Current and former employees of EQT announce share sale
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.
- Current and former employees of EQT have received firm indications of interest for 19.4 million ordinary shares (“Shares”) in EQT AB (“EQT”) at a price of SEK 205 per share (“the Share Sale”)
- The Share Sale will represent a complete sale of all the Shares which are available by current and former employees, and represents 1.6 per cent of EQT’s share capital
- Over time, a more widely held share combined with increased index weights and a larger free float are expected to further improve the liquidity of the EQT share
The Share Sale
The Share Sale will comprise 19.4 million Shares, representing 22 per cent of the Shares for which lock-ups expired in September 2023. Approximately 40 current and former employees of EQT will participate in the Share Sale at a price of SEK 205 per share.
No Board members or members of the EQT Executive Committee will participate in the Share Sale.
The Share Sale will represent a complete sale of all the Shares which are available for sale. Current and former employees participating in the Share Sale have undertaken, subject to certain exemptions, not to dispose of any shares for a period of 90 days following closing. Further, during this 90 days period there will be no material share sale from shareholders whose lock-ups expired in September 2023.
Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB act as Joint Bookrunners in the Share Sale.
Background
Lock-ups related to approximately 87 million Shares held by current and former employees expired in late September 2023, as previously communicated.
Over time, a more widely held share combined with increased index weights and a larger free float are expected to further improve the liquidity of the EQT share.
As part of the lock-up revision in 2021, employees committed to re-invest half of the net proceeds from the related share sale into EQT funds over a fund cycle. Such re-investment commitments have been substantially completed. Certain employees are required or expected to make further material investment commitments into EQT funds. Some employees are expected to use part of the liquidity from the Share Sale for this purpose.
Further information about EQT’s lock-up structure is available on EQT’s website.
Contact
Olof Svensson, Head of Shareholder Relations, +46 72 989 09 15
EQT Shareholder Relations, shareholderrelations@eqtpartners.com
Rickard Buch, Managing Director Communication and PR, +46 72 989 09 11
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com, +46 8 506 55 334
Greenbrook, EQT@greenbrookadvisory.com, +44 207 952 2000
This is information that EQT AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, at 18.45 CEST on 18 October 2023.
Important information
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER TO SELL, OR SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY, ANY SECURITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. THE SECURITIES REFERRED TO HEREIN HAVE NOT BEEN, AND WILL NOT BE, REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE "SECURITIES ACT") AND MAY NOT BE SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES ABSENT REGISTRATION WITH THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT. THERE WILL NOT BE A PUBLIC OFFERING OF THE SHARES IN THE UNITED STATES.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN OFFER OF SECURITIES OR INVESTMENTS FOR SALE OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY SECURITIES OR INVESTMENTS IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE SUCH OFFER OR SOLICITATION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN THAT WOULD PERMIT AN OFFERING OF THE SECURITIES OR POSSESSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE ACTION FOR THAT PURPOSE IS REQUIRED. PERSONS INTO WHOSE POSSESSION THIS ANNOUNCEMENT COMES ARE REQUIRED TO INFORM THEMSELVES ABOUT AND TO OBSERVE ANY SUCH RESTRICTIONS. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE RESTRICTIONS MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH JURISDICTION.
IN MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA ("EEA") (EACH, A "RELEVANT MEMBER STATE"), THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND ANY OFFER IF MADE SUBSEQUENTLY IS DIRECTED EXCLUSIVELY AT PERSONS WHO ARE "QUALIFIED INVESTORS" WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE PROSPECTUS REGULATION ("QUALIFIED INVESTORS"). FOR THESE PURPOSES, THE EXPRESSION "PROSPECTUS REGULATION" MEANS THE PROSPECTUS REGULATION (EU) 2017/1129 AND INCLUDES ANY RELEVANT IMPLEMENTING MEASURE IN THE RELEVANT MEMBER STATE.
IN THE UNITED KINGDOM THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS DIRECTED EXCLUSIVELY AT QUALIFIED INVESTORS WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE PROSPECTUS REGULATION as it forms part of domestic law of the United Kingdom by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (I) WHO HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN MATTERS RELATING TO INVESTMENTS FALLING WITHIN ARTICLE 19(5) OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND MARKETS ACT 2000 (FINANCIAL PROMOTION) ORDER 2005, AS AMENDED (THE "ORDER") OR (II) WHO FALL WITHIN ARTICLE 49(2)(A) TO (D) OF THE ORDER, AND (III) TO WHOM IT MAY OTHERWISE LAWFULLY BE COMMUNICATED.
IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING, THE JOINT BOOKRUNNERS AND ANY OF THEIR AFFILIATES ACTING AS AN INVESTOR FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT MAY TAKE UP AS A PRINCIPAL POSITION ANY SHARES AND IN THAT CAPACITY MAY RETAIN, PURCHASE OR SELL FOR ITS OWN ACCOUNT SUCH SHARES. IN ADDITION, THE JOINT BOOKRUNNERS OR THEIR AFFILIATES MAY ENTER INTO FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS AND SWAPS WITH INVESTORS IN CONNECTION WITH WHICH THE JOINT BOOKRUNNERS (OR THEIR AFFILIATES) MAY FROM TIME TO TIME ACQUIRE, HOLD OR DISPOSE OF SHARES. THE JOINT BOOKRUNNERS DO NOT INTEND TO DISCLOSE THE EXTENT OF ANY SUCH INVESTMENT OR TRANSACTIONS OTHERWISE THAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH ANY LEGAL OR REGULATORY OBLIGATION TO DO SO.
THE JOINT BOOKRUNNERS ARE ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE SELLERS AND NO ONE ELSE IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFERING AND WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE TO ANY OTHER PERSON FOR PROVIDING THE PROTECTIONS AFFORDED TO CLIENTS OF THE JOINT BOOKRUNNERS OR FOR PROVIDING ADVICE IN RELATION TO THE OFFERING. NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IS OR WILL BE MADE AS TO, OR IN RELATION TO, AND NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY IS OR WILL BE ACCEPTED BY EITHER OF THE JOINT BOOKRUNNERS OR BY ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES OR AGENTS AS TO OR IN RELATION TO, THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS OR SUFFICIENCY OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT OR ANY OTHER WRITTEN OR ORAL INFORMATION MADE AVAILABLE TO OR PUBLICLY AVAILABLE TO ANY INTERESTED PARTY OR ITS ADVISERS IN CONNECTION WITH OFFERING OR ANY OF THE ARRANGEMENTS DESCRIBED HEREIN, AND ANY LIABILITY THEREFOR IS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED.