Table of Contents

 
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington D.C. 20549
 
Form 10-K
 
     
þ
  ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
    For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009
    Or
o
  TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
    For the transition period from          to          .
 
Commission file number 001-32312
 
Novelis Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 
     
Canada
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  98-0442987
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)
3399 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1500,
Atlanta, GA
(Address of principal executive offices)
  30326
(Zip Code)
 
(404) 814-4200
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
 
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
None
 
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
 
Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.  Yes o     No þ
 
Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”).  Yes o     No þ
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes þ     No o
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes o     No o
 
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (Section 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  o
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
 
Large accelerated filer o Accelerated filer o Non-accelerated filer þ Smaller reporting company o
(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)
 
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes o     No þ
 
As of May 31, 2009, the registrant had 77,459,658 common shares outstanding. All of the Registrant’s outstanding shares were held indirectly by Hindalco Industries Ltd., the Registrant’s parent company.
 
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
None
 


 

 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
                 
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND MARKET DATA     2  
 
PART I
  Item 1.     Business     4  
  Item 1A.     Risk Factors     17  
  Item 1B.     Unresolved Staff Comments     26  
  Item 2.     Properties     27  
  Item 3.     Legal Proceedings     30  
  Item 4.     Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders     33  
 
PART II
  Item 5.     Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities     34  
  Item 6.     Selected Financial Data     34  
  Item 7.     Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations     36  
  Item 7A.     Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk     74  
  Item 8.     Financial Statements and Supplementary Data     78  
  Item 9.     Changes In and Disagreements With Accountants On Accounting and Financial Disclosure     172  
  Item 9A(T).     Controls and Procedures     172  
  Item 9B.     Other Information     173  
 
PART III
  Item 10.     Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance     174  
  Item 11.     Executive Compensation     179  
  Item 12.     Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters     196  
  Item 13.     Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence     196  
  Item 14.     Principal Accountant Fees and Services     197  
 
PART IV
  Item 15.     Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules     198  
 EX-4.7
 EX-4.8
 EX-4.9
 EX-4.10
 EX-4.11
 EX-10.36
 EX-10.37
 EX-10.38
 EX-10.39
 EX-10.40
 EX-10.41
 EX-21.1
 EX-31.1
 EX-31.2
 EX-32.1
 EX-32.2


1


Table of Contents

 
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND MARKET DATA
 
This document contains forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the industry in which we operate, and beliefs and assumptions made by our management. Such statements include, in particular, statements about our plans, strategies and prospects under the headings “Item 1. Business,” “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K include, but are not limited to, our expectations with respect to the impact of metal price movements on our financial performance; our metal price ceiling exposure; the effectiveness of our hedging programs and controls; and our future borrowing availability. These statements are based on beliefs and assumptions of Novelis’ management, which in turn are based on currently available information. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve assumptions and risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking 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.
 
This document also contains information concerning our markets and products generally, which is forward-looking in nature and is based on a variety of assumptions regarding the ways in which these markets and product categories will develop. These assumptions have been derived from information currently available to us and to the third party industry analysts quoted herein. This information includes, but is not limited to, product shipments and share of production. Actual market results may differ from those predicted. We do not know what impact any of these differences may have on our business, our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flow. Factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ from the results expressed or implied by forward-looking statements include, among other things:
 
  •  the level of our indebtedness and our ability to generate cash;
 
  •  changes in the prices and availability of aluminum (or premiums associated with such prices) or other materials and raw materials we use;
 
  •  the effect of metal price ceilings in certain of our sales contracts;
 
  •  the capacity and effectiveness of our metal hedging activities, including our internal used beverage can (UBC) 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 to fund current operations and for future capital requirements;
 
  •  changes in interest rates under our Asset Backed Loan (ABL) Credit Agreement
 
  •  continuing obligations and other relationships resulting from our spin-off from Alcan, Inc.;
 
  •  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;
 
  •  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 further deterioration in the global economy;


2


Table of Contents

 
  •  our ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures in the future;
 
  •  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, climate change, 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; and
 
  •  the effect of taxes and changes in tax rates.
 
The above list of factors is not exhaustive. These and other factors are discussed in more detail under “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
 
In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, unless otherwise specified, the terms “we,” “our,” “us,” “Company,” “Novelis” and “Novelis Group” refer to Novelis Inc., a company incorporated in Canada under the Canadian Business Corporations Act (CBCA) and its subsidiaries. References herein to “Hindalco” refer to Hindalco Industries Limited. In October 2007, Rio Tinto Group purchased all of the outstanding shares of Alcan, Inc. References herein to “Alcan” refer to Rio Tinto Alcan Inc.
 
Exchange Rate Data
 
We prepare our financial statements in United States (U.S.) dollars. As of December 31, 2008, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York ceased the practice of maintaining and publishing historical exchange rates. From December 31, 2008 onward, we used the CitiFX Benchmark, published by Citibank, for exchange rate information published as of 16:00 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) (11:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time).
 
The following table sets forth exchange rate information expressed in terms of Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar at the noon buying rate in New York City for cable transfers in foreign currencies as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. As noted above, the year ended March 31, 2009 includes exchange data from Citibank as of 16:00 GMT. The rates set forth below may differ from the actual rates used in our accounting processes and in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.
 
                                 
Period
  At Period End     Average Rate(A)     High     Low  
 
Year Ended December 31, 2004
    1.2034       1.2984       1.3970       1.1775  
Year Ended December 31, 2005
    1.1656       1.2083       1.2703       1.1507  
Year Ended December 31, 2006
    1.1652       1.1310       1.1726       1.0955  
Three Months Ended March 31, 2007(B)
    1.1530       1.1674       1.1852       1.1530  
April 1, 2007 Through May 15, 2007(B)
    1.0976       1.1022       1.1583       1.0976  
May 16, 2007 Through March 31, 2008(B)
    1.0275       1.0180       1.1028       0.9168  
Year Ended March 31, 2009
    1.2579       1.1247       1.2694       0.9938  
 
 
(A) The average of the 16:00 GMT buying rates on the last day of each month during the period.
 
(B) See Note 1 — Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (“Acquisition of Novelis Common Stock and Predecessor and Successor Reporting”) to our accompanying consolidated financial statements.
 
All dollar figures herein are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.
 
Commonly Referenced Data
 
As used in this Annual Report, “total shipments” refers to shipments to third parties of aluminum rolled products as well as ingot shipments, and references to “aluminum rolled products shipments” or “shipments” do not include ingot shipments. All tonnages are stated in metric tonnes. One metric tonne is equivalent to 2,204.6 pounds. One kilotonne (kt) is 1,000 metric tonnes. The term “aluminum rolled products” is synonymous with the terms “flat rolled products” and “FRP” commonly used by manufacturers and third party analysts in our industry.


3


Table of Contents

 
PART I
 
Item 1.   Business
 
Overview
 
We are the world’s leading aluminum rolled products producer based on shipment volume in fiscal 2009, with total shipments of approximately 2,943 kt in fiscal 2009. We are the only company of our size and scope focused solely on aluminum rolled products markets and capable of local supply of technologically sophisticated aluminum products in all of these geographic regions. We are also the global leader in the recycling of used aluminum beverage cans. We had net sales of approximately $10.2 billion for the year ended March 31, 2009.
 
Organization and Description of Business
 
Novelis Inc., formed in Canada on September 21, 2004, and its subsidiaries, is the world’s leading aluminum rolled products producer based on shipment volume. We produce aluminum sheet and light gauge products for end-use markets including construction and industrial, beverage and food cans, foil products and transportation markets. As of March 31, 2009, we had operations in 11 countries on four continents: North America; South America; Asia; and Europe, through 32 operating plants, one research facility and several market-focused innovation centers. In addition to aluminum rolling and recycling, our South American businesses include bauxite mining, alumina refining, primary aluminum smelting and power generation facilities that are integrated with our rolling plants in Brazil.
 
On May 18, 2004, Alcan announced its intention to transfer its rolled products businesses into a separate company and to pursue a spin-off of that company to its shareholders. The spin-off occurred on January 6, 2005, following approval by Alcan’s board of directors and shareholders, and legal and regulatory approvals. Alcan shareholders received one Novelis common share for every five Alcan common shares held.
 
Acquisition of Novelis Common Stock and Predecessor and Successor Reporting
 
On May 15, 2007, the Company was acquired by Hindalco through its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary pursuant to a plan of arrangement (the Arrangement) at a price of $44.93 per share. The aggregate purchase price for all of the Company’s common shares was $3.4 billion and Hindalco also assumed $2.8 billion of Novelis’ debt for a total transaction value of $6.2 billion. Subsequent to completion of the Arrangement on May 15, 2007, all of our common shares were indirectly held by Hindalco.
 
Our acquisition by Hindalco was recorded in accordance with Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 103, Push Down Basis of Accounting Required in Certain Limited Circumstances (SAB 103). In the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, the consideration and related costs paid by Hindalco in connection with the acquisition have been “pushed down” to us and have been allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Statement No. 141, Business Combinations (FASB 141). Due to the impact of push down accounting, the Company’s consolidated financial statements and certain note presentations separate the Company’s presentation into two distinct periods to indicate the application of two different bases of accounting between the periods presented: (1) the period up to, and including, the May 15, 2007 acquisition date (labeled “Predecessor”) and (2) the period after that date (labeled “Successor”). The accompanying consolidated financial statements include a black line division which indicates that the Predecessor and Successor reporting entities shown are not comparable.
 
Change in Fiscal Year End
 
On June 26, 2007, our board of directors approved the change of our fiscal year end to March 31 from December 31. On June 28, 2007, we filed a Transition Report on Form 10-Q for the three month period ended March 31, 2007 with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) pursuant to Rule 13a-10 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for transition period reporting. Accordingly, these consolidated financial statements present our financial position as of March 31, 2009 and 2008, and the results of our


4


Table of Contents

operations, cash flows and changes in shareholder’s equity for the year ended March 31, 2009, the periods from May 16, 2007 through March 31, 2008 and from April 1, 2007 through May 15, 2007, the three months ended March 31, 2007 and the year ended December 31, 2006.
 
Our Industry
 
The aluminum rolled products market represents the global supply of and demand for aluminum sheet, plate and foil produced either from sheet ingot or continuously cast roll-stock in rolling mills operated by independent aluminum rolled products producers and integrated aluminum companies alike.
 
Aluminum rolled products are semi-finished aluminum products that constitute the raw material for the manufacture of finished goods ranging from automotive body panels to household foil. There are two major types of manufacturing processes for aluminum rolled products differing mainly in the process used to achieve the initial stage of processing:
 
  •  hot mills — that require sheet ingot, a rectangular slab of aluminum, as starter material; and
 
  •  continuous casting mills — that can convert molten metal directly into semi-finished sheet.
 
Both processes require subsequent rolling, which we call cold rolling, and finishing steps such as annealing, coating, leveling or slitting to achieve the desired thicknesses and metal properties. Most customers receive shipments in the form of aluminum coil, a large roll of metal, which can be fed into their fabrication processes.
 
There are two sources of input material: (1) primary aluminum, such as molten metal, re-melt ingot and sheet ingot; and (2) recycled aluminum, such as recyclable material from fabrication processes, which we refer to as recycled process material, used beverage cans (UBCs) and other post-consumer aluminum.
 
Primary aluminum can generally be purchased at prices set on the London Metal Exchange (LME), plus a premium that varies by geographic region of delivery, form (ingot or molten metal) and purity.
 
Recycled aluminum is also an important source of input material. Aluminum is infinitely recyclable and recycling it requires only approximately 5% of the energy needed to produce primary aluminum. As a result, in regions where aluminum is widely used, manufacturers and customers are active in setting up collection processes in which UBCs and other recyclable aluminum are collected for re-melting at purpose-built plants. Manufacturers may also enter into agreements with customers who return recycled process material and pay to have it re-melted and rolled into the same product again.
 
There has been a long-term industry trend towards lighter gauge (thinner) rolled products, which we refer to as “downgauging,” where customers request products with similar properties using less metal in order to reduce costs and weight. For example, aluminum rolled products producers and can fabricators have continuously developed thinner walled cans with similar strength as previous generation containers, resulting in a lower cost per unit. As a result of this trend, aluminum tonnage across the spectrum of aluminum rolled products, and particularly for the beverage and food cans end-use market, has declined on a per unit basis, but actual rolling machine hours per unit have increased. Because the industry has historically tracked growth based on aluminum tonnage shipped, we believe the downgauging trend may contribute to an understatement of the actual growth of revenue attributable to rolling in some end-use markets.
 
End-use Markets
 
Aluminum rolled products companies produce and sell a wide range of aluminum rolled products, which can be grouped into four end-use markets based upon similarities in end-use applications: (1) beverage and food cans; (2) construction and industrial; (3) foil products and (4) transportation. Within each end-use market, aluminum rolled products are manufactured with a variety of alloy mixtures; a range of tempers (hardness), gauges (thickness) and widths; and various coatings and finishes. Large customers typically have customized needs resulting in the development of close relationships with their supplying mills and close technical development relationships.
 
Beverage and Food Cans.  Beverage cans are the single largest aluminum rolled products application, accounting for approximately 23% of total worldwide shipments in the calendar year ended December 31,


5


Table of Contents

2008, according to market data from Commodity Research Unit International Limited (CRU), an independent business analysis and consultancy group focused on the mining, metals, power, cables, fertilizer and chemical sectors. Beverage and food cans is also our largest end-use market, making up 56% and 51% of total shipments for the years ended March 31, 2009 and 2008, respectively. The recyclability of aluminum cans enables them to be used, collected, melted and returned to the original product form many times, unlike steel, paper or polyethylene terephthalate plastic (PET plastic), which deteriorate with every iteration of recycling. Aluminum beverage cans also offer advantages in fabricating efficiency and product shelf life. Fabricators are able to produce and fill beverage cans at very high speeds, and non-porous aluminum cans provide longer shelf life than PET plastic containers. Aluminum cans are light, stackable and use space efficiently, making them convenient and cost efficient to ship.
 
Downgauging and changes in can design help to reduce total costs on a per can basis and contribute to making aluminum more competitive with substitute materials.
 
Beverage can sheet is sold in coil form for the production of can bodies, ends and tabs. The material can be ordered as rolled, degreased, pre-lubricated, pre-treated and/or lacquered. Typically, can makers define their own specifications for material to be delivered in terms of alloy, gauge, width and surface finish.
 
Other applications in this end-use market include food cans and screw caps for the beverage industry.
 
Construction and Industrial.  Construction is the largest application within this end-use market. Aluminum rolled products developed for the construction industry are often decorative and non-flammable, offer insulating properties, are durable and corrosion resistant, and have a high strength-to-weight ratio. Aluminum siding, gutters, and downspouts comprise a significant amount of construction volume. Other applications include doors, windows, awnings, canopies, facades, roofing and ceilings.
 
Aluminum’s ability to conduct electricity and heat and to offer corrosion resistance makes it useful in a wide variety of electronic and industrial applications. Industrial applications include electronics and communications equipment, process and electrical machinery and lighting fixtures. Uses of aluminum rolled products in consumer durables include microwaves, coffee makers, flat screen televisions, air conditioners, pleasure boats and cooking utensils.
 
Another industrial application is lithographic sheet. Print shops, printing houses and publishing groups use lithographic sheet to print books, magazines, newspapers and promotional literature. In order to meet the strict quality requirements of the end-users, lithographic sheet must meet demanding metallurgical, surface and flatness specifications.
 
Foil Products.  Aluminum, because of its relatively light weight, recyclability and formability, has a wide variety of uses in packaging. Converter foil is very thin aluminum foil, plain or printed, that is typically laminated to plastic or paper to form an internal seal for a variety of packaging applications, including juice boxes, pharmaceuticals, food pouches, cigarette packaging and lid stock. Customers order coils of converter foil in a range of thicknesses from 6 microns to 60 microns.
 
Household foil includes home and institutional aluminum foil wrap sold as a branded or generic product. Known in the industry as packaging foil, it is manufactured in thicknesses ranging from 11 microns to 23 microns. Container foil is used to produce semi-rigid containers such as pie plates and take-out food trays and is usually ordered in a range of thicknesses ranging from 60 microns to 200 microns.
 
Transportation.  Heat exchangers, such as radiators and air conditioners, are an important application for aluminum rolled products in the truck and automobile categories of the transportation end-use market. Original equipment manufacturers (OEM) also use aluminum sheet with specially treated surfaces and other specific properties for interior and exterior applications. Newly developed alloys are being used in transportation tanks and rigid containers that allow for safer and more economical transportation of hazardous and corrosive materials.
 
There has been recent growth in certain geographic markets in the use of aluminum rolled products in automotive body panel applications, including hoods, deck lids, fenders and lift gates. These uses typically result from co-operative efforts between aluminum rolled products manufacturers and their customers that yield tailor-made solutions for specific requirements in alloy selection, fabrication procedure, surface quality


6


Table of Contents

and joining. We believe the recent growth in automotive body panel applications is due in part to the lighter weight, better fuel economy and improved emissions performance associated with these applications.
 
Aluminum rolled products are also used in aerospace applications, a segment of the transportation market in which we are not allowed to compete until January 6, 2010, pursuant to a non-competition agreement we entered into with Alcan in connection with the spin-off, as described under the heading “Business — Arrangements Between Novelis and Alcan — Non-competition.” However, aerospace-related consumption of aluminum rolled products has historically represented a relatively small portion of total aluminum rolled products market shipments.
 
Aluminum is also used in the construction of ships’ hulls and superstructures and passenger rail cars because of its strength, light weight, formability and corrosion resistance.
 
Market Structure
 
The aluminum rolled products industry is characterized by economies of scale, significant capital investments required to achieve and maintain technological capabilities and demanding customer qualification standards. The service and efficiency demands of large customers have encouraged consolidation among suppliers of aluminum rolled products.
 
While our customers tend to be increasingly global, many aluminum rolled products tend to be produced and sold on a regional basis. The regional nature of the markets is influenced in part by the fact that not all mills are equipped to produce all types of aluminum rolled products. For instance, only a few mills in North America, Europe, Asia, and only one mill in South America produce beverage can body and end stock. In addition, individual aluminum rolling mills generally supply a limited range of products for end-use applications, and seek to maximize profits by producing high volumes of the highest margin mix per mill hour given available capacity and equipment capabilities.
 
Certain multi-purpose, common alloy and plate rolled products are imported into Europe and North America from producers in emerging markets, such as Brazil, South Africa, Russia and China. However, at this time we believe that most of these producers are generally unable to produce flat rolled products that meet the quality requirements, lead times and specifications of customers with more demanding applications. In addition, high freight costs, import duties, inability to take back recycled aluminum, lack of technical service capabilities and long lead-times mean that many developing market exporters are viewed as second-tier suppliers. Therefore, many of our customers in the Americas, Europe and Asia do not look to suppliers in these emerging markets for a significant portion of their requirements.
 
Competition
 
The aluminum rolled products market is highly competitive. We face competition from a number of companies in all of the geographic regions and end-use markets in which we operate. Our primary competitors are as follows:
 
     
North America
 
Asia
 
Alcoa, Inc. (Alcoa)
  Furukawa-Sky Aluminum Corp.
Aleris International, Inc. (Aleris)
  Sumitomo Light Metal Company, Ltd.
Arco Aluminium, (a subsidiary of BP plc)
  Southwest Aluminum Co. Ltd.
Norandal Aluminum
  Kobe Steel Ltd.
Wise Metal Group LLC
  Alcoa
Rio Tinto Alcan Inc.
   
 
     
Europe
 
South America
 
Hydro A.S.A.
  Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio
Rio Tinto Alcan Inc.
  Alcoa
Alcoa
   
Aleris
   


7


Table of Contents

The factors influencing competition vary by region and end-use market, but generally we compete on the basis of our value proposition, including price, product quality, the ability to meet customers’ specifications, range of products offered, lead times, technical support and customer service. In some end-use markets, competition is also affected by fabricators’ requirements that suppliers complete a qualification process to supply their plants. This process can be rigorous and may take many months to complete. As a result, obtaining business from these customers can be a lengthy and expensive process. However, the ability to obtain and maintain these qualifications can represent a competitive advantage.
 
In addition to competition from others within the aluminum rolled products industry, we, as well as the other aluminum rolled products manufacturers, face competition from non-aluminum material producers, as fabricators and end-users have, in the past, demonstrated a willingness to substitute other materials for aluminum. In the beverage and food cans end-use market, aluminum rolled products’ primary competitors are glass, PET plastic, and in some regions, steel. In the transportation end-use market, aluminum rolled products compete mainly with steel and composites. Aluminum competes with wood, plastic, cement and steel in building products applications. Factors affecting competition with substitute materials include price, ease of manufacture, consumer preference and performance characteristics.
 
Key Factors Affecting Supply and Demand
 
The following factors have historically affected the supply of aluminum rolled products:
 
Production Capacity.  As in most manufacturing industries with high fixed costs, production capacity has the largest impact on supply in the aluminum rolled products industry. In the aluminum rolled products industry, the addition of production capacity requires large capital investments and significant plant construction or expansion, and typically requires long lead-time equipment orders.
 
Alternative Technology.  Advances in technological capabilities allow aluminum rolled products producers to better align product portfolio and supply with industry demand. As an example, continuous casting offers the ability to increase capacity in smaller increments than is possible with hot mill additions. This enables production capacity to better adjust to small year-over-year increases in demand. However, the continuous casting process results in the production of a more limited range of products.
 
Trade.  Some trade flows do occur between regions despite shipping costs, import duties and the need for localized customer support. Higher value-added, specialty products such as lithographic sheet and some foils are more likely to be traded internationally, especially if demand in certain markets exceeds local supply. With respect to less technically demanding applications, emerging markets with low cost inputs may export commodity aluminum rolled products to larger, more mature markets. Accordingly, regional changes in supply, such as plant expansions, may have some effect on the worldwide supply of commodity aluminum rolled products.
 
The following factors have historically affected the demand for aluminum rolled products:
 
Economic Growth.  We believe that economic growth is currently the single largest driver of aluminum rolled products demand. In mature markets, growth in demand has typically correlated closely with growth in industrial production. In emerging markets such as China, growth in demand typically exceeds industrial production growth largely because of expanding infrastructures, capital investments and rising incomes that often accompany economic growth in these markets.
 
Substitution Trends.  Manufacturers’ willingness to substitute other materials for aluminum in their products and competition from substitution materials suppliers also affect demand. For example, in North America, competition from PET plastic containers and glass bottles, and changes in marketing channels and consumer preferences in beverage containers, have, in recent years, reduced the growth rate of aluminum can sheet in North America from the high rates experienced in the 1970s and 1980s. Historically, despite changes in consumer preferences, North American aluminum beverage can shipments have remained at approximately 100 billion cans per year since 1994 according to the Can Manufacturers Institute. For the calendar year ended December 31, 2008, North American aluminum beverage can


8


Table of Contents

shipments have declined by approximately 2.8% to 97.4 billion cans mainly due to a decline in carbonated soft drinks.
 
Downgauging.  Increasing technological and asset sophistication has enabled aluminum rolling companies to offer consistent or even improved product strength using less material, providing customers with a more cost-effective product. This continuing trend reduces raw material requirements, but also effectively increases rolled products’ plant utilization rates and reduces available capacity, because to produce the same number of units requires more rolling hours to achieve thinner gauges. As utilization rates increase, revenues rise as pricing tends to be based on machine hours used rather than on the volume of material rolled. On balance, we believe that downgauging has maintained or enhanced overall market economics for both users and producers of aluminum rolled products.
 
Seasonality.  While demand for certain aluminum rolled products is affected by seasonal factors, such as increases in consumption of beer and soft drinks packaged in aluminum cans and the use of aluminum sheet used in the construction and industrial end-use market during summer months, our presence in both the northern and southern hemispheres tends to dampen the impact of seasonality on our business.
 
Our Business Strategy
 
Our primary objective is to deliver value by being the most innovative and profitable aluminum rolled products company in the world. We intend to achieve this objective through the following areas of focus:
 
Expand our global leadership position in can sheet, automotive sheet and recycling
 
  •  Build upon our leadership in these three growth markets where our global manufacturing footprint is a distinct advantage. In can stock we are the number one producer in all of our regions, with continued growth in developing markets such as Asia, South America and Eastern Europe. The automotive market has great future potential and Novelis is the only company capable of producing exterior body sheet in both Europe and North America. In the recycling business, we are the largest processor of used beverage cans, recycling approximately 39 billion cans in fiscal 2009. We are striving to increase the availability of recycled metal to meet the growing demand for sustainable packaging.
 
Grow our premium product portfolio
 
  •  Improve our product mix and margins by leveraging our assets and technical capabilities into products and markets that have higher margins, stability, barriers to entry and growth.
 
  •  Grow through the development of innovative products and processes.
 
Drive constant improvement in our operations as a globally integrated company
 
  •  Drive improvement towards global standards of excellence, specifically in areas of finance, risk management, procurement, and manufacturing. Through our business systems, we will achieve seamless alignment of goals, methods and metrics across the organization.
 
Our Operating Segments
 
Due in part to the regional nature of supply and demand of aluminum rolled products and in order to best serve our customers, we manage our activities on the basis of geographical areas and are organized under four operating segments: North America; Europe; Asia and South America. The following is a description of our operating segments:
 
  •  North America.  Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, this segment manufactures aluminum sheet and light gauge products and operates 11 plants, including two fully dedicated recycling facilities, in two countries.


9


Table of Contents

 
  •  Europe.  Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, this segment manufactures aluminum sheet and foil products and operates 14 plants, including one recycling facility, in six countries.
 
  •  Asia.  Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, this segment manufactures aluminum sheet and light gauge products and operates three plants in two countries.
 
  •  South America.  Headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil, this segment comprises bauxite mining, aluminum smelting operations, power generation, aluminum sheet and light gauge products and operates four plants in Brazil.
 
The table below shows Net sales and total shipments by segments as a percentage of our consolidated Net sales and consolidated total shipments (all amounts in millions, except shipments, which are in kt). For additional financial information related to our operating segments, see Note 21 — Segment, Geographical Area and Major Customer Information in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
 
                                           
          May 16,
      April 1,
             
          2007
      2007
    Three Months
       
    Year Ended
    Through
      Through
    Ended
    Year Ended
 
    March 31,
    March 31,
      May 15,
    March 31,
    December 31,
 
    2009     2008       2007     2007     2006  
    Successor     Successor       Predecessor     Predecessor     Predecessor  
Consolidated
                                         
Net sales(A)
  $ 10,177     $ 9,965       $ 1,281     $ 2,630     $ 9,849  
Total shipments
    2,943       2,787         363       772       3,123  
North America
                                         
Net sales
    38.6 %     36.6 %       34.8 %     35.2 %     37.5 %
Total shipments
    37.6 %     37.0 %       36.9 %     37.0 %     39.4 %
Europe
                                         
Net sales
    36.4 %     38.4 %       39.8 %     40.2 %     36.8 %
Total shipments
    34.3 %     34.9 %       36.4 %     37.2 %     34.4 %
Asia
                                         
Net sales
    15.1 %     16.1 %       16.9 %     15.7 %     17.2 %
Total shipments
    15.6 %     16.9 %       16.3 %     15.2 %     16.5 %
South America
                                         
Net sales
    9.9 %     8.9 %       8.5 %     8.9 %     8.8 %
Total shipments
    12.4 %     11.2 %       10.4 %     10.6 %     9.8 %
 
 
(A) Consolidated Net sales include the results of our non-consolidated affiliates on a proportionately consolidated basis, which is consistent with the way we manage our business segments. These Net sales were $14 million, $5 million, and $17 million, for the year ended March 31, 2009, the period from May 16, 2007 through March 31, 2008 and for the year ended December 31, 2006, respectively. There were less than $1 million of Net sales from our non-consolidated affiliates in each of the periods from April 1, 2007 through May 15, 2007, and the three months ended March 31, 2007.
 
We have highly automated, flexible and advanced manufacturing capabilities in operating facilities around the globe. In addition to the aluminum rolled products plants, our South America segment operates bauxite mining, alumina refining, hydro-electric power plants and smelting facilities. We believe our facilities have the assets required for efficient production and are well managed and maintained. For a further discussion of financial information by geographic area, refer to Note 21 — Segment, Geographical Area and Major Customer Information to our consolidated financial statements.
 
North America
 
Through 11 aluminum rolled products facilities, including two fully dedicated recycling facilities as of March 31, 2009, North America manufactures aluminum sheet and light gauge products. Important end-use


10


Table of Contents

applications for this segment include beverage cans, containers and packaging, automotive and other transportation applications, building products and other industrial applications.
 
The majority of North America’s efforts are directed towards the beverage can sheet market. The beverage can end-use application is technically demanding to supply and pricing is competitive. We believe we have a competitive advantage in this market due to our low-cost and technologically advanced manufacturing facilities and technical support capability. Recycling is important in the manufacturing process and we have five facilities in North America that re-melt post-consumer aluminum and recycled process material. Most of the recycled material is from used beverage cans and the material is cast into sheet ingot for North America’s two can sheet production plants (at Logan, Kentucky and Oswego, New York).
 
