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First Day of Dealings on AIM

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MHA plc admitted to AIM after raising £98 million gross proceeds through placing and retail offer at 100p per share.

  • Gross proceeds raised £98 million
  • Placing shares 95,800,000 at 100p
  • Retail offer shares 2,211,779 at 100p
  • Market capitalisation on Admission £271 million
  • Free float 36.1%
  • Total shares in issue 271,211,764
Full announcement

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MHA (AIM: MHA), a leading professional services provider of audit and assurance, tax, accountancy and advisory services, is pleased to announce the admission of its entire issued ordinary share capital to trading on AIM, a market operated by the London Stock Exchange plc ("Admission").

Admission will take place, and dealings in the Company's ordinary shares of 1 pence each ("Ordinary Shares") will commence, at 8.00 a.m. today under the ticker 'MHA'. The ISIN of the Ordinary Shares is GB00BV0VHK88, the SEDOL of the Ordinary Shares is BV0VHK8 and the Company's LEI number is 6488GWOR8UO490L88275.

In conjunction with Admission, aggregate gross proceeds of approximately £98 million have successfully been raised by way of a placing with institutional and other investors of 95,800,000 new Ordinary Shares (the "Placing") and a retail offer of 2,211,779 new Ordinary Shares, at a price of 100 pence per Ordinary Share (the "Placing Price").

Cavendish Capital Markets Limited ("Cavendish") is acting as nominated adviser, bookrunner and broker to the Company.

Geoff Barnes, Chair of MHA, commented:

"MHA is a successful and growing business, underpinned by a long-standing commitment to exceptional client service, sustained investment in top talent and technology, and a disciplined approach to strategic acquisitions. Our admission to the market marks the next exciting stage in our evolution.

To have delivered such a strong fundraising outcome in the face of recent market volatility speaks to the quality of the business, the support of a highly engaged institutional investor base, and the determination of our management team and advisers, led by Cavendish.

Against a backdrop of rising demand for high-quality advisory services and increasing regulatory complexity, we believe we are well placed to build on the strong momentum we have established in recent years. Admission gives us the ideal platform to strengthen our market position and broaden our capabilities, enabling us to scale at pace and drive further innovation while continuing to deliver the high standards our clients expect. Importantly, it also allows us to offer equity participation to future partners and leaders, ensuring they share directly in the firm's ongoing success.

We are proud of what we have achieved so far, but we see even greater opportunity ahead. Together with our partners and new investors, and united by a shared ambition to capitalise on that opportunity, we look forward to shaping the next chapter of the Group's story as a public company, further enhancing the service we provide to clients, and achieving our medium-term goal of exceeding £500 million in annual revenues."

Transaction Highlights:

  • The Placing received strong support from institutional and other investors and raised gross proceeds of £95.8 million and the Retail Offer raised gross proceeds of approximately £2.2 million.
  • The market capitalisation of the Company will be approximately £271 million on Admission. The Company has 271,211,764 Ordinary Shares in issue and a free float of approximately 36.1 per cent.
  • The net proceeds of the Placing and Retail Offer will enable the Company to:

o invest in technology to accelerate growth, including AI, driving efficiencies within data collection and analysis;

o repay the Loan Notes to effect the release of capital by 19 Retiree Capital Partners, as well as certain continuing Partners; and

o support further bolt-on acquisition opportunities

  • The Company's ad mission document is available for viewing at https://www.mha.co.uk/ .

Company Highlights:

