Profit forecasts for future financial periods

1. The Panel will normally grant a dispensation from the requirement to include reports from reporting accountants and the financial adviser(s) in the case of a profit forecast for a financial period ending more than 15 months from the date on which it is, or was, first published. Where such a dispensation is granted, the offer document or offeree board circular (as appropriate), or any earlier document or announcement published during the offer period in which the profit forecast is referred to or first published, must include the directors’ confirmations referred to in Rule 28.1(c)(i). Alternatively, in the case of a profit forecast which was published before the offer period commenced, the document or announcement may include a statement by the directors that the profit forecast is no longer valid and an explanation of why that is the case.

2. Except with the consent of the Panel, if, during the offer period (or in an announcement which commences an offer period), the offeree company or a securities exchange offeror either publishes for the first time or repeats a profit forecast for a future financial year, the document or announcement must include a corresponding profit forecast for the current financial year and for each intervening financial year. The requirements of Rule 28.1(a), (b) or (c)(i) (as appropriate) will apply to each such forecast for a financial year ending 15 months or less from the date on which it is, or was, first published and the requirements of Rule 28.2(a) will normally apply to each such forecast for a financial year ending more than 15 months from the date on which it is, or was, first published.