RELATING TO THE FILING OF THE DRAFT
SIMPLIFIED TENDER OFFER
FOR THE SHARES OF THE COMPANY NHOA
S.A.
INITIATED BY TAIWAN CEMENT EUROPE HOLDINGS
B.V., A SUBSIDIARY OF TCC GROUP HOLDINGS CO., LTD
PRESENTED BY CRÉDIT AGRICOLE
CORPORATE AND INVESTMENT BANK
PRESS RELEASE RELATING TO THE FILING OF A
DRAFT OFFER DOCUMENT (PROJET DE NOTE D’INFORMATION) PREPARED BY
TAIWAN CEMENT EUROPE HOLDINGS B.V.
Regulatory News:
NHOA (Paris:NHOA):
This document is an unofficial English-language translation
of the legal press release (communiqué normé) relating to the
filing of the draft simplified tender offer with the French
Autorité des marchés financiers on October 9, 2024, and is provided
for information purposes only. In the event of any discrepancies
between this unofficial English-language translation and the
official French document, the official French document shall
prevail.
Not for publication, dissemination or
distribution, directly or indirectly, in the United States of
America or any other jurisdiction in which the distribution or
dissemination of this Press Release is unlawful. This Press
Release does not constitute an offer to purchase any securities.
The Offer described hereinafter may only be opened after the
clearance of the French Autorité des marchés financiers.
PRICE OF
THE OFFER:
EUR 1.25 per NHOA share
CONDITIONAL PRICE SUPPLEMENT:
Only if certain conditions
materialize, as further detailed in Section 2.2 of the Press
Release, shareholders having tendered their NHOA shares to the
Offer or, if applicable, whose NHOA shares are transferred to the
offeror as part of a squeeze-out, will be entitled to a conditional
price supplement (complément de prix conditionnel) of EUR 0.65 per
NHOA share (the “Conditional Price Supplement”).
DURATION
OF THE OFFER:
10 trading days
The timetable for the simplified
tender offer referred to herein (the “Offer”) will be set
out by the French Autorité des marchés financiers (the
“AMF”) in accordance with provisions of its general
regulation (the “AMF General Regulation”).
This press release relating to the filing
with the AMF on October 9, 2024 of the draft simplified tender
offer for the shares of NHOA was prepared and issued by Taiwan
Cement Europe Holdings B.V. in accordance with the provisions of
Article 231-16, III of the AMF General Regulation (the “Press
Release”).
The
Offer and the draft offer document filed today with the AMF (the
“Draft Offer Document”) remain subject to the review of the
AMF.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
In accordance with the provisions of
Article L. 433-4 II of the French Code monétaire et financier and
Articles 237-1 et seq. of the AMF General Regulation, TCEH intends
to require the AMF, at the latest within three (3) months following
the closing of the Offer, to implement a squeeze-out (retrait
obligatoire) for the NHOA shares not tendered in the Offer (other
than the NHOA free shares subject to a holding period and subject
to a liquidity mechanism and/or assimilated to the shares held,
directly or indirectly, by the offeror) to be transferred to TCEH
in return for (i) compensation per NHOA share equal to the offer
price, being EUR 1.25; and (ii) entitlement to the Conditional
Price Supplement of EUR 0.65 per NHOA share payable only if the
conditions set forth in Section 2.2.1(B) of the Press Release
materialize.
Shareholders’ and potential investors of
NHOA’s attention is drawn to the fact that (a) no Conditional Price
Supplement will be due and/or paid if the Call Option or the Put
Option (as such terms are defined in Section 2.2.1(A) of the Press
Release) is exercised, (b) the Call Option is deeply in the money
and may therefore likely be exercised, and (c) if the Call Option
is not exercised, TCC commits to procure for the exercise of the
Put Option in light of the factors set forth in Section 2.2.1(A) of
the Press Release. Consequently, it is unlikely that a Conditional
Price Supplement will eventually be due and paid to the
shareholders of NHOA. Shareholders and potential investors of NHOA
are encouraged to read the details of the conditions set forth in
Section 2.2.1(B) of the Press Release and exercise caution when
dealing in NHOA securities.
The Draft Offer Document is available on the websites of the AMF
(www.amf-france.org), and of TCC Group Holdings Co., Ltd
(www.tccgroupholdings.com/en/) and the Company (www.nhoagroup.com),
and may be obtained free of charge from Crédit Agricole Corporate
and Investment Bank:
12 place des Etats-Unis CS 70052 92547
Montrouge Cedex
The information relating to, in particular, the legal, financial
and accounting characteristics of Taiwan Cement Europe Holdings
B.V. will be made available to the public, pursuant to Article
231-28 of the AMF General Regulation, no later than the day
preceding the opening of the simplified tender offer. A press
release will be issued to inform the public of the manner in which
this information will be made available.
1. PRESENTATION OF THE OFFER
Pursuant to Title III of Book II, and more specifically Article
233-1, 1° et seq. of the AMF General Regulation, Taiwan Cement
Europe Holdings B.V., a private company with limited liability
(besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) organized
under the laws of the Netherlands, having its registered office at
Strawinskylaan 3051, 1077 ZX, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and
registered with the trade register of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce
under number 82637970 (“TCEH” or the “Offeror”),
irrevocably offers to all the shareholders of NHOA S.A., a société
anonyme à conseil d’administration, with a share capital of EUR
55,080,483.40, having its registered office at 93 boulevard
Haussmann, 75008 Paris, France, registered with the Trade and
Companies Register of Paris under number 808 631 691 (“NHOA”
or the “Company”), to acquire in cash all of their shares in
the Company, whether outstanding or to be issued, which are
admitted to trading on Compartment B of the regulated market of
Euronext Paris (“Euronext Paris”) under ISIN Code
FR0012650166, ticker symbol “NHOA.PA” (the “Shares”), other
than the Shares held, directly or indirectly, by the Offeror, at
the price of EUR 1.25 per Share (the “Offer Price”), which
may be adjusted, if applicable, by a conditional price supplement
(complément de prix conditionnel) as further described below and in
Section 2.2 of the Press Release (the “Conditional Price
Supplement”), as part of a simplified tender offer, the terms
and conditions of which are described hereinafter (the
“Offer”).
The Offeror is an indirect subsidiary of TCC Group Holdings Co.,
Ltd (formerly known as Taiwan Cement Corporation), a company
organized under the laws of the Republic of China (Taiwan), whose
registered office is at No. 113, Section 2, Zhongshan North Road,
Taipei City 104, Taiwan (“TCC”, and, together with its
subsidiaries other than the Company and its subsidiaries, the
“TCC Group”).
TCC’s intention to file a simplified tender offer for the
Shares, indirectly through TCEH, was announced on June 13, 2024.1 A
first draft offer document was filed on July 8, 2024 with the AMF
(the “First Draft Offer Document”) on the basis of an
initial offer price of EUR 1.10 per Share.2 As announced in a press
release of the Company dated August 19, 2024, the ad hoc committee
of the Company’s Board of Directors, in light of the preliminary
work of the independent expert and the financial advisor to the ad
hoc committee, expressed some reservations as to the fairness of
the initial offer price of EUR 1.10 per Share and has therefore
asked TCC to express its intentions regarding the Offer. TCC then
announced on August 21, 2024 that its Board of Directors had
approved an increase of the Offer Price to EUR 1.25 per Share. In
addition, in the event that neither the Call Option nor the Put
Option on the shares held by NHOA Corporate S.r.l. (an Italian
subsidiary of NHOA) in Free2Move eSolutions S.p.A. (“F2MeS”)
is exercised (as such terms are defined in Section 2.2.1(A) of the
Press Release), a Conditional Price Supplement equal to EUR 0.65
per Share will be paid to the shareholders of the Company whose
Shares are tendered in the Offer (including the shareholders of the
Company who sold their Shares to the Offeror as part of the Block
Trades described in Section 1.1.2(B) of the Press Release) or
transferred to the Offeror as part of a squeeze-out , if
applicable, in accordance with Section 2.2 of the Press
Release.
As of the date of the First Draft Offer Document, TCEH held
244,557,486 Shares, representing, on this date, 88.87% of the
Company’s share capital and theoretical voting rights.
The Offer targeted all Shares that were not held, directly or
indirectly, by the Offeror:
- which were already issued – i.e., to the knowledge of the
Offeror as of the date of the First Draft Offer Document, a maximum
number of 30,639,274 Shares;
- which could be issued before the closing of the Offer, as a
result of the vesting of the Free Shares other than the Blocked
Shares (as such terms are defined in Section 2.6 of the Press
Release), subject to the satisfaction of the applicable performance
conditions – i.e., to the knowledge of the Offeror as of the date
of the First Draft Offer Document, a maximum number of 184,414 Free
Shares;
i.e., to the knowledge of the Offeror as of the date of the
First Draft Offer Document, a maximum number of Shares targeted by
the Offer equal to 30,823,688.
