Less Ads, More Data, More Tools Register for FREE

Pin to quick picksOvoca Bio Regulatory News (OVB)

  • There is currently no data for OVB

Share Buy Back & Deferred Consideration Payment

24 Sep 2014 07:00

RNS Number : 4299S
Ovoca Gold PLC
24 September 2014
 

Ovoca Gold plc

("Ovoca" or the "Company")

 

Proposed Share Buy Back

And

Proposed Stakhanovsky Deferred Consideration Payment

 

The Board of Ovoca announces that it is seeking to put in place the necessary shareholder authorities to repurchase up to 20 per cent. of the Company's issued share capital by way of on-market share purchases. The Company does not currently have any authority to repurchase its own shares.

 

In addition, Ovoca also announces that it intends to seek approval from Independent Shareholders to satisfy Ovoca's obligations in relation to the payment of deferred consideration relating to the acquisition of the Stakhanovsky Licence, by way of a final payment by Ovoca of US$3 million.

 

The resolutions to approve the Share Buy Back and Stakhanovsky Deferred Consideration Payment will be proposed at an extraordinary general meeting of the Company to be held at Buswells hotel, 23-25 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2, Ireland, at 3.30 p.m. on 17 October 2014 (or, if later, immediately following the conclusion or adjournment of the annual general meeting of the Company which has been convened to be held at 3.00 p.m. on the same day and at the same location).

 

Ovoca has today issued a circular to Shareholders containing further details on the proposals and which contains the notice convening the extraordinary general meeting of the Company (the "Circular"). The Company has also posted the notice of its annual general meeting to be held at Buswells hotel, 23-25 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2, Ireland, at 3.00 p.m. on 17 October 2014. Both documents are also available to view and download from the Company's website, www.ovocagold.com.

 

Further information on the background to the proposals is contained below:

 

Share Buy Back

 

Ovoca had net assets of €26.0 million as at 31 December 2013, being the date of its most recent financial year end, which included cash and cash equivalents of €14.1 million and available for sale financial assets of €10.8 million. Ovoca has no current outstanding debt. In February 2014 Ovoca provided a secured loan repayable by 5 June 2014 (with extension rights) of US$6.3 million (€4.9 million) to Taymura LLC, an unrelated company registered in Russia engaged in the production of oil in Eastern Siberia. This loan has not been repaid and Ovoca has applied to the Moscow Arbitration Court to secure its interests with the hearing scheduled to take place at the end of September. In recent years, Ovoca's share price has continued to trade at what the Board believes to be a significant discount to its Net Asset Value per Ordinary Share. At 31 December 2013, such discount was approximately 70 per cent.

 

The Board has examined the merits of share buy backs and has concluded that it would be in the interests of the Company and its Shareholders as a whole to provide for the flexibility to implement on-market share buy backs and recommends an on market buy back programme of up to a maximum of 17,691,761 Ordinary Shares (20 per cent. of the Issued Share Capital).

 

It is intended that having the authority to purchase its own shares will enable the Board to respond to volatile stock market conditions, help stimulate liquidity in the Company's shares and provide Shareholders with the flexibility, but without any compulsion, to realise value in respect of all or some of their shareholdings in a tax efficient method.

 

The Company intends that share buy backs will only be executed when appropriate financial and stock market conditions prevail and when the Board determines that share purchases are in the best interests of the Company and its Shareholders as a whole. The Company will not be able to repurchase shares during a Close Period, as defined by the AIM and ESM Rules.

 

The ability of the Company to repurchase its shares will be conditional upon shareholder approval of various resolutions and the granting of a waiver by the Irish Takeover Panel of obligations for certain parties under Rule 37 of the Irish Takeover Rules.

 

Stakhanovsky Deferred Consideration Payment

 

The Stakhanovsky Licence is a gold exploration licence situated in the north-western part of the Magadan region that was acquired by Magsel, a subsidiary of Ovoca, in 2007 and is valid until May 2027. It allows for exploration work, mine development and mining activities to be conducted in the licence area by Ovoca.

 

Ovoca acquired Magsel in January 2010 from Mikhail Mogutov and Rivo Alto (a company connected to Mikhail Mogutov, Leonid Skoptsov and Yuri Radchenko, who are each directors of Ovoca) for an initial consideration of US$4 million and RUB 2,500, with deferred consideration of up to a maximum of US$15 million payable to Rivo Alto, contingent on the achievement of certain exploration targets.

 

After taking into account the continued volatility in the gold markets and the risks associated with the development of mining operations at Stakhanovsky, which would require additional capital investment from the Company and the fulfilment of certain obligations under the terms of the Stakhanovsky exploitation licence, the Company has suspended exploration activities at Stakhanovsky and will seek a joint venture partner to develop the Stakhanovsky Licence or to potentially sell the Company's interest in the Stakhanovsky Licence.

 

In order to release the Company from any further deferred consideration obligations in relation to the Stakhanovsky Licence in advance of any such sale or joint venture, the Independent Directors have determined that a final settlement payment of US$3 million be made to Rivo Alto, subject to the passing of a resolution by Independent Shareholders at the extraordinary general meeting.

