Regulatory News:
CLASQUIN (Paris:ALCLA):
This press release does not constitute an
offer to purchase or any form of canvassing in the United States of
America or in any other country and is not intended for
distribution in countries other than France. The offer
described below may only be opened once it has received clearance
from the AMF.
INITIATED BY
SAS Shipping Agencies Services Sàrl
(“SAS”)
PRESENTED BY
SOCIÉTÉ GÉNÉRALE Bank presenting the
offer and acting as guarantor
Offer
Price: €142.03 per Clasquin share
Duration
of the Offer: 25 trading days
The timetable for the public
tender offer (the “Offer”) will be determined by the Autorité des
Marchés Financiers (the “AMF”) in accordance with the provisions of
its General Regulation.
AMF
This press release was prepared by
Clasquin. It is distributed in accordance with the provisions of
Article 231-26, II of the AMF General Regulation.
The draft offer, the draft
offer document and the draft reply document remain subject to
review by the AMF.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
In application of Articles 231-19 and
261-1 et seq. of the AMF General Regulation, the report prepared by
Accuracy, represented by Mr. Henri Philippe, as independent expert,
is included in the Draft Reply Document.
The draft reply document filed with the AMF on October 14, 2024
(the “Draft Reply Document”) is available on the AMF website
(www.amf-france.org) and the CLASQUIN website (www.clasquin.com)
and may be obtained free of charge from the CLASQUIN head office at
235 Cours Lafayette, 69006 Lyon, France.
The information relating to the characteristics, in particular
legal, financial and accounting characteristics of CLASQUIN will be
made available to the public no later than the day preceding the
opening of the Offer, under the same terms and conditions, in
accordance with the provisions of Article 231-28 of the AMF General
Regulation.
A press release will be issued to inform the public of the
manner in which this information will be made available.
1. REMINDER OF THE MAIN TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE
OFFER
1.1 Overview of the Offer
Pursuant to Title III of Book II and, more specifically,
Articles 232-1 et seq. of the AMF General Regulation, SAS Shipping
Agencies Services Sàrl, a limited liability company (société à
responsabilité limitée) incorporated under Luxembourg law,
registered with the Luxembourg Trade and Companies Registry under
number B113456, having its registered office at 11B Boulevard
Joseph II, L-1840 Luxembourg (“SAS” or the
“Offeror”), irrevocably offers to all the shareholders of
Clasquin, a public limited company (société anonyme), with a share
capital of 4,658,536 euros, registered with the Lyon Trade and
Companies Registry under number 959 503 087, having its registered
office at 235 Cours Lafayette, 69006 Lyon, France
(“Clasquin” or the “Company” and, together with its
directly or indirectly owned subsidiaries, the “Group”), to
acquire in cash all their shares in the Company (the
“Shares”) by way of a public tender offer, the terms of
which are described below.
The Offer price is 142.03 euros per Share (the “Offer
Price”). The Offer Price is identical to the price paid in cash
by the Offeror in the context of the Acquisition (as defined
hereinafter).
The Shares are admitted to trading on Euronext Growth in Paris
(“Euronext Growth”) under ISIN code FR0004152882, mnemonic
“ALCLA”.
The Offer follows the Acquisition by SAS, on October 9, 2024, of
42.06% of the Company’s share capital (the terms and conditions of
which are described in Section 1.2.2 of the Draft Reply
Document).
As of the date of the Draft Reply Document, SAS holds 979,800
Shares representing 979,800 voting rights, i.e. 42.06% of the
Company’s share capital and 38.97% of its theoretical voting
rights1, based on a total of 2,329,268 Shares and 2,514,363
theoretical voting rights of the Company within the meaning of
Article 223-11 of the AMF General Regulation.
In accordance with the provisions of Article 231-6 of the AMF
General Regulation, the Offer relates to all Shares not held
directly by the Offeror, whether outstanding or to be issued, i.e.
a maximum number of 1,349,468 Shares, with the exception of:
- Treasury Shares held by the Company, i.e.,
to the Company’s knowledge at the date of the Draft Reply Document,
1,542 Shares, and
- Unavailable Free Shares (as this term is
defined in Section 1.3.4 (Beneficiaries of Free Shares) of the
Draft Reply Document), i.e., to the Company’s knowledge at the date
of the Draft Reply Document, 11,186 Shares,
i.e., to the Company’s knowledge at the date
of the Draft Reply Document, 12,728 Shares excluded;
i.e., to the Company’s knowledge at the date of the Draft Reply
Document, a maximum total number of Shares targeted by the Offer
equal to 1,336,740 Shares, representing 57.39% of the Company’s
share capital and 60.53% of its theoretical voting rights.
The Offeror has offered the beneficiaries of Unavailable Free
Shares, under certain conditions, the benefit of a liquidity
mechanism as described in Section 3.2 of the Draft Reply
Document.
