Smith (DS) PLC Holding(s) in Company (7975O)

TIDMSMDS TIDMAV.

RNS Number : 7975O

Smith (DS) PLC

11 February 2016

TR-1(i): NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attached (ii):

DS Smith Plc

2. Reason for the notification:

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights: ( X )

An acquisition or disposal of qualifying financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares

already issued to which voting rights are attached: (   ) 

An acquisition or disposal of instruments with similar economic effect to qualifying financial instruments ( )

   An event changing the breakdown of voting rights: (    ) 
   Other (please specify): (   ) 

3. Full name of person(s) subject to the notification obligation (iii):

Aviva plc & its subsidiaries

4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.)

Registered Holder:

   Available on request                                        31,899* 
   BNY Norwich Union Nominees Limited          1,712,899* 
   Chase (GA Group) Nominees Limited            21,344,341* 
   Chase Nominees Limited                               295,911* 
   CUIM Nominee Limited                                   638,076* 
   State Street Nominees Limited                       4,395,881* 

* denotes direct interest

5. Date of the transaction (and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached if different) (v):

9 February 2016

6. Date on which issuer notified:

10 February 2016

7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached:

<3% to >3% Change at Direct Interest Level (Box 8A)

8. Notified details:

A: Voting rights attached to shares (viii, ix)

 
 Class/type      Situation previous           Resulting situation after the 
  of              to the triggering            triggering transaction 
  shares          transaction 
 
  if possible 
  using 
  the ISIN 
  CODE 
--------------  ---------------------------  ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
                 Number         Number        Number       Number of                    % of voting 
                  of             of            of           voting                       rights (x) 
                  Shares         Voting        shares       rights 
                                 Rights 
--------------  -------------  ------------  -----------  ---------------------------  ----------------------- 
                                              Direct       Direct       Indirect        Direct   Indirect 
                                                            (xi)         (xii) 
--------------  -------------  ------------  -----------  -----------  --------------  -------  -------------- 
 
  Ordinary 
  Shares 
 
  GB0008220112 
                                             -----------               --------------           -------------- 
                                                                             Not                      Not 
                 28,584,302*    28,584,302*   28,419,007   28,419,007    disclosable    3.01%     disclosable 
--------------  -------------  ------------  -----------  -----------  --------------  -------  -------------- 
 
   *INC. RIGHT TO RECALL LOANED SHARES (1,230,472) 
 
   B: Qualifying Financial Instruments 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 Resulting situation after the triggering transaction 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 Type of         Expiration     Exercise/                  Number of voting             % of voting 
 financial        date           Conversion                 rights that                  rights 
 instrument       (xiii)         Period (xiv)               may be 
                                                            acquired if 
                                                            the 
                                                            instrument 
                                                            is 
                                                            exercised/ 
                                                            converted. 
--------------  -------------  -------------------------  ---------------------------  ----------------------- 
   RIGHT TO 
     RECALL                                                       5,340,098 * 
     LOANED 
     SHARES          N/A                  N/A                   * Direct Interest               0.56% 
--------------  -------------  -------------------------  ---------------------------  ----------------------- 
 
 

C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments (xv, xvi)

 
 Resulting situation after the triggering transaction 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 Type of financial   Exercise   Expiration   Exercise/     Number of voting     % of voting 
  instrument          price      date         Conversion    rights instrument    rights (xix, 
                                 (xvii)       period        refers to            xx) 
                                              (xviii) 
------------------  ---------  -----------  ------------  -------------------  ---------------- 
                                                                                Nominal   Delta 
------------------  ---------  -----------  ------------  -------------------  --------  ------ 
 
 

Total (A+B+C)

 
 Total (A+B+C) 
------------------------------------------------------ 
 Number of voting rights   Percentage of voting rights 
------------------------  ---------------------------- 
 33,759,105                3.57% 
------------------------  ---------------------------- 
 

9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable (xv):

The voting rights are managed and controlled by Aviva Investors Global Services Limited and Friends Provident International Limited, with the following chains of controlled undertakings:-

Aviva Investors Global Services Limited:

   --     Aviva plc (Parent Company) 
   --     Aviva Group Holdings Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva plc) 
   --     Aviva Investors Holdings Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva Group Holdings Limited) 

-- Aviva Investors Global Services Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva Investors Holdings Limited)

Friends Provident International Limited:

   --     Aviva plc (Parent Company) 
   --     Aviva Group Holdings Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva plc) 
   --     Aviva Life Holdings UK Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva Group Holdings Limited) 
   --     Friends Life FPG Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva Life Holdings UK Limited) 
   --     Friends Life FPL Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Friends Life FPG Limited) 
   --     Friends Life Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Friends Life FPL Limited) 
   --     Friends Life and Pensions Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Friends Life Limited) 

-- Friends Provident International Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Friends Life and Pensions Limited)

Proxy Voting:

10. Name of the proxy holder: See Section 4

11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold:

12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting rights:

13. Additional information:

Figures are based on the total number of voting rights of 944,743,788, as per the Company's announcement of 1 February 2016.

14. Contact name:

Neil Whittaker, Aviva plc

15. Contact telephone number:

01603 684420

Identity of the notifier, if applicable (xvii)

Full name:

Michael Hampson

Contact address:

DS Smith Plc, 7(th) Floor, 350 Euston Road, London NW1 3AX

Phone number:

020 7756 1800

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

END

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February 11, 2016 06:14 ET (11:14 GMT)