Ascential Regulatory News (ASCL)

NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR HOLDINGS (to be sent to the relevant issuer and to the FCA in Microsoft Word format if possible)i

1a. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attachedii:

Ascential Plc

1b. Please indicate if the issuer is a non-UK issuer (please mark with an "X" if appropriate)

Non-UK issuer

2. Reason for the notification (please mark the appropriate box or boxes with an "X")

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights

X

An acquisition or disposal of financial instruments

An event changing the breakdown of voting rights

Other (please specify)iii:

3. Details of person subject to the notification obligationiv

Name

Ameriprise Financial, Inc. and its group

City and country of registered office (if applicable)

Minneapolis, USA

4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.)v

Name

Bank Lombard Odier & Co Ltd

Chase Nominees Limited

HSBC Global Custody Nominees (UK) Ltd

Nortrust Nominees LTD

Securities Services Nominees Limited

State Street Bank & Trust Boston

State Street Nominees Limited

Vidacos Nominees Ltd

City and country of registered office (if applicable)

5. Date on which the threshold was crossed or reachedvi:

28/02/2018

6. Date on which issuer notified (DD/MM/YYYY):

02/03/2018

7. Total positions of person(s) subject to the notification obligation

% of voting rights attached to shares (total of 8. A)

% of voting rights through financial instruments(total of 8.B 1 + 8.B 2)

Total of both in % (8.A + 8.B)

Total number of voting rights of issuervii

Resulting situation on the date on which threshold was crossed or reached

9.987%

0.00%

9.987%

400,656,619

Position of previous notification (if

applicable)

10.038%

0.00%

10.038%

8. Notified details of the resulting situation on the date on which the threshold was crossed or reachedviii

A: Voting rights attached to shares

Class/type ofshares

ISIN code (if possible)

Number of voting rightsix

% of voting rights

Direct

(Art 9 of Directive 2004/109/EC) (DTR5.1)

Indirect

(Art 10 of Directive 2004/109/EC) (DTR5.2.1)

Direct

(Art 9 of Directive 2004/109/EC) (DTR5.1)

Indirect

(Art 10 of Directive 2004/109/EC) (DTR5.2.1)

GB00BYM8GJ06

97,280

39,916,036

0.024%

9.963%

SUBTOTAL 8. A

40,013,316

9.987%

B 1: Financial Instruments according to Art. 13(1)(a) of Directive 2004/109/EC (DTR5.3.1.1 (a))

Type of financial instrument

Expirationdatex

Exercise/Conversion Periodxi

Number of voting rights that may be acquired if the instrument is

exercised/converted.

% of voting rights

SUBTOTAL 8. B 1

B 2: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect according to Art. 13(1)(b) of Directive 2004/109/EC (DTR5.3.1.1 (b))

Type of financial instrument

Expirationdatex

Exercise/Conversion Period xi

Physical or cash

settlementxii

Number of voting rights

% of voting rights

SUBTOTAL 8.B.2

9. Information in relation to the person subject to the notification obligation (please mark the

applicable box with an "X")

Person subject to the notification obligation is not controlled by any natural person or legal entity and does not control any other undertaking(s) holding directly or indirectly an interest in the (underlying) issuerxiii

Full chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or thefinancial instruments are effectively held starting with the ultimate controlling natural person or legal entityxiv (please add additional rows as necessary)

X

Namexv

% of voting rights if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold

% of voting rights through financial instruments if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold

Total of both if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold

Ameriprise Financial, Inc.

%

%

%

Ameriprise International Holdings GmbH

%

%

%

Threadneedle Asset Management Holdings SARL

%

%

%

Threadneedle Holdings Limited

%

%

%

TAM UK Holdings Limited

%

%

%

Threadneedle Asset Management Holdings Limited

%

%

%

TC Financing Limited

%

%

%

Threadneedle Asset Management Limited

7.255%

0.00%

7.255%

Ameriprise Financial, Inc.

%

%

%

Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC

%

%

%

Ameriprise Financial, Inc.

%

%

%

Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC

%

%

%

Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC

%

%

%

10. In case of proxy voting, please identify:

Name of the proxy holder

N/A

The number and % of voting rights held

N/A

The date until which the voting rights will be held

N/A

11. Additional informationxvi

Columbia Wanger Asset Management, LLC is wholly owned by Columbia Management Investment Advisers, LLC, which is itself wholly owned by Ameriprise Financial, Inc.

Threadneedle Asset Management Limited is wholly owned by TC Financing Limited, which is itself wholly owned by Threadneedle Asset Management Holdings Limited, which is itself wholly owned by TAM UK Holdings Limited, which is itself wholly owned by Threadneedle Holdings Limited, which is itself wholly owned by Threadneedle Asset Management Holdings SARL, which is itself wholly owned by Ameriprise International Holdings GmbH, which is itself wholly owned by Ameriprise Financial, Inc.

Place of completion

Swindon, UK

Date of completion

02/03/2018