To the Company’s knowledge, with the exception of the
Unavailable Free Shares allocated by the Company (as described in
Section 2.3 of the Draft Reply Document), there are no other
rights, equity securities or other financial instruments giving
immediate or future access to the Company’s capital or voting
rights.
At the date of the Draft Reply Document, Clasquin’s share
capital amounted to 4,658,536 euros divided into 2,329,268 fully
paid-up ordinary shares with a par value of 2.00 euros each.
The Offer is voluntary and will be carried out in accordance
with the normal procedure governed by Articles 232-1 et seq. of the
AMF General Regulation. The duration of the Offer shall be
twenty-five (25) trading days.
The Offer is subject to the lapse threshold referred to in
Article 231-9, I of the AMF General Regulation, as described in
Section 2.5 of the Draft Offer Document. It is not subject to any
regulatory conditions.
If the required conditions are met, the Offer will be followed
by a squeeze-out procedure in application of Article L. 433-4, II
of the French Monetary and Financial Code and Articles 237-1 et
seq. of the AMF General Regulation. In this event, the Shares
(other than Treasury Shares and Unavailable Free Shares subject to
the liquidity mechanism) which have not been tendered to the Offer
or, as the case may be, to the Reopened Offer (as this term is
defined in Section 2.10 of the Draft Offer Document) will be
transferred to the Offeror in consideration for a cash compensation
equal to the Offer Price, i.e. 142.03 euros per Share.
The Offer is presented by Société Générale (the “Presenting
Bank”), which guarantees the content and irrevocable nature of the
commitments made by the Offeror in connection with the Offer in
application of Article 231-13 of the AMF General Regulation.
1.2 Background of the Offer
1.2.1 Presentation of the Offer
The Offeror is a limited liability company incorporated under
the laws of Luxembourg and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MSC
Mediterranean Shipping Company SA, a world leader in shipping and
logistics, which is a public limited company (société anonyme)
incorporated under the laws of Switzerland, having its registered
office at 12-14 Chemin Rieu, 1208 Geneva, Switzerland, registered
with the Geneva Trade Registry under number CHE-111.954.803
(“MSC” and the “MSC Group”).
The MSC Group offers versatile international transport solutions
covering air, land and sea transport. The MSC Group has a modern
fleet of more than 825 container ships and, over the years, has
diversified into cruise line and passenger ferry services, as well
as first-class logistics infrastructure and port terminals.
1.2.2 Background of the Offer
On November 30, 2023, the Offeror submitted a non-binding offer
(the “NBO”) to Mr. Yves REVOL and OLYMP (OMNIUM LYONNAIS DE
MANAGEMENT ET DE PARTICIPATIONS), a simplified joint stock company
(société par actions simplifiée) incorporated under French law,
having its registered office at 70 Chemin de la Sauvegarde, 69130
Ecully and registered with the Lyon Trade and Companies Registry
under number 380 163 394 (“OLYMP”), to enter into exclusive
negotiations for the sale of 42% of the share capital of
Clasquin.
This exclusivity was granted by Mr. Yves REVOL and OLYMP when
the NBO was countersigned on December 4, 2023. In this context, Mr.
Yves REVOL and OLYMP provided the Offeror with a certain amount of
information concerning Clasquin, in particular as part of a “due
diligence” procedure in accordance with AMF recommendations on data
room procedures set out in the Guide de l’information permanente et
de la gestion de l’information privilégiée (Position -
Recommendation DOC-2016-08).
On March 21, 2024, the Offeror, Mr. Yves REVOL, Mrs. Evelyne
REVOL and OLYMP (together the “Sellers”2) entered into a put option
agreement for the benefit of the Sellers, under which the Offeror
undertook to acquire all 979,800 Shares held by the Sellers,
representing 42.06% of Clasquin’s share capital, at a price of
142.03 euros per share (the “Acquisition”), subject to the Sellers
exercising their put option, following consultation with the
relevant Group employee representative bodies.
Then, on March 25 and 28, 2024 respectively, the Company
initiated information and consultation procedures with the relevant
employee representative bodies, which issued a favorable
opinion.
On March 28, 2024, following the exercise of the put option by
the Sellers, the Sellers and the Offeror entered into a share
purchase agreement for the acquisition by SAS of 42.06% of the
share capital of Clasquin, at a price of 142.03 euros per Share
(the “Share Purchase Agreement”).
The Acquisition was subject to obtaining the authorization of
the Minister of the Economy in respect of the control of foreign
investments in France, in accordance with the provisions of Article
L. 151-3 of the French Monetary and Financial Code, as well as to
obtaining authorizations from the merger control authorities in
Morocco, Tunisia and Vietnam, and the authorization of the European
Commission. The conditions precedent stipulated in the Share
Purchase Agreement relating to the obtaining of these prior
authorizations having been satisfied, the Offeror completed the
Acquisition on October 9, 2024.