  • Market Position: In 2023, MHA was the 13 th largest accountancy firm in the UK by revenue and the joint fastest-growing UK accountancy firm of the top 20 largest firms 1 .
  • Growth Ambition: The Group has a medium-term aspiration to become a top 10 UK accounting and professional services business, targeting annual revenues exceeding £500 million.
  • M&A Track Record: MHA has successfully executed multiple acquisitions, including its largest to date undertaken in April 2024, Moore and Smalley, which generated £30.4 million in revenue in FY24 and added approximately 400 employees to the Group. The Directors believe the fragmented UK accountancy market presents opportunities for further bolt-on strategic acquisitions. Furthermore, MHA is exploring potential cross-border acquisitions, which may include other members of the Baker Tilly International Network (" BTI Network ").
  • Financial Performance: In the ten years to FY24, the Group has delivered a compound annual revenue growth rate ("CAGR") of 13.7%, with 87% recurring revenue in FY24. Since 2016, revenue per Partner has grown more than 2.5x, from £0.6 million to £1.6 million in 2024.
  • Regulatory Tailwinds: The increasing complexity of financial reporting and auditing standards, and the volume of regulation facing its clients have, among other factors, supported a 224% increase in MHA's average fees from its top 10 clients over the past five years. The Directors believe favourable regulatory drivers and the withdrawal of many firms from the public company audit market will present opportunities for MHA to grow market share and achieve its growth ambition.
  • International Network: MHA is the UK and Ireland's representative of the BTI Network, a major global network of independent accountancy and business advisory firms spanning 143 territories and generating approximately $5.62 billion in annual revenue. MHA trades under its own brand in the UK, and leverages the Baker Tilly brand and internationally recognised experts for business referrals and cross-border projects.

1 www.accountancytoday.co.uk/top-30-accountancy-firms-uk-2023-2024

Unless otherwise stated, defined terms in this announcement have the same meaning as those in the admission document published by the Company on 10 April 2025.

Business Overview

The Group's services are described below within four divisions:

Audit and Assurance Division

Audit and Assurance is the Group's primary service line. Core services within this division include external audit, financial reporting, governance, risk and compliance and grant and royalty audit. Clients comprise mostly private SME businesses as well as listed companies across multiple sectors. In FY24, the Audit and Assurance division contributed approximately 52% of the Group's total revenue, with the majority derived from audit services.

Tax Division

The Group offers a range of tax services for businesses and individuals, with expertise in both domestic and international tax compliance and advice. In FY24, the Tax division contributed approximately 19% of the Group's total revenue.

Accounting and Business Advisory Division

The Group provides a range of accountancy, business advisory and outsourcing services including corporate finance, restructure and recovery, corporate forensic accounting, HR solutions, payroll, bookkeeping and cloud accounting. In FY24, the Accounting and Business Advisory division contributed approximately 27% of the Group's total revenue.

Wealth Management Division

Wealth management is a more recently established service line and was introduced in its current form through the acquisition of Cave & Sons, a Northampton based financial adviser, in April 2022. In FY24, the Wealth Management division contributed approximately 2% of the Group's total revenue and in April 2024 the Company acquired a wealth management business with the wider acquisition of Northwest based Moore and Smalley.

Current Trading and Prospects

Since the six-month period ended 30 September 2024, the Group has continued to trade in line with the Directors' expectations both as regards revenue growth and operating margins. During this time, the Group has also actively progressed the integration of the acquisitions made in H125 and continues to assess new acquisition opportunities.

The last quarter of each financial year is traditionally the most active for the Group, as many corporate clients move into their annual audit cycle and tax clients filing and payment deadlines arise. These revenues are expected to have built on the Group's strong operational performance in the first nine months of the year.

Given the positive trading performance to date and their assessment of the strength of the Group's growth strategy, transaction pipeline and proven business model, based on organic and selective acquisitive growth, the Directors have confidence in the Group's results for the financial year ended 31 March 2025 and for its prospects beyond.

Dividend policy

The Directors expect the Group to continue to be highly cash-generative following Admission and believe that the Company will be well placed to pay a regular and progressive dividend to Shareholders. The Directors intend to adopt a dividend policy that reflects the long-term earnings and cashflow potential of the Group. Following Admission, the Directors anticipate that the Company will initially adopt a payout ratio of 50 per cent. of the Group's net profit after tax. The Directors intend to pay quarterly dividends, with the first payment expected in December 2025 (i.e. during the third quarter of FY26).

