and will not be standing for re-election.
Nicolas Gheysens, a director at KKR & Co LP, was appointed as a non-executive Director on 2 December 2016 and is therefore standing for election at the AGM.
Amy Stirling, an independent non-executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee and Paul Coby an independent non-executive Director have resigned as Directors with effect from the close of the AGM on 11th July 2017 and will not be standing for re-election at the AGM.
Stanislas Laurent and Sharon Flood have both been appointed as independent non-executive Directors with effect from 25 May 2017 and are therefore both standing for election at the AGM. Sharon Flood will also chair the Audit and Risk Committee with effect from the close of the AGM on 11 July 2017.
The Company is required to appoint an auditor at each general meeting at which accounts are laid before shareholders, to hold office until the next such meeting.
The Audit Committee has reviewed the effectiveness, performance, independence and objectivity of the existing external auditor, KPMG LLP, on behalf of the Board, and concluded that the external auditor was in all respects effective.
This resolution authorises the Directors, in accordance with standard practice, to negotiate and agree the fees to be paid to the auditor. In practice, the Audit Committee will consider and approve the remuneration of the auditor on behalf of the Board.
This resolution seeks shareholder approval to grant the Directors the authority to allot shares in the Company, or to grant rights to subscribe for or convert any securities into shares in the Company ("Rights") pursuant to section 551 of the Act (the "Section 551 authority"). The authority contained in paragraph (i) of the resolution will be limited to an aggregate nominal amount of £1,666,666, being approximately one-third of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 9 June 2017.
In line with guidance issued by the Investment Association, paragraph (ii) of this resolution would give the Directors authority to allot shares in the Company or grant Rights in connection with a rights issue up to aggregate nominal amount of £3,333,333, representing approximately two-thirds of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 9 June 2017, as reduced by the aggregate nominal amount of any allotments or grants under paragraph (i) of this resolution.
The Company does not hold any shares in treasury.
If approved, the Section 551 authority shall, unless renewed, revoked or varied by the Company, expire at the end of the Company's next AGM after the resolution is passed or, if earlier, at the close of business on 11 October 2018. The exception to this is that the Directors may allot shares or grant Rights after the authority has expired in connection with an offer or agreement made or entered into before the authority expired. The Directors have no present intention to exercise the Section 551 authority.
The Company does not make, and does not intend to make, any political donations (to political parties or other political organisations) or incur political expenditure. However, the Company may from time to time make donations to animal welfare organisations, societies and charities. As the law in this area is widely drafted, it could prohibit these activities unless the Company has first obtained shareholder approval.
This resolution seeks shareholder approval to grant the Directors the power to allot equity securities of the Company pursuant to section 570 and 573 of the Act (the "Section 570 and 573 power") without first offering them to existing shareholders in proportion to their existing shareholdings.
The power in resolution 12 will be limited to allotments (i) for cash in connection with pre-emptive offers, subject to any arrangements that the Directors consider appropriate to deal with fractions and overseas requirements and (ii) otherwise for cash up to a maximum nominal value of £250,000, representing 5 per cent. of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 9 June 2017, which is in accordance with the relevant shareholder guidelines applicable to the Company.
Resolution 13 would give the Directors authority to allot a further 5 per cent. of the Company's issued ordinary share capital as at 9 June 2017 for the purposes of financing a transaction which the Directors determine to be an acquisition or other capital investment contemplated by the Pre-Emption Group's Statement of Principles (as updated in May 2016) (the "Statement of Principles").
The disapplication authorities under resolutions 12 and 13 are in line with the authorities sought at the AGM last year and the guidance set out in the Statement of Principles.
The Statement of Principles allow a board to seek authority from its shareholders to allot shares for cash otherwise than in connection with a pre-emptive offer representing (i) up to 5 per cent of a company's issued share capital for use on an unrestricted basis and (ii) up to a further 5 per cent. of a company's issued share capital for use in connection with an acquisition or specified capital investment announced either contemporaneously with the issue, or which has taken place in the preceding six month period and is disclosed in the announcement of the issue.
When the additional 5 per cent. disapplication authority is used, the Company intends to disclose, in the announcement regarding the issue, the circumstances that have led to its use and the consultation process undertaken. In addition, where the Company undertakes a placing using the disapplication of pre-emption rights, the Company intends to publish in the next annual report:
If approved, the Section 570 and 573 power shall apply until the end of the Company's next AGM after the resolution is passed or, if earlier, until the close of business on 11 October 2018. The exception to this is that the Directors may allot equity securities after the power has expired in connection with an offer or agreement made or entered into before the power expired. The Directors have no present intention to exercise the Section 570 and 573 power.
This resolution seeks shareholder approval to grant the Company the authority to purchase its own shares pursuant to sections 693 and 701 of the Act.
This authority will be limited to an aggregate maximum number of 50,000,000 ordinary shares, representing 10 per cent. of the Company's issued share capital as at 9 June 2017.
The maximum price which may be paid for an ordinary share will be an amount which is not more than the higher of (i) 5 per cent. above the average of the middle market quotation for an ordinary share as derived from the London Stock Exchange Plc's Daily Official List for the five business days immediately preceding the day on which the ordinary share is contracted to be purchased; and (ii) the higher of the price of the last independent trade and the highest current independent bid on the trading venue where the purchase is carried out (in each case, exclusive of expenses).
If approved, the authority shall, unless varied, revoked or renewed, expire at the end of the Company's next AGM after the resolution is passed or, if earlier, at the close of business on 11 October 2018. The Directors have no present intention of exercising all or any of the powers conferred by this resolution and will only exercise their authority if it is in the best interests of shareholders generally.
As at 9 June 2017, the Company had granted options and awards under its colleague share plans over in aggregate 16,723,802 ordinary shares (assuming full vesting and exercise). This represents 3.34 per cent. of the Company's issued share capital as at 9 June 2017. If the Company were to buy back the maximum number of ordinary shares allowed under the authority under this resolution, and then cancel those shares, the total number of options and awards would represent approximately 3.72 per cent. of the Company's issued share capital as at 9 June 2017.
This resolution seeks shareholder approval to allow the Company to continue to call general meetings (other than AGMs) on 14 clear days' notice. In accordance with the Companies (Shareholders' Rights) Regulations 2009, the notice period required for general meetings of the Company is 21 days unless shareholders approve a shorter notice period (subject to a minimum period of 14 clear days). AGMs will continue to be held on at least 21 clear days' notice.
If approved, the approval will be effective until the Company's next AGM, when it is intended that a similar resolution will be proposed. The Company intends to only use the shorter notice period where the flexibility would be helpful given the business of the meeting and where the Company considers it is to the advantage of shareholders as a whole.
In accordance with the Act, the Company must make a means of electronic voting available to all shareholders for that meeting in order to be able to call a general meeting on less than 21 clear days' notice.
Under section 527 of the Act, members meeting the threshold requirements set out in that section have 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 Act. 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 Act. Where the Company is required to place a statement on a website under section 527 of the Act, 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 Act to publish on a website.
In the case of joint holders, the vote of the senior holder who tenders a vote whether in person or by proxy shall be accepted to the exclusion of the votes of the other joint holders and, for this purpose, seniority shall be determined by the order in which the names stand in the register of members of the Company in respect of the relevant joint holders.
Epsom Avenue Stanley Green Trading Estate Handforth Cheshire SK9 3RN
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