Miscellaneous changes to the Takeover Code came into force on 13 June 2022 and the Takeover Panel has published a new Practice Statement No 33 on issues for a bidder to consider when buying target shares during an offer period.
The changes to the Takeover Code follow two response statements (RS 2021/1 and RS 2022/1) and cover a range of issues including:
- the requirement to announce if a bidder is required to offer a minimum level or particular form of consideration;
- a restriction on a bidder buying target shares in the last 14 days prior to the unconditional date on a mandatory offer; and
- minor changes in relation to the restrictions following the lapsing of an offer or a no intention to bid statement.
See our blog post here for more detail on the changes.
The new Practice Statement on a bidder buying target shares in an offer period covers topics such as:
- using derivatives to acquire an interest in shares;
- the protection of retail shareholders; and
- disclosure of transactions to the Panel Executive.
It also notes that if a bidder intends to purchase shares, the Panel Executive should be consulted in advance.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
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