23 Apr 2020 17:56
Moscow, 23 April 2020
UPDATE ON THE TIMING OF THE VOLUNTARY TENDER OFFER BY VTZ TO ACQUIRE ORDINARY SHARES OF THE COMPANY
PAO "TMK" (LSE: TMKS; MOEX: TRMK), one of the world's leading producers of tubular products for the oil and gas industry ("TMK" or the "Company"), further to its announcement on 8 April 2020 announces that the Central Bank of Russia (the "CBR") has issued an order to amend the voluntary tender offer of "Volzhsky Pipe Plant", Joint stock company ("VTZ"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of TMK, to acquire ordinary shares of the Company.
As announced, the voluntary tender offer is subject to prior review by the CBR. It is expected that the voluntary tender offer addressing the comments received will be resubmitted to the CBR next week and will be subject to a further 15-day statutory review period. The voluntary tender offer is expected to be submitted to the Company upon the expiry of such review period provided that there are no further comments from the CBR. The launch, the timing and the terms of the voluntary tender offer are subject to the review of the voluntary tender offer document by the CBR. Accordingly, there may be no assurances as to the precise date of the launch of the voluntary tender offer.
The previously announced purchase price of the repurchase programme approved by the Company's Board of Directors is not expected to be revised as a result of the CBR comments.
Contacts:
TMK IR Department:
Irina Yarotskaya
Tel: +7 (495) 775-7600
IR@tmk-group.com
TMK PR Department:
Fedor Klimkin
Tel: +7 (495) 775-7600
PR@tmk-group.com
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Some of the information in this document may contain or refer to projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of the Company. You can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "expect", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "forecast", "intend", "will", "could", "may", or "might" the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. These statements are only predictions and are based upon various assumptions which are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Company's control. The Company may not achieve or accomplish these plans or predictions. The Company does not necessarily intend to update these statements to reflect events and circumstances occurring after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Many factors could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contained in projections or forward-looking statements of the Company, including, among others, general economic conditions, the competitive environment, risks associated with operating in Russia, rapid technological and market change in the industries in which the Company operates, the impact of various external market factors, regulatory developments, as well as many other risks specifically related to the Company and its business and operations.
Statement Regarding Inside Information
This announcement contains inside information. The subject matter, the identity of the issuer, the identity of the persons making the notification and their titles, and the date and time of the notification are all as set forth above.
Important Notice
THIS PRESS RELEASE IS NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF THAT JURISDICTION.
THIS PRESS RELEASE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR FORM PART OF ANY OFFER OR ADVERTISEMENT OR INVITATION TO SELL OR ISSUE, OR ANY SOLICITATION OF ANY OFFER TO PURCHASE OR SUBSCRIBE FOR, ANY SHARES OR OTHER SECURITIES OF THE COMPANY, NOR SHALL ANY PART OF IT NOR THE FACT OF ITS DISTRIBUTIONS FORM PART OR BE RELIED ON IN CONNECTION WITH ANY CONTRACT OR INVESTMENT DECISION RELATING THERETO, NOR DOES IT CONSTITUTE A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING SHARES OR SECURITIES OF THE COMPANY. ANY SUCH OFFER OR SOLICITATION, IF AND WHEN MADE, WILL BE MADE BY WAY OF A VOLUNTARY TENDER OFFER.
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS ADDRESSED EXCLUSIVELY TO THE HOLDERS OF ORDINARY SHARES AND, TO THE EXTENT APPLICABLE, HOLDERS OF REGULATION S GLOBAL DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS, RULE 144A GLOBAL DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS AND LEVEL 1 AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES (COLLECTIVELY, "DRS") OF TMK. DRS, TO WHICH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES, ARE NEITHER REGISTERED IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION NOR ADMITTED TO PLACEMENT, PUBLIC PLACEMENT OR PUBLIC CIRCULATION IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 51.1 OF RUSSIAN FEDERAL LAW DATED 22 APRIL 1996 NO. 39‑FZ "ON THE SECURITIES MARKET", AS AMENDED (THE "RUSSIAN SECURITIES MARKET LAW"). ANY INFORMATION IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND RELATED DOCUMENTS IN RESPECT OF DRS OF TMK IS ADDRESSED IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION SOLELY TO PERSONS WHO ARE "QUALIFIED INVESTORS" AS DEFINED IN THE RUSSIAN SECURITIES MARKET LAW.
THE RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IN JURISDICTIONS MAY BE RESTRICTED BY LAW AND THEREFORE PERSONS SHOULD INFORM THEMSELVES ABOUT THE LAWS OF THEIR JURISDICTION, AND OBSERVE ANY APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS.
THE VOLUNTARY TENDER OFFER, IF AND WHEN MADE, WILL BE MADE TO SHAREHOLDERS OF TMK RESIDENT IN THE UNITED STATES IN RELIANCE ON, AND COMPLIANCE WITH, SECTION 14(E) OF THE U.S. SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 (THE "EXCHANGE ACT") AND REGULATION 14E THEREUNDER TO THE EXTENT APPLICABLE. THE VOLUNTARY TENDER OFFER, IF AND WHEN MADE, WILL BE MADE BY VTZ AND NO ONE ELSE.
