Press release
 
22.03.18
 

 

Altran announces the launch and the terms of its share capital increase with preferential subscription rights for c. €750 million related to the refinancing of the acquisition of Aricent
    
    

  • Subscription ratio: 8 new shares for 17 existing shares
  • Subscription price: €9.23 per new share
  • Rights trading period: from March 23rd, 2018 to April 5th, 2018 inclusive
  • Subscription period: from March 27th, 2018 to April 9th, 2018 inclusive

Altran (the "Company") announces today the launch of a share capital increase with preferential subscription rights to existing shareholders (the "Rights Issue"), for a gross amount of approximately €750 million. The principle of the Rights Issue was made public on November 30th, 2017 when Altran announced the contemplated acquisition of Aricent, a global digital leader in integrated design and engineering services. The Rights Issue was authorized by the Company's shareholders during the Extraordinary General Meeting held on January 26th, 2018.

The net proceeds of the Rights Issue will be exclusively used to redeem in full the €250 million Bridge Facility and part of the €2,125 million Term Loan B entered into in February 2018 in connection with the acquisition of Aricent and drawn in full.

The acquisition of Aricent, that closed on March 20th, 2018, enables Altran to become the undisputed global leader in the Engineering and R&D services.

The Rights Issue is underwritten pursuant to an underwriting agreement signed on March 21st, 2018 with Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Goldman Sachs International and Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc, acting as Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners. This underwriting agreement does not constitute a firm underwriting ("garantie de bonne fin") within the meaning of Article L. 225-145 of the French Commercial Code.

Main terms of the Rights Issue

The Rights Issue will result in the issuance of 81,220,840 new shares (the "New Shares") representing a gross amount, including issue premium, of €749,668,353.20, corresponding to 46.2% of the Company's share capital.

Each shareholder of Altran will receive one preferential subscription right for each share it holds (based on trading records) as of the close of trading on March 22nd, 2018. The preferential subscription rights will be detached from their shares on March 23rd, 2018. Existing shares will trade ex-rights from March 23rd, 2018. 17 preferential subscription rights will entitle holders to subscribe for 8 New Shares on an irreducible basis (à titre irréductible).

Subscriptions on a reducible basis (à titre réductible) will be accepted but remain subject to reduction in the event of oversubscription. Any New Shares not subscribed on an irreducible basis (à titre irréductible) will be distributed and allocated to the holders of the rights having submitted additional subscription orders on a reducible basis (à titre réductible) subject to reduction.

Based on a closing price of Altran's share on March 20th, 2018, i.e €13.90, the theoretical value of one preferential subscription right is €1.49 (it being reminded that this value may fluctuate during the rights trading period, in particular depending on Altran's ex-right share price development) and the theoretical value of the ex-right share is €12.41.

The subscription price for the New Shares has been set at €9.23 per share (nominal value of €0.50 per share and issue premium of €8.73 per share). The subscription price represents a discount of 25.6% to the theoretical value of the ex-right share price (TERP), and of 33.6% on the closing price (€13.90) on March 20th, 2018.

The Rights Issue will be open to the public in France only.

Altran has agreed to a lock-up period expiring 180 calendar days after the settlement and delivery of the Rights Issue, subject to certain exceptions.

At the date of the AMF's visa on the French Prospectus, Altrafin Participations SAS, Mr. Alexis Kniazeff (and his family) and Mr. Hubert Martigny, who respectively holds 8.42%, 1.42% and 1.42% of the share capital of the company, have confirmed their intention to subscribe[1] to the share capital increase and to exercise on an irreducible basis all the preferential subscription rights that will be alloted to them on the basis of their existing shares.

Altrafin Participations and the founders have each agreed to a lock-up period expiring 60 calendar days after the settlement and delivery of the Rights Issue, subject to certain exceptions.