In June 2008, we closed our Louisville, Kentucky plant where we produced light gauge converter foil products.
 
Europe
 
Europe produces value-added sheet and foil products through 14 operating plants as of March 31, 2009, including one recycling facility.
 
Europe serves a broad range of aluminum rolled product end-use applications including: construction and industrial; beverage and food can; foil and technical products; lithographic; automotive and other. Beverage and food represent the largest end-use market in terms of shipment volume by Europe.
 
Europe also has foil packaging facilities at six locations, and in addition to rolled product plants, has distribution centers in Italy and France together with sales offices in several European countries. In April 2009, we closed the distribution center in France.
 
In March 2009, we announced the closure of our aluminum sheet mill in Rogerstone, South Wales, U.K. The facility ceased operations in April 2009.
 
Asia
 
Asia operates three manufacturing facilities as of March 31, 2009 and manufactures a broad range of sheet and light gauge products. End-use applications include beverage and food cans, foil, electronics and construction and industrial products. The beverage can market represents the largest end-use application in terms of volume. Recycling is an important part of our Korean operations with recycling facilities at both the Ulsan and Yeongju facilities.
 
We believe that Asia is well-positioned to benefit from further economic development in China as well as other parts of Asia.
 
South America
 
South America operates two rolling plants, two primary aluminum smelters, and hydro-electric power plants as of March 31, 2009, all of which are located in Brazil. South America manufactures various aluminum rolled products, including can stock, automotive and industrial sheet and light gauge for the beverage and food can, construction and industrial and transportation and packaging end-use markets. More than 80% of our shipments for the past two years were in the beverage and food can market.
 
The primary aluminum operations in South America include a mine, refinery and smelters used by our Brazilian aluminum rolled products operations, with any excess production being sold on the market in the form of aluminum billets. South America generates a portion of its own power requirements.
 
In May 2009, we ceased the production of alumina at our Ouro Preto facility in Brazil.
 
Raw Materials and Suppliers
 
The raw materials that we use in manufacturing include primary aluminum, recycled aluminum, sheet ingot, alloying elements and grain refiners. Our smelters also use alumina, caustic soda and calcined petroleum


11


Table of Contents

coke and resin. These raw materials are generally available from several sources and are not generally subject to supply constraints under normal market conditions. We also consume considerable amounts of energy in the operation of our facilities.
 
Aluminum
 
We obtain aluminum from a number of sources, including the following:
 
Primary Aluminum Sourcing.  We purchased or tolled approximately 1,820 kt of primary aluminum in fiscal 2009 in the form of sheet ingot, standard ingot and molten metal, as quoted on the London Metal Exchange (LME), approximately 41% of which we purchased from Rio Tinto Alcan. Following our spin-off from Alcan, we have continued to purchase aluminum from Alcan pursuant to the metal supply agreements described under “Item 1. Arrangements Between Novelis and Alcan.” Our primary aluminum contracts with Alcan were renegotiated and the amended agreements took effect on January 1, 2008.
 
Primary Aluminum Production.  We produced approximately 103 kt of our own primary aluminum requirements in fiscal 2009 through our smelter and related facilities in Brazil.
 
Recycled Aluminum Products.  We operate facilities in several plants to recycle post-consumer aluminum, such as UBCs collected through recycling programs. In addition, we have agreements with several of our large customers where we take recycled processed material from their fabricating activity and re-melt, cast and roll it to re-supply them with aluminum sheet. Other sources of recycled material include lithographic plates, where over 90% of aluminum used is recycled, and products with longer lifespans, like cars and buildings, which are just starting to become high volume sources of recycled material. We purchased or tolled approximately 1,025 kt of recycled material inputs in fiscal 2009.
 
The majority of recycled material we re-melt is directed back through can-stock plants. The net effect of these activities in terms of total shipments of rolled products is that approximately 32% of our aluminum rolled products production for fiscal 2009 was made with recycled material.
 
Energy
 
We use several sources of energy in the manufacture and delivery of our aluminum rolled products. In fiscal 2009, natural gas and electricity represented approximately 89% of our energy consumption by cost. We also use fuel oil and transport fuel. The majority of energy usage occurs at our casting centers, at our smelters in South America and during the hot rolling of aluminum. Our cold rolling facilities require relatively less energy. We purchase our natural gas on the open market, which subjects us to market pricing fluctuations. We have in the past and may continue to seek to stabilize our future exposure to natural gas prices through the purchase of derivative instruments. Natural gas prices in Europe, Asia and South America have historically been more stable than in the United States.
 
A portion of our electricity requirements are purchased pursuant to long-term contracts in the local regions in which we operate. A number of our facilities are located in regions with regulated prices, which affords relatively stable costs.
 
Our South America segment has its own hydroelectric facilities that meet approximately 25% of its total electricity requirements for smelting operations. As a result of supply constraints, electricity prices in South America have been volatile, with spot prices increasing dramatically. We have a mixture of self-generated electricity, long term fixed contracts and shorter term semi-variable contracts. Although spot prices have returned to normal levels, we may continue to face challenges renewing our South American energy supply contracts at effective rates to enable profitable operation of our full smelter capacity.
 
Others
 
We also have bauxite and alumina requirements. We will satisfy some of our alumina requirements for the near term pursuant to the alumina supply agreement we have entered into with Alcan as discussed below under “Item 1. Arrangements Between Novelis and Alcan.”


12


Table of Contents

Our Customers
 
Although we provide products to a wide variety of customers in each of the markets that we serve, we have experienced consolidation trends among our customers in many of our key end-use markets. In fiscal 2009, approximately 45% of our total net sales were to our ten largest customers, most of whom we have been supplying for more than 20 years. To address consolidation trends, we focus significant efforts at developing and maintaining close working relationships with our customers and end-users. Our major customers include:
 
     
Agfa-Gevaert N.V.
  Daching Holdings Limited
Alcan’s packaging business group
  Lotte Aluminum Co. Ltd.
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.
  Kodak Polychrome Graphics GmbH
Affiliates of Ball Corporation
  Impress
BMW Group
  Pactiv Corporation
Can-Pack S.A.
  Rexam Plc
Various bottlers of the Coca-Cola system
  Ryerson Inc.
Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc.
  Tetra Pak Ltd.
 
In our single largest end-use market, beverage can sheet, we sell directly to beverage makers and bottlers as well as to can fabricators that sell the cans they produce to bottlers. In certain cases, we also operate under umbrella agreements with beverage makers and bottlers under which they direct their can fabricators to source their requirements for beverage can body, end and tab stock from us. Among these umbrella agreements is an agreement, referred to as the CC agreement, with several North American bottlers of Coca-Cola branded products, including Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Sales and Services. Under the CC agreement, we shipped approximately 352 kt of beverage can sheet (including tolled metal) during fiscal 2009. These shipments were made to, and we received payment from, our direct customers, being the beverage can fabricators that sell beverage cans to the Coca-Cola associated bottlers. Under the CC agreement, bottlers in the Coca-Cola system may join the CC agreement by committing a specified percentage of the can sheet required by their can fabricators to us.
 
Purchases by Rexam Plc and its affiliates represented approximately 17%, 15%, 14%, 16%, and 14% of our total net sales for the year ended March 31, 2009, the period from May 16, 2007 through March 31, 2008; the period from April 1, 2007 through May 15, 2007; the three months ended March 31, 2007; and the year ended December 31, 2006, respectively.
 
Distribution and Backlog
 
We have two principal distribution channels for the end-use markets in which we operate: direct sales and distributors. Approximately 93%, 90%, 91%, 89%, and 87% of our total net sales were derived from direct sales to our customers and approximately 7%, 10%, 9%, 11%, and 13% of our total net sales were derived from distributors for the year ended March 31, 2009, the period from May 16, 2007 through March 31, 2008; the period from April 1, 2007 through May 15, 2007; the three months ended March 31, 2007; and the year ended December 31, 2006, respectively.
 
Direct Sales
 
We supply various end-use markets all over the world through a direct sales force that operates from individual plants or sales offices, as well as from regional sales offices in 21 countries. The direct sales channel typically involves very large, sophisticated fabricators and original equipment manufacturers. Longstanding relationships are maintained with leading companies in industries that use aluminum rolled products. Supply contracts for large global customers generally range from one to five years in length and historically there has been a high degree of renewal business with these customers. Given the customized nature of products and in some cases, large order sizes, switching costs are significant, thus adding to the overall consistency of the customer base.


13


Table of Contents

We also use third party agents or traders in some regions to complement our own sales force. They provide service to our customers in countries where we do not have local expertise. We tend to use third party agents in Asia more frequently than in other regions.
 
Distributors
 
We also sell our products through aluminum distributors, particularly in North America and Europe. Customers of distributors are widely dispersed, and sales through this channel are highly fragmented. Distributors sell mostly commodity or less specialized products into many end-use markets in small quantities, including the construction and industrial and transportation markets. We collaborate with our distributors to develop new end-use applications and improve the supply chain and order efficiencies.
 
Backlog
 
We believe that order backlog is not a material aspect of our business.
 
Research and Development
 
The table below summarizes our research and development expense in our plants and modern research facilities, which included mini-scale production lines equipped with hot mills, can lines and continuous casters (in millions).
 
                                           
          May 16,
      April 1,
    Three
       
          2007
      2007
    Months
       
    Year Ended
    Through
      Through
    Ended
    Year Ended
 
    March 31,
    March 31,
      May 15,
    March 31,
    December 31,
 
    2009     2008       2007     2007     2006  
    Successor     Successor       Predecessor     Predecessor     Predecessor  
Research and development expenses
  $ 41     $ 46       $ 6     $ 8     $ 40  
 
We conduct research and development activities at our plants in order to satisfy current and future customer requirements, improve our products and reduce our conversion costs. Our customers work closely with our research and development professionals to improve their production processes and market options. We have approximately 200 employees dedicated to research and development, located in many of our plants and research center.
 
Our Employees
 
As of March 31, 2009, we had approximately 12,300 employees. Approximately 5,800 are employed in Europe, approximately 3,000 are employed in North America, approximately 1,500 are employed in Asia and approximately 2,000 are employed in South America and other areas. Approximately 70% of our employees are represented by labor unions and their employment conditions are governed by collective bargaining agreements. Collective bargaining agreements are negotiated on a site, regional or national level, and are of different durations. We believe that we have good labor relations in all our operations and have not experienced a significant labor stoppage in any of our principal operations during the last decade.
 
Intellectual Property
 
In connection with our spin-off, Alcan has assigned or licensed to us a number of important patents, trademarks and other intellectual property rights owned or previously owned by Alcan and required for our business. Ownership of certain intellectual property that is used by both us and Alcan is owned by one of us, and licensed to the other. Certain specific intellectual property rights, which have been determined to be exclusively useful to us or which were required to be transferred to us for regulatory reasons, have been assigned to us with no license back to Alcan.
 
We actively review intellectual property arising from our operations and our research and development activities and, when appropriate, we apply for patents in the appropriate jurisdictions, including the United States and Canada. We currently hold patents and patent applications on approximately 190 different items of


14


Table of Contents

intellectual property. While these patents and patent applications are important to our business on an aggregate basis, no single patent or patent application is deemed to be material to our business.
 
We have applied for or received registrations for the “Novelis” word trademark and the Novelis logo trademark in approximately 50 countries where we have significant sales or operations. Novelis uses the Aditya Birla Rising Sun logo under license from Aditya Birla Management Corporation Private Limited.
 
We have also registered the word “Novelis” and several derivations thereof as domain names in numerous top level domains around the world to protect our presence on the World Wide Web.
 
Environment, Health and Safety
 
We own and operate numerous manufacturing and other facilities in various countries around the world. Our operations are subject to environmental laws and regulations from various jurisdictions, which govern, among other things, air emissions, wastewater discharges, the handling, storage and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, the remediation of contaminated sites, post-mining reclamation and restoration of natural resources, and employee health and safety. Future environmental regulations may be expected to impose stricter compliance requirements on the industries in which we operate. Additional equipment or process changes at some of our facilities may be needed to meet future requirements. The cost of meeting these requirements may be significant. Failure to comply with such laws and regulations could subject us to administrative, civil or criminal penalties, obligations to pay damages or other costs, and injunctions and other orders, including orders to cease operations.
 
We are involved in proceedings under the U.S. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, also known as CERCLA or Superfund, or analogous state provisions regarding our liability arising from the usage, storage, treatment or disposal of hazardous substances and wastes at a number of sites in the United States, as well as similar proceedings under the laws and regulations of the other jurisdictions in which we have operations, including Brazil and certain countries in the European Union. Many of these jurisdictions have laws that impose joint and several liability, without regard to fault or the legality of the original conduct, for the costs of environmental remediation, natural resource damages, third party claims, and other expenses. In addition, we are, from time to time, subject to environmental reviews and investigations by relevant governmental authorities.
 
We have established procedures for regularly evaluating environmental loss contingencies, including those arising from environmental reviews and investigations and any other environmental remediation or compliance matters. We believe we have a reasonable basis for evaluating these environmental loss contingencies, and we also believe we have made reasonable estimates for the costs that are likely to be ultimately borne by us for these environmental loss contingencies. Accordingly, we have established reserves based on our reasonable estimates for the currently anticipated costs associated with these environmental matters. Management has determined that the currently anticipated costs associated with these environmental matters will not, individually or in the aggregate, materially impair our operations or materially adversely affect our financial condition.
 
We expect that our total expenditures for capital improvements regarding environmental control facilities for the year ending March 31, 2010 will be approximately $12 million.
 
Arrangements Between Novelis and Alcan
 
In connection with our spin-off from Alcan, we entered into a number of ancillary agreements with Alcan governing certain terms of our spin-off as well as various aspects of our relationship with Alcan following the spin-off. These ancillary agreements include:
 
Transitional Services and Similar Agreements.  Pursuant to a collection of approximately 130 individual transitional services agreements, Alcan has provided to us and we have provided to Alcan, as applicable, on an interim, transitional basis, various services, including, but not limited to, treasury administration, selected benefits administration functions, employee compensation and information technology services. The agreed upon charges for these services generally allow us or Alcan, as


15


Table of Contents

applicable, to recover fully the allocated costs of providing the services, plus all out-of-pocket costs and expenses plus a margin of five percent. No margin is added to the cost of services supplied by external suppliers. The majority of the individual service agreements, which began on the spin-off date, terminated on or prior to December 31, 2005. However, we had a continuing agreement with Alcan through 2008 to use certain information technology hosting services to support our financial accounting systems for the Nachterstedt and Goettingen plants.
 
Metal Supply Agreements.  We and Alcan have entered into four multi-year metal supply agreements pursuant to which Alcan supplies us with specified quantities of re-melt ingot, molten metal and sheet ingot in North America and Europe on terms and conditions determined primarily by Alcan. We believe these agreements provide us with the ability to cover some metal requirements through a pricing formula pursuant to our spin-off agreement with Alcan. In addition, an ingot supply agreement in effect between Alcan and Novelis Korea Ltd. prior to the spin-off remains in effect following the spin-off.
 
On February 26, 2008, we and Alcan agreed to amend and restate four existing multi-year metal supply agreements, which took effect as of January 1, 2008.
 
The amended and restated metal supply agreement for the supply of re-melt aluminum ingot amends and restates the supply agreement dated January 5, 2005 between the parties. This amended agreement extends the term, establishes an annual quantity of remelt ingot to be supplied and purchased subject to adjustment, establishes certain delivery requirements, changes certain pricing provisions, and revises certain payment terms, among other standard terms and conditions.
 
The amended and restated molten metal supply agreement for the supply of molten metal to the Company’s Saguenay Works Facility amends and restates the supply agreement dated January 5, 2005 between the parties. This amended agreement changes certain pricing provisions, and revises certain payment terms, among other standard terms and conditions.
 
The amended and restated metal supply agreement for the supply of sheet ingot in North America amends and restates the supply agreement dated January 5, 2005 between the parties. This amended agreement extends the term, establishes an annual quantity of sheet ingot to be supplied and purchased subject to adjustment, changes certain pricing provisions, and revises certain payment terms, among other standard terms and conditions.
 
The amended and restated metal supply agreement for the supply of sheet ingot in Europe amends and restates the supply agreement dated January 5, 2005 between the parties. This amended agreement extends the term, establishes an annual quantity of sheet ingot to be supplied and purchased subject to adjustment, and changes certain pricing provisions, among other standard terms and conditions.
 
Foil Supply Agreements.  In 2005, we entered into foil supply agreements with Alcan for the supply of foil from our facilities located in Norf, Ludenscheid and Ohle, Germany to Alcan’s packaging facility located in Rorschach, Switzerland as well as from our facilities located in Utinga, Brazil to Alcan’s packaging facility located in Maua, Brazil. These agreements are for five-year terms during the course of which we will supply specified percentages of Alcan’s requirements for its facilities described above (in the case of Alcan’s Rorschach facility, 94% in 2006, 93% in 2007, 92% in 2008 and 90% in 2009, and in the case of Alcan’s Maua facility, 70%). In addition, we will continue to supply certain of Alcan’s European operations with foil under the terms of two agreements that were in effect prior to the spin-off.
 
Alumina Supply Agreements.  We have entered into a ten-year alumina supply agreement with Alcan pursuant to which we purchase from Alcan, and Alcan supplies to us, alumina for our primary aluminum smelter located in Aratu, Brazil. The annual quantity of alumina to be supplied under this agreement is between 85 kt and 126 kt. In addition, an alumina supply agreement between Alcan and Novelis Deutschland GmbH that was in effect prior to the spin-off remains in effect following the spin-off.


16


Table of Contents

Available Information
 
We are subject to the reporting and information requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act) and, as a result, we file periodic reports and other information with the SEC. We make these filings available on our website free of charge, the URL of which is http://www.novelis.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. The SEC maintains a website (http://www.sec.gov) that contains our annual, quarterly and current reports and other information we file electronically with the SEC. You can read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1850, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. Information on our website does not constitute part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
 
Item 1A.   Risk Factors
 
Risks Related to our Business and the Market Environment
 
Economic conditions could continue to materially adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity.
 
Our financial condition and results of operations depend significantly on worldwide economic conditions. These economic conditions have recently deteriorated significantly in many countries and regions in which we do business, and may remain depressed for the foreseeable future. Uncertainty about current global economic conditions poses a risk as our customers may postpone purchases in response to tighter credit and negative financial news, which could adversely impact demand for our products. These and other economic factors have, and may continue to have, a significant impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
 
The current financial turmoil affecting the banking system and financial markets and the possibility that additional financial institutions may consolidate or go out of business has resulted in a tightening in the credit markets, a low level of liquidity in many financial markets, and extreme volatility in fixed income, credit, currency and equity markets. There could be a number of follow-on effects from the credit crisis on our business, including the insolvency of key suppliers or their inability to obtain credit to finance development and/or manufacture products resulting in product delays and the inability of customers to purchase our products or pay for products they have already received. If conditions become more severe or continue longer than we anticipate, or if we are unable to adequately respond to unforeseeable changes in demand resulting from economic conditions, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.
 
The deterioration of global economic conditions combined with rapidly declining aluminum prices from a peak of $3,292 per tonne in July 2008 to $1,365 per tonne on March 31, 2009 have placed pressure on our short-term liquidity. In the near term, our forecast indicates our liquidity position will be tight, but adequate as we settle outstanding derivative positions. However, our liquidity needs could increase due to the unpredictability of current market conditions and their potential effect on customer credit, future derivative settlements, future sales volume, our credit, or other matters. As a result, management has undertaken a number of activities to generate cash in the near term as well as implement changes in our cost structure that will benefit our liquidity in the long-term.
 
In addition, we use various derivative instruments to manage the risks arising from fluctuations in exchange rates, interest rates, aluminum prices and energy prices. The current financial turmoil affecting the banking system and financial markets could affect whether the counterparties to our derivative instruments are able to honor their agreements. We may be exposed to losses in the future if the counterparties to our derivative instruments fail to honor their agreements. Our maximum potential loss may exceed the amount recognized in the accompanying March 31, 2009 consolidated balance sheet.


17


Table of Contents

Certain of our customers are significant to our revenues, and we could be adversely affected by changes in the business or financial condition of these significant customers or by the loss of their business.
 
Our ten largest customers accounted for approximately 45%, 45%, 47%, 43% and 43% of our total net sales for the year ended March 31, 2009; the period from May 16, 2007 through March 31, 2008; the period from April 1, 2007 to May 15, 2007; the three months ended March 31, 2007; and the year ended December 31, 2006, respectively, with Rexam Plc and its affiliates representing approximately 17%, 15%, 14%, 16% and 14% of our total net sales in the respective periods. A significant downturn in the business or financial condition of our significant customers could materially adversely affect our results of operations or cash flows. In addition, if our existing relationships with significant customers materially deteriorate or are terminated in the future, and we are not successful in replacing business lost from such customers, our results of operations or cash flows could be adversely affected. Some of the longer term contracts under which we supply our customers, including under umbrella agreements such as those described under “Item 1. Business — Our Customers,” are subject to renewal, renegotiation or re-pricing at periodic intervals or upon changes in competitive supply conditions. Our failure to successfully renew, renegotiate or re-price such agreements could result in a reduction or loss in customer purchase volume or revenue, and if we are not successful in replacing business lost from such customers, our results of operations or cash flows could be adversely affected. The markets in which we operate are competitive and customers may seek to consolidate supplier relationships or change suppliers to obtain cost savings and other benefits.
 
Our profitability or cash flows could be adversely affected by our inability to pass through metal price increases due to metal price ceilings in certain of our sales contracts.
 
Prices for metal are volatile, have been impacted by recent structural changes in the market, and may increase from time to time. Nearly all of our products have a price structure with two components: (i) a pass-through aluminum price based on the LME plus local market premiums and (ii) a “conversion premium” price based on the conversion cost to produce the rolled product and the competitive market conditions for that product. Sales contracts representing 257 kt and 300 kt of our fiscal 2009 and 2008 shipments, respectively, contained a ceiling over which metal prices could not be contractually passed through to certain customers, unless adjusted. This negatively impacted our margins and operating cash flows when the price we paid for metal was above the ceiling price contained in these contracts. We calculate and report this difference to be approximately the difference between the quoted purchase price on the LME (adjusted for any local premiums and for any price lag associated with purchasing or processing time) and the metal price ceiling in our contracts. Cash flows from operations are negatively impacted by the same amounts, adjusted for any timing difference between customer receipts and vendor payments, and offset partially by reduced income taxes.
 
During the years ended March 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007, we were unable to pass through approximately $176 million, $230 million and $460 million, respectively, of metal purchase costs associated with sales under these contracts. As a result of falling LME prices and based on a March 31, 2009 aluminum price of $1,365 per tonne, there is no unfavorable revenue or cash flow impact estimated through December 31, 2009 when these contracts expire. However, if metal prices increase above the metal price ceiling, our margins and operating cash flows will be negatively impacted.
 
Our efforts to mitigate the risk of rising metal prices may not be effective.
 
We employ the following strategies to manage and mitigate the risk associated with metal price ceilings and rising prices that we cannot pass through to certain customers:
 
  •  We maximize the amount of our internally supplied metal inputs from our smelting, refining and mining operations in Brazil and rely on output from our recycling operations which utilize used beverage cans (UBCs). Both of these sources of aluminum supply have historically provided an offsetting benefit to the metal price ceiling contracts. We refer to these two sources as “internal hedges.”
 
  •  We entered into derivative instruments to hedge projected aluminum volume requirements above our assumed internal hedge position mitigating our exposure to further increases in LME. As a result of


18


Table of Contents

  these instruments, we will continue to incur cash losses related to these contracts even if LME remains below the ceiling price. As of March 31, 2009 the fair value of the liability associated with these derivative instruments was $141 million.
 
Our results and cash flows can be negatively impacted by timing differences between the prices we pay under purchase contracts and metal prices we charge our customers.
 
In some of our contracts there is a timing difference between the metal prices we pay under our purchase contracts and the metal prices we charge our customers. As a result, changes in metal prices impact our results, since during such periods we bear the additional cost or benefit of metal price changes, which could have a material effect on our profitability and cash flows.
 
Our operations consume energy and our profitability or cash flows may decline if energy costs were to rise, or if our energy supplies were interrupted.
 
We consume substantial amounts of energy in our rolling operations, our cast house operations and our Brazilian smelting operations. The factors that affect our energy costs and supply reliability tend to be specific to each of our facilities. A number of factors could materially adversely affect our energy position including:
 
  •  increases in costs of natural gas;
 
  •  significant increases in costs of supplied electricity or fuel oil related to transportation;
 
  •  interruptions in energy supply due to equipment failure or other causes;
 
  •  the inability to extend energy supply contracts upon expiration on economical terms; and
 
  •  the inability to pass through energy costs in certain sales contracts.
 
If energy costs were to rise, or if energy supplies or supply arrangements were disrupted, our profitability or cash flows could decline.
 
We may not have sufficient cash to repay indebtedness and we may be limited in our ability to access financing for future capital requirements, which may prevent us from increasing our manufacturing capability, improving our technology or addressing any gaps in our product offerings.
 
Although historically our cash flow from operations has been sufficient to repay indebtedness, satisfy working capital requirements and fund capital expenditure and research and development requirements, in the future we may need to incur additional debt or issue equity in order to fund these requirements as well as to make acquisitions and other investments. To the extent we are unable to raise new capital, we may be unable to increase our manufacturing capability, improve our technology or address any gaps in our product offerings. If we raise funds through the issuance of debt or equity, any debt securities or preferred shares issued may have rights and preferences and privileges senior to those of our common shares. The terms of the debt securities may impose restrictions on our operations that have an adverse impact on our financial condition.
 
Our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our business and therefore make it more difficult for us to fulfill our obligations under our Credit Agreements and our Senior Notes.
 
On July 6, 2007, we entered into new senior secured credit facilities (Credit Agreements) providing for aggregate borrowings of up to $1.76 billion. The Credit Agreements consist of (1) a $960 million seven-year Term Loan facility (Term Loan facility) and (2) an $800 million five year multi-currency asset-based revolving credit line and letter of credit facility (ABL facility). As of March 31, 2009, we had total indebtedness of $2.8 billion, including our $1.1 billion of senior unsecured debt securities (Senior Notes) (excluding unamortized fair value adjustments recorded as a result of the Arrangement). Our substantial indebtedness and


19


Table of Contents

interest expense could have important consequences to our Company and holders of our Senior Notes, including:
 
  •  limiting our ability to borrow additional amounts for working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements, execution of our growth strategy, or other general corporate purposes;
 
  •  limiting our ability to use operating cash flow in other areas of our business because we must dedicate a substantial portion of these funds to service the debt;
 
  •  increasing our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions;
 
  •  placing us at a competitive disadvantage as compared to our competitors that have less leverage;
 
  •  limiting our ability to capitalize on business opportunities and to react to competitive pressures and adverse changes in government regulation;
 
  •  limiting our ability or increasing the costs to refinance indebtedness; and
 
  •  limiting our ability to enter into marketing, hedging, optimization and trading transactions by reducing the number of counterparties with whom we can enter into such transactions as well as the volume of those transactions.
 
The covenants in our Credit Agreements and the indenture governing our Senior Notes impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us.
 
The Credit Agreements and the indenture governing the Senior Notes impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us. These restrictions limit our ability and the ability of our restricted subsidiaries, among other things, to:
 
  •  incur additional debt and provide additional guarantees;
 
  •  pay dividends beyond certain amounts and make other restricted payments;
 
  •  create or permit certain liens;
 
  •  make certain asset sales;
 
  •  use the proceeds from the sales of assets and subsidiary stock;
 
  •  create or permit restrictions on the ability of our restricted subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions to us;
 
  •  engage in certain transactions with affiliates;
 
  •  enter into sale and leaseback transactions;
 
  •  designate subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries; and
 
  •  consolidate, merge or transfer all or substantially all of our assets or the assets of our restricted subsidiaries.
 
The Credit Agreements also contains various affirmative covenants, with which we are required to comply.
 
Although we currently expect to comply with these covenants, we may be unable to comply with these covenants in the future. If we do not comply with these covenants and are unable to obtain waivers from our lenders, we would be unable to make additional borrowings under these facilities, our indebtedness under these agreements would be in default and could be accelerated by our lenders and could cause a cross-default under our other indebtedness, including our Senior Notes. If our indebtedness is accelerated, we may not be able to repay our indebtedness or borrow sufficient funds to refinance it. In addition, if we incur additional debt in the future, we may be subject to additional covenants, which may be more restrictive than those that we are subject to now.


20


Table of Contents

 
A deterioration of our financial position or a downgrade of our ratings by a credit rating agency could increase our borrowing costs and our business relationships could be adversely affected.
 
