THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION
THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN
THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7 OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU)
596/2014 AS IT FORMS PART OF UK DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018 ("EUWA").
July 9, 2024
Imperial Brands Finance PLC (formerly known as Imperial
Tobacco Finance PLC) announces early results, increase in Maximum
Acceptance Amount and pricing of its tender offer
Imperial Brands Finance PLC (the
"Offeror") announces today
the early results and pricing of its previously announced tender
offer (the "Offer") for its
outstanding US$1,500,000,000 4.250% Notes due 2025 (the
"Notes"), issued by the
Offeror and guaranteed by Imperial Brands PLC (formerly known as
Imperial Tobacco Group PLC, the "Guarantor", and, together with its
subsidiaries, the "Group").
The terms and conditions of the Offer are described in an offer to
purchase dated June 24, 2024 (the "Offer to Purchase"). Capitalized terms
not otherwise defined in this announcement have the same meaning as
assigned to them in the Offer to Purchase.
The Early Tender Deadline for the
Offer was 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on July 8, 2024. Pursuant
to the terms of the Offer, the deadline to withdraw tendered Notes
expired at the Early Tender Deadline and all Notes validly tendered
prior to the Early Tender Deadline may no longer be withdrawn. The
Offeror hereby announces that, as of the Early Tender Deadline, the
aggregate principal amount of Notes that had been validly tendered
and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Offer (the "Early Tender Amount") was as set out in
the table below.
The pricing of the Offer took place
at or around 10:00 a.m., New York City time today (the
"Price Determination
Date"). The table below also sets forth certain pricing
information regarding the Offer as of the Price Determination
Date.
Additionally, the Offeror hereby
announces its decision to increase the Maximum Acceptance Amount
from US$500,000,000 to US$550,000,000. All references in the Offer
to Purchase to the Maximum Acceptance Amount shall be deemed to
refer to such amount, as so increased. For the avoidance of doubt,
the Early Tender Deadline is not being extended and has
expired.
The Offeror hereby announces its
intention to accept (subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the
conditions of the Offer), on the Early Settlement Date, such Notes
tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline in the amount
equal to the Maximum Acceptance Amount, subject to the Scaling
Factor set out in the table below.
Description of Notes
(CUSIP/ISIN)
|
Early Tender
Amount
|
Early Acceptance
Amount
|
Scaling
Factor
|
Principal Amount Outstanding
after Acceptance
|
Reference
Yield
|
Fixed Spread (basis
points)(1)
|
Early Tender Offer
Consideration(1)
|
Tender Offer
Consideration
|
US$1,500,000,000 4.250 per cent. Notes due 2025
(Rule
144A: 453140AF2/
US453140AF21
Reg S:
G4721VNU4/
USG4721VNU46)
|
US$
599,998,000
|
US$
550,000,000
|
0.897015
|
US$
950,000,000
|
5.032%
|
35
|
US$988.81
per US$1,000
|
US$958.81
per US$1,000
|
(1) For the avoidance of doubt, the
Early Tender Premium (US$30 per US$1,000) is already included
within the Early Tender Offer Consideration (calculated using the
Fixed Spread over the Reference Yield as described in the Offer to
Purchase) and is not in addition to the Early Tender Offer
Consideration. In addition, Noteholders whose Notes are accepted
for purchase will also receive Accrued Interest on such
Notes.
Although the Offer will finally
expire at 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on July 23, 2024, unless
extended by the Offeror (such time and date, as the same may be
extended, the "Expiration
Deadline"), as the aggregate principal amount of Notes
tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Deadline was greater than
the Maximum Acceptance Amount, no Notes tendered after the Early
Tender Deadline will be accepted for purchase. Because
the Offer was oversubscribed as at the Early Tender Deadline, the
Offeror intends to accept for purchase Notes tendered at or prior
to the Early Tender Deadline on a prorated basis. If such proration
and rounding down would result in Notes in a principal amount of
less than the Minimum Denomination being returned to a Noteholder,
then the Offeror, in its sole and absolute discretion, intends to
purchase all of such Noteholder's validly tendered Notes, without
applying proration.
