23 September 2024

PROPOSED SECONDARY PLACING OF ORDINARY SHARES IN DUNELM GROUP PLC ("DUNELM" OR THE "COMPANY")

WA Capital Limited (a company controlled by Sir Will and Lady Nadine Adderley) announces that it and Sir Will Adderley, Deputy Chair of the Company, intend to sell in aggregate approximately 10 million ordinary shares in the Company via an accelerated bookbuild secondary placing (the "Placing"). This represents approximately 4.9 per cent of the issued share capital of Dunelm. The shares to be sold are currently held by Sir Will Adderley and WA Capital Limited (a company controlled by Sir Will and Lady Nadine Adderley) (the "Sellers"). 

This proposed sale is aimed at achieving greater portfolio diversification on the part of Sir Will Adderley. Sir Will Adderley last sold shares in Dunelm in February 2021.

Assuming that the above number of shares is sold, Sir Will Adderley, persons closely associated with him and other persons falling within the definition of the 'concert party' under the UK Takeover Code would continue to have the following interest in voting rights in the Company:

This would mean the Adderley family as a whole would retain a combined interest in approximately 76 million shares in the Company, representing approximately 37.6 per cent of the voting rights in the Company.

WA Capital Limited is a company controlled by Sir Will and his wife, Lady Nadine Adderley; WA Capital Investments Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of WA Capital Limited. The Stoneygate Trust is a charitable trust, and The Paddocks Discretionary Trust is a private family trust; Sir Will and Lady Nadine are trustees but not beneficiaries of these trusts.

Sir Will Adderley remains fully committed to Dunelm in his role as Deputy Chair as well as a very substantial shareholder in the Company and his working relationship with the Company is unchanged. Sir Will Adderley has undertaken that, following completion of the Placing, he will not dispose of further shares in the Company for a period of at least 180 days, subject to customary exceptions.

Barclays is acting as Sole Global Co-ordinator and Joint Bookrunner on the Placing. Goldman Sachs International and UBS AG London Branch are acting as Joint Bookrunners. The amount of the Placing proceeds, the number of ordinary shares in the Placing ("Placing Shares") and the Placing price will be decided at the close of the accelerated bookbuilding period.

The books for the Placing will open with immediate effect. Pricing and allocations are expected to be announced as soon as practicable following the closing of the books. The timing of closing of the books will be at the absolute discretion of the Sole Global Co-ordinator and Joint Bookrunners. 

Enquiries:

Barclays                                                           +44 (0)20 7623 2323

Sole Global Co-ordinator and Joint Bookrunner

Dominic Harper

Ben Newmark

Goldman Sachs International                     +44 (0)20 7774 1000

Joint Bookrunner

Anthony Gutman

Richard Cormack

UBS AG London Branch                                +44 (0)20 7567 8000

Joint Bookrunner

Alex Bloch

Clara Comellini

Important Notices

This Announcement has been issued by and is the sole responsibility of WA Capital Limited. 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 Barclays, Goldman Sachs International or UBS AG London Branch (each a "Bank" and together, the "Banks") or by any of their respective affiliates or agents as to, or in relation to, the accuracy or completeness of this Announcement or any other written or oral information made available to or publicly available to any interested party or its advisers, and any liability therefore is expressly disclaimed.

Members of the public are not eligible to take part in the Placing. This Announcement and the terms and conditions set out herein are for information purposes only and are directed at and may only be communicated to (a) in the European Economic Area ("EEA"), persons who are "qualified investors" within the meaning of Article 2(e) of Prospectus Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2017/1129) ("Qualified Investors"); and (b) in the United Kingdom, at Qualified Persons who are also (i) persons having professional experience in matters relating to investments who fall within the definition of "investment professionals" in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order"); (ii) high net worth bodies corporate, unincorporated associations and partnerships and trustees of high value trusts as described in Article 49(2) of the Order; or (iii) persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "Relevant Persons").

