20-F: Annual and transition report of foreign private issuers pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
Published on March 3, 2023
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM
(Mark One)
OR
For the fiscal year ended
OR
OR
Date of event requiring this shell company report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
For the transition period from to
Commission file number
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Grand Duchy of
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
+352 26 25 85 55
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant’s principal executive offices)
Chief Financial Officer
+
(Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person)
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act.
Title of each class |
Trading Symbol(s) |
Name of each exchange on which registered |
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act.
None.
Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report:
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act:
If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Non-Accelerated Filer ☐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 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to § 240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:
U.S. GAAP ☐ |
the International Accounting Standards Board ☒ |
If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.
Item 17 __ Item 18__
If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act):
Yes
Table of Contents
|
5 |
|
7 |
||
Group Consolidated Financial Statements – Basis of Preparation |
7 |
|
9 |
||
10 |
||
10 |
||
11 |
||
12 |
||
Item 1. Identity of Directors, Senior Management and Advisors |
12 |
|
12 |
||
12 |
||
41 |
||
52 |
||
53 |
||
73 |
||
83 |
||
87 |
||
88 |
||
89 |
||
Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk |
97 |
|
Item 12. Description of Securities Other than Equity Securities |
99 |
|
99 |
||
99 |
||
Item 14. Material Modifications to the Rights of Security Holders and Use of Proceeds |
99 |
|
99 |
||
100 |
||
100 |
||
101 |
||
101 |
||
Item 16D. Exemptions from the Listing Standards for Audit Committees |
102 |
|
Item 16E. Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers |
102 |
|
102 |
||
103 |
||
104 |
||
104 |
||
104 |
||
104 |
||
104 |
||
105 |
||
107 |
||
F-1 |
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
4
Definitions and Terminology
Except where the context otherwise requires or where otherwise indicated, all references to “AMPSA,” “Group,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A. and its consolidated subsidiaries, except where the context otherwise requires.
References to legislation are, except where otherwise stated, references to the legislation of the United States of America.
In addition, unless indicated otherwise, or the context otherwise requires, references in this annual report on Form 20-F (the “Annual Report”) to:
● | “AGSA” are to Ardagh Group S.A., a public limited liability company (société anonyme) incorporated and existing under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, having its registered office at 56, rue Charles Martel, L-2134 Luxembourg, Luxembourg, registered with the Luxembourg Register of Commerce and Companies (R.C.S. Luxembourg) under number B 160804; |
● | “AMP Business” are to the business of developing, manufacturing, marketing and selling metal beverage cans and ends and related technical and customer services as engaged by AMPSA and its subsidiaries; |
● | “AMP Transfer” are to a series of transactions pursuant to the Transfer Agreement in connection with the Business Combination effected by AGSA on April 1, 2021 that resulted in (a) the equity interests of Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited, an Irish subsidiary of AGSA, and certain other subsidiaries of AGSA engaged in the metal beverage can business being directly or indirectly owned by AMPSA (all such entities collectively, the “AMP Entities”) and (b) any assets and liabilities relating to the business of AGSA (other than the AMP Business) that are held by the AMP Entities being transferred to subsidiaries of AGSA that are not AMP Entities, and assets and liabilities relating to the AMP Business that are held by subsidiaries of AGSA (other than the AMP Entities) being transferred to the AMP Entities; |
● | “Ardagh Group” are to AGSA and its consolidated subsidiaries, except where the context requires otherwise; |
● | “Articles” are to the articles of association of AMPSA; |
● | “Business Combination” are to the transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement; |
● | “Business Combination Agreement” are to the Business Combination Agreement, dated as of February 22, 2021, as amended from time to time, by and among GHV, AMPSA, AGSA and MergeCo, and filed as Exhibits 4.1 and 4.2 to this Annual Report; |
