REG-Ashmore Group Plc <ASHM.L> Launch of Share Placing

http://pdf.reuters.com/Regnews/regnews.asp?i=43059c3bf0e37541&u=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20090915:RnsO0362Z . RNS Number : 0362Z Ashmore Group PLC 15 September 2009 Not for release, publication or distribution in or into the United States, Canada, Japan, France, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland 15 September 2009 ASHMORE GROUP PLC ("Ashmore" or the "Company") Launch of Placing in Ashmore Shares Ashmore today announces a secondary placing of up to 15,675,000 ordinary shares of 0.01p in Ashmore (the "Ashmore Shares") by certain Ashmore employees and their related interests (the "Placing"). The Placing, which will be undertaken by way of an accelerated bookbuild process to institutional investors, represents up to 2.2% of the outstanding issued share capital of Ashmore. Goldman Sachs International ("Goldman Sachs") and UBS Limited ("UBS") are acting as joint global co-ordinators and bookrunners for the Placing. The sale price will be determined and announced after closing of the Placing. The timing of closing of the Placing will be determined in due course by Goldman Sachs and UBS. Immediately prior to the launch of the Placing, Ashmore's directors, employees and their related interests were interested, in aggregate, in 444,752,238 Ashmore Shares representing approximately 63.2% of Ashmore's issued share capital. Assuming the Placing is completed in full, Ashmore's directors and employees and their related interests will be interested, in aggregate, in 429,077,238 Ashmore Shares representing approximately 61.0% of Ashmore's issued share capital. The lock-in arrangements entered into at the time of the Company's IPO in October 2006 have now lapsed. Dealings in Ashmore shares by Ashmore directors and employees remain governed by Ashmore's code for dealing in securities. Enquiries Goldman Sachs Matthew Westerman +44 20 7552 3549 Rick Lawrence +44 20 7774 8456 UBS Chris Madderson +44 20 7568 8678 Penrose Financial Gay Collins +44 20 7786 4888 +44 7798 626282 Members of the public are not eligible to take part in the Placing. In the United Kingdom, this announcement, in so far as it constitutes an invitation or inducement to participate in the Placing, is directed exclusively at persons whose ordinary activities involve them in acquiring, holding managing, and disposing of investments (as principal or agent) for the purposes of their business and who have professional experience in matters relating to investments and who are qualified investors as defined in section 86(7) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 ("FSMA") or are persons falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order") or persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) "High net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc") of the order (all such persons being referred to as "Relevant Persons"). This announcement, in so far as it constitutes an invitation or inducement to participate in the Placing, must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not Relevant Persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this announcements relates is available only to Relevant Persons and will be engaged in only with Relevant Persons. As regards all persons other than Relevant Persons, the details of the Placing set out in this announcement are for information purposes only. Goldman Sachs and UBS do not accept any responsibility whatsoever for the contents of this announcement or for any statement made or purported to be made by either of them or on their behalf in connection with the Placing. Each of Goldman Sachs and UBS accordingly disclaims all and any liability whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise which either of them might otherwise have in respect of this announcement or any such statement. Goldman Sachs and UBS are acting as joint global co-ordinators and bookrunners to Ashmore in relation to for the Placing and no-one else and will not be responsible to anyone other than Ashmore for providing the protections offered to clients of Goldman Sachs and UBS or for providing advice in relation to the Placing or the contents of this announcement. This announcement does not constitute an offer for sale of the Ashmore Shares in the United States, and the Ashmore Shares may not be sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The Ashmore Shares being sold in the Placing have not and will not be registered under the Securities Act or under the laws of any state of the United States. This announcement is not for distribution directly or indirectly in or into the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, France, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or issue or the solicitation of an offer to buy or acquire Ashmore Shares in Canada, Australia, Japan, France, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland or any jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is unlawful. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange END MSCLIMFTMMMBBLL