Kurs & Likviditet
Beskrivning
Land | Norge |
---|---|
Lista | OB Match |
Sektor | Tjänster |
Industri | Shipping & Offshore |
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, INTO OR WITHIN CANADA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, SOUTH AFRICA, JAPAN, HONG KONG, SOUTH KOREA, OR ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
25 July 2024:
Reference is made to the recommended voluntary cash offer (the "Offer") by SAS Shipping Agencies Services Sàrl (the "Offeror") to acquire all issued and outstanding shares (the "Shares") of Gram Car Carriers ASA ("GCC" or the "Company") at a cash consideration of NOK 263.69 per Share (the "Offer Price"), as further set out in the offer document dated 23 May 2024 (the "Offer Document"), and the stock exchange announcement made on 24 July 2024 regarding the completion of the Offer.
Following completion of the Offer, the Offeror holds 28,351,400 Shares, representing approximately 97.81% of the share capital and voting rights of the Company (excluding the 300,000 Shares owned by the Company).
The board of directors of the Offeror has resolved, with effect immediately after close of trading on the Oslo Stock Exchange today, 25 July 2024, a compulsory acquisition of all Shares not owned by the Offeror, pursuant to Section 4-25 of the Norwegian Public Limited Liability Companies Act and Section 6-22 (1) of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. As a consequence, the Offeror has assumed ownership of all Shares in the Company.
The redemption price in the compulsory acquisition is NOK 263.69 per Share (the "Redemption Price"), which is equal to the Offer Price in the Offer. The Offeror has obtained a statutory guarantee for the settlement of the Redemption Price in the compulsory acquisition in accordance with Section 6-22 (3) no. 3 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
Any objections to, or rejection of, the Redemption Price must be received at the latest by 23:59 hours (CEST) on 30 September 2024. Former shareholders of the Company who do not object to, or reject, the Redemption Price within this deadline will be deemed to have accepted the Redemption Price.
Settlement of the Redemption Price will occur on 12 September 2024. A notice regarding the compulsory acquisition will be sent to all former shareholders subject to the compulsory acquisition whose addresses are known. In addition, the compulsory acquisition will be announced through the electronic notice service of the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises (Nw.: Foretaksregisteret).
Following the compulsory acquisition, the Offeror will pursue a delisting of the Shares from the Oslo Stock Exchange. A separate stock exchange announcement will be published regarding the timing of the delisting.
About Gram Car Carriers
GCC is the world's third-largest tonnage provider within the Pure Car Truck Carriers (PCTCs) segment with 17 owned vessels, across the Distribution, Mid-size and Panamax segments. The Company provides vessels and logistics solutions ensuring safe and efficient shipment of vehicles for a network of clients comprising of major global and regional PCTC operators.
About the Offeror and the MSC Group
The Offeror is a wholly owned subsidiary of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA (together with its subsidiaries, the "MSC Group"). The MSC Group is a private global leader in transportation and logistics founded in 1970 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland since 1978. It is owned and managed by the Aponte family. Despite having grown organically and through several strategic acquisitions over the past decades to become a leading transportation and logistics conglomerate, the MSC Group remains true to its core values at all times, particularly family spirit and care for its 200,000 employees. As one of the world's leading container shipping lines, the MSC Group has 675 offices across 155 countries worldwide. With access to a network of road, rail, air and sea transport resources which stretches across the globe, the MSC Group prides itself on delivering global service with local knowledge. The MSC Group's shipping line sails on more than 300 trade routes, calling at over 520 ports.
Advisors:
Fearnley Securities AS and Jefferies LLC are acting as financial advisors to the Company. Wikborg Rein Advokatfirma AS is acting as legal advisor to the Company in connection with the Offer. Capient AS is acting as investor relations and communications advisor. DNB Markets, part of DNB Bank ASA, is acting as financial advisor to the Offeror and its affiliates and receiving agent in connection with the Offer. Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS is acting as legal advisor to the Offeror and its affiliates in connection with the Offer.
