NOTICE OF MEETING - STERLING NOTES
THIS NOTICE IS
IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES THE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION OF
NOTEHOLDERS. IF ANY NOTEHOLDER IS IN ANY DOUBT AS TO THE
ACTION IT SHOULD TAKE OR IS UNSURE OF THE IMPACT OF THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF ANY EXTRAORDINARY RESOLUTION TO BE PROPOSED AT A
MEETING, IT SHOULD SEEK ITS OWN FINANCIAL AND LEGAL ADVICE,
INCLUDING AS TO ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES, IMMEDIATELY FROM ITS
STOCKBROKER, BANK MANAGER, SOLICITOR, ACCOUNTANT OR OTHER
INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL OR LEGAL ADVISER.
PARAGON MORTGAGES (NO. 12)
PLC
(incorporated in England and Wales
with limited liability under registered number 5386924)
(the "Issuer")
NOTICE OF MEETING
of the holders of
the outstanding Notes of the Issuer (as described below)
|
|
Aggregate Principal Amount
Outstanding1
|
|
|
|
|
|
Class A2a
Notes due 2038 (the "Notes")
|
XS0261646136 / 26164613
|
£24,635,036
|
Compounded
Daily SONIA + Notes Interest Rate
Margin
|
[1] The
aggregate principal amount outstanding takes into account any
previous amortisation of the Notes.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a meeting (the
"Meeting") of the holders
of the Notes (the "Noteholders") convened by the Issuer
will be held at the offices of Clifford Chance LLP at
10 Upper Bank Street, London, E14 5JJ, United Kingdom
for the purpose of considering and, if thought fit, passing
the applicable resolutions set out below which will be proposed as
an Extraordinary Resolution in accordance with the provisions of
the trust deed dated 20 July 2006 and amended on 30 January 2013,
15 May 2019 and 14 February 2022 made between, inter alios, the Issuer and Citicorp
Trustee Company Limited (the "Trustee") as trustee for the
Noteholders, and constituting the Notes (the "Trust Deed").
The Issuer is also holding meetings of certain
other noteholders of the Classes listed in paragraph 8 of the
Extraordinary Resolution below. The initial meeting (in respect of
the Class A1 Notes) will commence at 10.00 a.m. (London time) on 25
October 2024. Subsequent meetings (including the Meeting) in
respect of each other class of notes (in the order set out in the
list of Classes in paragraph 8 of the Extraordinary Resolution
below) will be held at 5 minute intervals thereafter or after the
completion of the preceding meeting (whichever is
later).
Unless the context requires otherwise,
capitalised terms used but not defined in this Notice have the
meanings given to them in the Trust Deed, the terms and conditions
of the Notes (the "Conditions") or the Consent
Solicitation Memorandum (as defined below).
EXTRAORDINARY
RESOLUTION
IN RESPECT OF THE CLASS A2a NOTES DUE
2038
"THAT this meeting of the holders of the
outstanding £145,000,000 Class A2a Notes due 2038 (the
"Notes"), issued by Paragon
Mortgages (No. 12) plc (the "Issuer") and constituted by the trust
deed dated 20 July 2006 and amended on 30 January 2013,
15 May 2019 and 14 February 2022 (the
"Trust Deed"), made
between, inter alios, the
Issuer and Citicorp Trustee Company Limited (the "Trustee") as trustee for the holders of
the Notes (the "Noteholders"), hereby:
1.
(subject to paragraph 7 of this Extraordinary Resolution)
assents to the modification of: (A) the terms and conditions of the
Notes (the "Conditions") to
provide for the replacement of USD LIBOR with Compounded SOFR as
the reference rate for calculating interest in respect of the USD
Notes for each Interest Period (as defined in the Conditions)
commencing on or after the Effective Date, the inclusion of new
fallbacks to address the non-availability of SOFR or the
replacement of SOFR (including the corresponding amendment to the
definition of "Basic Terms Modification" to refer to such new
fallbacks) and certain other related amendments so that the
relevant provisions of the Conditions will be in the form set out
in the draft Supplemental Trust Deed (as defined below); and (B)
the terms of the Swap Transaction (which hedges the currency risk
in respect of the USD Notes) to change the
floating rate option specified in the Swap Transaction from USD
LIBOR to Compounded SOFR (including corresponding and/or
consequential amendments) and the inclusion of new fallbacks to
address the non-availability of SOFR or the replacement of
SOFR;
2.
(subject to paragraph 7 of this Extraordinary Resolution)
authorises, directs, requests and empowers the Issuer and the
Trustee to: (a) consent to and execute: (i) a supplemental trust
deed (the "Supplemental Trust
Deed"); and (ii) the Swap Amended and Restated
Confirmation, in each case in the form or
substantially in the forms of the drafts produced to this Meeting,
with such amendments thereto (if any) as the Trustee requires or
agrees to give effect to the changes referred to in paragraph 1 of
this Extraordinary Resolution and such other changes as may be
necessary in its sole opinion; and (b) execute and do all such
other deeds, instruments, acts and things as may be necessary in
the Trustee's sole opinion to carry out and to give effect to this
Extraordinary Resolution and the implementation of the
modifications referred to in this Extraordinary
Resolution;
3.
(subject to paragraph 7 of this Extraordinary Resolution)
sanctions and assents to every abrogation, modification or
compromise of, or arrangement in respect of, the rights of the
Noteholders against the Issuer appertaining to the Notes and the
Swap Transaction, whether or not such rights arise under the
Conditions, the Trust Deed or any other transaction documents,
involved in or resulting from or to be effected by, the
modifications referred to in paragraphs 1
and 2 of this Extraordinary
Resolution and their implementation;
4.
(a) holds harmless, discharges and exonerates the Trustee
from, and indemnifies the Trustee against, any and all liability
for which it may have become or may become responsible under the
Trust Deed or the Notes in respect of any act or omission in
connection with the proposal by the Issuer to the Noteholders to
approve the modification of the Conditions and the consequential or
related amendments to certain transaction documents, in the manner
set out in the Notice (the "Proposal"), this Extraordinary
Resolution or its implementation and/or the modifications; and (b)
irrevocably waives any claim against the Issuer or the Trustee
which arises as a result of any loss or damage to the holders of
the Notes suffered or incurred as a result of the Issuer or the
Trustee following the terms of this Extraordinary Resolution
(including for the avoidance of doubt, the directions and/or
instructions contained herein), even though it may subsequently be
found that there is a defect in this Extraordinary Resolution or
that for any reason this Extraordinary Resolution is not valid or
binding upon the holders of the Notes;
5.
agrees that the Trustee is not responsible for the accuracy,
completeness, validity or correctness of the statements made and
documents referred to in this Extraordinary Resolution and the
Consent Solicitation Memorandum or any omissions from this
Extraordinary Resolution or the Consent Solicitation
Memorandum;
6.
confirms that the Trustee is hereby authorised and instructed
not to obtain any legal opinions in relation to, or to enquire into
the power and capacity of any person to enter into, the
Supplemental Trust Deed or the Swap Amended and Restated
Confirmation or the due execution and delivery thereof by any party
thereto or the validity or enforceability thereof and it will not
be liable for any consequences resulting from this
instruction;
7.
