FORM 6-K
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Report of Foreign Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the month July 1999
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REUTERS GROUP PLC
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(Translation of registrant's name into English)
85 FLEET STREET, LONDON EC4P 4AJ, ENGLAND
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(Address of principal executive offices)
[Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.]
Form 20-F _X_ Form 40-F __
[Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the
information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to
the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934.]
Yes ___ No _X_
THIS REPORT IS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE IN THE PROSPECTUSES CONTAINED IN POST
EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 2 TO REGISTRATION STATEMENT NO. 33-16927 ON FORM S-8,
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO REGISTRATION STATEMENT NO. 33-69694 ON FORM
F-3, POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO REGISTRATION STATEMENT NO. 33-90398 ON
FORM S-8, POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO REGISTRATION STATEMENT NO. 333-7374
ON FORM F-3 AND REGISTRATION STATEMENT NO. 333-5998 ON FORM S-8 FILED BY THE
REGISTRANT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
REUTERS GROUP PLC
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(Registrant)
Dated: August 10, 1999 By: /s/ Nancy C. Gardner
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Nancy C. Gardner
Attorney-in-Fact
6 July 1999
16/99
REUTERS ANNOUNCES SENIOR APPOINTMENTS AND A
NEW BUSINESS DIVISION
London - Reuters announced today that David Ure, an executive director and head
of its Trading Systems Division, is to assume a new role within the Group. Ure,
51, will take strategic responsibility at Board level for accelerating plans for
the Group's existing services to exploit internet technology and networks. This
will enable the company to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by
the e-commerce revolution for generating new business and reaching a wider
audience. Ure continues to lead the Group's overall technical strategy.
Philip Green, 46, currently chief operating officer, Europe and Africa, at DHL
International, will join Reuters to succeed Ure as the Trading Systems
Division's chief executive. He will take up his new role in September and will
report to Peter Job, Reuters chief executive. Ure and Green will work together
in a handover period which is expected to last until the end of the year. The
Reuters Trading Systems Division comprises transaction systems for the foreign
exchange and money markets, software products for the distribution of
information within customer organisations, risk management, and new initiatives
which facilitate the cost-effective handling of equity orders.
Separately, Reuters is establishing a new division, Reuters Ventures. It will
play a major role in investing in new initiatives in the Internet and e-commerce
areas and is intended to achieve further penetration in markets outside finance
such as the corporate sector. The division will be responsible for the
relationship with Dow Jones Reuters Business Interactive LLC, the recently
announced joint venture between Reuters and Dow Jones. Reuters Ventures will
include the traditional news and television agency business, new media services
supplied to internet websites, new business developments and the Reuters
Greenhouse Fund.
Jeremy Penn, 40, currently Reuters managing director, Asia, will become chief
executive officer, Reuters Ventures, based in the United States. He will take up
his new post on 1 January 2000 and will report to Rob Rowley, Reuters finance
director, who will be responsible for the new division at Board level. They will
both work closely with David Ure in his new role.
<PAGE>
PETER JOB, Reuters chief executive, said: "David Ure's appointment may be traced
back to the two important decisions we made some years ago to set up a new media
unit in the United States and to invest in the internet companies in Silicon
Valley and elsewhere. Both programmes have been successful and have brought us
profit, useful assets and invaluable experience. We are creating the new
internet portfolio at Board level because we feel we are ready to move further,
faster.
"The transition to the Internet is relevant to all parts of the Group, but will
be given a push forward with the setting up of Reuters Ventures and the
assignment of Jeremy Penn, a senior executive with all-round experience, to work
with Rob Rowley and David Ure in the development of new markets.
"The directors are pleased to welcome Philip Green to Reuters and wish him every
success."
End.
