Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

Confidential Draft Submission #4, as confidentially submitted to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on February 15, 2024

This draft registration statement has not been filed publicly with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and all information herein remains strictly confidential.

Registration No. 333-  

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM F-1

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

NOVELIS INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Canada		3350		98-0442987
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

3550 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1100

Atlanta, GA 30326

(404) 760-4000

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

CSC Corporation

1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 210

New York, NY 10036

(212) 299-5600

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

Copies to:

 

Keith M. Townsend Elizabeth A. Morgan Robert J. Leclerc King & Spalding LLP 1180 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 1600 Atlanta, Georgia 30309 (404) 572-4600		Rima Ramchandani Mile T. Kurta Torys LLP 79 Wellington Street West Toronto, ON M5K 1N2 (416) 865-0040		Richard D. Truesdell, Jr. Dan Gibbons Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP 450 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10017 (212) 450-4000

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this registration statement.

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ☐

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933.

Emerging Growth Company ☐

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

 

†	The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any updated issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012

 

 

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. The selling shareholder may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission of which the preliminary prospectus forms a part is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED    , 2024   PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

Common Shares

 

Novelis Inc.

 

 

This is the initial public offering of common shares, no par value per share, of Novelis Inc., or Novelis. All of the     common shares being sold in this offering are being sold by the selling shareholder identified in this prospectus. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of common shares by the selling shareholder. Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common shares. It is currently estimated that the initial public offering price per common share will be between $   and $   . We intend to apply to list our common shares on the New York Stock Exchange, or NYSE, under the symbol “NVL.” Listing on the NYSE is subject to the approval of the NYSE in accordance with its listing standards.

Following this offering, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares referred to below, Hindalco Industries Limited (“Hindalco”), whose wholly owned subsidiary, AV Minerals (Netherlands) N.V. (the “selling shareholder”), is our existing sole shareholder, will beneficially own approximately   % of our outstanding share capital. Hindalco will therefore control approximately   % of the voting power of our outstanding share capital following the offering, assuming no exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares. As a result, we will be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of the NYSE. For further information, see “Management—Director Independence and Controlled Company Exception,” “Principal and Selling Shareholder” and “Description of Share Capital.”

We are a “foreign private issuer” under applicable Securities and Exchange Commission rules, and as a result, will be subject to reduced public company reporting requirements for this prospectus and future filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

 

Our business and an investment in our common shares involve significant risks. You should carefully consider the risks that are described under the caption “Risk Factors” beginning on page 35 of this prospectus before making a decision to invest in our common shares.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

		Per Share				Total
Initial public offering price
Underwriting discounts and commissions(1)
Proceeds, before expenses, to the selling shareholder

 

(1)	The underwriters will be reimbursed for certain FINRA-related expenses, in addition to the underwriting discounts and commissions they will receive. See “Underwriting” for a detailed description of the compensation payable to the underwriters.

The selling shareholder has granted the underwriters an option for a period of 30 days from the date of this prospectus to purchase up to    additional common shares at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions.

The underwriters expect to deliver our common shares to purchasers against payment on or about    , 2024.

 

 

Joint Book-Running Managers

 

Morgan Stanley		BofA Securities		Citigroup

    , 2024

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

 

		Page
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY			2
RISK FACTORS			35
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS			58
USE OF PROCEEDS			60
DIVIDEND POLICY			61
CAPITALIZATION			62
DILUTION			63
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS			65
BUSINESS			99
MANAGEMENT			134
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION			144
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS			167
PRINCIPAL AND SELLING SHAREHOLDER			169
DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL			171
SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE			180
UNDERWRITING			181
MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS			188
MATERIAL CANADIAN FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS			192
EXPENSES RELATED TO THE OFFERING			194
LEGAL MATTERS			195
EXPERTS			195
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION			195
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION			F-1

Neither we, the selling shareholder nor any of the underwriters have authorized anyone to provide you with any information other than that contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we may have referred you. We, the selling shareholder and the underwriters take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. Neither we, the selling shareholder nor any of the underwriters are making an offer to sell the common shares in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. This offering is being made in the United States and elsewhere solely on the basis of the information contained in this prospectus. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front cover of this prospectus, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of the common shares. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since the date on the front cover of this prospectus.

 

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BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Unless otherwise indicated or unless the context otherwise requires, (a) all references in this prospectus to the “Company,” “Novelis,” “we,” “us,” “our” or similar terms refer to Novelis Inc. and its subsidiaries, and (b) all references to “Hindalco” and “Parent” refer to Hindalco Industries Limited, Novelis’ ultimate parent, and its consolidated subsidiaries other than Novelis and Novelis’ subsidiaries. All references to “shares” or “common shares” in this prospectus refer to the common shares of Novelis Inc., no par value per share.

INDUSTRY AND MARKET DATA

The data included in this prospectus regarding markets and the industry in which we operate, including the size of certain markets and our position and the position of our competitors within these markets, are based on reports of government agencies, independent industry sources such as Ducker Carlisle Worldwide, LLC (“Ducker Carlisle”), an independent consulting and industrial research firm, Commodity Research Unit International Limited (“CRU”), an independent business analysis and consultancy group focused on the mining, metals, power, cables, fertilizer and chemical sectors, and other research consultants, as well as our own estimates relying on our management’s knowledge and experience in the markets in which we operate. Our management’s knowledge and experience is based on information obtained from our customers, distributors, suppliers, trade and business organizations and other contacts in the markets in which we operate. We believe these estimates to be accurate as of the date of this prospectus. However, the information may prove to be inaccurate because of the method by which we obtained some of the data for our estimates or because this information cannot always be verified with complete certainty due to the limits on the availability and reliability of raw data, the voluntary nature of the data gathering process and other limitations and uncertainties. As a result, you should be aware that market, ranking and other industry data included in this prospectus, and our estimates and beliefs based on that data, may not be reliable. Neither we, the selling shareholder nor the underwriters can guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any such information contained in this prospectus.

TRADEMARKS

We own or have rights to trademarks, service marks or trade names that we use in connection with the operation of our business. Solely for convenience, the trademarks, service marks and trade names referred to in this prospectus are listed without the ^® and ^TM symbols, but we will assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the applicable licensors to these trademarks, service marks and trade names.

PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION

We prepare and report our consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, which we refer to as U.S. GAAP. We maintain our books and records in U.S. dollars.

We operate on a fiscal year calendar ending on March 31 of each year. Accordingly, any references in this prospectus to the years ended March 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 or to the fiscal years 2023, 2022 and 2021 refer to the twelve-month periods ended March 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Analogous convention is used for the fiscal years prior to March 31, 2021.

We have made rounding adjustments to some of the figures included in this prospectus. Accordingly, numerical figures shown as totals in some tables may not be an arithmetic aggregation of the figures that precede them.

In this prospectus, unless otherwise specified, all monetary amounts are in U.S. dollars and all references to “$” mean U.S. dollars. The assets and liabilities of our foreign operations, whose functional currency is other than the

 

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U.S. dollar, are translated to U.S. dollars at the period end exchange rates, and revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates for the period, in each case, using the exchange rates published by the relevant central banks. Differences arising from this translation are included in the currency translation adjustment component of accumulated other comprehensive loss and noncontrolling interests, both of which are on our consolidated balance sheets. For all operations, the monetary items denominated in currencies other than the functional currency are remeasured at period-end exchange rates, and transaction gains and losses are included in other (income) expenses, net in our consolidated statements of operations. Non-monetary items are remeasured at historical rates.

NON-U.S. GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

We refer to the terms “EBITDA,” “Adjusted EBITDA” and “Adjusted Free Cash Flow” in various places in this prospectus. These are supplemental financial measures that are not prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Although our management uses these non-U.S. GAAP financial measures when planning, monitoring and evaluating our performance, any analysis of non-U.S. GAAP financial measures should be used only in conjunction with results presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

Novelis defines EBITDA as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Novelis defines Adjusted EBITDA as earnings before (a) “depreciation and amortization”; (b) “interest expense and amortization of debt issuance costs”; (c) “interest income”; (d) “unrealized gains (losses) on change in fair value of derivative instruments, net,” except for foreign currency remeasurement hedging activities, which are included in Adjusted EBITDA; (e) impairment of goodwill; (f) “gain or loss on extinguishment of debt”; (g) noncontrolling interest’s share; (h) adjustments to reconcile our proportional share of Adjusted EBITDA from non-consolidated affiliates to income as determined on the equity method of accounting; (i) “restructuring and impairment (reversal) expenses, net”; (j) gains or losses on disposals of property, plant and equipment and businesses, net; (k) other costs, net; (l) litigation settlement, net of insurance recoveries; (m) sale transaction fees; (n) income tax provision (benefit); (o) cumulative effect of accounting change, net of tax; (p) metal price lag; (q) business acquisition and other related costs; (r) purchase price accounting adjustments; (s) “income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax”; and (t) “(gain) loss on sale of discontinued operations, net of tax.” EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are measures commonly used in our industry, and we present EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to enhance your understanding of our operating performance. We believe that EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are operating performance measures, and not liquidity measures, that provide you with a measure of operating results unaffected by differences in capital structures, capital investment cycles and ages of related assets among otherwise comparable companies.

Our management believes investors’ understanding of our performance is enhanced by including these non-U.S. GAAP financial measures as a reasonable basis for comparing our ongoing results of operations. Many investors are interested in understanding the performance of our business by comparing our results from ongoing operations from one period to the next and would ordinarily add back items that are not part of normal day-to-day operations of our business. By providing these non-U.S. GAAP financial measures, together with reconciliations, we believe we are enhancing investors’ understanding of our business and our results of operations, as well as assisting investors in evaluating how well we are executing strategic initiatives.

However, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not measurements of financial performance under U.S. GAAP, and our EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA have important limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under U.S. GAAP. For example, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:

 

•

do not reflect our cash expenditures or requirements for capital expenditures or capital commitments;

 

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•

do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs; and

 

•

do not reflect any costs related to the current or future replacement of assets being depreciated and amortized.

