Shareholders vote in favour of Transactions
to materially reduce Cazoo’s indebtedness
Transactions significantly reduce Cazoo’s
indebtedness from $630 million to $200 million
Deleveraged capital structure will provide
financial flexibility to support future growth
Cazoo Group Ltd (NYSE: CZOO) (“Cazoo” or “the Company”), the UK
online used car retailer, which makes buying and selling a car as
simple as ordering any other product online, announces that,
following its Extraordinary General Meeting (“EGM”), held today at
3:00 p.m. GMT, all resolutions submitted for shareholder approval
were overwhelmingly approved. The final results of the voting at
the EGM will be available shortly at Cazoo’s Investor Relations
site, investors.cazoo.co.uk.
Alex Chesterman, Founder & Executive Chairman of Cazoo,
commented, “Shareholder approval for the Transactions at
today’s EGM, together with consent received previously from 100% of
holders of our Convertible Notes, signals strong ongoing support
for Cazoo’s business model and strategy. The Transactions will
significantly reduce Cazoo’s indebtedness from $630 million to $200
million and enhance our financial flexibility. We can now leverage
the meaningful progress delivered since the beginning of the year
to achieve better unit economics and lower costs. An improved
capital structure is expected to support further growth along with
facilitating progress on various strategic options. We expect the
Transactions to complete within the next few weeks.”
The EGM was called to approve a series of transactions (the
“Transactions”) aimed at improving the Company’s capital structure,
decreasing the total amount of outstanding indebtedness and
creating a platform for future profitability. In accordance with
the transaction support agreement (the “Transaction Support
Agreement”), dated as of September 20, 2023, as amended, by and
among the Company, the holders of the Company’s 2.00% convertible
senior notes due 2027 (the “Convertible Notes”), and certain
holders of our Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.002 per share
(the “Class A ordinary shares”) who hold more than 33% of the
Company’s outstanding Class A ordinary shares, the Transactions
consist of: (a) the exchange of the Convertible Notes for $200
million aggregate principal amount of our senior secured notes due
2027 and Class A ordinary shares that will represent 92% of our
outstanding Class A ordinary shares immediately after giving effect
to the exchange offer (such exchange for the Convertible Notes, the
“Exchange Offer”), (b) the issuance of three tranches of warrants
to the existing holders of all of our outstanding Class A ordinary
shares, and (c) the replacement of our board of directors with a
new seven-person board of directors on or after the closing date of
the Transactions.
As of November 17, 2023 the Company secured agreements from the
holders of 100% of its Convertible Notes to participate in the
Company’s Exchange Offer. The Company’s Exchange Offer, which will
expire on December 4, 2023, is being made upon the terms and
subject to the conditions set forth in the Exchange Offer
Memorandum filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(“SEC”) on November 3, 2023 (as amended or supplemented from time
to time, the “Offering Memorandum”).
In addition to seeking approval of the Transactions, the EGM was
also called to approve a reverse stock split in which holders of
100 Class A ordinary shares will receive one (1) new Class A
ordinary share, an increase to our authorized share capital and
amendments to Cazoo’s amended and restated articles of
association.
About Cazoo - www.cazoo.co.uk
Our mission is to transform the car buying and selling
experience across the UK by providing better selection, value,
transparency, convenience and peace of mind. Our aim is to make
buying or selling a car no different to ordering any other product
online, where consumers can simply and seamlessly buy, sell or
finance a car entirely online for delivery or collection in as
little as 72 hours.
Important Additional Information
This communication is not an offer to purchase nor a
solicitation of an offer to sell any securities. The Company’s
contemplated debt Exchange Offer has commenced. In connection with
the commencement of the Exchange Offer, the Company has filed with
the SEC a tender offer statement on Schedule TO. The Exchange Offer
is being made only pursuant to the offer to purchase and related
tender offer documents filed as part of the Schedule TO with the
SEC. You are strongly advised to read the tender offer statement
(including an offer to purchase and related tender offer documents)
that were filed by the Company with the SEC on November 3, 2023,
because it contains important information, including the terms and
conditions of the Exchange Offer. These documents are available at
no charge on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. These documents may
also be obtained free of charge from Cazoo by requesting them by
mail at 41 Chalton Street, London NW1 1JD, United Kingdom.
No Offer
This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or
exchange, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange any
securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall
there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such
offer, solicitation, sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to
registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such
jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by
means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of section 10 of the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom.
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains “forward-looking statements”. The
expectations, estimates, and projections of the business of Cazoo
may differ from its actual results and, consequently, you should
not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions of future
events. These forward-looking statements generally are identified
by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,”
“estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,”
“may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will
likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements
are predictions, projections and other statements about future
events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and,
as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors
could cause actual future events to differ materially from the
forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not
limited to: (1) the implementation of and expected benefits from
our business realignment plan, the wind-down of operations in
mainland Europe, the five-year plan (which extends the revised 2023
plan to 2027), and other cost-saving initiatives; (2) reaching and
maintaining profitability in the future; (3) global inflation and
cost increases for labor, fuel, materials and services; (4)
geopolitical and macroeconomic conditions and their impact on
prices for goods and services and on consumer discretionary
spending; (5) having access to suitable and sufficient vehicle
inventory for resale to customers and reconditioning and selling
inventory expeditiously and efficiently; (6) availability of credit
for vehicle and other financing and the affordability of interest
rates; (7) increasing Cazoo’s service offerings and price
optimization; (8) effectively promoting Cazoo’s brand and
increasing brand awareness; (9) expanding Cazoo’s product offerings
and introducing additional products and services; (10) enhancing
future operating and financial results; (11) achieving our
long-term growth goals; (12) acquiring and integrating other
companies; (13) acquiring and protecting intellectual property;
(14) attracting, training and retaining key personnel; (15)
complying with laws and regulations applicable to Cazoo’s business;
(16) our inability to consummate the Transactions contemplated by
the Transaction Support Agreement as scheduled or at all; (17) the
volatility of the trading price of our Class A Shares, which may
increase as a result of the issuance of Class A ordinary shares and
warrants pursuant to the Transaction Support Agreement; (18) the
Company’s ability to regain compliance with the continued listing
standards of the NYSE as set forth in Sections 802.01B and 802.01C
of the NYSE Listed Company Manual within the applicable cure
period; (19) the Company’s ability to continue to comply with
applicable listing standards of the NYSE; and (20) other risks and
uncertainties set forth in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and
“Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in the
Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC by Cazoo Group Ltd on
March 30, 2023 and in subsequent filings with the SEC. The
foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully
consider the foregoing factors and the disclosure included in other
documents filed by Cazoo from time to time with the SEC. These
filings identify and address other important risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ
materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made.
Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking
statements, and Cazoo assumes no obligation and does not intend to
update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Cazoo gives
no assurance that it will achieve its expectations.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231121286714/en/
Investor Relations: Cazoo: Anna Gavrilova, Head of
Investor Relations, investors@cazoo.co.uk ICR: cazoo@icrinc.com
Media: Cazoo: Peter Bancroft, Interim Communications
Director, press@cazoo.co.uk Brunswick: Simone Selzer +44 20 7404
5959 / cazoo@brunswickgroup.com
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