In the First Draft Offer Document, the Offeror reserved the
right to purchase, as from the filing of the proposed Offer with
the AMF and until the opening of the Offer, through Kepler
Cheuvreux, Shares on or off-market, in accordance with the
provisions of Articles 231-38 and 231-39 of the AMF General
Regulation, within the limits set out in Article 231-38, IV of the
AMF General Regulation, corresponding to 30% of the existing Shares
targeted by the Offer – i.e., a maximum of 9,191,782 Shares –, at
the initial offer price of EUR 1.10 per Share set forth in the
First Draft Offer Document. In this framework, on July 8 and 9,
2024, after the filing of the First Draft Offer Document and the
publication of the AMF notice setting out the main terms of the
Offer2 and signaling the beginning of the Offer period, the Offeror
acquired 9,191,782 Shares off-market through the Block Trades and
crossed upwards the 90% threshold of the Company’s share capital
and theoretical voting rights (as further described in Sections
1.1.2(B)(c) and 1.1.3(B) of the Press Release).3
Consequently, as of the date of the Draft Offer Document, TCEH
holds 253,749,268 Shares, representing 92.14% of the Company’s
share capital and theoretical voting rights.
Therefore, the Offer targets all Shares that are not held,
directly or indirectly, by the Offeror and which are already issued
– i.e., to the knowledge of the Offeror as of the date of the Draft
Offer Document, a maximum number of 21,628,106 Shares, including
the Free Shares which were issued by the Company on July 28, 2024
but excluding the Blocked Shares (i.e., 180,614 Free Shares after
deduction of 25,043 Blocked Shares, as such terms are defined in
Section 2.6 of the Press Release).
Blocked Shares are not included in the Offer, subject to the
lifting of holding periods provided for by applicable law and
regulations. Holders of Blocked Shares, namely Messrs. Carlalberto
Guglielminotti and Giuseppe Artizzu, will be offered the
possibility to benefit of a liquidity mechanism as set forth in
Section 2.6.2 of the Press Release. The situation of holders of
Free Shares in relation to the Offer is described in Section 2.6 of
the Press Release.
To the knowledge of the Offeror as of the date of the Draft
Offer Document, the Company holds no treasury Shares and there are
no other equity securities or other financial instruments issued by
the Company or rights conferred by the Company that may give
access, immediately or in the future, to the share capital or
voting rights of the Company, other than the Shares (including the
Free Shares).
The Offer, which will be followed, if the required conditions
are met, by a squeeze-out pursuant to Article L. 433-4, II, of the
French Code monétaire et financier and Articles 237-1 et seq. of
the AMF General Regulation, is carried out in accordance with the
simplified procedure governed by Articles 233-1 et seq. of the AMF
General Regulation. The Offer will be open for a period of ten (10)
trading days, it being noted that the Offer will not be reopened
following the publication of the final result of the Offer by the
AMF given that the Offer is carried-out under the simplified
procedure.
The Offer is presented by Crédit Agricole Corporate and
Investment Bank which guarantees, in accordance with the provisions
of Article 231-13 of the AMF General Regulation, the content and
the irrevocable nature of the commitments undertaken by the Offeror
in connection with the Offer, including the Conditional Price
Supplement payable only if the conditions set forth in Section
2.2.1(B) of the Press Release materialize.
1.1 Background and reasons for the
Offer
1.1.1 Reasons for the Offer
The shareholding of TCC in the Company dates back from 2021 when
TCC acquired, through its subsidiary TCEH, approximately 60.48% of
the share capital of NHOA (which was then formerly known as Engie
EPS S.A.) indirectly from ENGIE S.A. A mandatory tender offer was
then launched by TCEH, which closed on September 23, 2021,
following which TCC, indirectly through its subsidiary TCEH, held
65.15% of the share capital of NHOA.
The Offer is motivated by several factors. NHOA’s development
requires significant investments that will be easier to decide on
and implement as a non-listed company: effectively, a private
ownership would enable NHOA to more efficiently implement long-term
strategies without the pressures of the capital markets’
expectations and sensitivity to share price fluctuations.
Furthermore, given the current structure of NHOA’s shareholder
base and the low volume of trading, the listing is not particularly
beneficial for NHOA. A delisting of the Shares from Euronext Paris
would enable the simplification of NHOA’s legal structure, and
eliminate the costs and other burdens associated with running a
publicly listed company.
In this context, TCC announced on June 13, 2024 its intention to
file, indirectly through its subsidiary TCEH, a simplified tender
offer for the Shares at the initial offer price of EUR 1.10 per
Share.
As announced in a press release issued by the Company on June
17, 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors decided, on June 16,
2024, to set up an ad hoc committee, consisting of independent
directors (namely Mr. Romualdo Cirillo (chairman of the ad hoc
committee), Ms. Chen Ming Chang, Mr. Luigi Michi, Ms. Cynthia A.
Utterback et Ms. Veronica Vecchi), which is responsible for
proposing to the Company’s Board of Directors the appointment of an
independent expert, for monitoring the expert’s work and for
preparing a draft reasoned opinion (avis motivé).
On June 16, 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors, on the
advice of its ad hoc committee, appointed Ledouble, represented by
Mr. Olivier Cretté and Ms. Stéphanie Guillaumin, as an independent
expert, in accordance with the provisions of Article 261-1 I and II
of the AMF’s General Regulation, to prepare a report on the
financial conditions of the Offer, followed, if applicable, by a
squeeze-out, which will be provided in full in the Company’s
response document.
The First Draft Offer Document was initially filed by the
Offeror with the AMF on July 8, 2024.4 On July 8 and 9, 2024, TCEH
acquired two blocks of Shares off-market, and crossed upwards the
90% thresholds of NHOA’s share capital and theoretical voting
rights,5 as further described in Sections 1.1.2(B)(c) and 1.1.3(B)
of the Press Release.
As announced in a press release of the Company dated August 19,
2024, the ad hoc committee of the Company’s Board of Directors, in
light of the preliminary work of the independent expert and the
financial advisor to the ad hoc committee, expressed some
reservations as to the fairness of the initial offer price of EUR
1.10 per Share and has therefore asked TCC to express its
intentions regarding the Offer.
On August 21, 2024, TCC announced that its Board of Directors
had approved an increase of the Offer Price to EUR 1.25 per
Share.
In addition, TCC has decided, indirectly through TCEH, to
provide a Conditional Price Supplement in the amount of EUR 0.65
per Share tendered in the Offer (including the shareholders of the
Company who sold their Shares to the Offeror as part of the Block
Trades) or transferred to the Offeror as part of a squeeze-out, if
applicable, only if the conditions set forth in Section 2.2.1(B) of
the Press Release materialize.
1.1.2 Context of the Offer
(A) Presentation of the
Offeror
The Offeror is a private company with limited liability
(besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid) incorporated
under the laws of the Netherlands. Its sole shareholder is Taiwan
Cement (Dutch) Holdings B.V., a private company with limited
liability (besloten vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid)
organized under the laws of the Netherlands, having its registered
office at Strawinskylaan 3051, 1077 ZX, Amsterdam, the Netherlands,
and registered with the trade register of the Dutch Chamber of
Commerce under number 73050423.
Taiwan Cement (Dutch) Holdings B.V. (“TCDH”) is
wholly-owned by TCC and its subsidiaries.6
TCC is not controlled within the meaning of Article L. 233-3 of
the French Code de commerce. TCC’s shares are listed on the Taiwan
Stock Exchange.
(B) Acquisition of Shares by the
Offeror over the past twelve months
During the twelve months preceding the filing date of the First
Draft Offer Document and of the Draft Offer Document, the Offeror
acquired Shares as part of the 2023 Rights Issue, the 2024
Acquisition and the Block Trades only. As a result thereof, the
Offeror holds, as of the date of the Draft Offer Document,
253,749,268 Shares, representing 92.14% of the Company’s share
capital and theoretical voting rights.7
(a) 2023 Rights Issue
On August 29, 2023, the Company launched a capital increase with
shareholders’ preferential subscription rights (droits
préférentiels de souscription) through the issuance of 249,663,040
new Shares at a unit subscription price of EUR 1.00 (including EUR
0.20 of nominal value and EUR 0.80 of issue premium), representing
gross proceeds of EUR 249,663,040 (including issue premium) (the
“2023 Rights Issue”). The prospectus of the Company was
approved by the AMF on August 28, 2023, under number 23-370.
The results of the 2023 Rights Issue were announced on September
15, 2023. As part of the 2023 Rights Issue, the Offeror subscribed
in cash to 162,654,272 new Shares on an irreducible basis
corresponding to the exercise of its preferential subscription
rights. The Offeror also subscribed in cash to 62,268,112
additional new Shares, through the mechanism of article L. 225-134,
I, 2° of the French Code de commerce. Consequently, more than 90%
of the Shares issued as part of the 2023 Rights Issue were
subscribed by the Offeror.
As a result of the 2023 Rights Issue, the Offeror held
241,557,486 Shares, representing 87.78% of the Company’s share
capital and theoretical voting rights.
(b) 2024 Acquisition
On April 4, 2024, the Offeror acquired 3,000,000 Shares on the
market, from Caisse des Dépôts, at a unit price of EUR 0.5590 per
Share (the “2024 Acquisition”). This 2024 Acquisition was
disclosed to the market under the framework applicable to
transactions of persons discharging managerial responsibilities,
the Offeror being a person closely associated with Mr. Nelson An
Ping Chang, chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors.8
As a result of the 2024 Acquisition, the Offeror held
244,557,486 Shares, representing 88.87% of the Company’s share
capital and theoretical voting rights.