A deterioration of our financial position or a downgrade of our ratings for any reason could increase our borrowing costs and have an adverse effect on our business relationships with customers, suppliers and hedging counterparties. From time to time, we enter into various forms of hedging activities against currency or metal price fluctuations and trade metal contracts on the LME. Financial strength and credit ratings are important to the availability and pricing of these hedging and trading activities. As a result, any downgrade of our credit ratings may make it more costly for us to engage in these activities, and changes to our level of indebtedness may make it more difficult or costly for us to engage in these activities in the future.
 
Adverse changes in currency exchange rates could negatively affect our financial results or cash flows and the competitiveness of our aluminum rolled products relative to other materials.
 
Our businesses and operations are exposed to the effects of changes in the exchange rates of the U.S. dollar, the euro, the British pound, the Brazilian real, the Canadian dollar, the Korean won and other currencies. We have implemented a hedging policy that attempts to manage currency exchange rate risks to an acceptable level based on our management’s judgment of the appropriate trade-off between risk, opportunity and cost; however, this hedging policy may not successfully or completely eliminate the effects of currency exchange rate fluctuations which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results or cash flows.
 
We prepare our consolidated financial statements in U.S. dollars, but a portion of our earnings and expenditures are denominated in other currencies, primarily the euro, the Korean won and the Brazilian real. Changes in exchange rates will result in increases or decreases in our reported costs and earnings, and may also affect the book value of our assets located outside the U.S.
 
Most of our facilities are staffed by a unionized workforce, and union disputes and other employee relations issues could materially adversely affect our financial results.
 
Approximately 70% of our employees are represented by labor unions under a large number of collective bargaining agreements with varying durations and expiration dates. We may not be able to satisfactorily renegotiate our collective bargaining agreements when they expire. In addition, existing collective bargaining agreements may not prevent a strike or work stoppage at our facilities in the future, and any such work stoppage could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
 
Our operations have been and will continue to be exposed to various business and other risks, changes in conditions and events beyond our control in countries where we have operations or sell products.
 
We are, and will continue to be, subject to financial, political, economic and business risks in connection with our global operations. We have made investments and carry on production activities in various emerging markets, including Brazil, Korea and Malaysia, and we market our products in these countries, as well as China and certain other countries in Asia, the Middle East and emerging markets in South America. While we anticipate higher growth or attractive production opportunities from these emerging markets, they also present a higher degree of risk than more developed markets. In addition to the business risks inherent in developing and servicing new markets, economic conditions may be more volatile, legal and regulatory systems less developed and predictable, and the possibility of various types of adverse governmental action more pronounced. In addition, inflation, fluctuations in currency and interest rates, competitive factors, civil unrest and labor problems could affect our revenues, expenses and results of operations. Our operations could also be adversely affected by acts of war, terrorism or the threat of any of these events as well as government actions such as controls on imports, exports and prices, tariffs, new forms of taxation, or changes in fiscal regimes and increased government regulation in the countries in which we operate or service customers. Unexpected or uncontrollable events or circumstances in any of these markets could have a material adverse effect on our financial results or cash flows.


21


Table of Contents

 
We could be adversely affected by disruptions of our operations.
 
Breakdown of equipment or other events, including catastrophic events such as war or natural disasters, leading to production interruptions in our plants could have a material adverse effect on our financial results or cash flows. Further, because many of our customers are, to varying degrees, dependent on planned deliveries from our plants, those customers that have to reschedule their own production due to our missed deliveries could pursue financial claims against us. We may incur costs to correct any of these problems, in addition to facing claims from customers. Further, our reputation among actual and potential customers may be harmed, resulting in a loss of business. While we maintain insurance policies covering, among other things, physical damage, business interruptions and product liability, these policies may not cover all of our losses.
 
We may not be able to successfully develop and implement new technology initiatives in a timely manner.
 
We have invested in, and are involved with, a number of technology and process initiatives. Several technical aspects of these initiatives are still unproven and the eventual commercial outcomes cannot be assessed with any certainty. Even if we are successful with these initiatives, we may not be able to deploy them in a timely fashion. Accordingly, the costs and benefits from our investments in new technologies and the consequent effects on our financial results may vary from present expectations.
 
If we fail to establish and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, we may have material misstatements in our financial statements and we may not be able to report our financial results in a timely manner.
 
In conjunction with this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2009 and under the authorization and direction of our Audit Committee, management has assessed the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of March 31, 2009 and determined that a material weakness relating to the application of purchase accounting for an equity method investee including related income tax accounts has been identified.
 
Loss of our key management and other personnel, or an inability to attract such management and other personnel, could adversely impact our business.
 
We depend on our senior executive officers and other key personnel to run our business. The loss of any of these officers or other key personnel could materially adversely affect our operations. Competition for qualified employees among companies that rely heavily on engineering and technology is intense, and the loss of qualified employees or an inability to attract, retain and motivate additional highly skilled employees required for the operation and expansion of our business could hinder our ability to improve manufacturing operations, conduct research activities successfully and develop marketable products.
 
Past and future acquisitions or divestitures may adversely affect our financial condition.
 
Historically, we have grown partly through the acquisition of other businesses, including businesses acquired by Alcan in its 2000 acquisition of the Alusuisse Group Ltd. and its 2003 acquisition of Pechiney, both of which were integrated aluminum companies. As part of our strategy for growth, we may continue to pursue acquisitions, divestitures or strategic alliances, which may not be completed or, if completed, may not be ultimately beneficial to us. There are numerous risks commonly encountered in business combinations, including the risk that we may not be able to complete a transaction that has been announced, effectively integrate businesses acquired or generate the cost savings and synergies anticipated. Failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
 
We could be required to make unexpected contributions to our defined benefit pension plans as a result of adverse changes in interest rates and the capital markets.
 
Most of our pension obligations relate to funded defined benefit pension plans for our employees in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada, unfunded pension benefits in Germany, and lump sum indemnities payable to our employees in France, Italy, Korea and Malaysia upon retirement or termination. Our pension plan assets


22


Table of Contents

consist primarily of funds invested in listed stocks and bonds. Our estimates of liabilities and expenses for pensions and other postretirement benefits incorporate a number of assumptions, including expected long-term rates of return on plan assets and interest rates used to discount future benefits. Our results of operations, liquidity or shareholders’ equity in a particular period could be adversely affected by capital market returns that are less than their assumed long-term rate of return or a decline of the rate used to discount future benefits.
 
If the assets of our pension plans do not achieve assumed investment returns for any period, such deficiency could result in one or more charges against our earnings for that period. In addition, changing economic conditions, poor pension investment returns or other factors may require us to make unexpected cash contributions to the pension plans in the future, preventing the use of such cash for other purposes.
 
We face risks relating to certain joint ventures and subsidiaries that we do not entirely control. Our ability to generate cash from these entities may be more restricted than if such entities were wholly-owned subsidiaries.
 
Some of our activities are, and will in the future be, conducted through entities that we do not entirely control or wholly own. These entities include our Norf, Germany and Logan, Kentucky joint ventures, as well as our majority-owned Korean and Malaysian subsidiaries. Our Malaysian subsidiary is a public company whose shares are listed for trading on the Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad. Under the governing documents or agreements of securities laws applicable to or stock exchange listing rules relative to certain of these joint ventures and subsidiaries, our ability to fully control certain operational matters may be limited. In addition, we do not solely determine certain key matters, such as the timing and amount of cash distributions from these entities. As a result, our ability to generate cash from these entities may be more restricted than if they were wholly-owned entities.
 
We have supply agreements with Alcan for a portion of our raw materials requirements. If Alcan is unable to deliver sufficient quantities of these materials or if it terminates these agreements, our ability to manufacture products on a timely basis could be adversely affected.
 
The manufacture of our products requires sheet ingot that has historically been, in part, supplied by Alcan. For the year ended March 31, 2009, we purchased the majority of our third party sheet ingot requirements from Alcan’s primary metal group. In connection with the spin-off, we entered into metal supply agreements with Alcan upon terms and conditions substantially similar to market terms and conditions for the continued purchase of sheet ingot from Alcan, which were amended in March 2008. If Alcan is unable to deliver sufficient quantities of this material on a timely basis or if Alcan terminates one or more of these agreements, our production may be disrupted and our net sales, profitability and cash flows could be materially adversely affected. Although aluminum is traded on the world markets, developing alternative suppliers for that portion of our raw material requirements we expect to be supplied by Alcan could be time consuming and expensive.
 
Our continuous casting operations at our Saguenay Works, Canada facility depend upon a local supply of molten aluminum from Alcan. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009, Alcan’s primary metal group supplied 863 kt of such material to us, representing approximately 20% of the molten aluminum used at Saguenay Works. In connection with the spin-off, we entered into a metal supply agreement on terms determined primarily by Alcan for the continued purchase of molten aluminum from Alcan. If this supply were to be disrupted, our Saguenay Works production could be interrupted and our net sales, profitability and cash flows materially adversely affected.
 
We may lose key rights if a change in control of our voting shares were to occur.
 
Our separation agreement with Alcan provides that if we experience a change in control in our voting shares during the five years following the spin-off and if the entity acquiring control does not refrain from using the Novelis assets to compete against Alcan in the plate and aerospace products markets, Alcan may terminate any or all of certain agreements we currently have with Alcan. Hindalco delivered the requisite


23


Table of Contents

non-compete agreement to Alcan on June 14, 2007, following its acquisition of our common shares. However, if Hindalco were to sell its controlling interest in Novelis before January 6, 2010, a new acquirer would be required to provide a similar agreement.
 
The termination of any of these agreements could deprive any potential acquirer of certain services, resources or rights necessary to the conduct of our business. Replacement of these assets could be difficult or impossible, resulting in a material adverse effect on our business operations, net sales, profitability and cash flows. In addition, the potential termination of these agreements could prevent us from entering into future business transactions such as acquisitions or joint ventures at terms favorable to us or at all.
 
Our agreement not to compete with Alcan in certain end-use markets may hinder our ability to take advantage of new business opportunities.
 
In connection with the spin-off, we agreed not to compete with Alcan for a period of five years from the spin-off date in the manufacture, production and sale of certain products for use in the plate and aerospace markets. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to pursue successfully new business opportunities, which could limit our potential sources of revenue and growth.
 
Risks Related to Our Industry
 
We face significant price and other forms of competition from other aluminum rolled products producers, which could hurt our results of operations or cash flows.
 
Generally, the markets in which we operate are highly competitive. We compete primarily on the basis of our value proposition, including price, product quality, ability to meet customers’ specifications, range of products offered, lead times, technical support and customer service. Some of our competitors may benefit from greater capital resources, have more efficient technologies, or have lower raw material and energy costs and may be able to sustain longer periods of price competition.
 
In addition, our competitive position within the global aluminum rolled products industry may be affected by, among other things, the recent trend toward consolidation among our competitors, exchange rate fluctuations that may make our products less competitive in relation to the products of companies based in other countries (despite the U.S. dollar-based input cost and the marginal costs of shipping) and economies of scale in purchasing, production and sales, which accrue to the benefit of some of our competitors.
 
Increased competition could cause a reduction in our shipment volumes and profitability or increase our expenditures, either of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results or cash flows.
 
The end-use markets for certain of our products are highly competitive and customers are willing to accept substitutes for our products.
 
The end-use markets for certain aluminum rolled products are highly competitive. Aluminum competes with other materials, such as steel, plastics, composite materials and glass, among others, for various applications, including in beverage and food cans and automotive end-use applications. In the past, customers have demonstrated a willingness to substitute other materials for aluminum. For example, changes in consumer preferences in beverage containers have increased the use of polyethylene terephthalate plastic (PET plastic) containers and glass bottles in recent years. These trends may continue. The willingness of customers to accept substitutes for aluminum products could have a material adverse effect on our financial results or cash flows.
 
A downturn in the economy could have a material adverse effect on our financial results or cash flows.
 
Certain end-use applications for aluminum rolled products, such as construction and industrial and transportation applications, experience demand cycles that are highly correlated to the general economic environment, which is sensitive to a number of factors outside our control. A recession or a slowing of the economy in any of the geographic segments in which we operate, including China where significant economic growth is expected, or a decrease in manufacturing activity in industries such as automotive, construction and packaging and consumer goods, could have a material adverse effect on our financial results or cash flows. We


24


Table of Contents

are not able to predict the timing, extent and duration of the economic cycles in the markets in which we operate.
 
The seasonal nature of some of our customers’ industries could have a material adverse effect on our financial results or cash flows.
 
The construction industry and the consumption of beer and soda are sensitive to weather conditions and as a result, demand for aluminum rolled products in the construction industry and for can feedstock can be seasonal. Our quarterly financial results could fluctuate as a result of climatic changes, and a prolonged series of cold summers in the different regions in which we conduct our business could have a material adverse effect on our financial results or cash flows.
 
We are subject to a broad range of environmental, health and safety laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate, and we may be exposed to substantial environmental, health and safety costs and liabilities.
 
We are subject to a broad range of environmental, health and safety laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate. These laws and regulations impose increasingly stringent environmental, health and safety protection standards and permitting requirements regarding, among other things, air emissions, wastewater storage, treatment and discharges, the use and handling of hazardous or toxic materials, waste disposal practices, the remediation of environmental contamination, post-mining reclamation and working conditions for our employees. Some environmental laws, such as Superfund and comparable laws in U.S. states and other jurisdictions worldwide, impose joint and several liability for the cost of environmental remediation, natural resource damages, third party claims, and other expenses, without regard to the fault or the legality of the original conduct.
 
The costs of complying with these laws and regulations, including participation in assessments and remediation of contaminated sites and installation of pollution control facilities, have been, and in the future could be, significant. In addition, these laws and regulations may also result in substantial environmental liabilities associated with divested assets, third party locations and past activities. In certain instances, these costs and liabilities, as well as related action to be taken by us, could be accelerated or increased if we were to close, divest of or change the principal use of certain facilities with respect to which we may have environmental liabilities or remediation obligations. Currently, we are involved in a number of compliance efforts, remediation activities and legal proceedings concerning environmental matters, including certain activities and proceedings arising under Superfund and comparable laws in U.S. states and other jurisdictions worldwide.
 
We have established reserves for environmental remediation activities and liabilities where appropriate. However, the cost of addressing environmental matters (including the timing of any charges related thereto) cannot be predicted with certainty, and these reserves may not ultimately be adequate, especially in light of potential changes in environmental conditions, changing interpretations of laws and regulations by regulators and courts, the discovery of previously unknown environmental conditions, the risk of governmental orders to carry out additional compliance on certain sites not initially included in remediation in progress, our potential liability to remediate sites for which provisions have not been previously established and the adoption of more stringent environmental laws. Such future developments could result in increased environmental costs and liabilities and could require significant capital expenditures, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results or cash flows. Furthermore, the failure to comply with our obligations under the environmental laws and regulations could subject us to administrative, civil or criminal penalties, obligations to pay damages or other costs, and injunctions or other orders, including orders to cease operations. In addition, the presence of environmental contamination at our properties could adversely affect our ability to sell property, receive full value for a property or use a property as collateral for a loan.
 
Some of our current and potential operations are located or could be located in or near communities that may regard such operations as having a detrimental effect on their social and economic circumstances.


25


Table of Contents

Environmental laws typically provide for participation in permitting decisions, site remediation decisions and other matters. Concern about environmental justice issues may affect our operations. Should such community objections be presented to government officials, the consequences of such a development may have a material adverse impact upon the profitability or, in extreme cases, the viability of an operation. In addition, such developments may adversely affect our ability to expand or enter into new operations in such location or elsewhere and may also have an effect on the cost of our environmental remediation projects.
 
We use a variety of hazardous materials and chemicals in our rolling processes, as well as in our smelting operations in Brazil and in connection with maintenance work on our manufacturing facilities. Because of the nature of these substances or related residues, we may be liable for certain costs, including, among others, costs for health-related claims or removal or re-treatment of such substances. Certain of our current and former facilities incorporate asbestos-containing materials, a hazardous substance that has been the subject of health-related claims for occupation exposure. In addition, although we have developed environmental, health and safety programs for our employees, including measures to reduce employee exposure to hazardous substances, and conduct regular assessments at our facilities, we are currently, and in the future may be, involved in claims and litigation filed on behalf of persons alleging injury predominantly as a result of occupational exposure to substances or other hazards at our current or former facilities. It is not possible to predict the ultimate outcome of these claims and lawsuits due to the unpredictable nature of personal injury litigation. If these claims and lawsuits, individually or in the aggregate, were finally resolved against us, our results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected.
 
We may be exposed to significant legal proceedings or investigations.
 
From time to time, we are involved in, or the subject of, disputes, proceedings and investigations with respect to a variety of matters, including environmental, health and safety, product liability, employee, tax, personal injury, contractual and other matters as well as other disputes and proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business. Certain of these matters are discussed in the preceding risk factor and certain others are discussed below under “Item 3. Legal Proceedings.” Any claims against us or any investigations involving us, whether meritorious or not, could be costly to defend or comply with and could divert management’s attention as well as operational resources. Any such dispute, litigation or investigation, whether currently pending or threatened or in the future, may have a material adverse effect on our financial results and cash flows.
 
Product liability claims against us could result in significant costs or negatively impact our reputation and could adversely affect our business results and financial condition.
 
We are sometimes exposed to warranty and product liability claims. There can be no assurance that we will not experience material product liability losses arising from such claims in the future and that these will not have a negative impact on our net sales and profitability. We generally maintain insurance against many product liability risks, but there can be no assurance that this coverage will be adequate for any liabilities ultimately incurred. In addition, there is no assurance that insurance will continue to be available on terms acceptable to us. A successful claim that exceeds our available insurance coverage could have a material adverse effect on our financial results and cash flows.
 
Item 1B.   Unresolved Staff Comments
 
None.


26


Table of Contents

Item 2.   Properties
 
Our executive offices are located in Atlanta, Georgia. We have 32 operating facilities, one research facility and several market-focused innovation centers in 11 countries as of March 31, 2009. We believe our facilities are generally well-maintained and in good operating condition and have adequate capacity to meet our current business needs. Our principal properties and assets have been pledged to banks pursuant to our senior secured credit facilities, as described in “Description of Material Indebtedness.”
 
The following tables provide information, by operating segment, about the plant locations, processes and major end-use markets/applications for the aluminum rolled products, recycling and primary metal facilities we operated during all or part of the year ended March 31, 2009.
 
North America
 
         
Location
 
Plant Processes
 
Major End-Use Markets/Applications
 
Berea, Kentucky
  Recycling   Recycled ingot
Burnaby, British Columbia
  Finishing   Foil containers
Fairmont, West Virginia
  Cold rolling, finishing   Foil, HVAC material
Greensboro, Georgia
  Recycling   Recycled ingot
Kingston, Ontario
  Cold rolling, finishing   Automotive, construction/industrial
Logan, Kentucky(i)
  Hot rolling, cold rolling, finishing, recycling   Can stock
Louisville, Kentucky(ii)
  Cold rolling, finishing   Foil, converter foil
Oswego, New York
  Novelis Fusiontm casting, hot rolling, cold rolling, recycling, finishing   Can stock, construction/industrial, semi-finished coil
Saguenay, Quebec
  Continuous casting, recycling   Semi-finished coil
Terre Haute, Indiana
  Cold rolling, finishing   Foil
Toronto, Ontario
  Finishing   Foil, foil containers
Warren, Ohio
  Coating   Can end stock
 
 
(i) We own 40% of the outstanding common shares of Logan Aluminum Inc., but we have made subsequent equipment investments such that we now have rights to approximately 64% of Logan’s total production capacity.
 
(ii) The Louisville, Kentucky plant was closed in June 2008.
 
Our Oswego, New York facility operates modern equipment for used beverage can recycling, ingot casting, hot rolling, cold rolling and finishing. In March 2006, we commenced commercial production using our Novelis Fusiontm technology — able to produce a high quality ingot with a core of one aluminum alloy, combined with one or more layers of different aluminum alloy(s). The ingot can then be rolled into a sheet product with different properties on the inside and the outside, allowing previously unattainable performance for flat rolled products and creating opportunity for new, premium applications. Oswego produces can stock as well as building and industrial products. Oswego also provides feedstock to our Kingston, Ontario facility, which produces heat-treated automotive sheet, and to our Fairmont, West Virginia facility, which produces light gauge sheet.
 
The Logan, Kentucky facility is a processing joint venture between us and Arco Aluminum Inc. (ARCO), a subsidiary of BP plc. Our equity investment in the joint venture is 40%, while ARCO holds the remaining 60% interest. Subsequent equipment investments have resulted in us now having access to approximately 64% of Logan’s total production capacity. Logan, which was built in 1985, is the newest and largest hot mill in North America. Logan operates modern and high-speed equipment for ingot casting, hot-rolling, cold-rolling and finishing. Logan is a dedicated manufacturer of aluminum sheet products for the can stock market with modern equipment, an efficient workforce and product focus. A portion of the can end stock is coated at North America’s Warren, Ohio facility, in addition to Logan’s on-site coating assets. Together with ARCO, we


27


Table of Contents

operate Logan as a production cooperative, with each party supplying its own primary metal inputs for transformation at the facility. The transformed product is then returned to the supplying party at cost. Logan does not own any of the primary metal inputs or any of the transformed products. All of the fixed assets at Logan are directly owned by us and ARCO in varying ownership percentages or solely by each party. As discussed in Note 1 — Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the accompanying consolidated financial statements, our consolidated balance sheets include our share of the assets and liabilities of Logan.
 
We share control of the management of Logan with ARCO through a seven-member board of directors on which we appoint four members and ARCO appoints three members. Management of Logan is led jointly by two executive officers who are subject to approval by at least five members of the board of directors.
 
Our Saguenay, Quebec facility operates the world’s largest continuous caster, which produces feedstock for our two foil rolling plants located in Terre Haute, Indiana; and Fairmont, West Virginia. The continuous caster was developed through internal research and development and we own the process technology. Our Saguenay facility sources molten metal under long-term supply arrangements we have with Alcan.
 
In June 2008, we completed the closure of our light gauge converter products facility in Louisville, Kentucky. The closure was intended to bring the capacity of our North American operations in line with local market demand.
 
Our Burnaby, British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario facilities spool and package household foil products and report to our foil business unit based in Toronto, Ontario.
 
Along with our recycling center in Oswego, New York, we own two other fully dedicated recycling facilities in North America, located in Berea, Kentucky and Greensboro, Georgia. Each offers a modern, cost-efficient process to recycle used beverage cans and other recycled aluminum into sheet ingot to supply our hot mills in Logan and Oswego. Berea is the largest used beverage can recycling facility in the world.
 
Europe
 
         
Location
 
Plant Processes
 
Major End-Use Markets/Applications
 
Berlin, Germany
  Converting   Packaging
Bresso, Italy
  Finishing, painting   Painted sheet, architectural
Bridgnorth, United Kingdom
  Cold rolling, finishing, converting   Foil, packaging
Dudelange, Luxembourg
  Continuous casting, cold rolling, finishing   Foil
Göttingen, Germany
  Cold rolling, finishing, painting   Can end, lithographic, painted sheet
Latchford, United Kingdom
  Recycling   Sheet ingot from recycled metal
Ludenscheid, Germany
  Cold rolling, finishing, converting   Foil, packaging
Nachterstedt, Germany
  Cold rolling, finishing   Automotive, industrial
Norf, Germany(i)
  Hot rolling, cold rolling   Can stock, foilstock, feeder stock for finishing operations
Ohle, Germany
  Cold rolling, finishing, converting   Foil, packaging
Pieve, Italy
  Continuous casting, cold rolling   Coil for Bresso, industrial
Rogerstone, United Kingdom(ii)
  Hot rolling, cold rolling   Foilstock, paintstock, reroll, industrial
Rugles, France
  Continuous casting, cold rolling, finishing   Foil
Sierre, Switzerland(iii)
  Novelis Fusiontm casting, hot rolling, cold rolling   Automotive sheet, industrial
 
 
(i) Operated as a 50/50 joint venture between us and Hydro Aluminium Deutschland GmbH (Hydro).


28


Table of Contents

 
(ii) In March 2009, management approved the closure of our aluminum sheet mill in Rogerstone, South Wales, U.K. The facility ceased operations in April 2009.
 
(iii) We have entered into an agreement with Alcan pursuant to which Alcan retains access to the plate production capacity, which represents a portion of the total production capacity of the Sierre hot mill.
 
Aluminium Norf GmbH (Norf) in Germany, a 50/50 production-sharing joint venture between us and Hydro, is a large scale, modern manufacturing hub for several of our operations in Europe, and is the largest aluminum rolling mill and remelting operation in the world. Norf supplies hot coil for further processing through cold rolling to some of our other plants, including Goettingen and Nachterstedt in Germany and provides foilstock to our plants in Ohle and Ludenscheid in Germany and Rugles in France. Together with Hydro, we operate Norf as a production cooperative, with each party supplying its own primary metal inputs for transformation at the facility. The transformed product is then transferred back to the supplying party on a pre-determined cost-plus basis. The facility’s capacity is shared 50/50. We own 50% of the equity interest in Norf and Hydro owns the other 50%. We share control of the management of Norf with Hydro through a jointly-controlled shareholders’ committee. Management of Norf is led jointly by two managing executives, one nominated by us and one nominated by Hydro.
 
In March 2009, management approved the closure of our aluminum sheet mill in Rogerstone, South Wales, U.K. The facility ceased operations in April 2009. The Rogerstone mill in the United Kingdom supplied Bridgnorth and other foil plants with foilstock and produced hot coil for Nachterstedt and Pieve. In addition, Rogerstone produced standard sheet and coil for the European distributor market.
 
The Pieve plant, located near Milan, Italy, mainly produces continuous cast coil that is cold rolled into paintstock and sent to the Bresso plant for painting and some specialist finishing. Goettingen also has a paint line as well as lines for can end, food and lithographic sheet.
 
The Dudelange and Rugles foil plants in Luxembourg and France utilize continuous twin roll casting equipment and are two of the few foil plants in the world capable of producing 6 micron foil for aseptic packaging applications from continuous cast material. The Sierre hot rolling plant in Switzerland, along with Nachterstedt in Germany, are Europe’s leading producers of automotive sheet in terms of shipments. Sierre also supplies plate stock to Alcan. In April 2008, we announced the commissioning of a new aluminum casthouse in Sierre and began producing multi-alloy sheet ingots in the plant using Novelis Fusiontm in August 2008.
 
Our recycling operation in Latchford, United Kingdom is the only major recycling plant in Europe dedicated to used beverage cans.
 
European operations also include Novelis PAE in Voreppe, France, which sells casthouse technology, including liquid metal treatment devices, such as degassers and filters, chill sheet ingot casters and twin roll continuous casters, in many parts of the world.
 
Asia
 
         
Location
 
Plant Processes
 
Major End-Use Markets/Applications
 
Bukit Raja, Malaysia(i)
  Continuous casting, cold rolling   Construction/industrial, heavy and light gauge foils
Ulsan, Korea(ii)
  Novelis Fusiontm casting, hot rolling, cold rolling, recycling   Can stock, construction/industrial, electronics, foilstock, and recycled material
Yeongju, Korea(iii)
  Hot rolling, cold rolling, recycling   Can stock, construction/industrial, electronics, foilstock and recycled material
 
 
(i) Ownership of the Bukit Raja plant corresponds to our 58% equity interest in Aluminium Company of Malaysia Berhad.
 
(ii) We hold a 68% equity interest in the Ulsan plant.
 
(iii) We hold a 68% equity interest in the Yeongju plant.


29


Table of Contents

 
Our Korean subsidiary, in which we hold a 68% interest, was formed through acquisitions in 1999 and 2000. Since our acquisitions, product capability has been developed to address higher value and more technically advanced markets such as can sheet.
 
We hold a 58% equity interest in the Aluminium Company of Malaysia Berhad, a publicly traded company that wholly owns and controls the Bukit Raja, Selangor light gauge rolling facility.
 
Unlike our production sharing joint ventures at Norf, Germany and Logan, Kentucky, our Korean partners are financial partners and we market 100% of the plants’ output.
 
Asia also operates recycling furnaces at both its Ulsan and Yeongju facilities in Korea for the conversion of customer and third party recycled aluminum, including used beverage cans. Metal from recycled aluminum purchases represented 4% of Asia’s total shipments in fiscal 2009. In June 2008, our plant in Ulsan began the commercial production of Novelis Fusiontm.
 
South America
 
         
Location
 
Plant Processes
 
Major End-Use Markets/Applications
 
Pindamonhangaba, Brazil
  Hot rolling, cold rolling, recycling   Construction/industrial, can stock, foilstock, recycled ingot, foundry ingot, forge stock
Utinga, Brazil
  Finishing   Foil
Ouro Preto, Brazil(i)
  Smelting   Primary aluminum (sheet ingot and billets)
Aratu, Brazil
  Smelting   Primary aluminum (sheet ingot)
 
 
(i) In May 2009, we ceased the production of alumina at our Ouro Preto facility in Brazil.
 
Our Pindamonhangaba (Pinda) rolling and recycling facility in Brazil has an integrated process that includes recycling, sheet ingot casting, hot mill and cold mill operations. A leased coating line produces painted products, including can end stock. Pinda supplies foilstock to our Utinga foil plant, which produces converter, household and container foil.
 
