Compass Group PLC has disclosed the acquisition of 116,000 of its ordinary shares on 14 February 2024. The shares were purchased through the Company's broker, BNP Paribas Financial Markets, and will be held in treasury. The purpose of the acquisition is to fulfill obligations arising from employee share schemes or other allocations of ordinary shares to employees or directors. The total number of voting rights in the Company is now 1,707,001,241 ordinary shares. This figure may be used by shareholders for the calculations to determine if they are required to notify their interest in the Company under the Financial Conduct Authority's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.
The purchases are part of the Company's market equivalent of $250 million share buyback announced on 4 December 2023, which is the initial stage of the Company's $500 million share buyback announced on 20 November 2023. The buyback is expected to be completed in 2024, subject to M&A activity. The Company now holds 78,402,736 ordinary shares in treasury and has 1,707,001,241 ordinary shares in issue.
The detailed breakdown of individual trades made by BNP Paribas Financial Markets on behalf of the Company as part of the share buyback program is available for review. This announcement does not constitute an offer or solicitation of an offer for securities in any jurisdiction.
For further information, investors can contact Agatha Donnelly & Helen Javanshiri at +44 (0) 1932 573 000, and for press inquiries, Giles Robinson at +44 (0) 1932 963 486. More details can be found on the company's website.