declares that the implementation of this Extraordinary
Resolution is conditional on:
(a)
the
Consent Solicitation (as defined below) not having been terminated;
and
(b)
the passing
of this Extraordinary Resolution and the passing of, and the
satisfaction of any conditions referred to in, the corresponding
Extraordinary Resolution in respect of each other Class listed in
paragraph 8 of this Extraordinary Resolution; and
8.
acknowledges that the following terms, as used in this
Extraordinary Resolution, have the following meanings given
below:
"Class"
means each of the Class A1 Notes, the Class A2a Notes, the Class
A2b Notes, the Class A2c Notes, the Class B1a Notes, the Class B1b
Notes and the Class C1a Notes and Class C1b Notes;
"Class A1
Notes" means the U.S.$1,500,000,000 Class A1 Notes due 2038
issued by the Issuer which, on 15 May 2019 were (simultaneously
with the termination of the currency swap A1 agreement dated 14
July 2006) converted into a GBP Equivalent at a fixed exchange rate
of USD to GBP of 1.84, producing GBP Equivalent Initial Principal
Amount of £815,217,391.30 and an A1 Note Mandatory Transfer Price
and GBP Equivalent Principal Amount Outstanding of £317,409,456.52
in accordance with the A1 Note Conditional Purchase Agreement and
which, on 15 May 2019, were redenominated as GBP Class A1
Notes;
"Class A2a
Notes" means the £145,000,000 Class A2a Notes due 2038
issued by the Issuer;
"Class A2b
Notes" means the €245,000,000 Class A2b
Notes due 2038 issued by the Issuer;
"Class A2c
Notes" means the U.S.$311,000,000 Class A2c Notes due 2038
issued by the Issuer;
"Class B1a
Notes" means the £25,000,000 Class B1a Notes due 2038 issued
by the Issuer;
"Class B1b
Notes" means the €126,000,000 Class B1b Notes due 2038
issued by the Issuer;
"Class C1a
Notes" means the £17,000,000 Class C1a Notes due 2038 issued
by the Issuer;
"Class C1b
Notes" means the €106,000,000 Class C1b Notes due 2038
issued by the Issuer;
"Consent
Solicitation" means the invitation by the Issuer to, among
others, the Noteholders to consent to the modification of the
Conditions relating to the Notes and other related documents, as
described in the Consent Solicitation Memorandum and as the same
may be amended in accordance with its terms;
"Consent
Solicitation Memorandum" means the consent solicitation
memorandum dated 3 October 2024 prepared by the Issuer in relation
to the Consent Solicitation;
"Effective
Date" means the Interest Payment Date (as defined in the
Conditions) falling in November 2024;
"Notice" means the notice given by the
Issuer to Noteholders on or around 3 October 2024;
"Sterling
Notes" means the Class A1 Notes, the Class A2a Notes, the
Class B1a Notes and the Class C1a Notes;
"Swap
Transaction" means, in respect of the Class A2c
Notes, the currency swap transaction between the Issuer and
Barclays Bank PLC with a trade date of 14 July 2006;
"Swap Amended
and Restated Confirmation" means the confirmation that will
amend and restate the terms of the Swap Transaction to reflect this
Extraordinary Resolution and such other changes as may be necessary
to implement the modifications referred to in this Extraordinary
Resolution; and
"USD
Notes" means the Class A2c Notes."
Background
The Issuer has convened the Meeting for the
purpose of enabling Noteholders to consider and resolve, if they
think fit, to pass the Extraordinary Resolution proposed in
relation to the Notes.
On 5 March 2021, the UK Financial Conduct
Authority (the "FCA")
confirmed that all USD LIBOR settings would either cease to be
provided by any administrator or no longer be representative of
their underlying market immediately after 30 June 2023 (the
"LIBOR Announcement"). In
relation to 3-month USD LIBOR in particular (as the interest rate
benchmark currently applicable to the USD Notes), the LIBOR
Announcement provided that immediately after 30 June 2023, such
LIBOR setting would no longer be representative of the underlying
market and economic reality and that such representativeness will
not be restored. Since 30 June 2023, the FCA has required LIBOR's
administrator, ICE Benchmark Administration Limited ("IBA"), to continue publishing the
3-month synthetic USD LIBOR until 30 September 2024 in accordance
with the FCA's announcement on 3 April 2023 (the "April 2023 Announcement"). The
LIBOR Announcement, the April 2023 Announcement and
additional announcements made by the FCA in relation to the
cessation of USD LIBOR are available from the website of the FCA
at www.fca.org.uk.
In light of the cessation of USD LIBOR,
regulators have been urging market participants to take active
steps to implement the transition to SOFR published by the Federal
Reserve Bank of New York (the "Federal Reserve") and other
risk-free rates without undue delay.
On the basis that the final maturity date of
the USD Notes falls after 30 September 2024, the Issuer has
convened the Meetings for the purpose of enabling the Noteholders
to consider and resolve, if they think fit, to approve the Proposal
by way of a separate Extraordinary Resolution in relation to each
Class, implementing:
(i)
changes in the interest basis specified in the Conditions of
the USD Notes from 3-month USD LIBOR to Compounded SOFR by means of
a supplemental trust deed;
(ii)
inclusion of new fallbacks to address the non-availability of
SOFR or the replacement of SOFR based on the Alternative Reference
Rates Committee's recommendations for floating rate bonds;
and
(iii)
changes in the floating rate option specified in the Swap
Transaction (which, in effect, hedges the USD Notes) from USD LIBOR
to Compounded SOFR (including corresponding and/or consequential
amendments) and the inclusion of new fallbacks to address the
non-availability of SOFR or the replacement of SOFR by means of a
swap amended and restated confirmation (the "Swap Amended and Restated
Confirmation").
The Proposal constitutes a Basic Terms
Modification under the Conditions, and therefore the holders of
each Class are invited to approve the Proposal, even
though only the interest rate applicable to the USD Notes (and no
other Notes) will be amended if the Proposal is
implemented. If an Extraordinary Resolution in respect
of any Class is not successfully passed or (in the case of the USD
Notes) the Eligibility Condition is not satisfied, then the Issuer
will not implement the Proposal and neither the USD Notes nor
any transaction documents relating to the USD
Notes will be amended (irrespective of whether or not
the relevant Extraordinary Resolution(s) for any of the other
Classes passes).
The proposed revised formula for calculating
interest on the USD Notes and payments to be made
by Barclays Bank plc as the currency swap provider
(the "Swap Provider") to
the Principal Paying Agent under the Swap
Transaction will be as set out in Annex 1
(Compounded SOFR and
Benchmark Replacement). Due to the differences
in the nature of USD LIBOR (including synthetic USD LIBOR) and
Compounded SOFR, the replacement of USD LIBOR with Compounded SOFR
as the reference rate for the USD Notes requires a corresponding
credit adjustment spread to be added to the existing Notes Interest
Rate Margin payable in respect of the USD Notes and to amounts
payable under the Swap Transaction. The Proposal uses the "5-year
historical median" methodology agreed by the International Swaps
and Derivatives Association for determining this credit adjustment
spread and recommended by the Alternative Reference Rates Committee
for use in cash products such as the USD Notes. It involves taking
the median of the daily difference between USD LIBOR and SOFR in
the 5 years leading up to the date of the LIBOR Announcement. Using
this methodology, the credit adjustment spread for 3-month USD
LIBOR is 0.26161 per cent., as calculated and published by
Bloomberg Index Services Limited on the date of the LIBOR
Announcement and as referenced on Bloomberg screen YUS0003M Index
on the date of the Consent Solicitation Memorandum.
