Marathon Asset Manag Form 8.3 - Merlin Entertainment plc

 
TIDMMERL 
 
 

FORM 8.3

PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY

A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE

Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the "Code")

1.KEY INFORMATION

 
(a) Full name of discloser:                Marathon Asset Management LLP 
(b) Owner or controller 
of interests and short 
positions  disclosed, if 
different from 1(a): 
The naming of nominee 
or vehicle companies 
is insufficient. For  a 
trust, the trustee(s), settlor and 
beneficiaries must be named. 
(c) Name of offeror/offeree                Merlin Entertainment plc 
in relation to whose 
relevant  securities this form relates: 
Use a separate form for 
each offeror/offeree 
(d) If an exempt fund manager connected 
with an offeror/offeree, 
state this and specify identity 
of offeror/offeree: 
(e) Date position held/dealing             31 October 2019 
undertaken: 
For an opening position disclosure, 
state the latest 
practicable date prior to the disclosure 
(f) In addition to the company in          NO 
1(c) above, is the discloser 
making disclosures in respect of 
any other party to the offer? 
If it is a cash offer or possible 
cash offer, state "N/A" 
 
 

2.POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

(a)Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

 
Class of relevant security:         Ordinary shares 
                                    Interests          Short positions 
                                    Number       %     Number  % 
(1) Relevant securities owned       60,158,119   5.87  0       0 
and/or controlled: 
(2) Cash-settled derivatives:       0            0     0       0 
(3) Stock-settled derivatives       0            0     0       0 
(including options) 
and agreements  to purchase/sell: 
TOTAL:                              60,158,119*  5.87  0       0 
 
 

* Marathon Asset Management LLP does not have discretion regarding voting decisions in respect of 5,146,567 shares that are included in the total above.

All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

(b)Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors' and other employee options)

 
Class of relevant security in relation 
to which subscription  right exists: 
Details, including nature of the rights 
concerned and relevant  percentages: 
 
 

3.DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

(a)Purchases and sales

 
Class of relevant   Purchase/sale  Number of securities  Price per unit 
security 
Ordinary shares     Sale           41,323                4.5501 
Ordinary shares     Purchase       59,876                4.5450 
Ordinary shares     Sale           59,043                4.5450 
Ordinary shares     Sale           71,851                4.5460 
 
 

(b)Cash-settled derivative transactions

 
Class of relevant  Product     Nature of           Number of reference Price per unit 
security           description dealing             securities 
                   e.g. CFD    e.g. 
                               opening/closing 
                               a 
                               long/short 
                               position, 
                               increasing/reducing 
                               a 
                               long/short 
                               position 
 
 

(c)Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

(i)Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

 
Class of  Product         Writing,     Number        Exercise price Type           Expiry date Option money 
relevant  descriptione.g. purchasing,  of securities per unit       e.g. American,             paid/ 
security  call            selling,     to                           European etc.              received 
          option          varying etc. which option                                            per unit 
                                       relates 
 
 

(ii)Exercise

 
Class of relevant  Product     Exercising/ Number        Exercise price 
security           description exercised   of securities per unit 
                   e.g. call   against 
                   option 
 
 

(d)Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

 
Class of relevant security  Nature of dealing  Details Price per unit (if 
                            e.g. subscription,         applicable) 
                            conversion 
 
 

4.OTHER INFORMATION

(a)Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

 
Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, 
or any agreement  or understanding, 
formal or informal, relating to relevant 
securities which may be an inducement to 
deal or refrain from  dealing entered into by 
the person making the disclosure and any 
party to the offer or any person acting 
in concert with a party to  the offer: 
Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent 
should not be  included. If there 
are no such agreements, arrangements or  understandings, state "none" 
None 
 
 

(b)Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

 
Details of any agreement, arrangement or 
understanding, formal or  informal, 
between the person making the disclosure 
and any other  person relating to: 
(i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any  option; or 
(ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any 
relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: 
If there are no such agreements, arrangements 
or  understandings, state "none" 
None 
 
 

(c)Attachments

 
Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached?  NO 
 
 
Date of disclosure:   01 November 2019 
Contact name:         Mary Davidge 
Telephone number*:    0044 207 497 2211 
 
 

Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code's disclosure requirements on [phone].

*If the discloser is a natural person, a telephone number does not need to be included, provided contact information has been provided to the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit.

The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191101005205/en/

 
This information is provided by Business Wire 
 
 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 01, 2019 05:05 ET (09:05 GMT)