● | “GHV” are to Gores Holdings V, Inc., a Delaware corporation which, following the Merger, was renamed to “Ardagh MP USA Inc.;” |
● | “GHV Sponsor” are to Gores Sponsor V LLC, a Delaware limited liability company; |
● | “MergeCo” are to Ardagh MP MergeCo Inc; |
● | “Merger” are to the merger of MergeCo with and into GHV, with GHV surviving the Merger as a wholly owned subsidiary of AMPSA, which occurred on August 4, 2021; |
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
5
● | “NYSE” are to the New York Stock Exchange; |
● | “Ordinary Shares” are to ordinary shares of AMPSA, with a nominal value of €0.01 per share; |
● | “Paris Agreement” are to the Paris Agreement of 2015 adopted by 196 countries, under which governments mutually pledged to limiting global warming to well-below 2°C, preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels; |
● | “PIPE” are to the private placement pursuant to which the Subscribers purchased 69,500,000 Ordinary Shares, for a purchase price of $10.00 per share (the “PIPE Shares”); |
● | “Preferred Shares” are to the 56,306,306 redeemable non-voting shares in the Company, with a par value of €4.44 per share, and any such shares issued from time to time in the Company; |
● | “REACH” are to the European Union’s regulations concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals; |
● | “Registration Rights and Lock-Up Agreement” are to the registration rights and lock-up agreement, dated as of August 4, 2021, by and among AGSA, AMPSA, GHV Sponsor and certain persons associated with GHV Sponsor, a form of which is filed as Exhibit 4.4 to this Annual Report; |
● | “Science-Based Sustainability Targets” are to the targets that are in line with what the latest climate science deems necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement (limiting global warming to well-below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C); |
● | “Science-Based Targets initiative” are to the initiative to drive climate action in the private sector by enabling companies to set science-based emissions reduction targets; |
● | “Scope 1 Emissions” are to those greenhouse gas emissions that an organization makes directly from activities; |
● | “Scope 2 Emissions” are to greenhouse gas emissions that an organization makes indirectly; |
● | “Scope 3 Emissions” are to all indirect greenhouse gas emissions that occur in the value chain of the reporting company, including both upstream and downstream emissions; |
● | “SEC” are to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; |
● | “Services Agreement” are to the services agreement, dated as of August 4, 2021, by and between AGSA and AMPSA, related to the provision of certain corporate and business-unit services by AGSA to AMPSA and its subsidiaries and by AMPSA and its subsidiaries to AGSA, filed as Exhibit 4.6 to this Annual Report; |
● | “Shareholders Agreement” are to the shareholders agreement entered into by AGSA and AMPSA on August 4, 2021 and filed as Exhibit 4.5 to this Annual Report; |
● | “Subscribers” are to the investors that purchased Ordinary Shares in the PIPE; |
● | “Subscription Agreements” are to the subscription agreements, dated as of February 22, 2021, entered into with the Subscribers and the GHV Sponsor, pursuant to which the Subscribers and the GHV Sponsor agreed to |
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
6
purchase, and AMPSA agreed to sell to the Subscribers and the GHV Sponsor the PIPE Shares for an aggregate cash amount of $600,000,000, a form of which is filed as Exhibit 4.3 to this Annual Report; |
● | “Transfer Agreement” are to the transfer agreement, dated as of February 22, 2021, by and between AGSA and AMPSA, filed as Exhibit 4.7 to this Annual Report; |
● | “Warrants” are to the warrants of AMPSA, each exercisable for one Share at an exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment; and |
● | “Warrant Agreement” are to the warrant agreement, dated as of August 10, 2020, by and between GHV and Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company as warrant agent, filed as Exhibit 2.3 to this Annual Report, as assigned to AMPSA and amended in accordance with a warrant assignment, assumption and amendment agreement, dated August 4, 2021, by and among AMPSA, GHV, Computershare Inc. and Computershare Trust Company, N.A., filed as Exhibit 2.2 to this Annual Report. |
General Information
AMPSA was incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on January 20, 2021 as a public limited liability company (société anonyme) having its registered office at 56, rue Charles Martel, L‑2134 Luxembourg, Luxembourg and registered with the Luxembourg Register of Commerce and Companies (Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés de Luxembourg) under number B 251465.
The Company has direct and indirect ownership of 100% of the issued share capital of holding companies which hold all of our finance and operating subsidiaries.