IR Contacts:
Gram Car Carriers ASA
Mas Gram, Head of Projects and IR
Telephone: +47 95 41 00 93
E-mail: ir@gramcar.com
Media Contacts:
Gram Car Carriers ASA
Jan Petter Stiff, senior adviser Capient AS
Telephone: +47 995 13 891
E-mail: jps@capientco.com
For MSC and the Offeror:
Giles Read, Global Head of Public Relations
Telephone: +41 22 703 88 88
E-mail: media@msc.com
This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION
The Offer and the distribution of this announcement and other information in connection with the Offer may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. The Offer Document and related acceptance forms will not and may not be distributed, forwarded or transmitted into or within any jurisdiction where prohibited by applicable law, including, without limitation, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan, or any other jurisdiction in which such would be unlawful. The Offeror does not assume any responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions. Persons in the United States (the "U.S.") should review "Notice to U.S. Shareholders" below. Persons into whose possession this announcement or such other information should come are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.
This announcement is for information purposes only and is not a tender offer document and, as such, is not intended to does not constitute or form any part of an offer or the solicitation of an offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of any securities, or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction, pursuant to the Offer or otherwise. Investors may accept the Offer only on the basis of the information provided in the Offer Document. Offers will not be made directly or indirectly in any jurisdiction where either an offer or participation therein is prohibited by applicable law or where any tender offer document or registration or other requirements would apply in addition to those undertaken in Norway.
Notice to U.S. Shareholders
The Shares are admitted to trading on the OTCQX[® ]Best Market in New York, the U.S., a non-regulated over-the-counter market place operated by the OTC Market Group. U.S. Shareholders (as defined below) are advised that the Shares are not listed on a U.S. securities exchange and that GCC is not subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "U.S. Exchange Act"), and is not required to, and does not, file any reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") thereunder.
The Offer is made to holders of Shares resident or with a place of habitual abode in the U.S. ("U.S. Shareholders") on the same terms and conditions as those made to all other holders of Shares of GCC to whom an offer is made. Any information documents, including the Offer Document, are being disseminated to U.S. Shareholders on a basis comparable to the method that such documents are provided to GCC's other Shareholders to whom an offer is made. The Offer is made by the Offeror and no one else.
The Offer relates to shares of a Norwegian company listed and trading on the Oslo Stock Exchange and is subject to the legal provisions of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act regarding the implementation and disclosure requirements for such an offer, which differ substantially from the corresponding legal provisions of the U.S. The Offer is made to U.S. Shareholders pursuant to Section 14I and Regulation 14E under the U.S. Exchange Act as a "Tier I" tender offer, and otherwise in accordance with the requirements of Norwegian law. Accordingly, the Offer is subject to disclosure and other procedural requirements that are different from those that would be applicable under U.S. domestic tender offer procedures and law. Furthermore, the payment and settlement procedure with respect to the Offer will comply with the relevant rules of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act, which differ from payment and settlement procedures customary in the U.S., particularly with regard to the payment date of the consideration. Pursuant to an exemption from Rule 14e-5 under the U.S. Exchange Act, the Offeror and its affiliates or brokers (acting as agents for the Offeror or its affiliates, as applicable) may from time to time, and other than pursuant to the Offer, directly or indirectly, purchase or arrange to purchase, Shares or any securities that are convertible into, exchangeable for or exercisable for such Shares outside the U.S. during the period in which the Offer remains open for acceptance, so long as those acquisitions or arrangements comply with applicable Norwegian law and practice and the provisions of such exemption. To the extent information about such purchases or arrangements to purchase is made public in Norway, such information will be disclosed by means of an English language press release via an electronically operated information distribution system in the U.S. or other means reasonably calculated to inform U.S. Shareholders of such information. In addition, the financial advisors to the Offeror may also engage in ordinary course trading activities in securities of GCC, which may include purchases or arrangements to purchase such securities.
Neither the SEC nor any US state securities commission or U.S. regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the Offer or passed any comment upon the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of the Offer Document or any other documents regarding the Offer. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense in the U.S.