Additionally, our senior secured credit facilities, 3.25% senior notes due 2026, 3.375% senior notes due 2029, 4.75% senior notes due 2030, and 3.875% senior notes due 2031 provide for adjustments to EBITDA, which may decrease or increase Adjusted EBITDA for purposes of compliance with certain covenants under such facilities and notes. We also use EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:

 

•

as measures of operating performance to assist us in comparing our operating performance on a consistent basis because it removes the impact of items not directly resulting from our core operations;

 

•

for planning purposes, including the preparation of our internal annual operating budgets and financial projections;

 

•

to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of our operational strategies; and

 

•

to calculate incentive compensation payments for our key employees.

We also present our financial leverage ratio in this prospectus, which represents the ratio of our total debt less cash and cash equivalents to our Adjusted EBITDA, to monitor compliance with covenants in agreements governing our outstanding indebtedness and to assess our liquidity position over time.

Adjusted Free Cash Flow

Novelis defines Adjusted Free Cash Flow as: (a) “Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities—continuing operations,” (b) plus “Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities—continuing operations,” (c) plus “Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities—discontinued operations,” (d) plus “Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities—discontinued operations,” (e) plus cash used in the “Acquisition of assets under a finance lease,” (f) plus cash used in the “Acquisition of business and other investments, net of cash,” (g) plus accrued merger consideration, (h) less “Proceeds from sales of assets and business, net of transaction fees, cash income taxes and hedging,” and (i) less proceeds from sales of assets and business, net of transaction fees, cash income taxes and hedging—discontinued operations.

Our management believes Adjusted 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. In addition, management uses this measure as a key consideration in determining the amounts to be paid as returns of capital to our common shareholder.

However, Adjusted Free Cash Flow is not a measurement of financial performance or liquidity under U.S. GAAP and does not necessarily represent cash available for discretionary activities, as certain debt service obligations must be funded out of Adjusted Free Cash Flow. In addition, our method of calculating Adjusted Free Cash Flow may not be consistent with that of other companies.

For more information regarding these non-U.S. GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation of such measures to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures, see “Prospectus Summary—Summary Historical Condensed Consolidated Financial Information.”

SEGMENT LEVEL PROFITABILITY

ASC 280, Segment Reporting, establishes the standards for reporting information about segments in financial statements. In applying the criteria set forth in ASC 280, we have determined that we have four reportable segments for financial reporting purposes, based on geographical areas: North America, Europe, Asia, and South

 

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America. Under ASC 280, our measure of segment profitability and financial performance of our operating segments is Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA by segment provides a measure of our underlying segment results that is in line with our approach to risk management. For each segment, we define Adjusted EBITDA Income as earnings before (a) depreciation and amortization; (b) interest expense and amortization of debt issuance costs; (c) interest income; (d) unrealized gains (losses) on change in fair value of derivative instruments, net, except for foreign currency remeasurement hedging activities, which are included in Adjusted EBITDA; (e) impairment of goodwill; (f) gain or loss on extinguishment of debt, net; (g) noncontrolling interests’ share; (h) adjustments to reconcile our proportional share of Adjusted EBITDA from non-consolidated affiliates to income as determined on the equity method of accounting; (i) restructuring and impairment (reversal) expenses, net; (j) gains or losses on disposals of property, plant and equipment and businesses, net; (k) other costs, net; (l) litigation settlement, net of insurance recoveries; (m) sale transaction fees; (n) income tax provision (benefit); (o) cumulative effect of accounting change, net of tax; (p) metal price lag; (q) business acquisition and other related costs; (r) purchase price accounting adjustments; (s) income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax; and (t) loss on sale of discontinued operations, net of tax. Refer to “ —Results of Operations—Segment Review” for more information on Adjusted EBITDA as a measure of our segment level profitability.

PRESENTATION OF SHIPMENT INFORMATION

We present product shipment information throughout this prospectus. As used herein, consolidated “aluminum rolled product shipments,” “rolled products shipments” or “shipments” refers to aluminum rolled product shipments to third parties. For our operating segments, regional “aluminum rolled product shipments,” “rolled products shipments” or “shipments” refers to aluminum rolled product shipments to third parties and intersegment shipments to other regions. Shipment amounts also include tolling shipments. References to “total shipments” include aluminum rolled product shipments as well as certain other non-rolled product shipments, primarily scrap, used beverage can scrap, ingots, billets, and primary remelt. The term “aluminum rolled products” is synonymous with the terms “flat-rolled products” and “FRP,” which are commonly used by manufacturers and third-party analysts in our industry. 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. One megaton (“mt”) is 1000 kilotonnes. See the subsections titled “—Key Sales and Shipment Trends” and “—Segment Review” under the caption “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Results of Operations” for more information. We also refer to Adjusted EBITDA per tonne (which is calculated by dividing Adjusted EBITDA by rolled product shipments (in tonnes) for the corresponding period), both on a consolidated basis and at the segment level. Adjusted EBITDA per tonne is calculated using aluminum rolled product shipments rather than total shipments because the incremental impact of non-rolled products shipments on our Adjusted EBITDA is marginal since the price of these products is generally set to cover the costs of raw materials not utilized in manufacturing products sold to beverage packaging customers, specialties and aerospace customers in our regions, and these non-rolled products are not part of our core operating business. Adjusted EBITDA reported for the Company on a consolidated basis is non-U.S. GAAP financial measure; for more information regarding this non-U.S. GAAP financial measure, see “Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Measures” above, and for a reconciliation of such measure to the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure, see “Prospectus Summary—Summary Historical Condensed Consolidated Financial Information.” Adjusted EBITDA reported at the segment level is our segment level measure of profitability, and therefore a financial measure prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

 

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RISK FACTORS

This offering and investing in our common shares involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information contained in this prospectus, before deciding to invest in our common shares. Other risks and uncertainties that we do not presently consider to be material, or of which we are not presently aware, may become important factors that affect our future financial condition and results of operations. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and prospects could suffer materially, the trading price of our common shares could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment. See also “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

Competitive and Strategic Risks

While we have long-standing strategic partnerships with global corporations and other customers, certain of our customers are significant to our revenues, and we could be adversely affected by disruptions or changes in the business or financial condition of these significant customers or by the loss of their business or reduction in their requirements.

Our 10 largest customers accounted for approximately 48% and 50% of our total net sales for the nine months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and 49%, 54% and 55% of our total net sales for fiscal 2023, fiscal 2022, and fiscal 2021, respectively. A significant disruption in the business or downturn in the financial condition of our significant customers could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows. Some of our customers are dependent upon the continued ability of their suppliers to deliver key components necessary for the manufacturing of their products, and a disruption of such supply chains could cause such customers to alter production schedules or suspend production entirely.

In addition, some of our customer contracts are subject to renewal and renegotiation at periodic intervals or upon changes in competitive supply conditions. Our failure to successfully renew or renegotiate such agreements could result in a reduction or loss in customer purchase volume or revenue. Additionally, consolidation among our customers may enable them to use increased leverage in negotiating prices and other contractual terms. Consolidation in our customer base may also lead to reduced demand for our products or cancellations of sales orders. Furthermore, certain of our customer contracts do not impose any minimum purchase volume conditions, and a customer could elect to purchase less of our products than they have historically, at their discretion.

We also factor trade receivables to manage working capital. Any deterioration of the financial condition or downgrade of the credit rating of certain of our customers may make it more difficult or costly for us to engage in these activities, which could negatively impact our cash flows and liquidity.

We face significant price and other forms of competition from other aluminum rolled products producers and potential new market entrants, which may adversely impact our competitive positions in our end-markets and our financial profile.

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, global footprint, sustainability and recycling, technical support, and customer service. Some of our competitors may benefit from more efficient technologies, lower raw material and energy costs, and lower labor costs. Increases in competition resulting from new market entrants or increases in production capacity by our competitors could cause us to lose market share or a large customer or force us to reduce prices to remain competitive. In addition, because of extensive competition in all of our key markets, large customers may be able to exert influence to extract favorable future pricing terms. These risks could also be exacerbated by new market participants in the industry or a surplus supply of aluminum rolled products in the industry, which could result in additional competitive pricing pressures. Any such developments could adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

 

		35

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

While we have a diversified product portfolio across various end-markets, our end-markets are highly competitive and customers may be willing to accept substitutes for our products, including steel, plastics, composite materials, and glass, and such willingness could adversely affect the demand for certain of our products and our results of operations.

Aluminum competes with other materials, such as steel, plastics, composite materials, and glass for various applications, including packaging, automotive, aerospace, architectural, industrial, and consumer durables end-use markets. Our customers may choose materials other than aluminum to achieve desired attributes for their products. For example, customers in the automotive industry may increase their use of high-strength steel rather than aluminum for certain applications due to the price differential between steel and aluminum. The packaging industry continues to experience advances in alternative materials, such as plastics, glass, and organic or compostable materials, which could lead to higher margins for our customers than our products and which may compare favorably to aluminum with respect to preservation of food and beverage quality and recyclability. The willingness of customers to accept other materials in lieu of aluminum, as well as broader consumer movements toward multi-use forms of packing over single-use packaging, could adversely affect the demand for certain of our products, and thus adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

We may not realize the anticipated benefits of strategic investments.

As part of our strategy for growth, we have in the past and may in the future pursue acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures or other strategic investments. Since fiscal 2021, we have completed a $180 million investment in automotive finishing capacity in Changzhou, China, a $150 million investment in recycling and casting capacity at our plant in Pindamonhangaba, Brazil, and a $315 million greenfield automotive finishing expansion in Guthrie, Kentucky. We also have announced plans to further invest significantly in strategic capacity expansions across geographic locations. For example, announced projects now under construction include an approximately $4.1 billion greenfield rolling mill in Bay Minette, Alabama, a $365 million recycling and casting capacity expansion in Guthrie, Kentucky, a $65 million recycling and casting capacity expansion at our joint venture in Ulsan, South Korea, and a number of smaller rolling capacity debottlenecking investments. If our production levels and margins do not grow in line with our current expectations, or are adversely impacted by new competing strategic investments, we may not realize a return on such announced projects that is commensurate with our investment. Further, there are numerous risks commonly encountered in strategic transactions, including the risk that management’s time and energy may be diverted, disrupting our existing businesses, and the risk that we may not be able to complete a project that has been announced, complete such project on time, incur higher or unforeseen costs, or generate the synergies and other benefits that we anticipated.