Group Consolidated Financial Statements – Basis of Preparation
The consolidated financial statements of the Group have been prepared in accordance with, and are in compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) and related interpretations, as adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board (the “IASB”). IFRS is comprised of standards and interpretations approved by the IASB and IFRS and interpretations approved by the predecessor International Accounting Standards Committee that have been subsequently approved by the IASB and remain in effect. References to IFRS hereafter should be construed as references to IFRS as adopted by the IASB.
The consolidated financial statements, are presented in U.S. dollar, rounded to the nearest million and have been prepared under the historical cost convention, except for the following:
● | Private and Public Warrants and the Earnout Shares are stated at fair value; and |
● | derivative financial instruments are stated at fair value; and |
● | employee benefit obligations are measured at the present value of the future estimated cash flows related to benefits earned and pension assets valued at fair value. |
The preparation of consolidated financial information in conformity with IFRS requires the use of critical accounting estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and income and expenses. It also requires management to exercise judgment in the process of applying Group accounting policies. These estimates, assumptions and judgments are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances and are subject to continual re-evaluation. However, actual outcomes may differ from these estimates. The areas involving a higher degree of judgment or complexity, or areas where
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
7
assumptions and estimates are significant to the consolidated financial statements are discussed in the critical accounting estimates, assumptions and judgments.
Basis of preparation prior to the AMP Transfer
For the periods prior to the AMP Transfer, consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a carve-out basis from the consolidated financial statements of AGSA, to represent the financial position and performance of the AMP Business as if the AMP Business had existed on a stand-alone basis for the year ended December 31, 2020 and for the three months from January 1, 2021 to April 1, 2021, the date that the AMP Transfer occurred, for the audited consolidated income statement, statement of comprehensive income, statement of cash flows and as at December 31, 2020 for the audited consolidated statement of financial position. However, those consolidated financial statements are not necessarily indicative of the results that would have occurred if the AMP Business had been a stand-alone entity during the period presented.
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared by aggregating the financial information from the entities as described in note 26 to the audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report, together with assets, liabilities, income and expenses that management has determined are specifically attributable to the AMP Business including related party borrowings, and direct and indirect costs and expenses related to the operations of the AMP Business. The following summarizes the principles applied in preparing the consolidated financial statements:
● | Controlled companies that are part of the AMP Business have been included in the consolidated financial statements, as further described in note 26 to the audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report. Goodwill, customer relationship intangible assets and fair value adjustments directly attributable to the acquisition of the controlled companies that are part of the AMP Business by Ardagh Group, have been included in the consolidated financial statements. No companies were acquired or disposed of during the financial periods prior to the AMP Transfer; |
● | The AMP Business did not in the past form a separate legal group and therefore it is not possible to show issued share capital or a full analysis of reserves. The net assets of the AMP Business are represented by the cumulative investment of Ardagh Group in the AMP Business, shown as invested capital; |
● | All intercompany balances, investments in subsidiaries and share capital within the AMP Business have been eliminated upon combination in the consolidated financial statements; |
● | All employee benefit obligations are directly attributable to the AMP Business and are obligations of the entities described in note 20 to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report; |
● | Cumulative translation differences directly attributable to the controlled companies that are part of the AMP Business, have been allocated at the amounts included in Ardagh Group’s consolidated financial statements; |
● | Corporate center costs allocated by Ardagh Group, prior to the AMP Transfer, have been included in selling, general and administration (“SG&A”) expenses ($27 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, and $9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021). The Ardagh Group support provided to the AMP Business included stewardship by Ardagh Group senior management personnel and functional support in terms of typical corporate areas such as Group finance, legal and risk, in addition to, discrete support which was provided from centralized management activities such as human resources (“HR”), Sustainability and information technology (“IT”) in order to complement and support the activities in these areas which existed within the AMP Business. The Ardagh Group corporate head office costs were allocated principally based on Adjusted EBITDA, with settlement of these costs recorded within invested capital. The allocations to the AMP Business reflected all the costs of doing business and management believes that the allocations were reasonable and materially reflected |
