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AAssura PLC said on Friday it plans to delist from the London Stock Exchange and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange after peer Primary Health Properties PLC took over the Manchester-based company. As of Monday, PHP held 94.70% stake in Assura. At the request of PHP, Assura said it will ask the UK Financial Conduct Authority and the LLSE to cancel its listing and trading. It expects the LSE delisting to take effect no earlier than October 6, 2025. Assura anticipates its shares will be suspended from the JSE on October 3, and indicated it expects JSE delisting to occur shortly after the completion of the LSE exit and the compulsory acquisition process. Assura’s delisting plans come after UK Competition & Markets Authority on Wednesday said it was considering whether the acquisition by PHP of Assura will harm competition in the UK. The PHP-Assura deal became unconditional on August 12, following a bidding war by PHP against US private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Robert & Co Inc. The KKR-led consortium abandoned its takeover offer for Assura on the same day. The CMA said on Wednesday it had launched its ‘merger inquiry by notice’ to the parties and had a deadline of October 29 for its phase one decision. At phase one, the CMA determines whether it believes that the merger results in a realistic prospect of a substantial lessening of competition in the UK. A phase two probe would be more in-depth. Early in July, CMA had said it was considering whether to investigate the PHP-Assura transaction. The CMA early last month said it had served an initial enforcement order on PHP’s offer for Assura. The CMA’s initial enforcement order followed a comment period held between July 4 and 18. Copyright 2025 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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