The completion of the Acquisition was the subject of a press
release from the Company and a press release from SAS, both
published on October 9, 2024, in which the filing of the present
Offer at a price of 142.03 euros per Share was announced.
On June 5, 2024, the Board of Directors of Clasquin, acting on
the recommendation of an ad hoc committee made up of a majority of
independent directors, appointed Accuracy, represented by Mr. Henri
Philippe, as independent expert, to prepare a report on the
financial terms of the Offer and to present its conclusions in the
form of a fairness opinion (“Accuracy” or the
“Independent Expert”). The appointment of the Independent
Expert was announced in a press release issued by the Company on
June 17, 2024.
On October 10, 2024, the Company consulted the relevant employee
representative bodies on the Offeror’s proposed filing of the
Offer, which issued a favorable opinion on the same day.
On October 14, 2024, following receipt of the fairness opinion
issued by the Independent Expert, and after consultation with the
relevant employee representative bodies, the Company’s Board of
Directors issued a reasoned opinion (avis motivé) in accordance
with Article 231-19 of the AMF General Regulation, stating in its
conclusion that the Offer is in the interests of the Company, its
shareholders and its employees.
As the Offeror has not acquired, directly or indirectly, any of
the Company’s shares during the twelve months preceding the
completion of the Acquisition, the Offeror holds, following the
completion of the Acquisition, 979,800 Shares of the Company, to
which are attached 979,800 voting rights, representing 42.06% of
the Company’s share capital and 38.97% of its theoretical voting
rights.
1.3 Reminder of the main terms of the
Offer
1.3.1 Terms of the Offer
On October 14, 2024, in application of Article 231-13 of the AMF
General Regulation, Société Générale, acting on behalf of the
Offeror, filed the Draft Offer Document with the AMF in the form of
a public tender offer for all the Shares other than the Shares
currently held by the Offeror.
In accordance with Article 231-13 of the AMF General Regulation,
Société Générale, as presenting institution, guarantees the content
and irrevocable nature of the commitments made by the Offeror.
As part of the Offer, which will be carried out in accordance
with the normal procedure governed by Articles 232-1 et seq. of the
AMF General Regulation, the Offeror irrevocably undertakes to
acquire from the Company’s shareholders, during a period of 25
trading days, all the Shares tendered to the Offer at the Offer
Price, i.e. 142.03 euros per Share.
1.3.2 Number and nature of the Shares
targeted by the Offer
As of the date of the Draft Reply Document, the Offeror holds
979,800 Clasquin Shares representing 42.06% of the Company’s share
capital and 38.97% of its theoretical voting rights, based on a
total number of 2,329,268 Shares and 2,514,363 theoretical voting
rights of the Company within the meaning of Article 223-11 of the
AMF General Regulation.
The Offer targets all outstanding Shares not held directly by
the Offeror, i.e. a maximum of 1,349,468 Shares, excluding the
following Shares:
- Treasury Shares held by the Company, i.e.,
to the Company’s knowledge at the date of the Draft Reply Document,
1,542 Shares, and
- Unavailable Free Shares (as this term is
defined in Section 1.3.4 (Beneficiaries of Free Shares) of the
Draft Reply Document), i.e., to the Company’s knowledge at the date
of the Draft Reply Document, 11,186 Shares,
i.e., to the Company’s knowledge at the date of the Draft Reply
Document, a maximum total number of Shares targeted by the Offer
equal to 1,336,740, representing 57.39% of the Company’s share
capital and 60.53% of its theoretical voting rights.
To the Company’s knowledge, with the exception of the Shares and
the Unavailable Free Shares, there are no other rights, equity
securities or other financial instruments giving immediate or
future access to the Company’s capital or voting rights.
1.3.3 Squeeze-out and delisting from
Euronext Growth
Should the conditions set out in Article L. 433-4, II of the
French Monetary and Financial Code and Articles 237-1 et seq. of
the AMF General Regulation be met at the closing of the Offer, SAS
intends to request permission from the AMF, within ten (10) trading
days of the publication of the result of the Offer or, as the case
may be, within three (3) months of the closing of the Reopened
Offer, to implement a squeeze-out procedure for the Shares not
tendered to the Offer.
The implementation of this Squeeze-Out procedure will result in
the delisting of the Shares from Euronext Growth.
In the event that the Offeror is not in a position to proceed
with a Squeeze-Out at the closing of the Offer, the Offeror
reserves the right to increase its shareholding in the Company. In
such event, the Offeror could file a simplified public tender offer
or a public buyout offer, followed, as the case may be, by a
squeeze-out. In such event, the squeeze-out will be subject to
clearance by the AMF, specifically with regard to the valuation
report to be produced by the Offeror and the report by the
independent expert appointed in accordance with the applicable
regulations.