The Trustee
has not been involved in the formulation of the Extraordinary
Resolution and the Trustee expresses no opinion on the merits of
any Extraordinary Resolution or on whether Noteholders would be
acting in their best interests in approving the Extraordinary
Resolution, and nothing in this Notice should be construed as a
recommendation to Noteholders from the Trustee to vote in favour
of, against or abstain from voting in respect of, any Extraordinary
Resolution. Noteholders should take their own independent
financial, accounting and legal advice on the merits and on the
consequences of voting in favour of, against or abstain from voting
in respect of, the Extraordinary Resolution, including as to any
tax consequences. The Trustee has not reviewed, nor will it
be reviewing, any documents relating to the Consent Solicitation,
except those to which it will be a party and this Notice. On the
basis of the information set out in this Notice of
Meeting (other
than Annex 2 (Margin
Adjustment) of this Notice which it has not reviewed) and
the Consent Solicitation Memorandum, the Trustee has authorised it
to be stated that it has no objection to the Extraordinary
Resolution being put to Noteholders for their
consideration.
Before making a decision with respect to the
Proposal, Noteholders should carefully consider, in addition to the
other information contained in this Notice, the risk factors set
out in Annex 1 (Compounded SOFR and Benchmark
Replacement) of this Notice and set out in
"Risk Factors and Other
Considerations" of the Consent Solicitation
Memorandum.
Consent Solicitation
The Issuer has invited holders of the Notes
(and the other Classes) (the "Consent Solicitation") to consent to
the approval, by Extraordinary Resolution at each relevant Meeting,
of the modification of the Conditions of the USD Notes and related
transaction documents as described in the Extraordinary Resolution
as set out above, all as further described in the Consent
Solicitation Memorandum (as defined in the Extraordinary Resolution
set out above).
Eligible Noteholders may obtain, from the date
of this Notice, a copy of the Consent Solicitation Memorandum from
the Consent Website subject to eligibility confirmation and
registration. Alternatively, Noteholders may contact the
Information and Tabulation Agent, the contact details for which are
set out below.
Agreements, acknowledgements,
representations, warranties and undertakings
By submitting an Electronic Voting Instruction
to the relevant Clearing System in accordance with the standard
procedures of such Clearing System, the holder of the relevant
Notes and any Direct Participant submitting such Electronic Voting
Instruction on such holder's behalf will be deemed to agree to,
acknowledge, represent, warrant and undertake to the Issuer, the
Solicitation Agent, the Trustee, the Principal Paying Agent, the
Reference Agent, the Registrar and the Information and Tabulation
Agent the following: (i) at the time of submission of an Electronic
Voting Instruction; (ii) on the Expiration Deadline; and
(iii) at the time of the Meeting and the time of any adjourned
such Meeting (if the holder of such Notes or the Direct Participant
is unable to give these acknowledgements, agreements,
representations, warranties and undertakings, such holder or Direct
Participant should contact the Information and Tabulation Agent
immediately):
1. Non-reliance: it has
received the Consent Solicitation Memorandum, and has
reviewed and accepts the terms, conditions, risk factors and other
considerations of the Consent Solicitation, all as described in the
Consent Solicitation Memorandum, and has undertaken an appropriate
analysis of the implications of the Proposal without reliance on
the Issuer, the Administrators, the Solicitation Agent, the
Trustee, the Principal Paying Agent, the Reference Agent, the
Registrar or the Information and Tabulation Agent (or any of their
respective directors, officers, employees, agents or
affiliates);
2. Identity: by blocking the
relevant Notes in the relevant Clearing System, it will be deemed
to consent, in the case of a Direct Participant, to have such
Clearing System provide details concerning its identity, including
account number, to the Information and Tabulation Agent (and for
the Information and Tabulation Agent to provide such details to the
Issuer, the Administrators and the Solicitation Agent, and their
respective legal advisers);
3. Appointment of proxy: it gives
instructions for the appointment, as its proxy, of two or more
representatives of the Information and Tabulation Agent by the
Registrar to vote in favour of, against or abstain from voting in
respect of the relevant Extraordinary Resolution at the Meeting
(including any adjourned such Meeting) (as specified in the
relevant Electronic Voting Instruction) in respect of all of the
Notes within the Class in its account blocked in the relevant
Clearing System;
4. Ratification: it agrees to
ratify and confirm each and every act or thing that may be done or
effected by the Issuer, the Trustee or any of their respective
directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives or
affiliates or any person nominated by the Issuer in the proper
exercise of his or her powers and/or authority
hereunder;
5. Further acts: it agrees to do
all such acts and things as are necessary and execute any
additional documents deemed by the Issuer or the Trustee to be
necessary or desirable, in each case to perfect any of the
authorities expressed to be given hereunder;
6. Compliance with applicable laws:
it has observed the laws of all relevant jurisdictions, obtained
all requisite governmental, exchange control or other required
consents, complied with all requisite formalities, and paid any
issue, transfer or other taxes or requisite payments due from it in
each respect in connection with its participation in the Consent
Solicitation in any jurisdiction and it has not taken or
omitted to take any action in breach of the terms of the Consent
Solicitation or which will or may result in the Issuer, the
Administrators, the Solicitation Agent, the Information and
Tabulation Agent, the Trustee, the Principal Paying Agent, the
Reference Agent, the Registrar or any other person acting in breach
of the legal or regulatory requirements of any such jurisdiction in
connection with the Consent Solicitation;
7. Successors and assigns: all
authority conferred or agreed to be conferred pursuant to its
acknowledgements, agreements, representations, warranties and
undertakings, and all of its obligations are binding upon its
successors, assigns, heirs, executors, trustees in bankruptcy and
legal representatives, and are not affected by, and will survive,
its death or incapacity;
8. Information or recommendation:
none of the Issuer, the Administrators, the Solicitation Agent, the
Information and Tabulation Agent, the Trustee, the Principal Paying
Agent, the Reference Agent or the Registrar or any of
their respective affiliates, directors, officers, employees,
representatives or agents has given it any information
with respect to the Consent Solicitation save as expressly set out
in the Consent Solicitation Memorandum, nor has any of them made
any recommendation to it as to whether it should participate in the
Consent Solicitation or vote on the Extraordinary Resolution it has
made its own decision with regard to participating in the Consent
Solicitation based on any legal, tax, financial or other advice it
has deemed necessary to seek;
9. Tax consequences: no information
has been provided to it by the Issuer, the Administrators, the
Solicitation Agent, the Information and Tabulation Agent, the
Trustee, the Principal Paying Agent, the Reference Agent or the
Registrar or any of their respective directors, officers, agents,
affiliates or employees, with regard to the tax consequences for
holders of Notes arising from the participation in the Consent
Solicitation or the implementation of the Extraordinary Resolution
and it acknowledges that it is solely liable for any taxes and
similar or related payments imposed on it under the laws of any
applicable jurisdiction as a result of its participation in the
Consent Solicitation or the implementation of the Extraordinary
Resolution and agrees that it will not and does not have any right
of recourse (whether by way of reimbursement, indemnity or
otherwise) against the Issuer, the Administrators, the Solicitation
Agent, the Information and Tabulation Agent, the Trustee, the
Principal Paying Agent, the Reference Agent, the Registrar or any
of their respective directors, officers, agents, affiliates or