(c) Block Trades completed after the
filing of the First Draft Offer Document
Pursuant to the provisions of Article 231-38 of the AMF General
Regulation, after the filing of the First Draft Offer Document and
the publication of the AMF notice9 setting out the main terms of
the Offer on July 8, 2024 and signaling the beginning of the Offer
period:
- The Offeror acquired a first block of 4,519,000 Shares
off-market, at the price of EUR 1.10 per Share (i.e., the offer
price as set out in the First Draft Offer Document), on July 8,
2024 (the “First Block Trade”);10 and
- The Offeror acquired a second block of 4,672,782 Shares
off-market, at the price of EUR 1.10 per Share, on July 9, 2024
(the “Second Block Trade”, together with the First Block
Trade, the “Block Trades”).11
As a result, the Offeror held 253,749,268 Shares, representing,
upon completion of such Block Trades, 92.21%12 of NHOA’s share
capital and theoretical voting rights.
The Offeror will offer to the relevant shareholders who
transferred Shares as part of the Block Trades an additional
consideration of EUR 0.15 per Share so transferred (i.e., the
difference between the revised Offer Price and the price paid to
the transferors in connection with the Block Trades, which was
equal to the initial offer price of EUR 1.10 per Share), subject to
the Offer being declared compliant (conforme) by the AMF and opened
to the minority shareholders of the Company. Such transferors will
also be eligible to the Conditional Price Supplement, as further
described in Section 2.2 of the Press Release.
After completion of the Block Trades, the Offeror did not
acquire any Shares.
1.1.3 Declarations of thresholds crossing
(A) Declaration of May
2024
In accordance with Articles L. 233-7 et seq. of the French Code
de commerce and Articles 223-11 et seq. of the AMF General
Regulation, pursuant to the declaration of thresholds crossing
dated May 30, 2024, TCC declared, for regularization, that it had
individually crossed upwards, indirectly through TCDH and the
Offeror, the legal threshold of 2/3rd of the Company’s share
capital and voting rights,13 on September 15, 2023, as a result of
the 2023 Rights Issue.14
In accordance with Article 13 of the Company’s articles of
association, pursuant to the declaration of legal and statutory
thresholds crossing dated May 29, 2024, TCC declared, as a
regularization, that it had individually crossed upwards,
indirectly through TCDH and the Offeror, the statutory thresholds
of 66%, 69%, 72%, 75%, 78%, 81%, 84% and 87% of the Company’s share
capital and voting rights,13 on September 15, 2023, as a result of
the 2023 Rights Issue.
As a result of these declarations for regularization purposes,
in accordance with Article L. 233-14 of the French Code de
commerce, the number of voting rights exercisable by TCEH was
limited to 183,464,506 voting rights, i.e., two-thirds of the
number of theoretical voting rights, until the expiration of a
period of two years following the date of regularization of the
declaration.
The 2024 Acquisition did not result in the Offeror crossing any
legal or statutory threshold of the Company’s share capital and
voting rights.
(B) Declaration of July
2024
In accordance with Articles L. 233-7 et seq. of the French Code
de commerce and Articles 223-11 et seq. of the AMF General
Regulation, pursuant to the declaration of thresholds crossing
dated July 10, 2024, TCC declared that it had individually crossed
upwards, indirectly through TCDH and the Offeror, the legal
thresholds of 90% of the Company’s share capital and theoretical
voting rights,15 on July 8, 2024, as a result of the First Block
Trade.16
In accordance with Article 13 of the Company’s articles of
association, pursuant to the declaration of legal and statutory
thresholds crossing dated July 10, 2024, TCC declared, that it had
individually crossed upwards, indirectly through TCDH and the
Offeror, the legal and statutory thresholds of 90% of the Company’s
share capital and theoretical voting rights,15 on July 8, 2024, as
a result of the First Block Trade.
1.1.4 Allocation of the Company’s share capital and voting
rights
On the date of the filing of the First Draft Offer Document on
July 8, 2024, to the knowledge of the Offeror, the Company’s share
capital amounted to EUR 55,039,352 divided into 275,196,760
ordinary Shares of EUR 0.20 par value each, fully paid-up and all
of the same class.
On July 28, 2024, 205,657 Free Shares were definitively vested
and therefore issued in favor of the relevant beneficiaries.
Consequently, to the knowledge of the Offeror as of the date of the
Draft Offer Document, the Company’s share capital amounts to EUR
55,080,483.40, divided into 275,402,417 ordinary Shares of EUR 0.20
par value each, fully paid-up and all of the same class.
To the knowledge of the Offeror as of the date of the Draft
Offer Document, the Company’s share capital and theoretical voting
rights are allocated as follows:
Shareholders
Number of Shares
% of Shares
Number of voting rights
(*)
% of voting rights
TCEH
253,749,268
92.14%
253,749,268
92.14%
Free float
21,653,149
7.86%
21,653,149
7.86%
Total
275,402,417
100.00%
275,402,417
100.00%
(*) Theoretical voting rights calculated pursuant to Article
223-11 of the AMF General Regulation. Please refer to paragraph
1.1.3 above for more information on the voting rights exercisable
by TCEH.
1.1.5 Regulatory clearances
As of the filing date of the First Draft Offer Document, it was
expected that the opening of the Offer would, pursuant to the
provisions of Article 231-32 of the AMF General Regulation, be
subject to the prior authorization of the Italian Government under
the Italian foreign investments regime (“Golden Power”).
The Italian Government, to which a request for authorization was
submitted on June 26, 2024, issued a clearance decision on
September 4, 2024.
1.2 Benefits of the Offer and Offeror’s
intentions for the next twelve months
1.2.1 Industrial, commercial and financial strategy and
policy
Since NHOA is already being part of the TCC Group, the Offeror
does not expect, as a result of the Offer, any material change in
the industrial and financial policy and strategic orientations
currently implemented by NHOA, beyond NHOA’s further cooperation
with the TCC Group and subject to changes resulting, as the case
may be, from the delisting of the Shares of the Company on Euronext
Paris.
In other words, the Offeror intends to continue to support the
strategic development of the Company and its subsidiaries,
leveraging the expertise of TCC, its indirect shareholder.
1.2.2 Employment
Since NHOA is already being part of the TCC Group, the Offeror
does not expect, as a result of the Offer, any particular impact on
the approach pursued by the Company in relation with employment and
employees policies, beyond ordinary course of business and subject
to changes resulting, as the case may be, from the delisting of the
Shares of the Company on Euronext Paris.
1.2.3 Composition of the corporate and management bodies of
the Company
As of the date of the Draft Offer Document, the Company’s Board
of Directors is composed as follows:
- Mr. Nelson An Ping Chang (Chairman);
- Mr. Carlalberto Guglielminotti;
- Ms. Chen-Ming Chang (independent member);
- Mr. Romualdo Cirillo (independent member);
- Mr. Luigi Michi (independent member);
- Ms. Veronica Vecchi (independent member); and
- Ms. Cynthia A. Utterback (independent member).
As of the date of the Draft Offer Document, the Chief Executive
Officer of the Company is Mr. Carlalberto Guglielminotti, who was
renewed as group Chief Executive Officer of NHOA on May 30, 2024 by
the Company’s Board of Directors (for a one-year term). NHOA’s
annual general meeting of June 13, 2024 renewed Mr. Carlalberto
Guglielminotti’s term of office as member of the Board of Directors
for a term of three (3) years expiring at the end of the general
meeting to be held in 2027 to approve the financial statements for
the financial year ended on December 31, 2026.
Upon completion of the Offer, the Offeror does not anticipate,
as of the date of the Draft Offer Document, any change in the
composition of the Board of Directors or in the composition of the
management team of the Company, beyond ordinary course of business
and subject to changes resulting, as the case may be, from the
delisting of the Shares of the Company on Euronext Paris or from an
intragroup reorganization.
1.2.4 Benefits of the Offer for the Offeror, the Company and
the Company’s shareholders
The Offeror intends to continue to support the strategic
development of the Company, leveraging the expertise of TCC, its
indirect shareholder. The Offer will strengthen the Company’s
relationship with a first-class partner to ensure the continuation
of its businesses with extended resources and capacities. In
particular, the Company will continue to benefit from (i) TCC
Group’s wide range of expertise in the sectors of renewable energy,
energy efficient technologies and energy storage and (ii) the
expansion to new addressable markets, notably in Asia, through the
TCC Group.
The Offer enables the Offeror and TCC to pursue their
international energy and energy storage presence as well as to
pursue the diversification of their product offerings. The Offer
will also enable the TCC Group to continue to benefit from the
Company’s highly qualified personnel and recognized expertise.
In addition, the Offeror wishes to proceed with the Offer as
certain shareholders had in the past approached the Offeror seeking
opportunities to liquidate their Shares. In this regard, the Offer
represents:
- An opportunity for shareholders to fully monetize investments
with limited liquidity. The Offeror notes that the trading
liquidity of Shares has been at a low level for a sustained period
of time.