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
8
what the expenses would have been on a stand-alone basis. These costs reflected the arrangements that existed in Ardagh Group and are not necessarily representative of costs that may arise in the future; |
● | Tax charges and credits and balances in the consolidated financial statements have been calculated as if the AMP Business was a separate taxable entity using the separate return method. The tax charges and credits recorded in the consolidated income statement and tax balances recorded in the consolidated statement of financial position have been affected by the taxation arrangements within Ardagh Group and are not necessarily representative of the positions that may arise in the future. Differences between the tax charges and credits and balances in the consolidated financial statements, and the tax charges and credits and balances in the historical records of the AMP Business are included in invested capital; |
● | The AMP Business has its own treasury functional team with certain treasury and risk management functions being performed by a central treasury function, which includes cash pooling and similar arrangement between Ardagh Group and the AMP Business. Interest on related party borrowings and allocated costs and expenses as described below have generally been deemed to have been paid by the AMP Business to Ardagh Group in the month in which the costs were incurred. In addition, all external debt used to fund Ardagh Group’s operations is managed and held centrally. Related party borrowings to Ardagh Group, representing back-to-back agreements related to those components of Ardagh Group’s corporate debt used to fund the initial acquisition of the AMP Business by Ardagh Group, are included in the consolidated financial statements reflecting the debt obligation and related interest costs of the AMP Business. Any cash balances reflected on the consolidated financial statements are legally owned by the AMP Business. Ardagh Group has entered into certain derivative instruments with external counterparties on behalf of the AMP Business and on the back of those related-party derivatives between Ardagh Group and the AMP Business have been executed, the impact of which have been included in the consolidated financial statements; |
● | Other intercompany balances between Ardagh Group and the AMP Business with the exception of the related party borrowings discussed above are deemed to be long term funding in nature and did not remain a liability upon separation from Ardagh Group and hence have been presented as part of invested capital in the consolidated financial statements. |
Basis of preparation after the AMP Transfer
For the periods after the AMP Transfer, from April 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021, and the year ended December 31, 2022, consolidated financial statements have been prepared for the Group as a stand-alone business. The accounting policies, presentation and methods of computation followed in the consolidated financial statements are consistent with those applied in the audited consolidated financial statements of the AMP Business for the year ended December 31, 2020, except for the new or amended accounting policies identified as applying after the AMP Transfer as indicated in the paragraphs below, in addition to the calculation of earnings per share as further detailed in note 8, the Preferred Shares and the Ordinary Shares repurchased as further detailed in note 17, the recognition and measurement of the Earnout Shares and Public and Private Warrants as further detailed in note 21 and the recognition and measurement of the IFRS 2 charge in note 24, with all notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report.
The consolidated financial statements for the Group were authorized for issue by the board of directors of Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A. (the “Board”) on February 21, 2023.
Currencies
In this Annual Report, unless otherwise specified or the context otherwise requires:
● | “$,” “USD” and “U.S. dollar” each refer to the lawful currency of the United States of America; |
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
9
● | “€,” “EUR” and “euro” each refer to the euro, the single currency of the participating members of the European Economic and Monetary Union pursuant to the Treaty Establishing the European Community, as amended from time to time; and |
● | “£” and “pounds” refer to pounds sterling, the lawful currency of the United Kingdom. |
Safe Harbor Statement
This Annual Report does not constitute or form part of any offer for sale or subscription of or solicitation or invitation of any offer to buy or subscribe for any securities, including in the United States, nor shall it or any part of it form the basis of or be relied on in connection with any contract or commitment whatsoever. Specifically, this Annual Report does not constitute a “prospectus” within the meaning of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
We routinely post important information on our website https://www.ardaghmetalpackaging.com/corporate/investors. This website and any other websites referenced herein and the information contained therein or connected thereto shall not be deemed to be incorporated into this Annual Report.
Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report may contain estimates and “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Forward-looking statements are not historical facts and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond our control. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from expectations. The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “may,” “plan,” “estimate,” “intend,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” and the negatives of these words and other similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements in this Annual Report are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments, and other factors we believe are appropriate in the circumstances.