employees, or any other person in respect of such taxes and
payments;
10. No
unlawful invitation: it is not a person to whom it is
unlawful to make an invitation pursuant to the Consent
Solicitation), or for it to participate in the Consent
Solicitation, under applicable securities laws, it has not
distributed or forwarded the Consent Solicitation Memorandum or any
other documents or materials relating to the Consent Solicitation
to any such person(s) and it has (before submitting, or arranging
for the submission on its behalf, as the case may be, of an
Electronic Voting Instruction in respect of its Notes) complied
with all laws and regulations applicable to it for the purposes of
its participation in the Consent Solicitation;
11. Sanctions: it is not a Sanctions
Restricted Person;
12. Power and authority: it has full
power and authority to vote in the Meeting (or any adjourned such
Meeting);
13. Blocking of Notes: it holds and
will hold, until the earlier of: (i) the date on which its
Electronic Voting Instruction is validly revoked; (ii) the
conclusion of the Meeting (or, if applicable, the adjourned
Meeting); and (iii) the termination of the Consent Solicitation,
the relevant Notes blocked in the relevant Clearing System and, in
accordance with the requirements of, and by the deadline required
by, the relevant Clearing System, it has submitted, or has caused
to be submitted, an Electronic Voting Instruction to the relevant
Clearing System to authorise the blocking of such Notes, with
effect on and from the date of such submission so that no transfers
of such Notes may be effected until the occurrence of any of the
events listed in (i), (ii) or (iii) above;
14. Notes Outstanding: none of the Notes
that are the subject of the Electronic Voting Instruction are held
beneficially by or for the account or benefit of the Issuer, PFPLC,
PML, MTS, MTL, any Administrator or any of their respective
subsidiaries or holding companies or other subsidiaries of such
holding companies;
15. Withdrawal or termination: in
the event of a withdrawal or termination of the Consent
Solicitation, the Electronic Voting Instructions with respect to
the relevant Notes will be deemed to be withdrawn, and the relevant
Notes will be unblocked in the Direct Participant's Clearing System
account;
16. Accuracy of information: the
information given by or on behalf of such Noteholder in the
Electronic Voting Instruction is in all respects true, accurate and
not misleading and will in all respects be true, accurate and not
misleading at the time of the implementation of the Extraordinary
Resolution; and
17. Indemnity: the Issuer, the
Administrators, the Solicitation Agent, the Trustee, the Principal
Paying Agent, the Reference Agent, the Registrar and the
Information and Tabulation Agent will rely on the truth and
accuracy of the foregoing acknowledgements, agreements,
representations, warranties and undertakings and such holder will
indemnify the Issuer, the Administrators, the Solicitation Agent,
the Trustee, the Principal Paying Agent, the Reference Agent, the
Registrar and the Information and Tabulation Agent against all and
any losses, costs, claims, liabilities, expenses, charges, actions
or demands which any of them may incur or which may be made against
any of them as a result of any breach of any of the terms of, or
any of the agreements, representations, warranties and/or
undertakings given in connection with the Consent
Solicitation.
The representation set out in paragraph
11 above may not be sought or given at any time
after such representation is first made if and to the extent that
it is or would be unenforceable at the relevant time (which for the
avoidance of doubt, does not include the time of submission of the
relevant Electronic Voting Instruction) by reason of breach of: (i)
any provision of Council Regulation (EC) No 2271/1996 of 22
November 1996 (as amended) (or any law or regulation implementing
such Regulation in any member state of the European Union); or (ii)
Council Regulation (EC) No 2271/1996 as it forms part of domestic
law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act
2018.
General
Eligible Noteholders may obtain, from the date
of this Notice, a copy of the Consent Solicitation Memorandum from
the Consent Website or by contacting the Information and Tabulation
Agent, the contact details for which are set out below. A
Noteholder will be required to produce evidence satisfactory to the
Information and Tabulation Agent that he or she is a person to whom
it is lawful to send the Consent Solicitation Memorandum and to
make an invitation to participate in the Consent Solicitation under
applicable laws before being sent a copy of the Consent
Solicitation Memorandum.
Copies of: (i) the Trust Deed; (ii) this Notice
of Meeting; and (iii) the current drafts of the Supplemental Trust
Deed and the Swap Amended and Restated Confirmation as referred to
in the Extraordinary Resolution, are also available from the
Consent Website or for collection by Noteholders on and from the
date of this Notice of Meeting up to and including the date of the
Meeting from the Information and Tabulation Agent, the contact
details for which are set out below, during normal business hours
on any weekday (Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays excepted) up
to and including the date of the Meeting. Any revised versions of
the drafts of the Supplemental Trust Deed and the Swap Amended and
Restated Confirmation made available as described above and marked
to indicate changes to the draft made available on the date of this
Notice of Meeting will supersede the previous drafts of the
Supplemental Trust Deed and the Swap Amended and
Restated Confirmation, and Noteholders will be deemed to have
notice of any such changes.
The
attention of Noteholders is particularly drawn to the procedures
for voting, quorum and other requirements for the passing of the
Extraordinary Resolution at the Meeting or any meeting held
following any adjournment of the Meeting, which are set out in the
second paragraph of "Voting and Quorum" below. Having regard
to such requirements, Noteholders are strongly urged either to
attend the Meeting or to take steps to be represented at the
Meeting (including by way of submitting Electronic Voting
Instructions in favour of the Proposal (all such terms as defined
in the Consent Solicitation Memorandum)) as soon as
possible.
Voting and Quorum
Noteholders
who have submitted and not revoked a valid Electronic Voting
Instruction in respect of the Extraordinary Resolution, by which
they will have given instructions for the appointment of two or
more representatives of the Information and
Tabulation Agent by the Registrar as their proxy
to attend and vote (as specified in the relevant Electronic Vote
Instruction) in respect of the Extraordinary Resolution at the
Meeting and any meeting held following any adjournment of the
Meeting, need take no further action to be represented at the
Meeting or any such adjourned meeting. Further details on how to
submit an Electronic Voting Instruction are set out
below.
Noteholders
who have not submitted or have submitted and subsequently revoked
an Electronic Voting Instruction in respect of the Extraordinary
Resolution should take note of the relevant provisions set out
below detailing how such Noteholders can attend or take steps to be
represented at the Meeting (references to which, for the purpose of
such provisions, include, unless the context otherwise requires,
any meeting held following any adjournment of the
Meeting).
1.
Subject as set out below, the provisions governing the
convening and holding of a meeting of the Noteholders are set out
in Schedule 3 to the Trust Deed, a copy of which is available for
inspection by the Noteholders as referred to above.
Each person
(a beneficial owner) who is the owner of a particular
aggregate Principal Amount
Outstanding of the Notes through Euroclear,
Clearstream, or a person who is shown in the records of Euroclear
or Clearstream as a holder of the Notes (a "Direct Participant"), should note that
a beneficial owner will only be entitled to attend and vote at the
Meeting in accordance with the procedures set out below and where a
beneficial owner is not a Direct Participant it will need to make
the necessary arrangements, either directly or with the
intermediary through which it holds its Notes, for the Direct
Participant to complete these procedures on its
behalf.
A Noteholder who wishes to attend and vote at
the Meeting and any adjourned such Meeting in person must have
obtained a valid Voting Certificate issued by the
Registrar.