The Offeror is mindful of this prolonged low
trading liquidity, which makes it challenging for shareholders to
execute substantial disposals in the open market without adversely
affecting share price. This is particularly important given the
latest unfavorable developments in both the electric vehicles’ and
the energy storage markets which had led on July 5, 2024 to the
downward revision of the Company’s guidance released with the
Capital Markets Day 2023 and reflected in the Company’s 2023
Universal Registration Document (“2023 Guidance”).
- An opportunity for shareholders to fully monetize investments
for cash amidst uncertain market conditions in the electric
vehicles and energy storage sectors. The Offer provides
shareholders with an opportunity to realize their investment in the
Company for cash amidst an uncertain market climate in the electric
vehicles and energy storage markets. As disclosed in the Company’s
press release on July 5, 2024 revising down the Company’s 2023
Guidance:
- Negative outlook for the electric
vehicles market. In the electric vehicles market, the growth
in sales of electric vehicles has significantly slowed down
compared to what was anticipated during the Capital Markets Day
2023. In Italy, Spain and France for instance, where Atlante has
points of charge, the lower number of electric vehicles in these
countries than as expected by the Company will likely impact the
utilization rates and revenues generation for the Atlante network.
The new Bloomberg’s Electric Vehicle Market Outlook published on
June 12, 2024 also reported an unexpected negative trend in Italy
(-24% electric vehicles sales year-on-year at Q1 2024) and
forecasts 450 thousand electric vehicles in the country by 2025 and
833 thousand in 2027, meaning a three years and a half delay of the
market compared the 2023 Assumptions. Coupled with the growing
uncertainty on the policy support for electric vehicles, as
demonstrated by the reductions in electric vehicles incentives in
some countries and postponement of the phase-out from internal
combustion sales in others, key automakers such as Tesla,
Mercedes-Benz, General Motors and Ford, have cut their near-term
goals for electric vehicles.
- Uncertainties in the energy storage
market. In the energy storage market, over the last 8-11
months abrupt oversupply of batteries (that normally represent
60-70% of project costs) from China has led to a reduction in the
nominal value of contracts, as customers reasonably expect NHOA
Energy and its competitors to pass on the resulting batteries price
reduction to them. Furthermore, counterparty risk has increased on
the supplier side due to the strong margin compression for battery
makers, and NHOA Energy has therefore been more selective in the
commercial opportunities it is pursuing. This is expected to lead
to a delay of approximately two years in the achievement of the
medium-term financial targets released with the Capital Markets Day
2023, driven by a more cautious short-term outlook until market
rebalances.
The Offeror enables minority shareholders of the Company, that
will tender their Shares to the Offer, to obtain full and immediate
liquidity for their Shares at the Offer Price, which represents
(excluding the Conditional Price Supplement) :
- a premium of 114% over the last closing price per Share of the
Company of June 12, 2024 prior to the announcement of the Offer;
and
- premiums of 114%, 94% and 82% respectively compared to the
volume-weighted average prices over the 60, 120 and 180 trading
days preceding that date.
The information supporting the assessment of the Offer Price and
of the Conditional Price Supplement is presented in Section 3 of
the official, French-language, version of the Draft Offer
Document.
1.2.5 Contemplated synergies and anticipated economic
profits
The Offeror, which is a holding company, does not anticipate any
material cost or revenue synergies with the Company, other than the
savings that may result from a simplification of the NHOA group
legal structure and a delisting of the Shares of the Company on
Euronext Paris, following a squeeze-out, if applicable.
1.2.6 Merger and other reorganizations
Structurally, subject to the assessment of tax aspects and other
potential costs, having multiple layers of holding companies does
not seem efficient. Intragroup reorganizations to simplify the
chain of control may consequently be contemplated. As of the date
of the Draft Offer Document, no decision has been made in this
regard.
The Offeror also reserves the right to implement joint ventures
or alliances with TCC Group’s strategic partners involving the
Company. As of the date of the Draft Offer Document, no decision
has been made in this regard.
1.2.7 Dividend distribution policy
No dividends or reserves have been distributed by the Company
since its incorporation, and, to the knowledge of the Offeror as of
the date of the Draft Offer Document, the Company has no plans to
initiate a policy of dividend payments in the short-term.
No decision has been made with regards to the future
distribution policy of the Company. However, the Offeror reserves
the right to modify the Company’s distribution policy in the
future. Any future distribution policy will be approved by the
Board of Directors of the Company and will be implemented in
accordance with the applicable law and the Company’s articles of
association.
1.2.8 Squeeze-out – Delisting
In accordance with the provisions of Article L. 433-4 II of the
French Code monétaire et financier and Articles 237-1 et seq. of
the AMF General Regulation, the Offeror intends to require the AMF,
at the latest within three (3) months following the closing of the
Offer, to implement a squeeze-out (retrait obligatoire) for the
Shares not tendered in the Offer (other than the Blocked Shares
and/or Shares assimilated to the Shares held, directly or
indirectly, by the Offeror) to be transferred to the Offeror in
return for compensation per Share equal to the Offer Price – i.e.,
EUR 1.25 per Share. If the conditions set forth in Section 2.2.1(B)
of the Press Release materialize, a Conditional Price Supplement of
EUR 0.65 per Share will be paid to the shareholders whose Shares
would be transferred to the Offeror as part of a squeeze-out, as
further detailed in Section 2.2 of the Press Release.
The squeeze-out will result in the delisting of the Shares from
Euronext Paris.
In the event that the Offeror is not in a position, following
the Offer, to implement a squeeze-out under the above-mentioned
conditions, it reserves the right to file a public tender offer
followed, if applicable, by a squeeze-out for the Shares it does
not hold, directly or indirectly, at that date. In this context,
the Offeror does not exclude increasing its interest in the Company
after the end of the Offer and prior to the filing of a new offer
in accordance with the applicable legal and regulatory provisions.
In this case, the squeeze-out will be subject to the review of the
AMF, which will rule on its conformity in light of the independent
expert’s report to be appointed in accordance with the provisions
of Article 261-1 of the AMF’s General Regulation.
1.3 Agreements that may have a material
effect on the assessment of the Offer or its outcome
Other than the Liquidity Agreement contemplated and described in
Section 2.6.2 of the Press Release and the F2MeS Shareholders’
Agreement referred to in Section 2.2 of the Press Release, the
Offeror is not aware of, and is not party to, any agreement that
could have a material effect on the assessment of the Offer or its
outcome.
2. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OFFER
2.1 Terms of the Offer
In accordance with the provisions of Article 231-13 of the AMF
General Regulation, the draft Offer was filed on July 8, 2024 with
the AMF by Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, acting on
behalf of the Offeror. The price offered in the First Draft Offer
Document was EUR 1.10 per Share. On August 21, 2024, TCC announced
that its Board of Directors had approved an increase of the Offer
Price to EUR 1.25 per Share. TCC, indirectly through TCEH, has also
decided to provide a Conditional Price Supplement under the
conditions set forth in Section 2.2. Consequently, on October 9,
2024, the Draft Offer Document was filed with the AMF.
In accordance with Article 233-1 of the AMF General Regulation,
the Offer will be carried out through the simplified procedure.
In accordance with the provisions of Article 231-6 of the AMF
General Regulation, the Offeror irrevocably undertakes to the
Company’s shareholders to acquire, at the Offer Price (i.e., EUR
1.25 per Share), which may be adjusted, if applicable, by the
Conditional Price Supplement of EUR 0.65 per Share (only if the
conditions set forth in Section 2.2.1(B) materialize, as further
detailed in Section 2.2 of the Press Release), all the Shares that
will be tendered to the Offer during a period of ten (10) trading
days. The attention of the Company’s shareholders is drawn on the
fact that the Offer will not be reopened following the publication
of the final result of the Offer by the AMF, given that it is
carried-out under the simplified procedure.
Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank guarantees the
content and the irrevocable nature of the undertakings made by the
Offeror as part of the Offer, including the Conditional Price
Supplement payable only if the conditions set forth in Section
2.2.1(B) of the Press Release materialize, in accordance with the
provisions of Article 231-13 of the AMF General Regulation.
2.2 Conditional Price
Supplement
TCC has decided, indirectly through TCEH, to provide a
Conditional Price Supplement under the following conditions.
The shareholders’ attention is drawn to the fact that they will
only be eligible to the Conditional Price Supplement in limited
circumstances. For further detail as to the tax treatment of this
Conditional Price Supplement, please refer to Section 2.14 of the
Press Release.
