Novelis Reports Fiscal Year 2014 Results

ATLANTA, May 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Novelis, the world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling, today reported net income attributable to its common shareholder of $54 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2014.  Excluding certain tax-effected items, net income was $75 million.

"Fiscal 2014 was a transitional year for Novelis and we closed it on a strong note," said Phil Martens, President and Chief Executive Officer for Novelis.  "We completed the majority of our business transformation initiatives to secure our leadership position in flat rolled products for the global automotive and beverage can markets, and enhance our unmatched, low-cost recycling capabilities worldwide.  Together these actions are driving both our top and bottom lines."

The company reported shipments of aluminum rolled products of 753 kilotonnes in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, up eight percent compared to the prior year.  Every global operating region reported an increase in shipments year-over-year.  Higher global shipments were the primary driver behind the four percent increase in adjusted EBITDA versus the prior year to $250 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. 

"While 2014 provided market challenges, particularly lower can sheet pricing and volatile market premiums for primary aluminum, we have positioned the company well for the future.  Auto will accelerate this year as our key supplier role to Ford's new aluminum intensive F-150 program will demonstrate," said Martens. 

The Company noted a number of accomplishments over the past year:

• Generated significant cash flow to fund capital investments;
• Made significant progress on all strategic expansions including the ramp up of rolling production at Brazil and Korea mill expansions and the start of commercial production at US automotive finishing lines;
• Announced incremental investment of $205 million to further expand global auto finishing capacity to approximately 900 kilotonnes annually;
• Expanded recycling facilities and capabilities in all of its operating regions and increased the recycled content in its products by three percentage points to 46 percent for fiscal 2014, continuing toward the Company's goal of 80 percent recycled content in its products by 2020;
• Launched commercial use of evercan™, the world's first certified high-recycled content beverage can sheet;
• Demonstrated our leading research & technology capabilities through a 60% year over year increase in patent applications and grants;
• Further optimized the Company's footprint and product portfolio, including the proposed sale of its household foil operations in North America and non-core hydroelectric power generation operations in Brazil.

Adjusted EBITDA for fiscal 2014 was $885 million compared to $961 million reported for the prior year. The decline was primarily due to pricing pressures experienced in the Asian and North American beverage can markets, a higher fixed cost base due to expansions ahead of revenue generation and higher incentive costs, partially offset by higher shipments and benefits from increasing recycled content.

Shipments of aluminum rolled products totaled 2,895 kilotonnes in fiscal 2014, an increase of four percent compared to 2,786 kilotonnes reported in fiscal 2013.  Net sales in fiscal 2014 were $9.8 billion, which is flat compared to the prior year resulting from higher shipments partially offset by a ten percent decrease in average aluminum prices and lower conversion premiums.

The company reported negative free cash flow of $16 million for the year.  "Our excellent cash generation essentially funded the $717 million in capital investments we made last year," said Steve Fisher, Chief Financial Officer for Novelis.  "In addition, we drove liquidity levels in excess of $1 billion by fiscal year end, allowing us to return $250 million of capital to our parent company in the first quarter of fiscal 2015."

Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2014 Earnings Conference Call

Novelis will discuss its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2014 results via a live webcast and conference call for investors at 9:30 a.m. ET on Friday, May 16, 2014.  To view slides and listen only, visit the web at https://cc.callinfo.com/r/1rzes6fm8phdz&eom.  To join by telephone, dial toll-free in North America at 800 743 4304, India toll-free at 0008001006992 or the international toll line at +1 212 231 2902.  Presentation materials and access information may also be found at novelis.com/investors.

About Novelis

Novelis Inc. is the global leader in aluminum rolled products and the world's largest recycler of aluminum. The company operates in 9 countries, has approximately 11,400 employees and reported revenue of approximately $10 billion for its 2014 fiscal year. Novelis supplies premium aluminum sheet and foil products to  transportation, packaging, construction, industrial and consumer electronics markets throughout North America, Europe, Asia and South America. The company is part of the Aditya Birla Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Mumbai, India. For more information, visit novelis.com and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/NovelisInc and Twitter at twitter.com/Novelis.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release and the presentation slides for the earnings call contain non-GAAP financial measures as defined by SEC rules.  We think that these measures are helpful to investors in measuring our financial performance and liquidity and comparing our performance to our peers.  However, our non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies.  These non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for GAAP financial measures.  To the extent we discuss any non-GAAP financial measures on the earnings call, a reconciliation of each measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure will be available in the presentation slides filed as Exhibit 99.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K furnished to the SEC concurrent with the issuance of this press release. In addition, the Form 8-K includes a more detailed description of each of these non-GAAP financial measures, together with a discussion of the usefulness and purpose of such measures.

Attached to this news release are tables showing the Consolidated Statements of Operations, Consolidated Balance Sheets, Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, Reconciliation to Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow, Reconciliation to Liquidity and Net Income excluding Certain Items, and Segment Information.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this news release which describe Novelis' intentions, expectations, beliefs or predictions may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities laws.  Forward-looking statements include statements preceded by, followed by, or including the words "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," or similar expressions.  An example of forward looking statements in this new release is our expectation for acceleration in the automotive market.  Novelis cautions that, by their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty and that Novelis' actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements.  We do not intend, and we disclaim any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.  Factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ from the results expressed or implied by forward-looking statements include, among other things: changes in the prices and availability of aluminum (or premiums associated with such prices) or other materials and raw materials we use; the capacity and effectiveness of our metal hedging activities, including our internal used beverage cans (UBCs) and smelter hedges; relationships with, and financial and operating conditions of, our customers, suppliers and other stakeholders; fluctuations in the supply of, and prices for, energy in the areas in which we maintain production facilities; our ability to access financing for future capital requirements; changes in the relative values of various currencies and the effectiveness of our currency hedging activities; factors affecting our operations, such as litigation, environmental remediation and clean-up costs, labor relations and negotiations, breakdown of equipment and other events; the impact of restructuring efforts in the future; economic, regulatory and political factors within the countries in which we operate or sell our products, including changes in duties or tariffs; competition from other aluminum rolled products producers as well as from substitute materials such as steel, glass, plastic and composite materials; changes in general economic conditions including deterioration in the global economy, particularly sectors in which our customers operate; changes in the fair value of derivative instruments; cyclical demand and pricing within the principal markets for our products as well as seasonality in certain of our customers' industries; changes in government regulations, particularly those affecting taxes, derivative instruments, environmental, health or safety compliance; changes in interest rates that have the effect of increasing the amounts we pay under our principal credit agreement and other financing agreements; the effect of taxes and changes in tax rates; our indebtedness and our ability to generate cash. The above list of factors is not exhaustive.  Other important risk factors included under the caption "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2013 (and in our upcoming Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014) are specifically incorporated by reference into this news release.

 

 

Reconciliation from Net Income Attributable to our Common Shareholder to Adjusted EBITDA

Novelis is providing disclosure of the reconciliation of reported non-GAAP financial measures to their comparable financial measures on a GAAP basis.

The following table shows the "Free cash flow" for the year ended March 31, 2014 and 2013 and the ending balances of cash and cash equivalents (in millions).

The following table shows available liquidity as of March 31, 2014 and 2013 (in millions).

The following table shows Net Income attributable to our common shareholder excluding Certain Items (in millions).  We adjust for items which may recur in varying magnitude which affect the comparability of the operational results of our underlying business.

Segment Information

The following table shows selected segment financial information (in millions, except shipments which are in kilotonnes).

 

SOURCE Novelis Inc.