Franchise Brands PLC Share purchase programme and EBT (4479R)

TIDMFRAN

RNS Number : 4479R

Franchise Brands PLC

01 July 2020

1 July 2020

Franchise Brands plc

("Franchise Brands", the "Company" or the "Group")

Share purchase programme and establishment of an Employee Benefit Trust

Franchise Brands plc (AIM: FRAN), a multi-brand franchise business, announces that for the next six-month period from 1 July 2020 to 31 December 2020, the Company will continue its discretionary programme to buy ordinary shares of 0.5p each in the Company ("Ordinary Shares") up to an aggregate value of GBP200,000 (the "Programme").

This is a continuation of the Programme that commenced in 2018 which seeks to mitigate the dilutive impact of share option awards and to improve overall shareholder return. However, the Company intends to use the EBT (as defined below) rather than purchasing shares to be held in Treasury.

In order to facilitate the Programme, the Company has established an onshore discretionary employee benefit trust (the "EBT"), which is expected to conduct market purchases of Ordinary Shares to satisfy potential future option exercises by employees (but not directors). The EBT will be funded by the Group by up to GBP200,000 during the second half of this year. As at today's date the EBT does not yet hold any Ordinary Shares.

The Company and the EBT have entered into arrangements with the Company's joint broker, Dowgate Capital Limited ("Dowgate"), to carry out on-market purchases of Ordinary Shares under the Programme, including on a discretionary basis independent of the Company during any prohibited periods of the Company, as determined by the Market Abuse Regulation 596/2014/EU ("MAR"), which may fall during the period of the Programme.

The Company was granted authority by its shareholders at the Company's Annual General Meeting ("AGM") on 28 April 2020 to purchase up to 7,971,076 shares. This authority will expire at the end of the next AGM of the Company in 2021 or, if earlier, at the close of business on 28 July 2021 ("2020 Authority").

Enquiries:

 
 Franchise Brands plc                          + 44 (0) 1625 813231 
 Stephen Hemsley, Executive Chairman 
 Chris Dent, Chief Financial Officer 
 Julia Choudhury, Corporate Development 
  Director 
 
 Allenby Capital Limited (Nominated Adviser 
  and Joint Broker)                            [phone] 
 Jeremy Porter / Liz Kirchner / Nicholas 
  Chambers 
 
 Dowgate Capital Limited (Joint Broker)        [phone] 
 James Serjeant / Colin Climie 
 
 MHP Communications (Financial PR)             [phone] 
 Katie Hunt                                    [phone] 
                                               [e-mail] 
 

About Franchise Brands plc

Franchise Brands is focused on building market-leading businesses in selected customer segments using primarily a franchise model. The Group currently has a combined network of over 450 franchisees across five franchise brands. Our focus is on established brands which can benefit from our shared support services, specialist sector expertise, management experience and group resources.

Franchise Brands' portfolio of market-leading service businesses grew in 2019 with the acquisition of Willow Pumps. The addition of Willow Pumps, a direct labour organisation, represented an important step in expanding Metro Rod and Metro Plumb's range of services to the commercial market.

The Group is organised into a B2B division comprised of Metro Rod, Metro Plumb and Willow Pumps, and a B2C division that incorporates ChipsAway, Ovenclean and Barking Mad. This divisional organisation of our brands is designed to provide a greater focus and structure to support the strategic development of our B2B and B2C brands.

Each of our brands are leaders in their respective markets and each brand has a long trading history. The combined trading history of all the Group's brands is over 125 years.

Franchise Brands plc employs some 290 people across three principal locations in Macclesfield, Kidderminster and Aylesford.

For further information, visit www.franchisebrands.co.uk.

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July 01, 2020 02:00 ET (06:00 GMT)