Emperador Inc. pursues international growth as it lists on Singapore Exchange

MANILA, Philippines and SINGAPORE, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Emperador Inc. ("Emperador" or the "Company") – a leading global spirits business – successfully listed on the Main Board of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (the "SGX-ST") under the stock code "EMI". This secondary listing marks the latest step in its ambitious plans for future international growth. 

Mr. Bryan Donaghey, Head of Whisky Business of Emperador Inc. and CEO of Whyte & Mackay, said, "The secondary listing of Emperador on the SGX-ST today marks the start of the next chapter in our growth. We are proud to have built a leading global spirits company, and we are committed to be a driving force in brandy and whisky."

"Our global business continues to deliver sustained growth and we aim to generate 50% of our sales from outside the Philippines by 2025.

This secondary listing leverages Singapore's position as a global financial hub and will ensure we are well-positioned to broaden our access to the international investment community in the future."

As a leading global spirits player, Emperador Inc. has built a business as a manufacturer, bottler and distributor with an established presence in the UK, Spain, Mexico, and the Philippines. The company has a proven track record, solid momentum and an established footprint in over 100 countries.

Emperador Inc.'s broad portfolio features more than 300 years of heritage comprising some of the world's best-selling Spanish brandies by volume including Fundador, Terry Centenario, Presidente and Emperador, and some of the most iconic single malt whisky brands including The Dalmore, Jura, Fettercairn, and Tamnavulin. Its fast-growing international business has been spearheaded by the Scotch whisky segment following the successful integration of Whyte & Mackay since its acquisition in 2014.

Emperador Inc. is the first PSE-primary listed company to conduct a secondary listing on the SGX-ST. The Company will continue to maintain its primary listing on the Philippine Stock Exchange ("PSE"), also under the stock code "EMI".

Mr. Pol de Win, Senior Managing Director, Head of Global Sales & Origination, SGX Group, said, "We are excited to welcome Emperador Inc. – our first secondary listing from the Philippines – to Mainboard. The company's strategic investments in building a global portfolio further its growth strategy in both mature and emerging markets. SGX Group's international platform provides an excellent springboard for Emperador to further raise its profile and capture new growth opportunities."

This announcement is for information purposes only and is not to be construed as investment or financial advice, or advice to purchase any securities of the Company.

This document is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States, the Philippines, Singapore or elsewhere. The securities of the Company are not being registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and may not be offered or sold in the United States unless registered under the Securities Act or pursuant to an exemption from such registration.

There will be no public offering of the securities of the Company in the United States, the Philippines, Singapore or elsewhere. No money, securities or other consideration is being solicited by this communication or the information contained herein and, if sent in response to this communication or the information contained herein, will not be accepted.

The foregoing disclosure contain forward looking statements that are based on certain assumptions of Management and are subject to risks and opportunities or unforeseen events.

Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated in the relevant forward looking statement and EMI gives no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be correct or that such intentions will not change. This Press Release discloses important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from EMI's expectations. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to EMI or persons acting on behalf of EMI are expressly qualified in their entirety by the above cautionary statements.

About Emperador Inc.

Emperador Inc. (EMI) is a global whisky and brandy conglomerate headquartered in the Philippines with a deep portfolio of globally recognized, market-leading whisky and brandy brands distributed in over 100+ countries.

During the period from its founding in 1979 until 2013, Emperador became not only the biggest spirits company in the Philippines but more importantly the largest brandy company in the world. From 2014 to present, Emperador was firm in its resolve to start building a global portfolio with a clear brand focused strategy. This is the transformative years where Emperador made international acquisitions such as the 5th largest Scotch whisky producer by capacity in the world, Whyte & Mackay, and the biggest and oldest brandy maker in Spain, Bodegas Fundador. It is also during this period where its vast portfolio was emerging as a fast-growing global disruptor in spirits in more than 100 countries.

Whyte and Mackay has over 175 years of heritage and five distilleries in the UK, it is home to an iconic range of luxury and premium single malt brands including The Dalmore, Jura, Fettercairn, and Tamnavulin. Driven by a strategic focus on reaching international markets, they have achieved market-leading positions and are among the fastest-growing single malt brands in the world.

