The following questions and answers are designed to cover the most frequently asked questions and
queries on the operation of the Internal Market. You should, however, be aware that the Trustee cannot
provide advice on potential bid and sale prices that participants may be considering, nor can it advise a
participant on whether or not (subject to the market rules) to take part in this market.
All references to “shares” are to either the shares that have been appropriated to you (APSS shares) or to
shares purchased by you in previous Internal Markets.
FOR FORMER EMPLOYEE PARTICIPANTS, THE SALE FORM YOU RECEIVE MAKES CLEAR WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE A FORCED SELLER IN THIS MARKET.
Q. What is the Internal Market timetable?
A. An Internal Market will be held on 25 September 2020. The closing date for receipt of all Sale Forms
and Bid Forms is 21 September 2020.
Q. What is the Minimum Reserve Price?
A. The Minimum Reserve Price (MRP) is 85% of the mid-point of the Fair Market Value range. Current
employee participants can bid to buy shares at or above the MRP. Voluntary sellers can offer to sell
shares at or above the MRP. Forced sellers will, as a minimum, receive the MRP for any forced sale
shares sold.
For this market, the Minimum Reserve Price is €0.82 per share.
NB: In this market, bids to buy and offers to sell shares below €0.82 will be rejected.
Q. What is the Fair Market Value range?
A. The Fair Market Value (FMV) range is an independently assessed valuation of the shares which is advised
to participants 30 days before each Market Day. When bidding in the market, the Trustee and ESB will
offer to buy shares at a bid price within this announced range. For this market, the Fair Market Value
range is €0.89 - €1.03 per share.
Q. How will the Internal Market work?
A. 1. Shares are offered for sale by participants at prices equal to or above the Minimum Reserve Price.
2. Current employee participants can offer to purchase shares at prices equal to or above the Minimum
Reserve Price.
3. The Trustee and ESB can offer to purchase shares at a price within the published Fair Market Value
range.
The market price struck depends on both the number of shares available for sale and the bids received
and is the weighted average of the successful bid prices.
All successful sellers receive the market price. All successful buyers pay the price they bid.
Q. How will the market price be calculated?
A. The market price will be calculated as the weighted average of the prices bid by successful buyers.
Q. How often will the Internal Market be held?
A. An Internal Market Day will be held annually.
Q. Who conducts the market?
A. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has been appointed by the Trustee to administer the Internal Market.
Q. What are my shares worth?
A. The price you receive when you sell your shares will be set by the market at the time you sell and will be the weighted average of the successful bid prices at that Internal Market.
For information, the market prices achieved in the Internal Markets held to date were:
Internal Market Date Market Price per Share
21 September 2012 €1.00
31 July 2014 €0.91
24 September 2015 €1.20
22 September 2016 €1.15
22 September 2017 €1.17
24 September 2018 €1.09
27 September 2019 €1.01
NB: the 2012 and 2014 Internal Markets were held under the previous rules.
Q. What happens to my shares if I die?
A. Your appropriated/purchased shares will be offered for sale on behalf of your Personal Representative
or Executor and will receive priority in the Internal Market.
Q. Can I transfer my shares to another ESOP participant?
A. No. Shares may only be sold and purchased through the Internal Market process.
Q. If the Trustee buys back shares from Participants, what happens to those shares?
A. The Trustee will either notionally allocate those shares to current employee participants with the
required qualifying service at the time of allocation or, alternatively, may offer the shares for sale at
future Internal Markets.
Q. If ESB buys back shares from Participants, what happens to those shares?
A. The shares will be cancelled. As communicated at the time of the 2015 ballot, it is a condition of ESB’s
ability to support the market that any shares purchased by ESB will be cancelled.