HSTG.L Regulatory News (HSTG)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

23 December 2016

Hastings Group Holdings plc (the "Company")

Director/PDMR Shareholding

The Company announces that it has been notified by Edward Fitzmaurice, a director of the Company, that he has purchased 12.5m ordinary shares of 2 pence each ("Ordinary Shares") in the Company, representing 1.9% of the Company's total issued share capital, at a price of 233.2 pence per share for an aggregate cash consideration of £29.15m. The transaction took place on 23 December 2016.

The shares were acquired from Peel Hunt LLP which had acquired the shares from Hastings Investco Limited ("Investco"), the Company's principal shareholder, in which Mr Fitzmaurice has an underlying interest and, therefore, an indirect interest in the Company's Ordinary Shares.

Following the transaction, Mr Fitzmaurice's indirect interest in the Company's Ordinary Shares, via Investco, has been reduced and he now holds a direct interest in the Company's Ordinary Shares. Mr Fitzmaurice has agreed to remain bound to the unexpired term of the 90-day lock-up applied to the shares under the terms of the Placing of the Company's Ordinary Shares announced on 5 October 2016; the period of lock-up expires on 2 January 2017.

Mr Fitzmaurice has entered into a personal loan facility with HSBC and has granted a security interest in favour of HSBC over the 12.5m Ordinary Shares purchased as security for any amounts which may be due from time to time under the facility. He remains the beneficial owner of the shares subject to the pledge, and retains full voting rights.

The above transaction does not alter the overall position stated in the Company's announcement of 14 December 2016 relating to holdings of the GS Shareholders and Founder Shareholders, which include Mr Fitzmaurice.

This notification is made in order to satisfy both section 793 of the Companies Act 2006 and article 19 of the Market Abuse Regulation.

Hastings Group+44 (0) 142 473 8220Tony Leppard, Company Secretary

Instinctif Partners+44 (0) 207 457 2020

Mike Davies | Nick Woods | Giles Stewart

Notes:

Founder Shareholders and GS Shareholders

For the purposes of this announcement, the "Founder Shareholders" are Neil Utley (and certain members of his immediate family), Edward Fitzmaurice, Keith Charlton, Richard Brewster and Narmali Utley and the "GS Shareholders" are Hastings A, L.P., Hastings B, L.P and Goldman Sachs & Co.