Regus reaffirms offer10 Jun 2011 13:15
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RNS Number : 2419I
Regus PLC
10 June 2011
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF THAT JURISDICTION
10 June 2011
REGUS PLC (SOCIETE ANONYME) ("Regus")
REGUS REAFFIRMS ITS OFFER VALUING MWB BUSINESS EXCHANGE PLC ("MBE") AT GBP60M, SUBJECT ONLY TO CONFIRMATORY DUE DILIGENCE
This is an announcement falling under Rule 2.4 of the Takeover Code (the "Code"). It does not represent a firm intention to make an offer under Rule 2.5 of the Code. Accordingly, there can be no certainty that any offer will ultimately be made.
-- Regus reaffirms commitment to and seriousness of its all-cash offer for MBE
-- Regus continues to believe that its offer is far superior to that of MWB
-- Regus is disappointed that the Independent Committee and the MWB board and their advisers continue to refuse to engage with Regus contrary to their recent misleading announcements
-- Regus is now improving its offer by dropping all previously announced reservations, subject to confirmatory due diligence
Regus has noted the announcements made by MWB Group Holdings plc ("MWB") on 8 June 2011 and MBE's Independent Committee on 9 June 2011 and can confirm that it remains committed to its offer for all of the issued share capital of MBE for cash consideration of 92.36 pence per MBE share (the "Offer" or "Regus's Offer"). Regus can confirm that neither the Independent Committee nor the MWB board nor their respective advisers have engaged in any meaningful way with Regus to discuss the Offer.
Value and seriousness of Regus's Offer
Regus's all-cash Offer of 92.36 pence per MBE share represents a 70.6 per cent. premium to the offer made by MWB on 28 April 2011 ("MWB's Offer"). Regus reiterates that its all-cash Offer for MBE is serious. In contrast, Regus notes that MWB's Offer is not only significantly inferior to Regus's Offer, but also that in the scheme documentation relating to MWB's Offer it has been disclosed that the MWB group's funding with Lloyds Banking Group is still conditional. As Regus has previously noted, the MWB group's net debt for the period to 31 December 2010 stood at GBP301.7 million (as disclosed by MWB in its Interim Statement dated 28 April 2011).
Engagement with MBE
As announced by MBE, Regus can confirm that Mark Dixon did meet with two members of the Independent Committee, Malcolm Murray and Rick Aspland-Robinson, on 11 May 2011. However, what was not disclosed by neither the Independent Committee nor MWB in their respective announcements was that this sole meeting lasted less than 5 minutes allowing Malcolm Murray and Rick Aspland-Robinson to tell Mark Dixon that MWB would not accept Regus's Offer and that they would not engage with Regus.
Regus therefore asserts that despite
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