AGM Instructions Retail Shareholders

2022 - June | AGM Instructions Retail Shareholders

Press Release
14 June 2022

Argo Blockchain plc

("Argo" or "the Company")

AGM Instructions to Retail Shareholders

I am writing to you as Chairman of Argo Blockchain plc (the Company) in connection with the Annual General Meeting (the AGM) of the Company to be held at the offices of Fladgate LLP, 16 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5DG on 29 June 2022 at 10:00 a.m. BST.

We know our retail shareholders are passionate about the Company’s business and operations. As a board and team we value the input of all of our shareholders, and wish to ensure their voices are heard. One of the most important opportunities for shareholders to have their say is at the Company’s AGM.

A copy of the notice of AGM is available at www.argoblockchain.com/investors, which sets out details of the resolutions to be put to the meeting.

Voting

Following the general meeting of the Company held in September 2021, we identified that retail shareholders had difficulty in casting their votes. In particular, it seems not all shareholders were aware that the general meeting was taking place, or found it challenging to vote their shares. As such, we are sending this to you to alert you to the deadlines for voting at the AGM and to assist you in completing the voting process.

The Company does not have the power to vote on your behalf. If no vote is cast (whether by you or by the registered shareholder on your behalf) your votes are not counted, and therefore your views are not taken into account in the voting results.

If you hold your shares via a third party broker (such as Hargreaves Lansdown, Barclays Wealth or Halifax Share Dealing), we expect their voting deadline to be much earlier than the date set by the Company. As such, we anticipate you will need to vote by, at the latest, 19 June 2022. In any event, shareholders are encouraged to submit their votes as soon as possible to ensure the voting deadline is met.

Registered Holders

If you hold the shares in certificated form in your own name, you will have already been sent a proxy card or a link to vote online, which you will need to complete. Please follow the instructions set out in that document to vote.

Brokers and nominees

If you hold the shares through a platform or broker (such as Hargreaves Lansdown, Barclays Wealth or Halifax Share Dealing), the platform or broker will be the registered holder of the shares. You will therefore need to instruct the platform or broker to vote on your behalf. If you return a proxy form directly to the Company’s Registrar Computershare, it will not be valid, and your votes will not be recorded.

We understand shareholders use a variety of brokers or platforms to hold their shares, and while this is not designed to be an exhaustive explanation of every platform, we have included in this letter links to the most common platforms’ voting help sheets/guides. These help sheets/guides set out the steps required to instruct the platform or broker (who will be the registered holder and therefore need to submit the votes to the Company) to vote. If you hold your shares through a party not included in the list, please contact them directly to understand their requirements to vote.

Contact

To facilitate shareholder voting, Argo has engaged Georgeson. For assistance with voting your shares, please contact Georgeson at ‘argo@georgeson.com’.

Recommendation

The Directors strongly encourage shareholders to vote at the AGM and unanimously recommend you vote in favour of the Resolutions.

Yours faithfully

Peter Wall
Interim Executive Chairman

Voting Instructions for individual shareholders

Via the Company’s Registrar, Computershare

If you hold a share certificate in your own name for the Company’s shares, it will be the Company’s Registrar Computershare that administers your shares. You should have been sent a proxy card from them in the post with the voting instructions. They may also be offering you the option to vote online. If you have a share certificate and have not received a proxy card, we recommend you contact Georgeson at ‘argo@georgeson.com’ who will be able to assist. 

Via your Private Client Broker

If you manage your shareholding via a broker or platform, such as Hargreaves Lansdown, you will need to instruct them to vote on your behalf. 

It is important that you reach out to your broker or platform with your voting instructions as soon as possible in accordance with their respective processes. The deadline for submission of votes to these platforms is likely to be at least 5 working days in advance of the deadline for voting at the AGM, and we therefore anticipate shareholders will need to submit their votes no later than 19 June 2022 to ensure the platform can submit the votes to the Company. Therefore, please act quickly and contact your broker or platform to cast your vote.  

For your convenience a list of common brokers and their relevant help sheets/guides for corporate actions is below:

AJ Bell
Please follow the instructions set out in the page below: Confirm Request to Attend

Barclays Smart Investor
Shareholders are required to log into their account online and confirm by secure message if they would like to vote. Alternatively, they can contact Barclays by phone, complete their security process and then let them know that they would like to vote by proxy or attend the AGM in person. 

Freetrade
Please contact Freetrade to obtain further instructions on how to vote contact us.

Hargreaves Lansdown
Please log into your account and send Hargreaves Lansdown a message. Click here to for more information.

HSDL
You can provide your instructions online or via the mobile banking app. Alternatively, you can also send your instructions by post. Click here for more information. 

Interactive Brokers
Click here and follow the instructions set out on the page. 

Interactive Investor
Click here and follow the instructions set out on the page.

Jarvis Investment Management
Please contact Jarvis Investment Management for instructions on how to vote. 

TD Ameritrade
Please log in to your account and ask for assistance. 

Sample Instructions

If there are not pre-formatted voting options with your platform or nominee, we have set out below proposed wording you can use if you wish to vote in favour of the resolutions.

‘Re: Annual General Meeting of Argo Blockchain plc shareholders, 29 June 2022

Please vote my Argo Blockchain plc shares [ISIN code: GB00BZ15CS02] that you hold on my behalf in your nominee account on the register. 

I wish my shares to be voted IN FAVOUR of all resolutions. 

Please kindly confirm you have acted upon my instructions.’