NEITHER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY U.S. STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION OR REGULATORY AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THE VOLUNTARY TENDER OFFER, PASSED UPON THE FAIRNESS OR MERITS OF THE VOLUNTARY TENDER OFFER OR DETERMINED WHETHER THE VOLUNTARY TENDER OFFER IS ACCURATE OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE IN THE UNITED STATES.
TO THE EXTENT PERMISSIBLE UNDER APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS, THE DEALER MANAGERS WITH RESPECT TO THE VOLUNTARY TENDER OFFER AND THEIR AFFILIATES MAY FROM TIME TO TIME PURCHASE, OR ENTER INTO ARRANGEMENTS TO PURCHASE, TMK'S ORDINARY SHARES OR DRS EITHER AS PRINCIPAL OR AGENT BEFORE AND DURING THE PERIOD OF THE VOLUNTARY TENDER OFFER. NEITHER VTZ NOR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES EXPECTS TO PURCHASE TMK'S ORDINARY SHARES OR DRS, OTHER THAN PURSUANT TO THE VOLUNTARY TENDER OFFER. IN ADDITION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH RUSSIAN LAW AND PURSUANT TO RULE 14E-5(B)(10) UNDER THE EXCHANGE ACT, AFFILIATES OF TMK THAT ARE NEITHER AFFILIATES OF VTZ NOR MEMBERS OF THE TMK CONSOLIDATED GROUP AND OVER WHICH TMK DOES NOT EXERCISE CONTROL AND THEIR RESPECTIVE NOMINEES OR BROKERS (ACTING AS AGENTS), AND ANY ADVISER TO TMK OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES AND THE DEALER MANAGERS WITH RESPECT TO THE VOLUNTARY TENDER OFFER OR ANY OF THEIR AFFILIATES, AND ANY PERSON ACTING, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN CONCERT WITH ANY SUCH PERSONS, MAY FROM TIME TO TIME MAKE PURCHASES OF, OR ARRANGEMENTS TO PURCHASE, TMK'S ORDINARY SHARES OR DRS OTHER THAN PURSUANT TO THE VOLUNTARY TENDER OFFER, BEFORE OR DURING THE PERIOD OF THE VOLUNTARY TENDER OFFER, SO LONG AS THOSE ACQUISITIONS OR ARRANGEMENTS COMPLY WITH APPLICABLE RUSSIAN LAW AND THE PROVISIONS OF THE EXEMPTION PROVIDED UNDER RULE 14E-5 UNDER THE EXCHANGE ACT. ANY OF THE PURCHASES REFERRED TO IN THIS PARAGRAPH MAY OCCUR EITHER IN THE OPEN MARKET AT PREVAILING PRICES OR IN PRIVATE TRANSACTIONS AT NEGOTIATED PRICES. INFORMATION ABOUT SUCH PURCHASES WILL BE DISCLOSED AS AND IF REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE SECURITIES LAWS.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, AND ANY INVESTMENT ACTIVITY TO WHICH IT RELATES, IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO (I) PERSONS WHO ARE OUTSIDE THE UNITED KINGDOM, (II) INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS FALLING WITHIN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005 (THE "ORDER"), (III) HIGH NET WORTH COMPANIES FALLING WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) OF THE ORDER, (IV) PERSONS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF ARTICLE 43 OF THE ORDER, OR (V) ANY OTHER PERSONS TO WHOM IT MAY OTHERWISE LAWFULLY BE MADE UNDER THE ORDER (ALL SUCH PERSONS TOGETHER BEING REFERRED TO AS "RELEVANT PERSONS"). THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MAY NOT BE ACTED OR RELIED ON IN THE UNITED KINGDOM BY ANYONE WHO IS NOT A RELEVANT PERSON.
TMK IS A COMPANY ORGANISED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. THE VOLUNTARY TENDER OFFER, IF AND WHEN MADE, WILL BE MADE SOLELY PURSUANT TO RUSSIAN LAW AND, IN THE CASE OF SHAREHOLDERS OF TMK RESIDENT IN THE UNITED STATES, SECTION 14(E) OF THE EXCHANGE ACT AND REGULATION 14E THEREUNDER TO THE EXTENT APPLICABLE. THE VOLUNTARY TENDER OFFER IS NOT MADE OR INTENDED TO BE MADE PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ANY OTHER LAW. THE VOLUNTARY TENDER OFFER IS SUBJECT TO DISCLOSURE AND PROCEDURE REQUIREMENTS OF RUSSIA WHICH ARE DIFFERENT FROM THOSE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OR THE UNITED STATES. FURTHERMORE, THE PAYMENT AND SETTLEMENT PROCEDURE WITH RESPECT TO THE VOLUNTARY TENDER OFFER FOR ORDINARY SHARES DIFFERS FROM U.S. PAYMENT AND SETTLEMENT PROCEDURES, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO THE DATE OF PAYMENT OF CONSIDERATION.