Market Newsdesk

CI Financial Establishes U.S. Headquarters in Miami

Fast-growing C$320-billion wealth and asset management firm makes strategic move to support continued U.S. expansion

MIAMI & TORONTO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CI Financial Corp. (“CI”) (TSX: CIX; NYSE: CIXX), a diversified global asset and wealth management company, announces the establishment of its U.S. headquarters in Miami.

The addition of a headquarters in Florida follows CI’s rapid wealth management expansion in the U.S., with the company acquiring or agreeing to acquire 21 registered investment advisor firms (including affiliate acquisitions) in 19 months since rolling out a new corporate strategy. During this period, CI’s U.S. assets have reached C$92 billion (US$73 billion). CI’s total assets globally have grown to C$320 billion (US$254 billion), up from C$176 billion (US$131 billion) only 18 months ago – making CI one of the fastest-growing asset and wealth management companies globally. (Asset levels as at August 31, 2021.)

Establishing the Miami headquarters serves as a natural evolution of CI’s expansion in the U.S. This office will oversee the continued development of CI Private Wealth, the brand name for CI’s U.S. platform.

“Miami is an incredible place to establish our U.S. headquarters and support our fast-growing U.S. business,” said Kurt MacAlpine, Chief Executive Officer of CI Financial. “It serves as the next logical step for our expansion plans as we work to build the leading high-net-worth wealth management platform in the country. In addition, Miami is a vibrant, multicultural city that offers a deep talent pool, an attractive location for recruiting and a very business-friendly environment.”

The office, located in the city’s Brickell district, will be home to CI’s U.S. operations and the primary location for its U.S. leadership team. CI’s executive officers will divide their time between the Miami and Toronto offices. CI expects to expand its presence in Miami over time as the firm continues to execute against its U.S. corporate strategy.

“We are thrilled to welcome CI Financial to Florida,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Their move is the latest example of our welcoming business climate at work – something we continue to see from Miami to Pensacola. We appreciate CI Financial’s commitment to our state and wish them all the success.”

“CI Financial is the largest financial institution to ever place a headquarters in South Florida,” said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. “The significance of this cannot be overstated and moves us further towards our goal to become the ’capital of capital.’ We thank Kurt MacAlpine, the board of directors, their executive team, and our own Venture Miami team for supporting their move to the City of Miami.”

Oragenics Initiates COVID-19 Challenge Study Evaluating Multiple Formulations of its SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Candidate

Intranasal and Intramuscular Formulations to be Assessed with Novel Adjuvants

TAMPA, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Oragenics, Inc. (NYSE American: OGEN) (“Oragenics” or the “Company”) today announced the initiation of a study to evaluate the immunogenicity and viral load reduction impact of its SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate in a hamster challenge study. The study will provide data for several vaccine formulations, using adjuvants specific for both intranasal and intramuscular routes of administration. An assessment of cross-neutralization titers against the Wuhan, Beta and Delta variants of COVID-19 and reduction in the viral load of the Wuhan challenge virus will be used to establish the most promising formulations to advance to human clinical studies. The study is being conducted by the Company’s Canadian collaborator with results expected in November.

“We are delighted to have begun this important study on schedule and soon after receiving favorable results from our mouse immunogenicity study. We believe the results from this hamster challenge study will further affirm our development strategy for Terra CoV-2. We have particular interest for the intranasal delivery route. The findings from this second preclinical study will be a part of our Investigational New Drug filing to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, expected to be made in the first quarter of 2022, to advance the most promising formulations into human clinical studies,” said Frederick W. Telling, Ph.D., Executive Chairman of Oragenics.

About Oragenics, Inc.

Oragenics, Inc. is a development-stage company dedicated to fighting infectious diseases including coronaviruses and multidrug-resistant organisms. Its lead product is Terra CoV-2, a vaccine candidate to prevent COVID-19 and variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The Terra CoV-2 program leverages coronavirus spike protein research licensed from the NIH and the NRC with a focus on addressing supply-chain challenges, and offering more patient-friendly administration, such as intranasal. Its lantibiotics program features a novel class of antibiotics against bacteria that have developed resistance to commercial antibiotics.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions and information currently available. The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “project” and similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters identify forward-looking statements. Investors should be cautious in relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following: the Company’s ability to advance the development of Terra CoV-2 and lantibiotics under the timelines and in accord with the milestones it projects; the Company’s ability to obtain funding, non-dilutive or otherwise, for the development of the vaccine product candidate, Terra CoV-2 and our lantibiotics, whether through its own cash on hand, or another alternative source; the regulatory application process, research and development stages, and future clinical data and analysis relating to Terra CoV-2 and lantibiotics, including any meetings, decisions by regulatory authorities, such as the FDA and investigational review boards, whether favorable or unfavorable; the potential application of Terra CoV-2 to variants and other coronaviruses; the Company’s ability to obtain, maintain and enforce necessary patent and other intellectual property protection; the nature of competition and development relating to COVID-19 immunization and therapeutic treatments and demand for vaccines and antibiotics; the Company’s expectations as to administration, manufacturing, storage and distribution; other potential adverse impacts due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, such as delays in regulatory review, interruptions to manufacturers and supply chains, adverse impacts on healthcare systems and disruption of the global economy; and general economic and market conditions and risks, as well as other uncertainties described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information set forth in this press release is as of the date hereof. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included in this press release and not place undue reliance on such statements. We do not assume any obligation to publicly provide revisions or updates to any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210915005418/en/

Oragenics, Inc.

Michael Sullivan, Chief Financial Officer

813-286-7900

[email protected]

Or

LHA Investor Relations

Kim Golodetz

212-838-3777

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: Florida United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Biotechnology Infectious Diseases Health Pharmaceutical Clinical Trials

MEDIA:

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NICE Expands its Global Reach with Bell Canada

Bell to provide state-of-the-art cloud contact center services to Canadian businesses of all sizes with NICE CXone on Canada’s largest voice and data network

HOBOKEN, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–NICE(Nasdaq: NICE)today announced an agreement with Bell (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company, to expand access to NICE CXone for Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) in Canada. CXone, the world’s most comprehensive omnichannel offering in the CCaaS market, will provide Bell customers the industry-leading contact center platform combined with Bell’s ultra-fast speed and low latency network that contact centers need for highly flexible, digital-first customer experiences.

In today’s competitive digital landscape, contact centers play an integral role in fostering customer relationships and building a community of highly engaged brand advocates. Key to establishing these connections is an all-in-one and cloud native omnichannel contact center, which enables the seamless movement between self-service and agent-assisted customer service channels. In fact, the 2020 NICE Customer Experience (CX) Transformational Benchmark, Consumer Wave, which surveyed more than 2,500 consumers across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, found that regardless of where they begin an interaction, 94 percent of consumers say they want seamless access to a customer service agent. Further, 83 percent say that they expect to switch to chat, text or phone in the same interaction. CXone, offered by Bell, will help Canada-based contact centers meet and exceed these expectations.

“With the breakneck speed with which consumer preferences evolve, companies must continue to keep pace with the customer experience they are delivering,” said Paul Jarman, CEO, NICE CXone. “CXone delivers all the capabilities businesses need to innovate and grow, and is the only CCaaS platform with an embedded AI engine. The combination of CXone with Canada’s largest network and contact center business services brings a reliable, scalable and innovative solution to businesses that want to ensure every customer experience is a positive one.”

NICE and Bell together will combine their respective strengths to provide Canadian businesses with an advanced contact center solution with CXone, the leader in CCaaS, and Bell’s advanced high-speed network with built-in security and redundancy. Bell works with organizations of all sizes to build solutions that work for their business, from solution design and technology integration to 24/7 bilingual support. Now with CXone, Bell can help these organizations implement a digital-first omnichannel strategy so that they can stay connected with their customers anywhere, anytime and on any device.

“By partnering with NICE CXone, Bell is offering customers the most comprehensive and flexible platform designed to provide the best in customer service,” said Jeremy Wubs, Bell’s Senior Vice President of Product, Marketing and Professional Services. “With Bell’s 25 years in contact center expertise and our fast, reliable and secure network, customers will have access to the latest technologies and strategies to reduce costs, boost efficiency and exceed customer expectations.”