Bodegas Fundador is Spain's biggest and oldest brandy maker. It has in its portfolio brands which are considered the platinum standard in brandy de Jerez such Fundador, Spain's biggest brandy, Terry Centenario, and the world's largest selling sherry wine, Harveys Bristol Cream. The Fundador Supremo line was recently voted as the Best Brandy in The World and continues to reap awards in international spirits competition.

Emperador Inc. is a publicly-listed company at the Philippine Stock Exchange and owns subsidiaries operating an integrated business of manufacturing, bottling, and distributing distilled spirits and other alcoholic beverages from the Philippines, Scotland, Spain, and Mexico. It is a subsidiary of Alliance Global Group, Inc., a publicly listed conglomerate in the Philippines with diversified investments in real estate development, food and beverage, quick-service restaurants, and tourism-entertainment and gaming business.

Collection and payment of stock transaction tax ("STT") on the sale of shares of Emperador Inc. ("EMI") traded on the SGX-ST to the Philippines Bureau of Internal Revenue ("BIR")

The trading of EMI's shares on the SGX-ST is subject to a STT of 0.6% of the gross selling price or gross value in money of the shares sold. The term gross selling price or gross value in money refers to the total amount of money or its equivalent which the purchaser pays the seller as consideration for the shares. STT is a final tax due on and payable by the seller of the shares, and is required to be collected by and paid to the Philippine tax authorities by the selling stockbroker on behalf of the seller. Failure by shareholders or Singapore brokers to pay or to remit STT payable to the BIR may result in a breach of law and/or contract.

The STT payable by a selling shareholder of EMI's shares traded on the SGX-ST will be collected and withheld by his Singapore broker on his behalf at the date of settlement of the trade. Singapore brokers may remit the collected STT to the BIR via BDO Securities Corporation ("BDO"), which has been appointed by EMI as the receiving and remitting agent (the "Receiving Agent"), or may choose to remit the collected STT to the BIR via other avenues, such as through their Philippines affiliated brokers.

As of the date of this announcement, the following Singapore brokers have been onboarded with BDO as the Receiving Agent:

• CGS-CIMB Securities (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.;
• CLSA Singapore Pte Ltd;
• Daiwa Capital Markets Singapore Limited^[1];
• DBS Vickers Securities (Singapore) Pte Ltd;
• Lim & Tan Securities Pte Ltd;
• Macquarie Capital Securities (Singapore) Pte. Limited;
• Maybank Securities Pte. Ltd;
• Philip Securities Pte Ltd;
• Tiger Brokers (Singapore) Pte Ltd;
• UBS Securities Pte Ltd; and
• UOB Kay Hian Private Limited.

In the event that a Singapore broker has arranged to remit the collected STT to the BIR via the Receiving Agent and such arrangement is terminated by either the Singapore broker or the Receiving Agent, or in the event that the Receiving Agent no longer acts as the receiving and remitting agent for any reason, the Singapore broker will need to provide alternative modes of STT payment to comply with the applicable regulations (including ensuring that they have in place the necessary procedures and controls in the collection, withholding, remittance and reporting of the STT for the sale of EMI's shares on the SGX-ST in order to continue offering services to facilitate the trading of EMI's shares on the SGX-ST). Until such Singapore broker is able to provide an alternative payment method, selling shareholders trading through such Singapore broker may be unable to trade EMI's shares on the SGX-ST.

Please refer to https://www.emperadorbrandy.com/payment-of-stock-transaction-tax.html as well as EMI's introductory document dated 20 June 2022 (the "Introductory Document") for further details regarding the collection and payment of STT on the sale of shares of EMI traded on the SGX-ST to the BIR. The information in the Introductory Document is provided strictly for information only and should be read as of its date. The information is not and does not constitute or form part of, and is not made in connection with, any offer, invitation or recommendation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for, any securities of any entity.

Prospective purchasers and holders of EMI's shares on the SGX-ST are advised to consult their own advisers concerning the tax, legal and other consequences of their purchasing, holding, disposing of or dealing in EMI's shares and to consult with their respective Singapore brokers in respect of the payment of STT and additional fees and charges (if any) that may apply in respect of the payment of STT to the BIR.