2.2.1 Background, condition of payment and amount of the
Conditional Price Supplement
(A) Background
To the knowledge of the Offeror as of the date of the Draft
Offer Document, Stellantis Europe S.p.A. (“Stellantis”) and
NHOA, through its Italian subsidiary NHOA Corporate S.r.l., hold
respectively 50.10% and 49.90% of the share capital of F2MeS, their
joint venture dedicated to electric mobility. Pursuant to the
Investment and Shareholders Agreement dated January 15, 2021 (as
amended on January 25, 2024) entered into between, inter alia,
Stellantis and the Company (the “F2MeS Shareholders’
Agreement”), before the acquisition of the Company’s control by
TCC in 2021, (i) Stellantis has a call option to acquire the shares
held by NHOA Corporate S.r.l. in F2MeS (the “Call Option”)
and (ii) NHOA Corporate S.r.l. has a put option to sell the same
shares to Stellantis (the “Put Option”). Pursuant to the
F2MeS Shareholders’ Agreement:
- Stellantis will be entitled to exercise the Call Option form
January 1, 2025 until May 31, 2025 on all (and not less than all)
the securities in F2MeS held by NHOA Corporate S.r.l. at a strike
price calculated as follows:
[({average between the 2023 EBITDA and the
2024 EBITDA of F2MeS} multiplied by 7 times) minus the net
financial position of F2MeS as at December 31, 2024] multiplied by
49.9%
- NHOA Corporate S.r.l. will be entitled to exercise the Put
Option from June 1, 2025 to June 30, 2025 on all (and not less than
all) the securities in F2MeS held by NHOA Corporate S.r.l. at a
strike price calculated as follows:
[({average between the 2023 EBITDA and the
2024 EBITDA of F2MeS} multiplied by 5 times) minus the net
financial position of F2MeS as at December 31, 2024] multiplied by
49.9%
The Call Option being deeply in the money, as referred to in
Section 3 of the official, French-language, version of the Draft
Offer Document, it would be in Stellantis’ interest to exercise it,
from a financial standpoint.
If and to the extent the Call Option is not exercised by
Stellantis by May 31, 2025 (inclusive), TCC commits to procure for
the exercise of the Put Option by NHOA Corporate S.r.l. in June
2025 (without NHOA’s Board of Directors having to decide at this
stage on this forthcoming decision). The TCC Group (including the
NHOA group) is taking into account, inter alia, the following
factors in assessing the benefits of the exercise of the Put Option
to the TCC Group (including the NHOA group):
Under the F2MeS Shareholders’ Agreement,
NHOA would be repaid its portion of shareholders’ loan granted to
F2MeS (being an amount in principal equal to c. EUR 25 million as
of June 30, 2024) following the exercise of NHOA Corporate S.r.l.’s
Put Option. In addition, NHOA would not be required to contribute
any further financing to F2MeS so that it could prioritize its
financings to other strategic businesses and projects of the NHOA
group;
F2MeS’s business is the sale of charging
equipment to electric vehicles owners and dealers, which is not the
strategic focus of the NHOA group as a whole and has little
synergies with the rest of NHOA’s businesses. Given the nature of
F2MeS’s business and since it is operated and managed by
Stellantis, its success is highly reliant on Stellantis’ sales
network and related relationships. As such, it could be
commercially sensible for NHOA to dispose of its interest in F2MeS
when the opportunity arises;
As mentioned in Section 1.2.4 of the Press
Release, the outlook of the electric vehicles market is slow or
even negative. Several automakers have revised their near-term
targets downward, and uncertainty around policy support for
electric vehicles is increasing, with some countries reducing
incentives and delaying the phase-out of internal combustion engine
sales. It is reminded that F2MeS’ consolidated revenues stood at
EUR 64 million for the financial year ending December 31, 2023 and
at EUR 32 million for the first semester ending June 30, 2024,
while the objective is to reach EUR 200 million in 2025 and EUR
227.5 million in 2026, as outlined in NHOA’s guidance published on
July 5, 2024;
The F2MeS Shareholders’ Agreement is due to
expire in 2026 and there is no guarantee that a new shareholders
agreement will be entered into, in which case, previously
negotiated minority shareholder rights may not be preserved;
and
The sale of NHOA’s interest in F2MeS to a
third party would be challenging in light of the rights of
Stellantis under the F2MeS Shareholders’ Agreement, the
restrictions imposed on the parties under the F2MeS Shareholders’
Agreement (for example, non-competition and exclusivity), the fact
that NHOA’s indirect interest is a minority interest and the
challenges of a third party agreeing a new shareholders’ agreement
with Stellantis that is satisfactory to all relevant parties.
(B) Condition of payment and amount of
the Conditional Price Supplement
In the event that neither the Call
Option nor the Put Option is exercised
in 2025 by Stellantis or NHOA Corporate S.r.l., respectively, the
minority shareholders of NHOA would receive a Conditional Price
Supplement of EUR 0.65 per Share tendered in the Offer (including
the shareholders of the Company who sold their Shares to the
Offeror as part of the Block Trades) or transferred to the Offeror
as part of a squeeze-out, if applicable. It is specified that the
shareholders of the Company who would transfer their Shares other
than through an order to tender in the Offer or as part of the
squeeze-out, in particular, inter alia, by selling Shares on the
market or off-market, would not benefit from the Conditional Price
Supplement (except for (i) the shareholders of the Company who sold
their Shares to the Offeror as part of the Block Trades and (ii)
Messrs. Carlalberto Guglielminotti and Giuseppe Artizzu pursuant to
the liquidity mechanism referred to in Section 2.6.2 of the Press
Release).
If either the Call Option or the Put Option is exercised in
2025, no Conditional Price Supplement
will be due.
The Conditional Price Supplement of EUR 0.65 per Share was
decided by the Offeror following the preliminary observations of
the ad hoc committee of NHOA’s Board of Directors on the First
Draft Offer Document filed on July 8, 2024. It results from the
difference between the estimated value of NHOA Corporate S.r.l.’s
non-controlling stake in F2MeS, and that of the Call Option, the
exercise of which by Stellantis is deemed likely by TCEH, and will
be analyzed in the independent expert’s report which will be
inserted in NHOA’s draft response document.
Shareholders and potential investors of NHOA should take note
that their entitlement to the Conditional Price Supplement is
subject to conditions that may not materialize. In particular, as
indicated in Section 2.2.1(A) of the Press Release and in light of
the factors set forth therein, TCC commits to procure for the
exercise of the Put Option by NHOA Corporate S.r.l. if the Call
Option is not exercised by Stellantis. Consequently, it is unlikely
that a Conditional Price Supplement will eventually be due and paid
to the shareholders of NHOA.
Accordingly, shareholders and potential investors of NHOA should
exercise caution when dealing in NHOA securities.
2.2.2 Payment of the Conditional Price Supplement
Only if the conditions set forth in Section 2.2.1(B) above
materialize, the Conditional Price Supplement shall be paid, to the
shareholders of the Company having tendered their Shares to the
Offer (including the shareholders of the Company who sold their
Shares to the Offeror as part of the Block Trades), or to the
shareholders of the Company whose Shares will have been transferred
as part of the squeeze-out , if applicable, following receipt by
NHOA Corporate S.r.l. of the funds resulting from the exercise of
the Call Option or of the Put Option (as applicable) (the “Right
to the Conditional Price Supplement”). Each Right to the
Conditional Price Supplement will entitle its holder to the payment
of the Conditional Price Supplement. Each Right to the Conditional
Price Supplement, which will not be admitted to trading and shall
not be transferable, except in limited circumstances (inheritance
or donation), shall be incorporated in a financial security (the
“Financial Security”) admitted to the operations of
Euroclear France.
In light of the results of the Offer, Uptevia (La Défense-Coeur
Défense Tour A, 90-110 Esplanade du Général de Gaulle, 92400
Courbevoie, France ; RCS Nanterre n° 439 430 976), designated as
centralizing agent (the “Centralizing Agent”) shall create
as many Financial Securities as are the Shares tendered to the
Offer (or, if applicable, transferred as part of the squeeze-out),
have them admitted to the operations of Euroclear France, and
deliver them to the relevant financial brokers . The Financial
Securities will be recorded in the securities accounts of their
clients simultaneously to the payment of each tendered Share’s
Offer Price (or, if applicable, transferred as part of the
squeeze-out).
The exercise (or not) of the Call Option or Put Option described
in Section 2.2.1 of the Press Release will be announced by TCC
through a press release and a financial notice. Within 45 calendar
days after the receipt by NHOA Corporate S.r.l. of the funds
resulting from the exercise of the Call Option or the Put Option
(as applicable), the Offeror shall inform the beneficiaries of the
Financial Securities (that is: (i) the shareholders of the Company
having tendered their Shares to the Offer (including the
shareholders of the Company who sold their Shares to the Offeror as
part of the Block Trades) and those whose Shares are transferred as
part of the squeeze-out, or (ii) their legal beneficiaries) of such
transfer of funds by means of a financial notice.
The Centralizing Agent, acting on behalf of the Offeror, shall
pay, on the payment date mentioned in such financial notice, the
Conditional Price Supplement to the custody account keepers of the
beneficiaries of the Financial Securities, in compliance with the
terms that shall be laid out in a circular sent by the Centralizing
Agent to the financial brokers via Euroclear France.
The Centralizing Agent shall keep all unallocated funds and
shall make them available to the beneficiaries of the Financial
Securities and to their legal beneficiaries for a period of 10
years following the payment date mentioned in the financial notice,
after which 10 year period it shall transfer all unallocated funds
to the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations which will keep them for
a period of 20 years. The funds will not accrue interest.
If either the Call Option or Put Option described in Section
2.2.1 of the Press Release is exercised, the Rights to the
Conditional Price Supplement and the Financial Securities shall
automatically lapse.