Board of Directors

Executive Directors

Rakesh Shaunak - Chief Executive Officer

Rakesh currently serves as the Managing Partner and Chairman of MHA and will be Chief Executive Officer of MHA from Admission. He is also a Senior Director at Baker Tilly International, where MHA is a UK member. Rakesh is a qualified Chartered Accountant, having trained with a top five firm, and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation. His expertise includes business advisory services, with a significant portfolio of corporate clients. As an Audit Partner, he oversees several of MHA's PIE audits, including those of international banks and listed companies. Additionally, Rakesh is a non-executive director of Glenstone REIT plc and was formerly Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee at the Chartered Institute of Taxation.

Steven Moore - Chief Financial Officer

Steven qualified with MHA and became a partner in 1989. He has been a member of the Board since 2011 with responsibility for the Group's finances and will continue as Chief Financial Officer from Admission. He has worked closely with Rakesh on the Board for the past 13 years and leads on the mergers and acquisitions across the Group. He is Regional Chair of the Central, Midlands and Welsh regions. Steven has a client facing role specialising in the professional practices sector. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and an audit Registered Individual. His experience includes providing business advisory services to mid to large privately owned businesses and subsidiaries of foreign parents.

Non-executive Directors

Geoffrey Barnes - Non-executive Chairman

Geoff formerly served as the executive Chairman of Casson Beckman, a leading mid-tier accountancy and professional services business, and was instrumental in the firm's merger with Baker Tilly in 1997. He later led Baker Tilly International's global growth as CEO, expanding the network and growing revenues to $3.8 billion by the time of his retirement in 2016. He was also previously Chairman of the International Advisory Panel at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales ("ICAEW"), as well as a former member of the ICAEW governing council. Geoff currently serves as the non-executive Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Baker Tilly South East Europe Ltd (a non-statutory position) and as the senior non-executive director and Chairman of the Audit Committee at AIM-quoted CML Microsystems Plc.

Linda Main - Independent Non-executive Director

Linda is an experienced non-executive Director with considerable board experience and expertise in corporate governance structures and risk across a diverse range of businesses. Linda was previously a partner of KPMG LLP, where she led its equity capital markets advisory group. She was a board member of KPMG between 2018 to 2023, as well as chair of its risk committee. Since 2024, she has been a board member of the Quoted Companies Alliance as well as non-executive Director of an AIM quoted company in the energy sector. She is also currently a partner at Gara Strategic Advisory, an advisory firm focused on supporting companies considering an IPO.

Sir Robert ("Bob") Neill KC - Independent Non-executive Director

Sir Bob is an experienced leader, Chairman, and policy expert with a track record in governance, law, and public affairs and was a practising British criminal law barrister, specialising in criminal and complex fraud cases with a regulatory focus, from 1975 to 2008. In 2006, Sir Bob was elected as the Member of Parliament for Bromley and Chislehurst, serving until 2024. During his tenure, he held several significant positions, including Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for London, Local Government, and Planning at the Department for Communities and Local Government from May 2010 to September 2012 and Chair of the Justice Select Committee for the House of Commons from June 2015 to May 2024, where he was an advocate for the criminal justice system and legal aid. From 2002 to 2006, Sir Bob was a non-executive Director for the Northeast London Strategic Health Authority and a Member of the London Assembly from 2000 to 2008. In recognition of his public service, Sir Bob was knighted in the 2020 New Year Honours and was appointed an Honorary King's Counsel in January 2024 for his contribution to political service. As well as having a track record of supporting and building teams from diverse backgrounds to deliver exceptional results, Sir Bob has a law degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

The Company announced the launch of the Retail Offer via Bookbuild on 10 April 2025. Following the close of the Retail Offer on 14 April 2025, the Company notes the following updates to the percentages held following Admission in the tables and disclosures published in its Admission Document dated 10 April 2025, as a result of the dilution from the Retail Offer.