NICE continues to invest in innovation to help customers deliver exceptional customer experiences. With over 2,300 R&D staff, NICE holds more than 400 patents. With digital-first omnichannel, CXone makes it possible for organizations of all sizes across the globe to reach more customers, using voice and a vast range of digital channels such as SMS text, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, or WhatsApp – all unified on the CXone cloud customer experience platform.

About NICE

With NICE (Nasdaq: NICE), it’s never been easier for organizations of all sizes around the globe to create extraordinary customer experiences while meeting key business metrics. Featuring the world’s #1 cloud native customer experience platform, CXone, NICE is a worldwide leader in AI-powered contact center software. Over 25,000 organizations in more than 150 countries, including over 85 of the Fortune 100 companies, partner with NICE to transform – and elevate – every customer interaction. www.nice.com.

Trademark Note: NICE and the NICE logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NICE Ltd. All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners. For a full list of NICE’s marks, please see: www.nice.com/nice-trademarks.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements, including the statements by Paul Jarman, are based on the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of NICE Ltd. (the “Company”). In some cases, such forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as “believe,” “expect,” “seek,” “may,” “will,” “intend,” “should,” “project,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “estimate,” or similar words. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results or performance of the Company to differ materially from those described herein, including but not limited to the impact of changes in economic and business conditions, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; competition; successful execution of the Company’s growth strategy; success and growth of the Company’s cloud Software-as-a-Service business; changes in technology and market requirements; decline in demand for the Company’s products; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications; difficulties or delays in absorbing and integrating acquired operations, products, technologies and personnel; loss of market share; an inability to maintain certain marketing and distribution arrangements; the Company’s dependency on third-party cloud computing platform providers, hosting facilities and service partners; cyber security attacks or other security breaches against the Company; the effect of newly enacted or modified laws, regulation or standards on the Company and our products and various other factors and uncertainties discussed in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). For a more detailed description of the risk factors and uncertainties affecting the company, refer to the Company’s reports filed from time to time with the SEC, including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise them, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210915005316/en/

Corporate Media Contact

Christopher Irwin-Dudek, +1 201 561 4442, [email protected] ET

Investors

Marty Cohen, +1 551 256 5354, [email protected], ET

Omri Arens, +972 3 763 0127, [email protected], CET

KEYWORDS: United States North America New Jersey

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Telecommunications Software Networks Internet Data Management Technology Other Technology Security

MEDIA:

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Independent Proxy Advisory Firm Glass Lewis Recommends LSB Industries, Inc. Stockholders Vote “FOR” Exchange Transaction

LSB Urges Stockholders to Vote “FOR” ALL Transaction-Related Proposals

Stockholders Needing Assistance in Voting Should Contact

LSB’s Proxy Solicitor, Okapi Partners LLC, at (877) 869-0171 or [email protected]

OKLAHOMA CITY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
LSB Industries, Inc. (NYSE:LXU) (“LSB” or the “Company”) today announced that independent proxy advisory firm, Glass Lewis, has recommended that LSB shareholders vote “FOR” all of the proposals in the Definitive Proxy Statement filed by the Company on August 26, 2021 relating to the Company’s agreement (the “Exchange Agreement”) with LSB Funding LLC, an affiliate of Eldridge Industries, LLC (“Eldridge”), to exchange the shares of LSB Series E-1 and Series F-1 Redeemable Preferred Stock held by Eldridge for shares of LSB common stock.

Glass Lewis, in its report dated September 14, 2021, indicates that¹, “Here, we understand that the proposed exchange agreement was arrived at following a strategic review process and following considerable discussions and negotiations with Eldridge. For its part, the board formed a special committee of independent directors to oversee this process and worked with outside legal and financial advisors. The proposed exchange would remove LSB Lender’s right to require the Company to pay in 2023 approximately $419 million of liquidation value that would be due under the Preferred Shares at that time and would provide greater financial flexibility, including to pursue future merger and acquisition transactions. The board states that the proposed exchange would improve the Company’s capital structure and credit metrics and simplify its balance sheet with the removal of the Preferred Shares. The exchange is expected to reduce the Company’s net debt leverage from 9.0x to 5.6x its adjusted EBITDA as of June 30, 2021 on a trailing twelve month basis and would not involve any cash consideration, preserving cash and avoiding additional leverage that could be used for other strategic initiatives . . . . Overall, we find that the proposed exchange appears reasonable to the Company and its shareholders. Based on these factors and the support of the board, we believe the exchange agreement is in the best interest of shareholders.”