1.3.4 Beneficiaries of Free Shares
At the date of the Draft Reply Document, the Company has three
free share plans (the “Free Shares”) in progress, the main
features of which are summarized in the table below. These plans
were set up pursuant to decisions of the Board of Directors dated
October 16, 2019 (the “2019 Free Share Plan”), September 22,
2020 (the “2020 Free Share Plan”) and June 6, 2023 (the
“2023 Free Share Plan”) (together, the “Free Share
Plans”).
Plan
2019 Free Share Plan
2020 Free Share Plan
2023 Free Share Plan
Date of AGM
June 5, 2019
June 5, 2019
June 6, 2023
Date of Board decision
October 16, 2019
September 22, 2020
June 6, 2023
Vesting period
4.5 years
3.5 years
1 year
Vesting date
May 2, 2024
May 2, 2024
June 6, 2024
Lock-in period
End of corporate office (in
respect of 10% of the shares and up to a limit of 100% of the
corporate officer’s remuneration received during the year preceding
delivery of the shares)
Included in the 2019 Free Share
Plan lock-in provisions
June 6, 2025 or end of corporate
office (10% of shares)
Employment and/or performance
criteria
Employment and performance
Employment and performance
Employment
Number of Shares originally
granted
39,444
1,116
10,034
Number of canceled or lapsed
Shares
2,358
N/A
N/A
Number of Shares vested
37.086
1,116
10,034
Number of Shares under vesting
period
N/A
N/A
N/A
Number of Shares that will vest
early
N/A
N/A
N/A
Number of Unavailable Free
Shares
1,152
10,034
All Free Shares allocated under the 2023 Free Share Plan and
part of the Free Shares allocated under the 2019 and 2020 Free
Share Plans and held by corporate officers will not be transferable
by their holders at the date of the Draft Reply Document.
To the Company’s knowledge, at the date of the Draft Reply
Document, up to 11,186 Shares vested under the Free Share Plans are
unavailable and will remain so until the estimated closing date of
the Offer (or the Reopened Offer, as the case may be) (the
“Unavailable Free Shares”).
Subject to the cases of lifting of unavailability provided for
by the applicable statutory or regulatory provisions (such as death
or disablement of the beneficiary), the Unavailable Free Shares are
distributed as follows:
- 1,152 Free Shares allocated under the 2019
and 2020 Free Share Plans, held by Group corporate officers and
subject to a specific lock-in period for the duration of their
corporate office within the Group (the “2019 and 2020 Corporate
Officer Free Shares”);
- all 10,034 Free Shares allocated under the
2023 Free Share Plan, which are subject to a lock-in period
expiring on June 7, 2025 (the “Other Unavailable Free
Shares”), 1,004 of which are held by Group corporate officers
and subject to a specific lock-in period for the duration of their
corporate office within the Group (the “2023 Corporate Officer
Unavailable Free Shares” and, together with the 2019 and 2020
Corporate Officer Unavailable Free Shares, the “Corporate
Officer Unavailable Free Shares”).
The Unavailable Free Shares will be covered by the liquidity
mechanism described in Section 3.2 of the Draft Reply Document,
subject to the signing of a Liquidity Agreement by each of the
Beneficiaries.
1.3.5 Situation of Shares held via a
corporate mutual fund
At the date of the Reply Document, 129,728 Shares3 are held by
the “Clasquin Performances” corporate mutual fund (the “Clasquin
FCPE”), which operates within the framework of the Group’s employee
savings plans; these Shares are targeted by the Offer.
On October 9, 2024, the Supervisory Board of the Clasquin FCPE
decided to tender the Shares held by the Clasquin FCPE to the
Offer.
1.3.6 Lapse threshold
Pursuant to the provisions of Article 231-9, I of the AMF
General Regulation, the Offer will lapse if, at the closing date,
the Offeror, acting alone or in concert within the meaning of
Article L. 233-10 of the French Commercial Code, does not hold a
number of shares representing a fraction of the Company’s share
capital or voting rights in excess of 50%, i.e. a minimum of
1,164,635 Shares or 1,257,182 voting rights (this threshold being
hereinafter referred to as the “Lapse Threshold” (seuil de
caducité)). The Lapse Threshold is determined in accordance with
the rules set out in Article 234-1 of the AMF General
Regulation.
It will not be known whether the Lapse Threshold has been
reached until the AMF publishes a final notice of the result of the
Offer, which will take place after the closing of the Offer.
If the Lapse Threshold is not reached, the Offer will not be
successful and the Shares tendered to the Offer will be returned to
their holders following the publication of the final notice of
result announcing the lapse of the Offer, without any interest,
indemnity or other payment of any nature whatsoever being due to
the said holders.
1.3.7 Offer procedure and
timetable
The Offer will be carried out in accordance with the normal
procedure governed by Articles 232-1 et seq. of the AMF General
Regulation.
Prior to the opening of the Offer, the AMF and Euronext Paris
will publish respectively an opening and timetable notice and a
notice announcing the terms and timetable of the Offer.
The Offer shall be open for a period of twenty-five (25) trading
days. It will be centralized by Euronext Paris.