CONTACT
Geoff Wicks Tel: 0171 542 8666
Director, Corporate Relations
[email protected]
Peter V. Thomas Tel: 0171 542 7457
Director, Media Relations
[email protected]
Adrian Duffield Tel: 0171 542 4728
Manager, Group Corporate Relations
[email protected]
NOTE TO EDITORS
Reuters supplies the global financial markets and the news media with the widest
range of information and news products including real-time financial data,
collective investment data, numerical, textual, historical and graphical
databases plus news, graphics, news video, and news pictures, reaching over
485,000 users located in 57,900 organisations. Reuters designs and installs
enterprise-wide information management and risk management systems for the
financial markets as well as providing equity and foreign exchange transaction
systems. It extensively uses internet technologies for wider distribution of
information and news. The Group employed 16,938 staff in 218 cities in 96
countries at 31 December 1998. Reuters is the world's largest news and
television agency with 2,072 journalists, photographers and camera operators in
182 bureaux serving 157 countries. News is published in 23 languages.
For more details see www.reuters.com/aboutreuters
Reuters and the dotted and sphere logos are the trademarks of the Reuters Group
of Companies.
<PAGE>
15 July 1999
No: 17/99
REUTERS ANALYTICS
London - Reuters said today that the United States Attorney's Office for the
Southern District of New York has closed the federal grand jury investigation of
its Stamford, Connecticut-based subsidiary Reuters Analytics Inc.
and decided not to file charges of any sort.
Reuters was informed of this decision by the US Attorney's Office today.
As Reuters has previously stated, the investigation was primarily focused on
Reuters Analytics' relationship with a New York-based consultant who entered
into a subscription agreement with Bloomberg LP and thereafter provided
Bloomberg information to Reuters.
As Reuters has also previously said, the investigation was not focused on
attempts to break into Bloomberg's central computer to extract proprietary code
- - as had been incorrectly asserted in some public media reports in early 1998.
With this decision from the US Attorney's Office, the investigation has been
concluded without the US government issuing any claim of violation of law.
PETER JOB, Reuters Chief Executive, said: "Reuters is very pleased that the US
Attorney's Office has closed its investigation and concluded that no charges of
any sort are warranted. Almost 18 months ago I was asked if we thought Reuters
would suffer discrimination as a foreign company during the investigation. I
replied at the time that we had faith in the fairness of the US criminal justice
system. I have no reason to change that view having observed the professionalism
exhibited by the US Attorney's Office. We are gratified by the result."
END
<PAGE>
CONTACT:
Peter.V.Thomas Tel: 0171 542 4890
Director, Media Relations
[email protected]
Geoff Wicks Tel: 0171 542 8666
Director, Corporate Relations
[email protected]
Adrian Duffield Tel: 0171 542 4728
Manager, Corporate Communications
[email protected]
Reuters and the dotted and sphere logos are the trademarks of the Reuters Group
of Companies.
<PAGE>
Contact: Adam Wolf Tel: 212-603-3581
Manager, Media Relations, Reuters America Inc.
[email protected]
REUTERS TO EXPAND NEW MEDIA BUSINESS
New York, July 29, 1999 - Reuters today announced it has established a new
global business unit, New Media International. Its purpose is to expand
internationally the success Reuters New Media Inc. has enjoyed in the US by
aggressively pursuing similar Internet publishing activities in Europe, Asia,
and Latin America. The newly created unit aims to make Reuters a global
brand-name for general news, business news and financial data on the Internet.
Andrew Nibley is appointed President, New Media International. The new unit will
be a part of Reuters Ventures, the recently formed global division which focuses
on initiatives in the Internet and e-commerce areas.
Reuters New Media Inc. has established itself as a leading US provider of news
content on the Internet, supplying information to more than 225 web sites,
including the major portals, Yahoo!, America Online, Lycos, Excite and the Go
Network. Reuters attracts between 12 and 14 million "unique visitors"* a month
to its content on the Internet.
Reuters will invest significant staff and resources to develop the unit during
the remainder of 1999 and throughout 2000. About half of the new staff will be
in content and presentation; the remainder in sales, marketing and technical
functions. Initial targets for this expansion are the UK, France, Germany,
Japan, China and Brazil.