Mark Behrman, LSB’s President and CEO, stated, “The Glass Lewis recommendation in favor of our proposed exchange transaction further supports our position that this transaction is strongly aligned with the interests of LSB’s shareholders through the greater financial flexibility and reduced cost of capital it will provide, which we expect will better enable us to drive growth in earnings and cash flow. We urge LSB stockholders to follow the Glass Lewis recommendation and vote `FOR’ the transaction today.”

Transaction Highlights:

• Eliminates the current financial impact and repayment of the accrued compounding preferred stock and future accruing dividends at 14.5% (increasing to 16.0% in April 2023) unburdening the Company and unlocking shareholder value.
• The Special Committee, Board of Directors and LSB management believe this could lead to a rating upgrade potentially allowing the Company to refinance its senior secured notes at a lower interest rate and on improved terms, which would reduce its cash interest expense and overall cost of capital.
• Improves the Company’s financial flexibility allowing it to pursue organic growth initiatives, including in green ammonia and clean energy and accretive M&A opportunities.
• Preserves the Company’s significant tax attributes, including approximately $620 million of federal net operating losses, thereby protecting potentially significant future cash savings and stockholder value.

LSB will hold a Special Meeting of LSB stockholders that will be conducted virtually via live webcast at 8:30 am Central Daylight Time on September 22, 2021, which can be accessed by visiting www.proxydocs.com/LXU. The Company’s proxy statement is available at https://investors.lsbindustries.com/financial-information/sec-filings and www.sec.gov. Stockholders of record at the close of business on August 2, 2021 will be entitled to vote their shares at the Special Meeting. Stockholders who have questions, or need assistance in voting their shares should contact LSB’s proxy solicitor, Okapi Partners LLC, at (877) 869-0171 or via email at [email protected].

About LSB Industries, Inc.

LSB Industries, Inc., headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, manufactures and sells chemical products for the agricultural, mining, and industrial markets. The Company owns and operates facilities in Cherokee, Alabama, El Dorado, Arkansas and Pryor, Oklahoma, and operates a facility for a global chemical company in Baytown, Texas. LSB’s products are sold through distributors and directly to end customers primarily throughout the United States. Additional information about the Company can be found on its website at www.lsbindustries.com.

About Eldridge Industries, LLC

Eldridge Industries, LLC invests in businesses across the Insurance, Asset Management, Technology, Mobility, Sports & Gaming, Media & Music, Real Estate, and Consumer landscapes. The firm seeks to build and grow businesses led by proven management teams that have demonstrated leadership and experience to scale an enterprise. Eldridge Industries, LLC is headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, with additional offices in Beverly Hills, New York, and London. Additional information about Eldridge Industries, LLC can be found on its website at www.eldridge.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this release that are not historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and anticipated performance based on our growth and other strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or actual achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or anticipated achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Significant risks and uncertainties may relate to, but are not limited to, our ability to consummate the exchange transaction on the terms described herein and in the definitive proxy statement referred to herein or at all, business and market disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, market conditions and price volatility for our products and feedstocks, as well as global and regional economic downturns, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, that adversely affect the demand for our end-use products; disruptions in production at our manufacturing facilities; and other financial, economic, competitive, environmental, political, legal and regulatory factors. These and other risk factors are discussed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for our management to predict all risks and uncertainties, nor can management assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Although we believe the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance or achievements. Neither we nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Unless otherwise required by applicable laws, we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information or future developments.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made, except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption from the registration requirements thereof.

Additional Information about the Exchange Transaction and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed transaction, LSB has filed with the SEC a proxy statement for the special meeting of LSB stockholders and may also file other relevant documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction. This communication is not a substitute for the proxy statement or any other document that LSB may file with the SEC. The definitive proxy statement was mailed to LSB stockholders commencing on August 26, 2021. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT MAY BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THOSE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT LSB AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement and other documents containing important information about LSB and the proposed transaction, once such documents are filed with the SEC, through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by LSB may be obtained free of charge on LSB’s website at www.lsbindustries.com or by contacting Michael Foster, General Counsel and Secretary by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-510-3596.

Participants in the Solicitation

LSB and certain of its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of LSB, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in LSB’s proxy statement for its 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 19, 2021 and its proxy statement for the special meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on August 26, 2021, and LSB’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, which was filed with the SEC on February 25, 2021. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitations and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is contained in the proxy statement and other relevant materials filed with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction. Investors should read the proxy statement carefully before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from LSB using the sources indicated above.

¹ Permission to quote from the Glass Lewis report was neither sought nor obtained.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210915005193/en/

Company Contact:

Cheryl Maguire, Executive Vice President & CFO

(405) 510-3524

Fred Buonocore, CFA, Vice President of Investor Relations

(405) 510-3550

[email protected]

Shareholder Contact:

Okapi Partners LLC

(877) 869-0171

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: United States North America Oklahoma

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Chemicals/Plastics Manufacturing

MEDIA:

Posted on September 15, 2021 7:33 am

Cazoo Acquires SMH Fleet Solutions … doubling its reconditioning, logistics & storage capabilities

Cazoo Acquires SMH Fleet Solutions … doubling its reconditioning, logistics & storage capabilities

• SMH is one of the UK’s leading vehicle preparation, logistics & storage businesses
• Operating from 6 sites across the UK for reconditioning, imaging, storage & delivery
• Team of over 500 experienced vehicle preparation staff and 300 logistics specialists
• Including own online auction platform for remarketing used cars to wholesale market
• Combines Cazoo’s world-class consumer platform with SMH’s leading infrastructure
• Deal will double Cazoo’s UK reconditioning and logistics capability & storage capacity
• Providing Cazoo with a total of 11 reconditioning/storage sites across over 265 acres 
• Creates significant opportunity for Cazoo to scale its operations in line with its growth

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Cazoo (NYSE: CZOO), the UK’s leading online car retailer, which makes buying and selling a car as simple and seamless as ordering any other product online, today announced that it has acquired SMH Fleet Solutions (SMH), one of the UK’s leading vehicle preparation, logistics and storage businesses.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210915005095/en/

Bedford: one of six sites Cazoo now owns as part of its acquisition of SMH Fleet Solutions – one of the UK’s leading vehicle preparation, logistics and storage businesses. (Photo: Business Wire)

Established in 2003, SMH has a team of over 500 expert staff currently processing more than 70,000 vehicle refurbishments annually from 6 vehicle preparation sites across 136 acres in Bedford, Gloucester, Throckmorton, Worcester and St Helens. SMH also carries out over 150,000 vehicle movements per year with a team of over 300 logistics specialists as well as operating an online wholesale platform for used cars.

The combination of Cazoo’s world-class online retail platform and brand with SMH’s leading infrastructure and expertise will double Cazoo’s overall vehicle reconditioning, logistics and storage capabilities in the UK with 11 total sites across more than 265 acres, as well as providing it with an experienced team of hundreds of additional vehicle preparation and logistics specialists and its own digital wholesale platform.

This deal will provide Cazoo with one of the most extensive portfolios of vehicle preparation sites and production capabilities in the UK to meet its rapid growth plans. Once fully integrated, Cazoo will have the capacity to recondition and deliver hundreds of thousands of cars per year and store tens of thousands of cars, helping to secure its future requirements and materially de-risk its ability to meet its growth targets.

Cazoo is one of the fastest growing businesses in Europe, pioneering the shift to online car buying and selling and this acquisition follows its listing on the NYSE last month. Cazoo has already sold over 35,000 cars in the UK since its launch less than 2 years ago as consumers have embraced the selection, value, transparency and convenience of buying and selling used cars entirely online.

Cazoo has recently launched an all-inclusive monthly subscription service for new cars as well as now buying used cars directly from consumers in the UK and is gearing up to launch later this year in both France and Germany. Cazoo owns and fully reconditions all of its cars before offering them on its website for either delivery or collection in as little as 72 hours and has thousands of cars available at any time.

Cazoo has acquired SMH for approximately £70m in cash from LDC and other minority shareholders. The transaction is expected to have a negligible impact on Cazoo’s FY2021 operating results.