The provisional Offer timetable is set out in Section 2.12 of
the Draft Offer Document.
1.4 Agreements that may have a significant
impact on the assessment or outcome of the Offer
At the date of the Draft Reply Document, the agreements likely
to have a significant impact on the assessment or outcome of the
Offer, namely the Share Purchase Agreement, the Liquidity
Agreements, the Undertakings to Tender Shares to the Offer, the
Group company share sale agreements and the amendments to the
minority shareholders’ agreements, are described in Sections 3.1,
3.2, 3.3, 3.4 and 3.5 of the Draft Reply Document.
2. REASONED OPINION OF THE COMPANY’S BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
The Company’s Board of Directors met in the presence of all its
members, whether present or represented, on October 14, 2024,
convened by its Chairman, mainly in order to examine the draft
Offer and issue a reasoned opinion on the purpose of the Offer and
the consequences thereof for the Company, its shareholders and its
employees.
An excerpt from the deliberations of the Board of Directors
relating to its reasoned opinion has been provided below:
Reasoned opinion of the Board of Directors
The Company’s Board of Directors met in the presence of all its
members, whether present or represented, on October 14, 2024, in
accordance with the provisions of Article 231-19 of the AMF General
Regulation, in order to issue a reasoned opinion on the proposed
voluntary public tender offer for the Company shares, stipulated at
a price of 142.03 euros per Share, initiated by SAS Shipping
Agencies Services SÀRL (SAS), a subsidiary of MSC Mediterranean
Shipping Company SA.
Terms of the draft Offer
The Chairman recalled the main terms of the Offer, as further
detailed in the Offeror’s Draft Offer Document filed with the AMF
on October 14, 2024:
Pursuant to Title III of Book II and, more specifically,
Articles 232-1 et seq. of the AMF General Regulation, SAS Shipping
Agencies Services Sàrl, a limited liability company (société à
responsabilité limitée) incorporated under Luxembourg law,
registered with the Luxembourg Trade and Companies Registry under
number B113456, having its registered office at 11B Boulevard
Joseph II, Luxembourg (L-1840) (“SAS” or the “Offeror”),
irrevocably offers to all the shareholders of Clasquin to acquire
in cash all their shares in the Company by way of a public tender
offer under the terms laid out in the Offeror’s Draft Offer
Document filed with the AMF on October 14, 2024.
The Offer Price is 142.03 euros per Share. The Offer Price is
identical to that paid in cash by the Offeror as part of the
acquisition of 42.06% of the Company’s share capital on October 9,
2024.
As of the date of this opinion, SAS holds 979,800 Shares
representing 979,800 voting rights, i.e. 42.06% of the Company’s
share capital and 38.97% of its theoretical voting rights4, based
on a total of 2,329,268 Shares and 2,514,363 theoretical voting
rights of the Company within the meaning of Article 223-11 of the
AMF General Regulation.
In accordance with the provisions of Article 231-6 of the AMF
General Regulation, the Offer relates to all the shares not held
directly by the Offeror (with the exception of treasury shares held
by the Company and unavailable free shares), meaning that the
maximum total number of shares covered by the Offer is equal to
1,336,740 Shares, representing 57.39% of the Company’s share
capital and 60.53% of its theoretical voting rights.
The Offer is voluntary and will be carried out in accordance
with normal procedure, pursuant to Articles 232-1 et seq. of the
AMF General Regulation.
The Offer is subject to the lapse threshold referred to in
Article 231-9, I of the AMF General Regulation. It is not subject
to any regulatory conditions.
If the required conditions are met, the Offer will be followed
by a squeeze-out procedure pursuant to Article L. 433-4, II of the
French Monetary and Financial Code and Articles 237-1 et seq. of
the AMF General Regulation.
Documents provided to members of the Board
of Directors
Prior to the meeting of October 14, 2024, the members of the
Board of Directors were able to read the following documents:
- the press releases published by the Offeror
and the Company on October 9, 2024 regarding the announcement of
the draft Offer; - the Offeror’s Draft Offer Document to be filed
with the AMF on October 14, 2024, including in particular the
reasons behind the Offer, the Offeror’s intentions, the terms and
conditions of the Offer (including the timetable), as well as the
elements for assessing the Offer Price as established by the
institution presenting the Offer; - the report issued by Accuracy,
as independent expert, that concludes that the financial terms of
the Offer are fair; - the Company’s Draft Reply Document to be
filed with the AMF on October 14, 2024; - the conclusions and
recommendations of the ad hoc committee; - the favorable opinion on
the Offer issued by the Clasquin Social and Economic Committee on
October 10, 2024; and - the draft reasoned opinion of the Board of
Directors prepared by the ad hoc committee in accordance with
Article 261-1 of the AMF General Regulation.
1. Process and basis of the appointment of the Independent
Expert
As announced earlier, on March 15, 2024, the Company’s Board of
Directors set up an ad hoc committee composed of a majority of
independent directors.
