EX-99.1 PRESS RELEASE ISSUED FEBRUARY 8, 2008
Published on February 11, 2008
Exhibit 99.1
For Immediate Release
Novelis Reports Results for Third Quarter of Fiscal Year 2008
Company Continues to Show Operational Improvements
ATLANTA, Feb. 8, 2007 Novelis Inc., a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited
(BSE: HINDALCO), today reported a net loss of $49 million for the third quarter of fiscal year
2008, which ended on December 31, 2007. This compares with a net loss of $105 million for the
corresponding period of 2006. (Novelis changed its fiscal year-end from December 31 to March 31
following its acquisition by Hindalco on May 15, 2007.)
Challenging market conditions in North America and a slow end to 2007 in Europe were offset by
record volumes in both Asia and South America. Total rolled products shipments in the quarter
increased slightly to 730 kilotonnes (kt) from 729 kt in the corresponding period of 2006.
Novelis incurred a pre-tax loss of US$45 million on sales of $2,735 million, compared with the
prior-year period when it incurred a pre-tax loss of $140 million on sales of $2,472 million. The
$95 million increase in pre-tax earnings reflects significant underlying operational improvement.
This increase is due to a number of positive business factors, including the following:
| Product mix improvements and price increases added approximately $45 million of pre-tax earnings compared with the prior-year period. | |
| The companys exposure to customer contracts with metal price ceilings was reduced by $42 million, net of hedges, compared with the prior-year period. | |
| Corporate selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were reduced by $22 million driven by streamlining of corporate staff and costs related to financial reporting requirements in the prior year. | |
| Interest expense was $10 million lower primarily due to penalty interest and the write-off of backstop commitment fees incurred during the prior year as a result of our delayed filings and lower interest rates in the current year. |
The prior years quarter included the benefit of a $26 million gain from the sale of an equity
interest in a non-consolidated affiliate and certain rights to develop hydroelectric power plants
in South America.
In addition to these items, pre-tax earnings during the quarter ended December 31, 2007, were
impacted by certain income and expense items associated with fair value adjustments recorded at the
date of acquisition. The net pre-tax impact of these items was a benefit of $8 million primarily
driven by the amortization of accruals related to unfavorable contracts (recorded at fair value at
the date of acquisition) partially offset by higher depreciation and amortization.
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While the bottom line is still not satisfactory, these results reflect continued progress towards
improving our performance in an environment of high energy costs and volatile metal price and
currencies, said Martha Brooks, President and Chief Operating Officer. Product mix improvements,
price increases and reduced exposure to contracts with metal price ceilings are examples of the
steps we have taken to improve our business fundamentals.
Included in the net loss of $49 million for the third quarter of fiscal year 2008 is $4 million of
income tax expense. Significant tax items in the quarter included:
| $32 million of tax expense related to exchange translation and re-measurement items; | ||
| $14 million of tax expense on valuation allowance increases primarily related to tax losses in certain jurisdictions where the company believes, based on current facts and circumstances, it will not be able to utilize those losses; and | ||
| $32 million of tax benefit associated with enacted tax rate changes. |
Cash taxes paid during the third quarter of fiscal year 2008 were $19 million.
Nine Month Results (see Note below regarding combined results of operations)
For the nine months ended December 31, 2007, (year-to-date or current year), Novelis reported a
combined net loss of $187 million. This compares with a net loss of $201 million for the
corresponding period of 2006.
Year-to-date rolled products shipments increased to 2,234 kt from 2,219 kt in the prior year. The
company incurred a combined pre-tax loss of $182 million on combined net sales of $8,384 million in
the current year, which represents an improvement of $124 million over the prior year when Novelis
reported a pre-tax loss of $306 million on net sales of $7,530 million.
The combined pre-tax loss for the first nine months of fiscal year 2008 includes a number of
non-recurring expenses related to the acquisition by Hindalco. These include $45 million of stock
compensation expense triggered by the sale of Novelis and $32 million for sale transaction costs,
among other items, as the company previously disclosed in its financial results for the first
quarter of fiscal year 2008. Excluding the transaction expenses, pre-tax improvement was $201
million compared with the corresponding period of 2006. This was primarily driven by improvements
in prices, product mix and volumes, reduced corporate costs and reduced exposure to contracts with
metal price ceilings. In addition, the combined pre-tax loss for the nine months ended December
31, 2007, was impacted by certain income and expense items associated with fair value adjustments
recorded at the date of acquisition. The net pre-tax impact of these items was a benefit of $18
million primarily driven by the amortization of accruals related to unfavorable contracts (recorded
at fair value at the date of acquisition) partially offset by higher depreciation and amortization.
Included in the net loss of $187 million is $8 million of income tax expense. This compares with
the corresponding period of 2006 when the net loss of $201 million included an income tax benefit
of $106 million. Significant tax items in the first nine months of fiscal year 2008 included:
| $112 million of exchange translation and re-measurement expense; | ||
| $67 million of valuation allowance increases primarily related to tax losses in certain jurisdictions where the company believes, based on current facts and circumstances, it will not be able to utilize those losses; and | ||
| $101 million of tax benefit associated with enacted tax rate changes. |
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Cash taxes paid during the first nine months of fiscal year 2008 were $59 million.
For further information regarding Novelis third quarter and year-to-date results, please review
the companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission on February 8, 2008.