 

In accordance with AIM Rule 13 and ESM Rule 13, the Stakhanovsky Deferred Consideration Payment is deemed to be a related party transaction as Rivo Alto is a company connected to Mikhail Mogutov, Leonid Skoptsov and Yuri Radchenko who are each directors of Ovoca and together with their related parties, as defined by the AIM Rules and the ESM Rules, collectively own 40.03 per cent. of the Issued Voting Share Capital.

 

Although Independent Shareholder approval is not required for the Stakhanovsky Deferred Consideration Payment under the AIM Rules and the ESM Rules, having consulted with the Company's Nominated Adviser and ESM Adviser, the Board of Ovoca have decided to make the Stakhanovsky Deferred Consideration Payment conditional on the approval of Independent Shareholders. Mikhail Mogutov, Leonid Skoptsov and Yuri Radchenko have undertaken that they and their related parties, as defined by the AIM Rules and the ESM Rules, will not vote on the resolution.

 

All definitions used in this announcement have the same meaning as in the Circular, unless otherwise defined herein.

 

ENDS

 

 

Enquiries:

 

Ovoca Gold Plc

Kirill Golovanov, CEO

 +7 495 916 6029

 

Davy - NOMAD, ESM Adviser and Broker

John Frain / Daragh O'Reilly +353 1 679 6363

This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
END
 
 
MSCUORBRSSAKUAR
Date   Source Headline
5th Feb 20267:00 amRNSChange of Name
28th Jan 20268:00 amRNSReadmission - Ovoca Bio PLC
28th Jan 20267:00 amRNSFirst Day of Dealings on AIM
27th Jan 20262:32 pmRNSResult of Meeting
31st Dec 20258:00 amRNSSchedule One - Ovoca Bio Plc
31st Dec 20258:00 amRNSSchedule One - Ovoca Bio Plc
31st Dec 20257:00 amRNSNotice of AGM
31st Dec 20257:00 amRNSPublication of Admission Document
31st Dec 20257:00 amRNSPublication of Admission Document
31st Dec 20257:00 amRNSNotice of AGM
13th Nov 20257:00 amRNSChange of Broker
30th Sep 20251:09 pmRNSReplacement Half Year Report
30th Sep 20257:00 amRNSHalf-year Report
26th Jun 20257:00 amRNSPublication of 2024 Annual Report
5th Jun 20257:00 amRNSDelisting from Euronext Growth Exchange
7th May 20257:30 amRNSSuspension - Ovoca Bio plc
7th May 20257:00 amRNSProposed Acquisition, Disposal & Reverse Takeover
3rd Mar 20252:00 pmRNSManagement Changes
18th Dec 20246:00 pmRNSResult of AGM
18th Nov 20247:00 amRNSNotice of AGM
11th Oct 20245:30 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company
9th Oct 20245:45 pmRNSSale of Treasury Shares
25th Sep 20247:00 amRNSHalf-year Report
2nd Sep 20242:30 pmRNSConsultancy Agreement
15th Jul 20247:00 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
15th Jul 20247:00 amRNSDirectorate Change
28th Jun 20247:00 amRNSAnnual Financial Report
23rd Jan 20247:00 amRNSHolding(s) in Company
1st Dec 202312:00 pmRNSResult of AGM
7th Nov 20239:15 amRNSNotice of AGM
28th Sep 20237:00 amRNSInterim Results
31st Aug 20237:00 amRNSSummary Results of Phase II Study for Orenetide
30th Jun 20237:00 amRNSAnnual Financial Report
12th Jun 20237:00 amRNSUpdate on Completion Timelines for Phase II Study
16th Mar 20234:35 pmRNSPrice Monitoring Extension
16th Mar 20232:05 pmRNSSecond Price Monitoring Extn
16th Mar 20232:00 pmRNSPrice Monitoring Extension
16th Mar 20239:05 amRNSSecond Price Monitoring Extn
16th Mar 20239:00 amRNSPrice Monitoring Extension
8th Mar 20237:00 amRNSDisposal of Russian Assets
14th Feb 20234:41 pmRNSSecond Price Monitoring Extn
14th Feb 20234:35 pmRNSPrice Monitoring Extension
14th Feb 20232:05 pmRNSSecond Price Monitoring Extn
14th Feb 20232:00 pmRNSPrice Monitoring Extension
13th Feb 20239:00 amRNSPrice Monitoring Extension
13th Jan 202311:05 amRNSSecond Price Monitoring Extn
13th Jan 202311:00 amRNSPrice Monitoring Extension
28th Oct 20227:00 amRNSResult of AGM
6th Oct 20222:30 pmRNSNotice of AGM
30th Sep 20227:00 amRNSInterim Results

Due to London Stock Exchange licensing terms, we stipulate that you must be a private investor. We apologise for the inconvenience.

To access our Live RNS you must confirm you are a private investor by using the button below.