Alex Chesterman OBE, Founder & CEO of Cazoo said: “Given strong consumer demand, the only real constraint to our future growth is ensuring that we have adequate capability to recondition, store and deliver enough cars to keep up. By acquiring SMH, this helps solve that and de-risks our future growth by immediately doubling our number of vehicle preparation sites and significantly enhancing our team of vehicle preparation and logistics staff. I look forward to welcoming the SMH team to Cazoo.

“Buying or selling a car entirely online from the comfort of your home and having it delivered or collected in a matter of days, just like any other product today, is clearly resonating with consumers and our record growth continues as they embrace the selection, value, quality and convenience of our proposition.”

Tim Hudson, CEO at SMH Fleet Solutions said, “We’re delighted to be joining forces with Alex and the team at Cazoo and see this as a perfect fit for SMH. We have built one of the leading teams in vehicle preparation and logistics in the UK and are very well placed to support the remarkable pace of growth at Cazoo and help it deliver on its mission of providing the best car buying and selling experience in the UK.”

About Cazoo – www.cazoo.co.uk

Our mission is to transform the car buying and selling experience across the UK & Europe by providing better selection, value, transparency, convenience and peace of mind. Our aim is to make buying or selling a car no different to ordering any other product online, where consumers can simply and seamlessly buy, sell, finance or subscribe to a car entirely online for delivery or collection in as little as 72 hours. Cazoo was founded in 2018 by serial entrepreneur Alex Chesterman OBE, is backed some of the leading technology investors globally and is publicly traded (NYSE: CZOO).

About SMH Fleet Solutions – www.smhfleet.com

We provide a full suite of fleet management services including preparation, refurbishment, remarketing and delivery of vehicles to a broad range of automotive customers. Our team are experts in vehicle management and providing ancillary services and our commitment to service and quality is at the forefront of all our business activity. SMH has continued to expand its footprint in recent years with new sites across the UK and expansion into new business areas.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbour” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The expectations, estimates, and projections of the business of Cazoo may differ from its actual results and, consequently, you should not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: (1) realizing the benefits expected from the business combination with Ajax I (the “Business Combination”); (2) achieving the expected revenue growth and effectively managing growth; (3) executing Cazoo’s expansion strategy in Europe; (4) acquiring and integrating other companies; (5) achieving and maintaining profitability in the future; (6) having access to suitable and sufficient vehicle inventory for resale to customers and for Cazoo’s subscription offering and refurbishing and selling inventory expeditiously and efficiently; (7) expanding Cazoo’s subscription offering; (8) increasing Cazoo’s service offerings and price optimization; (9) effectively promoting Cazoo’s brand and increasing brand awareness; (10) expanding Cazoo’s product offerings and introducing additional products and services; (11) enhancing future operating and financial results; (12) acquiring and protecting intellectual property; (13) attracting, training and retaining key personnel; (14) complying with laws and regulations applicable to Cazoo’s business; (15) successfully deploying the proceeds from the Business Combination; and (16) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in the registration statement on Form F-4 and the proxy statement/prospectus included therein filed by Cazoo Group Ltd (f/k/a Capri Listco). The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the disclosure included in other documents filed by Cazoo from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Cazoo assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Cazoo gives no assurance that it

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210915005095/en/

Media:

Cazoo: Lawrence Hall, Group Communications Director, [email protected]

Brunswick: Chris Blundell / Simone Selzer +44 20 7404 5959 / [email protected]

Investor Relations:

Cazoo: Robert Berg, Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Finance, [email protected]

ICR: [email protected]

KEYWORDS: New York Europe United States United Kingdom North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Aftermarket Other Retail Automotive Other Energy Other Automotive Alternative Energy Energy Retail Online Retail Fleet Management

MEDIA:

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Worcester: one of six sites Cazoo now owns as part of its acquisition of SMH Fleet Solutions – one of the UK’s leading vehicle preparation, logistics and storage businesses. (Photo: Business Wire)

Photo

Bedford: one of six sites Cazoo now owns as part of its acquisition of SMH Fleet Solutions – one of the UK’s leading vehicle preparation, logistics and storage businesses. (Photo: Business Wire)

CBRE Unveils New Brand Positioning that Underscores Company’s Evolution into Diversified Global Business

Brand Vision Emphasizes Company’s Multidimensional Expertise Across all Aspects of Commercial Real Estate

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBRE), the global leader in commercial real estate services and investment, today announced new brand positioning including a new vision, “Realizing Potential in Every Dimension” and global corporate website. The new positioning underscores the company’s continued evolution into a provider of highly diversified, integrated services that meet the full range of investor and occupier requirements at all stages of the real estate lifecycle.

