IFT- Waiver from Main Board/Debt Market LR 9.2.1
NZX Regulation Decision
Infratil Limited (“IFT”)
Application for a waiver from – NZX Main Board/Debt
Market Listing Rule 9.2.1
19 August 2019
NZX REGULATION DECISION – 19 August 2019
2 of 6
Waiver from Rule 9.2.1
Decision
1. On the condition in paragraph 2 below, and on the basis that the information provided by IFT
is complete and accurate in all material respects, NZXR grants IFT a waiver from NZX Main
Board/Debt Market Listing Rule (
Rule
) 9.2.1 to the extent that this Rule would otherwise
require IFT to seek shareholder approval in relation to payment of the MCO Success Fee.
2. The waiver in paragraph 1 above, is provided on the following conditions:
a. That the Independent Directors of IFT certify to NZXR that:
i. The MCO Success Fee represents a fair fee at or below market rates for
the work undertaken by MCO in delivering a successful outcome for IFT
through the Divestment; and
ii. the Directors of IFT who are associated with MCO did not unduly influence
the promotion of, or decision to pay the MCO Success Fee, or vote on any
resolution to approve the MCO Success Fee.
b. That this waiver only applies to the payment of the MCO Success Fee.
3. The material information on which this decision is based is set out in Appendix One to this
decision. This waiver will not apply if that information is not, or ceases to be, full and accurate
in all material respects.
4. The Rules to which this decision relates are set out in Appendix Two.
Reasons
5. In coming to the decision to provide the waiver set out in paragraph 1 above, NZXR has
considered that:
a. Rule 9.2.1 seeks to regulate transactions where a Related Party to a Material
Transaction may gain favourable consideration due to their relationship with the
Issuer. NZXR may waive the requirement to obtain approval of the Material
Transaction if it is satisfied that the involvement of any Related Parties is unlikely
to influence the promotion of, or the decision to enter into, the transaction. The
granting of the waiver set out in paragraph 1, will not offend the policy behind Rule
9.2.1;
b. IFT submits, and NZXR has no reason not to accept, that MCO has not unduly
influenced the promotion of, or the decision to pay the MCO Success Fee. IFT has
advised that MCO related Directors did not vote on the decision by IFT to approve
the MCO Success Fee;
c. IFT has submitted, and NZXR has no reason not to accept, that the Independent
Directors of the Board of IFT consider MCO’s understanding of the business and
industry means it was best placed to act as one of IFT’s financial advisors in
respect of the Divestment and that the MCO Success Fee reflects market rates;
and
NZX REGULATION DECISION – 19 August 2019
3 of 6
d. the certification to be provided by the Independent Directors as a condition of the
waiver provide comfort that the MCO Success Fee has been agreed to by IFT’s
Independent Directors (subject to obtaining the waiver) on the basis that in their
view it represents a fair fee at or below market rates for the work undertaken by
MCO in delivering a successful outcome for IFT through the Divestment, and that
the MCO related Directors have not exercised any undue influence over the board
of IFT in its decisions in respect of the MCO Success Fee.
Confidentiality
6. IFT has requested that this application and any decision be kept confidential until either an
announcement by IFT about the MCO Success Fee, or the granting of the waiver.
7. In accordance with Footnote 1 to Rule 1.11.2, NZXR grants IFT’s request.
NZX REGULATION DECISION – 19 August 2019
4 of 6
Appendix One
8. Infratil Limited (
IFT
) is a Listed Issuer with Securities Quoted on the NZX Main Board and
NZX Debt Market.
9. On 21 May 2019, IFT announced completion of the sale of its 50% interest in the Australian
National University’s purpose built student accommodation concession (the
Divestment
).
10. A co-investor, that held the other 50% interest in the ANU Portfolio, has also sold its interest
on the same terms and conditions. Each of the co-investor and IFT were advised by H.R.L
Morrison & Co Group LP, through one or more of its wholly owned subsidiaries (together,
MCO
).
11. A wholly-owned subsidiary of IFT entered into the conditional sale agreement for the
Divestment on 29 March 2019. The Divestment transaction was entered into in reliance on
a waiver from NZX Main Board Listing Rule 9.2.1 dated 8 May 2017 (the
2017 Waiver
).
Reliance on the 2017 Waiver allowed IFT to undertake the Divestment of this co-investment
transaction without the need to obtain shareholder approval (such approval only being
required given the co-investment relationship between the parties making them Related
Parties for the purposes of the Rules).
12. A director of IFT, Marko Bogoievski is also a director and beneficial owner of MCO. Mr
Bogoievski is also the Chief Executive of both MCO and IFT. As a Director or executive officer
of IFT, Mr Bogoievski is a Related Party of IFT in accordance with Rule 9.2.3(a).
13. Mr Bogoievski is also an Associated Person of MCO, under Rule 1.8.2. As a Director or
executive officer of both IFT and MCO, Mr Bogoievski could, in making a decision or
exercising a power affecting IFT, be influenced as a consequence of the proposed MCO
Success Fee. Accordingly, the Associated Party relationship between Mr Bogoievski and
MCO results in MCO being a Related Party of IFT in accordance with Rule 9.2.3(c).
14. The remaining directors of IFT (the
Independent Directors
) are Independent Directors for
the purposes of the Rules.