Any investment or investment activity to which this Announcement relates is only available to, and will be engaged in only with, Relevant Persons. Persons distributing this Announcement must satisfy themselves that is lawful to do so. This Announcement is for information purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell or issue or the solicitation of an offer to buy, subscribe for or otherwise acquire securities in any jurisdiction in which any such offer or solicitation would be unlawful. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of the securities laws of such jurisdictions. Persons needing advice should consult an independent financial advisor.

The distribution of this Announcement and the offering, placing and/or issue of the Placing Shares in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. No action has been taken by the Company, any of the Banks or any of their respective affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees that would permit an offer of the Placing Shares or possession or distribution of this Announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating to such Placing Shares in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required by the Company and each of the Banks to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN, IS RESTRICTED AND IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (COLLECTIVELY, THE "UNITED STATES"), AUSTRALIA, CANADA, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, JAPAN OR JERSEY OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH PUBLICATION, RELEASE OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. FURTHER, THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT AN OFFER OF SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED BY THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, NOR IS IT INTENDED THAT IT WILL BE SO APPROVED.

This Announcement or any part of it does not constitute or form part of any offer to issue or sell, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe for, any securities in the United States, Canada, Australia, the Republic of South Africa, Japan or any other jurisdiction in which the same would be unlawful. No public offering of the securities referred to herein is being made in any such jurisdiction.

This communication is not a public offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or under the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States, and may not be offered or sold directly or indirectly in or into the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in compliance with the securities laws of any state or any other jurisdiction of the United States. The securities referred to herein may not be offered and sold within the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

Certain statements contained in this Announcement constitute "forward-looking statements" with respect to the financial condition, performance, strategic initiatives, objectives, results of operations and business of the Company. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this Announcement are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Without limitation, any statements preceded or followed by or that include the words "targets", "plans", "believes", "expects", "aims", "intends", "anticipates", "estimates", "projects", "will", "may", "would", "could" or "should", or words or terms of similar substance or the negative thereof, are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this Announcement speak only as of the date of this Announcement. The Company, its directors and each of the Banks each expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required to do so by applicable law or regulation, the Listing Rules, the Market Abuse Regulation, the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules, the rules of the London Stock Exchange or the FCA.

Each of Barclays and Goldman Sachs International is authorised by the Prudential Regulatory Authority ("PRA") and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority ("FCA") and the PRA.  Each of the Banks is acting exclusively for the  Sellers and no one else in connection with the Placing, the content of this Announcement and other matters described in this Announcement. The Banks will not regard any other person as their respective clients in relation to the Placing, the content of this Announcement and other matters described in this Announcement and will not be responsible to anyone (including any placees) other than the Sellers for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients or for providing advice to any other person in relation to the Placing, the content of this Announcement or any other matters referred to in this Announcement.

In connection with the Placing, each of the Banks and any of their affiliates, acting as investors for their own account, may take up a portion of the shares in the Placing as a principal position and in that capacity may retain, purchase, sell, offer to sell for their own accounts such shares and other securities of the Company or related investments in connection with the Placing or otherwise. Accordingly, references to Placing Shares being offered, acquired, placed or otherwise dealt in should be read as including any issue or offer to, or acquisition, placing or dealing by, each of the Banks and any of their affiliates acting in such capacity. In addition, each of the Banks and any of their affiliates may enter into financing arrangements (including swaps, warrants or contracts for differences) with investors in connection with which each of the Banks and any of their respective affiliates may from time to time acquire, hold or dispose of shares. None of the Banks intend to disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligations to do so. 

Each of the Banks and their respective affiliates may have engaged in transactions with, and provided various commercial banking, investment banking, financial advisory transactions and services in the ordinary course of their business with the Company and/or its affiliates for which they would have received customary fees and commissions. Each of the Banks and their respective affiliates may provide such services to the Company and/or its affiliates in the future.

Neither the content of the Company's website (or any other website) nor the content of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Company's website (or any other website) is incorporated into or forms part of this Announcement. The Placing Shares to be issued or sold pursuant to the Placing will not be admitted to trading on any stock exchange other than the London Stock Exchange.