Other appointments at New Media International include: David Graves, Executive
Vice President, Marketing and Business Development; James Hohman, Executive Vice
President, Sales; Gregory Pasche, Vice President Marketing and Business
Development, Europe; Lavinia Calvert, Vice President, Marketing and Business
Development, Asia; Alexa Smith, Vice President, Marketing, the Americas; and
Jerome FitzGibbons, Vice President, Business Development, the Americas.
-2-
<PAGE>
ANDREW NIBLEY, President, New Media International, said: "This is a very
exciting time at Reuters. We see great opportunities to expand the proven
success of Reuters New Media on a global scale. That Reuters decided to
establish this new group, emphasizes the company's commitment to growing its
business and enhancing its brand on the Internet."
* The term "unique visitors" refers to the number of distinct visitors to a
Website once in a given month. Unique visitors are unduplicated (counted only
once).
END
NOTE TO EDITORS
REUTERS
Reuters (NASDAQ: RTRSY) supplies the global financial markets and the news media
with the widest range of information and news products including real-time
financial data, collective investments data, numerical, textual, historical, and
graphical databases plus news, graphics, news video, and news pictures, reaching
over 519,000 users in 57,700 locations. Reuters designs and installs
enterprise-wide information management and risk management systems for the
financial markets as well as providing equity and foreign exchange transaction
systems. It extensively uses Internet technologies for wider distribution of
information and news. The Group employed 16,898 staff in 212 cities in 95
countries as of June 30, 1999.
Reuters is the world's largest news and television agency with 1,946
journalists, photographers and camera operators in 183 bureaus serving 157
countries. News is published in 22 languages. For more details, see
www.reuters.com/aboutreuters.
Reuters and the dotted and sphere logos are the trademarks of the Reuters Group
of Companies.
<PAGE>
FOR RELEASE 7/27/99 8:30 EST
ARCHIPELAGO ANNOUNCES INVESTMENT BY INSTINET
ARCHIPELAGO WILL SEEK SEC APPROVAL TO REGISTER AS STOCK EXCHANGE
CHICAGO, ILL. (JULY 27, 1999) - Archipelago, a leading U.S.-based electronic
communications network (ECN) for trading NASDAQ stocks announced today that
Instinet will acquire a 16.4 percent interest in Archipelago.
Financial details of the investment were not disclosed.
Archipelago also announced that it plans to seek SEC approval to
establish itself as a registered, self-regulating stock exchange.
Instinet, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reuters Group PLC (Nasdaq:
RTRSY) and the world's largest agency broker, joins a distinguished group of
investors in Archipelago. Other investors include E*TRADE Group, Inc., (NASDAQ:
EGRP), Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE: GS), J.P. Morgan (NYSE: JPM) and American
Century Companies.
Gerald Putnam, CEO of Archipelago said: "The combination of Instinet,
E*TRADE, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan and American Century creates a powerful
group to support our efforts to establish a registered electronic trading
exchange that addresses the needs of institutions and individuals alike for
fast, fair execution of trades. It also demonstrates confidence in Archipelago's
open architecture and state-of-the-art technology."
Douglas M. Atkin, president and CEO of Instinet said: "Advancing
technology, regulatory shifts and new business models are creating dramatic
changes in the way securities are traded around the world. Instinet strongly
believes that efficient market structures are critical in bringing value to all
investors and issuers." He added, "Archipelago's effort to create the new
all-electronic exchange is an important move in that direction."
In 1997, the SEC created a regulatory platform for the role of ECN
capabilities in the national marketplace. In 1998, the SEC passed regulations
permitting the creation of all-electronic stock exchanges.
On Archipelago's bid to become an exchange, Putnam said: "Archipelago
has the right technology, approach and business partners to create a
self-regulating exchange. We will work closely with the SEC to make the vision a
reality."
"Instinet and Archipelago are also currently reviewing other
opportunities to work together that capitalize on some related technologies and
shared market philosophies," said Atkin.