It is possible that actual events could differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements in this Annual Report from our current expectations and projections about future events at the time due to a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the following:
● | changes in the political, credit, financial and/or economic environment in which we operate, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, such as reducing demand for our products; |
● | competition from other metal packaging producers and alternative forms of packaging; |
● | increases in metal beverage cans manufacturing capacity without corresponding increases in demand; |
● | concentration of our customers and further consolidation of our existing customer base; |
● | changes in our customers’ strategic choices, such as whether to prioritize price or volume requirements; |
● | varied seasonal demands for our products and unseasonable weather conditions; |
● | availability and any increase in the costs of raw materials, including as a result of changes in tariffs and duties and our inability to fully pass-through input costs; |
● | stability of energy supply and increase in energy prices, including in Europe as a result of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war (as defined below); |
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
10
● | reliance on our suppliers and their ability to make timely deliveries due to factors such as supply chain disruption; |
● | currency, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations; |
● | interruption in the operations of our production facilities; |
● | future acquisitions, including with respect to successful integration; |
● | a significant write down of goodwill; |
● | data protection, data breaches, cyber attacks on our information technology (“IT”) systems and network disruptions, including the costs and reputational harm associated with such events; |
● | impact of climate change, both physical and transitional; |
● | environmental, health and safety concerns, as well as legal, regulatory or other measures to address such concerns and associated costs to us; |
● | legislation and regulation, including costs of compliance and changes to laws and regulations governing our business; |
● | workplace injury and illness claims at our production facilities; |
● | litigation, arbitration and other proceedings; |
● | changes in consumer lifestyle, nutritional preferences, health-related concerns and consumer taxation; |
● | costs and future funding obligations associated with post-retirement benefits provided to our employees; |
● | organized strikes or work stoppages by our unionized employees; |
● | failure of our control measures and systems that result in faulty or contaminated products; |
● | non-existent, insufficient or prohibitively expensive insurance coverage; |
● | dependence on our executive and senior management, and personnel; and |
● | other risks and uncertainties described herein, including those under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors.” |
In addition, new risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual events to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Therefore, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. While we continually review trends and uncertainties affecting our results of operations and financial condition, we do not assume any obligation to update or supplement any particular forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report.
Non-IFRS Financial Measures
This Annual Report contains certain consolidated financial measures such as Adjusted EBITDA, working capital, net debt, Adjusted profit/(loss), Adjusted earnings/(loss) per share, and ratios relating thereto that are not calculated in accordance with IFRS or Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). Adjusted EBITDA consists of profit/(loss) for the year before income tax expense/(credit), net finance expense, depreciation and amortization and exceptional operating items. Adjusted profit consists of profit/(loss) for the year before total exceptional items, gains/(losses) on derivatives, intangible amortization and associated tax credits. Adjusted earnings per share is calculated based on adjusted profit for the year divided by the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue.
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
11
Non-IFRS financial measures may be considered in addition to IFRS financial information, but should not be used as substitutes for the corresponding IFRS measures. The non-IFRS financial measures used by AMPSA may differ from, and not be comparable to, similarly titled measures used by other companies.
Part I
Item 1. Identity of Directors, Senior Management and Advisors
Not Applicable
Item 2. Offer Statistics and Expected Timetable
Not Applicable
Item 3. Key Information
A.Reserved
B.Capitalization and indebtedness
Not Applicable
C.Reasons for the offer and use of proceeds
Not Applicable
D.Risk Factors
Our business is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects and that are described below. In addition, you should consider the interrelationship and compounding effects of two or more risks occurring simultaneously.
Summary Risk Factors
The following summarizes the material risks that could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects. You should carefully consider all the information set forth in this Annual Report on Form 20-F including, but not limited to, the risks set forth in this Item 3.D. Our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks.
