At an Annual General Meeting of Albion Venture Capital Trust PLC, duly convened and held at the City of London Club, 19 Old Broad Street, London on 13 August 2018 the following resolutions were passed:
Ordinary resolutions numbers 1 to 8 were passed. The following items of Special Business were passed of which resolutions 9 and 10 were passed as ordinary resolutions and 11 to 13 were passed as special resolutions.
Special Business
9. Change of investment policy
That the Company’s current investment policy be replaced by the following:
The Company will invest in a broad portfolio of smaller, unquoted growth businesses across a variety of sectors including higher risk technology companies. Investments may take the form of equity or a mixture of equity and loans.
Allocation of funds will be determined by the investment opportunities which become available but efforts will be made to ensure that the portfolio is diversified both in terms of sector and stage of maturity of company. Funds held pending investment or for liquidity purposes will be held as cash on deposit.
Risk diversification and maximum exposures
Risk is spread by investing in a number of different businesses within venture capital trust qualifying industry sectors. The maximum amount which the Company will invest in a single portfolio company is 15 per cent. of the Company’s assets at cost, thus ensuring a spread of investment risk. The value of an individual investment may increase over time as a result of trading progress and it is possible that it may grow in value to a point where it represents a significantly higher proportion of total assets prior to a realisation opportunity being available.
Gearing
The Company’s maximum exposure in relation to gearing is restricted to 10 per cent. of the adjusted share capital and reserves.
10. Authority to allot shares
That the Directors be generally and unconditionally authorised in accordance with section 551 of the Companies Act 2006 (the “Act”) to allot shares of nominal value 1 penny per share in the Company up to an aggregate nominal amount of £192,486 representing approximately 20 per cent. of the total Ordinary share capital as at the date of the Notice, provided that this authority shall expire 15 months from the date that this resolution is passed, or at the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting, whichever is earlier, but so that the Company may, before the expiry of such period, make an offer or agreement which would or might require shares to be allotted after the expiry of such period and the Directors may allot shares pursuant to such an offer or agreement as if the authority had not expired.
11. Authority for the disapplication of pre-emption rights
That the Directors be empowered, pursuant to section 570 of the Act, to allot equity securities (within the meaning of section 560 of the Act) for cash pursuant to the authority conferred by resolution number 10 and/or to sell ordinary shares held by the Company as treasury shares for cash as if section 561(1) of the Act did not apply to any such allotment or sale.
Under this power the Directors may impose any limits or restrictions and make any arrangements which they deem necessary or expedient to deal with any treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates, legal, regulatory or practical problems in, or laws of, any territory or other matter, arising under the laws of, or the requirements of any recognised regulatory body or any stock exchange in, any territory or any other matter.
This power shall expire 15 months from the date that this resolution is passed or, if earlier, the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company, save that the Company may, before such expiry, make an offer or agreement which would or might require equity securities to be allotted after such expiry and the Directors may allot equity securities in pursuance of any such offer or agreement as if this power had not expired.
12. Authority to purchase own shares
That, subject to and in accordance with the Company’s Articles of Association, the Company be generally and unconditionally authorised, pursuant to and in accordance with section 701 of the Act, to make market purchases (within the meaning of Section 693(4) of the Act) of Ordinary shares of 1 penny each in the capital of the Company (“Ordinary shares”), on such terms as the Directors think fit provided that:
(a) the maximum aggregate number of shares hereby authorised to be purchased is 14,426,856 shares representing 14.99 per cent. of the issued Ordinary share capital of the Company as at the date of this Notice;
(b) the minimum price, exclusive of any expenses, which may be paid for an ordinary share is 1 penny;
(c) the maximum price, exclusive of any expenses, which may be paid for a share shall be an amount equal to the higher of (a) 105% of the average of the middle market quotations for the share, as derived from the London Stock Exchange Daily Official List, for the five business days immediately preceding the date on which the share is purchased; and (b) the amount stipulated by Article 5(1) of the Buy-back and Stabilisation Regulation 2003;
(d) the authority hereby conferred shall, unless previously revoked, varied or renewed, expire 15 months from the date that this resolution is passed or, if earlier, at the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting; and
(e) the Company may enter into a contract or contracts to purchase shares under this authority before the expiry of the authority which will or may be executed wholly or partly after the expiry of the authority, and may make a purchase of shares in pursuance of any such contract or contracts as if the authority conferred hereby had not expired.
13. Authority to sell treasury shares
That the Directors be empowered to sell treasury shares at the higher of the prevailing current share price and the price bought in at.
13 August 2018
For further information please contact:
Albion Capital Group LLP
Company Secretary
Tel: 0207 601 1850
LEI Code 213800JKELS32V2OK421
