Frenkel Topping Group PLC Share Buyback, Director Dealing & Resignation (4333Z)

TIDMFEN

RNS Number : 4333Z

Frenkel Topping Group PLC

15 December 2017

Frenkel Topping Group plc

("Frenkel Topping" or "the Company")

Share Buyback, EBT Purchase, Director Dealing and Resignation of Director

Frenkel Topping Group plc (AIM: FEN) announces that on 14 December 2017 it acquired 3,000,000 ordinary shares of 5 pence each in the capital of the Company ("Ordinary Shares") at 58.5p each (the "Repurchase") and that it has been informed that the Frenkel Topping Employee Benefit Trust ("EBT") also acquired 3,000,000 Ordinary Shares at 58.5p each (the "EBT Purchase"). These acquisitions have been made from Jason Granite, a director of the Company, and FCFM Group Limited ("FCFM"), a firm of which Jason Granite is a director and substantial shareholder. Jason Granite sold 744,772 Ordinary Shares each and FCFM sold 5,255,228 Ordinary Shares all at 58.5p each. The Company also announces that Jason Granite has resigned both from the Company and as a Director with immediate effect to pursue other interests.

Total Voting Rights

The Ordinary Shares which have been purchased by the Company will be held in treasury. Following the Repurchase, the Company holds 3,000,000 Ordinary Shares in treasury and has 75,657,349 Ordinary Shares in issue, excluding those held in treasury.

Therefore the total number of voting rights in the Company is 75,657,349 which may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the Financial Conduct Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rules.

Holding(s) in Company

Following the EBT Purchase, the EBT is interested in 6,178,016 Ordinary Shares, representing 8.17 per cent of the Company's total voting rights.

The EBT is a discretionary trust for the benefit of employees of the Company and its subsidiaries, who have been granted share options. The Executive Directors of the Company are included in the class of potential beneficiaries of the EBT and are deemed to be interested in those shares and the dealings thereof.

Following the Repurchase and the EBT Purchase, FCFM holds 4,457,613 Ordinary Shares, representing 5.89 per cent. of the Company's total voting rights. Jason Granite no longer has a direct shareholding in the Company.

Related Party Transaction

As Jason Granite is a director of the Company, the Repurchase is classified as a related party transaction. The independent directors (being all of the Directors of the Company excluding Jason Granite and Mark Richards) consider, having consulted with the Company's nominated adviser, finnCap, that the terms of the Repurchase are fair and reasonable insofar as the Company's shareholders are concerned.

Resignation of Director

As stated above, Jason Granite has resigned both from the Company and as a Director with immediate effect to pursue other interests. The directors of Frenkel Topping wish to thank Jason for his dedicated contribution to the Company, having been instrumental in launching Frenkel Topping Investment Management ("FTIM"), the Company's own discretionary fund management platform. During his tenure Jason helped grow FTIM from inception to over GBP300m AUM and the Company's total AUM by over GBP175m. Frenkel Topping does not intend to appoint a replacement Chief Investment Officer but will operate an investment committee from within FTIM, formed of current team members.

Paul Richardson, Executive Chairman, commented:

"I would like to thank Jason for his work at the Company, overseeing a move to new offices, together with the establishment of the FTIM platform and a significant improvement in the Company's operating margin. We wish him all the best in his future endeavours and continue to look forward with confidence to the ongoing growth of the Company."

This announcement contains inside information.

For further information:

 
 Frenkel Topping Group plc                    www.frenkeltopping.co.uk 
  Paul Richardson, Executive                        Tel: [phone] 
  Chairman 
  Richard Fraser, Chief Executive 
  Officer 
 Stephen Bentley, Finance Director 
  Mark Holt, Commercial Director 
 
 finnCap Ltd                                        Tel: [phone] 
 Adrian Hargrave / James Thompson 
  / Alex Price 
 Tony Quirke 
 
 Walbrook PR Ltd                                    Tel: [phone] 
                                      or [e-mail] 
 Paul McManus                                       Mob: [phone] 
 Nick Rome                                          Mob: [phone] 
 

About Frenkel Topping: www.frenkeltopping.co.uk

Frenkel Topping provides specialist independent financial advice focussed on asset protection for clients. The specialist independent financial adviser has a market leading position providing advice and fund management services for personal injury trusts and clinical negligence awards and is well placed to provide services to a wider customer base.

The Company provides a range of wealth management services including bespoke investment portfolios, financial and tax planning. It is focused on increasing its assets under management by growing the number of fee earners who are qualified to provide benefits protection for a variety of needs as the Company adds to its personal injury and clinical negligence specialism.

It has a national presence with offices in Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, London and Leeds and has relationships and infrastructure in place to further grow its reach and target markets.

 
 1.   Details of the person discharging managerial 
       responsibilities / person closely associated 
---  ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
 a)   Name                             Jason Granite 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 2.   Reason for the Notification 
---  ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
 a)   Position/status                  Director 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 b)   Initial notification/Amendment   Initial notification 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 3.   Details of the issuer, emission allowance 
       market participant, auction platform, auctioneer 
       or auction monitor 
---  ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
 a)   Name                             Frenkel Topping Group plc 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 b)   LEI                                213800I5L3K7AT7A4R20 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 4.   Details of the transaction(s): section to 
       be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; 
       (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each 
       date; and (iv) each place where transactions 
       have been conducted 
---  ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
 a)   Description of                   Ordinary shares of 0.5 pence 
       the Financial 
       instrument, type 
       of instrument 
--- 
      Identification                   GB00B01YXQ71 
       code 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 b)   Nature of the                    Disposal of shares 
       transaction 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 c)   Price(s) and                      Price(s)   Volume(s) 
       volume(s)                        ---------  ---------- 
                                         58.5p      744,772 
                                        ---------  ---------- 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 d)   Aggregated information: 
        *    Aggregated volume           744,772 ordinary shares of 
                                         0.5 pence each sold at 
                                         58.5 pence per ordinary share 
        *    Price 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 e)   Date of the transaction          14 December 2017 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 f)   Place of the                     London Stock Exchange, AIM 
       transaction                      Market (XLON) 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 
 
 1.   Details of the person discharging managerial 
       responsibilities / person closely associated 
---  ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
 a)   Name                             FCFM 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 2.   Reason for the Notification 
---  ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
 a)   Position/status                  PCA of Jason Granite 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 b)   Initial notification/Amendment   Initial notification 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 3.   Details of the issuer, emission allowance 
       market participant, auction platform, auctioneer 
       or auction monitor 
---  ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
 a)   Name                             Frenkel Topping Group plc 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 b)   LEI                                213800I5L3K7AT7A4R20 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 4.   Details of the transaction(s): section to 
       be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; 
       (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each 
       date; and (iv) each place where transactions 
       have been conducted 
---  ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
 a)   Description of                   Ordinary shares of 0.5 pence 
       the Financial 
       instrument, type 
       of instrument 
--- 
      Identification                   GB00B01YXQ71 
       code 

---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 b)   Nature of the                    Disposal of shares 
       transaction 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 c)   Price(s) and                      Price(s)   Volume(s) 
       volume(s)                        ---------  ---------- 
                                         58.5p      5,255,228 
                                        ---------  ---------- 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 d)   Aggregated information: 
        *    Aggregated volume           5,255,228 ordinary shares 
                                         of 0.5 pence each sold at 
                                         58.5 pence per ordinary share 
        *    Price 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 e)   Date of the transaction          14 December 2017 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 f)   Place of the                     London Stock Exchange, AIM 
       transaction                      Market (XLON) 
---  -------------------------------  -------------------------------- 
 

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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December 15, 2017 02:00 ET (07:00 GMT)