A Noteholder may obtain a Voting Certificate in
respect of its Notes permitting such Noteholder to attend the
Meeting by arranging for its Notes to be blocked in an account with
Euroclear or Clearstream (unless the Note is the subject of a block
voting instruction which has been issued and is outstanding in
respect of the Meeting or any adjourned such Meeting) not less than
48 hours before the time fixed for the Meeting (or, if
applicable, any adjourned such Meeting) and within the relevant
time limit specified by Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may
be, upon terms that the Notes will not cease to be so blocked until
the first to occur of the conclusion of the Meeting or any
adjourned such Meeting and the surrender of the Voting Certificate
to the Information and Tabulation Agent and notification by the
Information and Tabulation Agent to Euroclear or Clearstream, as
the case may be, of such surrender or the compliance in such other
manner with the rules of Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may
be.
A Noteholder not wishing to attend and vote at
the Meeting may either deliver the Voting Certificate to the person
whom it wishes to attend on its behalf or give a voting instruction
(in the form of an electronic voting instruction (an "Electronic Voting Instruction") in
accordance with the standard procedures of Euroclear or
Clearstream) to, and require the Principal Paying Agent to, include
the votes attributable to its Notes in a block voting instruction
issued by the Registrar for the Meeting or any adjourned such
Meeting, in which case the Registrar will appoint a proxy to attend
and vote at such Meeting in accordance with such Noteholder's
instructions.
If a Noteholder wishes the votes attributable
to its Notes to be included in a block voting instruction for the
Meeting or any adjourned such Meeting, then: (i) the Noteholder
must arrange for its Notes to be blocked in an account with
Euroclear or Clearstream for that purpose; and (ii) the Noteholder
or a duly authorised person on its behalf must direct the Principal
Paying Agent as to how those votes are to be cast by way of an
Electronic Voting Instruction, not less than 48 hours before the
time fixed for the Meeting (or, if applicable, any adjourned such
Meeting) and within the time limit specified by Euroclear or
Clearstream, as the case may be, upon terms that the Notes will not
cease to be so blocked until the first to occur of: (i) the
conclusion of the Meeting or any adjourned such Meeting; and (ii)
not less than 24 hours before the time for which the Meeting is
convened, the notification in writing of any revocation of a
Noteholder's previous instructions to the Principal Paying Agent
and the same then being notified in writing by the Registrar to the
Issuer and the Trustee and such Notes ceasing in accordance with
the procedures of Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be, and
with the agreement of the Principal Paying Agent to be held to its
order or under its control.
Electronic Voting Instructions must be
submitted in respect of an original principal amount of Notes of
not less than U.S.$100,000 and integral multiples of U.S.$1,000
thereafter in respect of the USD Notes (ISIN:
XS0261647027), £50,000 and integral multiples of
£1,000 thereafter in respect of the Sterling Notes, or €50,000 and
integral multiples of €1,000 thereafter in respect of the EUR
Notes. For the above purposes, instructions given by Direct
Participants to the Information and Tabulation Agent through
Euroclear or Clearstream will be deemed to be instructions given to
the Principal Paying Agent.
2.
As the proposed amendment is a Basic Terms Modification (as
defined in the Trust Deed), the quorum required for the
Extraordinary Resolution to be considered at the Meeting is two or
more persons present and holding or representing greater than 75
per cent. of the aggregate GBP Equivalent Initial Principal Amount
of the Notes for the time being outstanding.
In the event such quorum is not present within
15 minutes from the time initially fixed for a Meeting, such
Meeting will be adjourned until such date, not less than 14 nor
more than 42 days later. At any such adjourned Meeting two or
more persons present and holding or representing greater than 25
per cent. of the aggregate GBP Equivalent Initial Principal Amount
of the Notes then outstanding will form a quorum.
Voting Certificates obtained and Electronic
Voting Instructions given in respect of any Meeting (unless revoked
in accordance with the terms of the Trust Deed and, in the case of
Electronic Voting Instructions, in accordance with the procedures
of the Euroclear or Clearstream, as the case may be) will remain
valid for any such adjourned Meeting.
Noteholders should note these quorum
requirements and should be aware that, if the Noteholders either
present or appropriately represented at the Meeting are
insufficient to form a quorum for the Extraordinary Resolution, the
Extraordinary Resolution cannot be formally considered at such
Meeting. Noteholders are therefore encouraged either to attend the
Meeting or to arrange to be represented at the Meeting as soon as
possible.
3.
Every question submitted to a Meeting will be decided in the
first instance by a show of hands and in case of equality of votes
the chairman of the Meeting will, both on a show of hands and on a
poll, have a casting vote in addition to the vote or votes (if any)
to which he may be entitled as a holder of a Voting Certificate or
as a proxy or as a representative.
Unless a poll is (before, or on the declaration
of the result of, the show of hands) demanded by the chairman of
the Meeting, the chairman of the Meeting or the Issuer or by two or
more persons present holding or representing not less than 2 per
cent. of the aggregate GBP Equivalent Initial Principal Amount of
the Notes then outstanding, a declaration by the chairman of the
Meeting that a resolution has been carried or carried by a
particular majority or lost or not carried by a particular majority
will be conclusive evidence of the fact without proof of the number
or proportion of the votes recorded in favour or against
(or abstentions from voting in respect of) such
resolution.
On a show of hands every person who is present
and is a holder of Notes or is a proxy or representative will have
one vote. On a poll every such person will have one vote in
respect of each £1 in principal amount of
the GBP Equivalent Initial Principal
Amount of the Notes then outstanding so produced or represented by
the Voting Certificate so produced or in respect of which he is a
proxy.
4.
To be passed at the Meeting, the Extraordinary Resolution
requires a majority consisting of not less than 75 per cent. of the
persons voting thereat upon a show of hands or if a poll be duly
demanded then by a majority consisting of not less than 75 per
cent. of the GBP Equivalent Initial Principal Amount of the Notes
voting in such poll. If passed, the Extraordinary Resolution
will be binding on all Noteholders, whether or not present at the
Meeting at which it is passed and whether or not voting.
This Notice is given by Paragon Mortgages (No.
12) plc.
Noteholders should contact the following for
further information:
The
Solicitation Agent
Lloyds Bank
Corporate Markets plc
10 Gresham Street
London EC2V 7AE
Telephone:
+44 20
7158 1719/1726
Attention:
Liability Management Team
Email:
lbcmliabilitymanagement@lloydsbanking.com
The
Information and Tabulation
Agent
Sodali &
Co
Leadenhall Building
122 Leadenhall St
City of London, EC3V 4AB
United Kingdom
Telephone:
+44 20 4513 6933 (U.K.) / +1 203 658 9457 (U.S.)
Email:
paragon@investor.sodali.com
Consent
Website: https://projects.sodali.com/paragon
Dated: 3 October 2024
ANNEX 1 TO THE NOTICE
OF MEETING
COMPOUNDED SOFR AND BENCHMARK
REPLACEMENT
Compounded SOFR
"Benchmark" means Compounded SOFR, which
is a compounded average of daily SOFR, as determined for each
Interest Period in accordance with the specific formula and
provisions set out below.
If the Issuer
or Reference Agent determines that a Benchmark Transition Event and
its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred in respect of
Compounded SOFR (or the daily SOFR used in the calculation hereof)
prior to the relevant SOFR Determination Time, then the provisions
under the heading "Benchmark Replacement" below will
apply.
