The corona crisis has left the MCH Group in an extremely precarious position, after it had made good progress on the realignment initiated at the end of 2018. Financial restructuring measures are now indispensable to secure the group’s survival. The proposed two-stage capital increase makes it possible to inject fresh capital into the company without proceeding to a capital cut or an emergency sale of parts of the company’s assets, which would be painful for all shareholders.
The Board of Directors has always been clearly in favour of keeping the MCH Group intact, and this was also specified in the requirement criteria for interested investors. The Board thus clearly rejected the full takeover planned by an investor group, which intended to subsequently break up the company through the sale of business units including Art Basel and the Live Marketing Solutions division.
Lupa Systems was by far the best fit for the catalogue of criteria defined for a new anchor shareholder and strategic partner, and the choice ultimately fell on this company. It is pursuing a long-term approach. This is borne out by an agreement that is to run for at least 15 years, guaranteeing inter alia that trade fairs, exhibitions and other events will continue to be held at the Basel and Zurich venues and that Art Basel will be staged in Basel.
Finally, the Board of Directors also sets out its position with regard to the price per share taken as a basis for the proposed capital measures. In setting the price, the Board did not allow itself to be guided by the current speculation-driven share value but, as is customary for such transactions, took the 60-day average share price prior to the onset of the wave of speculation concerning the MCH Group. Given the current high risk due to the great uncertainty prevailing in the trade fair and exhibition business, the Board of Directors considers the set price of CHF 10.50 to be appropriate. Shareholders from the public wishing to participate in the second tranche of the forthcoming capital increases will also benefit from this.
The Board of Directors also points out that the restructuring package as a whole could not have been put together without the cooperation of the public-sector shareholders. The cantonal and municipal shareholders are making a key contribution to the sustainable restructuring of the MCH Group by surrendering their subscription rights without a fee, postponing loan repayments, converting loans into share capital and supporting modern governance through their backing for the downsizing of the Board of Directors and the abolition of the restriction on voting rights.
Wichtiger Hinweis | Important Note
Dieses Dokument dient der Information der Aktionärinnen und Aktionäre der MCH Group AG im Hinblick auf die Kapitalerhöhungen, die der ausserordentlichen Generalversammlung der MCH Group AG vom 3. August 2020 zur Abstimmung vorgelegt werden. Dieses Dokument stellt weder ein Angebot noch eine Aufforderung zum Kauf oder zur Investition in Effekten der MCH Group AG oder einer ihrer Konzerngesellschaften dar. Dieses Dokument ist weder ein Prospekt im Sinne des Bundesgesetzes über Finanzdienstleistungen («FIDLEG») noch ein Emissionsprospekt gemäss Art. 652a des Schweizerischen Obligationenrechts, ein Kotierungsprospekt im Sinne des Kotierungsreglements der SIX Swiss Exchange AG oder ein Prospekt gemäss irgendeiner anderen Gesetzgebung oder Regelung. Exemplare dieses Dokuments dürfen weder in Länder versandt noch in Ländern verteilt bzw. aus solchen versandt werden, in welchen dies gesetzlich unzulässig oder untersagt ist. Eine Entscheidung über eine Teilnahme an der Kapitalerhöhung mit Bezugsrechten der MCH Group AG, die der ausserordentlichen Generalversammlung der MCH Group AG vom 3. August 2020 zur Abstimmung vorgelegt wird, ist ausschliesslich auf der Grundlage des entsprechenden Emissions- und Kotierungsprospekts, der zu diesem Zweck von der MCH Group AG veröffentlicht wird, und nicht anhand dieses Dokuments zu treffen. Exemplare dieses Emissions- und Kotierungsprospekts werden voraussichtlich ab 4. August 2020 gratis verfügbar sein.
This document and the information contained herein is not for release, publication or distribution into the United States of America, Canada, Australia, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, South Africa or Japan, and should not be distributed or otherwise transmitted into the United States or to U.S. persons (as defined in the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the «Securities Act»)) or publications with a general circulation in the United States. This document does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for or to purchase any securities in the United States of America, Canada, Australia, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, South Africa or Japan. The securities mentioned herein have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act, or the securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States of America, and may not be offered or sold within the United States of America except pursuant to an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state or local securities laws. This document does not contain or constitute an offer of, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe for, securities to any person or in the United States of America or in any other jurisdiction.
The offer referred to herein, when made in member states of the European Economic Area («EEA») and the United Kingdom, is only addressed to and directed to “qualified investors” within the meaning of Article 2(e) the Prospectus Regulation («Qualified Investors»). For these purposes, the expression «Prospectus Regulation» means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017 on the prospectus to be published when securities are offered to the public or admitted to trading on a regulated market, and repealing Directive 2003/71/EC, and includes any relevant delegated regulations. If located in a relevant state, each person who initially acquires any securities, and to the extent applicable any funds on behalf of which such person acquires such securities that are located in a relevant state, or to whom any offer of securities may be made will be deemed to have represented, acknowledged and agreed that it is a Qualified Investor as defined above. The offer of the Shares will be made pursuant to exemptions under the Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to produce a prospectus in connection with offers of securities.
MiFID II product governance / Retail investors, professional investors and ECPs target market – Solely for the purposes of each manufacturer›s product approval process, the target market assessment in respect of the Shares has led to the conclusion that: (i) the target market for the Shares is eligible counterparties and professional clients, each as defined in Directive 2014/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on markets in financial instruments (as amended, «MiFID II») and (ii) all channels for distribution of the Shares to eligible counterparties and professional clients are appropriate, subject to the distributor’s suitability and appropriateness obligations under MiFID II, as applicable. The target market and distribution channel(s) may vary in relation to sales outside the EEA in light of local regulatory regimes in force in the relevant jurisdiction. Any person subsequently offering, selling or recommending the Shares (a «distributor») should take into consideration the manufacturer›s target market assessment; however, a distributor subject to MiFID II is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the Shares (by either adopting or refining the manufacturer›s target market assessment) and determining appropriate distribution channels.
For readers in the United Kingdom, this announcement is only being distributed to and is only directed at Qualified Investors who are (i) outside the United Kingdom or (ii) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) («Investment professionals») of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the «Order») or (iii) certain high value persons and entities who fall within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) («High net worth companies, unincorporated associations etc.») of the Order; or (iv) any other person to whom it may lawfully be communicated (all such persons in (i) to (iv) together being referred to as «relevant persons»). The Shares are expected to only be available to, and any invitation, offer or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such Shares will be engaged in only with, relevant persons.
Any person who is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this announcement or any of its contents.
