Britvic Regulatory News (BVIC)

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION

2 January 2025

Britvic plc (the “Company”)

Rule 2.9 Announcement

In accordance with Rule 2.9 of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the “Code”), the Company confirms that, as at the date of this announcement, it has in issue 248,907,262 ordinary shares of 20 pence each with ISIN number GB00B0N8QD54.

The total number of shares attracting voting rights in the Company is therefore 248,907,262. The above figure may be used by shareholders to determine the percentage of issued share capital they hold in the Company and if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the FCA’s Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

The Company has a sponsored American Depositary Receipts (“ADR”) programme for which the Bank of New York Mellon acts as the sponsored depositary bank and registrar. One ADR represents two ordinary shares of the Company. The ADRs trade on OTCQX. The trading symbol for these ADRs is BTVCY and the ISIN is US1111901047.

For further information:

Investors

Steve Nightingale (Director of Investor Relations)                                            +44 (0) 7808 097784

Media

Kathryn Partridge (Group Corporate Affairs Director)                                      +44 (0) 7803 854229

Stephen Malthouse (Headland)                                                                       +44 (0) 7734 956201

Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc                                                             +44 207 425 8000

(Financial Adviser and Corporate Broker)                       

Anthony Zammit

Henry Stewart

Paul Baker

Melissa Godoy

Rusheel Somaiya

Europa Partners Limited                                                                                     +44 20 7451 4542

(Financial Adviser)

Jan Skarbek

Dominic King

Linklaters LLP is retained as legal adviser to Britvic.

Notice related to advisers

Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc (“Morgan Stanley”) which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority in the United Kingdom is acting as joint financial adviser and corporate broker exclusively for Britvic and no one else in connection with the possible offer. In connection with the possible offer, Morgan Stanley, its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents will not regard any other person as their client, nor will they be responsible to any person other than Britvic for providing the protections afforded to clients of Morgan Stanley or for providing advice in connection with the possible offer or any other matter referred to herein.

Europa Partners Limited ("Europa"), which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority ("PRA") and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the PRA in the United Kingdom, is acting as joint financial adviser exclusively for Britvic and no one else in connection with the possible offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than Britvic for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in connection with the possible offer. Neither Europa, nor any of its affiliates, owes or accepts any duty, liability or responsibility whatsoever (whether direct or indirect, whether in contract, in tort, under statute or otherwise) to any person who is not a client of Europa in connection with the possible offer, this announcement, any statement contained herein or otherwise.

Disclosure requirements of the Code 

Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who is interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of an offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement of the offer period and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a Dealing Disclosure.

Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s), save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the business day following the date of the relevant dealing.

If two or more persons act together pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a securities exchange offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3.

Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4).

Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Takeover Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. You should contact the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on +44 (0)20 7638 0129 if you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure.