BlackRock, Inc. has notified FIRSTGROUP PLC of an acquisition or disposal of voting rights, crossing the threshold on May 13, 2024. The resulting situation on the date of the threshold being reached indicates that BlackRock, Inc. holds below 5% of voting rights attached to shares and below 5% of voting rights through financial instruments. The notification also includes details of the controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the financial instruments are effectively held, starting with the ultimate controlling natural person or legal entities.

The notification reveals that BlackRock, Inc. holds its voting rights through a complex chain of controlled undertakings, including Trident Merger, LLC, BlackRock Investment Management, LLC, BlackRock Holdco 2, Inc., BlackRock Financial Management, Inc., BlackRock International Holdings, Inc., BR Jersey International Holdings L.P., BlackRock Cayman 1 LP, BlackRock Cayman West Bay Finco Limited, BlackRock Cayman West Bay IV Limited, BlackRock Group Limited, BlackRock Finance Europe Limited, BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, BlackRock Australia Holdco Pty. Ltd., BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited, BlackRock Holdco 4, LLC, BlackRock Holdco 6, LLC, BlackRock Delaware Holdings Inc., BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, National Association, and BlackRock Fund Advisors.

This notification provides transparency regarding the changes in voting rights within FIRSTGROUP PLC and the intricate structure through which these rights are held by BlackRock, Inc.