Operational Risks

Our business has been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by increases in the cost or volatility in the availability of primary aluminum, scrap aluminum, sheet ingot, or other raw materials used in the production of our products.

The supply risks relating to our metal inputs vary by input type. For example, we produce some of our sheet ingot requirements internally and source the remainder from multiple third parties in various jurisdictions, usually under contracts having a duration of at least one year. If our suppliers are unable to deliver sufficient quantities of aluminum and other raw materials to the necessary locations on a timely basis, including as a result of global supply chain issues, our production could be disrupted and our net sales, profitability and cash flows could be adversely affected.

As a result of macroeconomic headwinds, such as inflationary cost pressures, supply chain disruptions, the impact of public health crises and geopolitical conflicts, we have been adversely affected, and may continue to be adversely affected in the future, by changes in the cost of these or other raw materials as well as labor costs, energy costs and freight costs associated with transportation of raw materials. Prices of certain raw materials may fluctuate due to a number of factors, including general economic conditions, commodity price fluctuations

 

		36

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

(particularly aluminum on the London Metal Exchange), the demand by other industries for the same raw materials, the availability of complementary and substitute materials, inflationary pressures, supply shortages and disruptions caused by a public health crisis or geopolitical factors relating to Russia’s ongoing military conflict with Ukraine, attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea and the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip. The availability and costs of certain raw materials necessary for the production of our products may also be influenced by private or governmental entities, and may be impacted by mergers and acquisitions, changes in world politics or regulatory requirements (such as human rights regulations or environmental, health and safety laws and regulations or production curtailments), regulations, labor relations between the producers and their work forces, labor shortages, unstable governments in exporting nations, export quotas, sanctions, new or increased import duties, countervailing or anti-dumping duties, infrastructure and transportation issues, market forces of supply and demand, and inflation. We may be unable to offset fully the effects of material shortages or higher costs through customer price increases, productivity improvements or cost reduction programs. In addition, the failures of financial institutions and any related liquidity crises, and any resultant impact on depositor’s access to their cash deposits, could negatively impact the ability of our customers to pay amounts owed to us on a timely basis or at all, cause reductions in the liquidity of our suppliers impacting raw material product availability, and cause fluctuations in the costs of raw materials, which could in turn have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition.

We employ a number of strategies to manage raw material pricing volatility such as pass through contracts with customers and hedging of metal prices, but there is no assurance that these activities will be sufficient in fully mitigating raw material cost volatility. Our hedging strategies may be insufficient and our results could be materially impacted if costs of materials increase. Delayed timing in recovering the pass-through of increasing raw material costs may also impact our short-term profitability and certain costs due to price increases or supply chain inefficiencies may be unrecoverable, which would also impact our profitability.

Our operations are energy-intensive, and our profitability and cash flows may decline if energy costs were to rise, or if our energy supplies were disrupted.

We consume substantial amounts of energy in our rolling and casting operations. The factors affecting our energy costs and supply reliability tend to be specific to each of our facilities. A number of factors could materially affect our energy position adversely including:

 

•

increases in costs of natural gas;

 

•

increases in costs of supplied electricity;

 

•

increases in fuel oil related to transportation;

 

•

prices affected by regional markets, governmental regulations, and taxes;

 

•

interruptions in energy supply due to equipment failure or other causes; and

 

•

the inability to extend energy supply contracts upon expiration on favorable terms.

If energy costs continue to rise, or if energy supplies or supply arrangements were disrupted, our profitability and cash flows could decline.

Downturns in the automotive and ground transportation industries or changes in consumer demand could adversely affect our business.

The demand for our automotive products and other industrial products is dependent on the production of internal combustion engine and electric cars, light trucks, SUVs and heavy-duty vehicles and trailers. The automotive industry is highly cyclical, as new vehicle demand is dependent on consumer spending and is tied closely to the overall strength of the economy. Even with the automotive industry’s growing use of aluminum to reduce vehicle weight, weak demand for, or lower production of, new cars, light trucks, SUVs and heavy-duty vehicles and trailers could adversely affect the demand for our products and have an adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

 

		37

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

Our business and operations, and the operations of our suppliers and customers, may be adversely affected by public health crises.

We face risks related to public health crises, including outbreaks of communicable diseases. The outbreak of such a communicable disease could result in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect general commercial activity and the economies and financial markets of many countries. A public health crisis poses the risk that we or our employees, contractors, suppliers, customers, or other business partners may be prevented from conducting business activities for an indefinite period of time, including due to shutdowns that may be requested or mandated by governmental authorities, or that such crisis may otherwise interrupt or impair business activities.

Outbreaks of contagious diseases, public health epidemics or pandemics, or other adverse public health developments in countries in which our employees, contractors, customers, suppliers and other business partners operate could have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and/or cash flows. The extent to which such an outbreak affects our operations over time is highly uncertain and beyond our control, and is dependent on a variety of factors, including the duration and severity of the initial outbreak or subsequent variants, the imposition of governmental quarantine or other public health measures, the availability of vaccines or other medical remedies and preventive measures, and determinations regarding, among other things, health and safety, demand for specific products, and broader economic conditions. Many of the actions that may be taken to mitigate the impact of an epidemic or pandemic, including declarations of states of emergency, governmental quarantines, shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders, social distancing requirements, business closures and staged procedures for reopening, manufacturing restrictions and a prolonged period of travel, commercial and/or other similar restrictions and limitations, are highly likely to impact our business and the business of many of our customers and therefore are likely to magnify the risks of a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, and/or cash flows, as well as on our business strategies and initiatives. In addition, the impact of any epidemic or pandemic, and the related restrictions, may differ in the areas in which our products are manufactured, distributed or sold, or may change on short notice in response to new variants or other circumstances and, accordingly, any such impact on our operations or the operations of our customers and suppliers is difficult to predict. Because we rely on supply chain continuity, restrictions in one location may materially impact operations in multiple locations, and the impact of an epidemic or pandemic in one location may have a disproportionate effect on our operations in the future.

The recovery from any public health crises may also negatively impact our operations in the future. For instance, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the beverage packaging sheet market experienced high demand resulting from increased at-home consumption of beverage products that use aluminum packaging. However, following the COVID-19 pandemic, demand has moderated as the beverage supply chain has reduced excess inventory, which was built up to account for high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fluctuations in demand and supply chain variability resulting from future public health crises may in the future impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

An epidemic or pandemic may also exacerbate other risks disclosed in this prospectus, including, but not limited to, risks related to global economic conditions and inflation, competition, loss of customers, costs of supplies, manufacturing difficulties and disruptions, our credit profile, our credit ratings and interest rates. In addition, a future epidemic or pandemic may also affect our operating and financial results in a manner that is not presently known to us, or present significant risks to our business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and/or cash flows that are different from the risks presented by prior epidemics or pandemics.

A majority of our facilities are staffed by a unionized workforce, and union disputes and other employee relations issues could materially adversely affect our financial results.

In each geographic region where we have operating facilities, a substantial portion of our employees are represented by labor unions under collective bargaining agreements with varying durations and expiration dates.

 

		38

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

From time to time, we experience strikes or work stoppages. We may not be successful in preventing such an event from occurring in the future at one or more of our manufacturing facilities. In addition, we may not be able to satisfactorily renegotiate our collective bargaining agreements when they expire. Any such stoppages or disturbances may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations by limiting plant production, sales volumes, profitability, and operating costs.

The impact of labor disputes and strikes on our customers could have material adverse effects on our business and financial results.

Certain of our customers have a substantial number of employees who are members of industrial trade unions and are employed under the terms of collective bargaining agreements. These customers have experienced, and may in the future experience, labor disputes, work stoppages or strikes if they fail to successfully negotiate collective bargaining agreements and/or labor contracts with their employees, as necessary. For example, three of our North American customers, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Stellantis recently experienced prolonged work stoppages at certain of their facilities as a result of the United Auto Workers strikes. The duration and scope of any future labor disputes or strikes by employees of our customers, and the resultant impact on our business and financial results cannot be predicted with any certainty at this time. However, in the event that our customers are unable to successfully negotiate collective bargaining agreements and/or other labor contracts with their employees as necessary, and their plants experience prolonged slowdowns, closures, or idling as a result of the strikes, the demand from these customers for our flat-rolled aluminum products and our financial results could be materially adversely impacted as a result. While we would seek to mitigate any such reduction in demand by increasing supply to other customers, there can be no assurance that sufficient replacement demand will exist, and the ultimate impact of labor disputes and strikes on our business and financial results will depend on factors beyond our control.

Loss of our key management and other personnel, or an inability to attract and retain such management and other personnel, could adversely impact our business.

We employ all of our senior executive officers and other highly skilled key employees on an at-will basis, and their employment can be terminated by us or them at any time, for any reason and without notice, subject, in certain cases, to severance payment obligations. Competition for qualified employees among companies that rely heavily on engineering and technology is intense, and if our highly skilled key employees leave us, we may be unable to promptly attract and retain qualified replacement personnel, which could result in our inability to improve manufacturing operations, conduct research activities successfully, develop marketable products and compete effectively for growth in key markets.

Competition for qualified employees may continue, and as a result, we may continue to experience increased employee turnover. The continuity of key personnel and preservation of institutional knowledge are important to our business. The loss of qualified employees, or an inability to attract, retain, and motivate employees representing diverse backgrounds, experiences and skillsets would materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition and impair our ability to grow. We have increased, and expect to continue to increase, our employee compensation levels in response to competition, as necessary. In addition, the pressures of inflation have increased our costs of labor and may continue to do so.