"Compounded
SOFR" with respect to any Interest Period, means the rate of
return of a daily compound interest investment computed in
accordance with the following formula (and the resulting percentage
will be rounded, if necessary, to the nearest one
hundred-thousandth of a percentage point, with 0.000005 per cent.
being rounded upwards to the nearest 0.00001 per cent.):
where:
"d" is
the number of calendar days in the relevant Interest
Period;
"D" is
360;
"do" is the number of U.S. Government
Securities Business Days in the relevant Interest
Period;
"i" is
a series of whole numbers from one to do, each
representing the relevant U.S. Government Securities Business Day
in chronological order from, and including, the first U.S.
Government Securities Business Day to and including the last U.S.
Government Securities Business Day in the relevant Interest
Period;
"ni" for any U.S. Government
Securities Business Day "i" in the relevant Interest Period, is the
number of calendar days from, and including, such U.S. Government
Securities Business Day "i" to, but excluding, the following U.S.
Government Securities Business Day ("i+1");
"SOFRi" means the SOFR for
the U.S. Government Securities Business Day falling five U.S.
Government Securities Business Days prior to the relevant U.S.
Government Securities Business Day "i";
"Interest
Determination Date" means, in respect of any Interest
Period, the date falling five U.S. Government Securities Business
Days prior to the Interest Payment Date for such Interest Period
(or the date falling five U.S. Government Securities Business Days
prior to such earlier date, if any, on which the USD Notes are due
and payable);
"SOFR"
with respect to any U.S. Government Securities Business Day,
means:
(i)
the Secured Overnight Financing Rate published for such U.S.
Government Securities Business Day as such rate appears on the SOFR
Administrator's Website at 3:00 p.m. (New York time) on the
immediately following U.S. Government Securities Business Day (the
"SOFR Determination Time");
or
(ii)
subject to adjustment in accordance with the provision under the
heading "Benchmark Replacement" below, if the rate specified in (i)
above does not so appear, the Secured Overnight Financing Rate as
published in respect of the first preceding U.S. Government
Securities Business Day for which the Secured Overnight Financing
Rate was published on the SOFR Administrator's Website;
"SOFR
Administrator" means the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
(or a successor administrator of the Secured Overnight Financing
Rate);
"SOFR
Administrator's Website" means the website of the Federal
Reserve Bank of New York, or any successor source; and
"U.S.
Government Securities Business Day" means any day except for
a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which the Securities Industry and
Financial Markets Association recommends that the fixed income
departments of its members be closed for the entire day for
purposes of trading in U.S. government securities.
Benchmark Replacement
If the Issuer or the Reference Agent determines
on or prior to the relevant Reference Time that a Benchmark
Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have
occurred with respect to the then-current Benchmark, the Benchmark
Replacement will replace the then-current Benchmark for all
purposes relating to the USD Notes in respect of all determinations
on such date and for all determinations on all subsequent
dates. In connection with the implementation of a Benchmark
Replacement, the Issuer will have the right to make Benchmark
Replacement Conforming Changes from time to time, without any
requirement for the consent or approval of the Trustee or
Noteholders and the Trustee may, at the direction and expense of
the Issuer, and having received a certificate from the Issuer,
signed by two Directors of the Issuer (upon which the Trustee shall
be entitled rely absolutely without enquiry or liability), (i)
confirming (x) that a Benchmark Transition Event has occurred, (y)
the relevant Benchmark Replacement and, (z) where applicable, any
Benchmark Replacement Adjustment and/or the specific terms of any
relevant Benchmark Replacement Conforming Changes, in each case as
determined in accordance with the benchmark replacement provisions
set out herein; and (ii) certifying that the relevant Benchmark
Replacement Conforming Changes are necessary to ensure the proper
operation of such Benchmark Replacement and/or Benchmark
Replacement Adjustment, concur with the Issuer to effect such
amendments to the Conditions together with such consequential
amendments to the Trust Deed and/or the Agency Agreement as Issuer
may deem appropriate in order to give effect to Condition 19 and
the Trustee shall not be liable to any person for any consequences
thereof. No consent of Noteholders shall be required in connection
with effecting such changes, including for the execution of any
documents or the taking of other steps by the Trustee, the Issuer
or any of the parties to the Agency Agreement (if required). The
Trustee shall not be obliged to agree to any amendments which in
the sole opinion of the Trustee would have the effect of (A)
exposing the Trustee to any liabilities against which it has not
been indemnified and/or secured and/or pre-funded to its
satisfaction or (B) increasing the obligations or duties or
decreasing the rights or protection, of the Trustee in the
documents to which it is a party and/or the Conditions. The Agents
shall give effect to Condition 19 (by effecting such consequential
amendments to the Agency Agreement or otherwise as is necessary on
the part of each Agent, provided that the Agents shall not be
obliged to give effect to any such amendments if, in the opinion of
the Agent, the same would not be operable in accordance with the
terms proposed pursuant to Condition 19 or would expose it to any
additional duties or liabilities or reduce or amend the rights
and/or protective provisions afforded to it in the Conditions
and/or the Agency Agreement). The Issuer shall promptly following
the determination of any changes pursuant to Condition 19 give
notice thereof to the Trustee, the Agents and the Noteholders in
accordance with Condition 12.
Subject to the foregoing, any determination,
decision or election that may be made by the Issuer pursuant to
this section, including any determination with respect to a tenor,
rate or adjustment or of the occurrence or non-occurrence of an
event, circumstance or date and any decision to take or refrain
from taking any action or any selection:
(i)
will be
conclusive and binding absent manifest error;
(ii)
will be made in the sole discretion of the Issuer; and
(iii)
notwithstanding anything
to the contrary in the documentation relating to the USD Notes,
shall become effective without consent from the holders of the USD
Notes or any other party.
"Benchmark" means, initially, Compounded
SOFR, as such term is defined above; provided that if the Issuer
determines on or prior to the Reference Time that a Benchmark
Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have
occurred with respect to Compounded SOFR (or the published daily
SOFR used in the calculation thereof) or the then-current
Benchmark, then "Benchmark" shall mean the applicable Benchmark
Replacement;
"Benchmark
Replacement" means the first alternative set forth in the
order below that can be determined by the Issuer or the Reference
Agent as of the Benchmark Replacement Date:
(i)
the sum of: (A) the alternate rate of interest that has been
selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental Body as the
replacement for the then-current Benchmark and (B) the Benchmark
Replacement Adjustment;
(ii)
the sum of: (A) the ISDA Fallback Rate and (B) the Benchmark
Replacement Adjustment; or
(iii) the sum
of: (A) the alternate rate of interest that has been selected by
the Issuer as the replacement for the then-current Benchmark giving
due consideration to any industry-accepted rate of interest as a
replacement for the then-current Benchmark for U.S.