Pinda is the largest aluminum rolling and recycling facility in South America in terms of shipments and the only facility in South America capable of producing can body and end stock. Pinda recycles primarily used beverage cans, and is engaged in tolling recycled metal for our customers.
 
During fiscal 2009, we conducted bauxite mining, alumina refining, primary aluminum smelting and hydro-electric power generation operations at our Ouro Preto, Brazil facility. Our owned power generation supplies approximately 25% of our smelter needs. We also own the mining rights to bauxite reserves in the Ouro Preto, Cataguases and Carangola regions.
 
In May 2009, we ceased the production of alumina at our Ouro Preto facility in Brazil. The global economic crisis and the recent dramatic drop in alumina prices have made alumina production at Ouro Preto economically unfeasible. Going forward, the plant will purchase alumina through third-parties. Other activities related to the facility, including electric power generation and the production of primary aluminum metal, will continue unaffected.
 
We also conduct primary aluminum smelting operations at our Aratu facility in Candeias, Brazil.
 
Item 3.   Legal Proceedings
 
In connection with our spin-off from Alcan, we assumed a number of liabilities, commitments and contingencies mainly related to our historical rolled products operations, including liabilities in respect of legal claims and environmental matters. As a result, we may be required to indemnify Alcan for claims successfully brought against Alcan or for the defense of legal actions that arise from time to time in the normal course of our rolled products business including commercial and contract disputes, employee-related claims and tax


30


Table of Contents

disputes (including several disputes with Brazil’s Ministry of Treasury regarding various forms of manufacturing taxes and social security contributions). In addition to these assumed liabilities and contingencies, we may, in the future, be involved in, or subject to, other disputes, claims and proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of our business, including some that we assert against others, such as environmental, health and safety, product liability, employee, tax, personal injury and other matters. Where appropriate, we have established reserves in respect of these matters (or, if required, we have posted cash guarantees). While the ultimate resolution of, and liability and costs related to, these matters cannot be determined with certainty due to the considerable uncertainties that exist, we do not believe that any of these pending actions, individually or in the aggregate, will materially impair our operations or materially affect our financial condition or liquidity. The following describes certain environmental matters relating to our business, including those for which we assumed liability as a result of our spin-off from Alcan.
 
Environmental Matters
 
We are involved in proceedings under the U.S. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, also known as CERCLA or Superfund, or analogous state provisions regarding liability arising from the usage, storage, treatment or disposal of hazardous substances and wastes at a number of sites in the United States, as well as similar proceedings under the laws and regulations of the other jurisdictions in which we have operations, including Brazil and certain countries in the European Union. Many of these jurisdictions have laws that impose joint and several liability, without regard to fault or the legality of the original conduct, for the costs of environmental remediation, natural resource damages, third party claims, and other expenses. In addition, we are, from time to time, subject to environmental reviews and investigations by relevant governmental authorities.
 
As described further in the following paragraph, we have established procedures for regularly evaluating environmental loss contingencies, including those arising from such environmental reviews and investigations and any other environmental remediation or compliance matters. We believe we have a reasonable basis for evaluating these environmental loss contingencies, and we believe we have made reasonable estimates of the costs that are likely to be borne by us for these environmental loss contingencies. Accordingly, we have established reserves based on our reasonable estimates for the currently anticipated costs associated with these environmental matters. We estimate that the undiscounted remaining clean-up costs related to all of our known environmental matters as of March 31, 2009 will be approximately $52 million. Of this amount, $31 million is included in Other long-term liabilities, with the remaining $21 million included in Accrued expenses and other current liabilities in our consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2009. Management has reviewed the environmental matters, including those for which we assumed liability as a result of our spin-off from Alcan. As a result of this review, management has determined that the currently anticipated costs associated with these environmental matters will not, individually or in the aggregate, materially impair our operations or materially adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.
 
With respect to environmental loss contingencies, we record a loss contingency on a non-discounted basis whenever such contingency is probable and reasonably estimable. The evaluation model includes all asserted and unasserted claims that can be reasonably identified. Under this evaluation model, the liability and the related costs are quantified based upon the best available evidence regarding actual liability loss and cost estimates. Except for those loss contingencies where no estimate can reasonably be made, the evaluation model is fact-driven and attempts to estimate the full costs of each claim. Management reviews the status of, and estimated liability related to, pending claims and civil actions on a quarterly basis. The estimated costs in respect of such reported liabilities are not offset by amounts related to cost-sharing between parties, insurance, indemnification arrangements or contribution from other potentially responsible parties (PRPs) unless otherwise noted.
 
Butler Tunnel Site.  Novelis Corporation was a party in a 1989 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lawsuit before the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania involving the Butler


31


Table of Contents

Tunnel Superfund site, a third-party disposal site. In May 1991, the court granted summary judgment against Novelis Corporation for alleged disposal of hazardous waste. After unsuccessful appeals, Novelis Corporation paid the entire judgment plus interest.
 
The EPA filed a second cost recovery action against Novelis Corporation seeking recovery of expenses associated with the installation of an early warning and response system for potential future releases from the Butler Tunnel site. In January 2008, Novelis Corporation and the Department of Justice, on behalf of the EPA, entered into a consent decree whereby Novelis Corporation agreed to pay approximately $2 million in three installments in settlement of its liability with the U.S. government. The settlement has been fully paid.
 
Prior to the execution of the Novelis Corporation consent decree, the EPA entered into consent decrees with the other Butler Tunnel PRPs to finance and construct the early warning and response system. On October 30, 2008, the trustee for the PRPs provided a detailed analysis of the past and future costs associated with the implementation of the early warning system and advised us of their intention to file a contribution action against us.
 
On February 3, 2009, Butler Tunnel PRPs and Novelis Corporation entered into a settlement agreement resolving the contribution claims. On March 5, 2009, pursuant to these agreements, Novelis Corporation remitted its settlement payment of past costs in the amount of approximately $1 million. As part of the settlement, Novelis became a member of the PRP group. Accordingly, Novelis bears an allocated share of certain future costs in the approximate annual amount of $75,000 between 2009 and 2018 related to the costs to complete and maintain the early warning and response system at the Butler Tunnel site.
 
In December 2005, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) to the Company’s subsidiary, Logan Aluminum, Inc. (Logan), alleging violations of Logan’s Title V Operating Permit, which regulates emissions of air pollutants from the facility. In March 2006, the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection (KDEP) issued a separate NOV to Logan alleging other violations of the Title V Operating Permit. In March 2009, as a result of these enforcement actions, Logan agreed to install new air pollution control equipment. Logan has also agreed to settle the USEPA NOV, including the payment of a civil penalty of $285,000. The KDEP NOV is currently subject to a Tolling Agreement with the state agency.
 
Legal Proceedings
 
Coca-Cola Lawsuits.  A lawsuit was commenced against Novelis Corporation on February 15, 2007 by Coca-Cola Bottler’s Sales and Services Company LLC (CCBSS) in Georgia state court. CCBSS is a consortium of Coca-Cola bottlers across the United States, including Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. CCBSS alleges that Novelis Corporation breached an aluminum can stock supply agreement between the parties, and seeks monetary damages in an amount to be determined at trial and a declaration of its rights under the agreement. The agreement includes a “most favored nations” provision regarding certain pricing matters. CCBSS alleges that Novelis Corporation breached the terms of the “most favored nations” provision. The dispute will likely turn on the facts that are presented to the court by the parties and the court’s finding as to how certain provisions of the agreement ought to be interpreted. If CCBSS were to prevail in this litigation, the amount of damages would likely be material. Novelis Corporation has filed its answer and the parties are proceeding with discovery.
 
ARCO Aluminum Complaint.  On May 24, 2007, Arco Aluminum Inc. (ARCO) filed a complaint against Novelis Corporation and Novelis Inc. in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. ARCO and Novelis are partners in a joint venture rolling mill located in Logan County, Kentucky. In the complaint, ARCO alleged that its consent was required in connection with Hindalco’s acquisition of Novelis. Failure to obtain consent, ARCO alleged, put us in default of the joint venture agreements, thereby triggering certain provisions in those agreements. The provisions include a reversion of the production management at the joint venture to Logan Aluminum from Novelis, and a reduction of the board of directors of the entity that manages the joint venture from seven members (four appointed by Novelis and three appointed by ARCO) to six members (three appointed by each of Novelis and ARCO). ARCO sought a court declaration that


32


Table of Contents

(1) Novelis and its affiliates are prohibited from exercising any managerial authority or control over the joint venture, (2) Novelis’ interest in the joint venture is limited to an economic interest only and (3) ARCO has authority to act on behalf of the joint venture. Alternatively, ARCO sought a reversion of the production management function to Logan Aluminum, and a change in the composition of the board of directors of the entity that manages the joint venture. Novelis filed its answer to the complaint on July 16, 2007.
 
On July 3, 2007, ARCO filed a motion for partial summary judgment with respect to one of the counts of its complaint relating to the claim that Novelis breached the joint venture agreement by not seeking ARCO’s consent. On July 30, 2007, Novelis filed a motion to hold ARCO’s motion for summary judgment in abeyance (pending further discovery), along with a demand for a jury. On February 14, 2008, the judge issued an order granting our motion to hold ARCO’s summary judgment motion in abeyance. Following this ruling, the joint venture continued to conduct operational, management and board activities as normal.
 
On June 4, 2009, ARCO and Novelis entered into a settlement agreement to address and resolve all matters at issue in the lawsuit, including the Logan Joint Venture governance issues. On June 22, 2009, the parties requested an order from the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice. As a result of the settlement, among other things, Novelis will retain control of the Logan board of directors, production management responsibilities will revert to Logan, and certain Novelis employees who work at Logan will become employees of Logan.
 
Item 4.   Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
 
None.


33


Table of Contents

 
PART II
 
Item 5.   Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Shareholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
 
On May 15, 2007, all of our common shares were acquired by Hindalco through its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary AV Metals Inc. (Acquisition Sub) pursuant to a plan of arrangement (the Arrangement). Immediately following the Arrangement, Acquisition Sub transferred our common shares to its wholly-owned subsidiary AV Aluminum Inc. (AV Aluminum). As of the date of filing, AV Aluminum is the sole shareholder of record of our shares.
 
Subsequent to completion of the Arrangement on May 15, 2007, all of our common shares were indirectly held by Hindalco, and we became a foreign private issuer. We continue to file periodic reports under section 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 because our 7.25% Senior Notes are publicly traded (see Note 12 — Debt to our accompanying consolidated financial statements).
 
We currently do not pay dividends and do not intend to do so in the foreseeable future. No dividends have been declared since October 26, 2006. Future dividends are at the discretion of the board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our financial resources, cash flows generated by our business, our cash requirements, restrictions under the instruments governing our indebtedness, being in compliance with the appropriate indentures and covenants under the instruments that govern our indebtedness that would allow us to legally pay dividends and other relevant factors.
 
Item 6.   Selected Financial Data
 
The selected consolidated financial data presented below as of and for the year ended March 31, 2009; the periods May 16, 2007 through March 31, 2008 and April 1, 2007 through May 15, 2007; the three months ended March 31, 2007 and as of and for the years ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004 were derived from the audited consolidated financial statements of Novelis Inc. The selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements for the respective periods and the related notes included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.
 
As of May 15, 2007, all of our common shares were indirectly held by Hindalco; thus, earnings per share data is not reported (in millions, except per share amounts).
 
                                                           
          May 16,
      April 1,
    Three
                   
          2007
      2007
    Months
                   
    Year Ended
    Through
      Through
    Ended
                   
    March 31,
    March 31,
      May 15,
    March 31,
    Year Ended December 31,  
    2009     2008(A)       2007(A)     2007(B)     2006     2005(C)     2004(D)  
    Successor     Successor       Predecessor     Predecessor     Predecessor     Predecessor     Predecessor  
Net sales
  $ 10,177     $ 9,965       $ 1,281     $ 2,630     $ 9,849     $ 8,363     $ 7,755  
Net income (loss)(E)
  $ (1,910 )   $ (20 )     $ (97 )   $ (64 )   $ (275 )   $ 90     $ 55  
Dividends per common share
  $ —     $ —       $ —     $ —     $ 0.20     $ 0.36     $ —   
 
                                                   
    March 31,
    March 31,
      March 31,
    December 31,  
    2009     2008       2007     2006     2005(C)     2004(D)  
    Successor     Successor       Predecessor     Predecessor     Predecessor     Predecessor  
Total assets(A)
  $ 7,567     $ 10,737       $ 5,970     $ 5,792     $ 5,476     $ 5,954  
Long-term debt (including current portion)
  $ 2,559     $ 2,575       $ 2,300     $ 2,302     $ 2,603     $ 2,737  
Short-term borrowings
  $ 264     $ 115       $ 245     $ 133     $ 27     $ 541  
Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 248     $ 326       $ 128     $ 73     $ 100     $ 31  
Shareholders’/invested equity
  $ 1,419     $ 3,523       $ 175     $ 195     $ 433     $ 555  


34


Table of Contents

 
(A) On May 15, 2007, the Company was acquired by Hindalco through its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary. The acquisition was recorded in accordance with Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 103, Push Down Basis of Accounting Required in Certain Limited Circumstances (SAB 103). In the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, the consideration and related costs paid by Hindalco in connection with the acquisition have been “pushed down” to us and have been allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Statement No. 141, Business Combinations (FASB 141). Due to the impact of push down accounting, the Company’s consolidated financial statements and certain note presentations for the year ended March 31, 2008 are presented in two distinct periods to indicate the application of two different bases of accounting between the periods presented: (1) the period up to, and including, the acquisition date (April 1, 2007 through May 15, 2007, labeled “Predecessor”) and (2) the period after that date (May 16, 2007 through March 31, 2008, labeled “Successor”). The accompanying consolidated financial statements include a black line division which indicates that the Predecessor and Successor reporting entities shown are not comparable.
 
The consideration paid by Hindalco to acquire Novelis has been pushed down to us and allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on our estimates of fair value, using methodologies and assumptions that we believe are reasonable. This allocation of fair value results in additional charges or income to our post-acquisition consolidated statements of operations.
 
(B) On June 26, 2007, our board of directors approved the change of our fiscal year end to March 31 from December 31. On June 28, 2007, we filed a Transition Report on Form 10-Q for the three month period ended March 31, 2007 with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) pursuant to Rule 13a-10 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for transition period reporting.
 
(C) The consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2005 include the results for the period from January 1 to January 5, 2005 prior to our spin-off from Alcan, in addition to the results for the period from January 6 to December 31, 2005. The combined financial results for the period from January 1 to January 5, 2005 present our operations on a carve-out accounting basis. The consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2005 (and subsequent periods) and the consolidated results for the period from January 6 (the date of the spin-off from Alcan) to December 31, 2005 (and subsequent periods) present our financial position, results of operations and cash flows as a stand-alone entity.
 
All income earned and cash flows generated by us as well as the risks and rewards of these businesses from January 1 to January 5, 2005 were primarily attributed to us and are included in our consolidated results for the year ended December 31, 2005, with the exception of losses of $43 million ($29 million net of tax) arising from the change in fair market value of derivative contracts, primarily with Alcan. These mark-to-market losses for the period from January 1 to January 5, 2005 were recorded in the consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2005 and were recognized as a decrease in Owner’s net investment.
 
(D) Our historical combined financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2004 have been derived from the accounting records of Alcan using the historical results of operations and historical basis of assets and liabilities of the businesses subsequently transferred to us. Management believes the assumptions underlying the historical combined financial statements are reasonable. However, the historical combined financial statements included herein may not necessarily reflect what our results of operations, financial position and cash flows would have been had we been a stand-alone company during the periods presented. Alcan’s investment in the Novelis businesses, presented as Owner’s net investment in the historical combined financial statements, includes the accumulated earnings of the businesses as well as cash transfers related to cash management functions performed by Alcan.
 
(E) Net income (loss) for the year ended March 31, 2009 includes non-cash pre-tax impairment charges of $1.5 billion, pre-tax unrealized losses on derivatives instruments of $519 million, a $122 million pre-tax gain on extinguishment of debt and $95 million in pre-tax restructuring charges. For additional discussion on non-cash impairment charges, see Note 3 — Impairment of Goodwill and Investment in Affiliate in the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements. Restructuring charges, net for the period May 16, 2007 through March 31, 2008; April 1, 2007 through May 15, 2007; the three months ended March 31, 2007; and the years ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004 were $6 million; $1 million;


35


Table of Contents

$9 million; $19 million; $10 million and $20 million, respectively. For additional discussion on restructuring actions, see Note 4 — Restructuring Programs in the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
 
Certain non-recurring expenses were incurred related to the acquisition by Hindalco. The three months ended March 31, 2007 and the period May 16, 2007 through March 31, 2008 each include $32 million of sales transaction fees. The period May 16, 2007 through March 31, 2008 also includes $45 million of stock compensation expense related to the Arrangement.
 
Item 7.   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
 
OVERVIEW AND REFERENCES
 
Novelis is the world’s leading aluminum rolled products producer based on shipment volume. We produce aluminum sheet and light gauge products for the beverage and food can, transportation, construction and industrial, and foil products markets. As of March 31, 2009, we had operations in 11 countries on four continents: North America; South America; Asia and Europe, through 32 operating plants, one research facility and several market-focused innovation centers. In addition to aluminum rolled products plants, our South American businesses include bauxite mining, alumina refining, primary aluminum smelting and power generation facilities that are integrated with our rolling plants in Brazil. We are the only company of our size and scope focused solely on aluminum rolled products markets and capable of local supply of technologically sophisticated products in all of these geographic regions.
 
The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed below and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, particularly in “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Market Data” and “Risk Factors.”
 
References herein to “Novelis,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us” refer to Novelis Inc. and its subsidiaries unless the context specifically indicates otherwise. References herein to “Hindalco” refer to Hindalco Industries Limited. In October 2007, the Rio Tinto Group purchased all the outstanding shares of Alcan, Inc. References herein to “Alcan” refer to Rio Tinto Alcan Inc.
 
BACKGROUND AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
 
On May 18, 2004, Alcan announced its intention to transfer its rolled products businesses into a separate company and to pursue a spin-off of that company to its shareholders. The spin-off occurred on January 6, 2005 following approval by Alcan’s board of directors and shareholders, and legal and regulatory approvals. Alcan shareholders received one Novelis common share for every five Alcan common shares held.
 
Acquisition of Novelis Common Stock
 
On May 15, 2007, the Company was acquired by Hindalco through its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary pursuant to a plan of arrangement (the Arrangement) at a price of $44.93 per share. The aggregate purchase price for all of the Company’s common shares was $3.4 billion and Hindalco also assumed $2.8 billion of Novelis’ debt for a total transaction value of $6.2 billion. Subsequent to completion of the Arrangement on May 15, 2007, all of our common shares were indirectly held by Hindalco.
 
As discussed in Note 1 — Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements, the Arrangement was recorded in accordance with Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 103, Push Down Basis of Accounting Required in Certain Limited Circumstances. Accordingly, in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, the consideration and related costs paid by Hindalco in connection with the acquisition have been “pushed down” to us and have been allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in accordance with FASB Statement No. 141, Business Combinations (FASB 141). Due to the impact of push down accounting, the Company’s consolidated financial statements and certain note presentations separate the Company’s presentation into two distinct periods to indicate the


36


Table of Contents

application of two different bases of accounting between the periods presented: (1) the periods up to, and including, the May 15, 2007 acquisition date (labeled “Predecessor”) and (2) the periods after that date (labeled “Successor”). The accompanying consolidated financial statements include a black line division which indicates that the Predecessor and Successor reporting entities shown are not comparable.
 
Combined Financial Results of the Predecessor and Successor
 
For purposes of management’s discussion and analysis of the results of operations in this Form 10-K, we combined the results of operations for the period ended May 15, 2007 of the Predecessor with the period ended March 31, 2008 of the Successor. We believe the combined results of operations for the year ended March 31, 2008 (fiscal 2008) provide management and investors with a more meaningful perspective on Novelis’ financial and operational performance than if we did not combine the results of operations of the Predecessor and the Successor in this manner. Similarly, we combine the financial results of the Predecessor and the Successor when discussing segment information and sources and uses of cash for the year ended March 31, 2008.
 
The combined results of operations are non-GAAP financial measures, do not include any proforma assumptions or adjustments and should not be used in isolation or substitution of Predecessor and Successor results. Shown below are combining schedules of (1) shipments and (2) our results of operations for periods allocable to the Successor, Predecessor and the combined presentation for the year ended March 31, 2008 that we use throughout the discussion of results from operations.
 
                           
    May 16, 2007
      April 1, 2007
       
    Through
      Through
    Year Ended
 
    March 31,
      May 15,
    March 31,
 
    2008       2007     2008  
    Successor       Predecessor     Combined  
Shipments (kt)(A):
                         
Rolled products(B)
    2,640         348       2,988  
Ingot products(C)
    147         15       162  
                           
Total shipments
    2,787         363       3,150  
                           
 
 
(A) One kilotonne (kt) is 1,000 metric tonnes. One metric tonne is equivalent to 2,204.6 pounds.
 
(B) Rolled products include tolling (the conversion of customer-owned metal).
 
(C) Ingot products include primary ingot in Brazil, foundry products in Korea and Europe, secondary ingot in Europe and other miscellaneous recyclable aluminum.
 


37


Table of Contents

                           
    May 16, 2007
      April 1, 2007
       
    Through
      Through
       
    March 31,
      May 15,
    Year Ended
 
    2008       2007     March 31, 2008  
    Successor       Predecessor     Combined  
Results of Operations (in millions)
                         
Net sales
  $ 9,965       $ 1,281     $ 11,246  
                           
Cost of goods sold (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)
    9,042         1,205       10,247  
Selling, general and administrative expenses
    319         95       414  
Depreciation and amortization
    375         28       403  
Research and development expenses
    46         6       52  
Interest expense and amortization of debt issuance costs
    191         27       218  
Interest income
    (18 )       (1 )     (19 )
Gain on change in fair value of derivative instruments, net
    (22 )       (20 )     (42 )
Restructuring charges, net
    6         1       7  
Equity in net income of non-consolidated affiliates
    (25 )       (1 )     (26 )
Other (income) expenses, net
    (6 )       35       29  
                           
      9,908         1,375       11,283  
                           
Income (loss) before income taxes and minority interests’ share
    57         (94 )     (37 )
Income tax provision
    (73 )       (4 )     (77 )
                           
Loss before minority interests’ share
    (16 )       (98 )     (114 )
Minority interests’ share
    (4 )       1       (3 )
                           
Net loss
  $ (20 )     $ (97 )   $ (117 )
                           
 
Change in Fiscal Year End
 
On June 26, 2007, our board of directors approved the change of our fiscal year end to March 31 from December 31. On June 28, 2007, we filed a Transition Report on Form 10-Q for the three month period ended March 31, 2007 with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) pursuant to Rule 13a-10 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for transition period reporting. Accordingly, the accompanying consolidated and combined financial statements present our financial position as of March 31, 2009 and 2008; and the results of our operations, cash flows and changes in shareholder’s equity for the following periods: year ended March 31, 2009 (Successor); May 16, 2007 through March 31, 2008 (Successor); April 1, 2007 through May 15, 2007 (Predecessor) (on a combined basis, fiscal year ended March 31, 2008); the three months ended March 31, 2007; and the year ended December 31, 2006.
 
Throughout Management’s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A), data for all periods, except as of and for the year ended March 31, 2007, are derived from our audited consolidated and combined financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. All data as of and for the year ended March 31, 2007 are derived from our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included in our transition period ended March 31, 2007 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended December 31, 2007.
 
CURRENT YEAR HIGHLIGHTS
 
The decrease in sales volumes relating to the deterioration of global economic conditions had a significant impact on our results of operations and liquidity during the second half of fiscal 2009. Key factors that

38


Table of Contents

impacted these results are discussed briefly below and are discussed in further detail throughout the MD&A and Segment Review.
 
  •  We reported a net loss of $1.9 billion for the year ended March 31, 2009, which includes non-cash impairment charges of $1.5 billion, unrealized losses on derivatives instruments of $519 million, $95 million in restructuring charges and a $122 million gain on a debt exchange transaction, compared to a loss of $117 million for the corresponding period in fiscal 2008. The prior year loss included $45 million of stock compensation expense and $32 million of transaction fees associated with Hindalco’s acquisition of Novelis.
 
  •  Impairment charges made to goodwill and investments in affiliates totaling $1.5 billion reflect the global economic environment and the related market increase in the cost of capital.
 
  •  The unrealized loss on derivative instruments for fiscal 2009 was $519 million, compared to a $3 million loss in the prior year period. We use derivative instruments to hedge forecasted purchases of aluminum and other commodities and related foreign currency exposures. This loss primarily reflects the drop in the price of aluminum during the current year from $3,292 per tonne in July 2008 to $1,365 per tonne at March 31, 2009. With the exception of losses associated with metal prices ceilings, we expect an offsetting benefit once the related sales volumes have been shipped.
 
  •  Shipments of flat rolled products decreased 7% in the current year to 2,770 kt from 2,988 kt in the prior year period. Shipments to automotive, construction and industrial companies were significantly impacted by the economic downturn in the second half of fiscal 2009, while can sheet shipments remain stable in most regions.
 
  •  Inventory levels were effectively managed despite slowing business conditions. Metal inventories as of March 31, 2009 totaled 299 kt, down 22% versus March 31, 2008 levels.
 
BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY CLIMATE
 
Global economic trends impact the Company, and there is a large amount of uncertainty with regard to economic trends and the timing of recovery. On an overall basis, markets in North America, Europe and Asia experienced significant economic downturns in the past year. Consumer confidence is low and credit remains tight in most global markets. The impact of demand reductions for flat rolled products varies for each region based upon the nature of the industry sectors in which we operate. In general, can shipments have remained relatively stable while construction, automotive and other industrial production markets experienced significant declines in demand during the second half of our 2009 fiscal year.
 
As discussed in further detail in Segment Review, we have taken a number of actions to adjust our metal intake, cut back on production and reduce fixed costs which will effectively manage our working capital.
 
  •  We reduced labor and overhead costs in all regions through capacity and staff reductions, including the closure of our Rogerstone facility in the United Kingdom, and staff reductions in the United States, Germany, France, Brazil and South Korea. We ceased operations at our alumina refinery in Brazil effective May 2009. We also implemented a salary freeze and a hiring freeze for all but the most critical positions. We believe we will begin to benefit from these actions in the coming months.
 
  •  We have reduced capital spending with a focus on preserving maintenance and safety.
 
  •  We worked to lower pricing from suppliers of commodity goods and services.


39


Table of Contents

 
The average and closing prices based upon the London Metal Exchange (LME) for aluminum for the years ended March 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007 are as follows:
 
                                         
                      Percent Change  
                      Year Ended
    Year Ended
 
                      March 31, 2009
    March 31, 2008
 
    Year Ended March 31,     versus
    versus
 
London Metal Exchange Prices
  2009     2008     2007     March 31, 2008     March 31, 2007  
    Successor     Combined     Predecessor              
 
Aluminum (per metric tonne, and presented in U.S. dollars):
                                       
Closing cash price as of end of period
  $ 1,365     $ 2,935     $ 2,792       (53.5 )%     5.1 %
Average cash price during period
  $ 2,234     $ 2,624     $ 2,665       (14.9 )%     (1.5 )%
 
LME prices for aluminum (LME prices) rose to a peak of $3,292 per tonne in July 2008, but have significantly declined since the high point due to falling demand for primary aluminum. Prices closed at $1,365 per tonne at March 31, 2009, after hitting a low of $1,254 per tonne in February 2009. Aluminum prices have subsequently increased to $1,383 per tonne as of May 31, 2009.
 
Most of our business is conducted under a conversion model, which allows us to pass through increases or decreases in the price of aluminum to our customers. Nearly all of our products have a price structure with two components: (i) a pass-through aluminum price based on the LME plus local market premiums and (ii) a “conversion premium” price on the conversion cost to produce the rolled product which reflects, among other factors, the competitive market conditions for that product.
 
A key component of our conversion model is the use of derivative instruments on projected aluminum requirements to preserve our conversion margin. We enter into forward metal purchases simultaneous with the sales contracts that contain fixed metal prices. These forward metal purchases directly hedge the economic risk of future metal price fluctuation associated with these contracts. We also enter into forward metal purchases, aluminum futures and options to hedge our exposure to rising metal prices and sales contracts with metal price ceilings. Additionally, we sell short-term LME futures contracts to reduce the cash flow volatility of fluctuating metal prices associated with the metal price lag.
 
Rapidly declining LME prices had the following impacts on our business during the second half of fiscal 2009:
 
  •  Our products have a price structure based upon the LME price. Decreases in the LME price reduce net sales, cost of goods sold and working capital.
 
  •  Unrealized losses were recorded for the change in the fair value of metal derivative instruments. The offsetting benefit from fixed forward price billings to customers will not be recognized until the related sales volume are delivered.
 
