UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
Form 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 8, 2007
ACCENTURE LTD
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
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Bermuda
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
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001-16565
(Commission
File Number)
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98-0341111
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.) |
Canons Court
22 Victoria Street
Hamilton HM12, Bermuda
(Address of principal executive offices)
Registrants telephone number, including area code: (441) 296-8262
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy
the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
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Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
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Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14d-2(b)) |
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.13e-4(c)) |
Item 8.01 Other Events
Accenture SCA Tender Offer
Accenture SCA, a Luxembourg partnership limited by shares, and Accenture International SARL, a
Luxembourg private limited liability company and a subsidiary of Accenture SCA, today offered to
redeem or purchase, respectively, up to an aggregate of 19,696,969 Class I common shares, par value
of 1.25 per share (the Class I common shares), of Accenture SCA at a price per share that is not
greater than $33.00 or less than $30.50 (the Offer).
The Board of Directors of Accenture Ltd, the sole general partner of Accenture SCA, has through its
Finance Committee authorized the Offer and separately approved the use of $650 million of existing
cash from operations to fund the Offer, as well as the use of up to an additional $144 million should
Accenture SCA choose to increase the size of the Offer in response to shareholder demand. The approved funding is in addition to amounts previously authorized by the
Board of Directors and still remaining for Accentures share redemption and purchase programs.
The Offer is open to all holders of Accenture SCA Class I common shares. However, as the Offer has
been priced at a discount to the current market price, the Offer may be more attractive to
Accentures former partners who have significant numbers of Accenture SCA Class I common shares
that are restricted as to transfer until July 2009. The number of Accenture SCA Class I common
shares that first become available for transfer in July 2009 continues to represent a significant
portion of the outstanding Accenture SCA Class I common shares as a result of, among other things,
early retirements and ordinary-course resignations of those Accenture partners and senior
executives who received Accenture SCA Class I common shares in connection with Accentures
transition to a corporate structure in 2001. The Offer presents an opportunity for Accenture to
redeem or purchase some of these Class I common shares now while providing the holders of transfer
restricted shares an opportunity to obtain liquidity in an orderly and managed process.
Accenture
believes that the Offer serves the interests of all of its shareholders, including those who
are former partners or senior executives who previously agreed to significant transfer
restrictions, by providing such former partners and former senior executives with a voluntary
opportunity to liquidate some or all of their Accenture SCA Class I common shares earlier than
otherwise permitted, at prices that represent an attractive return on the use of Accentures cash.
The Offer will be conducted in a modified Dutch auction format, where shareholders may select one
or more prices within a designated range at which to tender their shares. The designated price
range of the Offer represents discounts of approximately 6% to 13% to the $35.24 per share closing
sale price of Accenture Ltd Class A common shares as reported on the New York Stock Exchange on
Tuesday, March 6, 2007. The final offer price of the Offer will be established as the lowest price
within the designated price range at which all Class I common shares tendered in accordance with
the Offer can be redeemed or purchased.
Accenture Ltd is the sole general partner of Accenture SCA and owns a majority voting and economic
interest in Accenture SCA. Accenture Ltd controls Accenture SCAs management and operations and
consolidates Accenture SCAs results in its financial statements. Accenture Ltd operates its
businesses through subsidiaries of Accenture SCA.
Unless extended, the Offer will expire at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on Wednesday, April
4, 2007.
Additional Share Repurchase Authority
The Board of Directors of Accenture Ltd recently approved $1.5 billion in additional share
repurchase authority for the funding of covered share transactions and purchases.