Altor and Stena Adactum, through GB HoldCo, completes the offer to the shareholders of Gunnebo and GB HoldCo thereby becomes the owner of 94.5 percent of the shares [1] in Gunnebo
This press release is not an offer, whether directly or indirectly, in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand or South Africa or in any other jurisdiction where such offer pursuant to legislation and regulations in such relevant jurisdiction would be prohibited by applicable law. Shareholders not resident in Sweden who wish to accept the Offer (defined below) must make inquiries concerning applicable legislation and possible tax consequences. Shareholders should refer to the offer restrictions included in the section titled "Important information" at the end of this press release and in the offer document published on GB HoldCo's website (www.enduring-value.com). Shareholders in the United States should also refer to the section titled "Special notice to shareholders in the United States" at the end of this press release.
Altor and Stena Adactum, through GB HoldCo, completes the offer to the shareholders of Gunnebo and GB HoldCo thereby becomes the owner of 94.5 percent of the shares [1] in Gunnebo
On 28 September 2020, Altor Fund Manager AB [2] ("Altor") and Stena Adactum AB ("Stena Adactum"), through GB HoldCo AB [3] ("GB HoldCo"), announced a recommended public offer to the shareholders of Gunnebo Aktiebolag ("Gunnebo") to tender all shares in Gunnebo to GB HoldCo [4] at a price of SEK 25 in cash per share (the "Offer"). An offer document was made public on 30 September 2020 and a supplement to the offer document was made public on 4 November 2020.
The shares tendered in the Offer at the end of the acceptance period on 12 November 2020 amount to in aggregate 65,468,920 shares in Gunnebo, corresponding to approximately 68.5 percent of the share capital and the voting rights in Gunnebo [5]. Together with the shares already held or otherwise controlled by GB HoldCo and closely related parties, GB HoldCo's shareholding in Gunnebo amounts to in aggregate 90,282,752 shares, corresponding to approximately 94.5 percent of the share capital and the voting rights in Gunnebo [6].
GB HoldCo hereby announces that all conditions for completion of the Offer have been fulfilled. Accordingly, the Offer is declared unconditional and GB HoldCo will complete the acquisition of the shares tendered. Settlement for shares tendered in the Offer during the acceptance period ended on 12 November 2020 will take place around 20 November 2020.
Bengt Maunsbach, Partner at Altor comments:
“We are delighted that a vast majority of the shareholders have accepted our offer. We look forward to working together with management and employees to further strengthen Gunnebo and achieve market leading positions in its many attractive product areas.”
Martin Svalstedt, former CEO of Stena Adactum, as well as member of Gunnebo’s board of directors comments:
”Stena Adactum has been a dedicated shareholder of Gunnebo since 2000, and sees interesting opportunities ahead for the company. I am confident that Gunnebo will best be able to execute on the continuous development of its business under private ownership supported by Altor and Stena Adactum in a strong and active partnership.”
To provide the remaining shareholders of Gunnebo who have not tendered their shares time to accept the Offer, the acceptance period will be extended until 2 December 2020 at 15:00 (CET). Settlement for shares tendered in the Offer during the additional acceptance period is expected to start around 8 December 2020. GB HoldCo reserves the right to further extend the acceptance period for the Offer.
Prior to the announcement of the Offer, GB HoldCo and closely related parties held in aggregate 24,813,832 shares in Gunnebo, corresponding to approximately 26 percent of the share capital and the voting rights in Gunnebo.
GB HoldCo does not hold any other financial instruments that give financial exposure to Gunnebo's shares and has not acquired any such shares or financial instruments outside the Offer. GB HoldCo may acquire shares in Gunnebo in the market during the now extended acceptance period, however not at a price exceeding the price in the Offer of SEK 25 per share.
Since the Offer is now unconditional, shareholders who have accepted the Offer, or shareholders who accept the Offer during the extended acceptance period, have no right to withdraw their acceptances.
GB HoldCo will initiate compulsory acquisition of the remaining shares in Gunnebo as well as promote a delisting of Gunnebo's shares from Nasdaq Stockholm.
Information about the Offer:
For further information about the Offer, please refer to the offer document and the supplement to the offer document which are available on GB HoldCo's website (www.enduring-value.com).
For enquiries, please contact:
Tor Krusell, Head of Communications, Altor Equity Partners
Tel: +46 705 43 87 47, e-mail: tor.krusell@altor.com
For administrative questions regarding the Offer, please contact your bank or the nominee registered as holder of your shares.
The information in this press release was submitted for publication on 17 November 2020 at 08:00 a.m. (CET).
Important information
This press release has been published in Swedish and English. In the event of any discrepancy in content between the two language versions, the Swedish version shall prevail.
The Offer is not being made, directly or indirectly, in or into Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand or South Africa by use of mail or any other communication means or instrumentality (including, without limitation, facsimile transmission, electronic mail, telex, telephone and the Internet) of interstate or foreign commerce, or of any facility of national securities exchange or other trading venue, of Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand or South Africa, and the Offer cannot be accepted by any such use or by such means, instrumentality or facility of, in or from, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand or South Africa. Accordingly, this press release or any documentation relating to the Offer are not being and should not be sent, mailed or otherwise distributed or forwarded in or into Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand or South Africa.
This press release is not being, and must not be, sent to shareholders with registered addresses in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand or South Africa. Banks, brokers, dealers and other nominees holding shares for persons in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand or South Africa must not forward this press release or any other document received in connection with the Offer to such persons.
The Offer, the information and documents contained in this press release are not being made and have not been approved by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the “FSMA”). Accordingly, the information and documents contained in this press release are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of the information and documents contained in this press release is exempt from the restriction on financial promotions under section 21 of the FSMA on the basis that it is a communication by or on behalf of a body corporate which relates to a transaction to acquire day to day control of the affairs of a body corporate; or to acquire 50 per cent or more of the voting shares in a body corporate, within article 62 of the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005.