The ad hoc committee stated that three firms had been identified
as meeting the competence criteria required by the applicable
regulations. The committee explained that the selection of these
three independent experts was the result of a selection process
taking into account (i) the reputation of the independent experts,
(ii) their competence, (iii) their involvement in recent
operations, (iv) the absence of conflict of interest and (v) the
absence of legal proceedings against them.
After examining their mission proposals, expertise, approach to
the mission, understanding of the Company’s business and the
proposed operation, the volume of working hours anticipated as well
as the proposed fees and, more generally, after analysis and
comparison of the offers received, the proposal submitted by
consultancy firm Accuracy received the best assessment from the ad
hoc committee on the basis of all these criteria.
Accuracy confirmed that it does not have a conflict of interest
with the various stakeholders and that it has sufficient material
resources and availability to carry out its mission.
It was under these conditions that, upon the recommendation of
its ad hoc committee, the Company’s Board of Directors appointed
Accuracy as independent expert on June 5, 2024, in accordance with
Article 261-1, I of the AMF General Regulation.
It is recalled that, pursuant to Article 261-1, I, paragraphs 2
and 4 of the AMF General Regulation, the appointment of the
independent expert had been requested for the expert to draw up a
report on the financial terms of the Offer and the subsequent
squeeze-out procedure in the event that said Offer is
implemented.
This appointment was announced in a press release published on
June 17, 2024.
2. Work of the ad hoc committee
Since its establishment by the Company’s Board of Directors on
March 15, 2024, the ad hoc committee has met five times as part of
its mission:
- Meeting held on April 10, 2024:
Identification of candidates for the selection of the independent
expert; - Meeting held on May 31, 2024: Presentation by the
selected independent experts; proposal to the Board of Directors to
appoint Accuracy; - Meeting held on August 29, 2024: Presentation
by Accuracy of its preliminary work (multi-criteria analyses); -
Meeting held on September 9, 2024: Presentation by Accuracy of its
preliminary work (provisional indications of premium in relation to
the proposed offer price for each of the approaches of the
multi-criteria analysis); - Meeting held on October 11, 2024:
Preparation of the draft reasoned opinion submitted to the Board of
Directors.
In particular, the ad hoc committee ensured that the independent
expert was able to carry out its work under satisfactory conditions
and have access to all the information and documents useful for the
performance of its assignment.
The ad hoc committee namely ensured that the independent expert
was provided with the business plan drafted by the Company’s
financial management in July 2024. This business plan covering the
2024-2029 period and drafted based on the results of the first half
of 2024 and the Company’s 2024 budget reflects a scenario involving
levels of growth and profitability in line with Clasquin’s recent
trends, following an exceptional performance during the pandemic.
It does not incorporate synergies. The ad hoc committee also
ensured that the business plan presented to the independent expert
corresponded to the last business plan presented to the Board of
Directors.
The ad hoc committee noted the absence of receipt of any
questions or reflections from shareholders addressed either to the
ad hoc committee or the independent expert.
3. Work and conclusions of the independent expert
At its meeting on June 5, 2024, upon the recommendation of the
ad hoc committee, the Company’s Board of Directors appointed the
Independent Expert to prepare a report on the financial terms of
the draft Offer.
The Chairman presented the following conclusions of the report
prepared by the Independent Expert in accordance with the
provisions of Article 261-1 of the AMF General Regulation:
“Conclusions of our work
Fairness of the Offer Price As
stated above, the Offer follows the acquisition by the Offeror of
the shares held by the Sellers at a price of 142.03 euros per
Share.
In this context, respect for the fairness of the Offer is mainly
based on the principle of equal treatment of all shareholders.
We can therefore conclude that the Offer Price of 142.03 euros
per Share is fair vis-à-vis the minority shareholders, since it is
equal to the purchase price per share negotiated with the
Sellers.
Furthermore, as a result of the due diligence we have carried
out, we have identified no element leading us to believe that the
agreements entered into between the Offeror and the Company’s
directors and shareholders in connection with the Offer have
circumvented the financial terms of the Offer.
We have paid particular attention to the liquidity mechanism
offered to the beneficiaries of free shares, which, in our opinion,
does not confer any particular advantage on the holders of the said
shares.
Benefits for minority shareholders of
tendering their shares to the Offer In order to assess the
benefits for minority shareholders of tendering their shares to the
Offer, we first sought to estimate – as is usual under such
circumstances – the standalone value of the Company (“Intrinsic
Value”) through a multi-criteria assessment.
The Offer Price reflects a premium of between 30.5% and 20.8%
over our estimates of the Company’s Intrinsic Value. In our
opinion, this premium level seems comfortable in view of the
following considerations:
It reflects relatively optimistic scenarios corresponding to the
perpetual maintenance of an EBIT/GP ratio in line with the
Company’s objective and a slightly downgraded scenario where the
objective is in line with the anticipated 2024 ratio.
