For immediate release
9 June 2023
ADVFN plc
("ADVFN" or the "Company")
Grant of options, issue of equity
Director / PDMR shareholding
The Board of ADVFN announces that the Company has adopted a new share option scheme for Directors and employees and on 8 June 2023, options for 1,900,000 ordinary shares of 0.2p in the Company ("Ordinary Shares") were awarded in aggregate to directors and management ("Options"), with an exercise price of 33p each. Options for up to 530,000 ordinary shares in the Company were awarded to Directors ("Director Options") and 1,370,000 options were awarded to management ("Management Options").
New option scheme
The Board has adopted a new option scheme for Directors and employees ("Scheme"), and a copy of the Scheme rules is available from the Company's website at www.advfnplc.com. Under the rules of the Scheme, the Directors may, in their discretion, grant an Option to any participant on behalf of the Company at any time over such number of Ordinary Shares as they determine. Alternatively, the Directors may request and authorise a third party, such as the trustee of an employee benefit trust, to grant the option. There shall be no payment for the grant of an Option.
The aggregate of the following shall not exceed 10 per cent. of the Company's issued ordinary share capital for the time being:
(a) the maximum number of Ordinary Shares which may be placed under option for subscription under the Scheme; and
(b) the number of shares placed under option for subscription (or issued otherwise than in accordance with options) in the preceding ten years under any other employees' share scheme adopted by the Company.
Director Options
Pursuant to the new option scheme, in aggregate, the award of new Director Options to the Directors represents approximately 1.15% per cent. of the Company's current issued share capital. Further details of the Director Options awards are set out in the table below:
| Director | New options awarded | Exercise price | Vesting exercise date | Exercise term |
| Amit Tauman | 460,000 | 33p | Vest over three years in equal tranches of one-third per annum | 7 years from grant |
| Matthew Collom | 70,000
| 33p | Vest over three years in equal tranches of one-third per annum | 7 years from grant |
Note: Further details are set out in the Appendix
The Director Options have an exercise price of 33p per Ordinary Share (being the issue price under the recent Open Offer) and which represents a premium of approximately 40 per cent. to the last closing mid-market price of 23.5p per Ordinary Share.
Management Options
Pursuant to the new option scheme, in aggregate, 1,370,000 Options have been awarded to management. The Management Options have an exercise price of 33p per Ordinary Share and vest over four years in equal one-quarter tranches. The Management Options have an exercise period of 7 years from grant.
The Director Options and the Management Options will, unless otherwise exercised, all expire on 8 June 2030. Following this issue of Options, the Company has a total of 1,900,000 ordinary shares under option, equivalent to approximately 4.13% per cent of the Company's current issued ordinary share capital.
Issue of equity
The Board has also today agreed to issue, subject to shareholder approval, 220,000 new Ordinary Shares to each of the non-executive directors, Lord Gold and Anthony Wollenberg, in recognition of their contribution to the reorganisation of the Company and the Open Offer following the Board changes implemented last year ("Compensation Shares").
In aggregate 440,000 Compensation Shares will be issued, of which 280,000 Compensation Shares will be issued immediately on approval by shareholders. The balance of 160,000 Compensation Shares will be issued subsequently on the earlier of (i) an increase of 75 per cent. in the Company's share price over the middle market share price at the date of Board approval of the proposed share issue over a consecutive period of 28 days from such date (being 8 June 2023); or an increase of 50 per cent. over two consecutive half years in the Company's operating revenues compared to the audited revenue for the year ended 30 June 2022 (as published on 6 December 2022).
Application will be made in due course for the Compensation Shares, which will rank pari passu with the existing Ordinary Shares, to be admitted to trading on AIM.
For further information please contact:
| ADVFN plc Amit Tauman (CEO) | +44 (0) 203 8794 460 |
| Beaumont Cornish Limited (Nominated Adviser) Michael Cornish Roland Cornish | +44 (0) 207 628 3396 |
| Peterhouse Capital Limited (Broker) Eran Zucker Lucy Williams Rose Greensmith | +44 (0) 207 469 0930 |
APPENDIX
The notification below, made in accordance with the requirements of the EU Market Abuse Regulations, provides further detail in respect of the transaction as described above.
| 1 | Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated | |||||
| a) | Name | Amit Tauman | ||||
| 2 | Reason for notification | |||||
| a) | Position / status | Chief Executive | ||||
| b) | Initial notification /Amendment | Initial | ||||
| 3 | Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor | |||||
| a) | Name | ADVFN plc | ||||
| b) | LEI | 21380042SDV1E1ZVIY40 | ||||
| 4 | Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted | |||||
| a) | Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code | Ordinary shares of 0.2 pence each in ADVFN plc ISIN GB00BPT24C10 | ||||
| | Nature of the transaction | Issued pursuant to an award of share options by the Company | ||||
| | Price(s) and volumes(s)
|
| ||||
| d) | Aggregated information | n/a | ||||
| e) | Date of the transaction | 8 June 2023 | ||||
| f) | Place of the transaction | Outside a trading venue | ||||
| 1 | Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated | |||||
| a) | Name | Matthew Collom | ||||
| 2 | Reason for notification | |||||
| a) | Position / status | Director | ||||
| b) | Initial notification /Amendment | Initial | ||||
| 3 | Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor | |||||
| a) | Name | ADVFN plc | ||||
| b) | LEI | 21380042SDV1E1ZVIY40 | ||||
| 4 | Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted | |||||
| a) | Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code | Ordinary shares of 0.2 pence each in ADVFN plc ISIN GB00BPT24C10 | ||||
| | Nature of the transaction | Issued pursuant to an award of share options by the Company | ||||
| | Price(s) and volumes(s)
|
| ||||
| d) | Aggregated information | n/a | ||||
| e) | Date of the transaction | 8 June 2023 | ||||
| f) | Place of the transaction | Outside a trading venue | ||||
ENDS
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