Statements in this press release relating to future status or circumstances, including statements regarding future performance, growth and other trend projections and other benefits of the Offer, are forward-looking statements. These statements may generally, but not always, be identified by the use of words such as "anticipates", "intends", "expects", "believes", or similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements due to many factors, many of which are outside the control of GB HoldCo. Any such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and GB HoldCo has no obligation (and undertakes no such obligation) to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except for in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
Nomura International plc is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Nomura International plc is a member of the London Stock Exchange.
Nomura International plc and Nordea are not responsible to anyone other than GB HoldCo for advice in connection with the Offer.
Special notice to shareholders in the United States
The Offer described in this press release is made for the issued and outstanding shares of Gunnebo, a company incorporated under Swedish law, and is subject to Swedish disclosure and procedural requirements, which may be different from those of the United States. The Offer is made in the United States pursuant to Section 14(e) of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "U.S. Exchange Act") and Regulation 14E thereunder, to the extent applicable, and otherwise in compliance with the disclosure and procedural requirements of Swedish law, including with respect to withdrawal rights, the Offer timetable, notices of extensions, announcements of results, settlement procedures (including as regards to the time when payment of the consideration is rendered) and waivers of conditions, which may be different from requirements or customary practices in relation to U.S. domestic tender offers. Holders of the shares of Gunnebo domiciled in the United States (the "U.S. Holders") are encouraged to consult with their own advisors regarding the Offer.
Nordea is not registered as a broker or dealer in the United States and will not be engaging in direct communications relating to the Offer with investors located within the United States (whether on a reverse-inquiry basis or otherwise).
Gunnebo's financial statements and all financial information included herein, or any other documents relating to the Offer, have been or will be prepared in accordance with IFRS and may not be comparable to the financial statements or financial information of companies in the United States or other companies whose financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The Offer is made to the U.S. Holders on the same terms and conditions as those made to all other shareholders of Gunnebo to whom an offer is made. Any information documents, including the offer document, are being disseminated to U.S. Holders on a basis comparable to the method pursuant to which such documents are provided to Gunnebo's other shareholders.
The Offer, which is subject to Swedish law, is being made to the U.S. Holders in accordance with the applicable U.S. securities laws, and applicable exemptions thereunder. To the extent the Offer is subject to U.S. securities laws, those laws only apply to U.S. Holders and thus will not give rise to claims on the part of any other person. The U.S. Holders should consider that the price for the Offer is being paid in SEK and that no adjustment will be made based on any changes in the exchange rate.
It may be difficult for Gunnebo's shareholders to enforce their rights and any claims they may have arising under the U.S. federal or state securities laws in connection with the Offer, since Gunnebo and GB HoldCo are located in countries other than the United States, and some or all of their officers and directors may be residents of countries other than the United States. Gunnebo's shareholders may not be able to sue Gunnebo or GB HoldCo or their respective officers or directors in a non-U.S. court for violations of U.S. securities laws. Further, it may be difficult to compel Gunnebo or GB HoldCo and/or their respective affiliates to subject themselves to the jurisdiction or judgment of a U.S. court.
To the extent permissible under applicable law or regulations, GB HoldCo and its affiliates or its brokers and its brokers’ affiliates (acting as agents for GB HoldCo or its affiliates, as applicable) may from time to time and during the pendency of the Offer, and other than pursuant to the Offer, directly or indirectly purchase or arrange to purchase shares of Gunnebo outside the United States, or any securities that are convertible into, exchangeable for or exercisable for such shares. These purchases may occur either in the open market at prevailing prices or in private transactions at negotiated prices, and information about such purchases will be disclosed by means of a press release or other means reasonably calculated to inform U.S. Holders of such information. In addition, the financial advisors to GB HoldCo may also engage in ordinary course trading activities in securities of Gunnebo, which may include purchases or arrangements to purchase such securities as long as such purchases or arrangements are in compliance with the applicable law. Any information about such purchases will be announced in Swedish and in a non-binding English translation available to the U.S. Holders through relevant electronic media if, and to the extent, such announcement is required under applicable Swedish or U.S. law, rules or regulations.
The receipt of cash pursuant to the Offer by a U.S. Holder may be a taxable transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes and under applicable U.S. state and local, as well as foreign and other, tax laws. Each shareholder is urged to consult an independent professional adviser regarding the tax consequences of accepting the Offer. Neither GB HoldCo nor any of its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees or agents or any other person acting on their behalf in connection with the Offer shall be responsible for any tax effects or liabilities resulting from acceptance of this Offer.
NEITHER THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY U.S. STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE OFFER, PASSED ANY COMMENTS UPON THE MERITS OR FAIRNESS OF THE OFFER, PASSED ANY COMMENT UPON THE ADEQUACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THIS PRESS RELEASE OR PASSED ANY COMMENT ON WHETHER THE CONTENT IN THIS PRESS RELEASE IS CORRECT OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE IN THE UNITED STATES.
[1] Excluding any treasury shares held by Gunnebo (currently 602,267 shares of class C).
[2] On behalf of and as manager to Altor Fund V (No.1) AB and Altor Fund V (No. 2) AB (together "Altor Fund V").
[3] A newly established private limited liability company indirectly owned by Altor and Stena Adactum, with corporate registration number 559246-2476, domiciled in Stockholm.
[4] Excluding any treasury shares held by Gunnebo (currently 602,267 shares of class C) as well as any shares held by Stena Adactum (currently 24,813,832 ordinary shares
[5] Excluding any treasury shares held by Gunnebo (currently 602,267 shares of class C).
[6] Excluding any treasury shares held by Gunnebo (currently 602,267 shares of class C).