Holding(s) in Company

TR-1(i): NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

 

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attached (ii):

DS Smith Plc

 

2. Reason for the notification:

 

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights: ( X )

 

An acquisition or disposal of qualifying financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached: ( X )

 

An acquisition or disposal of instruments with similar economic effect to qualifying financial instruments (    )

 

An event changing the breakdown of voting rights: (    )

 

Other (please specify): (   ) 

 

3. Full name of person(s) subject to the notification obligation (iii):

 

Aviva plc & its subsidiaries

             

4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.)

 

Registered Holder:

Available on request                                                    28,474*

 

BNY Norwich Union Nominees Limited                      1,530,065*

 

Chase (GA Group) Nominees Limited                        23,306,689*

 

Chase Nominees Limited                                           256,891*

 

CUIM Nominee Limited                                               601,173*

 

State Street Nominees Limited                                   29,753,377*
* denotes direct interest

BNP Paribas - London                                                439,040

Chase (GA Group) Nominees Limited                         723,755
 

Chase Nominees Limited                                           3,203,901

 

Vidacos Nominees Limited                                         4,232,313

 

5. Date of the transaction (and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached if different) (v):

24 May 2016

 

6. Date on which issuer notified:

25 May 2016

 

7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached:

5% to 6% Change at Direct Interest Level

(Box 8A&B)

 

8. Notified details:

 

A: Voting rights attached to shares ^{viii, ix}

 

Class/type of shares if possible using the ISIN CODE	Situation previous to the triggering transaction		Resulting situation after the triggering transaction
	Number of Shares	Number of Voting Rights	Number of shares	Number of voting rights		% of  voting rights x
			Direct	Direct xi	Indirect xii	Direct	Indirect
Ordinary Shares GB0008220112	59,627,178*	59,627,178*	64,075,678	55,476,669	8,599,009	5.87%	0.91%

*INC. RIGHT TO RECALL LOANED SHARES (3,743,614

 

B: Qualifying Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction
Type of financial instrument	Expiration date xiii	Exercise/ Conversion Period xiv	Number of voting rights that may be acquired if the instrument is exercised/ converted.	% of voting rights
RIGHT TO RECALL LOANED SHARES	N/A	N/A	4,178,950 *   * Direct Interest	0.44%

 

C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments ^{xv, xvi}

 

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction
Type of financial instrument	Exercise price	Expiration date xvii	Exercise/ Conversion period xviii	Number of voting rights instrument refers to	% of voting rights xix, xx
					Nominal	Delta

 

Total (A+B+C)

 

Number of voting rights	Percentage of voting rights
68,254,628	7.22%

 

9.    Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable ^(xv):

 

The voting rights are managed and controlled by Aviva Investors Global Services Limited and Friends Provident International Limited, with the following chains of controlled undertakings:-

 

Aviva Investors Global Services Limited:

·     Aviva plc (Parent Company)

·     Aviva Group Holdings Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva plc)

·     Aviva Investors Holdings Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva Group Holdings Limited)

·     Aviva Investors Global Services Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva Investors Holdings Limited)

 

Friends Provident International Limited:

·     Aviva plc (Parent Company)

·     Aviva Group Holdings Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva plc)

·     Aviva Life Holdings UK Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva Group Holdings Limited)

·     Friends Life FPG Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Aviva Life Holdings UK Limited)

·     Friends Life FPL Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Friends Life FPG Limited)

·     Friends Life Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Friends Life FPL Limited)

·     Friends Life and Pensions Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Friends Life Limited)

·     Friends Provident International Limited (wholly owned subsidiary of Friends Life and Pensions Limited)

 

Proxy Voting:

 

10. Name of the proxy holder:  (See Section 4)

 

11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold:

 

12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting rights:

 

13. Additional information:

Figures are based on the total number of voting rights of 944,819,922, as per the Company's announcement of  3 May 2016.

 

14. Contact name:

Neil Whittaker, Aviva Plc

 

15. Contact telephone number:

01603 684420

 

Identity of the notifier, if applicable (xvii)

 

Full name:

Michael Hampson

 

Contact address:

DS Smith Plc, 7^th Floor, 350 Euston Road, London NW1 3AX

 

Phone number:

020 7756 1800