“CBRE has evolved significantly as we have strengthened and diversified our business across four dimensions – asset types, lines of business, clients and geographies. Just as our service offering has evolved, we’re moving the CBRE brand forward, reflecting our success in delivering differentiated outcomes for all our stakeholders,” said Bob Sulentic, the company’s president and chief executive officer.

The strategic pillars that support the brand positioning include:

• Strategic Partnering, which underscores the company’s dedication to deep, strategic relationships with investor and occupier clients.
• Integrated Solutions, which represents CBRE’s ability to combine multiple capabilities in tailoring solutions for today’s interdependent real estate needs.
• Data and Insights, which highlights CBRE’s ability to harness the power of the world’s largest repository of commercial real estate information and data.

CBRE also unveiled a reimagined and re-designed global website to better support client needs as they seek insights and resources for increasingly complex business challenges.

Benji Baer, CBRE’s chief marketing officer, said: “From property leasing and sales, to workplace experience consultation, to enabling sustainable investments, CBRE plays a central role in helping businesses and people to thrive. Clients are being more thoughtful about their real estate needs than ever before and require more from their business partners. Our new positioning reflects the distinct value our multidimensional expertise delivers and our ability to drive superior solutions for our clients.”

About CBRE Group, Inc.

CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE: CBRE), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2020 revenue). The company has more than 100,000 employees serving clients in more than 100 countries. CBRE serves a diverse range of clients with an integrated suite of services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com. We routinely post important information on our website, including corporate and investor presentations and financial information. We intend to use our website as a means of disclosing material, non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Such disclosures will be included in the Investor Relations section of our website at https://ir.cbre.com. Accordingly, investors should monitor such portion of our website, in addition to following our press releases, Securities and Exchange Commission filings and public conference calls and webcasts.

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Lindsay Wester

+1 508 733 8660

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: United States North America Texas

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Professional Services Commercial Building & Real Estate Finance Construction & Property Consulting REIT

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TPG RE Finance Trust, Inc. to Participate in the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2021 Global Real Estate Virtual Conference

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
TPG RE Finance Trust, Inc. (NYSE: TRTX) (the “Company”) today announced that senior members of its management team are scheduled to conduct virtual meetings with investors at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2021 Global Real Estate Virtual Conference on September 21, 2021.

The Company’s presentation will be available on the Investor Relations section of TRTX’s website at http://investors.tpgrefinance.com/event.

ABOUT TRTX

TPG RE Finance Trust, Inc. is a commercial real estate finance company that originates, acquires, and manages primarily first mortgage loans secured by institutional properties located in primary and select secondary markets in the United States. The Company is externally managed by TPG RE Finance Trust Management, L.P., a part of TPG Real Estate, which is the real estate investment platform of global alternative asset firm TPG. For more information regarding TRTX, visit https://www.tpgrefinance.com/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210915005074/en/

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(212) 405-8500

[email protected]

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Courtney Power

(415) 743-1550

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: New York United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Finance Banking Professional Services Residential Building & Real Estate Construction & Property

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Posted on September 15, 2021 7:31 am

Tradeweb Partners with CFETS to Launch Southbound Bond Connect Extending China Footprint

Tradeweb Partners with CFETS to Launch Southbound Bond Connect Extending China Footprint

New trading channel provides mainland Chinese investors with streamlined access to offshore fixed income markets

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Tradeweb Markets Inc. (Nasdaq: TW), a leading global operator of electronic marketplaces for rates, credit, equities and money markets, today announced it will expand its trading link with CFETS under the Bond Connect channel on September 24 to allow mainland China onshore institutions to invest in Hong Kong’s fixed income markets. Tradeweb was the first platform to enable offshore investors to buy and sell Chinese onshore bonds via its fully electronic request-for-quote (RFQ) trading link to Northbound Bond Connect. More than $900 billion in CNY cash bonds trades has been done via Tradeweb since the launch of Bond Connect in July 2017. Last year, Tradeweb once again partnered with the China Foreign Exchange Trade System (CFETS) to deliver the first fully electronic RFQ access to China Interbank Bond Market (CIBM) Direct, another popular route for overseas investors connecting to and trading in the Chinese onshore bond market.