NOTE REGARDING COMBINED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND SELECTED FINANCIAL AND OPERATING INFORMATION DUE
TO THE ACQUISITION
Under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (GAAP), the
condensed consolidated financial statements for the nine months ended December 31, 2007, are
presented in two distinct periods, as Predecessor and Successor entities are not comparable in all
material respects. However, in order to facilitate an understanding of our results of operations
for the nine months ended December 31, 2007, in comparison with the nine months ended December 31,
2006, our Predecessor results and our Successor results are presented and discussed on a combined
basis. The combined results of operations are non-GAAP financial measures, do not include any
pro-forma assumptions or adjustments and should not be used in isolation or substitution of the
Predecessor and Successor results.
Shown below are combining schedules of (1) shipments and (2) our results of operations for periods
allocable to the Successor, Predecessor and the combined presentation for the nine months ended
December 31, 2007:
May 16, 2007 | April 1, 2007 | ||||||||||||
Through | Through | Nine Months Ended | |||||||||||
December 31, | May 15, | December 31, | |||||||||||
2007 | 2007 | 2007 | |||||||||||
Combined Shipments (kt)(A) |
Successor | Predecessor | Combined | ||||||||||
Rolled products(B) |
1,886 | 348 | 2,234 | ||||||||||
Ingot products(C) |
108 | 15 | 123 | ||||||||||
Total shipments |
1,994 | 363 | 2,357 | ||||||||||
(A) | One kilotonne (kt) is 1,000 metric tonnes. One metric tonne is equivalent to 2,204.6 pounds. | |
(B) | Rolled products include tolling (the conversion of customer-owned metal). | |
(C) | Ingot products include primary ingot in Brazil, foundry products in Korea and Europe, secondary ingot in Europe and other miscellaneous recyclable aluminum. |
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April 1, 2007 | |||||||||||||
May 16, 2007 | Through | ||||||||||||
Through | May 15, | Nine Months Ended | |||||||||||
December 31, 2007 | 2007 | December 31, 2007 | |||||||||||
Combined Results of Operations ($ in millions) |
Successor | Predecessor | Combined | ||||||||||
Net sales |
$ | 7,103 | $ | 1,281 | $ | 8,384 | |||||||
Cost of goods sold (exclusive of depreciation and
amortization shown below) |
6,466 | 1,205 | 7,671 | ||||||||||
Selling, general and administrative expenses |
229 | 95 | 324 | ||||||||||
Depreciation and amortization |
260 | 28 | 288 | ||||||||||
Research and development expenses |
34 | 6 | 40 | ||||||||||
Interest expense and amortization of debt issuance costs
net |
128 | 26 | 154 | ||||||||||
(Gain) loss on change in fair value of derivative
instruments net |
72 | (20 | ) | 52 | |||||||||
Equity in net (income) loss of non-consolidated affiliates |
9 | (1 | ) | 8 | |||||||||
Sale transaction fees |
| 32 | 32 | ||||||||||
Other (income) expenses net |
(7 | ) | 4 | (3 | ) | ||||||||
7,191 | 1,375 | 8,566 | |||||||||||
Loss before provision for taxes and minority interests
share |
(88 | ) | (94 | ) | (182 | ) | |||||||
Provision for taxes |
4 | 4 | 8 | ||||||||||
Loss before minority interests share |
(92 | ) | (98 | ) | (190 | ) | |||||||
Minority interests share |
2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||
Net loss |
$ | (90 | ) | $ | (97 | ) | $ | (187 | ) | ||||
About Novelis
Novelis Inc. is the global leader in aluminum rolled products and aluminum can recycling. The company operates in 11 countries, has approximately 12,900 employees and reported revenue of $9.8 billion in 2006. Novelis supplies premium aluminum sheet and foil products to automotive, transportation, packaging, construction, industrial and printing markets throughout Asia, Europe, North America and South America. Novelis is a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, Asias largest integrated producer of aluminum and a leading copper producer. Hindalco is the flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Mumbai, India. For more information on Novelis, please visit www.novelis.com.
Novelis Inc. is the global leader in aluminum rolled products and aluminum can recycling. The company operates in 11 countries, has approximately 12,900 employees and reported revenue of $9.8 billion in 2006. Novelis supplies premium aluminum sheet and foil products to automotive, transportation, packaging, construction, industrial and printing markets throughout Asia, Europe, North America and South America. Novelis is a subsidiary of Hindalco Industries Limited, Asias largest integrated producer of aluminum and a leading copper producer. Hindalco is the flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, a multinational conglomerate based in Mumbai, India. For more information on Novelis, please visit www.novelis.com.
Statements made in this news release which describe Novelis intentions, expectations, beliefs or
predictions may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities laws. We caution
that, by their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty. These statements
are not guarantees of future performance and involve assumptions and risks and uncertainties that
are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what
is expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. We do not intend, and we
disclaim any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise. Important risk factors which could impact Novelis are
included under the caption Risk Factors in Novelis Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2006, as amended and filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and are
specifically incorporated by reference into this news release.
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Media Contact:
|
Investor Contact : | |
Charles Belbin
|
Robert M. Patterson | |
+1-404-814-4260 (office)
|
+1-404-814-4295 (office) | |
charles.belbin@novelis.com
|
bob.patterson@novelis.com |
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