Touchstone Innovations PLC Statement re offer by IP Group plc (6570I)

TIDMIVO

RNS Number : 6570I

Touchstone Innovations PLC

20 June 2017

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF THAT JURISDICTION

20 June 2017

Announcement of a firm intention to make an offer by IP Group plc ("IP Group")

The Board of Touchstone Innovations plc ("Touchstone" or the "Company") notes the announcement of a firm intention to make an offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of the Company by IP Group (the "Offer").

The financial terms of the Offer have not changed from those indicated in the possible offer announced by IP Group on 23 May 2017, as adjusted for their capital raise.

The Board notes that it is expected that the offer document will be posted in July 2017 and in the meantime will, together with its advisers, consider the Offer. The Board will provide its formal views to shareholders in due course and, in any event, no later than 14 days after publication of IP Group's offer document.

The Board advises the Company's shareholders to take no action in relation to the Offer at this time. Further announcements will be made in due course as appropriate.

*****

Enquiries:

Touchstone Innovations plc

Russ Cummings Tel: [phone]

J.P. Morgan Cazenove

(Financial Adviser and Corporate Broker to Touchstone Innovations plc)

Michael Wentworth-Stanley Tel: [phone]

James Robinson

Alec Pratt

RBC Capital Markets

(Joint Corporate Broker to Touchstone Innovations plc)

Marcus Jackson Tel: [phone]

Instinctif Partners

   Adrian Duffield /Melanie Toyne-Sewell/Chantal Woolcock                   Tel: [phone] 

Further Information

J.P. Morgan Limited, which conducts its UK investment banking business as J.P. Morgan Cazenove ("J.P. Morgan Cazenove"), is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority. J.P. Morgan Cazenove is acting as financial adviser exclusively for Touchstone Innovations plc and no one else in connection with the matters set out in this announcement and will not regard any other person as its client in relation to the matters in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than Touchstone Innovations plc for providing the protections afforded to clients of J.P. Morgan Cazenove or its affiliates, or for providing advice in relation to any matter referred to herein.

RBC Capital Markets is the business name used by RBC Europe Limited, which is authorised in the United Kingdom by the Prudential Regulation Authority ("PRA") and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") and the PRA and is a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Canada. RBC is acting as Corporate Broker to the Company.

Disclosure requirements of the Code

Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who is interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of an offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement of the offer period and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a Dealing Disclosure.

Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s), save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the business day following the date of the relevant dealing.

If two or more persons act together pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a securities exchange offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3.

Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4).

Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Takeover Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. You should contact the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on [phone] if you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure.

Responsibility

The directors of Touchstone accept responsibility for the information contained in this announcement (including expressions of belief) and, to the best of the knowledge and belief of the Touchstone directors (having taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case), the information contained in this announcement is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information.

Additional Information

In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Code, a copy of this announcement will be available at www.touchstoneinnovations.com by no later than 12 noon (London time) on the business day following this announcement. The content of the website referred to in this announcement is not incorporated into and does not form part of this announcement.

Ends

This information is provided by RNS

The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

END

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June 20, 2017 13:08 ET (17:08 GMT)