dollar-denominated floating rate notes at such time and (B) the
Benchmark Replacement Adjustment;
"Benchmark
Replacement Adjustment" means the first alternative set
forth in the order below that can be determined by the Issuer as of
the Benchmark Replacement Date:
(i)
the spread
adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread
adjustment, (which may be a positive or negative value or zero)
that has been selected or recommended by the Relevant Governmental
Body for the applicable Unadjusted Benchmark
Replacement;
(ii)
if the applicable
Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement is equivalent to the ISDA Fallback
Rate, the ISDA Fallback Adjustment; or
(iii) the
spread adjustment (which may be a positive or negative value or
zero) that has been selected by the Issuer giving due consideration
to any industry-accepted spread adjustment, or method for
calculating or determining such spread adjustment, for the
replacement of the then-current Benchmark with the applicable
Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement for U.S. dollar-denominated
floating rate notes at such time;
"Benchmark
Replacement Conforming Changes" means, with respect to any
Benchmark Replacement, any technical, administrative or operational
changes (including changes to the timing and frequency of
determining rates and making payments of interest, rounding of
amounts or tenors, and other administrative matters) that the
Issuer decides may be appropriate to reflect the adoption of such
Benchmark Replacement in a manner substantially consistent with
market practice (or, if the Issuer decides that adoption of any
portion of such market practice is not administratively feasible or
if the Issuer determines that no market practice for use of the
Benchmark Replacement exists, in such other manner as the Issuer
determines is reasonably necessary);
"Benchmark
Replacement Date" means the earliest to occur of the
following events with respect to the then-current Benchmark
(including the daily published component used in the calculation
thereof):
(i)
in the case
of clause (i) or (ii) of the definition of "Benchmark Transition
Event", the later of (a) the date of the public statement or
publication of information referenced therein and (b) the date on
which the administrator of the Benchmark permanently or
indefinitely ceases to provide the Benchmark (or such component);
or
(ii)
in the case of
clause (iii) of the definition of "Benchmark Transition Event", the
date of the public statement or publication of information
referenced therein;
For the avoidance of doubt, if the event that
gives rise to the Benchmark Replacement Date occurs on the same day
as, but earlier than, the Reference Time in respect of any
determination, the Benchmark Replacement Date will be deemed to
have occurred prior to the Reference Time for such
determination;
"Benchmark
Transition Event" means the occurrence of one or more of the
following events with respect to the then-current Benchmark
(including the daily published component used in the calculation
thereof):
(i)
a public
statement or publication of information by or on behalf of the
administrator of the Benchmark (or such component) announcing that
such administrator has ceased or will cease to provide the
Benchmark (or such component), permanently or indefinitely,
provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there
is no successor administrator that will continue to provide the
Benchmark (or such component); or
(ii)
a public statement
or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the
administrator of the Benchmark (or such component), the central
bank for the currency of the Benchmark (or such component), an
insolvency official with jurisdiction over the administrator for
the Benchmark (or such component), a resolution authority with
jurisdiction over the administrator for the Benchmark (or such
component) or a court or an entity with similar insolvency or
resolution authority over the administrator for the Benchmark,
which states that the administrator of the Benchmark (or such
component) has ceased or will cease to provide the Benchmark (or
such component) permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the
time of such statement or publication, there is no successor
administrator that will continue to provide the Benchmark (or such
component); or
(iii) a
public statement or publication of information by the regulatory
supervisor for the administrator of the Benchmark announcing that
the Benchmark is no longer representative;
"ISDA Fallback
Adjustment" means the spread adjustment (which may be a
positive or negative value or zero) that would apply for
derivatives transactions referencing the 2006 ISDA Definitions to
be determined upon the occurrence of an index cessation event with
respect to the Benchmark;
"ISDA Fallback
Rate" means the rate that would apply for derivatives
transactions referencing the 2006 ISDA Definitions to be effective
upon the occurrence of an index cessation date with respect to the
Benchmark for the applicable tenor excluding the applicable ISDA
Fallback Adjustment;
"Reference
Time" with respect to any determination of the Benchmark
means (i) if the Benchmark is Compounded SOFR, the SOFR
Determination Time, and (ii) if the Benchmark is not Compounded
SOFR, the time determined by the Issuer or the Reference Agent
after giving effect to the Benchmark Replacement Conforming
Changes;
"Relevant
Governmental Body" means the Federal Reserve Board and/or
the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or a committee officially
endorsed or convened by the Federal Reserve Board and/or the
Federal Reserve Bank of New York or any successor thereto;
and
"Unadjusted
Benchmark Replacement" means the Benchmark Replacement
excluding the Benchmark Replacement Adjustment.
Any Benchmark Replacement, Benchmark
Replacement Adjustment and the specific terms of any Benchmark
Replacement Conforming Changes, determined above will be notified
promptly by the Issuer to the Trustee, the Agents and, in
accordance with the Conditions, the Noteholders. Such notice
shall be irrevocable and shall specify the effective date on which
such changes take effect.
If the Rate of Interest for the USD Notes
cannot be determined in accordance with the foregoing provisions,
the Rate of Interest for the USD Notes shall be that determined as
at the last preceding Interest Determination Date (though
substituting, where a different Notes Interest Rate Margin is to be
applied to the relevant Interest Period from that which applied to
the last preceding Interest Period, the Notes Interest Rate Margin
relating to the relevant Interest Period, in place of the Notes
Interest Rate Margin relating to that last preceding Interest
Period).
RISK FACTORS AND OTHER
CONSIDERATIONS
Before making
a decision with respect to the Extraordinary Resolution,
Noteholders should carefully consider, in addition to the other
information contained in this Notice of Meeting, the following and
the other risk factors set out in the "Risk Factors and Other
Considerations" section of the Consent Solicitation
Memorandum:
The market
continues to develop in relation to SOFR as a reference
rate.
SOFR differs from USD LIBOR (including
synthetic USD LIBOR) in a number of material respects, including
(without limitation) that SOFR is a backwards-looking, secured,
compounded, risk-free overnight rate, whereas USD LIBOR (including
synthetic USD LIBOR) is expressed on the basis of a forward-looking
term, is unsecured and includes a risk-element based on inter-bank
lending. As such, investors should be aware that USD LIBOR
(including synthetic USD LIBOR) and SOFR may behave materially
differently as interest reference rates for the Notes and the Swap
Transaction. Furthermore, SOFR is a secured
rate that represents overnight secured funding transactions, and
therefore will perform differently over time to an unsecured rate
such as USD LIBOR (including synthetic USD LIBOR). For example, since
publication of SOFR began, daily changes in SOFR have, on occasion,
been more volatile than daily changes in comparable benchmarks or
other market rates.
Publication of SOFR began in April 2018 and the
rate therefore has a limited history. The future performance of
SOFR may therefore be difficult to predict based on limited
historical performance. The level of SOFR during the term of the
USD Notes may bear little or no relation to the historical level of
SOFR. Prior observed patterns, if any, in the behaviour of market
variables and their relation to SOFR such as correlations, may
change in the future.
If the Proposal is implemented, interest
amounts on the USD Notes and U.S. dollar amounts
payable in respect of the USD Notes to the Issuer under the Swap
Transaction will only be capable of being determined
towards the end of the relevant Interest Period and shortly prior
to the relevant interest payment date. It may be difficult for
investors in the USD Notes to reliably estimate the amount of
interest which will be payable on such USD Notes or on the
cross-currency swap.
In addition, it should be noted that broadly
divergent interest rate calculation methodologies may develop and
apply as between the mortgage loans, the Notes and/or the swap
agreements due to different market conventions, variations in
applicable fall-back provisions or other matters and the effects of
this are uncertain but could include a reduction in the amounts
available to the Issuer to meet its payment obligations in respect
of the Notes. Further, changes to SOFR may adversely affect the
operation of the Swap Amended and Restated Confirmation.
The
administrator of SOFR may make changes that could change the value
of SOFR or discontinue SOFR.