2.3 Conditions of the
Offer
A notice of filing of the Offer will be published by the AMF on
its website (www.amf-france.org). In accordance with the provisions
of Article 231-16 of the AMF General Regulation, a press release
containing the main characteristics of the Offer and specifying the
manner in which the Draft Offer Document will be made available to
the public, will be disclosed on the websites of TCC
(www.tccgroupholdings.com/en/) and of the Company
(www.nhoagroup.com). The French version of the Draft Offer Document
is available on the websites of the AMF (www.amf-france.org), TCC
(www.tccgroupholdings.com/en/) and the Company (www.nhoagroup.com),
and may be obtained free of charge from Crédit Agricole Corporate
and Investment Bank.
The Offer and the related Draft Offer Document remain subject to
the review of the AMF.
The AMF will declare the Offer compliant after having verified
its conformity with the legal provisions and regulations applicable
to it and will publish the declaration of conformity on its website
(www.amf-france.org). This declaration of conformity issued by the
AMF will serve as the approval (“visa”) of the offer document.
The offer document having received the AMF’s approval (“visa”)
and the document containing the “Other Information” relating to the
legal, financial, accounting and other characteristics of the
Offeror will, in accordance with the provisions of Articles 231-27
and 231-28 of the AMF General Regulation, be made available to the
public on the websites of the AMF (www.amf-france.org), TCC
(www.tccgroupholdings.com/en/) and the Company (www.nhoagroup.com).
These documents may also be obtained free of charge from Crédit
Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank.
A press release specifying the terms and conditions for making
these documents available will be issued no later than on the day
preceding the opening of the Offer, in accordance with the
provisions of Articles 231-27 and 231-28 of the AMF General
Regulation.
Prior to the opening of the Offer, the AMF will publish a notice
of opening and the timetable of the Offer, and Euronext Paris will
publish a notice setting out the content of the Offer and
specifying the timetable and terms of its completion.
2.4 Adjustment of the terms of the
Offer
In the event that, between the date of the Draft Offer Document
and the date of the settlement-delivery of the Offer (inclusive),
the Company proceeds in any form whatsoever to (i) distribute a
dividend, interim dividend, reserve, premium or any other
distribution (in cash or in kind), or (ii) redeem or reduce its
share capital, and in both cases, in which the detachment date or
the reference date on which it is necessary to be a shareholder in
order to be entitled thereto is set before the date of the
settlement-delivery of the Offer (inclusive), the Offer Price will
be reduced accordingly, on a euro per euro basis, to take into
account this transaction.
Any adjustment of the Offer Price will be subject to the
publication of a press release which will be submitted to the prior
approval of the AMF.
2.5 Number and nature of the Shares
targeted by the Offer
As of the date of the First Draft Offer Document, TCEH held
244,557,486 Shares, representing, on this date, 88.87% of the
Company’s share capital and theoretical voting rights.
The Offer targeted all Shares that were not held, directly or
indirectly, by the Offeror:
- which were already issued – i.e., to the knowledge of the
Offeror as of the date of the First Draft Offer Document, a maximum
number of 30,639,274 Shares;
- which could be issued before the closing of the Offer, as a
result of the vesting of the Free Shares other than the Blocked
Shares (as such terms are defined in Section 2.6 of the Press
Release), subject to the satisfaction of the applicable performance
conditions – i.e., to the knowledge of the Offeror as of the date
of the First Draft Offer Document, a maximum number of 184,414 Free
Shares;
i.e., to the knowledge of the Offeror as of the date of the
First Draft Offer Document, a maximum number of Shares targeted by
the Offer equal to 30,823,688.
On July 8 and 9, 2024, the Offeror acquired 9,191,782 Shares
off-market through the Block Trades (as defined in Section
1.1.2(B)(c) of the Press Release) and crossed upwards the 90%
threshold of the Company’s share capital and theoretical voting
rights (as further described in Sections 1.1.2(B)(c) and 1.1.3(B)
of the Press Release).17
As of the date of the Draft Offer Document, TCEH holds
253,749,268 Shares, representing 92.14% of the Company’s share
capital and theoretical voting rights.18
Therefore, the Offer targets all Shares that are not held,
directly or indirectly, by the Offeror and which are already issued
– i.e., to the knowledge of the Offeror as of the date of the Draft
Offer Document, a maximum number of 21,628,106 Shares, including
the Free Shares which were issued by the Company on July 28, 2024
but excluding the Blocked Shares (i.e., 180,614 Free Shares after
deduction of 25,043 Blocked Shares, as such terms are defined in
Section 2.6 of the Press Release).
Blocked Shares are not included in the Offer, subject to the
lifting of holding periods provided for by applicable law and
regulations. Holders of Blocked Shares, namely Messrs. Carlalberto
Guglielminotti and Giuseppe Artizzu, will be offered the
possibility to benefit of a liquidity mechanism as set forth in
Section 2.6.2 of the Press Release. The situation of holders of
Free Shares in relation to the Offer is described in Section 2.6 of
the Press Release.
To the knowledge of the Offeror as of the date of the Draft
Offer Document, the Company holds no treasury Shares and there are
no other equity securities or other financial instruments issued by
the Company or rights conferred by the Company that may give
access, immediately or in the future, to the share capital or
voting rights of the Company, other than the Shares (including the
Free Shares).
2.6 Situation of the holders of Free
Shares
2.6.1 2022 Free Share Plan
One free share plan has been implemented by the Company in 2022
(the “2022 Free Share Plan”). A total number of 542,200 free
shares have been awarded to 83 employees and officers of the
Company and its subsidiaries, on July 28, 2022 (the “Free
Shares”).
2022 Free Share Plan
Date of the Company shareholders’
general meeting
June 23, 2022
Date of the Company’s Board of
Directors
July 28, 2022
Number of Free Shares granted
542,200
Number of Free Shares cancelled
or lapsed
16,000
Number of Free Shares not vested
due to the success ratio of the performance conditions
320,543
End of the vesting period
July 28, 2024
End of the holding period19
July 28, 2025
Number of Free Shares
definitively vested on July 28, 2024
205,657
Number of Blocked Shares subject
to the holding period
25,043
Retained Free Shares20
6,262
To the knowledge of the Offeror as of the date of the Draft
Offer Document, (i) on July 28, 2024, 205,657 Free Shares were
vested and issued in favor of the relevant beneficiaries, and (ii)
a number of 25,043 Free Shares19 (included in the 205,657 vested
Free Shares) awarded to Messrs. Carlalberto Guglielminotti and
Giuseppe Artizzu are, since their vesting, subject to a holding
period expiring on July 28, 2025 (the “Blocked Shares”).
Such Blocked Shares are not targeted by the Offer, subject to the
lifting of holding periods provided for by applicable law and
regulations. In addition, to the knowledge of the Offeror as of the
date of the Draft Offer Document, Messrs. Carlalberto
Guglielminotti and Giuseppe Artizzu are required to retain 25% of
their Blocked Shares until the termination of their respective
offices (the “Retained Free Shares”). However, the holders
of Blocked Shares (which include the Retained Free Shares), namely
Messrs. Carlalberto Guglielminotti and Giuseppe Artizzu, will be
offered the possibility to enter into a Liquidity Agreement as set
forth in Section 2.6.2 of the Press Release.
Therefore, after excluding the Blocked Shares, 180,614 Free
Shares are targeted by the Offer.
2.6.2 Liquidity mechanism
Messrs. Carlalberto Guglielminotti and Giuseppe Artizzu, as
holders of Blocked Shares, will be offered the possibility to enter
into a liquidity agreement with the Offeror (each, a “Liquidity
Agreement”) to enable them to benefit from a liquidity in cash
for their Blocked Shares which could not be tendered in the
Offer.
The Liquidity Agreements would include (i) a put option
(promesse d’achat) granted by the Offeror to each of Messrs.
Carlalberto Guglielminotti and Giuseppe Artizzu, exercisable during
a period of 20 business days following the Availability Date; (ii)
followed by a call option (promesse de vente) granted by each of
Messrs. Carlalberto Guglielminotti and Giuseppe Artizzu to the
Offeror, exercisable during a period of 20 business days following
the expiration of the put option exercise period, provided that,
and to the extent that, the put option will not have been
exercised.
The put and call options would only be exercisable in the event
of (i) the request by the Offeror of the implementation of a
squeeze-out following the closing of the Offer, (ii) a delisting of
the Company’s Shares from the regulated market of Euronext Paris
for any reason whatsoever, or (iii) a very low liquidity of the
market for Shares following the closing of the Offer.
The “Availability Date” means the first business day
following the expiration of the applicable holding period of the
Blocked Shares (i.e., the first business day after July 28, 2025,
subject to the lifting of holding periods provided for by
applicable law and regulations); provided that, with respect to the
Retained Free Shares, the Availability Date shall mean the first
business day following the latest of (i) the expiration of the
applicable holding period referred to above expiring on July 28,
2025 (subject to the lifting of holding periods provided for by
applicable law and regulations), or (ii) the date of termination of
office of Messrs. Carlalberto Guglielminotti and Giuseppe Artizzu,
respectively.