We could be adversely affected by unplanned disruptions at operating facilities.

In the past, we have experienced production interruptions at our plants due to the breakdown of equipment, fires, weather events, public health crises, and other causes.

We may experience such disruptions in the future due to similar or unrelated uncontrollable events. Because many of our customers are, to varying degrees, dependent on planned deliveries from our plants, any customers that must reschedule their own production due to our missed deliveries could pursue claims against us and reduce

 

		39

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

their future business with us. In addition to facing claims from customers, we may incur costs to remedy any of these problems. Further, our reputation among actual and potential customers may be harmed, possibly resulting in 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.

Our business has been and will continue to be exposed to various economic and political risks associated with our global operations.

Due to the global reach of our business, we are subject to financial, political, economic, and other business risks in connection with doing business abroad. Operating in diverse geographic regions exposes us to a number of risks and uncertainties, such as changes in international trade regulation, including duties and tariffs; political instability that may disrupt economic activity; economic and commercial instability; and geopolitical tensions, civil unrest, war, or terrorist activities.

We have experienced, and continue to experience, inflationary pressures on the prices of aluminum, materials, transportation, energy, and labor. In an inflationary environment, such as the current economic environment, our ability to implement customer pricing adjustments or surcharges to pass-through or offset the impacts of inflation may be limited. Continued inflationary pressures could reduce our profit margins and profitability. Russia’s ongoing military conflict with Ukraine, attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea, the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, and other geopolitical conflicts, as well as any related international response, may exacerbate inflationary pressures, including causing increases in raw material prices as well as fuel and other energy costs, and may further cause reduced manufacturing and industrial demand. Other economic factors, including fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates, competitive factors in the countries in which we operate, and continued volatility or deterioration in the global economic and financial environment could affect our revenues, expenses and results of operations.

Our financial condition and results of operations depend significantly on worldwide economic conditions. Future adverse developments in the U.S. or global economy, including continued inflationary pressure, pose a risk because our customers may postpone purchases in response to demand reductions, negative financial news and tighter credit.

We are currently operating in a period of economic uncertainty, capital markets disruption, and supply chain interruptions, which have been significantly impacted by geopolitical instability due to the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea and the ongoing conflicts in the Gaza Strip and the surrounding region. Our business may be materially adversely affected by any negative impact on the global economy, capital markets, or supply chain resulting from these conflicts or any other geopolitical tensions, or otherwise.

In February 2022, Russian troops began a military invasion of Ukraine. Global markets continue to experience volatility and disruption following the escalation of geopolitical tensions and the continuation of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine. We have not experienced significant direct impacts from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but we have experienced indirect impacts, as the conflict has driven up energy prices globally, beginning in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022, and we expect these costs will remain elevated until energy prices stabilize. Although the length and impact of the ongoing military conflict is unpredictable, the conflict could lead to market disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, credit and capital markets, as well as supply chain interruptions, shipping and trade route restrictions, inflationary pressures on raw materials, rising interest rates, and lack of availability of energy. In addition, the conflict in Ukraine has led to sanctions and other measures being levied by the United States, the European Union (the “EU”), and other countries against Russia. In February 2023, the United States government announced a new round of trade actions targeting goods and entities from Russia, including a 200% duty on aluminum articles of Russian origin.

Russian military actions and the resulting sanctions could adversely affect the global economy, national economies in which we operate and financial markets and lead to instability and lack of liquidity in capital markets, potentially making it more difficult for us to obtain additional funds, as well as further disrupting the

 

		40

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

supply chain. One of our suppliers of metal is Rusal, a Russian aluminum company. Although we source metal from a diverse global portfolio of metal suppliers and are not dependent on Rusal for a significant portion of our metal supply, sanctions, tariffs, a ban or similar actions impacting Rusal or the supply of Russian aluminum could disrupt global aluminum supply. Any of the foregoing factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. The extent and duration of the military action, sanctions, and resulting market and/or supply disruptions are impossible to predict but could be substantial. Any such disruptions may also magnify the impact of other risks described herein.

Our board of directors oversees the management of risks related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Our ERM team (as defined below) monitors developments and potential impacts of the conflict and reports them to the Audit Committee of our board at least quarterly. Despite this monitoring process, there can be no assurance that the conflict will not have a material adverse effect on our business, including as it relates to the risks outlined above, as well as potential impacts to our relationship with Russian-based suppliers and potential impacts on the reliability of energy supplies to our European manufacturing sites and potential supply chain disruptions. For additional information on our ERM team and our board’s oversight of risks related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Business and Industry Climate—Board Oversight regarding risks related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

Further, in November 2023, attacks on shipping vessels related to Yemen’s Houthi movement have impacted shipping routes in the Red Sea. In addition, on October 7, 2023, Hamas, a U.S. designated terrorist organization, launched a series of coordinated attacks from the Gaza Strip onto Israel. On October 8, 2023, Israel formally declared war on Hamas, and the armed conflict is ongoing as of the date of this prospectus. Hostilities between Israel and Hamas could escalate and involve surrounding countries in the Middle East, a region in which we operate. Although the length, impact, and outcome of the military conflict between Israel and Hamas are highly unpredictable, this conflict could similarly lead to market disruptions, including volatility in commodity prices, credit and capital markets, as well as supply chain interruptions, shipping and trade route restrictions, inflationary pressures on raw materials, interest rate fluctuations, energy price fluctuations, as well as political, social and economic instability and other material and adverse effects on macroeconomic conditions. At this time, it is not possible to predict or determine the ultimate consequence of this regional conflict. The conflict in the Red Sea and the conflict between Hamas and Israel and their broader impacts could have a lasting effect on the short- and long-term operations and financial condition of our business and the global economy.

We face risks relating to certain joint ventures, subsidiaries and assets that we do not entirely control.

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 joint ventures located in Neuss, Germany; Ulsan, Korea; Russellville, Kentucky; and Sierre, Switzerland. Under the governing documents of these businesses, we share decision making authority and operational control, which may result in conflicts over management over these businesses. In addition, because we do not have control over the business practices of our joint venture partners, we could be subject to reputational damage or other consequences of improper conduct by our joint venture partners or their inability to fulfill their obligations under the joint venture. As a result, our business, financial condition, cash flows, results of operations and prospects could be adversely affected.

Increased freight costs on imported products could decrease earnings and liquidity.

We have experienced, and may in the future continue to experience, increases in freight costs and shortages in capacity. We continue to monitor freight costs and capacity because they can negatively impact our ability to ship volume predictably and on a low-cost basis. We may not be able to obtain sufficient freight capacity on a timely basis or at favorable shipping rates and, therefore, we may not be able to receive products from suppliers or deliver products to customers in a timely and cost-effective manner. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in increasing prices or recouping increased freight surcharges in the future. Continued freight cost increases; delivery disruptions, including compliance with the Export Administration Regulations and other trade laws; and the sanctions, regulations, and embargoes administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

 

		41

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

Financial Risks

Our results and short-term liquidity can be negatively impacted by timing differences between the prices we pay under purchase contracts and metal prices we charge our customers.

Our purchase and sales contracts for primary aluminum are based on the LME price plus a regional market premium, which is a surcharge in addition to the LME price. There are typically timing differences between the pricing periods for purchases and sales. This creates a price exposure we call “metal price lag,” which exists due to: (i) the period of time between the pricing of our purchases of metal, holding and processing the metal, and the pricing of the sale of finished inventory to our customers and (ii) certain customer contracts containing fixed forward price commitments, which result in exposure to changes in metal prices for the period of time between when our sales price fixes and the sale actually occurs. We use derivative instruments to manage the metal price lag risk associated with the LME base aluminum prices. We generally do not hedge more than a small fraction of our regional market premium exposure because we do not believe the derivatives markets are sufficiently robust and efficient to meet our needs. As such, volatility in regional market premiums can have a significant impact on our results of operations and cash flows. The timing difference associated with metal price lag could positively or negatively impact our operating results and short-term liquidity.

A deterioration of our financial condition, a downgrade of our ratings by a credit rating agency or other factors could limit our ability to enter into, or increase our costs of, financing and hedging transactions, and our business relationships and financial condition could be adversely affected.

A deterioration of our financial condition or a downgrade of our credit ratings for any reason could increase our borrowing costs, limit our access to the capital or credit markets, adversely affect our ability to obtain new financing on favorable terms or at all, result in more restrictive covenants, and have an adverse effect on our business relationships with customers, suppliers and financial counterparties. We enter into various forms of hedging activities against currency, interest rate, energy and metal price fluctuations. Our financial strength and credit ratings are important to the availability and terms of these hedging activities. As a result, any deterioration of our financial condition or downgrade of our credit ratings may make it more difficult or costly for us to engage in these activities in the future.

Variable rate indebtedness subjects us to interest rate risk, which could cause our debt service obligations to increase.

Borrowings under our senior secured credit facilities are at variable rates of interest and expose us to interest rate risk. If interest rates continue to increase, our debt service obligations on any variable rate indebtedness could increase even though the amount borrowed remained the same, which could adversely impact our results of operations. In order to manage our exposure to interest rate risk, in the future, we may enter into derivative financial instruments, typically interest rate swaps and caps, involving the exchange of floating for fixed rate interest payments. If we are unable to enter into interest rate swaps, it may adversely impact our results of operations, and, even if we use these instruments to selectively manage risks, there can be no assurance that we will be fully protected against material interest rate fluctuations.

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.

We 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 Korean won, the Swiss franc and other currencies. We have implemented a hedging policy to manage currency exchange rate risks to an acceptable level based on 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 and cash flows.

 

		42

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

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 may result in increases or decreases in our operating results and may also affect the book value of our assets located outside the U.S.

Our results of operations, cash flows and liquidity could be adversely affected if we were unable to transact in derivative instruments, if our exposure to price fluctuations were not adequately hedged under derivative instruments, or if counterparties to our derivative instruments fail to honor their agreements.