In May, Instinet led a Consortium that acquired a majority interest in
Tradepoint Financial Networks PLC (TFN.V), a for-profit, U.K.-based electronic
stock exchange. Archipelago is a member of the Consortium. Other members include
J.P. Morgan, American Century, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co., and Warburg
Dillon Read.
Archipelago, formed as a joint venture with software developer,
Townsend Analytics, is one of the original four ECNs approved in January 1997 by
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Since its inception,
Archipelago has offered subscribers outbound order preferencing to effectively
create a national limit order book for Nasdaq stocks.
<PAGE>
Its leading-edge technology, open architecture and innovations, such as sweep
functionality based on a proprietary algorithm, ensure the best execution for
investors. Archipelago is also the only ECN with major investors in both the
institutional and retail financial services sectors. The Archipelago trading
system provides investors fast, cost-efficient and anonymous access to the
market. Its average daily volume has more than doubled since December.
Instinet, founded in 1969 as an agency broker, is now the global leader
in agency brokerage and the development of innovative electronic trading
technology, offering equity trading, research and direct electronic access to
global markets. Instinet is a member of 17 exchanges in North America, Europe,
and Asia. Instinet pioneered the use of advanced technology to improve the
trading performance of investment professionals worldwide. That principle still
guides its growth and development as a leader in providing electronic brokerage
services to investors and issuers in the world markets. Instinet is a member of
17 exchanges in North America, Europe, and Asia, and has offices in New York,
London, Paris, Frankfurt, Zurich, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Sydney and Toronto.
NOTES TO THE EDITOR ATTACHED:
Background on other Archipelago investors:
E*TRADE, a global leader in online personal financial services, has
emerged as the world's most-visited online investing site. The content-rich
Destination E*TRADE web site offers value-added investing and research features,
premium customer service and a fully redundant, proprietary Stateless
ArchitectureSM infrastructure. E*TRADE intends to expand its global positioning
by launching branded web sites in the top 20 financial markets worldwide. In
recognition of its innovation and industry leadership, E*TRADE was ranked the
best online brokerage by Gomez Advisors (Summer 1999) and Lafferty Information
and Research Group (4Q98, 1Q99). E*TRADE was also the first securities and
financial services company to be awarded both the WebTrust seal of assurance by
the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the
"Trustmark" seal of approval from TRUSTe.
Goldman Sachs is a leading global investment banking and securities
firm, providing a full range of investing, advisory and financing services
worldwide to a substantial and diversified client base, which includes
corporations, financial institutions, governments and high net worth
individuals. Founded in 1869, it is one of the oldest and largest investment
banking firms. The Firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in
London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Hong Kong and other major financial centers around the
world.
J.P. Morgan is a leading global financial firm that meets critical
financial needs for business enterprises, governments, and individuals. The firm
advises on corporate strategy and structure, raises capital, makes markets in
financial instruments, and manages investment assets. Morgan also commits its
own capital to promising enterprises and invests and trades to capture market
opportunities.
American Century serves nearly 2 million individual and institutional
investors. Through its broad selection of nearly 70 mutual funds, the company
manages approximately $90 billion in assets. American Century has offices in
Kansas City, San Francisco, Singapore, Greenwich, and Denver. James E. Stowers
Jr. founded the company in 1958 and serves as chairman. His son, James E.
Stowers III, is chief executive officer and William M. Lyons is president and
chief operating officer.
CONTACT NAMES:
<PAGE>
ARCHIPELAGO
Mary Lyn Kurish
312-960-0725
www.tradearca.com
Arsenio Oloroso of Hill & Knowlton for Archipelago
312-255-3074
INSTINET CORPORATION
Terrence Mulry
212-310-9554
Lorrie Harte Benwell
0171-680-3008
www.instinet.com
E*TRADE
Dave Murray of Neal-May & Partners for E*TRADE Group Inc.,
650-328-5555, ext. 114
www.etrade.com
J.P. MORGAN
Chris Molanphy
212-648-8213
www.jpmorgan.com
AMERICAN CENTURY
Chris Doyle
816-340-4638
www.americancentury.com
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