Coats Group Plc Regulatory News (COA)

22 May 2008 15:21



GUINNESS PEAT GROUP plc

COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT

SCRIP DIVIDEND ALTERNATIVE - ADDITIONAL ALLOTMENT

Guinness Peat Group plc (“GPG”) announced on Friday 16 May 2008 that it had allotted 13,285,333 Ordinary shares of 5p each (“Shares”) in respect of its Scrip Dividend Alternative to shareholders on the UK, Australian and New Zealand share registers. In order to correct administrative errors arising between the Company’s registrars and certain custodians in processing their Scrip Dividend Alternative elections, a further 94,858 Shares (the “Additional Shares”) have today been allotted, increasing the total number of Shares allotted pursuant to the Scrip Dividend Alternative to 13,380,191. Following this allotment, GPG’s issued shares and consequent voting rights total 1,288,175,367.

GPG has applied for admission of the Additional Shares to the Official List of the UK Listing Authority ("UKLA") and for admission to trading on the London Stock Exchange's ("LSE") main market for listed securities. Application has also been made for quotation of the Additional Shares on the Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX") in CDI form. The Additional Shares will be automatically tradable on the New Zealand Stock Market ("NZSX") as from issue. It is expected that listing of the Additional Shares by the UKLA and admission to trading on the LSE will take place on 23 May 2008. Trading on the ASX and NZSX is also expected to commence on 23 May 2008.

Richard Russell

Company Secretary

Guinness Peat Group plc

Tel: +44 20 7484 3370

22 May 2008