15. Clause 2.12 of lFT’s constitution effectively lowers the prescribed level for what constitutes a
"Material Transaction" under Listing Rule 9.2.2 and provides that:
a. "... the percentage threshold at which a related party transaction requires
shareholder approval or a waiver from seeking such approval (as the case may
be) under NZX Rule 9.2.2, shall not exceed:
b. for the purpose of NZX Rule 9.2.2(a) to (d), 5% of the average market capitalisation
of the Company; or
c. for the purpose of NZX Rule 9.2.2(e), 0.5% of the average market capitalisation of
the Company."
16. IFT’s current Average Market Capitalisation (
AMC
) as at the date of this waiver is
approximately NZ$3.12 billion. Five percent of this figure is approximately $156 million and
0.5% of the AMC is approximately $15.6 million.
17. The 2017 Waiver permits the payment of fees to MCO or any MCO-related entity in
connection with the Divestment that are fees either payable in accordance with existing
management agreements with MCO or any MCO-related entities, or fees otherwise permitted
NZX REGULATION DECISION – 19 August 2019
5 of 6
or not prohibited by the Rules (due to a transaction specific waiver, shareholder approval or
otherwise).
18. The Board of IFT has resolved to pay, following completion of the Divestment, a success fee
of A$300,000 (the
MCO Success Fee
). Payment of the MCO Success Fee is conditional on
obtaining this waiver.
19. The MCO Success Fee was approved by the IFT Board prior to entry into the Divestment as
part of the budget approval for that transaction. The MCO Success Fee is therefore one of a
related series of transactions of which the Divestment forms part, and the Divestment is a
Material Transaction for the purpose of Rule 9.2.1(a). As the MCO Success Fee was
considered and entered into subject to certain conditions at the same time as the Divestment,
the Rules apply, rather than the 1 January 2019 NZX Listing Rules that IFT has been subject
to from 24 June 2019.
20. MCO, a Related Party of IFT, is a direct beneficiary of the MCO Success Fee. As MCO would
receive a direct benefit from the MCO Success Fee, the payment of the MCO Success Fee
in connection with the Divestment would otherwise require shareholder approval under Rule
9.2.1.
21. IFT is satisfied that the MCO Success Fee is consistent with, or below, market rates for
transactions of this size and nature.
NZX REGULATION DECISION – 19 August 2019
6 of 6
Appendix Two
Rule 1.8 Associated Persons
1.8.1 In the Rules, a person is an Associated Person of another person if the first person is
associated with the other in terms of Rules 1.8.2 to 1.8.6.
1.8.2 A person (the “first person”) is associated with another person (the “second person”) if, in
making a decision or exercising a power affecting an Issuer, the first person could be
influenced as a consequence of an Arrangement or relationship existing between, or
involving, the first person and the second person.
1.8.5 If the first person is associated with the second person in terms of Rule 1.8.2 to 1.8.4, then
the second person shall be deemed to be associated with the first person.
Rule 9.2 Transactions with Related Parties
9.2.1 An Issuer shall not enter into a Material Transaction if a Related Party is, or is likely to
become:
(a) a direct or indirect party to the Material Transaction, or to at least one of a related
series of transactions of which the Material Transaction forms part; or
...
unless that Material Transaction is approved by an Ordinary Resolution of the Issuer.
9.2.2 For the purposes of Rule 9.2.1 “Material Transaction” means a transaction or a related
series of transactions whereby an Issuer:
(a) purchases or otherwise acquires, gains, leases (as lessor or lessee) or sells or
otherwise disposes of, assets having an Aggregate Net Value in excess of 10% of
the Average Market Capitalisation of the Issuer; or
...
(c) borrows, lends, pays, or receives, money, or incurs an obligation, of an amount in
excess of 10% of the Average Market Capitalisation of the Issuer; or ...
9.2.3 For the purposes of Rule 9.2.1, “Related Party” means a person who is at the time of a
Material Transaction, or was at any time within six months before a Material Transaction:
(a) A Director or executive officer of the Issuer or any of its Subsidiaries; or
...
(c) an Associated Person of the Issuer or any of the persons referred to in (a) or (b),
other than a person who becomes an Associated Person as a consequence of the
Material Transaction itself (or an intention or proposal to enter into the Material
Transaction itself); or ...
Data sourced from publicly available filings. Our datasets may not be complete. Automated analysis can produce errors. If you believe any data on this page is incorrect, please contact us at hello@nzxplorer.co.nz. For informational purposes only. Not investment advice.
Other issuers discussed similar conditions around this time
Matched by meaning across NZX announcement text, not keywords — based on our semantic index of announcement bodies.
- FSF — Fonterra Shareholders' Fund: FSF transitions to updated NZX Listing Rules2019-06-23
“NZX REGULATION DECISION – 24 June 2019 5 of 30 b. the “interest” of the Directors of the Manager in this instance arises by virtue of the unique operating and management arrangements of the FSF; c. the Manager has a relatively constrained role given the scope of its powers…”
- FSF — Fonterra Shareholders' Fund: FSF – Ruling to List as Issuer of Equity Securities2019-06-24
“NZX REGULATION DECISION – 24 June 2019 5 of 30 b. the “interest” of the Directors of the Manager in this instance arises by virtue of the unique operating and management arrangements of the FSF; c. the Manager has a relatively constrained role given the scope of its powers…”
- FRW — Freightways Group Limited: Waiver from Listing Rule 3.13.12019-08-06
“NZX Regulation Decision Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Limited (FPH) Application for a waiver from NZX Listing Rule 3.13.1 6 August 2019 NZX REGULATION DECISION – 6 August 2019 2 of 8 Waiver from NZX Listing Rule 3.13.1…”