DIRECTORS' SHAREHOLDINGS AND OTHER INTERESTS

NameNumber of Existing Ordinary SharesPercentage of Existing Ordinary SharesNumber of Ordinary Shares immediately following AdmissionPercentage of enlarged share capital immediately following Admission*Number of Ordinary Shares under option immediately following Admission
Rakesh Shaunak5,121,4132.96%5,121,4131.89%500,000
Steven Moore4,548,2332.63%4,548,2331.68%350,000
Andrew Moyser3,430,5331.98%3,430,5331.26%-
Martin Herron3,917,7362.26%3,917,7361.44%-
Katherine Simon2,742,7181.58%2,742,7181.01%-
Graham Gordon*3,086,6251.78%3,166,6251.17%-
Geoffrey Barnes--10,0000.00%-
Linda Main--10,0000.00%-
Sir Robert Neill KC--10,0000.00%-
Total22,847,25813.19%22,957,2588.46%850,000
*includes shares held by persons closely associated
SIGNIFICANT SHAREHOLDERS AND OTHER INTERESTS
Immediately following the Fundraising and Admission
Significant ShareholderNumber of Existing Ordinary SharesPercentage of Existing Share CapitalNumber of Ordinary SharesPercentage of enlarged share capital
Octopus Investments Limited--26,892,7889.92%
EBT26,000,00015.0%26,000,0009.59%
Gresham House Asset Management Limited--20,000,0007.37%

CONCERT PARTY POSITION AND RULE 9 IMPLICATIONS

Under paragraph (10) of the definition of "acting in concert" in the Takeover Code, it is presumed (unless the contrary can be established) that a concert party arises in relation to members of a partnership who sell their shares in that company in consideration for the issue of new shares in a company to which the Takeover Code applies, or who, following the re-registration of that company as a public company in connection with an initial public offering or otherwise, become shareholders in a company to which the Takeover Code applies.

The Company has agreed with the Takeover Panel that all partners in MHA LLP who become shareholders of the Company on Admission are regarded as acting in concert with each other (the "Concert Party") in relation to the Company for the purposes of paragraph (10) of the definition of "acting in concert" in the Takeover Code.

Immediately following Admission, the Concert Party will be interested (directly or indirectly) in approximately 54.4% ("Concert Party Voting Rights Percentage") of the voting rights of the Company and given the Concert Party Voting Rights Percentage represents more than 50% of voting rights in the Company (for so long as they continue to be treated as acting in concert), the Concert Party may accordingly increase their aggregate interests in their shareholding without incurring any further obligation under Rule 9 of the Takeover Code to make a general offer, although individual members of the Concert Party or any sub-group of such concert party will not be able to increase their percentage interest in shares through or between a Rule 9 threshold (to or through 30 per cent. of the voting rights or any increase between (and including) 30 per cent but no more than 50% of the voting rights) without Takeover Panel consent. If the Takeover Panel consent is not obtained, the Concert Party will incur an obligation under Rule 9 of the Takeover Code to make a general offer for all the outstanding shares in the Company.

1Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated
a)NameJaimee Moore
2Reason for the notification
a)Position/statusPerson closely associated with Steve Moore, Chief Financial Officer
b)Initial notification/AmendmentInitial notification
a)NameMHA plc
b)LEI6488GWOR8UO490L88275
a)Description of the financial instrument, type of instrumentOrdinary shares of 1p each
Identification codeGB00BV0VHK88
b)Nature of the transactionPurchase of Ordinary Shares
c)Price(s) and volumes(s)Price(s)Volume(s)
£1.0020,000
d)Aggregated information
Aggregated volumeN/A
PriceN/A
e)Date of the transaction14 April 2025
f)Place of the transactionOutside a trading venue
1Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated
a)NameClaire Marie Gordon
2Reason for the notification
a)Position/statusPerson closely associated with Graham Gordon, Partner and a PDMR
b)Initial notification/AmendmentInitial notification
a)NameMHA plc
b)LEI6488GWOR8UO490L88275
a)Description of the financial instrument, type of instrumentOrdinary shares of 1p each
Identification codeGB00BV0VHK88
b)Nature of the transactionPurchase of Ordinary Shares
c)Price(s) and volumes(s)Price(s)Volume(s)
£1.0080,000
d)Aggregated information
Aggregated volumeN/A
PriceN/A
e)Date of the transaction14 April 2025
f)Place of the transactionOutside a trading venue

Cleaned text: letterheads, contacts and legal notices removed. View the original announcement ↗ · Company filings. Not investment advice.

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