We use various derivative instruments to manage the risks arising from fluctuations in aluminum prices, exchange rates, energy prices and interest rates. If for any reason we were unable to transact in derivative instruments to manage these risks, or if our exposure to fluctuations in such prices and rates were not fully or adequately hedged under such derivative instruments, our results of operations, cash flows, and liquidity could be adversely affected. In addition, we may be exposed to losses in the future if the counterparties to our derivative instruments fail to honor their agreements. In particular, deterioration in the financial condition of our counterparties and any resulting failure to pay amounts or perform obligations owed to us could have a negative effect on our business and financial condition. Further, if major financial institutions consolidate and are forced to operate under more restrictive capital constraints and regulations, there could be less liquidity, or higher costs to transact, in the derivative markets, which could have a negative effect on our costs or our ability to hedge and transact with creditworthy counterparties.

An adverse decline in the liability discount rate, lower-than-expected investment return on pension assets and other factors could affect our results of operations or amount of pension funding contributions in future periods.

Most of our pension obligations relate to funded defined benefit pension plans for our employees in the U.S., the U.K., Switzerland, and Canada, funded and unfunded pension benefits in Germany and lump sum indemnities payable to our employees in France, Italy, and South Korea upon retirement or termination. Our pension plan assets primarily consist of funds invested in stocks and bonds. Our estimates of liabilities and expenses for pensions and other postretirement benefits incorporate a number of assumptions. The most significant year-end assumptions used by Novelis to estimate pension or other postretirement benefit income or expense for the following year are the discount rate applied to plan liabilities and the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets. Our results of operations, liquidity, or shareholder’s (deficit) 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. These factors or others may require us to make unexpected cash contributions to the pension plans in the future, preventing the use of such cash for other purposes.

Our goodwill, other intangible assets and other long-lived assets could become impaired, which could require us to take non-cash charges against earnings.

We assess, at least annually and potentially more frequently, whether the value of our goodwill has been impaired. We assess the recoverability of finite-lived other intangible assets and other long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate we may not be able to recover the asset’s carrying amount. Any impairment of goodwill, other intangible assets, or long-lived assets as a result of such analysis would result in a non-cash charge against earnings, which could materially adversely affect our reported results of operations. A significant and sustained decline in our future cash flows, a significant adverse change in the economic environment, or slower growth rates could result in the need to perform additional impairment analysis in future periods.

Additional tax expense, tax liabilities or tax compliance costs could adversely impact our profitability.

We are subject to income taxation in many jurisdictions. Judgment is required in determining our worldwide income tax provision and accordingly there are many transactions and computations for which our final income

 

		43

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

tax determination is uncertain. We are routinely audited by income tax authorities in many tax jurisdictions. Although we believe the recorded tax estimates are reasonable, the ultimate outcome from any audit (or related litigation) could be materially different from amounts reflected in our income tax provisions and accruals. Future settlements of income tax audits may have a material effect on earnings between the period of initial recognition of tax estimates in the financial statements and the point of ultimate tax audit settlement. Additionally, it is possible that future income tax legislation in any jurisdiction to which we are subject may be enacted that could have a material impact on our worldwide income tax provision beginning with the period that such legislation becomes effective. Currently, there are several tax proposals in the jurisdictions in which we operate that could, if enacted into law, significantly impact the tax position of the Company. We will continue to evaluate the overall impact of current, future, and proposed regulations and interpretive guidance from tax authorities on our effective tax rate and consolidated balance sheets.

The covenants in our credit facilities and the indentures governing our Senior Notes impose operating and financial restrictions on us.

Our credit facilities and the indentures governing our Senior Notes impose certain operating and financial restrictions on us. These restrictions limit our ability and the ability of our restricted subsidiaries, among other things, to:

 

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incur additional debt and provide additional guarantees;

 

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pay dividends and make other restricted payments, including certain investments;

 

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create or permit certain liens;

 

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make certain asset sales;

 

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use the proceeds from the sales of assets and subsidiary stock;

 

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create or permit restrictions on the ability of our restricted subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions to us;

 

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engage in certain transactions with affiliates;

 

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make certain acquisitions;

 

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enter into sale and leaseback transactions; and

 

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consolidate, merge, or transfer all or substantially all of our assets or the assets of our restricted subsidiaries.

See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Description of Outstanding Indebtedness” for more information.

Risks Related to Cybersecurity and Data Privacy

Security breaches and other disruptions to our information technology networks and systems could interfere with our operations and could compromise the confidentiality of our proprietary information.

We rely upon information technology networks and systems, some of which are managed by third parties, to process, transmit and store electronic information, and to manage or support a variety of business and manufacturing processes and activities. Additionally, we collect and store sensitive data, including intellectual property, proprietary business information, and personally identifiable information of our employees, in data centers and on information technology networks. These activities are subject to various laws and regulations in the United States and abroad regarding privacy and data security.

Information technology networks and systems (our own as well as those managed by third parties) are susceptible to damage, disruptions and shutdowns due to programming errors, defects, or other vulnerabilities,

 

		44

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

power outages, hardware failures, computer viruses, cyber-attacks, ransomware attacks, malware attacks, attacks by foreign governments and state-sponsored actors, theft, misconduct by employees or other insiders, telecommunications failures, misuse, human errors or other catastrophic events. The costs of attempting to protect against cybersecurity risks and events such as the foregoing are significant, and as cyber-attacks and similar events have become more frequent and sophisticated, these costs have increased and will likely increase further in the future. We have in the past and may in the future experience security breaches and other disruptions to our information technology networks and systems, so we have increased our management focus on and financial investments in systems and processes intended to secure our information technology systems, prevent unauthorized access to or loss of sensitive data, provide security and privacy awareness training, ensure business continuity and comply with applicable laws. These efforts include engaging third-party providers from time to time to test the vulnerability of our systems and recommend solutions to upgrade the security of our systems. We also employ a number of measures to protect and defend against cyber-attacks, including technical security controls, data encryption, firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, anti-malware software and frequent backups. New data security laws and regulations are being implemented rapidly and are evolving, and we may not be able to timely comply with such requirements, and such requirements may not be compatible with our current processes. Changing our processes could be time consuming and expensive, and failure to timely implement required changes could subject us to liability for non-compliance.

Cyber-attacks continue to evolve in sophistication and volume and may remain undetected for an extended period. Hardware, software or applications we utilize may contain defects in design or manufacture or other problems that could unexpectedly compromise information security, potentially resulting in the unauthorized disclosure and misappropriation of sensitive data, including intellectual property, proprietary business information, and personal data. In addition, techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to information or to sabotage information technology systems change frequently, including as a result the intensification of state-sponsored cybersecurity attacks during periods of geopolitical conflict, such as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. We have seen, and will continue to see, industry-wide vulnerabilities, which could in the future affect our or other parties’ systems. We expect to continue to experience such zero-day vulnerabilities in the future. Despite our best efforts, we cannot fully anticipate, detect, repel or implement fully effective preventative measures against all cybersecurity threats, especially in light of increasingly sophisticated techniques used in cybersecurity attacks, as discussed above. Although to date, we are unaware of any material data breach or system disruption, including a cyber-attack, we cannot provide any assurances that such events will not occur and impacts therefrom will not be material in future.

The occurrence of a significant cybersecurity event, including an event impacting one of our third-party providers, could compromise our networks and the information stored there could be accessed, publicly disclosed, lost or stolen. Any such access, disclosure, or other loss of information could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability, or regulatory penalties under privacy laws. In addition, we could incur significant costs in notifying affected persons and entities and otherwise complying with the multitude of foreign, federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to the unauthorized access to, or use or disclosure of, personal information. Operational disruptions or any perceived or actual unauthorized access to, or disclosure of, sensitive information could reduce the competitive advantage in new or proprietary business initiatives and damage our reputation and our relationship with our customers. Although we are insured against cyber risks and security breaches up to an annual aggregate limit, our liability insurance may be inadequate and may not fully cover the costs of any claims or damages that we might be required to pay. In the future, we may not be able to obtain adequate liability insurance on commercially desirable or reasonable terms or at all. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Failure to comply with current or future federal, state and foreign laws and regulations and industry standards relating to privacy, data protection, advertising and consumer protection could adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

We are subject to various privacy, information security, and data protection laws, rules, and regulations that present an ever-evolving regulatory landscape across multiple jurisdictions and industry sections. Federal, state,

 

		45

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

and foreign legislators and regulators are increasingly adopting or revising privacy, information security, and data protection laws, rules, and regulations that potentially could have a significant impact on our current and planned privacy, data protection, and information security-related practices our collection, use, storing, sharing, retention and safeguarding and otherwise processing of certain types of consumer or employee information and some of our current or planned business activities, which could further increase our costs of compliance and business operations and could reduce income from certain business initiatives.

Compliance with current or future privacy, information security, and data protection laws, rules, and regulations (including those regarding security breach notification) could result in higher compliance and technology costs. Additionally, regulators may attempt to assert authority over our business in the area of privacy, information security, and data protection. If our vendors also become subject to new and additional laws, rules, and regulations in the more stringent and expansive jurisdictions, this could result in increasing costs to our business. We cannot predict the effect compliance with any such laws or regulations may have on our operating environment.

Many jurisdictions have established their own data security and privacy legal frameworks, including data localization and storage requirements, with which we may need to comply. For example, the EU and many countries in Europe have stringent privacy laws and regulations, which may affect our ability to operate cost effectively in certain European countries. In particular, the EU has adopted the General Data Protection Regulation (“EU GDPR”) which went into effect on May 25, 2018 and contains numerous requirements and changes from previously existing EU law, including more robust obligations on data processors and heavier documentation requirements for data protection compliance programs by companies. Specifically, the EU GDPR introduced numerous privacy-related changes for companies operating in the EU, including greater control for data subjects (e.g., the “right to be forgotten”), increased data portability for EU consumers, data breach notification requirements, and increased fines. In particular, under the EU GDPR, fines of up to 20 million Euros or up to 4% of the annual global revenue of the noncompliant company, whichever is greater, could be imposed for violations of certain of the EU GDPR’s requirements. Similarly, following the UK’s exit from the EU, the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the UK Data Protection Act 2018 (“UK GDPR”) came into effect, which currently imposes the same obligations as the EU GDPR in most material respects. The EU GDPR, UK GDPR, the CCPA and similar laws and regulations may require us to modify our data processing practices and policies and to incur substantial costs and expenses in an effort to comply.

