THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS OR MAY CONTAIN
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,
AS AMENDED.
For
immediate release
NOT FOR
RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN, INTO OR TO ANY PERSON
LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS
TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA OR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OR IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON
RESIDENT OR LOCATED IN ANY OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE IT IS UNLAWFUL
TO RELEASE, PUBLISH OR DISTRIBUTE THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT.
THIS
ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY AND IS NOT AN OFFER TO
PURCHASE OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL ANY
SECURITIES.
3 June 2024
MORRISONS ANNOUNCES RESULTS OF ITS DEBT
REDUCTION EXERCISE
Further to the announcement of Wm
Morrison Supermarkets Limited ("Morrisons")
on 20 May 2024 (the "Announcement"),
Morrisons today announces the successful results
of the debt reduction exercise of the Group (as defined below),
including an increase in the amount of the reduction following
strong demand.
The Group will accept offers for the
purchase of the Notes subject to the Tender Offers (as defined
below) in an aggregate principal amount of
£324,700,000 and participations in facility
B1 and facility B2 loans under the Senior Facilities Agreement (as
defined herein) in aggregate principal amounts of €774,752,590 and
£115,605,917, respectively, which, once completed, and combined
with the repayment of the £567,000,000 facility A loan under the
Senior Facilities Agreement announced on 30 April 2024, will
represent a substantial reduction of the outstanding indebtedness
of the Group.
The debt reduction exercise
underlines the Group's ongoing prudent approach to management of
its capital structure. When this debt reduction exercise is
concluded, the Group's debt will have been reduced by approximately
35% to approximately £4.0 billion from its peak of approximately
£6.2 billion.
Lazard & Co., Limited has acted
as independent financial advisor to Market Holdco 3 Limited and its
consolidated subsidiaries (the "Group") in relation to the debt
reduction exercise. HSBC Bank plc has acted
as Dealer Manager for the Tender Offers and Purchase Agent under
the Term Loan Solicitation (as defined herein).
Announcement of the results of the Tender
Offers
Further to the Announcement,
Morrisons hereby announces the results of: (i) the offer by
Morrisons to the holders of its outstanding (a) £400,000,000 3.50 per cent. Notes due 2026
(Regulation S ISIN: XS0808629389; Regulation S Common
Code: 080862938) to tender such notes for purchase by Morrisons for
cash, (b) £300,000,000 4.750 per cent. Notes due 2029
(Regulation S ISIN: XS1083226321; Regulation S Common
Code: 108322632) to tender for purchase such notes by Morrisons for
cash and (c) £350,000,000 2.500 per cent. Notes due 2031
(Regulation S ISIN: XS2058692471; Regulation S Common
Code: 205869247) to tender for purchase such notes by Morrisons for
cash; (ii) the offer by Market Parent Finco plc to the holders of
its outstanding 6.75 per cent. Senior Notes (Regulation S
ISIN: XS2452425734; Regulation S Common Code: 245242573) to
tender such notes for purchase by Market Parent Finco plc for cash;
and (iii) the offer by Market Bidco Finco plc to the holders of its
outstanding 5.500 per cent. Senior Secured Notes due 2027
(Regulation S ISIN: XS2470988101; Regulation S Common
Code: 247098810) to tender for purchase such notes by Market Bidco
Finco plc for cash (together, the "Tender
Offers"), in each case made subject to the terms and
conditions set out in the tender offer memorandum dated 20 May 2024
prepared by Morrisons, Market Parent Finco plc and Market Bidco
Finco plc (the "Tender Offer
Memorandum").
The Tender Offers were announced on
20 May 2024 and were made subject to the terms and conditions set
out in the Tender Offer Memorandum. The expiration deadline for the
Tender Offers was 4:00pm (London time) on 31 May 2024 (the
"Expiration Deadline").
Capitalised terms used in this
announcement but not defined have the meanings given to them in the
Tender Offer Memorandum.
Following the Expiration Deadline,
the Offerors have decided to accept Notes validly tendered for
purchase in an aggregate principal amount of £324,700,000 as further set out below:
Offer
|
Series Acceptance
Amount
|
Remaining aggregate principal
amount of Notes outstanding following settlement
|
Senior
Secured Notes Offer
|
£251,500,000
|
£823,500,000
|
2026 Notes
Offer
|
£32,737,000
|
£4,130,000
|
2029 Notes
Offer
|
£40,365,000
|
£4,729,000
|
2031 Notes
Offer
|
£98,000
|
£0
|
Senior
Notes Offer
|
£0
|
£1,200,000,000
|
The settlement date for the Tender
Offers is expected to be 6 June 2024 (the "Settlement Date").