  •  We paid cash to brokers to settle derivative contracts in advance of billing and collecting cash from our customers, which negatively impacted our liquidity position. This typically ranges from 30 to 60 days.
 
Metal Price Ceilings
 
Sales contracts representing approximately 257 kt and 300 kt of our fiscal 2009 and 2008 shipments, respectively, contained a ceiling over which metal prices could not be contractually passed through to certain customers. This negatively impacted our margins and operating cash flows when the price we paid for metal was above the ceiling price contained in these contracts. We calculate and report this difference to be approximately the difference between the quoted purchase price on the LME (adjusted for any local premiums and for any price lag associated with purchasing or processing time) and the metal price ceiling in our contracts. Cash flows from operations are negatively impacted by the same amounts, adjusted for any timing difference between customer receipts and vendor payments, and offset partially by reduced income taxes.
 
During the years ended March 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007, we were unable to pass through approximately $176 million, $230 million and $460 million, respectively, of metal purchase costs associated with sales under


40


Table of Contents

these contracts. Based on current LME price levels, no further unfavorable revenue or cash flow impacts are expected through December 31, 2009 when these contracts expire.
 
We employ the following strategies to manage and mitigate the risk associated with metal price ceilings and rising prices that we cannot pass through to certain customers:
 
  •  We maximize the amount of our internally supplied metal inputs from our smelting, refining and mining operations in Brazil and rely on output from our recycling operations which utilize used beverage cans (UBCs). Both of these sources of aluminum supply have historically provided an offsetting benefit to the metal price ceiling contracts. We refer to these two sources as “internal hedges.”
 
  •  We enter into derivative instruments to hedge projected aluminum volume requirements above our assumed internal hedge position mitigating our exposure to further increases in LME prices. As a result of these instruments, we will continue to incur cash losses related to these contracts even if LME prices remains below the ceiling price. Projected cash outflows associated with these derivative instruments was $141 million as of March 31, 2009
 
In connection with the allocation of the purchase price paid by Hindalco, we established reserves totaling $655 million as of May 15, 2007 to record these sales contracts at fair value. These reserves are being accreted into net sales over the remaining lives of the underlying contracts. This accretion has no impact on cash flow. For the years ended March 31, 2009 and 2008, we recorded accretion of $233 million and $270 million, respectively. As of March 31, 2009, the balance of these reserves is approximately $152 million.
 
Metal Price Lag
 
On certain sales contracts we experience timing differences on the pass through of changing aluminum prices from our suppliers to our customers. Additional timing differences occur in the flow of metal costs through moving average inventory cost values and cost of goods sold. In periods of declining prices, our earnings are negatively impacted by this timing difference while the opposite is true in periods of rising prices. We refer to this timing difference as “metal price lag.” We sell short-term LME forward contracts to help mitigate our exposure to metal price lag.
 
Certain of our sales contracts, most notably in Europe, contain fixed metal prices for periods of time ranging from four to thirty-six months. We typically enter into forward metal purchases simultaneous with these sales contracts.
 
Foreign Exchange Impact
 
Fluctuations in foreign exchange rates also impact our operating results. The following table presents the average of the month end exchange rates and changes from the prior year period:
 
                                                 
    Year Ended
    U.S. Dollar
    Year Ended
    U.S. Dollar
 
    March 31,     Strengthen/
    March 31,     Strengthen/
 
    2009     2008     (Weaken)     2008     2007     (Weaken)  
 
U.S. dollar per Euro
    1.411       1.432       1.5 %     1.432       1.294       (10.7 )%
Brazilian real per U.S. dollar
    1.982       1.837       7.9       1.837       2.148       (14.5 )
South Korean won per U.S. dollar
    1,224       932       31.3       932       944       (1.3 )
Canadian dollar per U.S. dollar
    1.134       1.025       10.6       1.025       1.135       (9.7 )
 
The U.S. dollar strengthened as compared to the local currency in all regions during the year ended March 31, 2009, as compared to a weakened U.S. dollar for the year ended March 31, 2008. In Asia, the strengthening of the U.S. dollar resulted in foreign exchange losses as the operations there are recorded in local currency, with a larger portion of our liabilities denominated in the U.S. dollar, including metal purchases and long-term debt. In Brazil, where we have predominantly U.S. dollar selling prices and local currency operating costs, we generally benefit as the U.S. dollar strengthens. While we began hedging with derivatives in the short-term, we are still exposed to long-term fluctuations in the Brazilian real.


41


Table of Contents

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
 
Year Ended March 31, 2009 Compared With the Year Ended March 31, 2008 (Twelve Months Combined Non-GAAP)
 
Positive trends in the demand for aluminum products and inflationary movement in average LME prices during the first six months of fiscal 2009 reversed sharply in the third fiscal quarter of fiscal 2009 and continued into the fourth quarter.
 
For the year ended March 31, 2009, we realized a net loss of $1.9 billion on net sales of $10.2 billion, compared to the year ended March 31, 2008 when we realized a net loss of $117 million on net sales of $11.2 billion. The reduction in sales is due to the decrease in the average LME price as well as a reduction in demand for flat rolled products in most regions during the last six months of fiscal 2009.
 
Costs of goods sold decreased $1.0 billion, or 10%, and stayed flat as percentage of net sales as compared to the prior year period on an overall basis. Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased $96 million, or 23%, primarily due to reductions in professional fees and employee-related costs, including incentive compensation associated with the Arrangement.
 
The current year results include non-cash asset impairment charges totaling $1.5 billion. The impairment charges are discussed in more detail under Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates.
 
The current year was also impacted by $519 million in unrealized losses on derivative instruments and $95 million in restructuring charges. These negative factors were partially offset by a $122 million gain on the extinguishment of debt. We also recorded an income tax benefit of $246 million on our net loss, as compared to a $77 million income tax provision in the prior year. These items are discussed in further detail below.
 
Segment Review (On a combined non-GAAP basis)
 
The tables below show selected segment financial information (in millions, except shipments which are in kilotonnes (kt)). For additional financial information related to our operating segments, see Note 21 — Segment, Geographical Area and Major Customer Information in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
 
                                                 
Selected Operating Results
  North
                South
             
Year Ended March 31, 2009
  America     Europe     Asia     America     Eliminations     Total  
 
Net sales
  $ 3,930     $ 3,718     $ 1,536     $ 1,007     $ (14 )   $ 10,177  
Shipments (kt)
                                               
Rolled products
    1,067       910       447       346       —       2,770  
Ingot products
    42       99       13       19       —       173  
                                                 
Total shipments
    1,109       1,009       460       365       —       2,943  
                                                 
 
                                                 
Selected Operating Results
  North
                South
             
Year Ended March 31, 2008
  America     Europe     Asia     America     Eliminations     Total  
(Combined)                                    
 
Net sales
  $ 4,101     $ 4,338     $ 1,818     $ 994     $ (5 )   $ 11,246  
Shipments (kt)
                                               
Rolled products
    1,102       1,071       491       324       —       2,988  
Ingot products
    64       35       39       24       —       162  
                                                 
Total shipments
    1,166       1,106       530       348       —       3,150  
                                                 


42


Table of Contents

The following table reconciles changes in Segment income for the year ended March 31, 2008 to the year ended March 31, 2009 (in millions):
 
                                         
    North
                South
       
Changes in Segment Income
  America     Europe     Asia     America     Total  
 
Segment income — year ended March 31, 2008
  $ 242     $ 273     $ 52     $ 161     $ 728  
Volume:
                                       
Rolled products
    (28 )     (156 )     (35 )     5       (214 )
Other
    —       (3 )     (4 )     (9 )     (16 )
Conversion premium and product mix
    22       68       26       (3 )     113  
Conversion costs(A)
    (57 )     12       (14 )     (36 )     (95 )
Metal price lag
    (87 )     66       63       (1 )     41  
Foreign exchange
    (26 )     (40 )     (10 )     14       (62 )
Other changes(B)
    16       16       8       8       48  
                                         
Segment income — year ended March 31, 2009
  $ 82     $ 236     $ 86     $ 139     $ 543  
                                         
 
 
(A) Conversion costs include expenses incurred in production such as direct and indirect labor, energy, freight, scrap usage, alloys and hardeners, coatings, alumina and melt loss. Fluctuations in this component reflect cost efficiencies during the period as well as cost inflation (deflation).
 
(B) Other changes include selling, general & administrative costs and research and development for all segments and certain other items which impact one or more regions, including such items as the impact of purchase accounting and metal price ceiling contracts. Significant fluctuations in these items are discussed below.
 
North America
 
As of March 31, 2009, North America manufactured aluminum sheet and light gauge products through 11 plants, including two dedicated recycling facilities. Important end-use applications include beverage cans, containers and packaging, automotive and other transportation applications, building products and other industrial applications.
 
In the second half of 2009, North America experienced a reduction in demand as all industry sectors were impacted by the ongoing economic downturn. Net sales for fiscal 2009 were down $171 million, or 4%, as compared to fiscal 2008 due to lower volume and a lower average LME price. While shipments were down 5% for fiscal 2009 as compared to fiscal 2008, shipments in the second half of fiscal 2009 were down 16% as compared to the first half of the year. The can business remains relatively stable, but shipments of most other products are below the prior year level. Shipments to the construction market was down 25% as compared to the prior year, due to reduced production and demand. We anticipate that demand for can sheet will remain stable, but expect demand in the construction and automotive sectors to remain weak for at least the first half of fiscal 2010.
 
The current economic environment has also resulted in customers in the auto industry filing for bankruptcy. We believe our exposure to outstanding receivables from customers in bankruptcy is minimal.
 
Segment income for the 2009 period was $82 million, down $160 million as compared to the prior year, due to the negative impact of metal price lag, conversion costs, volume decreases and foreign exchange related to our operations in Canada. The negative impact of conversion costs relates to increases in energy costs and freight as compared to the prior year.
 
Other changes reflect $11 million in acquisition-related stock compensation expense in the prior year period, and an $18 million favorable impact related to metal price ceiling contracts as compared to the prior year. Selling, general and administrative costs were down $22 million as compared to the prior year as the cost reduction initiatives have begun to favorably impact results. These favorable changes were partially offset


43


Table of Contents

by a $23 million reduction in the net favorable impact of acquisition-related fair value adjustments and a $13 million reduction in the benefit associated with recycling used beverage cans.
 
In response to reductions in demand, we announced a Voluntary Separation Program (VSP) available to salaried employees in North America and the Corporate office aimed at reducing staff levels. This VSP plan was supplemented by an Involuntary Severance Program (ISP). Through the VSP and ISP, we eliminated approximately 120 positions during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 and the first quarter of fiscal 2010.
 
Europe
 
As of March 31, 2009, our European segment provided European markets with value-added sheet and light gauge products through 13 aluminum rolled products facilities and one dedicated recycling facility. Europe serves a broad range of aluminum rolled product end-use markets in various applications including can, automotive, lithographic, foil products and painted products.
 
Europe has also experienced a significant reduction in demand in all industry sectors with flat rolled shipments and net sales down 15% and 14%, respectively, compared to the prior year. The volume reduction had a $404 million unfavorable impact on net sales, with the remaining decrease reflecting the impact of lower LME prices and a stronger U.S. dollar. Demand for specialty, painted and light gauge products has been down all year mainly as a result of the weak construction market, as well as recent reductions in demand for automotive products. Increases in beverage can and lithographic shipments in the first six months were reversed in the second half of the year, resulting in year-over-year declines in both sectors.
 
Segment income for the 2009 period was $236 million, as compared to $273 million in the comparative period of the prior year. Volume and foreign currency remeasurement unfavorably impacted Segment income but these impacts were partially offset by favorable conversion premiums, metal price lag and conversion costs. The favorable impact of conversion costs relates to a reduction in labor costs, partially offset by increases in energy costs as compared to the prior year.
 
Other changes reflect a $13 million net favorable impact of income and expense items associated with acquisition-related fair value adjustments and $6 million of stock compensation expense in the prior year.
 
In the fourth quarter of 2009, we announced a number of restructuring actions across Europe, including the closure of our plant in Rogerstone, United Kingdom effective April 30, 2009. The closure of the Rogerstone plant resulted in the elimination of 440 positions and approximately $20 million in severance-related costs. We also recorded $20 million in environmental remediation expenses and $3 million in other exit related costs related to the closure of this plant. We also recorded $12 million in non-cash fixed asset impairments, an $8 million write-down of parts and supplies, and a $3 million reduction to reserves associated with unfavorable contracts established as part of the Arrangement.
 
Cost reductions were also implemented through capacity and staff reductions at our Rugles, France and Ohle, Germany facilities with severance-related costs associated with these actions totaling $10 million in 2009.
 
Asia
 
As of March 31, 2009, Asia operated three manufacturing facilities with production balanced between foil, construction and industrial, and beverage and food can end-use applications.
 
Asia also experienced downturns in demand and shipments, with the largest reductions in beverage can products, followed by electronics, construction and general purpose foil products. Total shipments and net sales decreased 13% and 16%, respectively. The volume reduction had a $242 million unfavorable impact on net sales with the remaining decrease reflecting the impact of lower LME prices. Asia has begun to see signs of recovering demand, with orders for the first quarter of fiscal 2010 higher than those in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009.
 
The improvement in Segment income of $34 million from fiscal 2008 to fiscal 2009 was due to the favorable impact of metal price lag, improved conversion premiums and product mix, partially offset by the


44


Table of Contents

volume decreases, increases to conversion costs and foreign currency remeasurement. The conversion cost increases were primarily related to increases in energy costs as compared to the prior year period.
 
Other influences which may positively impact sales going forward include demand improvements within and outside of China, the impact of China’s stimulus package, inventory restocking by customers, and the price gap between the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) and the LME. For the first time in five years, the metal price gap that existed between the LME prices for aluminum and the SHFE reversed in January 2009 such that the LME price is now lower than the SHFE. As the SHFE-LME gap reversed, products manufactured with LME priced aluminum are now more competitive in the region versus those produced inside China. The gap was favorable by an average of $179 per tonne in March, and continues to increase throughout April 2009.
 
In response to reduced demand, we eliminated 34 positions in Asia in the fourth quarter of 2009 and recorded approximately $1 million in severance-related costs related to a voluntary retirement program. Also, during the year ended March 31, 2009, we recorded an impairment charge of approximately $5 million in Novelis Korea due to the obsolescence of certain production related fixed assets.
 
South America
 
As of March 31, 2009, South America operated two rolling plants in Brazil along with two smelters, an alumina refinery, bauxite mines and power generation facilities. South America manufactures various aluminum rolled products for the beverage and food can, construction and industrial and transportation end-use markets.
 
The economic slowdown impacting the other three regions has not yet affected the demand for flat rolled canstock in South America, with shipments of can products increasing as compared to the prior year. Total shipments increased 5% over prior year, with rolled products shipments up 7%, but net sales increased only 1% as compared to the prior year due to lower LME prices.
 
Segment income for South America decreased $22 million as compared to the prior year period. Conversion costs increased due to cost inflation for energy, alumina, alloys and hardeners. Other changes reflect a $9 million net favorable impact of income and expense items associated with acquisition-related fair value adjustments, a $6 million reduction in selling, general and administrative expenses and $3 million of stock compensation expense in the prior year. These positive impacts were partially offset by an $11 million decrease in the smelter benefit as the benefit from our smelter operations in South America declines as average LME prices decrease.
 
On January 26, 2009, we announced that we will cease the production of alumina at our Ouro Preto facility in May 2009. The sustained decline in alumina prices has made alumina production economically infeasible. For the foreseeable future, the plant will purchase alumina through third parties. This resulted in the reduction of approximately 290 positions, including 150 employees and 140 contractors, and we recorded restructuring charges totaling $2 million related to severance in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009. Other exit costs include less than $1 million related to the idling of the refinery. Other activities related to the facility, including electric power generation and the production of primary aluminum, will continue unaffected.
 
Other Costs and Expenses
 
Costs such as depreciation and amortization, interest expense and unrealized gains (losses) on changes in the fair value of derivatives are not utilized by our chief operating decision maker in evaluating segment performance. Additionally, many other functions are managed directly from our corporate office, which focuses on strategy development and oversees governance, policy, legal compliance, human resources and finance matters that are not allocated or managed by the regions.


45


Table of Contents

The table below reconciles total Segment income to net loss for the year ended March 31, 2009 and 2008 (in millions).
 
                 
    Year Ended March 31,  
    2009     2008  
    Successor     Combined  
 
Total Segment income
  $ 543     $ 728  
Depreciation and amortization
    (439 )     (403 )
Interest expense and amortization of debt issuance costs
    (182 )     (218 )
Interest income
    14       19  
Unrealized losses on change in fair value of derivative instruments, net
    (519 )     (3 )
Realized gains on corporate derivative instruments, net
    4       13  
Impairment of goodwill
    (1,340 )     —  
Gain on extinguishment of debt
    122       —  
Impairment charges on long-lived assets
    (1 )     (1 )
Minority interests’ share
    12       (3 )
Adjustment to eliminate proportional consolidation(A)
    (226 )     (43 )
Restructuring charges, net
    (95 )     (7 )
Corporate selling, general and administrative expenses
    (54 )     (90 )
Other costs, net
    5       (32 )
Income tax benefit (provision)
    246       (77 )
                 
Net loss
  $ (1,910 )   $ (117 )
                 
 
 
(A) Our financial information for our segments (including Segment income) includes the results of our non-consolidated affiliates on a proportionately consolidated basis, which is consistent with the way we manage our business segments. However, under GAAP, these non-consolidated affiliates are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Therefore, in order to reconcile Total Segment income to net loss, the proportional Segment income of these non-consolidated affiliates is removed from Total Segment income, net of our share of their net after-tax results, which is reported as Equity in net (income) loss of non-consolidated affiliates on our condensed consolidated statements of operations. See Note 10 — Investment in and Advances to Non-Consolidated Affiliates and Related Party Transactions for further information about these non-consolidated affiliates.
 
Depreciation and amortization increased $36 million primarily due to the increases in bases of our property, plant and equipment and intangible assets resulting from the Arrangement in the first quarter of fiscal 2008.
 
Interest expense and amortization of debt issuance costs decreased primarily due to lower average interest rates on our variable rate debt. Approximately 29% of our debt was variable rate as of March 31, 2009.
 
Unrealized losses on the change in fair value of derivative instruments represent the mark-to-market accounting for changes in the fair value of our derivatives that do not receive hedge accounting treatment. In the year ended March 31, 2009, these unrealized losses increased primarily attributable to falling LME prices. Our principal exposure to LME prices is related to derivatives on fixed forward price contracts. We hedge these contracts by purchasing aluminum futures contracts and these contracts decrease in value in periods of declining LME prices.
 
We recorded a $1.34 billion impairment charge related to goodwill in fiscal 2009.
 
The gain on extinguishment of debt relates to the exchange of Senior Notes with a principal value of $275 million for additional term loan with a face value of $220 million and an estimated fair value of $165 million. See Liquidity and Capital Resources below for additional discussion about the accounting for this exchange.


46


Table of Contents

The adjustment to eliminate proportional consolidation includes a $160 million impairment charge related to our investment in Norf. Excluding this impairment charge, the adjustment to eliminate proportional consolidation increased from $43 million in fiscal 2008 to $66 million in fiscal 2009 primarily related to our Norf joint venture due to a change in the statutory tax rate in Germany that was reflected in the prior year period. Income taxes related to our equity method investments, such as Norf, are reflected in the carrying value of the investment and not in our consolidated income tax provision.
 
Corporate selling, general and administrative expenses decreased primarily due to $45 million of stock compensation expenses associated with the Arrangement in fiscal 2008 and lower incentive compensation expenses in the current year.
 
Other costs, net for the 2009 fiscal year includes a $26 million non-cash gain on reversal of a legal accrual. Sales transaction fees of $32 million associated with the Arrangement were recorded in the 2008 fiscal year.
 
We have experienced significant fluctuations in income tax expense and the corresponding effective tax rate. The primary factors contributing to the effective tax rate differing from the statutory Canadian rate include:
 
  •  We recorded a non-deductible goodwill impairment charge during fiscal 2009.
 
  •  Our functional currency in Canada and Brazil is the U.S. dollar and the company holds significant U.S. dollar denominated debt in these locations. As the value of the local currencies strengthens and weakens against the dollar, unrealized gains or losses are created in those locations for tax purposes, while the underlying gains or losses are not recorded in our income statement.
 
During the year ended March 31, 2009, Canadian legislation was enacted allowing us to elect to determine our Canadian taxable income in U.S. dollars. Our election was effective April 1, 2008, and such U.S. dollar taxable gains and losses no longer exist in Canada as of that date.
 
  •  We have significant net deferred tax liabilities in Brazil that are remeasured to account for currency fluctuations as the taxes are payable in local currency.
 
  •  Our income is taxed at various statutory tax rates in varying jurisdictions. Applying the corresponding amounts of income and loss to the various tax rates results in differences when compared to our Canadian statutory tax rate.
 
  •  Under Canadian law, 50% of capital gains and losses are excluded from taxable income. Prior to the year ended March 31, 2009, we had significant unrealized capital gains and losses related to currency fluctuations in Canada.
 
  •  We record increases to valuation allowances primarily related to tax losses in certain jurisdictions where we believe it is more likely than not that we will not be able to utilize those losses.
 
For the year ended March 31, 2009, we recorded a $246 million income tax benefit on our pre-tax loss of $2.0 billion, before our equity in net (income) loss of non-consolidated affiliates and minority interests’ share, which represented an effective tax rate of 12%. Our effective tax rate differs from the benefit at the Canadian statutory rate primarily due to the following factors: (1) $415 million related to a non-deductible goodwill impairment charge, (2) a $48 million benefit for exchange remeasurement of deferred income taxes, (3) a $61 million increase in valuation allowances primarily related to tax losses in certain jurisdictions where we believe it is more likely than not that we will not be able to utilize those losses, (4) a $33 million benefit from differences between the Canadian statutory and foreign effective tax rates applied to entities in different jurisdictions and (5) a $2 million expense related to an increase in uncertain tax positions.
 
For the year ended March 31, 2008, we recorded a $77 million income tax provision on our pre-tax loss of $63 million, before our equity in net (income) loss of non-consolidated affiliates and minority interests’ share, which represented an effective tax rate of (122)%. Our effective tax rate differs from the benefit at the Canadian statutory rate primarily due to the following factors: (1) a $62 million provision for (a) pre-tax foreign currency gains or losses with no tax effect and (b) the tax effect of U.S. dollar denominated currency


47


Table of Contents

gains or losses with no pre-tax effect, (2) a $30 million increase for exchange remeasurement of deferred income taxes, (3) a $17 million benefit from the effects of enacted tax rate changes on cumulative taxable temporary differences, (4) a $7 million increase in valuation allowances primarily related to tax losses in certain jurisdictions where we believe it is more likely than not that we will not be able to utilize those losses, and (5) a $17 million increase in uncertain tax positions recorded under the provisions of FASB Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes (FIN 48).
 
Year Ended March 31, 2008 Compared With the Year Ended March 31, 2007 (Twelve Months Combined Non-GAAP for both periods)
 
For the year ended March 31, 2008, we realized a net loss of $117 million on net sales of $11.2 billion, as compared to the year ended March 31, 2007 when we realized a net loss of $265 million on net sales of $10.2 billion. The 11% increase in net sales was primarily due to increases in conversion premiums in all regions as well as $270 million of accretion in fair value reserves associated with the metal price ceiling contracts.
 
The reduction in the net loss as compared to the prior year was primarily driven by the favorable impact of purchase accounting and increases in conversion premiums, partially offset by increased depreciation and amortization expense due to the acquisition by Hindalco.
 
Costs of goods sold increased $618 million, or 6%, but decreased as a percentage of net sales as compared to the prior year period as a result of pricing improvements across all regions, partially offset by certain operating cost increases. Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased slightly as a result of reduced corporate costs, offset by increased stock compensation associated with the Arrangement. For the year ended March 31, 2008, we recorded income tax expense of $77 million, as compared to a $99 million income tax benefit. These items are discussed in further detail below.
 
Segment Review (On a combined non-GAAP basis)
 
The tables below show selected segment financial information (in millions, except shipments which are in kilotonnes (kt)).
 
                                                 
Selected Operating Results
  North
                South
             
Year Ended March 31, 2008
  America     Europe     Asia     America     Eliminations     Total  
(Combined)                                    
 
Net sales
  $ 4,101     $ 4,338     $ 1,818     $ 994     $ (5 )   $ 11,246  
Shipments (kt)
                                               
Rolled products
    1,102       1,071       491       324       —       2,988  
Ingot products
    64       35       39       24       —       162  
                                                 
Total shipments
    1,166       1,106       530       348       —       3,150  
                                                 
 
                                                 
Selected Operating Results
  North
                South
             
Year Ended March 31, 2007
  America     Europe     Asia     America     Eliminations     Total  
(Predecessor)                                    
 
Net sales
  $ 3,721     $ 3,851     $ 1,711     $ 889     $ (12 )   $ 10,160  
Shipments (kt)
                                               
Rolled products
    1,135       1,071       460       285       —       2,951  
Ingot products
    74       15       45       28       —       162  
                                                 
Total shipments
    1,209       1,086       505       313       —       3,113  
                                                 


48


Table of Contents

The following table highlights changes in Segment income for the twelve months ended March 31, 2008 as compared to the twelve months ended March 31, 2009 (in millions):
 
                                         
    North
                South
       
Changes in Segment Income
  America     Europe     Asia     America     Total  
 
Segment income — year ended March 31, 2007
  $ (54 )   $ 276     $ 72     $ 182     $ 476  
Volume
    (29 )     5       12       19       7  
Conversion premium and product mix
    47       59       9       58       173  
Conversion costs(A)
    (60 )     (6 )     (17 )     (10 )     (93 )
Metal price lag
    (31 )     (61 )     9       (17 )     (100 )
Foreign exchange
    6       16       (21 )     (35 )     (34 )
Purchase accounting
    242       (8 )     (6 )     (9 )     219  
Other changes(B)
    121       (8 )     (6 )     (27 )     80  
                                         
Segment income — year ended March 31, 2008
  $ 242     $ 273     $ 52     $ 161     $ 728  
                                         
 
 
(A) Conversion costs include expenses incurred in production such as direct and indirect labor, energy, freight, scrap usage, alloys and hardeners, coatings, alumina and melt loss. Fluctuations in this component reflect cost efficiencies during the period as well as cost inflation (deflation).
 
(B) Other changes include selling, general & administrative costs and research & development for all segments and certain other items which impact one or more regions, including such items as the impact of metal price ceiling contracts and stock compensation expense. Significant fluctuations in these items are discussed below.
 
North America
 
Net sales increased in the 2008 period as compared to the 2007 period primarily as a result of reduced exposure to contracts with price ceilings and contract fair value accretion. During fiscal 2008, we were unable to pass through approximately $230 million of metal purchase costs. During the comparable period in 2007, we were unable to pass through approximately $460 million, for a net favorable impact of approximately $230 million. Sales in 2008 were also favorably impacted by $270 million related to the accretion of the contract fair value reserves as discussed in Metal Price Ceilings, increases in conversion premiums and the favorable impact of contracts priced in prior periods.
 
These favorable changes in sales were partially offset by a reduction in demand in the 2008 period as compared to 2007 and a lower average LME. Rolled product shipments were down 3% in North America in 2008 as compared to 2007 due to reduced industrial products, light gauge and lower can volumes. The reduction in demand led to a $165 million reduction in net sales as compared to the prior year. The average LME was 1.5% lower than in the prior year, which impacted sales in North America by $88 million as compared to the prior year.
 
Segment income for the 2008 period was $242 million, an increase of $296 million as compared to the 2007 period. The reduction of year-over-year ceiling exposure net of derivatives losses combined with the purchase accounting on these type of contracts favorably impacted fiscal year 2008 Segment income. These favorable items were partially offset by increased conversion costs, the negative impact of metal price lag, lower volume and $11 million of stock compensation recorded as a result of the Arrangement.
 
Europe
 
Rolled product shipments were flat year over year driven by increased can volume that was offset by lower volumes in painted and general purpose products. Demand decreased due to lower construction activity in the European market. Ingot product shipment increased as a result of higher scrap sales.
 
Net sales increased 13% due to a strengthening of the euro against the U.S. dollar, higher conversion premiums and incremental volume of ingot products. While average LME was lower year over year, net sales


49


Table of Contents

increased from contracts priced in prior periods. This contributed approximately $100 million to net sales as compared to the prior year, but had no impact on Segment income as the metal costs were hedged at prior period prices, which were comparably higher.
 
Segment income for the 2008 period was $273 million, as compared to $276 million in the prior year. Segment income was favorably impacted by higher conversion premiums, increased ingot sales and foreign currency benefits. These positive factors were more than offset by unfavorable metal price lag, increased conversion costs and other changes. Other changes include a $6 million negative impact of incremental stock compensation expense recorded as a result of the Arrangement.
 