● | risks relating to changes in the political, credit, financial and/or economic environment in which we operate, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, such as reducing demand for our products; |
● | risks relating to competition from other metal packaging producers and alternative forms of packaging; |
● | risks relating to an increase in metal beverage can manufacturing capacity without a corresponding increase in demand; |
● | risks relating to the concentration of our customers or changes in our customers’ strategic choices, such as whether to prioritize price or volume requirements; |
● | risks associated with the further consolidation of our existing customer base; |
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
12
● | risks relating to the varied seasonal demands for our products and unseasonable weather conditions; |
● | risks relating to the availability and any increase in the costs of raw materials, including as a result of changes in tariffs and duties and our inability to fully pass-through input costs; |
● | risks relating to the stability of energy supply and increase in energy prices, including in Europe as a result of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war (as defined below); |
● | risks associated with our reliance on our suppliers and their ability to make timely deliveries due to factors such as supply chain disruption; |
● | risks relating to currency, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations; |
● | risks relating to any interruption in the operations of our production facilities; |
● | risks associated with future acquisitions, including with respect to successful integration; |
● | risks associated with a significant write down of goodwill; |
● | risks associated with data protection, data breaches, cyber attacks on our IT systems and network disruptions, including the costs and reputational harm associated with such events; |
● | risks relating to the impact of climate change, both physical and transitional, as well as those associated with the failure to meet our sustainability targets; |
● | risks relating to environmental, health and safety concerns, legal, regulatory or other measures to address such concerns and associated costs to us; |
● | risks relating to legislation and regulation, including costs of compliance and changes to laws and regulations governing our business; |
● | risks associated with workplace injury and illness claims at our production facilities; |
● | risks relating to litigation, arbitration and other proceedings; |
● | risks associated with changes in consumer lifestyle, nutritional preferences, health-related concerns and consumer taxation; |
● | risks associated with costs and future funding obligations associated with post-retirement benefits provided to our employees; |
● | risks relating to organized strikes or work stoppages by our unionized employees; |
● | risks relating to failure of our control measures and systems that result in faulty or contaminated products; |
● | risks associated with non-existent, insufficient or prohibitively expensive insurance coverage; |
● | risks relating to our dependence on our executive and senior management, and highly skilled personnel; |
● | risks associated with Brexit (as defined below); |
● | risks relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and any future pandemics or epidemics that may have adverse impacts on worldwide economic activity and our business; |
● | risks associated with failure to maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and internal controls over financial reporting; |
● | risks relating to the activities of our shareholders and our position as a company controlled by AGSA; |
● | risks relating to the services provided to us by AGSA pursuant to the Services Agreement, including our ability to operate our business cost effectively following the expiration or termination of the Services Agreement; |
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
13
● | risks relating to our capital structure, including our substantial debt profile, ability to raise new financing or refinance existing financing, and ability to comply with the covenants in our financing agreements; |
● | risks relating to the ownership of our Ordinary Shares, including those associated with our status as a Luxembourg company and a foreign private issuer; and |
● | other risks and uncertainties as set forth in this Item 3D. Risk Factors. |
For a more complete discussion of the material risks facing our business, see below.
Risks Relating to Our Business
Changes to the political, credit, financial and/or economic environment in which we operate could have a material adverse effect on our business, such as affecting consumer demand for beverage products, which could impact our customers and as a result, reduce the demand for our products.
Demand for our packaging depends on demand for the products that use our packaging, which is primarily consumer driven and dependent on general economic conditions. Deteriorating general economic conditions may adversely impact consumer confidence resulting in reduced spending on our customers’ products and, thereby, reduced or postponed demand for our products. Any adverse economic or political conditions may also lead to a limited availability of credit, which could have an adverse effect on the financial condition, particularly on the purchasing ability of some of our customers and distributors. This may result in requests for extended payment terms, credit losses, insolvencies and diminished available sales channels. Deteriorating general economic conditions could also have an adverse impact on our suppliers, causing them to experience financial distress or insolvency, and jeopardizing their ability to provide timely deliveries of raw materials and other essentials to us, which could in turn have material adverse effects on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects. Furthermore, such changes in general economic conditions as described above, among others, may reduce our ability to forecast developments in our industry and plan our operations and costs accordingly, resulting in operational inefficiencies.