The settlement date for the Notes
validly tendered on or prior to the Early Tender Deadline and
accepted for purchase the Offeror is expected to be July 11, 2024,
unless extended by the Offeror (the "Early Settlement Date"). Noteholders
whose Notes are accepted for purchase will also receive Accrued
Interest on such Notes.
Noteholders are advised to read
carefully the Offer to Purchase for full details of and information
on the procedures for participating in the Offer.
Further information
Noteholders may access the Offer to
Purchase at https://www.gbsc-usa.com/imperial/.
Questions and requests for
assistance in connection with the Offer may be directed to the
Dealer Managers:
Questions and requests for
assistance in connection with the tender of Notes including
requests for a copy of the Offer to Purchase may be directed
to:
Dealer Managers
Merrill Lynch
International 2 King Edward
Street
London EC1A 1HQ
United Kingdom
|
Mizuho Securities USA
LLC 1271 Avenue of
the Americas
New York, NY 10020
United States of America
|
Attention: Liability
Management Group
Telephone (Europe): +44 207 996 5420
Telephone (U.S. Toll Free): +1 (888) 292-0070
Telephone (U.S.): +1 (980) 387-3907
Email: DG.LM-EMEA@bofa.com
|
Attention: Liability
Management
Telephone (Europe): +34 91 790 7559
Telephone (U.S. Toll Free): +1 (866) 271-7403
Telephone (U.S.): +1 (212) 205-7736
Email: FI-DCM-LiabilityManagement@mizuhogroup.com
|
Information Agent:
Global Bondholder Services
Corporation
65
Broadway - Suite 404
New York,
New York 10006
Attention: Corporate Actions
Bankers
and Brokers call: +1 (212) 430-3774
Toll
free: +1 (855) 654-2015
Website: https://www.gbsc-usa.com/imperial/
|
Depositary Agent:
Global Bondholder Services
Corporation
By
facsimile (For Eligible Institutions only): +1 (212)
430-3775/3779
Confirmation: +1 (212) 430-3774
Email: contact@gbsc-usa.com
|
NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER
This press release is neither an
offer to purchase, nor a solicitation of an offer to sell the Notes
or any other securities. The Offeror is making the Offer only by,
and pursuant to, the terms of the Offer to Purchase. The Offer is
not being made in any jurisdiction in which the making of or
acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities
laws, blue sky laws or other laws of such jurisdiction. None of the
Offeror, the Dealer Managers or the Information & Depositary
Agent is making any recommendation as to whether Noteholders should
tender or refrain from tendering their Notes in response to the
Offer or how much they should tender. Each Noteholder must make
his, her or its own decision as to whether to tender or refrain
from tendering Notes and, if a Noteholder determines to tender, as
to how many Notes to tender.
This announcement must be read in
conjunction with the Offer to Purchase. This announcement and the
Offer to Purchase contain important information which should be
read carefully before any decision is made with respect to the
Offer. If any Noteholder is in any doubt as to the contents of the
Offer to Purchase or the action it should take, it is recommended
to seek its own legal, accounting and financial advice, including
in respect of any tax consequences, from its broker, bank manager,
solicitor, accountant or other independent financial, tax or legal
adviser. Any individual or company whose Notes are held on its
behalf by a broker, dealer, bank, custodian, trust company or other
nominee must contact such entity if it wishes to tender such Notes
pursuant to the Offer.
UK
MARKET ABUSE REGULATION
This announcement is released by the
Offeror and contains information that qualified or may have
qualified as inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of
the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it forms part of UK
domestic law by virtue of the EUWA ("UK MAR"), encompassing information
relating to the Offer described above. For the purposes of UK
MAR and Article 2 of the binding technical
standards published by the Financial Conduct Authority in relation
to MAR as regards Commission Implementing Regulation (EU)
2016/1055, this announcement is made by
Matthew Slade, Director of the Offeror.
FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This announcement contains certain
forward-looking statements that reflect the Offeror's intent,
beliefs or current expectations about the future and can be
recognized by the use of words such as "expects," "will,"
"anticipate," or words of similar meaning. These forward-looking
statements are not guarantees of any future performance and are
necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of the senior
management of the Offeror and involve a number of risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. As a
consequence, these forward-looking statements should be considered
in light of various important factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from estimates or projections
contained in the forward-looking statements, which include, without
limitation, the risk factors set forth in the Offer to Purchase.
