Boulogne-Billancourt (France), 18 September 2024 (7:00 a.m.) – La Française des Jeux (FDJ) brings forward the expiry of the acceptance period of its offer on Kindred to 2 October after having obtained all necessary regulatory approvals.
On 22 January 2024, FDJ, announced a recommended public offer to the holders of Swedish Depository Receipts (the “SDRs”) in Kindred Group plc to tender all their SDRs in Kindred at a price of SEK 130 in cash per SDR (the “Offer”)[1]. An offer document relating to the Offer was published on 19 February 2024 and supplements to the offer document were made public 25 April 2024 and 25 July 2024.
FDJ announces that it has obtained final approval from the French Competition Authority to complete the Offer.
The definitive clearance of the acquisition of Kindred by the French Competition Authority was the last regulatory condition required for the completion of the Offer. Thus, having obtained all necessary regulatory clearances, approvals and decisions, FDJ has decided to bring forward the expiry of the acceptance period of the Offer to 17.00 CEST on 2 October 2024 (from the initial date of 19 November 2024).
Completion of the Offer remains subject to other conditions, notably it being accepted to such an extent that FDJ becomes the owner of more than 90% of the total number of shares in Kindred (on a fully diluted basis)[2]:
- To date, five shareholders (Corvex Management LP, Premier Investissement SAS, Eminence Capital, Nordea and Veralda), representing 26.72% of Kindred’s outstanding Swedish depository receipts, have made an irrevocable commitment to tender their SDRs to the offer.
- In addition, FDJ acquired 1.11% of Kindred’s outstanding SDRs directly from Veralda in March.
FDJ will announce the result of the Offer on or around 3 October 2024 at the close of the market. If the Offer is completed, settlement and delivery for Kindred shareholders who tender their SDRs will take place on or around 11 October 2024.
[1] For the sake of simplicity and because each SDR represents a share in Kindred, the SDRs will also be referred to as “shares” and the holders as “shareholders”.
[2] Based on 215,823,068 shares, excluding treasury shares (14,303,068).