The aggregate amounts of the
relevant Purchase Consideration and the Accrued Interest will be
paid by or on behalf of the relevant Offeror, in immediately
available funds, on the Settlement Date to such Clearing System for
payment to the cash accounts of the relevant Noteholders in the
Clearing System. Such payment shall discharge in full the relevant
Offeror's obligations to all such Noteholders in respect of payment
of the relevant Purchase Consideration and the Accrued Interest. If
the relevant Offeror makes, or has been made on its behalf, full
payment of the relevant Purchase Consideration and the Accrued
Interest Payment for all Notes accepted for purchase pursuant to
the relevant Offer to the Clearing Systems on or before the
Settlement Date, under no circumstances will any additional
interest be payable to a Noteholder because of any delay or failure
in the transmission of funds from the relevant Clearing System or
any other intermediary with respect to such Notes of that
Noteholder (see "Payment Obligation" in the
Tender Offer Memorandum).
Announcement of the results of the Term Loan
Solicitation
Further to the Announcement,
Morrisons hereby further announces the results of the term loan
solicitation launched by Market Bidco Limited pursuant to a
solicitation notice dated 29 May 2024 (the "Term
Loan Solicitation"). HSBC Bank plc has been appointed as
Purchase Agent in connection with the Term Loan Solicitation. The
Term Loan Solicitation was launched by Market Bidco Limited
on 29 May 2024 in respect of facilities B1 and B2
under the senior facilities agreement
originally dated 3 November 2021 (as amended and/or amended
and restated from time to time) among Market Holdco 3 Limited,
Market Bidco Limited and the other parties named therein (the
"Senior Facilities
Agreement"), and offers by the
lenders under such facilities to sell each such lender's
participations in such facilities to the applicable borrowers under
the Senior Facilities Agreement in relation to the Term Loan
Solicitation were required to be made on or before 11:00 a.m. on 31
May 2024.
Market Bidco Limited has decided, on
behalf of the applicable borrowers, to purchase participations
validly offered pursuant to the Term Loan Solicitation in respect
of facility B1 in the aggregate amount of €774,752,590 and in respect of facility
B2 in the aggregate amount of £115,605,917. The Purchase Agent, as required, will communicate by noon on
the date hereof to the applicable lenders the amount of their
offered participations that have been accepted by Market Bidco
Limited.
The purchase of the participations
in facility B1 and/or facility B2 pursuant to the Term Loan
Solicitation is expected to be completed and settled on or prior to
5 June 2024.
General
The complete terms and conditions of
the Offers are set forth in the Tender Offer Memorandum.
Notes purchased in the Offers will
be cancelled. Notes that have not been validly submitted or have
been validly submitted but not accepted for purchase pursuant to
the Offers will remain outstanding.
Noteholders who have tendered their
Notes for purchase pursuant to the Offers are advised to check with
the bank, securities broker or other Intermediary through which
they hold their Notes to determine whether their tendered Notes
have been accepted for purchase by the applicable
Offeror.
Tender Offer Website:
https://deals.is.kroll.com/morrisons.
Contact Details:
DEALER MANAGER
HSBC Bank
plc
8 Canada
Square
London E14 5HQ
United Kingdom
Email:
LM_EMEA@hsbc.com
For
information by telephone:
+44 20 7992
6237
Attention: Liability Management,
DCM
TENDER AGENT
Kroll
Issuer Services Limited
The Shard
32 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9SG
United Kingdom
Email: morrisons@is.kroll.com
For
information by telephone:
+44 20 7704 0880
Attention: Thomas Choquet
None of the
Offerors, the Guarantors, the Dealer Manager or the Tender Agent
makes any recommendation as to whether Noteholders should tender
any or all Notes. This announcement is not an offer to purchase any
Notes or a solicitation of an offer to sell any Notes. The Offers
are being made solely by means of the Tender Offer Memorandum,
which this announcement should be read in conjunction with. The
distribution of this announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum
in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into
whose possession this announcement or the Offers come are required
by the Offerors, the Dealer Manager and the Tender Agent to inform
themselves about, and to observe, any such restrictions. If you are
in any doubt as to the contents of this announcement or the Tender
Offer Memorandum or the action you should take, you are recommended
to seek your own financial and legal advice, including as to any
tax consequences, immediately from your broker, bank manager,
solicitor, accountant or other independent financial, tax or legal
adviser.