The Issuer and the Class A2c cross-currency
swap provider has no control over the determination, calculation or
publication of SOFR. There can be no guarantee that such rates will
not be discontinued, suspended or fundamentally altered in a manner
that is materially adverse to the interests of investors in Notes
which reference a SOFR rate. In particular, the
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as
administrator of SOFR may make methodological or other changes that
could change the value of SOFR, including changes related to the
method by which SOFR is calculated, eligibility criteria applicable
to the transactions used to calculate SOFR, or timing related to
the publication of SOFR. In addition, the administrator of SOFR may
alter, discontinue or suspend calculation or dissemination of SOFR
(in which case a fallback method of determining the interest rate
on the USD Notes will apply). The administrator of SOFR has no
obligation to consider the interests of investors in the Notes when
calculating, adjusting, converting, revising or discontinuing
SOFR.
No assurance
that the Proposal will take effect and the impact of the Proposal
not being implemented.
Until each Extraordinary Resolution in relation
to each Class of Notes is passed by the holders of such Class of
Notes and (in the case of the USD Notes) the Eligibility Condition
has been satisfied, no assurance can be given that the Proposal
will take effect. In particular, subject to applicable law, the
Issuer may extend, re-open, amend or terminate the Consent
Solicitation at any time before the Expiration Deadline (or, where
there is an adjourned Meeting, 48 hours before the time set for any
such adjourned Meeting), as described in the "Amendment and Termination" section of
the Consent Solicitation Memorandum.
If the Proposal is not implemented, the Rate of
Interest in respect of the USD Notes will effectively be fixed at
the Rate of Interest for the last Interest Period for which 3-month
synthetic USD LIBOR was published and, pursuant to the Swap
Transaction, the Swap Provider will calculate payments to be made
to the Issuer on each Interest Payment Date after 30 September 2024
based on the fallback rate in the definition of "USD-LIBOR-BBA" in
the Annex to the 2000 ISDA Definitions, being "USD-LIBOR-Reference
Banks" as defined in the Annex to the 2000 ISDA Definitions and
determined using quotes from reference banks in the New York
banking market (if available).
However, there is considerable uncertainty as
to how the fallback rate for the Swap Transaction would be
determined if quotes from reference banks in the New York banking
market cannot be obtained, which could lead to the Issuer being
unhedged with respect to the currency risk in relation
to the USD Notes. Whether or not a fallback rate for
the Swap Transaction can be obtained, there is
therefore likely to be a mismatch between the amounts payable by
the swap counterparty which is paid to the Issuer and the amounts
which will be calculated as payable by the Issuer in respect of
those Notes. It is unclear how this mismatch would be funded and
this may lead to an interest shortfall whereby the Issuer has
insufficient funds to pay interest payments on the USD Notes on an
Interest Payment Date and an Event of Default could occur under the
USD Notes. This will affect both the holders of the USD Notes
and the Notes denominated in Euro and Sterling with uncertain
implications for the Issuer's ability to pay amounts due under the
Notes.
ANNEX 2 TO THE NOTICE OF MEETING -
MARGIN ADJUSTMENT
Rationale for
the Noteholder Proposal and Margin Adjustment
The proposed revised formula for calculating
interest on the USD Notes and payments to be made by
Barclays Bank plc as the currency swap provider to the
Principal Paying Agent under the Swap Transaction will
be as set out in Annex 1 (Compounded SOFR and Benchmark
Replacement) to the Notice of Meeting. Due to
the differences in the nature of USD LIBOR (including synthetic USD
LIBOR) and Compounded SOFR, the replacement of USD LIBOR with
Compounded SOFR as the reference rate for the USD Notes requires a
corresponding credit adjustment spread to be added to the existing
Notes Interest Rate Margin payable in respect of the USD Notes and
to amounts payable under the Swap Transaction. The Proposal uses
the "5-year historical median" methodology agreed by the
International Swaps and Derivatives Association for determining
this credit adjustment spread and recommended by the Alternative
Reference Rates Committee for use in cash products such as the USD
Notes. It involves taking the median of the daily difference
between USD LIBOR and SOFR in the 5 years leading up to the date of
the LIBOR Announcement. Using this methodology, the credit
adjustment spread for 3-month USD LIBOR is 0.26161 per cent., as
calculated and published by Bloomberg Index Services Limited on the
date of the LIBOR Announcement and as referenced on Bloomberg
screen YUS0003M Index on the date of this Consent Solicitation
Memorandum.
If the Proposal is implemented, the Rate of
Interest in respect of the USD Notes for each Interest Period
commencing on or after the Effective Date (being the Interest
Payment Date for the USD Notes falling in November 2024) will be
determined by the Reference Agent by reference to Compounded SOFR.
The first Interest Payment Date on which the amounts of interest
payable on the USD Notes will be
determined by the Reference Agent by reference to Compounded SOFR
rather than 3-month synthetic USD LIBOR will be the Interest
Payment Date falling in February 2025 in respect of the Interest
Period from (and including) the Interest Payment Date falling in
November 2024 up to (but excluding) the Interest Payment Date
falling in February 2025.
If the Proposal is implemented, the U.S. dollar
amounts payable in respect of the USD Notes and to the Issuer
under the Swap Transaction via the Principal Paying Agent in
respect of the USD Notes on or after the Effective Date will be
determined by reference to Compounded SOFR.
If the Proposal is not implemented, the Rate of
Interest in respect of the USD Notes will effectively be fixed at
the Rate of Interest for the last Interest Period for which 3-month
synthetic USD LIBOR was published and, pursuant to the Swap
Transaction, the Swap Provider will calculate payments to be made
to the Issuer on each Interest Payment Date after 30 September 2024
based on the fallback rate in the definition of "USD-LIBOR-BBA" in
the Annex to the 2000 ISDA Definitions, being "USD-LIBOR-Reference
Banks" as defined in the Annex to the 2000 ISDA Definitions and
determined using quotes from reference banks in the New York
banking market (if available).
However, there is considerable uncertainty as
to how the fallback rate for the Swap Transaction would be
determined if quotes from reference banks in the New York banking
market cannot be obtained, which could lead to the Issuer being
unhedged with respect to the currency risk in relation
to the USD Notes. Whether or not a fallback rate for
the Swap Transaction can be obtained, there is
therefore likely to be a mismatch between the amounts payable by
the swap counterparty which is paid to the Issuer and the amounts
which will be calculated as payable by the Issuer in respect of
those Notes. It is unclear how this mismatch would be funded and
this may lead to an interest shortfall whereby the Issuer has
insufficient funds to pay interest payments on the USD Notes on an
Interest Payment Date and an Event of Default could occur under the
USD Notes. This will affect both the holders of the USD Notes
and the Notes denominated in Euro and Sterling with uncertain
implications for the Issuer's ability to pay amounts due under the
Notes.
For the avoidance of doubt, irrespective of
whether or not the Proposal is implemented, the Rate of Interest to
be paid in respect of the USD Notes on the Interest Payment Date
falling on the Effective Date will continue to be determined by
reference to 3 month synthetic USD LIBOR, calculated on the
preceding Interest Determination Date by the Reference
Agent.
The Margin
Adjustment
In respect of the USD Notes, the Rate of
Interest that will be effective from the Effective Date will be
equal to Compounded SOFR plus the New Margin.
"New
Margin" means:
A.
the
Current Margin; plus
B.
the
Margin Adjustment,
where:
"Current
Margin" means 0.22 per cent.; and
"Margin
Adjustment" means 0.26161 per cent.
The detailed provisions relating to the
calculation of Compounded SOFR are set out in the Supplemental
Trust Deed.