Asia
 
Shipments of rolled products and net sales were up a comparable 7% and 6%, respectively. Net sales increased $132 million as a result of higher conversion premiums and increased volume, partially offset by lower average LME during the period, which reduced net sales by $25 million. Increases in rolled products was due to increased demand in the can market, partially offset by a decline in shipments in the industrial and foil stock markets as a result of continued price pressure from Chinese exports, driven by the difference in aluminum metal prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange and the LME.
 
Segment income decreased $20 million for the 2008 period as compared to the 2007 period. Segment income was unfavorably impacted by conversion costs and foreign exchange, partially offset by the benefit of increased volume and price. Other changes include a $4 million of incremental stock compensation expense recorded as a result of the Arrangement.
 
South America
 
Rolled product shipments increased during the year ended March 31, 2008 over the comparable prior year period primarily due to an increase in can shipments driven by strong market demand. This was slightly offset by reductions in the industrial products market. Net sales increased primarily as a result of increased price and volume.
 
Segment income for South America decreased $21 million as compared to the prior year period as favorable trends in volume and conversion premiums were more than offset by higher conversion costs, metal price lag and foreign exchange associated with the strengthening of the Brazilian real. Conversion costs increased due to cost inflation for energy, freight and other operating costs.
 
Other changes include an unfavorable impact of $13 million related to the smelter operations, as the benefits from our smelter operations in South America decline as average LME prices decrease. Also included within Other changes is an $11 million unfavorable impact of lower average LME prices and $3 million of incremental stock compensation expense recorded as a result of the Arrangement.


50


Table of Contents

Other Costs and Expenses
 
As discussed above, certain functions are managed directly from our corporate office and are not allocated or managed by the regions. The table below reconciles total Segment income to net loss for the year ended March 31, 2008 and 2007 (in millions), followed by a discussion of significant changes between periods.
 
                 
    Year Ended March 31,  
    2008     2007  
    Combined     Predecessor  
 
Total Segment income
  $ 728     $ 476  
Depreciation and amortization
    (403 )     (233 )
Interest expense and amortization of debt issuance costs
    (218 )     (224 )
Interest income
    19       16  
Unrealized losses on change in fair value of derivative instruments, net
    (3 )     (152 )
Realized gains (losses) on corporate derivative instruments, net
    13       (37 )
Impairment charges on long-lived assets
    (1 )     (8 )
Minority interests’ share
    (3 )     (3 )
Adjustment to eliminate proportional consolidation(A)
    (43 )     (36 )
Restructuring charges, net
    (7 )     (27 )
Gains on disposal of assets, net
    —       (6 )
Corporate selling, general and administrative expenses
    (90 )     (127 )
Other costs, net
    (32 )     (3 )
Income tax benefit (provision)
    (77 )     99  
                 
Net loss
  $ (117 )   $ (265 )
                 
 
 
(A) Our financial information for our segments (including Segment income) includes the results of our non-consolidated affiliates on a proportionately consolidated basis, which is consistent with the way we manage our business segments. However, under GAAP, these non-consolidated affiliates are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Therefore, in order to reconcile Total Segment income to net loss, the proportional Segment income of these non-consolidated affiliates is removed from Total Segment income, net of our share of their net after-tax results, which is reported as Equity in net (income) loss of non-consolidated affiliates on our condensed consolidated statements of operations. See Note 9 — Investment in and Advances to Non-Consolidated Affiliates and Related Party Transactions for further information about these non-consolidated affiliates.
 
Depreciation and amortization increased $170 million due to our acquisition by Hindalco. As a result of the acquisition, the consideration paid by Hindalco was pushed down to us and allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. As a result, property, plant and equipment and intangible assets increased by approximately $2.3 billion. The increase in asset values, all of which is non-cash, is charged to depreciation and amortization expense in future periods based on the estimated useful lives of the individual assets.
 
Interest expense and amortization of debt issuance costs decreased primarily due to the elimination of penalty interest incurred in the prior year as a result of our delayed filings and lower interest rates on our variable rate debt in the current year.
 
Unrealized losses on the change in fair value of derivative instruments represent the mark-to-market accounting for changes in the fair value of our derivatives that do not receive hedge accounting treatment. Unrealized losses for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008 decreased due to LME prices rising at the end of the period. Our principal exposure to LME prices is related to derivatives on fixed forward price contracts. We hedge these contracts by purchasing aluminum futures contracts and these contracts decrease in value in periods of declining LME.


51


Table of Contents

Restructuring expenses decreased for the 2008 period as compared the 2007 period. During the 2007 period, we announced several restructuring programs related to our central management and administration offices in Zurich, Switzerland; our Neuhausen research and development center in Switzerland; our Goettingen facility in Germany; our facilities in Bridgnorth, U.K.; and the reorganization of our plants in Ohle and Ludenscheid, Germany, including the closing of two non-core business lines located within those facilities. Additionally, we continued to incur costs relating to the shutdown of our Borgofranco facility in Italy. We incurred aggregate restructuring charges of approximately $27 million in fiscal 2007 in connection with these programs. Through March 31, 2008, these actions were completed and no additional costs were incurred.
 
Corporate selling, general and administrative expenses decreased primarily through reduced spending on third party consultants at our corporate headquarters and lower long-term incentive compensation.
 
Included within Other costs, net for 2008 and 2007 are sales transaction fees of $32 million associated with the Arrangement.
 
For the year ended March 31, 2008, we recorded a $77 million income tax provision for taxes on our pre-tax loss of $63 million, before our equity in net (income) loss of non-consolidated affiliates and minority interests’ share, which represented an effective tax rate of (122)%. Our effective tax rate differs from the benefit at the Canadian statutory rate due primarily to (1) a $62 million provision for (a) pre-tax foreign currency gains or losses with no tax effect and (b) the tax effect of U.S. dollar denominated currency gains or losses with no pre-tax effect, (2) a $30 million provision for exchange remeasurement of deferred income taxes, (3) a $17 million benefit from the effects of enacted tax rate changes on cumulative taxable temporary differences, partially offset by (4) a $7 million increase in valuation allowances primarily related to tax losses in certain jurisdictions where we believe it is more likely than not that we will not be able to utilize those losses and (5) a $17 million increase in uncertain tax positions recorded under the provisions of FIN 48.
 
For the year ended March 31, 2007, we recorded a $99 million income tax benefit on our pre-tax loss of $377 million, before our equity in net (income) loss of non-consolidated affiliates and minority interests’ share, which represented an effective tax rate of 26%. Our effective tax rate is less than the benefit at the Canadian statutory rate due primarily to a $65 million benefit from differences between the Canadian statutory and foreign effective tax rates applied to entities in different jurisdictions, more than offset by (1) a $61 million increase in valuation allowances related to tax losses in certain jurisdictions where we believe it is more likely than not that we will not be able to utilize those losses, (2) an $11 million expense from expense/income items with no tax effect — net and (3) $11 million for (a) pre-tax foreign currency gains or losses with no tax effect and (b) the tax effect of U.S. dollar denominated currency gains or losses with no pre-tax effect.
 
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
 
We believe we have adequate liquidity to meet our operational and capital requirements for the foreseeable future. Our primary sources of liquidity are available cash and cash equivalents, borrowing availability under our revolving credit facility and future cash generated by operating activities. During the first nine months of fiscal 2009, our liquidity position decreased by $426 million as the global recession led to a rapid decline in aluminum prices and end-customer demand for flat-rolled products. However, for the five month period ended May 31, 2009 our business operated with positive cash flow before financing activities despite continued low levels of demand and net cash outflows to settle derivative positions. This reflects our ongoing efforts to preserve liquidity through cost and capital spending controls and effective management of working capital. Risks associated with supplier terms, customer credit and broker hedging capacity, while still present to some degree, have been managed successfully to date with minimal negative impact on our business. We are also beginning to see improved capital market conditions. We expect our liquidity position to improve during fiscal 2010 due primarily to reduced cash outflows for metal derivatives and cash savings from previously-announced restructuring programs.


52


Table of Contents

Available Liquidity
 
Our estimated liquidity as of May 31, 2009, March 31, 2009, January 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008 is as follows (in millions):
 
                                 
    May 31,
    March 31,
    January 31,
    March 31,
 
    2009     2009     2009     2008  
 
Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 274     $ 248     $ 190     $ 326  
Overdrafts
    (13 )     (11 )     (19 )     (5 )
Availability under the ABL facility
    229       233       255       582  
Borrowing availability limitation due to fixed charge coverage ratio
    (80 )     (80 )     (80 )     (80 )
                                 
Total estimated liquidity
  $ 410     $ 390     $ 346     $ 823  
                                 
 
Our liquidity position has improved since January 31, 2009 when our estimated liquidity was $346 million as disclosed in our third quarter Form 10-Q. In February 2009, we obtained a $100 million unsecured credit facility from an affiliate of the Aditya Birla group. We anticipate that our liquidity position will remain stable through the second quarter of fiscal 2010 and begin to improve later in the year.
 
Borrowings under the ABL facility are generally based on 85% of eligible accounts receivable and 70 to 75% of eligible inventories. Under the ABL facility, if our excess availability, as defined under the borrowing, is less than $80 million, we are required to maintain a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 1 to 1. As of March 31, 2009, our fixed charge coverage ratio is less than 1 to 1, resulting in a reduction of availability under our ABL facility of $80 million.
 
The cash and cash equivalent balance above includes cash held in foreign countries in which we operate. These amounts are generally available on a short-term basis, subject to regulatory requirements, in the form of a dividend or inter-company loan.
 
Near Term Challenges
 
Rapidly declining aluminum prices and reductions in demand during the second half of fiscal 2009 negatively impacted the cash generated by operations and increased the effect of timing issues related to our settlement of aluminum forward contracts versus cash collection from our customers. We enter into derivative instruments to hedge forecasted purchases and sales of aluminum. Based on the aluminum price forward curve as of March 31, 2009, we forecast $499 million of cash outflows related to settlement of these derivative instruments through the end of fiscal 2010. Except for $141 million of cash outflows related to hedges of our exposure to metal price ceilings, we expect all of these outflows will be recovered through collection of customer accounts receivable, typically on a 30 — 60 day lag. Accordingly, this difference in timing places pressure on our short-term liquidity.
 
We have an existing beverage can sheet umbrella agreement with North American bottlers (BCS agreement). Pursuant to the BCS agreement, an agent for the bottlers directs the can fabricators to source a percentage of their requirements for beverage can body, end and tab stock from us.
 
Under the BCS agreement, the bottlers’ agent has the right to request that we hedge the exposure to the price the bottlers will ultimately pay for aluminum. We treat this arrangement as a derivative for accounting purposes under FAS 133. Upon receiving such requests, we enter into corresponding derivative instruments indexed to the LME price of aluminum with third party brokers. We settle the positions with the brokers at maturity and net settle the economic benefit or loss arising from the pricing requests, which may not occur for up to 13 months.
 
As of March 31, 2009, we settled a net $95 million of derivative losses for which we had not been reimbursed under the BCS agreement. Based on the current forward curve of aluminum we anticipate a further short-term negative impact on our liquidity of approximately $70 million as a result of this arrangement. We believe that collection on these receivables is reasonably certain based on the credit worthiness of the bottlers.


53


Table of Contents

Operating Activities
 
Free cash flow (which is a non-GAAP measure) consists of: (a) Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities; (b) less dividends and capital expenditures and (c) plus or minus net proceeds from settlement of derivative instruments (which is net of premiums paid to purchase derivative instruments). Dividends include those paid by our less than wholly-owned subsidiaries to their minority shareholders. Management believes that Free cash flow is relevant to investors as it provides a measure of the cash generated internally that is available for debt service and other value creation opportunities. However, Free cash flow does not necessarily represent cash available for discretionary activities, as certain debt service obligations must be funded out of Free cash flow. We believe the line on our condensed consolidated statements of cash flows entitled “Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities” is the most directly comparable measure to Free cash flow. Our method of calculating Free cash flow may not be consistent with that of other companies.
 
In our discussion of Metal Price Ceilings, we have disclosed that certain customer contracts contain a fixed aluminum (metal) price ceiling beyond which the cost of aluminum cannot be passed through to the customer, unless adjusted. During the years ended March 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007, we were unable to pass through approximately $176 million, $230 million and $460 million, respectively, of metal purchase costs associated with sales under these contracts. Net cash provided by operating activities were negatively impacted by the same amounts, adjusted for timing difference between customer receipts and vendor payments and offset partially by reduced income taxes. Based on current LME price levels, no further unfavorable revenue or cash flow impacts are expected through December 31, 2009 when these contracts expire. However, during the period of rising LME prices we entered into derivative instruments to hedge our exposure to further increases in LME. As a result of these instruments, we will continue to incur cash outflows related to these contracts even if LME remains below the ceiling price. As of March 31, 2009 and based on an aluminum price of $1,365 per tonne, the fair value of the liability associated with these derivatives was $141 million.
 
The following table shows the reconciliation from Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities to Free cash flow, the ending balances of cash and cash equivalents and the change between periods (in millions).
 
                                         
                      Change  
                      2009
    2008
 
    Year Ended March 31,     versus
    versus
 
    2009     2008     2007     2008     2007  
    Successor     Combined     Predecessor              
 
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities
  $ (236 )   $ 175     $ (166 )   $ (411 )   $ 341  
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
    (111 )     (96 )     141       (15 )     (237 )
Less: Proceeds from sales of assets
    (5 )     (8 )     (36 )     (3 )     28  
                                         
Free cash flow
  $ (352 )   $ 71     $ (61 )   $ (423 )   $ 132  
                                         
Ending cash and cash equivalents
  $ 248     $ 326     $ 128     $ (78 )   $ 198  
                                         
 
Our operations consumed cash at a higher rate during the year ended March 31, 2009 compared to the prior year period due to slowing business conditions and higher working capital levels associated with rapidly changing aluminum prices and the timing of payments made to suppliers, to brokers to settle derivative positions and ultimate settlement with our customers. Inventory levels were effectively managed despite slowing business conditions. Metal inventories as of March 31, 2009 totaled 299 kt, down 22% from March 31, 2008 levels.


54


Table of Contents

We have historically maintained forfeiting and factoring arrangements in Asia and South America that provided additional liquidity in those segments. The current economic conditions have negatively impacted our ability to forfait our customer receivables as well as our suppliers’ ability to provide extended payment terms.
 
In fiscal 2008, net cash provided by operating activities increased as a result of our reduced exposure to metal price ceiling contracts as discussed above. For the year ended March 31, 2008 our exposure to metal price ceilings decreased by approximately $230 million providing additional operating cash flow as compared to the prior year.
 
Net cash used in operating activities for fiscal 2008 was unfavorably impacted by one-time costs associated with or triggered by the Arrangement including: (1) $72 million paid in share-based compensation payments, (2) $42 million paid for sale transaction fees and (3) $25 million in bonus payments for the 2006 calendar year and the period from January 1, 2007 through May 15, 2007.
 
Dividends paid to our minority interests, primarily in our Asia operating segment, were $6 million, $8 million and $10 for fiscal 2009, 2008 and 2007, respectively.
 
The majority of our capital expenditures for the 2009, 2008 and 2007 years have been for projects devoted to product quality, technology, productivity enhancement and increased capacity. Capital expenditures were slightly higher in the fiscal 2008 period due, in part, to the construction of Novelis Fusiontm ingot casting lines in our European and Asian segments as well as additional planned maintenance activities, improvements to our Yeongju, Korea hot mill and other ancillary upgrades made in the first quarter of fiscal 2008. As a result of the overall economic downturn, we have reduced our capital spending, with a focus on preserving maintenance and safety in the second half of fiscal 2009.
 
The settlement of derivative instruments resulted in an outflow of $8 million and reduction to Free cash flow for the year ended March 31, 2009 as compared to $55 million in cash contributed in fiscal 2008 and $191 million in fiscal 2007. The net outflow for fiscal 2009 was a result of settlements of $188 million in the fourth quarter of net derivative liabilities. Much of the proceeds received in 2007 related to aluminum call options purchased in the prior year to hedge against the risk of rising aluminum prices.
 
In 2008, Free cash flow was used primarily to increase our overall liquidity and pay for costs associated with the Hindalco transaction. Although our total debt increased from March 31, 2007 by $82 million, this was more than offset by an increase in our cash and cash equivalents of $198 million.
 
Investing Activities
 
The following table presents information regarding our Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (in millions).
 
                                         
                      Change  
                      2009
    2008
 
    Year Ended March 31,     versus
    versus
 
    2009     2008     2007     2008     2007  
    Successor     Combined     Predecessor              
 
Capital expenditures
  $ (145 )   $ (202 )   $ (119 )   $ 57     $ (83 )
Proceeds from sales of assets
    5       8       36       (3 )     (28 )
Changes to investment in and advances to non-consolidated affiliates
    20       25       2       (5 )     23  
Proceeds from related parties loans receivable, net
    17       18       31       (1 )     (13 )
Net proceeds (outflow) from settlement of derivative instruments
    (8 )     55       191       (63 )     (136 )
                                         
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
  $ (111 )   $ (96 )   $ 141     $ (15 )   $ (237 )
                                         


55


Table of Contents

Net proceeds from settlement of derivative instruments and the magnitude of capital expenditures were discussed above in Operating Activities as both are included in our definition of Free cash flow. As noted above, we made reductions to capital expenditures in 2009 as a result of the overall economic downturn. We expect to maintain a level of capital expenditures in fiscal 2010 of between $90 and $110 million for items necessary to maintain comparable production, quality and market position levels (maintenance capital).
 
The majority of proceeds from asset sales in 2009 and 2008 are from the sale of land in Kingston, Ontario. Proceeds from sales of assets in 2007 includes approximately $34 million received from the sale of certain upstream assets in South America.
 
Proceeds from loans receivable, net during all periods are primarily comprised of payments we received related to a loan due from our non-consolidated affiliate, Aluminium Norf GmbH.
 
Financing Activities
 
The following table presents information regarding our Net cash provided by financing activities (in millions).
 
                                         
                      Change  
                      2009
    2008
 
    Year Ended March 31,     versus
    versus
 
    2009     2008     2007     2008     2007  
    Successor     Combined     Predecessor              
 
Proceeds from issuance of common stock
  $ —     $ 92     $ —     $ (92 )   $ 92  
Proceeds from issuance of debt
    354       1,250       41       (896 )     1,209  
Principal repayments
    (235 )     (1,010 )     (242 )     775       (768 )
Short-term borrowings, net
    176       (181 )     210       357       (391 )
Dividends
    (6 )     (8 )     (10 )     2       2  
Debt issuance costs
    (3 )     (39 )     (10 )     36       (29 )
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options
    —       1       29       (1 )     (28 )
Other
    —       —       6       —       (6 )
                                         
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
  $ 286     $ 105     $ 24     $ 181     $ 81  
                                         
 
In March 2009, we entered into a transaction in which we exchanged Senior Notes with a face value of $275 million for additional floating rate Term Loan with a face value of $220 million. The exchange was accounted for as a debt extinguishment and issuance of new debt, with the new debt recorded at its estimated fair value of $165 million.
 
In February 2009, to assist in maintaining adequate liquidity levels, we entered into an unsecured credit facility of $100 million (the Unsecured Credit Facility) with a scheduled maturity date of January 15, 2015 from an affiliate of the Aditya Birla group. For each advance under the credit facility, interest is payable quarterly at a rate of 13% per annum prior to the first anniversary of the advance and 14% per annum thereafter, until the earlier of repayment or maturity. As of March 31, 2009, we have drawn down $91 million on the Unsecured Credit Facility.
 
During 2009, we increased our short-term borrowings under our revolving credit facility to provide for general working capital requirements. As of March 31, 2009, our short-term borrowings were $264 million consisting of (1) $231 million of short-term loans under our ABL facility, (2) a $9 million short-term loan in Italy, (3) a $22 million short-term loan in Korea and (4) $2 million in bank overdrafts. As of March 31, 2009, $42 million of our ABL facility was utilized for letters of credit and we had $233 million in remaining availability under this revolving credit facility before the covenant related restriction discussed below.
 
As of March 31, 2009, we had an additional $92 million outstanding under letters of credit in Korea not included in our revolving credit facility. The weighted average interest rate on our total short-term borrowings was 2.75% and 4.12% as of March 31, 2009 and 2008, respectively.


56


Table of Contents

As a result of our acquisition by Hindalco, we were required to refinance our existing credit facility in fiscal 2008. Additionally, we refinanced debt in Asia due to its scheduled maturity. See Note 12 — Debt to our consolidated and combined financial statements for additional information regarding our financing activities.
 
During the first quarter of fiscal 2008, we also amended our then existing senior secured credit facilities to increase its capacity by $150 million. We used these proceeds to reduce the outstanding balance of our then existing revolving credit facility, thus increasing our borrowing capacity. This additional capacity, along with $92 million of cash received from the issuance of additional shares indirectly to Hindalco, allowed us to fund general working capital requirements and certain costs associated with the Arrangement including the cash settlement of share-based compensation arrangements and lender fees. In July 2007, we refinanced our Credit Agreements, as discussed below.
 
Credit Agreements and Predecessor Financing
 
In connection with our spin-off from Alcan, we entered into senior secured credit facilities (Old Credit Facilities) providing for aggregate borrowings of up to $1.8 billion. The Old Credit Facilities consisted of (1) a $1.3 billion seven-year senior secured Term Loan B facility, bearing interest at London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) plus 1.75% (which was subject to change based on certain leverage ratios), all of which was borrowed on January 10, 2005, and (2) a $500 million five-year multi-currency revolving credit and letters of credit facility.
 
On April 27, 2007, our lenders consented to the sixth amendment of our Old Credit Facilities. The amendment included increasing the Term Loan B facility by $150 million. We utilized the additional funds available under the Term Loan B facility to reduce the outstanding balance of our $500 million revolving credit facility. The additional borrowing capacity under the revolving credit facility was used to fund working capital requirements and certain costs associated with the Arrangement, including the cash settlement of share-based compensation arrangements and lender fees. Additionally, the amendment included a limited waiver of the change of control Event of Default (as defined) which effectively extended the requirement to repay the Old Credit Facilities to July 11, 2007.
 
On May 25, 2007, we entered into a Bank and Bridge Facilities Commitment with affiliates of UBS and ABN AMRO, to provide backstop assurance for the refinancing of our existing indebtedness following the Arrangement. The commitments from UBS and ABN AMRO, provided by the banks on a 50%-50% basis, consisted of the following: (1) a senior secured term loan of up to $1.06 billion; (2) a senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility of up to $900 million and (3) a commitment to issue up to $1.2 billion of unsecured senior notes, if necessary. The commitment contained terms and conditions customary for facilities of this nature.
 
On July 6, 2007, we entered into new senior secured credit facilities with a syndicate of lenders led by affiliates of UBS and ABN AMRO (Credit Agreements) providing for aggregate borrowings of up to $1.76 billion. The Credit Agreements consist of (1) a $960 million seven-year Term Loan facility (Term Loan facility) and (2) an $800 million five year multi-currency asset-based revolving credit line and letter of credit facility (ABL facility).
 
The proceeds from the Term Loan facility of $960 million, drawn in full at the time of closing, and an initial draw of $324 million under the ABL facility were used to pay off our old credit facility, pay for debt issuance costs of the Credit Agreements and provide for additional working capital. Mandatory minimum principal amortization payments under the Term Loan facility are $2.4 million per calendar quarter. The first minimum principal amortization payment was made on September 30, 2007. Additional mandatory prepayments are required to be made for certain collateral liquidations, asset sales, debt and preferred stock issuances, equity issuances, casualty events and excess cash flow (as defined in the Credit Agreements). Any unpaid principal is due in full on July 6, 2014.
 
Under the Term Loan facility, loans characterized as alternate base rate (ABR) borrowings bear interest annually at a rate equal to the alternate base rate (which is the greater of (a) the base rate in effect on a given day and (b) the federal funds effective rate in effect on a given day, plus 0.50%) plus the applicable margin.


57


Table of Contents

Loans characterized as Eurocurrency borrowings bear interest at an annual rate equal to the adjusted LIBOR rate for the interest period in effect, plus the applicable margin. Generally, for both the Term Loan facility and ABL facility, interest rates reset every three months and interest is payable on a monthly, quarterly, or other periodic basis depending on the type of loan.
 
Borrowings under the ABL facility are generally based on 85% of eligible accounts receivable and 70 to 75% of eligible inventories. Commitment fees ranging from 0.25% to 0.375% are based on average daily amounts outstanding under the ABL facility during a fiscal quarter and are payable quarterly.
 
The Credit Agreements include customary affirmative and negative covenants. Under the ABL facility, if our excess availability, as defined under the borrowing, is less than $80 million, we are required to maintain a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of 1 to 1. Substantially all of our assets are pledged as collateral under the Credit Agreements.
 
As discussed above, in March 2009, we issued an additional Term Loan with a face value of $220 million in exchange for $275 million of Senior Notes. The additional Term Loan was recorded at a fair value of $165 million determined using a discounted cash flow model. The difference between the fair value and the face value of the new Term Loan will be accreted over the life of the Term Loan using the effective interest method, resulting in additional non-cash interest expense.
 
7.25% Senior Notes
 
On February 3, 2005, we issued $1.4 billion aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured debt securities (Senior Notes). The Senior Notes were priced at par, bear interest at 7.25% and mature on February 15, 2015.
 
Under the indenture that governs the Senior Notes, we are subject to certain restrictive covenants applicable to incurring additional debt and providing additional guarantees, paying dividends beyond certain amounts and making other restricted payments, sales and transfers of assets, certain consolidations or mergers, and certain transactions with affiliates.
 
Pursuant to the terms of the indenture governing our Senior Notes, we were obligated, within 30 days of closing of the Arrangement, to make an offer to purchase the Senior Notes at a price equal to 101% of their principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date the Senior Notes were purchased. Consequently, we commenced a tender offer on May 16, 2007 to repurchase all of the outstanding Senior Notes at the prescribed price. This offer expired on July 3, 2007 with holders of approximately $1 million of principal presenting their Senior Notes pursuant to the tender offer.
 
As described above, in March 2009, we entered into a transaction in which we exchanged Senior Notes with a face value of $275 million for additional floating rate Term Loan with a face value of $220 million.
 
Korean Bank Loans
 
In November 2004, Novelis Korea Limited (Novelis Korea), formerly Alcan Taihan Aluminium Limited, entered into a Korean won (KRW) 40 billion ($40 million) floating rate long-term loan due November 2007. We immediately entered into an interest rate swap to fix the interest rate at 4.80%. In August 2007, we refinanced this loan with a floating rate short-term borrowing in the amount of $40 million due by August 2008. We recognized a loss on extinguishment of debt of less than $1 million in connection with this refinancing. Additionally, we immediately entered into an interest rate swap and cross currency swap for the new loan through a 3.94% fixed rate KRW 38 billion ($38 million) loan.
 
In December 2004, we entered into (1) a $70 million floating rate loan and (2) a KRW 25 billion ($25 million) floating rate loan, both due in December 2007. We immediately entered into an interest rate and cross currency swap on the $70 million floating rate loan through a 4.55% fixed rate KRW 73 billion ($73 million) loan and an interest rate swap on the KRW 25 billion floating rate loan to fix the interest rate at 4.45%. In October 2007, we entered into a $100 million floating rate loan due October 2010 and immediately repaid the $70 million loan. In December 2007, we repaid the KRW 25 billion loan from the proceeds of the $100 million


58


Table of Contents

floating rate loan. Additionally, we immediately entered into an interest rate swap and cross currency swap for the $100 million floating rate loan through a 5.44% fixed rate KRW 92 billion ($92 million) loan.
 
In November 2008, we entered into a 7.47% interest rate KRW 10 billion ($7 million) bank loan due May 2009. In February 2009, we entered into a 3.94% interest rate KRW 50 billion ($37 million) bank loan due February 2010.
 
Interest Rate Swaps
 
As of March 31, 2009, we had entered into interest rate swaps to fix the variable LIBOR interest rate on $700 million of our floating rate Term Loan facility. We are still obligated to pay any applicable margin, as defined in our Credit Agreements. Interest rates swaps related to $400 million at an effective weighted average interest rate of 4.0% expire March 31, 2010. In January 2009, we entered into two interest rate swaps to fix the variable LIBOR interest rate on an additional $300 million of our floating rate Term Loan facility at a rate of 1.49%, plus any applicable margin. These interest rate swaps are effective from March 31, 2009 through March 31, 2011.
 
As of March 31, 2009 approximately 71% of our debt was fixed rate and approximately 29% was variable-rate.
 
Issuance of Additional Common Stock
 
On June 22, 2007, we issued 2,044,122 additional shares to AV Aluminum for $44.93 per share resulting in an additional equity contribution of $92 million. This contribution was equal in amount to certain payments made by Novelis related to change in control compensation to certain employees and directors, lender fees and other transaction costs incurred by the Company.
 
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
 
In accordance with SEC rules, the following qualify as off-balance sheet arrangements:
 
  •  any obligation under certain derivative instruments;
 
  •  any obligation under certain guarantees or contracts;
 
  •  a retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to an unconsolidated entity or similar entity or similar arrangement that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support to that entity for such assets and
 
  •  any obligation under a material variable interest held by the registrant in an unconsolidated entity that provides financing, liquidity, market risk or credit risk support to the registrant, or engages in leasing, hedging or research and development services with the registrant.
 