Lee Olesky, CEO of Tradeweb Markets, said: “After being selected as the first platform to link to Bond Connect and China’s $15 trillion onshore bond market, we are honored to be chosen again as a launch partner for Southbound trading. This latest milestone is the result of Tradeweb’s close collaboration with CFETS to create access channels that help open up China’s financial markets. Tradeweb is at the forefront of digitizing and modernizing fixed income trading, so we look forward to working collaboratively with local participants to improve their access to liquidity and workflow efficiency in these markets.”

Yi Zhang, President of CFETS, commented: “We are pleased to be partnering again with Tradeweb to achieve Bond Connect’s fundamental objective to serve as a mutual access pathway for fixed income investors in mainland China and overseas. The success of Northbound trading is proof that electronic execution is the way forward for bond market participants, and we are excited to see how it can further enhance onshore investors’ Southbound trading experience.”

Through the new Southbound Bond Connect solution between CFETS and Tradeweb, onshore institutional investors can conduct price discovery, trade negotiation and trade execution with Tradeweb’s network of regional and international liquidity providers in the offshore bond markets, via fully-electronic RFQ. The expansion of Bond Connect provides onshore institutions with more ways to diversify their fixed income investment portfolios.

James Sun, Tradeweb’s Head of Asia, added: “The launch of Southbound trading is a significant development for Bond Connect and the result of many years of meticulous planning and hard work from CFETS and Tradeweb in China. Our teams in Shanghai and Hong Kong continue to work closely with investors and liquidity providers to ensure the success of the new trading channel, and we look forward to collaborating with them further to streamline onshore investors’ access to the international fixed income markets.”

Tradeweb has been regulated in Hong Kong and Singapore since 2004. Its first Asia local currency products – Japanese Government Bonds and Yen Interest Rate Swaps – went live in 2008. Three years later, Tradeweb expanded institutional Credit trading into Asia. In 2014, Tradeweb hosted the first electronic JSCC-cleared yen swap transaction by a Japanese bank, followed by the first regulated Yen swap trade on its Electronic Trading Platform (ETP) a year later. In 2018, Tradeweb became the first Bond Connect platform to launch portfolio allocation. The firm also operates an Asia-listed ETF marketplace and an EFP (Exchange for Physical) platform in the Australian market. In line with its ongoing commitment and investment to its growing presence in the region, Tradeweb hired James Sun earlier this year to head the Asia business from its Shanghai office. Other Tradeweb office locations in Asia include Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore.

About Tradeweb Markets

Tradeweb Markets Inc. (Nasdaq: TW) is a leading, global operator of electronic marketplaces for rates, credit, equities and money markets. Founded in 1996, Tradeweb provides access to markets, data and analytics, electronic trading, straight-through-processing and reporting for more than 40 products to clients in the institutional, wholesale and retail markets. Advanced technologies developed by Tradeweb enhance price discovery, order execution and trade workflows while allowing for greater scale and helping to reduce risks in client trading operations. Tradeweb serves approximately 2,500 clients in more than 65 countries. On average, Tradeweb facilitated more than $920 billion in notional value traded per day over the past four quarters. For more information, please visit www.tradeweb.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Statements related to, among other things, our outlook and future performance, the industry and markets in which we operate, our expectations, beliefs, plans, strategies, objectives, prospects and assumptions and future events are forward-looking statements.

We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While we believe these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. These and other important factors, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in documents of Tradeweb Markets Inc. on file with or furnished to the SEC, may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are not guarantees of future performance and our actual results of operations, financial condition or liquidity, and the development of the industry and markets in which we operate, may differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this release. In addition, even if our results of operations, financial condition or liquidity, and events in the industry and markets in which we operate, are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this release, they may not be predictive of results or developments in future periods.

Any forward-looking statement that we make in this release speaks only as of the date of such statement. Except as required by law, we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise, or to publicly announce any update or revision to, any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this release.

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Susan Bennett

+44 7787 666432

[email protected]

Angeliki Kallipoliti

+44 7824 327073

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