Indicative timetable of the Rights Issue

The preferential subscription rights will be listed and traded on the regulated market of Euronext Paris under the ISIN code FR0013324498 from March 23rd, 2018 until April 5th, 2018 inclusive. It will not be possible to buy or sell the preferential subscription rights after the close of trading on April 5th, 2018. The subscription period for the New Shares will run from March 27th, 2018 to April 9th, 2018 inclusive. The preferential subscription rights not exercised before the end of the subscription period, i.e. the close of trading on April 9th, 2018, will automatically become null and void.

Settlement and delivery of the New Shares and start of trading on the regulated market of Euronext Paris (Segment A) are expected to take place on April 17th, 2018. The New Shares, which will carry dividend rights and will entitle their holders to any dividends declared by Altran from the date of issue, will be, as from their issue date, fully fungible with Altran's existing shares and will be traded under the same ISIN code as the Company's existing shares (ISIN code FR0000034639).

Information available to the public

A French language prospectus including (i) the registration document (document de référence) of Altran filed with the French Market Authority (Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF)) on March 21st, 2018 under number D.18-0154, and (ii) a securities note (note d'opération) (including the summary of the prospectus) which was filed with the AMF and received visa number 18-087 dated March 21st, 2018 is available free of charge from the Company (96, avenue Charles de Gaulle, 92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine - France) as well as from the websites of the AMF (www.amf-france.org) and the Company (www.altran.com). All the press releases and other regulated information about the Company are available on the Company's website (www.altran.com), including the press release dated February 28th, 2018, announcing Altran's 2017 annual results.

The public's attention is drawn to the risk factors included in chapter 2 of the registration document and in chapter 2 of the securities note, which should be carefully considered before making any investment decision. The materialization of all or any of these risks may have an adverse effect on the Altran group's operations, financial conditions, results or objectives, or the market price of Altran shares.


Conference call on March 22, 2018 at 9:00 am Paris time (CET)

Telephone numbers : +33172727403 or +442071943759

Confirmation code: 93094637#


Contacts

Altran Group

Investor Relations
Stéphanie Bia
Group Vice-President Investor Relations
Tel: + 33 (0)1 46 41 72 01
stephanie.bia@Altran.com

Media Relations
Marine Boulot
Group Vice-President Communications
Tel: + 33 (0)1 46 41 72 10
marine.boulot@Altran.com

About Altran
Altran ranks as the undisputed global leader in Engineering and R&D services (ER&D), following its acquisition of Aricent. The company offers clients an unmatched value proposition to address their transformation and innovation needs. Altran works alongside its clients, from initial concept through industrialization, to invent the products and services of tomorrow. For over 30 years, the company has provided expertise in aerospace, automotive, defense, energy, finance, life sciences, railway and telecommunications. The Aricent acquisition extends this leadership to semiconductors, digital experience and design innovation. Combined, Altran and Aricent generated revenues of €2.9 billion in 2017, with some 45,000 employees in more than 30 countries.