In his capacity as Clasquin Chairman, Mr. Yves REVOL has
in-depth knowledge of the sector and was in a position to assess
the price offered by SAS with full knowledge of the facts.
The Offer is not conditional on possible synergies, which
according to the Offeror are not guaranteed even if the two groups
are commercially complementary thanks to the close proximity
between their activities.
Furthermore, given the reduced liquidity of the security,
shareholders who decide to tender their shares to the Offer will
benefit from immediate liquidity on their shares. In light of this,
some key members of management have opted to sell their shares at a
price of 142.03 euros.
In conclusion, we confirm that the Offer is fair vis-à-vis
Clasquin’s minority shareholders.”
Conclusions and recommendations of the ad hoc
committee
On October 11, 2024, the ad hoc committee met and prepared the
draft reasoned opinion submitted to the Board of Directors,
particularly in light of the Independent Expert’s report.
Regarding the benefits of the Offer for the Company
Upon examining the reasons behind the draft Offer and the
Offeror’s intentions, as they appear in the Draft Offer Document,
the ad hoc committee noted that:
- Following the acquisition of all the shares
held by the Sellers, on the date of filing of the Draft Offer
Document, the Offeror holds 979,800 Shares representing 979,800
voting rights, i.e. 42.06% of the capital and 38.97% of the
theoretical voting rights of the Company5, based on a total number
of 2,329,268 Shares and 2,514,363 theoretical voting rights of the
Company within the meaning of Article 223-11 of the AMF General
Regulation; - Upon completion of the Offer, Mr. Hugues MORIN will
continue to manage the Company in his capacity as Chief Executive
Officer; - With the support of the Company’s current management,
the Offeror aims to pursue the main strategic orientations
implemented by the Company and does not intend to modify the
Company’s operating model, other than in the normal course of
business. - The Offeror supports the Company’s growth strategy,
based on expansion in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North America
and, more recently, Africa, which it intends to accelerate by
offering more innovative solutions based on the MSC Group’s various
divisions (sea, air, rail, road, barge, warehousing). - The Offer
is in line with the Company’s continuity of operation and growth.
As such, the Offer is not expected to have any particular impact on
the Company’s headcount or its salary and human resources
management policies. - In the event that the required conditions
are met upon closure of the Offer, SAS intends to ask the AMF
permission to implement a squeeze-out procedure for any Shares not
tendered to the Offer, resulting in the delisting of the Company’s
shares from Euronext Growth.
In light of the above, the ad hoc committee confirmed the
benefits of the Offer for the Company.
Regarding the Offer Price and the benefits of the Offer for the
shareholders
The Offer Price set at 142.03 euros per Share reflects premiums
of:
- 59.9% over the closing price as of December
4, 2023, the last listed price before the announcement of the entry
into exclusive negotiations; - 76.4% over the weighted average
prices over 1 month prior to said date; - 70.1% over the weighted
average price over 3 months prior to said date; - 73.1% over the
weighted average price over 6 months prior to said date; and -
95.3% over the 12-month weighted average price prior to said
date.
The ad hoc committee took note of the information used to assess
the Offer Price, as established by the presenting institution.
The ad hoc committee noted that, according to the report drawn
up by the Independent Expert, from a financial point of view, the
conditions proposed as part of the Offer for the Company shares are
fair vis-à-vis the Company shareholders.
The ad hoc committee therefore noted that the Offer presents an
opportunity for shareholders to benefit from immediate and full
liquidity under price conditions that are deemed fair by the
Independent Expert.
Regarding the benefits of the Offer for the employees Upon
examining the reasons behind the draft Offer and the Offeror’s
intentions, as they appear in the Draft Offer Document, the ad hoc
committee noted that the Offeror is in line with the Company’s
continuity of operation and growth. As such, the Offer is not
expected to have any particular impact on the Company’s headcount
or its salary and human resources management policies.
The ad hoc committee noted that the Social and Economic
Committee had been informed and consulted in accordance with the
provisions of Article L. 2312-47 of the French Labor Code and had
issued a favorable opinion on the Offer.
In light of the above, the ad hoc committee found that the Offer
is in line with the interests of the Company’s employees and is not
expected to have any specific repercussions on employment.
At the end of their mission and having taken note of the work of
the Independent Expert and all of the aforementioned
considerations, the independent directors of the ad hoc
committee:
- noted that the financial terms of the Offer
are fair vis-à-vis the Company’s shareholders; - submitted the
draft reasoned opinion to the Board of Directors; - recommended
that the Company’s Board of Directors conclude that the Offer is in
the interest of the Company, its shareholders and employees and
propose that the Company shareholders tender their shares to the
Offer.