In the event of exercise of such put and call options, the price
of the relevant Blocked Shares would be the Offer Price less any
distributions of any kind or any proceeds whatsoever effectively
received by Messrs. Carlalberto Guglielminotti and Giuseppe Artizzu
between the Offer closing date and the completion date of the sale
of the Blocked Shares resulting from the exercise of the put or
call options. The Liquidity Agreement would also include a
provision pursuant to which, in the event that the Conditional
Price Supplement of EUR 0.65 per Share would be payable pursuant to
Section 2.2 of the Press Release (i.e., if the conditions set forth
in Section 2.2.1(B) of the Press Release materialize), Messrs.
Carlalberto Guglielminotti and Giuseppe Artizzu would be paid the
Conditional Price Supplement of EUR 0.65 per Blocked Share to the
extent that the liquidity put or call options referred to in this
Section 2.6.2 of the Press Release would be exercised.
In the event of a squeeze-out, the Blocked Shares for which a
Liquidity Agreement is entered into, as part of the liquidity
mechanism described above, will be assimilated to the Shares held
by the Offeror in accordance with article L. 233-9 I, 4° of the
French Code de commerce and, consequently, will not be subject to
the squeeze-out.
2.7 Offeror’s right to purchase Shares
during the Offer period
As described in Section 1.1.2(B)(c) of the Press Release, as
part of the Block Trades, the Offeror purchased 9,191,782 Shares at
the price of EUR 1.10 per Share (i.e., the maximum number of Shares
that it was entitled to acquire up to the 30% cap defined by
Article 231-38 of the AMF General Regulation, computed on the basis
of a total number of Shares targeted by the Offer equal to
30,639,274 (excluding the Free Shares which were only vested and
issued on July 28, 2024, i.e., after the filing of the First Draft
Offer Document)).
Such acquisitions were declared to the AMF and published on the
AMF’s website (www.amf-france.org) in accordance with applicable
regulations.21
2.8 Procedure for tendering Shares to
the Offer
Pursuant to the provisions of Articles 233-1 et seq. of the AMF
General Regulation, the Offer will be open for a period of ten (10)
trading days and will be centralized by Euronext Paris. The Offer
will not be re-opened following the publication of the Offer’s
final results, given that it is carried-out under the simplified
procedure.
The Shares tendered to the Offer must be freely negotiable and
free of all liens, pledges and other sureties and restrictions of
any nature whatsoever restricting the free transfer of their
ownership. The Offeror reserves the right, at its sole discretion,
to reject any Shares tendered to the Offer that do not satisfy
these conditions.
The Company’s shareholders whose Shares are held through a
financial intermediary and who wish to tender their Shares to the
Offer must deliver a tender order to the financial intermediary, in
the form made available to them by such financial intermediary no
later than on the closing date of the Offer. The Company’s
shareholders should contact their financial intermediary to inquire
about any constraints, including deadlines, any deadline for
submitting their orders to tender to the Offer in a timely
manner.
The Company’s shareholders whose Shares are held in “pure”
registered form (“nominatif pur”) shall request that their Shares
be converted into “administrative” registered form (“nominatif
administré”) in order to tender their Shares in the Offer unless
they have already requested a conversion to bearer form (“au
porteur”).
The Offeror will not pay any commission to the financial
intermediaries through which the Company’s shareholders tender
their Shares to the Offer.
Orders tendering Shares to the Offer will be irrevocable.
The Offer and all of related agreements (including the Draft
Offer Document) are governed by French law. Any dispute or conflict
relating to this Offer, whatever its subject-matter or grounds,
will be brought before the competent courts.
2.9 Centralization of orders to tender
in the Offer
Each financial intermediary and the custody account keeper of
the registered accounts (registre nominatif) for the Shares of the
Company shall, on the date indicated in the Euronext Paris notice,
transfer to Euronext Paris the Shares for which they have received
an order to tender in the Offer.
Following receipt by Euronext Paris of all orders to tender in
the Offer in accordance with the above terms, Euronext Paris will
centralize all of such orders, determine the Offer’s result and
report it to the AMF.
2.10 Publication of the results and
settlement-delivery of the Offer
The AMF will announce the final result of the Offer. A notice
published by Euronext Paris will indicate the date and procedure of
the settlement-delivery of the Shares.
On the date of settlement-delivery of the Offer, the Offeror
will credit Euronext Paris with the funds corresponding to the
settlement of the Offer. On that date, the tendered Shares and all
of the rights attached thereto will be transferred to the Offeror.
Euronext Paris will make the cash settlement to the intermediaries
acting on behalf of their clients who have tendered their Shares to
the Offer as from the date of settlement-delivery of the Offer.
Simultaneously, and for the purposes of the Conditional Price
Supplement, the Centralizing Agent will deliver the Financial
Securities referred to in Section 2.2.2 of the Press Release to the
financial intermediaries acting on behalf of their clients who have
tendered their Shares to the Offer.
No interest will be due for the period running from the date on
which the Shares are tendered in the Offer until the date of
settlement-delivery of the Offer.
2.11 Indicative timetable of the
Offer
Prior to the opening of the Offer, the AMF will publish a notice
announcing the opening of the Offer and its timetable, and Euronext
Paris will publish a notice announcing the terms and the timetable
of the Offer.
An indicative timetable of the Offer is set forth below:
Dates
Main steps of the
Offer
July 8, 2024
- Draft Offer and First Draft Offer Document filed with the
AMF
- First Draft Offer Document made available to the public and
posted to the websites of TCC (www.tccgroupholdings.com/en/), the
Company (www.nhoagroup.com) and the AMF (www.amf-france.org)
- Press release published announcing the filing and availability
of the First Draft Offer Document
September 4, 2024
- Clearance by the Italian Government pursuant to the Italian
foreign investments regime (“Golden Power”)
October 9, 2024
- Offer Price increased from EUR 1.10 per Share to EUR 1.25 per
Share and Offeror’s corresponding Draft Offer Document filed with
the AMF, which also includes the payment of a Conditional Price
Supplement of EUR 0.65 per Share, subject to the conditions set
forth in Section 2.2.1(B) of the Press Release materializing, as
further described in Section 2.2 of the Press Release
- Draft Offer Document made available to the public and posted to
the websites of TCC (www.tccgroupholdings.com/en/), the Company
(www.nhoagroup.com) and the AMF (www.amf-france.org)
- Press release published announcing the filing and availability
of the Draft Offer Document
October 18, 2024
- NHOA’s draft response document filed with the AMF
- NHOA’s draft response document made available to the public and
posted to the websites of the Company (www.nhoagroup.com) and the
AMF (www.amf-france.org)
- Press release published announcing the filing and availability
of NHOA’s draft response document
November 5, 2024
- Declaration of conformity of the Offer issued by the AMF, which
serves as the approval (“visa”) of the offer document and NHOA’s
response document
November 6, 2024
- Offer document, approved by the AMF, and the information
relating to the Offeror’s legal, financial and accounting
characteristics made available to the public and posted to the
websites of TCC (www.tccgroupholdings.com/en/), the Company
(www.nhoagroup.com) and the AMF (www.amf-france.org)
- NHOA’s response document, approved by the AMF, and the
information relating to NHOA’s legal, financial and accounting
characteristics made available to the public and posted to the
websites of the Company (www.nhoagroup.com) and the AMF
(www.amf-france.org)
- Press releases published announcing the availability of the
offer document, approved by the AMF, of NHOA’s response document,
approved by the AMF, and of the information relating to NHOA’s and
the Offeror’s legal, financial and accounting characteristics
November 7, 2024
- Opening of the Offer for a period of 10 trading days
November 20, 2024
November 21, 2024
- Results of the Offer published by the AMF
November 26, 2024
- Settlement-delivery of the Offer
Shortly after publication of the
results of the Offer
- Implementation of the squeeze-out and delisting of the
Company’s Shares from the regulated market of Euronext Paris,
provided all conditions are satisfied
2.12 Financing and costs of the
Offer
2.12.1 Costs of the Offer
The overall amount of the fees, costs and external expenses
incurred by the Offeror and its affiliates in connection with the
Offer, including, in particular, fees and other expenses relating
to its various legal, financial and accounting advisors and any
other experts and consultants, as well as publicity costs, is
estimated at approximately EUR 5 million (excluding taxes).
2.12.2 Financing of the Offer
In the event that all Shares targeted by the Offer are tendered
to the Offer, the total amount of compensation in cash to be paid
by the Offeror to the shareholders of the Company that tendered
their Shares to the Offer would amount to EUR 38,524,860.22
Only if the conditions set forth in Section 2.2.1(B) of the
Press Release materialize, and that, consequently, the Conditional
Price Supplement of EUR 0.65 per Share becomes payable, the total
amount of compensation in cash to be paid by the Offeror to the
shareholders of the Company that tendered their Shares to the Offer
would amount to EUR 58,557,787.20.23
The Offer will be financed through the Offeror’s available
cash.
2.12.3 Brokerage fees and compensation of
intermediaries
The Offeror will not bear the cost of any brokerage fees or
compensation for intermediaries (including, in particular,
brokerage and banking commissions and related VAT).
2.13 Offer restrictions outside of
France
The Offer will be made exclusively in France. The Draft Offer
Document will not be distributed in countries other than
France.