The Offeror cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement
will be realized, although they believe they have been prudent in
their respective plans and assumptions. Achievement of future
results is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may
prove to be inaccurate. Should known or unknown risks or
uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove
inaccurate, actual results could vary materially from those
anticipated, estimated or projected. The Offeror undertakes no
obligation to update publicly or release any revisions to these
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances or to
reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required
by applicable law.
OFFER AND DISTRIBUTION RESTRICTIONS
This announcement and the Offer to
Purchase do not constitute an offer or an invitation to participate
in the Offer in any jurisdiction in which, or to any person to or
from whom, it is unlawful to make such offer or invitation or for
there to be such participation under applicable laws. The
distribution of this announcement and the Offer to Purchase in
certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose
possession this announcement or the Offer to Purchase comes are
required by each of the Offeror, the Dealer Managers and the
Information & Depositary Agent to inform themselves about and
to observe any such restrictions.
United Kingdom
The communication of this
announcement, the Offer to Purchase and any other documents or
materials relating to the Offer are not being made and such
documents and/or materials have not been approved by an authorised
person for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and
Markets Act 2000. Accordingly, such documents and/or materials are
not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, persons in
the United Kingdom other than (i) to those persons in the United
Kingdom falling within the definition of investment professionals
(as defined by Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets
Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 ("Financial Promotion Order")),
(ii) to those persons falling within Article 43(2)
of the Financial Promotion Order, or (iii)
to any other persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be made
under the Financial Promotion Order.
France
This announcement, the Offer to
Purchase and any other documents or offering materials relating to
the Offer may not be distributed in the Republic of France except
to qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés) as defined in
Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation. This announcement and
the Offer to Purchase have not been and will not be submitted for
clearance to the Autorité des
marchés financiers.
Italy
None of the Offer, this
announcement, the Offer to Purchase or any other documents or
materials relating to the Offer has been or will be submitted to
the clearance procedure of the Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la
Borsa ("CONSOB"),
pursuant to applicable Italian laws and regulations. The Offer is
being carried out in the Republic of Italy ("Italy") as an exempted offer pursuant
to article 101- bis, paragraph 3-bis of the Legislative Decree No.
58 of February 24, 1998, as amended (the "Financial Services Act") and article
35-bis, paragraph 4 of CONSOB Regulation No. 11971 of May 14, 1999,
as amended (the "Issuers'
Regulation"). The Offer is also being carried out in
compliance with article 35-bis, paragraph 7 of the Issuers'
Regulation. Noteholders or beneficial owners of the Notes that are
located in Italy can tender the Notes through authorized persons
(such as investment firms, banks or financial intermediaries
permitted to conduct such activities in Italy in accordance with
the Financial Services Act, CONSOB Regulation No. 20307 of February
15, 2018, as amended from time to time, and Legislative Decree No.
385 of September 1, 1993, as amended) and in compliance with
applicable laws and regulations or with requirements imposed by
CONSOB or any other Italian authority.
General
The Offer does not constitute an
offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell Notes in any
circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. In
those jurisdictions where the securities or other laws require the
Offer to be made by a licensed broker or dealer and any of the
Dealer Managers or, where the context so requires, any of their
respective affiliates is such a licensed broker or dealer in that
jurisdiction, the Offer shall be deemed to be made on behalf of the
Offeror by such Dealer Manager or affiliate (as the case may be) in
such jurisdiction.
Each Noteholder participating in the
Offer will be deemed to give certain representations in respect of
the jurisdictions referred to above and generally as set out in
"Procedures for Participating in
the Offer" in the Offer to Purchase. Any tender of Notes for
purchase pursuant to the Offer from a Noteholder that is unable to
make these representations may be rejected. Each of the Offeror,
the Guarantor, the Dealer Managers and the Information &
Depositary Agent reserves the right, in their absolute discretion,
to investigate, in relation to any tender of Notes for purchase
pursuant to an Offer, whether any such representation given by a
Noteholder is correct and, if such investigation is undertaken and
as a result the Offeror determines (for any reason) that such
representation is not correct, such tender may be
rejected.
Please see the Offer to Purchase for
certain other important information on offer restrictions
applicable to the Offer.