Company Virotec International Ld TIDM VTI Headline Response to ASX price query Released 07:46 15-Dec-05 Number 7059V
RNS Number:7059V Virotec International Ld 15 December 2005
The following information is provided in response to a letter the Company from the Australian Stock Exchange in relation to the recent fall in the Company's share price.
VIROTEC INTERNATIONAL LTD
15 December 2005
Ms Melissa Grundy Australian Stock Exchange Limited PO Box 7055 Riverside Centre Brisbane QLD 4001
Dear Ms Grundy
RESPONSE TO ASX PRICE QUERY
I refer to your letter dated 15 December 2005 in relation to the fall in price of Virotec's shares.
In response to your queries, we advise as follows:
1. Is the Company aware of any information concering it that has not beeen announced which, if known, could be an explanation for recent trading in the securities of the Company?
Virotec is not aware of any such information.
2. If the answer to question 1 is yes, can an announcement be made immediately?
Not applicable.
3. Is there any other explanation that the Company may have for the price change in the securities of the Company?
The Company believes that there may be at least two possible explanations for the change in share price.
Firstly, as announced on 14 December 2005, Virotec will be delisted from ASX on 30 December 2005 following shareholders approval of a resolution to seek delisting at the Company's Annual General Meeting on 30 November 2005. The Company believes that the delisting may be causing some shareholders to sell their shareholdings.
The Company believes that some Australian shareholders may not wish to hold shares in a company not listed on ASX and as a result are selling their holdings prior to the delisting. This is consistent with an increase in the volume of shares traded on ASX in recent days.
In addition, the removal of the ASX listing has some impact on some smaller individual shareholders in the UK who hold their shareholdings in Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) which are tax exempt. The UK tax exemption in relation to these accounts arises out of companies having a dual listing status. When the Company ceases to be listed on ASX the exemption will no longer apply, and smaller individual shareholders will no longer be able to hold Virotec shares in ISAs which may result in some shareholders selling their holdings.
Secondly, there has been some speculation in the media and other sources commenting about the Company's performance in relation to the I-99 pilot trial in Pennsylvania. The Company believes this speculation is premature and uninformed. As advised to the market on 2 December 2005:
"The Directors of Virotec International Ltd (Virotec) (ASX/AIM: VTI) advise that all field work relating to its pilot trial at the Interstate 99 Project in Pennsylvania has now been completed, and the Company is satisfied with the independently verified results achieved to date. These results and the final report are now being compiled and will be submitted to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation by the end of December 2005."
The Company and its consultants are working to this timetable and there is no further information that can be added to the above statement to the market at this time.
4. Please confirm that the Company is in compliance with the listing rules and in particular listing rule 3.1.
The Company confirms that it is compliance with the listing rules, and in particular listing rule 3.1
Yours sincerely
Angus Craig Company Secretary
VTI Price at posting:
0.0¢ Sentiment: None Disclosure: Not Held