Atos completes the sale of a 13.1% stake in Worldline
NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH IT WOULD BE UNLAWFUL TO DO SO.
This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities and the offer of the Worldline shares does not constitute a public offering other than to qualified investors in any jurisdiction, including in France.
- Sale of 23.9 million Worldline shares for ca. €1.5 billion representing ca. 13.1% of the Worldline share capital through a private placement by way of accelerated bookbuilt offering
- In case of exchange in full of the outstanding €500 million zero per cent. Atos bonds exchangeable into Worldline shares due 2024 (the “Bonds”), Atos will no longer hold any Worldline shares
Paris, February 4, 2020
Atos has completed the sale of ca. 23.9 million Worldline shares, for ca. 1.5 billion euros, through a placement to qualified investors by way of an accelerated bookbuilt offering (the “Placement”).
The sale price of the Placement determined in the accelerated bookbuilt offering to institutional investors was set at €61.50 per Worldline share, with settlement expected to occur on or around February 6, 2020.
Through this Placement, Atos pursues the reduction of its shareholding in Worldline, initiated in 2014 and continued during the year 2019. The Placement is a further milestone in the creation of two pure play global leaders in their respective industries. The transaction will also further contribute to the increased liquidity of the Worldline stock.
The relationship between the two groups will remain strong with the existing and unchanged industrial and commercial partnership created through the Atos-Worldline Alliance announced in January 2019.
Following the success of the Placement, Atos holds ca. 7.0 million Worldline shares, representing ca. 3.8% of the Worldline share capital, which are underlying the Bonds.
Atos reiterates that it approves and supports Worldline’s proposed combination with Ingenico. It will vote in favor of the resolutions necessary for the implementation of the transaction at the Worldline’s Shareholders’ Meeting, with all the Worldline shares it will hold at that time.
The lock-up entered into by Atos, SIX Group and Goldman Sachs International and J.P. Morgan Securities plc in the context of the equity placement completed in November 2019 (the “Current Lock-up”), will remain applicable, with respect to Atos, on the Worldline shares owned by Atos and underlying the Bonds.
In connection with this transaction, and subject to waiver from Goldman Sachs International and J.P. Morgan Securities plc and certain exceptions, SIX Group, which will remain as the largest shareholder of Worldline, has agreed to extend the Current Lock-up to April 24, 2020 included.
Bpifrance Participations has purchased 4.0 million Worldline shares in the Placement, representing c. 2.2% of Worldline’s share capital.
Atos plans to use the proceeds of the Placement to repay existing debt and for general corporate purposes.
Goldman Sachs International, J.P. Morgan Securities plc and Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft acted as Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners of the Placement (together the “Joint Global Coordinators”).
Rothschild & Co. is acting as financial advisor to Atos in relation to the Placement.
Goldman Sachs International, J.P. Morgan Securities plc, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., BNP Paribas, Commerzbank, HSBC, Morgan Stanley & Co International plc, Natixis and Société Générale acted as Joint Bookrunners on the Placement.
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Contacts
Media:
Sylvie Raybaud – +33 6 95 91 96 71 – sylvie.raybaud@atos.net
Investor relations:
Gilles Arditti – +33 1 73 26 00 66 – gilles.arditti@atos.net
About Atos
Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with c. 110,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of over € 11 billion. European number one in Cloud, Cybersecurity and High-Performance Computing, the group provides end-to-end Orchestrated Hybrid Cloud, Big Data, Business Applications and Digital Workplace solutions. The group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos Syntel, and Unify. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index.
The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information technology space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education as well as multicultural and pluralistic approaches to research that contribute to scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the group enables its customers, employees and collaborators, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably and confidently in the information technology space.
Important notice
This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities and the offer of Worldline shares (the “Shares”) by Atos does not constitute a public offering in any jurisdiction, including in France.
The press release is an advertisement and is not a prospectus for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the “Prospectus Regulation”).
In member states of the European Economic Area and in the United Kingdom, this communication and any offer if made subsequently is directed exclusively at persons who are “qualified investors” within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation.
This communication is for distribution in the United Kingdom only to (i) investment professionals falling within article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order”) or (ii) high net worth entities and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”).
The offer and sale of the securities referred to in this announcement has not been, nor will be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and the securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent such registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. There will be no public offering of the securities in the United States in connection with this transaction.
The securities referred to in this announcement may only be sold pursuant to an available exemption from the prospectus requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws. The securities will only be offered and sold in Canada to purchasers that qualify as “accredited investors” and additionally also qualify as “permitted clients” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. In Canada, the securities are not being offered and may not be sold in the Province of Prince Edward Island, Yukon, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut.
In addition to the foregoing restrictions, the release, publication or distribution of this press release generally may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession this document or other information referred to herein should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete and no reliance may be placed by any person for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy, fairness or completeness. Any investment decision to buy Shares in the Placement must be made solely on the basis of publicly available information regarding Worldline. Such information is not the responsibility of Atos.
The Joint Global Coordinators are acting on behalf of Atos and no one else in connection with the Placement and will not be responsible to any other person for providing the protections afforded to any of its clients or for providing advice in relation to the Placement.
EACH PROSPECTIVE INVESTOR SHOULD PROCEED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT IT MUST BEAR THE ECONOMIC RISK OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE SHARES. NEITHER ATOS NOR THE JOINT GLOBAL COORDINATORS MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION AS TO (I) THE SUITABILITY OF THE SHARES FOR ANY PARTICULAR INVESTOR, (II) THE APPROPRIATE ACCOUNTING TREATMENT AND POTENTIAL TAX CONSEQUENCES OF INVESTING IN THE SHARES OR (III) THE FUTURE PERFORMANCE OF THE SHARES EITHER IN ABSOLUTE TERMS OR RELATIVE TO COMPETING INVESTMENTS.
MiFID II retail investors/professionals/eligible counterparties only – Manufacturer target market (MiFID II product governance) in respect of Shares is retail investors, eligible counterparties and professional clients only (all distribution channels).
Pursuant to the commission implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1055, this press release may contain inside information and has been sent to the authorized broadcaster of Atos.
This press release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements. By nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial consequences of the plans and events described herein. No party undertakes any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Readers should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking statements which speak only as of the date of this press release. Statements contained in this press release regarding past trends or events should not be taken as representation that such trends or events will continue or occur in the future. The statements set out above should be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that Atos, or persons acting on its behalf, may issue.
The information contained in this press release is subject to change in its entirety without notice up to the settlement date. Atos, the Joint Global Coordinators, Atos’ financial advisor and their respective affiliates expressly disclaim, to fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any obligation or undertaking to update, review or revise any statement contained in this press release whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