United States
The Tender Offers are not being
made, and will not be made, directly or indirectly in or into, or
by use of the mail of, or by any means or instrumentality of
interstate or foreign commerce of or of any facilities of a
national securities exchange of, the United States or to any U.S.
Person. This includes, but is not limited to, facsimile
transmission, electronic mail, telex, telephone, the internet and
other forms of electronic communication. The Notes may not be
tendered in the Tender Offers by any such use, means,
instrumentality or facility from or within the United States or by
persons located or resident in the United States as defined in
Regulation S under the Securities Act. Accordingly, copies of this
announcement, the Tender Offer Memorandum and any other documents
or materials relating to the Tender Offers are not being, and must
not be, directly or indirectly mailed or otherwise transmitted,
distributed or forwarded (including, without limitation, by
custodians, nominees or trustees) in or into the United States or
to any U.S. Person (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities
Act). Any purported tender of Notes in the Tender Offers resulting
directly or indirectly from a violation of these restrictions will
be invalid and any purported tender of Notes made by, or by any
person acting for the account or benefit of, a person resident or
located in the United States, a U.S. Person or any agent, fiduciary
or other intermediary acting on a non-discretionary basis for a
principal giving instructions from within the United States will be
invalid and will not be accepted.
Each Noteholder participating in the
Tender Offers will represent that it is not a U.S. Person, it is
not located in the United States and it is not participating in the
Tender Offers from the United States, or it is acting on a
non-discretionary basis for a principal located outside the United
States that is not giving an order to participate in the Tender
Offers from the United States and it is not a U.S. Person. For the
purposes of this announcement and the above paragraph,
"United States"
means the United States of America, its territories and
possessions, any state of the United States of America and the
District of Columbia.
United Kingdom
The communication of this
announcement, the Tender Offer Memorandum and any other documents
or materials relating to the Tender Offers is 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, the general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of
such documents and/or materials as a financial promotion is only
being made to (i) those persons in the United Kingdom falling
within the definition of "investment professionals" (as defined in
Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000
(Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Financial Promotion Order")),
(ii) persons who fall within Articles 43(2) of the Financial
Promotion Order, which includes a member or a creditor of the
Company, (iii) persons who fall within Article 49(a) to (d) of
the Financial Promotion Order ("high net worth companies,
unincorporated associations etc."), or (iv) any other persons to
whom it may otherwise lawfully be made under the Financial
Promotion Order.
European Economic Area
(EEA)
In any European Economic Area (EEA)
Member State (the "Relevant
State"), the Tender Offers are only
addressed to and are only directed at qualified investors in that
Relevant State within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of
the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017, as
amended (the "Prospectus
Regulation").
Each person in a Relevant State who
receives any communication in respect of the Tender Offers
contemplated in this announcement and the Tender Offer Memorandum
will be deemed to have represented, warranted and agreed to with
the Dealer Manager and the Offerors that it is a qualified investor
within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus
Regulation.
France
The Tender Offers are not being
made, directly or indirectly, in the Republic of France other than
to qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés) within the
meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation and as
defined in Article L.411-2 1° of the French Code monétaire et financier. Neither
this announcement, the Tender Offer Memorandum nor any other
documents or materials relating to the Tender Offers have been or
shall be distributed in France other than to qualified investors
(investisseurs qualifiés),
and only qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés) are eligible
to participate in the Tender Offers. This announcement, the Tender
Offer Memorandum and any other document or material relating to the
Tender Offers have not been and will not be submitted for clearance
to, nor be filed with or approved by, the Autorité des marchés
financiers.
Italy
None of the Tender Offers, this
announcement, the Tender Offer Memorandum or any other documents or
materials relating to the Tender Offers has been or will be
submitted to the clearance procedure of the Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la
Borsa ("CONSOB").
The Tender Offers are being carried
out in the Republic of Italy as exempted offers pursuant to article
101-bis, paragraph 3-bis of the Legislative Decree No. 58 of 24
February 1998, as amended (the "Financial
Services Act") and article 35-bis,
paragraph 4 of CONSOB Regulation No. 11971 of 14 May 1999, as
amended.
Noteholders or beneficial owners of
the Notes that are located in Italy can tender some or all of their
Notes pursuant to the Tender Offers through authorised 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 15
February 2018, as amended from time to time, and Legislative Decree
No. 385 of 1 September 1993, as amended) and in compliance
with applicable laws and regulations or with requirements imposed
by CONSOB or any other Italian authority.
Each intermediary must comply with
the applicable laws and regulations concerning information
duties vis-à-vis its clients in
connection with the Notes or the Tender Offers.