www.altran.com

Follow us on Twitter: @Altran


DISCLAIMER
The English version of this press release may differ from the French version for regulatory reasons.
Neither this press release, nor any information it contains or other information related to the offering or to the Company, may be distributed to the public in any juridisction where a registration or approval is required. No steps have been taken or will be taken in any such jurisdiction (other than France) where such steps would be required. The offer and sale of the shares or the preferential subscription rights of the Company (together, the "Securities") may be subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain juridisdictions. Persons in such jurisdictions who come into possession of this document or other information referred to herein should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.The Company assumes no responsibility for any violation of such restrictions by any person.
The information contained in this press release is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete and no reliance may be placed by any person for any purpose on the information contained in this press release or its accuracy, fairness or completeness. Any purchase of Securities should be made solely on the basis of the information contained in the prospectus issued by the Company.
Neither this press release nor the information it contains constitutes an offer of Securities or a solicitation for purchase, subscription or sale of Securities in any such country.
European Economic Area
The offer is open to the public only in France and only pursuant to a prospectus having received the visa of the AMF.
This press release is an advertisement and not a prospectus within the meaning of Directive 2003/71/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 4 November 2003, as amended, in particular by Directive 2010/73/EU, and includes any relevant implementing measure(the "Prospectus Directive").
With respect to the member states of the European Economic Area ("EEA") other than France (each, a "Member State"), no action has been undertaken or will be undertaken to make an offer to the public of the Securities (as defined in the Prospectus Directive) requiring a publication of a prospectus in any Member State. As a result, the Securities may only be offered in Member States to qualified investors, as defined in the Prospectus Directive, to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive,or in any other circumstances not requiring the Company to publish a prospectus as provided under Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive.
United States of America
This press release and the information it contains are not released and may not be published, released or distributed in or into the United States.This press release does not constitute or form a part of any offer of Securities or a solicitation to purchase or subscribe for Securities in the United States. The Securities may not be offered, subscribed or sold in the United States absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements thereof. The Securities of the Company have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act and the Company does not intend to make a public offer of its securities in the United States.
United Kingdom
This press release is directed only at and is for distribution only to qualified investors within the meaning of section 86(7) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 persons who (i) are outside the United Kingdom, (ii) are "investment professionals" falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended) (the "Order") or (iii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) ("high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.") of the Order (all such persons in (i), (ii) and (iii) together being referred to as "Relevant Persons").
This press release is directed only at Relevant Persons and must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not Relevant Persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this press release relates is available only to Relevant Persons and will be engaged in only with Relevant Persons.
This press release is not a prospectus which has been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority or any other United Kingdom regulatory authority for the purposes of Section 85 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
Australia, Japan and Canada
The Securities may not be offered or sold in Australia and Japan, and subject to certain exceptions may not be offered or sold in Canada.
General
In connection with any offering of the Securities, the Joing Global Coordinators and any of their respective affiliates may take up as a principal position any Securities and in that capacity may retain, purchase, sell or offer to sell for their own accounts such Securities and other related securities. In addition, they may enter into financing arrangements (including swaps or contracts for differences) with investors in connection with which they may from time to time acquire, hold or dispose of Securities. They do not intend to disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligation to do so.
The Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners are acting for the Company and no one else in connection with the offering of Securities and will not regard any other person as their respective clients nor be responsible to any other person for providing the protections afforded to any of its clients or for providing advice in relation to any offering of the Securities nor for providing advice in relation to the offering of Securities, the contents of this announcement or any transaction, arrangement or other matter referred to herein.
None of the Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners or any of their respective affiliates, directors, officers, employees, advisers or agents accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for or makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from the announcement) or any other information relating to the Company, its subsidiaries or associated companies, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith.
Information to distributors
Solely for the purposes of the product governance requirements contained within: (a) EU Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments, as amended ("MiFID II"); (b) Articles 9 and 10 of Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 supplementing MiFID II; and (c) local implementing measures (together, the "MiFID II Product Governance Requirements"), and disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, which any "manufacturer"(for the purposes of the MiFID II Product Governance Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the shares offered in the Right Issue (the "Offered Shares") have been subject to a product approval process, which has determined that the Offered Shares are: (i) compatible with an end target market of retail investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each as defined in MiFID II; and (ii) eligible for distribution through all distribution channels as are permitted by MiFID II (the "Target Market Assessment"). Notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, distributors should note that: the price of the Offered Shares may decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment; the Offered Shares offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an investment in the Offered Shares is compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom.
The Target Market Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the Right Issue.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (a) an assessment for any particular client of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of MiFID II; or (b) a recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest in, or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to the Offered Shares.
Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the shares and determining appropriate distribution channels.



[1]   It should be noted that this intention will be realized provided that until the end of the subscription period of the share capital increase there should be no new significant event that could have a significant impact on the market price of the Altran shares.




This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: ALTRAN TECHNOLOGIES via Globenewswire

Source(s) : ALTRAN TECHNOLOGIES