The Offer will not be registered or approved outside of France
and no action will be taken to register or approve it abroad. The
Draft Offer Document and the other documents relating to the Offer
do not constitute an offer to sell or purchase transferable
securities or a solicitation of such an offer in any other country
in which such an offer or solicitation is illegal or to any person
to whom such an offer or solicitation could not be duly made.
The holders of the Shares located outside of France can only
participate in the Offer if permitted by the local laws to which
they are subject, without the Offeror having to carry out
additional formalities. Participation in the Offer and the
distribution of the Draft Offer Document may be subject to
particular restrictions applicable in accordance with laws in
effect outside France. The Offer will not be made to persons
subject to such restrictions, whether directly or indirectly, and
cannot be accepted in any way in a country in which the Offer would
be subject to such restrictions. Accordingly, persons in possession
of the Draft Offer Document are required to obtain information on
any applicable local restrictions and to comply therewith. Failure
to comply with these restrictions could constitute a violation of
applicable securities and/or stock market laws and regulations in
one of these countries. The Offeror will not accept any liability
in case of a violation by any person of the local rules and
restrictions that are applicable to it.
United States of America
In the specific case of the United States of America, it is
stipulated that the Offer will not be made, directly or indirectly,
in the United States of America, or by the use of postal services,
or by any other means of communication or instrument (including by
fax, telephone or email) concerning trade between States of the
United States of America or between other States, or by a stock
market or a trading system of the United States of America or to
persons having residence in the United States of America or “US
persons” (as defined in and in accordance with Regulation S of the
US Securities Act of 1933, as amended). No acceptance of the Offer
may come from the United States of America. Any acceptance of the
Offer that could be assumed as resulting from a violation of these
restrictions shall be deemed void.
The subject of the Draft Offer Document is limited to the Offer
and no copy of the Draft Offer Document and no other document
concerning the Offer or the Draft Offer Document may be sent,
communicated, distributed or submitted directly or indirectly in
the United States of America other than in the conditions permitted
by the laws and regulations in effect in the United States of
America.
Any holder of Shares that will tender its Shares to the Offer
shall be deemed to represent that (i) it has not received a copy of
the Draft Offer Document or any other document relating to the
Offer into the United States of America and it has not sent or
otherwise transmitted any such document into the United States of
America, (ii) it is not a person having residence in the United
States of America and it is not a “US person” (as defined in and in
accordance with Regulation S of the US Securities Act of 1933, as
amended) and that it is not issuing a tender order for the Offer
from the United States of America, (iii) it has not used, directly
or indirectly, postal services, telecommunication means or any
other instruments concerning trade between States of the United
States of America or between other States, or services of a stock
market or a trading system in the United States of America in
connection with the Offer, (iv) it was not located in the United
States of America when it has accepted the terms of the Offer or
has delivered its tender order for the Offer, and (v) it is neither
an agent nor a representative acting on behalf of a person other
than a person that communicated instructions outside of the United
States of America.
Authorized intermediaries shall not be allowed to accept tender
orders which do not comply with the foregoing provisions (save for
any authorization or opposite instruction by or on behalf of the
Offeror at the Offeror’s discretion). Any acceptance of the Offer
which could be assumed to result from a breach of these
restrictions will be deemed void.
The Draft Offer Document does not constitute an offer to sell or
purchase transferable securities or a solicitation of such an offer
in the United States of America and it has not been submitted to,
registered with or approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission.
For the purposes of this section, “United States of America”
means the United States of America, its territories and
possessions, any one of these States, and the District of
Columbia.
2.14 Tax regime applicable to the Offer
in France
The tax regime applicable to the Offer in France is outlined in
Section 2.14 “Tax regime applicable to the Offer in France” of the
Draft Offer Document.
3. SUMMARY OF VALUATION CRITERIA FOR THE OFFER
Please refer to Section 3 of the official, French-language,
version of this Press Release.
4. INFORMATION RELATING TO THE OFFEROR MADE AVAILABLE TO THE
PUBLIC
In accordance with Article 231-28 of the AMF General Regulation,
information relating to the legal, financial and accounting
characteristics of the Offeror will be filed with the AMF and made
available to the public through methods intended to ensure full and
effective disclosure, no later than the day preceding the opening
of the Offer.
5. PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR INVESTORS’ RELATIONS
For more detailed information relating to TCEH and to this Press
Release, please contact:
Shelly Yeh – shellyyeh@taiwancement.com /
ir@taiwancement.com
Simon Kung – simon.kung@taiwancement.com
Disclaimer
The Offer is being made exclusively in
France.
This Press Release was prepared for
information purposes only. This Press Release does not constitute
an offer or part of an offer to sell, purchase or subscribe for any
securities and it shall not be considered as constituting any
solicitation of such an offer.
This Press Release may not be distributed
in countries other than France, subject to the publication of this
Press Release on TCC’s and NHOA’s websites pursuant to applicable
regulations.
The dissemination of this Press Release,
the Offer and its acceptance may be subject to specific regulations
or restrictions in certain countries. The Offer is not made for
persons subject to such restrictions, neither directly nor
indirectly, and may not be accepted in any way from a country where
the Offer would be subject to such restrictions. Consequently,
persons in possession of this Press Release shall inquire about
potential applicable local restrictions and comply with them.
TCEH and TCC will not be liable in the
event of any breach of the applicable legal restrictions by any
person.
_________________________ 1 AMF Document No. 224C0893, dated
June 13, 2024. 2 AMF Document No. 224C1129, dated July 8, 2024. 3
AMF Document No. 224C1160, dated July 10, 2024. 4 AMF Document No.
224C1129, dated July 8, 2024. 5 On the basis of a total number of
275,196,760 Shares, representing the same number of theoretical
voting rights of the Company (information as of June 10, 2024
published by the Company on its website www.nhoagroup.com),
computed pursuant to Article 223-11 of the AMF General Regulation.
6 It is specified that TCC holds 82.51% of TCDH and that the
remaining 17.49% are held indirectly though other subsidiaries of
TCC, namely TCC International Holdings Ltd and TCC International
Ltd. 7 On the basis of a total number of 275,402,417 Shares
representing the same number of theoretical voting rights of the
Company (information as of July 28, 2024 resulting from the
decisions of the CEO of the Company dated July 28, 2024, filed with
the Trade and Companies Register on August 22, 2024) computed
pursuant to Article 223-11 of the AMF General Regulation. 8 AMF
Document no. 2024DD959595, dated April 9, 2024. 9 AMF Document No.
224C1129, dated July 8, 2024. 10 AMF Document No. 224C1160, dated
July 10, 2024. 11 AMF Document No. 224C1160, dated July 10, 2024.
12 Please refer to Section 1.1.4 of the Press Release for further
information on the Offeror’s shareholding as of the date of the
Draft Offer Document. 13 On the basis of a total number of
275,196,760 Shares, representing the same number of theoretical
voting rights of the Company (information as of April 12, 2024
published by the Company in its 2023 Universal Registration
Document), computed pursuant to Article 223-11 of the AMF General
Regulation. 14 AMF Document no. 224C0758, dated May 30, 2024. 15 On
the basis of a total number of 275,196,760 Shares, representing the
same number of theoretical voting rights of the Company
(information as of June 10, 2024 published by the Company on its
website www.nhoagroup.com)), computed pursuant to Article 223-11 of
the AMF General Regulation. 16 AMF Document no. 224C1165, dated
July 10, 2024. 17 AMF Document No. 224C1160, dated July 10, 2024.
18 On the basis of a total number of 275,402,417 Shares,
representing the same number of theoretical voting rights of the
Company (information as of July 28, 2024 resulting from the
decisions of the CEO of the Company dated July 28, 2024, filed with
the Trade and Companies Register on August 22, 2024), computed
pursuant to Article 223-11 of the AMF General Regulation. 19 The
one-year holding period applies to the Free Shares that have been
awarded to Messrs. Carlalberto Guglielminotti and Giuseppe Artizzu
– i.e., to the knowledge of the Offeror as of the date of the Draft
Offer Document, 15,990 and 9,053 Free Shares, respectively. 20
Portion of vested Free Shares to be held by Messrs. Carlalberto
Guglielminotti and Giuseppe Artizzu and to be retained until the
termination of their respective offices, pursuant to article L.
225-197-1, II of the French Code de commerce and article 8 of the
2022 Free Share Plan (i.e., 25% of their vested Free Shares at the
end of the vesting period). 21 AMF Document No. 224C1160, dated
July 10, 2024. 22 It is specified, for the avoidance of doubt, that
this figure includes the price paid by the Offeror for the purposes
of the Block Trades (as described in Section 1.1.2(B)(c) of the
Press Release) after the first filing of the First Draft Offer
Document, including the additional consideration of EUR 0.15 per
Share to be paid to the relevant transferors as stated in Section
1.1.2(B)(c) of the Press Release. 23 It is specified, for the
avoidance of doubt, that this figure includes the Conditional Price
Supplement to be paid (only if the conditions set forth in Section
2.2.1(B) of the Press Release materialize) by the Offeror to the
shareholders who sold their Shares to the Offeror as part of the
Block Trades, in accordance with Section 2.2 of the Press
Release.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241009783856/en/
Shelly Yeh – shellyyeh@taiwancement.com / ir@taiwancement.com
Simon Kung – simon.kung@taiwancement.com
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