The following discussion addresses the applicable off-balance sheet items for our Company.
 
Derivative Instruments
 
As of March 31, 2009, we have derivative financial instruments, as defined by FASB Statement No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities (FASB 133). See Note 16 — Financial Instruments and Commodity Contracts to our accompanying consolidated financial statements.
 
In conducting our business, we use various derivative and non-derivative instruments to manage the risks arising from fluctuations in exchange rates, interest rates, aluminum prices and energy prices. Such instruments are used for risk management purposes only. We may be exposed to losses in the future if the counterparties to the contracts fail to perform. We are satisfied that the risk of such non-performance is remote due to our monitoring of credit exposures. Our ultimate gain or loss on these derivatives may differ from the amount recognized in the accompanying March 31, 2009 consolidated balance sheet.


59


Table of Contents

The decision of whether and when to execute derivative instruments, along with the duration of the instrument, can vary from period to period depending on market conditions, the relative costs of the instruments and capacity to hedge. The duration is always linked to the timing of the underlying exposure, with the connection between the two being regularly monitored.
 
The current and noncurrent portions of derivative assets and the current portion of derivative liabilities are presented on the face of our accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The noncurrent portions of derivative liabilities are included in Other long-term liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
 
The fair values of our financial instruments and commodity contracts as of March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008 are as follows (in millions):
 
                                         
    March 31, 2009  
    Assets     Liabilities     Net Fair Value
 
    Current     Noncurrent     Current     Noncurrent     Assets/(Liabilities)  
 
Successor
                                       
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
                                       
Currency exchange contracts
  $ —     $ —     $ —     $ (11 )   $ (11 )
Interest rate swaps
    —       —       (13 )     —       (13 )
Electricity swap
    —       —       (6 )     (12 )     (18 )
                                         
Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments
    —       —       (19 )     (23 )     (42 )
                                         
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
                                       
Aluminum contracts
    99       41       (532 )     (13 )     (405 )
Currency exchange contracts
    20       31       (77 )     (12 )     (38 )
Energy contracts
    —       —       (12 )     —       (12 )
                                         
Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
    119       72       (621 )     (25 )     (455 )
                                         
Total derivative fair value
  $ 119     $ 72     $ (640 )   $ (48 )   $ (497 )
                                         
 
                                         
    March 31, 2008  
    Assets     Liabilities     Net Fair Value
 
    Current     Noncurrent     Current     Noncurrent     Assets/(Liabilities)  
 
Successor
                                       
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
                                       
Currency exchange contracts
  $ —     $ —     $ —     $ (184 )   $ (184 )
Interest rate swaps
    —       —       (3 )     (12 )     (15 )
Electricity swap
    3       11       —       —       14  
                                         
Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments
    3       11       (3 )     (196 )     (185 )
                                         
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
                                       
Aluminum forward contracts
    131       4       (29 )     —       106  
Currency exchange contracts
    64       6       (116 )     (5 )     (51 )
Energy contracts
    5       —       —       —       5  
                                         
Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
    200       10       (145 )     (5 )     60  
                                         
Total derivative fair value
  $ 203     $ 21     $ (148 )   $ (201 )   $ (125 )
                                         


60


Table of Contents

Net Investment Hedges
 
We use cross-currency swaps to manage our exposure to fluctuating exchange rates arising from our loans to and investments in our European operations. The effective portion of gain or loss on the fair value of the derivative is included in Other comprehensive income (loss) (OCI). Prior to the Arrangement, the effective portion on the derivative was included in Change in fair value of effective portion of hedges, net. After the completion of the Acquisition, the effective portion on the derivative is included in Currency translation adjustments. The ineffective portion of gain or loss on the derivative is included in (Gain) loss on change in fair value of derivative instruments, net. We had cross-currency swaps of Euro 135 million against the U.S. dollar outstanding as of March 31, 2009.
 
The following table summarizes the amount of gain (loss) we recognized in OCI related to our net investment hedge derivatives (in millions).
 
                           
          May 16,
      April 1,
 
          2007
      2007
 
    Year Ended
    Through
      Through
 
    March 31,
    March 31,
      May 15,
 
    2009     2008       2007  
    Successor     Successor       Predecessor  
Currency exchange contracts
  $ 169     $ (82 )     $ (8 )
 
Cash Flow Hedges
 
We own an interest in an electricity swap which we have designated as a cash flow hedge against our exposure to fluctuating electricity prices. The effective portion of gain or loss on the derivative is included in OCI and reclassified when settled into (Gain) loss on change in fair value of derivatives, net in our accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. As of March 31, 2009, the outstanding portion of this swap includes 20,888 megawatt hours through 2017.
 
We use interest rate swaps to manage our exposure to changes in the benchmark LIBOR interest rate arising from our variable-rate debt. We have designated these as cash flow hedges. The effective portion of gain or loss on the derivative is included in OCI and reclassified when settled into Interest expense and amortization of debt issuance costs in our accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. We had $690 million of outstanding interest rate swaps designated as cash flow hedges as of March 31, 2009.
 
For all derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, gains or losses representing hedge ineffectiveness are recognized in (Gain) loss on change in fair value of derivative instruments, net in our current period earnings. If at any time during the life of a cash flow hedge relationship we determine that the relationship is no longer effective, the derivative will be de-designated as a cash flow hedge. This could occur if the underlying hedged exposure is determined to no longer be probable, or if our ongoing assessment of hedge effectiveness determines that the hedge relationship no longer meets the measures we have established at the inception of the hedge. Gains or losses recognized to date in AOCI would be immediately reclassified into current period earnings, as would any subsequent changes in the fair value of any such derivative.
 
During the next twelve months we expect to realize $13 million in effective net losses from our cash flow hedges. The maximum period over which we have hedged our exposure to cash flow variability is through 2017.


61


Table of Contents

The following table summarizes the impact on AOCI and earnings of derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedge (in millions).
 
                         
                Gain or (Loss)
 
                Recognized in Income
 
          Gain (Loss)
    (Ineffective Portion and Amount
 
    Gain (Loss)
    Reclassified from
    Excluded from
 
    Recognized in OCI     AOCI into Income     Effectiveness Testing)  
    Year Ended
    Year Ended
    Year Ended
 
    March 31, 2009     March 31, 2009     March 31, 2009  
    Successor     Successor     Successor  
 
Energy contracts
  $ (21 )   $ 12     $ —  
Interest rate swaps
  $ 3     $ —     $ —  
 
                                                       
                Gain (Loss)
 
                Recognized in Income
 
          Gain (Loss)
    (Ineffective Portion and Amount
 
    Gain (Loss)
    Reclassified from
    Excluded from
 
    Recognized in OCI     AOCI into Income     Effectiveness Testing)  
    May 16, 2007
      April 1, 2007
    May 16, 2007
      April 1, 2007
    May 16, 2007
      April 1, 2007
 
    Through
      Through
    Through
      Through
    Through
      Through
 
    March 31, 2008       May 15, 2007     March 31, 2008       May 15, 2007     March 31, 2008       May 15, 2007  
    Successor       Predecessor     Successor       Predecessor     Successor       Predecessor  
Currency exchange contracts
  $ —       $ 4     $ —       $ 1     $ —       $ —  
Energy contracts
  $ 23       $ 4     $ 8       $ —     $ —       $ —  
Interest rate swaps
  $ (15 )     $ —     $ —       $ —     $ (1 )     $ —   
 
Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedges
 
We use aluminum forward contracts and options to hedge our exposure to changes in the London Metal Exchange (LME) price of aluminum. These exposures arise from firm commitments to sell aluminum in future periods at fixed or capped prices, the forecasted output of our smelter operations in South America and the forecasted metal price lag associated with firm commitments to sell aluminum in future periods at prices based on the LME. In addition, transactions with certain customers meet the definition of a derivative under FASB 133 and are recognized as assets or liabilities at fair value on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. As of March 31, 2009, we had 294 kilotonnes (kt) of outstanding aluminum contracts not designated as hedges.
 
We recognize a derivative position which arises from a contractual relationship with a customer that entitles us to pass-through the economic effect of trading positions that we take with other third parties on our customers’ behalf.
 
We use foreign exchange forward contracts and cross-currency swaps to manage our exposure to changes in exchange rates. These exposures arise from recorded assets and liabilities, firm commitments and forecasted cash flows denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of certain of our operations. As of March 31, 2009, we had outstanding currency exchange contracts with a total notional amount of $1.4 billion not designated as hedges.
 
We use heating oil swaps and natural gas swaps to manage our exposure to fluctuating energy prices in North America. As of March 31, 2009, we had 3.4 million gallons of heating oil swaps and 3.8 million MMBtu’s of natural gas that were not designated as hedges.
 
While each of these derivatives is intended to be effective in helping us manage risk, they have not been designated as hedging instruments under FASB 133. The change in fair value of these derivative instruments is included in (Gain) loss on change in fair value of derivative instruments, net in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations.


62


Table of Contents

The following table summarizes the gains (losses) recognized in current period earnings (in millions).
 
                           
          May 16, 2007
      April 1, 2007
 
    Year Ended
    Through
      Through
 
    March 31, 2009     March 31, 2008       May 15, 2007  
    Successor     Successor       Predecessor  
Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedges
                         
Aluminum contracts
  $ (561 )   $ 44       $ 7  
Currency exchange contracts
    24       (44 )       10  
Energy contracts
    (29 )     12         3  
                           
Gain (loss) recognized
    (569 )     12         20  
Derivative Instruments Designated as Cash Flow Hedges
                         
Interest rate swaps
    —       (1 )       —  
Electricity swap
    13       11         —  
                           
Gain (loss) on change in fair value of derivative instruments, net
  $ (556 )   $ 22       $ 20  
                           
 
Guarantees of Indebtedness
 
We have issued guarantees on behalf of certain of our subsidiaries and non-consolidated affiliates, including certain of our wholly-owned subsidiaries and Aluminium Norf GmbH, which is a fifty percent (50%) owned joint venture that does not meet the requirements for consolidation under FASB Interpretation No. 46 (Revised), Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities (FIN 46(R)).
 
In the case of our wholly-owned subsidiaries, the indebtedness guaranteed is for trade accounts payable to third parties. Some of the guarantees have annual terms while others have no expiration and have termination notice requirements. Neither we nor any of our subsidiaries or non-consolidated affiliates holds any assets of any third parties as collateral to offset the potential settlement of these guarantees.
 
Since we consolidate wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries in our consolidated financial statements, all liabilities associated with trade payables and short-term debt facilities for these entities are already included in our consolidated balance sheets.
 
The following table discloses information about our obligations under guarantees of indebtedness of others as of March 31, 2009 (in millions). We did not have any obligations under guarantees of indebtedness related to our majority-owned subsidiaries as of March 31, 2009.
 
                 
    Maximum
    Liability
 
    Potential Future
    Carrying
 
    Payment     Value  
 
Wholly-owned Subsidiaries
  $ 50     $ 14  
Aluminium Norf GmbH
    13       —  
 
We have no retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to an unconsolidated entity or similar entity or similar arrangement that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support to that entity for such assets.
 
Other Arrangements
 
Forfaiting of Trade Receivables
 
Novelis Korea Limited forfaits trade receivables in the ordinary course of business. These trade receivables are typically outstanding for 60 to 120 days. Forfaiting is a non-recourse method to manage credit and interest rate risks. Under this method, customers contract to pay a financial institution. The institution assumes the risk of non-payment and remits the invoice value (net of a fee) to us after presentation of a proof


63


Table of Contents

of delivery of goods to the customer. We do not retain a financial or legal interest in these receivables, and they are not included in our consolidated balance sheets.
 
Factoring of Trade Receivables
 
Our Brazilian operations factor, without recourse, certain trade receivables that are unencumbered by pledge restrictions. Under this method, customers are directed to make payments on invoices to a financial institution, but are not contractually required to do so. The financial institution pays us any invoices it has approved for payment (net of a fee). We do not retain financial or legal interest in these receivables, and they are not included in our consolidated balance sheets.
 
Summary Disclosures of Forfaited and Factored Financial Amounts
 
The following tables summarize our forfaiting and factoring amounts (in millions).
 
                                           
          May 16, 2007
      April 1, 2007
    Three Months
       
    Year Ended
    Through
      Through
    Ended
    Year Ended
 
    March 31, 2009     March 31, 2008       May 15, 2007     March 31, 2007     December 31, 2006  
    Successor     Successor       Predecessor     Predecessor     Predecessor  
Receivables forfaited
  $ 570     $ 507       $ 51     $ 68     $ 424  
Receivables factored
  $ 70     $ 75       $ —     $ 18     $ 71  
Forfaiting expense
  $ 5     $ 6       $ 1     $ 1     $ 5  
Factoring expense
  $ 1     $ 1       $ —     $ —     $ 1  
 
                 
    March 31,  
    2009     2008  
    Successor     Successor  
 
Forfaited receivables outstanding
  $ 71     $ 149  
Factored receivables outstanding
  $ —     $ —  
 
The amount of forfaited receivables outstanding decreased as of March 31, 2009 as compared to March 31, 2008 primarily due to decline in the LME price from March 31, 2008 to March 31, 2009 which resulted in a smaller amount of receivables available for forfaiting, as well as tightening in the credit markets.
 
Other
 
As part of our ongoing business, we do not participate in transactions that generate relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities (SPEs), which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes. As of March 31, 2009 and 2008, we were not involved in any unconsolidated SPE transactions.
 
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
 
We have future obligations under various contracts relating to debt and interest payments, capital and operating leases, long-term purchase obligations, and postretirement benefit plans. The following table presents our estimated future payments under contractual obligations that exist as of March 31, 2009, based on undiscounted amounts (in millions). The future cash flow commitments that we may have related to derivative contracts are not estimable and are therefore not included. Furthermore, due to the difficulty in determining


64


Table of Contents

the timing of settlements, the table excludes $61 million of uncertain tax positions. See Note 19 — Income Taxes to our accompanying consolidated financial statements.
 
                                         
          Less Than
                More Than
 
    Total     1 Year     1-3 Years     3-5 Years     5 Years  
 
Debt(A)
  $ 2,522     $ 56     $ 126     $ 22     $ 2,318  
Interest on long-term debt(B)
    754       159       306       200       89  
Capital leases(C)
    68       7       14       13       34  
Operating leases(D)
    96       19       30       24       23  
Purchase obligations(E)
    7,205       2,035       3,121       1,303       746  
Unfunded pension plan benefits(F)
    120       12       21       24       63  
Other post-employment benefits(F)
    114       7       17       21       69  
Funded pension plans(F)
    52       52       —       —       —  
                                         
Total
  $ 10,931     $ 2,347     $ 3,635     $ 1,607     $ 3,342  
                                         
 
 
(A) Includes only principal payments on our Senior Notes, term loans, revolving credit facilities and notes payable to banks and others. These amounts exclude payments under capital lease obligations.
 
(B) Interest on our fixed rate debt is estimated using the stated interest rate. Interest on our variable-rate debt is estimated using the rate in effect as of March 31, 2009 and includes the effect of current interest rate swap agreements. Actual future interest payments may differ from these amounts based on changes in floating interest rates or other factors or events. These amounts include an estimate for unused commitment fees. Excluded from these amounts are interest related to capital lease obligations, the amortization of debt issuance and other costs related to indebtedness.
 
(C) Includes both principal and interest components of future minimum capital lease payments. Excluded from these amounts are insurance, taxes and maintenance associated with the property.
 
(D) Includes the minimum lease payments for non-cancelable leases for property and equipment used in our operations. We do not have any operating leases with contingent rents. Excluded from these amounts are insurance, taxes and maintenance associated with the properties and equipment.
 
(E) Includes agreements to purchase goods (including raw materials and capital expenditures) and services that are enforceable and legally binding on us, and that specify all significant terms. Some of our raw material purchase contracts have minimum annual volume requirements. In these cases, we estimate our future purchase obligations using annual minimum volumes and costs per unit that are in effect as of March 31, 2009. Due to volatility in the cost of our raw materials, actual amounts paid in the future may differ from these amounts. Excluded from these amounts are the impact of any derivative instruments and any early contract termination fees, such as those typically present in energy contracts.
 
(F) Obligations for postretirement benefit plans are estimated based on actuarial estimates using benefit assumptions for, among other factors, discount rates, rates of compensation increases, and healthcare cost trends. Payments for unfunded pension plan benefits and other post-employment benefits are estimated through 2016. For funded pension plans, estimating the requirements beyond fiscal 2010 is not practical, as it depends on the performance of the plans’ investments, among other factors.


65


Table of Contents

 
DIVIDENDS
 
On March 1, 2005, our board of directors approved the adoption of a quarterly dividend on our common shares. The following table shows information regarding dividends declared on our common shares since our inception.
 
                 
Declaration Date
 
Record Date
 
Dividend/Share
   
Payment Date
 
March 1, 2005
  March 11, 2005   $ 0.09     March 24, 2005
April 22, 2005
  May 20, 2005   $ 0.09     June 20, 2005
July 27, 2005
  August 22, 2005   $ 0.09     September 20, 2005
October 28, 2005
  November 21, 2005   $ 0.09     December 20, 2005
February 23, 2006
  March 8, 2006   $ 0.09     March 23, 2006
April 27, 2006
  May 20, 2006   $ 0.09     June 20, 2006
August 28, 2006
  September 7, 2006   $ 0.01     September 25, 2006
October 26, 2006
  November 20, 2006   $ 0.01     December 20, 2006
 
No dividends have been declared since October 26, 2006. Future dividends are at the discretion of the board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our financial resources, cash flows generated by our business, our cash requirements, restrictions under the instruments governing our indebtedness, being in compliance with the appropriate indentures and covenants under the instruments that govern our indebtedness that would allow us to legally pay dividends and other relevant factors.
 
ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH AND SAFETY
 
We strive to be a leader in environment, health and safety (EHS). Our EHS system is aligned with ISO 14001, an international environmental management standard, and OHSAS 18001, an international occupational health and safety management standard. All of our facilities are expected to implement the necessary management systems to support ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certifications. As of March 31, 2009, all of our manufacturing facilities worldwide were ISO 14001 certified, 31 facilities were OHSAS 18001 certified and 29 have dedicated quality improvement management systems.
 
Our capital expenditures for environmental protection and the betterment of working conditions in our facilities were $5 million in fiscal 2009. We expect these capital expenditures will be approximately $3 million and $9 million in fiscal 2010 and 2011, respectively. In addition, expenses for environmental protection (including estimated and probable environmental remediation costs as well as general environmental protection costs at our facilities) were $24 million in fiscal 2009, and are expected to be $36 million and $31 million in fiscal 2010 and 2011. Generally, expenses for environmental protection are recorded in Cost of goods sold. However, significant remediation costs that are not associated with on-going operations are recorded in Other (income) expenses, net.
 
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
 
Our discussion and analysis of our results of operations and liquidity and capital resources are based on our consolidated financial statements which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. In connection with the preparation of our consolidated financial statements, we are required to make assumptions and estimates about future events, and apply judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses, and the related disclosures. We base our assumptions, estimates and judgments on historical experience, current trends and other factors we believe to be relevant at the time we prepared our consolidated financial statements. On a regular basis, we review the accounting policies, assumptions, estimates and judgments to ensure that our consolidated financial statements are presented fairly and in accordance with GAAP. However, because future events and their effects cannot be determined with certainty, actual results could differ from our assumptions and estimates, and such differences could be material.
 
Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Note 1 — Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to our accompanying consolidated financial statements. We believe the following


66


Table of Contents

accounting policies are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our reported financial results, as they require management to make difficult, subjective or complex judgments, and to make estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. We have reviewed these critical accounting policies and related disclosures with the Audit Committee of our board of directors.
 
Derivative Financial Instruments
 
We use derivative instruments to manage our exposure to changes in commodity prices, foreign currency exchange rates, energy prices and interest rates. Derivative instruments we use are primarily commodity forward and option contracts, foreign currency forward contracts and interest swaps. Our operations and cash flows are subject to fluctuations due to changes in commodity prices, foreign currency exchange rates, energy prices and interest rates.
 
We are exposed to changes in aluminum prices through arrangements where the customer has received a fixed price commitment from us. We attempt to manage this risk by hedging future purchases of metal required for these firm commitments. In addition, we hedge a portion of our future production.
 
To the extent that these exposures are not fully hedged, we are exposed to gains and losses when changes occur in the market price of aluminum. Hedges of specific arrangements and future production increase or decrease the fair value by approximately $37 million for a 10% change in the market value of aluminum as of March 31, 2009.
 
Short-term exposures to changing foreign currency exchange rates occur due to operating cash flows denominated in foreign currencies. We manage this risk with forward currency swap contracts and currency exchange options. Our most significant foreign currency exposures relate to the euro, Brazilian real and the Korean won. We assess market conditions and determine an appropriate amount to hedge based on pre-determined policies.
 
To the extent that foreign currency operating cash flows are not fully hedged, we are exposed to foreign exchange gains and losses. In the event that we choose not to hedge a foreign currency cash flow, an adverse movement in rates could impact our earnings and cash flows. A 10% instantaneous appreciation of all foreign exchange rates against the U.S. dollar would reduce the fair value of our currency derivatives by approximately $15 million.
 
We are exposed to changes in interest rates due to our financing, investing and cash management activities. We may enter into interest rate swap contracts to protect against our exposure to changes in future interest rates, which requires deciding how much of the exposure to hedge based on our sensitivity to variable-rate fluctuations.
 
To the extent that we choose to hedge our interest costs, we are able to avoid the impacts of changing interest rates on our interest costs. In the event that we do not hedge a floating rate debt a movement in market interest rates could impact our interest cost. As of March 31, 2009, a 10% change in the market interest rate would increase or decrease the fair value of our interest rate hedges by $3 million. A 12.5 basis point change in market interest rates as of March 31, 2009 would increase or decrease our unhedged interest cost on floating rate debt by approximately $1 million.
 
The majority of our derivative contracts are valued using industry-standard models that use observable market inputs as their basis, such as time value, forward interest rates, volatility factors, and current (spot) and forward market prices for foreign exchange rates. See Note 17 — Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities to our accompanying consolidated financial statements for discussion on fair value of derivative instruments.
 
Impairment of Goodwill
 
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets of acquired companies. As a result of the Arrangement, we estimated fair value of goodwill using a number of factors, including the application of multiples and discounted cash flow estimates. We have allocated goodwill to our operating segments in North America, Europe and South America, which are also reporting units for purposes


67


Table of Contents

of performing our goodwill impairment testing. Goodwill is not amortized; instead, it is tested for impairment annually, or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. On an ongoing basis, absent any impairment indicators, we perform our goodwill impairment testing as of the last day of February of each year.
 
We test consolidated goodwill for impairment using a fair value approach at the reporting unit level. We use our operating segments as our reporting units and perform our goodwill impairment test in two steps. Step one compares the fair value of each reporting unit (operating segment) to its carrying amount. If step one indicates that an impairment potentially exists, the second step is performed to measure the amount of impairment, if any. Goodwill impairment exists when the estimated fair value of goodwill is less than its carrying value.
 
For purposes of our step one analysis, our estimate of fair value for each reporting unit is based on a combination of (1) quoted market prices/relationships (the market approach), (2) discounted cash flows (the income approach) and (3) a stock price build-up approach (the build-up approach). The estimated fair value for each reporting unit is within the range of fair values yielded under each approach.
 
Under the market approach, the fair value of each reporting unit is determined based upon comparisons to public companies engaged in similar businesses. Under the income approach, the fair value of each reporting unit is based on the present value of estimated future cash flows. The income approach is dependent on a number of significant management assumptions including markets and market share, sales volumes and prices, costs to produce, capital spending, working capital changes and the discount rate. The discount rate is commensurate with the risk inherent in the projected cash flows and reflects the rate of return required by an investor in the current economic conditions. Under the build-up approach, which is a variation of the market approach, we estimate the fair value of each reporting unit based on the estimated contribution of each of the reporting units to Hindalco’s total business enterprise value.
 
During the third fiscal quarter of 2009, we concluded that interim impairment testing was required due to the recent deterioration in the global economic environment and the resulting significant decrease in both the market capitalization of our parent company and the valuation of our publicly traded 7.25% Senior Notes. In the third quarter of fiscal 2009, the result of our step one test indicated a potential impairment.
 
For our reporting units in North America, Europe and South America, we proceeded to step two for the goodwill impairment calculation in which we determined the implied fair value of the goodwill and compared it to the carrying value of the goodwill. We allocated the fair value of the reporting unit to all of its assets and liabilities as if the reporting unit has been acquired and the fair value was the price paid to acquire each reporting unit. The excess of the fair value of the reporting unit over the amounts assigned to the assets and liabilities is the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill. Step two was not performed for Asia as no goodwill has been allocated to this reporting unit. As a result of our step two evaluation, we recorded a $1.34 billion impairment charge in third quarter of fiscal 2009.
 
For impairment tests conducted in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2009, we used a discount rate of 12%, an increase of approximately 3% from the rate used in our prior year impairment test. An increase or decrease of 0.5% in the discount rate impacted the estimated fair value by $25-75 million, depending on the relative size of the reporting unit.
 
We performed our annual testing for goodwill impairment as of the last day of February 2009 and no additional goodwill impairment was identified.
 
Equity Investments
 
We invest in a number of public and privately-held companies, primarily through joint ventures and consortiums. These investments are accounted for using the equity method and include our investment in Aluminium Norf GmbH (Norf). As a result of the Arrangement, investments in and advances to affiliates as of May 16, 2007 were adjusted to reflect fair value.
 
We review equity investments for impairment whenever certain indicators are present suggesting that the carrying value of an investment is not recoverable. This analysis requires a significant amount of judgment to


68


Table of Contents

identify events or circumstances indicating that an equity investment may be impaired. Once an impairment indicator is identified, we must determine if an impairment exists, and if so, whether the impairment is other than temporary, in which case the equity investment is written down to its estimated fair value. In connection with the impairment testing conducted in the third quarter of fiscal 2009 related to goodwill, we also evaluated our investment in Norf for impairment using the income approach. This resulted in an impairment charge of $160 million, which is reported in Equity in net (income) loss of non-consolidated affiliates on the consolidated statement of operations.
 
Impairment of Intangible Assets
 
Our other intangible assets of $787 million as of March 31, 2009 consist of tradenames, technology, customer relationships and favorable energy and supply contracts and are amortized over 3 to 20 years. As of March 31, 2009, we do not have any intangible assets with indefinite useful lives. We consider the potential impairment of these other intangibles assets in accordance with FASB Statement No. 144, Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets. For tradenames and technology, we utilize a relief-from-royalty method. All other intangible assets are assessed using the income approach. As a result of these assessments, no impairment was indicated.
 
Impairment of Long Lived Assets
 
Long-lived assets, such as property and equipment, are reviewed for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets contained in our financial statements may not be recoverable. When evaluating long-lived assets for potential impairment, we first compare the carrying value of the asset to the asset’s estimated, future net cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges). If the estimated future cash flows are less than the carrying value of the asset, we calculate and recognize an impairment loss. If we recognize an impairment loss, the adjusted carrying amount of the asset will be its new cost basis. For a depreciable long-lived asset, the new cost basis will be depreciated over the remaining useful life of that asset. Restoration of a previously recognized impairment loss is prohibited.
 
Our impairment loss calculations require management to apply judgments in estimating future cash flows and asset fair values, including forecasting useful lives of the assets and selecting the discount rate that represents the risk inherent in future cash flows. We recorded impairment charges on long-lived assets of $18 million (including $17 million classified as Restructuring charges, net), $1 million and $8 million during the years ended March 31, 2009 and 2008, and the three months ended March 31, 2007, respectively. We had no impairment charges on long-lived assets during the year ended December 31, 2006.
 
If actual results are not consistent with our assumptions and judgments used in estimating future cash flows and asset fair values, we may be exposed to additional impairment losses that could be material to our results of operations.
 
Pension and Other Postretirement Plans
 
We account for our defined benefit pension plans and non-pension postretirement benefit plans in accordance with FASB Statements No. 158, Employers’ Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans, No. 87, Employers’ Accounting for Pensions, and No. 106, Employers’ Accounting for Postretirement Benefits Other Than Pensions. Liabilities and expense for pension plans and other postretirement benefits are determined using actuarial methodologies and incorporate significant assumptions, including the rate used to discount the future estimated liability, the long-term rate of return on plan assets, and several assumptions related to the employee workforce (salary increases, medical costs, retirement age, and mortality).
 
The actuarial models use an attribution approach that generally spreads the financial impact of changes to the plan and actuarial assumptions over the average remaining service lives of the employees in the plan. Changes in liability due to changes in actuarial assumptions such as discount rate, rate of compensation increases and mortality, as well as annual deviations between what was assumed and what was experienced by the plan are treated as gains or losses. Additionally, gains and losses are amortized over the group’s average future service. The average future service for pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans is 12.2 and


69


Table of Contents

12.7 years respectively. The principle underlying the required attribution approach is that employees render service over their average remaining service lives on a relatively smooth basis and, therefore, the accounting for benefits earned under the pension or non-pension postretirement benefits plans should follow the same relatively smooth pattern.
 