The EU GDPR and UK GDPR also impose strict rules on the transfer of personal information to countries outside of the European Economic Area (“EEA”) and the UK. Legal developments in Europe have created further complexity and uncertainty regarding such transfers, in particular in relation to transfers to the United States. On July 16, 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) invalidated the EU-US Privacy Shield Framework, or Privacy Shield, under which personal information could be transferred from the EEA (and the UK) to relevant self-certified United States entities. The CJEU further noted that reliance on the standard contractual clauses (a standard form of contract approved by the European Commission as an adequate personal information transfer mechanism and potential alternative to the Privacy Shield) alone for transfers of personal information outside the EEA (and the UK) may not necessarily be sufficient in all circumstances, and that transfers must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. On July 11, 2023, the European Commission entered into force its adequacy decision for the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (a new framework for transferring personal information from the EEA to the United States), having determined that such framework ensures that the protection of personal information transferred from the EEA to the United States will be comparable to the protection offered in the EU. However, this decision will likely face legal challenges and ultimately may be invalidated by the CJEU just as the Privacy Shield was. As a result of changes in the laws, rules and regulations governing cross-border transfers of personal information, we have had to make, and continue to make, certain operational changes, conduct assessments of our data transfer policies and procedures, and update and implement revised standard contractual clauses and other relevant documentation and measures for intragroup, customer and vendor arrangements requiring transfers of personal information outside the EEA and the UK, including to the United States, within required time frames. We may be adversely impacted as the enforcement landscape further develops, and supervisory authorities issue further guidance on international data transfers.

 

		46

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

Because the interpretation and application of many privacy and data protection laws, rules and regulations along with contractually imposed industry standards are uncertain, it is possible that these laws may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our existing data management practices. If so, in addition to the possibility of substantial fines, lawsuits and other claims and penalties, we could be required to fundamentally change our business activities and practices, which could have an adverse effect on our business. Any inability to adequately address privacy and security concerns, even if unfounded, or comply with applicable privacy and data security laws, rules, regulations and policies, could result in additional cost and liability to us, damage our reputation, inhibit growth, and otherwise adversely affect our business. If we are not able to adjust to changing laws, rules and information security, our business may be harmed.

Risks Related to Intellectual Property

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property, the confidentiality of our know-how, trade secrets, technology, and other proprietary information, our business and competitive position could be harmed.

We rely on a combination of patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and unfair competition laws, as well as confidentiality agreements, license agreements and other contractual provisions, to establish, maintain, protect and enforce our intellectual property and other proprietary rights. Such means may afford only limited protection of our intellectual property and may not prevent our competitors from duplicating our processes or technology, prevent our competitors from gaining access to our proprietary information and technology, or permit us to gain or maintain a competitive advantage. Any of our direct or indirect intellectual property rights could be challenged, invalidated, circumvented, infringed or misappropriated, which could result in costly product redesign efforts, discontinuance of certain product offerings or other competitive harm. Further, the laws of certain countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Therefore, in certain jurisdictions, we may be unable to protect our proprietary technology adequately against unauthorized third party copying, infringement or use, which could adversely affect our competitive position. To prevent substantial unauthorized use of our intellectual property and proprietary rights, it may be necessary to prosecute actions for infringement, misappropriation or other violation of our intellectual property and proprietary rights against third parties. Litigation, whether we are a plaintiff or a defendant, can be expensive and time consuming and may divert the efforts of our management and other personnel, which could harm our business, whether or not such litigation results in a determination favorable to us. Litigation also puts our patents or other intellectual property at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and puts our patent applications or applications for other intellectual property registrations at risk of not issuing. If we are sued by a third party that claims that our technology infringes, misappropriates or violates their rights, the litigation, whether or not successful, could be costly to defend, divert our management’s time, attention and resources, damage our reputation and brand and substantially harm our business. Claims of intellectual property infringement also might require us to redesign affected products, enter into costly settlement or license agreements or pay costly damage awards, or face a temporary or permanent injunction prohibiting us from marketing or selling certain of our products. Even if we have an agreement to indemnify us against such costs, the indemnifying party may be unable to uphold its contractual obligations.

We rely on nondisclosure agreements to protect our unpatented know-how, trade secrets, technology and other proprietary information. We seek to protect this information, in part, by entering into nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to it, such as our employees, consultants, and other third parties. However, we cannot guarantee that we have entered into such agreements with each party that has or may have had access to our proprietary information. Moreover, no assurance can be given that these agreements will be effective in controlling access to, distribution, use, misuse, misappropriation, or disclosure of our proprietary information. Further, these agreements may not prevent our competitors from independently developing substantially equivalent or superior proprietary information. These agreements may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach. Additionally, such agreements may not effectively prevent unauthorized access to or unauthorized use, disclosure, misappropriation or reverse engineering of, our confidential information, intellectual property, or technology. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or

 

		47

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

misappropriated know-how is difficult, expensive, and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. Know-how, technology, and other proprietary information can be difficult to protect and some courts inside and outside the U.S. are less willing or unwilling to protect such information. If we develop any trade secrets that were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor or other third-party, we would have no right to prevent them from using that technology or information to compete with us, and our competitive position would be materially and adversely harmed. The loss of trade secret protection could make it easier for third parties to compete with our products. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

Legal and Regulatory Risks

Our global operations are subject to increasingly complex and stringent laws and government regulations that may adversely affect our business and operations.

We operate in complex regulated environments in the U.S. and in the other countries in which we operate and could be adversely affected by changes to existing legal requirements, including related interpretations and enforcement practices, new legal requirements, and/or any failure to comply with applicable regulations.

Compliance with U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, such as those requiring supply chain transparency, import and export requirements, embargoes and trade sanctions laws, anti-corruption laws, tax laws, foreign exchange controls, and cash repatriation restrictions, increases our costs of doing business outside the U.S. We are also subject to data privacy and protection laws regulating the collection, use, retention, disclosure, transfer, and processing of personal information, such as the EU GDPR. The potential effects of these laws are far-reaching and may require us to modify our data processing practices and policies and to incur substantial costs and expenses to comply. In recent years, a number of new laws and regulations have been adopted, there has been expanded enforcement of certain existing laws and regulations, and the interpretation of certain laws and regulations have become increasingly complex.

In addition, the global scale of our operations exposes us to risks relating to international trade policies, including import quotas, tariffs, and taxes on goods imported from countries where we procure or manufacture products or raw materials, as well as retaliatory policies by governments against such policies. In addition, determinations by destination countries about unfairly priced and subsidized products can normalize prices, benefiting the company in some instances, while potentially disrupting supply chains. The impact and duration of such tariffs and other trade restrictions, as well as the potential for additional tariffs by the U.S., China, or other countries, remain uncertain. Our ability to implement strategies to mitigate the impact of such restrictions and our exposure to the risks described above as well as the impact of changes in regulations and policies could impact the competitiveness of our products and negatively impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

The impact of new laws, regulations, and policies or decisions or interpretations by authorities applying those laws and regulations, cannot be predicted. Compliance with any new laws, regulations, or policies may increase our operating costs or require significant capital expenditures. Any failure to comply with applicable laws, regulations, or policies in the U.S. or in any of the other countries in which we operate could result in substantial fines or possible revocation of our authority to conduct our operations, which could adversely affect us.

We may be affected by global climate change or by legal, regulatory, or market responses to such change.

Climate change, and evolving customer and stakeholder expectations, legal, regulatory and policy requirements, and market dynamics driven by climate change, could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. Increased concern over climate change has led to new and proposed legislative and regulatory initiatives, such as cap-and-trade systems, limits on emissions of greenhouse gases, and Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards and requirements to disclose greenhouse gas emissions and other climate change-related

 

		48

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

information in the United States, as well as similar standards or requirements in the EU or in other jurisdictions. For example, the SEC has proposed a rule requiring disclosure of a broad range of climate change-related information, and similar laws have been enacted in the U.S. State of California and jurisdictions such as the EU. New or revised laws and regulations in this area could directly and indirectly affect us and our customers and suppliers, including by increasing the costs of production or impacting demand for certain products, which could result in an adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Compliance with any new or more stringent laws or regulations, or stricter interpretations of existing laws, could require additional expenditures by us or our customers or suppliers, including increased monitoring and reporting costs. Also, we rely on natural gas, electricity, fuel oil, and transport fuel to operate our facilities. Any increased costs of these energy sources because of new laws or regulations could be passed along to us and our customers and suppliers, which could also have a negative impact on our profitability. Any increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events resulting from climate change impacting our facilities, our suppliers or critical infrastructure in the United States and abroad could disrupt our supply chain or impact our ability to timely produce and deliver our products.

There are inherent climate-related risks in various regions where we conduct business. Global climate change is resulting, and is expected to continue to result, in natural disasters and adverse weather conditions, such as drought, wildfires, storms, tornados, hurricanes, blizzards, changes in sea-levels, flooding, and extreme temperatures, occurring more frequently or with greater intensity and unpredictability. Such conditions could result in disruptions to any facility or surrounding community directly impacted by a climate-related event, including physical damage resulting in shutdowns and requiring repair and/or our employees’ unavailability to work, and could also adversely impact our suppliers, customers, and shipping and transportation networks. These disruptions could make it more difficult and costly for us to produce and deliver our products, obtain raw materials or other supplies, maintain our critical corporate functions, and could reduce customer demand for our products.