Opinion of the Board of Directors In view of the
information submitted, in particular:
- the objectives and intentions expressed by the Offeror;
- the elements for assessment prepared by the presenting
institution;
- the conclusions of the Independent Expert’s report on the
financial terms of the Offer;
- the findings and recommendations of the ad hoc committee;
and
- the favorable opinion on the Offer issued by the Clasquin
Social and Economic Committee on October 10, 2024;
it being specified that Mr. Nicolas Sartini and Mr. Hugues
Favard abstained, due to their links to the Offeror, and that
directors Mr. Hugues Morin, Ms. Laurence Ilhe and Mr. Philippe
Lons, having all signed tender commitments to the Offer, voted to
uphold the vote of the independent directors, the Company’s Board
of Directors, by a unanimous decision of the votes cast:
- approved the draft reasoned opinion as proposed by the ad hoc
committee; - considered that the Offer, as described in the Draft
Offer Document, is in line with the interests of:
- the Company, in particular insofar as, for the next twelve
months:
- backed by the current management team of the Company, the
Offeror aims to pursue the main strategic directions implemented by
the Company and does not intend to modify the Company’s operating
model, outside of normal business growth;
- the Offeror supports the Company’s growth strategy, based on
expansion in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North America and, more
recently, Africa, which it intends to accelerate by offering more
innovative solutions based on the MSC Group’s various divisions
(sea, air, rail, road, barge, warehousing);
- the Company shareholders, since the proposed price is
considered fair by the Independent Expert; and
- the Company employees, since the Offer is in line with the
Company’s continuity of operation and growth. As such, the Offer is
not expected to have any particular impact on the Company’s
headcount or its salary and human resources management
policies;
- therefore recommends that the Company shareholders tender
their shares to the Offer; - resolved that the Company’s treasury
shares will not be tendered to the Offer; - approved the Company’s
Draft Reply Document; - authorized, whenever necessary, the Chief
Executive Officer to:
- finalize the Draft Reply Document relating to the Offer, as
well as any document that would prove necessary in the context of
the Offer, particularly the “Other Information” document relating
to the Company’s legal, financial and accounting
characteristics;
- prepare and sign any documentation required under the Offer and
file it with the AMF;
- sign any certificates required under the Offer; and
- more generally, take any necessary or useful steps and measures
for the completion of the Offer.
3. INTENTION OF THE BOARD MEMBERS
The members of the Board of Directors have expressed their
intention to tender the Clasquin shares they hold directly or
indirectly to the Offer, representing a total of 192,879 shares,
with the exception of the Unavailable Free Shares.
4. OPINION OF THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC COMMITTEE
The Company has implemented the procedure for informing and
consulting its Social and Economic Committee (SEC) about the Offer.
On October 10, 2024, the SEC unanimously approved the Offer in the
following terms: “The voting members of the SEC have unanimously
approved the proposed filing of a Public Tender Offer by SAS
Shipping Agencies Services Sàrl, a subsidiary of the MSC Group,
following the completion of the sale by Mr. Yves REVOL (in
particular via his personal holding company OLYMP and the Yves
Revol Foundation endowment fund) and Mrs. Evelyne REVOL of all
their shares, representing 42.06% of the capital of CLASQUIN SA, at
a price of 142.03 euros per share.”
5. INDEPENDENT EXPERT REPORT
In accordance with the provisions of Articles 261-1, I
paragraphs 2 and 4 of the AMF General Regulation, the Company’s
Board of Directors appointed Accuracy, represented by Mr. Henri
Philippe, as Independent Expert on June 5, 2024 to draw up a report
on the financial terms of the Offer.
The report issued by Accuracy dated October 9, 2024 is provided
in Appendix I of the Draft Reply Document and forms an integral
part thereof.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
This press release has been prepared
for information purposes only. It does not constitute an offer to
the public and is not intended for distribution in jurisdictions
other than France. The distribution of this press release, the
Offer and its acceptance may be subject to specific regulations or
restrictions in certain jurisdictions. The Offer is not addressed
to persons subject to such restrictions, either directly or
indirectly, and is not likely to be accepted from any jurisdiction
where the Offer would be subject to such restrictions.
Consequently, persons in possession of this press release are
required to inform themselves about any local restrictions that may
apply and to comply with such restrictions.
Clasquin declines all responsibility
for any violation of these restrictions by any person.
1 Calculated in accordance with Article 223-11 of the AMF
General Regulation 2 On October 1, 2024, Yves Revol donated 53,581
Shares to the Yves Revol Foundation endowment fund governed by law
no. 2008-776 of August 4, 2008. 3 Number of shares held on
September 27, 2024, the date of the last known Clasquin FCPE
inventory 4 Calculated in accordance with Article 223-11 of the AMF
General Regulation 5 Calculated in accordance with Article 223-11
of the AMF General Regulation
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241014735952/en/
CLASQUIN
Clasquin (EU:ALCLA)
과거 데이터 주식 차트
부터 11월(11) 2024 으로 12월(12) 2024
Clasquin (EU:ALCLA)
과거 데이터 주식 차트
부터 12월(12) 2023 으로 12월(12) 2024