Our pension obligations relate to funded defined benefit pension plans we have established in the United States, Canada, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, unfunded pension benefits primarily in Germany, and unfunded lump sum indemnities payable upon retirement to employees of businesses in France, South Korea, Malaysia and Italy. Pension benefits are generally based on the employee’s service and either on a flat dollar rate or on the highest average eligible compensation before retirement. Our other postretirement benefit obligations include unfunded healthcare and life insurance benefits provided to retired employees in Canada, the U.S. and Brazil.
 
All net actuarial gains and losses are generally amortized over the expected average remaining service life of the employees. The costs and obligations of pension and other postretirement benefits are calculated based on assumptions including the long-term rate of return on pension assets, discount rates for pension and other postretirement benefit obligations, expected service period, salary increases, retirement ages of employees and healthcare cost trend rates. These assumptions bear the risk of change as they require significant judgment and they have inherent uncertainties that management may not be able to control.
 
The most significant assumption used to calculate pension and other postretirement obligations is the discount rates used to determine the present value of benefits. It is based on spot rate yield curves and individual bond matching models for pension and other postretirement plans in Canada and the United States, and on published long-term high quality corporate bond indices in other countries, at the end of each fiscal year. Adjustments were made to the index rates based on the duration of the plans’ obligations for each country. The weighted average discount rate used to determine the pension benefit obligation was 6.0% as of March 31, 2009, compared to 5.8% and 5.4% for March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2006, respectively. The weighted average discount rate used to determine the other postretirement benefit obligation was 6.2% as of March 31, 2009, compared to 6.1% and 5.7% for March 31, 2008 and December 31, 2006, respectively. The weighted average discount rate used to determine the net periodic benefit cost is the rate used to determine the benefit obligation in the previous year.
 
As of March 31, 2009, an increase in the discount rate of 0.5%, assuming inflation remains unchanged, would result in a decrease of $82 million in the pension and other postretirement obligations and in a decrease of $10 million in the net periodic benefit cost. A decrease in the discount rate of 0.5% as of March 31, 2009, assuming inflation remains unchanged, would result in an increase of $82 million in the pension and other postretirement obligations and in an increase of $10 million in the net periodic benefit cost. The calculation of the estimate of the expected return on assets and additional discussion regarding pension and other postretirement plans is described in Note 14 — Postretirement Benefit Plans to our accompanying consolidated financial statements. The weighted average expected return on assets was 6.9% for 2009, 7.3% for 2008 and 7.3% for 2006. The expected return on assets is a long-term assumption whose accuracy can only be measured over a long period based on past experience. A variation in the expected return on assets by 0.5% as of March 31, 2009 would result in a variation of approximately $3 million in the net periodic benefit cost.
 
Income Taxes
 
We account for income taxes using the asset and liability method. Under the asset and liability method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. In addition, deferred tax assets are also recorded with respect to net operating losses and other tax attribute carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. Valuation allowances are established when realization of the benefit of deferred tax assets is not deemed to be more likely than not. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.


70


Table of Contents

The ultimate recovery of certain of our deferred tax assets is dependent on the amount and timing of taxable income that we will ultimately generate in the future and other factors such as the interpretation of tax laws. This means that significant estimates and judgments are required to determine the extent that valuation allowances should be provided against deferred tax assets. We have provided valuation allowances as of March 31, 2009 aggregating $228 million against such assets based on our current assessment of future operating results and these other factors.
 
By their nature, tax laws are often subject to interpretation. Further complicating matters is that in those cases where a tax position is open to interpretation, differences of opinion can result in differing conclusions as to the amount of tax benefits to be recognized under FASB Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes (FIN 48). FIN 48 utilizes a two-step approach for evaluating tax positions. Recognition (Step 1) occurs when an enterprise concludes that a tax position, based solely on its technical merits, is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination. Measurement (Step 2) is only addressed if Step 1 has been satisfied. Under Step 2, the tax benefit is measured as the largest amount of benefit, determined on a cumulative probability basis that is more likely than not to be realized upon ultimate settlement. Consequently, the level of evidence and documentation necessary to support a position prior to being given recognition and measurement within the financial statements is a matter of judgment that depends on all available evidence.
 
As of March 31, 2009 the total amount of unrecognized benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective income tax rate in future periods based on anticipated settlement dates is $46 million. Although management believes that the estimates and judgments discussed herein are reasonable, actual results could differ, which could result in gains or losses that could be material.
 
Assessment of Loss Contingencies
 
We have legal and other contingencies, including environmental liabilities, which could result in significant losses upon the ultimate resolution of such contingencies. Environmental liabilities that are not legal asset retirement obligations are accrued on an undiscounted basis when it is probable that a liability exists for past events.
 
We have provided for losses in situations where we have concluded that it is probable that a loss has been or will be incurred and the amount of the loss is reasonably estimable. A significant amount of judgment is involved in determining whether a loss is probable and reasonably estimable due to the uncertainty involved in determining the likelihood of future events and estimating the financial statement impact of such events. If further developments or resolution of a contingent matter are not consistent with our assumptions and judgments, we may need to recognize a significant charge in a future period related to an existing contingency.
 
RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS
 
Recently Adopted Accounting Standards
 
The following accounting standards have been adopted by us during the twelve months ended March 31, 2009.
 
During the quarter ended March 31, 2009, we adopted FASB Statement No. 161, Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, an amendment of FASB Statement No. 133 (FASB 161). FASB 161 changes the disclosure requirements for derivative instruments and hedging activities. Entities are required to provide enhanced disclosures about (i) how and why an entity uses derivative instruments, (ii) how derivative instruments and related hedged items are accounted for under FASB 133 and its related interpretations and (iii) how derivative instruments and related hedged items affect an entity’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. This standard had no impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
 
During the quarter ended December 31, 2008, we adopted FASB Staff Position (FSP) No. FAS 140-4 and FASB Interpretation No. 46(R)-8 (FIN 46(R)-8), Disclosures by Public Entities (Enterprises) about Transfers of Financial Assets and Interests in Variable Interest Entities. FIN 46(R)-8 calls for enhanced disclosures by


71


Table of Contents

public entities about interests in variable interest entities (VIE) and provides users of the financial statements with greater transparency about an enterprise’s involvement with variable interest entities. This FSP had no impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operation and cash flows.
 
On April 1, 2008, we adopted FASB Statement No. 159, The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities — including an amendment of FASB Statement No. 115 (FASB 159). FASB 159 permits entities to choose to measure financial instruments and certain other assets and liabilities at fair value on an instrument-by-instrument basis (the “fair value option”) with changes in fair value reported in earnings each reporting period. The fair value option enables some companies to reduce the volatility in reported earnings caused by measuring related assets and liabilities differently without applying the complex hedge accounting requirements under FASB 133, to achieve similar results. We previously recorded our derivative contracts and hedging activities at fair value in accordance with FASB 133. We did not elect the fair value option for any other financial instruments or certain other financial assets and liabilities that were not previously required to be measured at fair value.
 
On April 1, 2008, we adopted FASB Statement No. 157, Fair Value Measurements (FASB 157), as it relates to financial assets and financial liabilities. On October 10, 2008, we adopted FASB Staff Position FAS 157-3, Determining the Fair Value of a Financial Asset When the Market for That Asset Is Not Active (FSP FAS 157-3). The FSP clarifies the application of FASB 157 in a market that is not active and provides an example to illustrate key considerations in determining the fair value of a financial asset when the market for that financial asset is not active. FSP FAS 157-3 is effective for prior periods for which financial statements have not been issued. This standard had no impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operation and cash flows. See Note 17 — Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities regarding our adoption of this standard.
 
On April 1, 2008, we adopted FASB Staff Position No. FIN 39-1, Amendment of FASB Interpretation No. 39, (FSP FIN 39-1). FSP FIN 39-1 amends FASB Statement No. 39, Offsetting of Amounts Related to Certain Contracts, by permitting entities that enter into master netting arrangements as part of their derivative transactions to offset in their financial statements net derivative positions against the fair value of amounts (or amounts that approximate fair value) recognized for the right to reclaim cash collateral or the obligation to return cash collateral under those arrangements. Our adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
 
Recently Issued Accounting Standards
 
The following new accounting standards have been issued, but have not yet been adopted by us as of March 31, 2009, as adoption is not required until future reporting periods.
 
In April 2009, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position No. 107-1 (FSP FAS 107-1) and APB Opinion 28-1 (APB 28-1), Interim Disclosures about Fair Value of Financial Instruments. FSP FAS 107-1 and APB 28-1 amends FASB 107 and APB Opinion No. 28, Interim Financial Reporting, to require disclosures about the fair value of financial instruments for interim reporting periods. FSP FAS 107-1 and APB 28-1 will be effective for interim reporting periods ending after June 15, 2009. As FSP FAS 107-1 and APB 28-1 only require enhanced disclosures, they will have no impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operation and cash flows.
 
In April 2009, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position No. 157-4, Determining Fair Value When the Volume and Level of Activity for the Asset or Liability Have Significantly Decreased and Identifying Transactions That Are Not Orderly (FSP FAS 157-4). FSP FAS 157-4 provides additional guidance in accordance with FASB No. 157, Fair Value Measurements, when the volume and level of activity for the asset or liability has significantly decreased. FSP FAS 157-4 will be effective for interim and annual reporting periods ending after June 15, 2009. This standard will have no impact our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
 
In April 2009, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position No. 115-2 (FSP FAS 115-2) and FASB Staff Position No. 124-2 (FSP FAS 124-2), Recognition of Other-than-Temporary-Impairments. FSP FAS No. 115-2 and FSP


72


Table of Contents

FAS No. 124-2 amends the other-than-temporary impairment guidance in U.S. GAAP for debt and equity securities. FSP FAS No. 115-2 and FSP FAS No. 124-2 will be effective for interim and annual reporting periods ending after June 15, 2009. This standard will have no impact our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
 
In December 2008, the FASB issued FSP No. 132(R)-1, Employers’ Disclosures about Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits (FSP No. 132(R)-1). FSP No. 132(R)-1 requires that an employer disclose the following information about the fair value of plan assets: 1) how investment allocation decisions are made, including the factors that are pertinent to understanding of investment policies and strategies; 2) the major categories of plan assets; 3) the inputs and valuation techniques used to measure the fair value of plan assets; 4) the effect of fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs on changes in plan assets for the period; and 5) significant concentrations of risk within plan assets. FSP No. 132(R)-1 will be effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2009, with early application permitted. At initial adoption, application of FSP No. 132(R)-1 would not be required for earlier periods that are presented for comparative purposes. This standard will have no impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
 
In November 2008, the Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) issued Issue No. 08-06, Equity Method Investment Accounting Considerations (EITF 08-06). EITF 08-6 address questions that have arisen about the application of the equity method of accounting for investments acquired after the effective date of both FASB 141(R) and FASB Statement No. 160, Non-controlling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements. EITF 08-06 clarifies how to account for certain transactions involving equity method investments. EITF 08-6 is effective on a prospective basis for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008, with early adoption prohibited. We have not yet commenced evaluating the potential impact, if any, of the adoption of EITF 08-6 on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
 
In April 2008, the FASB issued Staff Position No. FAS 142-3, Determination of Useful Life of Intangible Assets (FSP FAS 142-3). FSP FAS 142-3 amends the factors that should be considered in developing the renewal or extension assumptions used to determine the useful life of a recognized intangible asset under FASB 142. FSP FAS 142-3 also requires expanded disclosure related to the determination of intangible asset useful lives. FSP FAS 142-3 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008. Earlier adoption is prohibited. We have not yet commenced evaluating the potential impact, if any, of the adoption of FSP FAS 142-3 on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
 
In December 2007, the FASB issued Statement No. 141 (Revised), Business Combinations (FASB 141(R)). FASB 141(R) establishes principles and requirements for how the acquirer in a business combination (i) recognizes and measures in its financial statements the identifiable assets acquired, the liabilities assumed, and any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree, (ii) recognizes and measures the goodwill acquired in the business combination or a gain from a bargain purchase, and (iii) determines what information to disclose to enable users of the financial statements to evaluate the nature and financial effects of the business combination. FASB 141(R) also requires acquirers to estimate the acquisition-date fair value of any contingent consideration and to recognize any subsequent changes in the fair value of contingent consideration in earnings. We will be required to apply this new standard prospectively to business combinations occurring after March 31, 2009, with the exception of the accounting for valuation allowances on deferred taxes and acquired tax contingencies. FASB 141(R) amends certain provisions of FASB 109 such that adjustments made to valuation allowances on deferred taxes and acquired tax contingencies associated with acquisitions that closed prior to the effective date of FASB 141(R) would also apply the provisions of FASB 141(R). Early adoption is prohibited.
 
In December 2007, the FASB issued Statement No. 160, Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Financial Statements (FASB 160). FASB 160 establishes accounting and reporting standards that require: (i) the ownership interest in subsidiaries held by parties other than the parent to be clearly identified and presented in the consolidated balance sheet within shareholder’s equity, but separate from the parent’s equity; (ii) the amount of consolidated net income attributable to the parent and the noncontrolling interest to be clearly identified and presented on the face of the consolidated statement of operations and (iii) changes in a parent’s ownership interest while the parent retains its controlling financial interest in its subsidiary to be


73


Table of Contents

accounted for consistently. FASB 160 applies to fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2008. Earlier adoption is prohibited. We do not believe that the adoption of FASB 160 will have a material effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
 
We have determined that all other recently issued accounting standards will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows, or do not apply to our operations.
 
Item 7A.   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
 
We are exposed to certain market risks as part of our ongoing business operations, including risks from changes in commodity prices (primarily aluminum, electricity and natural gas), foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates that could impact our results of operations and financial condition. We manage our exposure to these and other market risks through regular operating and financing activities and derivative financial instruments. We use derivative financial instruments as risk management tools only, and not for speculative purposes. Except where noted, the derivative contracts are marked-to-market and the related gains and losses are included in earnings in the current accounting period.
 
By their nature, all derivative financial instruments involve risk, including the credit risk of non-performance by counterparties. All derivative contracts are executed with counterparties that, in our judgment, are creditworthy. Our maximum potential loss may exceed the amount recognized in the accompanying March 31, 2009 consolidated balance sheet.
 
The decision of whether and when to execute derivative instruments, along with the duration of the instrument, can vary from period to period depending on market conditions and the relative costs of the instruments. The duration is always linked to the timing of the underlying exposure, with the connection between the two being regularly monitored.
 
Commodity Price Risks
 
We have commodity price risk with respect to purchases of certain raw materials including aluminum, electricity and natural gas.
 
Aluminum
 
Most of our business is conducted under a conversion model, which allows us to pass through increases or decreases in the price of aluminum to our customers. Nearly all of our products have a price structure with two components: (i) a pass through aluminum price based on the LME plus local market premiums and (ii) a “conversion premium” based on the conversion cost to produce the rolled product and the competitive market conditions for that product.
 
In situations where we offer customers fixed prices for future delivery of our products, we may enter into derivative instruments for the metal inputs in order to protect the profit on the conversion of the product. Consequently, the gain or loss resulting from movements in the price of aluminum on these contracts would generally be offset by an equal and opposite impact on the net sales and purchases being hedged.
 
In addition, sales contracts representing approximately 10% of our total shipments for the year ended March 31, 2009 provide for a ceiling over which metal prices could not contractually be passed through to certain customers, unless adjusted. As a result, we were unable to pass through the complete increase in metal prices for sales under these contracts and this negatively impacts our margins when the metal price is above the ceiling price. As result of falling LME prices and based upon a March 31, 2009 aluminum price of $1,365 per tonne, there is no unfavorable revenue or cash flow impact estimated through December 31, 2009 when these contracts expire.
 
We employ three strategies to mitigate our risk of rising metal prices that we cannot pass through to certain customers due to metal price ceilings. First, we maximize the amount of our internally supplied metal inputs from our smelting, refining and mining operations in Brazil. Second, we rely on the output from our recycling operations which utilize used beverage cans (UBCs). Both of these sources of aluminum supply have


74


Table of Contents

historically provided a benefit as these sources of metal are typically less expensive than purchasing aluminum from third party suppliers. We refer to these two sources as our internal hedges.
 
Beyond our internal hedges described above, our third strategy to mitigate the risk of loss or reduced profitability associated with the metal price ceilings is to purchase derivative instruments on projected aluminum volume requirements above our assumed internal hedge position. We purchased forward derivative instruments to hedge our exposure to further metal price increases.
 
During the fiscal year 2009, we sold short-term LME futures contracts to reduce the cash flow volatility of fluctuating metal prices associated with metal price lag. We enter into forward metal purchases simultaneous with the contracts that contain fixed metal prices. These forward metal purchases directly hedge the economic risk of future metal price fluctuation associated with these contracts. The positive or negative impact on sales under these contracts has been included in the metal price lag effect described above, without regard to the fixed forward instruments we purchased to offset this risk.
 
Sensitivities
 
We estimate that a 10% change in the three month LME price would result in a $37 million pre-tax gain (loss) related to the change in fair value of our aluminum contracts as of March 31, 2009.
 
Energy
 
We use several sources of energy in the manufacture and delivery of our aluminum rolled products. In the year ended March 31, 2009, natural gas and electricity represented approximately 89% of our energy consumption by cost. We also use fuel oil and transport fuel. The majority of energy usage occurs at our casting centers, at our smelters in South America and during the hot rolling of aluminum. Our cold rolling facilities require relatively less energy.
 
We purchase our natural gas on the open market, which subjects us to market pricing fluctuations. We seek to stabilize our future exposure to natural gas prices through the use of forward purchase contracts. Natural gas prices in Europe, Asia and South America have historically been more stable than in the United States. As of March 31, 2009, we have a nominal amount of forward purchases outstanding related to natural gas.
 
A portion of our electricity requirements are purchased pursuant to long-term contracts in the local regions in which we operate. A number of our facilities are located in regions with regulated prices, which affords relatively stable costs. In South America, we own and operate hydroelectric facilities that meet approximately 25% of our total electricity requirements in that segment. Additionally, we have entered into an electricity swap in North America to fix a portion of the cost of our electricity requirements.
 
We purchase a nominal amount of heating oil forward contracts to hedge against fluctuations in the price of our transport fuel.
 
Fluctuating energy costs worldwide, due to the changes in supply and international and geopolitical events, expose us to earnings volatility as such changes in such costs cannot immediately be recovered under existing contracts and sales agreements, and may only be mitigated in future periods under future pricing arrangements.
 
Sensitivities
 
The following table presents the estimated potential effect on the fair values of these derivative instruments as of March 31, 2009 given a 10% change in spot prices for energy contracts ($ in millions).
 
                 
    Change in
    Change in
 
    Rate     Fair Value  
 
Electricity
    10 %   $ 3  
Natural Gas
    10 %     1  
Heating Oil
    10 %     1  


75


Table of Contents

Foreign Currency Exchange Risks
 
Exchange rate movements, particularly the euro, the Canadian dollar, the Brazilian real and the Korean won against the U.S. dollar, have an impact on our operating results. In Europe, where we have predominantly local currency selling prices and operating costs, we benefit as the euro strengthens, but are adversely affected as the euro weakens. In Korea, where we have local currency selling prices for local sales and U.S. dollar denominated selling prices for exports, we benefit slightly as the won weakens, but are adversely affected as the won strengthens, due to a slightly higher percentage of exports compared to local sales. In Canada and Brazil, where we have predominately U.S. dollar selling prices, metal costs and local currency operating costs, we benefit as the local currencies weaken, but are adversely affected as the local currencies strengthen. Foreign currency contracts may be used to hedge the economic exposures at our foreign operations.
 
It is our policy to minimize functional currency exposures within each of our key regional operating segments. As such, the majority of our foreign currency exposures are from either forecasted net sales or forecasted purchase commitments in non-functional currencies. Our most significant non-U.S. dollar functional currency operating segments are Europe and Asia, which have the euro and the Korean won as their functional currencies, respectively. South America is U.S. dollar functional with Brazilian real transactional exposure.
 
We face translation risks related to the changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Amounts invested in our foreign operations are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. The resulting translation adjustments are recorded as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in the Shareholders’ equity section of the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Net sales and expenses in our foreign operations’ foreign currencies are translated into varying amounts of U.S. dollars depending upon whether the U.S. dollar weakens or strengthens against other currencies. Therefore, changes in exchange rates may either positively or negatively affect our net sales and expenses from foreign operations as expressed in U.S. dollars.
 
Any negative impact of currency movements on the currency contracts that we have entered into to hedge foreign currency commitments to purchase or sell goods and services would be offset by an equal and opposite favorable exchange impact on the commitments being hedged. For a discussion of accounting policies and other information relating to currency contracts, see Note 1 — Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Note 16 — Financial Instruments and Commodity Contracts to our accompanying consolidated financial statements.
 
Sensitivities
 
The following table presents the estimated potential effect on the fair values of these derivative instruments as of March 31, 2009 given a 10% change in rates ($ in millions).
 
                 
    Change in
    Change in
 
    Exchange Rate     Fair Value  
 
Currency measured against the U.S. dollar
               
Euro
    10 %   $ (15 )
Korean won
    10 %     3  
Brazilian real
    10 %     25  
British pound
    10 %     6  
Canadian dollar
    10 %     3  
Swiss franc
    10 %     (19 )
 
Loans to and investments in European operations have been hedged with EUR 135 million of cross-currency swaps. We designated these as net investment hedges. While this has no impact on our cash flows, subsequent changes in the value of currency related derivative instruments that are not designated as hedges are recognized in Gain (loss) on change in fair value of derivative instruments, net in our consolidated statement of operations.


76


Table of Contents

We estimate that a 10% increase in the value of the Euro against the US Dollar would result in an $18 million potential pre-tax loss on these derivatives as of March 31, 2009.
 
Interest Rate Risks
 
As of March 31, 2009, approximately 75% of our debt obligations were at fixed rates. Due to the nature of fixed-rate debt, there would be no significant impact on our interest expense or cash flows from either a 10% increase or decrease in market rates of interest.
 
We are subject to interest rate risk related to our floating rate debt. For every 12.5 basis point increase in the interest rates on our outstanding variable rate debt as of March 31, 2009, which includes $452 million of term loan debt and other variable rate debt of $265 million, our annual pre-tax income would be reduced by approximately $1 million.
 
From time to time, we have used interest rate swaps to manage our debt cost. In Korea, we entered into interest rate swaps to fix the interest rate on various floating rate debt. See Note 12 — Debt to our accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information.
 
Sensitivities
 
The following table presents the estimated potential effect on the fair values of these derivative instruments as of March 31, 2009 given a 10% change in rates ($ in millions).
 
                 
    Increase in
  Change in
    Rate   Fair Value
 
Interest Rate Contracts
               
North America
    10 %   $ 3  
Asia
    10 %     —  


77


Table of Contents

Item 8.   Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
 
         
    79  
    80  
    82  
    83  
    84  
    86  
    88  


78


Table of Contents

 
Management’s Responsibility Report
 
Novelis’ management is responsible for the preparation, integrity and fair presentation of the financial statements and other information used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and include, where appropriate, estimates based on the best judgment of management. Financial and operating data elsewhere in the Annual Report on Form 10-K are consistent with that contained in the accompanying financial statements.
 
Novelis’ policy is to maintain systems of internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures. Such systems are designed to provide reasonable assurance that the financial information is accurate and reliable and that Company assets are adequately accounted for and safeguarded. The Board of Directors oversees the Company’s systems of internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures through its Audit Committee, which is comprised of directors who are not employees. The Audit Committee meets regularly with representatives of the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm and management, including internal audit staff, to satisfy themselves that Novelis’ policy is being followed. The Audit Committee has engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm.
 
The financial statements have been reviewed by the Audit Committee and, together with the other required information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, approved by the Board of Directors. In addition, the financial statements have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP whose reports are provided below.
 
     
/s/  Philip Martens
 
/s/  Steven Fisher
     
PHILIP MARTENS
President and Chief Operating Officer
  STEVEN FISHER
Chief Financial Officer
 
June 29, 2009


79


Table of Contents

 
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
 
To the Board of Directors and Shareholder of Novelis Inc.:
 
In our opinion, the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008 and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss), shareholder’s equity and cash flows for the year ended March 31, 2009 and the period from May 16, 2007 to March 31, 2008 present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Novelis Inc. and its subsidiaries (Successor) at March 31, 2009 and March 31, 2008, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for the year ended March 31, 2009 and the period from May 16, 2007 to March 31, 2008 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company did not maintain, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of March 31, 2009, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) because a material weakness in internal control over financial reporting with respect to the application of purchase accounting for an equity method investee including related income tax accounts existed as of that date. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. The material weakness referred to above is described in Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. We considered this material weakness in determining the nature, timing, and extent of audit tests applied in our audit of the 2009 consolidated financial statements, and our opinion regarding the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting does not affect our opinion on those consolidated financial statements. The Company’s management is responsible for these financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in management’s report referred to above. Our responsibility is to express opinions on these financial statements and on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our integrated audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audits of the financial statements included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
 
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
 
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
 
/s/  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
 
Atlanta, GA
June 29, 2009


80


Table of Contents

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
 
To the Board of Directors and Shareholder of Novelis Inc.:
 
In our opinion, the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss), shareholder’s/invested equity and cash flows for the periods from April 1, 2007 to May 15, 2007, and January 1, 2007 to March 31, 2007, and the year ended December 31, 2006 present fairly, in all material respects, the results of operations and cash flows of Novelis Inc. and its subsidiaries (Predecessor) for the periods from April 1, 2007 to May 15, 2007, and January 1, 2007 to March 31, 2007, and for the year ended December 31, 2006 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits of these statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans effective December 31, 2006.
 
/s/  PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
 
Atlanta, GA
June 29, 2009


81


Table of Contents

Novelis Inc.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND
COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

(In millions, except per share amounts)
 
                                           
          May 16,
      April 1,
    Three
       
          2007
      2007
    Months
       
    Year Ended
    Through
      Through
    Ended
    Year Ended
 
    March 31,
    March 31,
      May 15,
    March 31,
    December 31,
 
    2009     2008       2007     2007     2006  
    Successor     Successor       Predecessor     Predecessor     Predecessor  
Net sales
  $ 10,177     $ 9,965       $ 1,281     $ 2,630     $ 9,849  
                                           
Cost of goods sold (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)
    9,251       9,042         1,205       2,447       9,317  
Selling, general and administrative expenses
    319       319         95       99       410  
Depreciation and amortization
    439       375         28       58       233  
Research and development expenses
    41       46         6       8       40  
Interest expense and amortization of debt issuance costs
    182       191         27       54       221  
Interest income
    (14 )     (18 )       (1 )     (4 )     (15 )
(Gain) loss on change in fair value of derivative instruments, net
    556       (22 )       (20 )     (30 )     (63 )
Impairment of goodwill
    1,340       —         —       —       —  
Gain on extinguishment of debt
    (122 )     —         —       —       —  
Restructuring charges, net
    95       6         1       9       19  
Equity in net (income) loss of non-consolidated affiliates
    172       (25 )       (1 )     (3 )     (16 )
Other (income) expenses, net
    86       (6 )       35       47       (19 )
                                           
      12,345       9,908         1,375       2,685       10,127  
                                           
Income (loss) before income taxes and minority interests’ share
    (2,168 )     57         (94 )     (55 )     (278 )
Income tax provision (benefit)
    (246 )     73         4       7       (4 )
                                           
Loss before minority interests’ share
    (1,922 )     (16 )       (98 )     (62 )     (274 )
Minority interests’ share
    12       (4 )       1       (2 )     (1 )
                                           
Net loss
    (1,910 )     (20 )       (97 )     (64 )     (275 )
                                           
Other comprehensive income (loss):
                                         
Currency translation adjustment
    (122 )     59         31       11       172  
Change in fair value of effective portion of hedges, net
    (30 )     —         (1 )     7       (46 )
Postretirement benefit plans:
                                         
Change in pension and other benefits
    (84 )     (17 )       —       —       —  
Amortization of net actuarial loss
    —       —         (1 )     2       —  
Change in minimum pension liability
    —       —         —       —       16  
                                           
Other comprehensive income (loss) before income tax effect
    (236 )     42         29       20       142  
Income tax provision (benefit) related to items of other comprehensive income (loss)
    (42 )     (4 )       (4 )     5       8  
                                           
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
    (194 )     46         33       15       134  
                                           
Comprehensive income (loss)
  $ (2,104 )   $ 26       $ (64 )   $ (49 )   $ (141 )
                                           
Dividends per common share
  $ 0.00     $ 0.00       $ 0.00     $ 0.00     $ 0.20  
                                           
 
See accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.


82


Table of Contents

Novelis Inc.
 
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In millions, except number of shares)