In addition, governments, customers and other stakeholders are increasingly focused on corporate environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) practices and disclosures, may evaluate our business or other practices according to a variety of ESG targets, standards, and expectations. We define our own corporate purpose, in part, by the sustainability of our practices and our impact on all of our stakeholders. As a result, our efforts to conduct our business in accordance with some or all these expectations may result in increased demands regarding, among other matters, the source of aluminum, alloying metals and other materials used in our products, demand for increased use of recycled materials in our products, the manner in which power we consume is generated, our use and treatment of water and other natural resources, and the packing materials and shipping methods we use to deliver our products. In order to respond to these demands, we may need to make changes to our facilities, operations or production methods, or increase research and development efforts, any of which could result in significant additional costs. Our policies and processes to evaluate and manage ESG targets and standards in coordination with other business priorities, including our use of carbon offsets, may not prove completely effective. In addition, although we have established public targets with respect to our carbon footprint, energy and water usage and waste generation, we may be unable to meet them or be required to revise them for a variety of reasons, including due to cost increase, (including the cost of carbon offsets), the availability of valuable scrap (which could be downgraded or lost to competitors as demand increases), the availability of cleaner energy sources, sufficient supply of ‘low carbon’ primary aluminum, or our ability to innovate recycle-friendly alloys. As a result, we may face adverse regulatory, investor, media, or public scrutiny that may adversely affect our business, results of operations, or financial condition. Furthermore, with regard to public targets we have disclosed relating to certain ESG initiatives (including as disclosed within our 2023 Sustainability Report), the criteria by which our ESG practices, including these initiatives and public targets, are assessed may change due to the evolution of the sustainability landscape, which could result in greater expectations of us and may cause us to undertake costly initiatives to satisfy new criteria. Our selection of disclosure standards and ESG targets, and the interpretation or application of those standards and targets, may also change from time to time, or differ from those of others. Methodologies for reporting ESG data, including for Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions, may be updated and previously reported ESG data may be adjusted to reflect developments in the availability and

 

		49

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

quality of third-party data, changing assumptions, changes in the nature and scope of our operations and other changes in circumstances. If we are unable to respond effectively to these changes to the sustainability landscape, governments, customers and other stakeholders may conclude that our policies and/or actions with respect to ESG matters are inadequate. If we fail or are perceived to have failed to achieve previously announced public targets or to accurately disclose our progress on such targets or initiatives, our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely impacted.

We are subject to a broad range of environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, 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 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. 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, and may prove to be more costly than we anticipate. These laws and regulations may also result in substantial environmental liabilities associated with current sites, divested assets, third-party locations, and past activities. Under certain of these laws and regulations, we could incur liability for contamination at our current or former sites (or those of our predecessors) or at sites to which we or our predecessor sent waste for disposal even if the contamination resulted from conduct that was legal at the time or of third parties. The impact that our operations may have on the environment, as well as exposures to hazardous substances or wastes associated with our past and/or current operations, could result in civil or criminal fines or penalties and enforcement actions issued by regulatory or judicial authorities enjoining, curtailing or closing operations or requiring corrective measures, any of which could materially and adversely affect us. Evolving regulatory standards and expectations can result in increased litigation and/or increased costs, including increased remediation costs, all of which can have a material and adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

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 intellectual property, 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.

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 in the future, may have a material adverse effect on our financial results and cash flows. 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.

Risks Related to this Offering and Ownership of our Common Shares

An active, liquid and orderly trading market for our common shares may not develop, and you may not be able to resell your shares at or above the initial public offering price.

We intend to submit an application to have our common shares listed on the NYSE under the symbol “NVL.” There is currently no market through which our common shares may be sold and, if a market for our common shares does not develop or is not sustained, you may not be able to resell your common shares purchased in this

 

		50

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

offering. This may affect the pricing of the securities in the secondary market, the transparency and availability of trading prices, the liquidity of the securities and the extent of issuer regulation. The initial public offering price of our common shares will be determined through negotiations between our sole shareholder and the underwriters. This initial public offering price may not be indicative of the market price of our common shares after the offering. In addition, because the substantial majority of our common shares will continue to be held indirectly by Hindalco immediately following the consummation of this offering, the number of our common shares available for trading among public shareholders, or our public float, will be limited, and could remain limited for an extensive period of time. As a result, our common shares may have lower trading volume and less market liquidity, and our share price could be more volatile, in each case as compared to companies with a larger public float. In the absence of an active trading market for our common shares, investors may not be able to sell their shares at or above the initial public offering price. We cannot predict the prices at which our common shares will trade.

The market price of our common shares may be volatile, which could result in substantial losses for investors purchasing shares in this offering.

The market price of our common shares could be subject to significant fluctuations after this offering, and it may decline below the initial public offering price. Some of the factors that may cause the market price of our common shares to fluctuate include:

 

•

significant volatility in the market price and trading volume of comparable companies;

 

•

actual or anticipated changes or fluctuations in our operating results or in the expectations of market analysts;

 

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adverse market reaction to any indebtedness we may incur or securities we may issue in the future;

 

•

short sales, hedging and other derivative transactions in our shares;

 

•

announcements of technological innovations, new products, strategic alliances or significant agreements by us or by our competitors;

 

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changes in the prices of our solutions or the prices of our competitors’ solutions;

 

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litigation or regulatory action against us;

 

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investors’ general perception of us and the public’s reaction to our press releases, our other public announcements and our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC;

 

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publication of research reports or news stories about us, our competitors or our industry, or positive or negative

 

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recommendations or withdrawal of research coverage by securities analysts;

 

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changes in general political, economic, industry and market conditions and trends;

 

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sales of our common shares by our directors, executive officers and existing shareholders;

 

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recruitment or departure of key personnel; and

 

•

the other risk factors described in this section of the prospectus.

In addition, the stock markets have historically experienced substantial price and volume fluctuations. Broad market and industry factors may harm the market price of our common shares. Hence, the price of our common shares could fluctuate based upon factors that have little or nothing to do with us, and these fluctuations could materially reduce the share price of our common shares regardless of our operating performance. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has been instituted against that company. If we were involved in any similar litigation, we could incur substantial costs, our management’s attention and resources could be diverted and it could harm our business, operating results and financial condition.

 

		51

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

Future sales or distributions of our shares by Hindalco could depress the market price of our common shares.

After this offering, and subject to the lock-up period described in this prospectus, Hindalco may, directly or indirectly, sell all or a portion of its remaining shares of our common shares or distribute those shares to its shareholders. Additional direct or indirect sales by Hindalco in the public market or distributions to its shareholders of substantial amounts of our common shares could depress the market price of our common shares.

In addition, Hindalco will have the right, subject to certain conditions, to require us to file one or more registration statements covering the shares it beneficially owns or to include such shares in other registration statements that we may file. In the event Hindalco exercises its registration rights and sells all or a portion of such common shares, the market price for our common shares could decline. See “Description of Share Capital—Registration Rights” for more information.

Purchasers in this offering will incur immediate and substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of their investment as a result of this offering.

The initial public offering price will be substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share immediately after this offering. If you purchase common shares in this offering, you will incur immediate and substantial dilution of $   per share, representing the difference between the assumed initial public offering price of $   per share and our pro forma net tangible book value per share as of   , 2023. For more information, see “Dilution.”

We will incur increased costs and regulatory burden and devote substantial management time as a result of being a public company listed on the NYSE.

Prior to this offering, we voluntarily furnished reports to the SEC on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K to satisfy certain requirements under our indentures governing certain of our outstanding indebtedness, but we were not otherwise subject to the disclosure requirements of U.S. securities laws or the rules, regulations and policies of the NYSE. The reports we have previously furnished to the SEC are not incorporated by reference in this prospectus. As a public company listed on the NYSE, we will incur increased legal, accounting and other costs not incurred as a private company operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Hindalco. In particular, as a public company, we will be required to, among other things:

 

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comply with the rules and regulations implemented by the SEC, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and the NYSE;

 

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maintain an internal audit function;

 

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enhance our own financial reporting function;

 

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maintain an investor relations function; and

 

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establish certain internal policies, including those relating to trading in our securities.

We expect that compliance with these requirements will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time consuming and costly. In addition, we expect that our management and other personnel will need to divert attention from operational and other business matters to devote substantial time and other resources to these requirements. We have made, and will continue to make, changes to our financial management control systems and other areas to manage our obligations as a public company listed on the NYSE, including corporate governance, corporate controls, disclosure controls and procedures and financial reporting and accounting systems. However, we cannot assure you that these and other measures that we might take will be sufficient to allow us to satisfy our obligations as a public company on a timely basis. As a result of these additional costs and other requirements, our historical financial information included in this prospectus is not necessarily indicative of our future results of operations, financial condition or cash flows, nor does it reflect what our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows would have been as a public company during the periods presented.

 

		52

 

Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

Although we may pay dividends to holders of our common shares, our ability to do so is subject to the discretion of our board of directors.

We currently intend to pay quarterly dividends of approximately $   , distributed to our shareholders on a pro-rata basis. Although we intend to pay dividends pursuant to this policy, our common shares will have no contractual or other legal right to dividends. The payment of any such future dividends will be at the discretion of our 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 and agreements governing our indebtedness, and other relevant factors. Accordingly, we may not declare or make, or may have to reduce or eliminate, payments of any dividends. As a result, investors in this offering may not receive future dividends and the market price of our common shares may be adversely affected. See “Dividend Policy,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Capital Allocation Framework,” “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Taxation of Distributions” and “Material Canadian Federal Income Tax Considerations—Dividends” for additional information.

As a foreign private issuer, we are subject to different U.S. securities laws and rules than a domestic U.S. issuer, which may limit the information publicly available to our shareholders, or otherwise result in less protection than is accorded to investors under rules applicable to domestic U.S. issuers.

We are a “foreign private issuer,” as such term is defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, and are not subject to the same requirements that are imposed upon U.S. domestic issuers by the SEC. Under the Exchange Act, we will be subject to reporting obligations that, in certain respects, are less detailed and less frequent than those of U.S. domestic reporting companies. While we currently intend to continue to voluntarily file reports on domestic forms to satisfy certain requirements of our indentures governing certain of our outstanding indebtedness, we will not be subject to all of the rules that would apply to a domestic issuer. For instance, officers, directors, and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and “short swing” profit recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act. Therefore, our shareholders may not know on as timely a basis when our officers, directors and principal shareholders purchase or sell shares.

As a foreign private issuer, we will also be exempt from the rules and regulations under the Exchange Act related to the furnishing and content of proxy statements. We will also be exempt from Regulation FD, which prohibits issuers from making selective disclosures of material non-public information. As a foreign private issuer in the United States, we are not required to disclose executive compensation according to the requirements of Regulation S-K that apply to U.S. domestic issuers (including disclosure provisions requiring pay-versus-performance and CEO pay ratio disclosures), and we are otherwise not required to comply with the U.S. requirements relative to certain other proxy disclosures and requirements. While we will comply with the requirements relating to proxy statements (including as it relates to executive compensation disclosures) under the Canadian Business Corporations Act (the “CBCA”), which are generally similar, these requirements differ from those under the Exchange Act and Regulation FD and shareholders may not receive the same information at the same time as such information is provided by U.S. domestic companies.

In addition, as a foreign private issuer, we have the option to follow certain Canadian corporate governance practices, except to the extent that such laws would be contrary to U.S. securities laws, and provided that we disclose the requirements we are not following and describe the Canadian practices we follow instead. We intend to rely on this exemption with respect to requirements regarding the quorum for any meeting of our shareholders. We may in the future elect to follow home country practices in Canada with regard to other matters. As a result, our shareholders may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of U.S. domestic companies that are subject to all corporate governance requirements. See “Management—Corporate Governance.”

We may lose foreign private issuer status in the future, which could result in significant additional costs and expenses to us.

We may in the future lose our foreign private issuer status if a majority of our shares are held in the United States, among other possible occurrences. Although we have elected to comply with certain U.S. regulatory

 

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Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

provisions that are optional for foreign private issuers, our loss of foreign private issuer status would make such provisions mandatory. Although we currently intend to continue filing current and periodic reports on domestic forms, the regulatory and compliance costs to us under U.S. securities laws as a U.S. domestic issuer would be more burdensome than the costs incurred as a Canadian foreign private issuer. For instance, should we lose our foreign private issuer status, we would lose our ability to rely on the exemption from the reporting and “short swing” profit recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act. Further, we would become subject to the rules and regulations under the Exchange Act related to the furnishing and content of proxy statements. Additionally, if we are not a foreign private issuer, we may lose our ability to rely upon exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements on U.S. stock exchanges that are available to foreign private issuers.

Our amended bylaws will provide that any derivative actions, actions relating to breach of fiduciary duties and other matters relating to our internal affairs will be required to be litigated in Canada, which could limit your ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us.

We will adopt a forum selection bylaw that provides that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Superior Court of Justice of the Province of Ontario, Canada and appellate Courts therefrom (or, failing such Court, any other “court” as defined in the CBCA having jurisdiction, and the appellate Courts therefrom), will be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any application for an oppression remedy; (iii) any action or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of the fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or any of our stakeholders; (iv) any action or proceeding asserting a claim of breach of the duty of care owed by us or by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or any of our stakeholders; (v) any action or proceeding asserting a claim or seeking a remedy arising pursuant to any provision of the CBCA or our amended articles or bylaws; or (vi) any action or proceeding asserting a claim otherwise related to our “affairs” (as defined in the CBCA). Our forum selection bylaw also provides that our securityholders are deemed to have consented to personal jurisdiction in the Province of Ontario and to service of process on their counsel in any foreign action initiated in violation of our bylaw. Therefore, it may not be possible for securityholders to litigate any action relating to the foregoing matters outside of the Province of Ontario. Notwithstanding the foregoing, our forum selection bylaw does not apply to any action brought to enforce any liability or duty created by the Exchange Act or the Securities Act, including the respective rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, or any other claim under U.S. securities law for which the United States federal or state courts have exclusive jurisdiction.

Our forum selection bylaw seeks to reduce litigation costs and increase outcome predictability by requiring derivative actions and other matters relating to our affairs to be litigated in a single forum. While forum selection clauses in corporate charters and bylaws are becoming more commonplace for public companies in the United States and have been upheld by courts in certain states, they are untested in Canada. It is possible that the validity of our forum selection bylaw could be challenged and that a court could rule that such bylaw is inapplicable or unenforceable. If a court were to find our forum selection bylaw inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions and we may not obtain the benefits of limiting jurisdiction to the courts selected.

Provisions of our charter documents and certain Canadian legislation could delay or deter a change of control, limit attempts by our shareholders to replace or remove our current senior management and affect the market price of our common shares.

Our amended articles of incorporation will authorize our board of directors to issue an unlimited number of preferred shares without shareholder approval and to determine the rights, privileges, restrictions and conditions granted to or imposed on any unissued series of preferred shares. Those rights may be superior to those of our common shares. For example, preferred shares may rank prior to our common shares as to dividend rights, liquidation preferences or both, may have full or limited voting rights and may be convertible into common shares. If we were to issue a significant number of preferred shares, these issuances could deter or delay an

 

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Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

attempted acquisition of us or make the removal of management more difficult, particularly in the event that we issue preferred shares with special voting rights. Issuances of preferred shares, or the perception that such issuances may occur, could cause the trading price of our common shares to drop.

In addition, provisions in the CBCA and in our amended articles of incorporation and bylaws may have the effect of delaying or preventing changes in our corporate governance, including provisions that:

 

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require that any action to be taken by our shareholders be effected at a duly called annual or special meeting and not by written consent;

 

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establish an advance notice procedure for shareholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting, including proposed nominations of persons for election to our board of directors; and

 

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require the approval of a two-thirds majority of the votes cast by shareholders present in person or by proxy in order to amend certain provisions of our amended articles of incorporation.

These provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our shareholders to launch a proxy contest or replace or remove our current senior management by making it more difficult for shareholders to replace members of our board of directors, which is responsible for appointing the members of our senior management. Any of these provisions could have the effect of delaying, preventing or deferring a change in control which could limit the opportunity for our common shareholders to receive a premium for their common shares, and could also affect the price that investors are willing to pay for common shares.

Our constating documents permit us to issue an unlimited number of common shares.

Our amended articles of incorporation permit us to issue an unlimited number of common shares. We anticipate that we will, from time to time, issue additional common shares in the future. Subject to the requirements of the NYSE, as a foreign private issuer, we will not be required to obtain the approval of shareholders for the issuance of additional common shares. Any further issuances of common shares will result in immediate dilution to existing shareholders and may have an adverse effect on the value of their shareholdings.

Following the completion of this offering, Hindalco will control a majority of the voting power of our common shares, which will prevent you and other shareholders from influencing significant decisions.

Immediately following the completion of this offering, Hindalco, through its wholly owned subsidiary AV Minerals (Netherlands) N.V., Inc., will own approximately % of our outstanding common shares (or % if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full). As long as Hindalco beneficially controls a majority of the voting power of our outstanding common shares with respect to a particular matter, it will generally be able to determine the outcome of all corporate actions requiring shareholder approval, including the election and removal of directors. Even if Hindalco were to control less than a majority of the voting power of our outstanding common shares, it may be able to influence the outcome of such corporate actions so long as it owns a significant portion of our outstanding common shares. Unless Hindalco were to dispose of a substantial portion of our common shares following the completion of this offering, it could remain our controlling shareholder for an extended period of time or indefinitely.

Hindalco’s interests may not be the same as, or may conflict with, the interests of our other shareholders. Investors in this offering will not be able to affect the outcome of any shareholder vote while Hindalco controls the majority of the voting power of our outstanding common shares.

Because Hindalco’s interests may differ from ours or from those of our other shareholders, actions that Hindalco takes with respect to us as our controlling shareholder may not be favorable to us or our other shareholders.

 

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Confidential Treatment Requested by Novelis Inc.

Pursuant to 17 C.F.R. Section 200.83

 

We will be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the rules of the NYSE and, as a result, will qualify for, and intend to rely on, exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements. You will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to such requirements.

Upon completion of this offering, Hindalco, through its wholly owned subsidiary AV Minerals (Netherlands) N.V., Inc., will continue to control a majority of the voting power of our outstanding common shares. As a result, we will be a “controlled company” within the meaning of the corporate governance standards of the NYSE. Under these rules, a listed company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and it may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including:

 

•

the requirement that a majority of the board of directors consist of independent directors;

 

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the requirement that our nominating and corporate governance committee be composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities; and

 

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the requirement that our compensation committee be composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities.

While Hindalco controls a majority of the voting power of our outstanding common shares, we may not have a majority of independent directors or our Nominating and Corporate Governance and Compensation Committees may not consist entirely of independent directors. Accordingly, you will not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the corporate governance requirements of the NYSE. See “Management—Director Independence and Controlled Company Exception.”

Conflicts of interest and disputes may arise between Hindalco and us that could be resolved in a manner unfavorable to us.

Questions relating to conflicts of interest and actual disputes may arise between Hindalco and us in a number of areas relating to our past and ongoing relationships. Areas in which conflicts of interest or disputes between Hindalco and us could arise include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

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Competing business activities and business opportunities. Hindalco is a large global company with businesses spanning a wide range of industries, including other businesses relating to aluminum manufacturing. In the ordinary course of its business activities, Hindalco may engage in activities where its interests conflict with our interests or those of our other shareholders. In addition, our directors who are employed by or otherwise affiliated with Hindalco may have or make investments in other companies that may compete with us. Hindalco also may pursue acquisition opportunities that may be complementary to our business, and, as a result, those acquisition opportunities may not be available to us. As a result, our future competitive position and growth potential could be adversely affected.

 

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Cross officerships, directorships and share ownership. The ownership interests of our directors or executive officers in the equity shares of Hindalco or service as a director or officer of both Hindalco and us could create, or appear to create, conflicts of interest when directors and executive officers are faced with decisions that could have different implications for the two companies. For example, these decisions could relate to (i) disagreement over the desirability of a potential business or acquisition opportunity or business plans, (ii) employee retention or recruiting or (iii) our dividend policy.

Any such conflicts of interest or disputes that are not resolved in favor of our business could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

 

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