Recent events that have had a significant impact on macroeconomic conditions around the world include the COVID-19 pandemic and the outbreak of war in Ukraine (the “Russia-Ukraine war”). Government measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant decline in business activity around the world. See also “—Pandemics or disease outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as governmental mandates and restrictions attributable thereto, have had, and may continue to have an adverse impact on worldwide economic activity and our business.” The Russia-Ukraine war and the sanctions and export-control measures instituted by the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom, among others, against Russian and Belarussian persons and entities in response have contributed and will likely continue to contribute to heightened inflationary pressures (including increased prices for oil and natural gas), natural gas supply shortages, supply chain disruptions, market volatility and economic uncertainty, particularly in Europe. See also “—Our profitability could be adversely affected by the availability and increase in the costs of raw materials, including as a result of changes in tariffs and duties.”
In June 2022, the World Bank warned that the Russia-Ukraine war had magnified the slowdown in the global economy triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and predicted that the global economy was entering what could become a protracted period of low growth and elevated inflation in which, for many countries, economic recession will likely be difficult to avoid. Meanwhile, inflation rates have recently increased significantly in the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil. Further increases in inflation rates and actions taken by central banks and other state actors to combat rising inflation rates, such as recent increases in base interest rates by the United States Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, the Bank of England and the Banco Central do Brasil, could further undermine economic growth, contribute to regional or global economic recessions, cause declines in consumer spending and confidence and increase borrowing costs, among other effects, each of which could materially adversely impact our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects. See “—Risks Relating to Our Capital Structure—Our substantial debt could adversely affect our financial health and our ability to effectively manage and grow
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
14
our business” for a detailed discussion on the impact of changes in global economic conditions on our ability to raise new financing or refinance our existing borrowings. The slowdown of the global economy could lead to volatility in exchange rates that could increase the costs of our products. See “—Currency, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations may have a material impact on our business” for a further discussion on how this volatility could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Any economic downturn or recession, lower than expected growth, rising inflation or an otherwise uncertain economic outlook, either globally or in the markets in which we operate could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
We face competition from other metal packaging producers, as well as from manufacturers of alternative forms of packaging.
The sectors in which we operate are relatively mature and competitive. Prices for the products manufactured by us are primarily driven by raw material costs. Competition in the market is based on price, as well as on innovation, sustainability, design, quality and service. Increases in productivity, combined with potential surplus capacity from recent or planned new investment in the industry, could result in pricing pressures in the future. Our principal competitors include Ball Corporation, Crown Holdings and CANPACK, and some of our competitors may have greater financial, technical or marketing resources, or may have excess capacity. To the extent that any one or more of our competitors become more successful with respect to any key competitive factor, our ability to attract and retain customers could be materially adversely affected. Moreover, changes in the global economic environment could result in reductions in demand for our products in certain instances, which could increase competitive pressures. The occurrence of any of the aforementioned events, among others, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects. See “—Changes to the political, credit, financial and/or economic environment in which we operate could have a material adverse effect on our business, such as affecting consumer demand for beverage products, which could impact our customers and as a result, reduce the demand for our products” for a further discussion on the impact of the global economic environment on our business.
In addition, we are subject to substantial competition from producers of packaging made from plastic, glass, carton and composites, for example, PET bottles for carbonated soft drinks. Changes in consumer preferences in terms of packaging materials, style and product presentation can significantly influence sales, and there can be no assurance that our products will successfully compete against alternative products. An increase in consumer demand for alternative packaging could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
Certain of our customers meet some of their metal beverage packaging requirements through self-manufacturing, which reduces their external purchases of packaging. For example, AB InBev manufactures metal beverage packaging through its associate, Metal Container Corporation in the United States, as well as directly in Brazil. The potential of further vertical integration of our customers could introduce new production capacity in the market, which may create an imbalance between metal beverage packaging supply and demand and could have a material adverse effect on our future performance.
An increase in metal beverage can manufacturing capacity, including that of our competitors, without a corresponding increase in demand for metal beverage can packaging could cause prices to decline or result in the curtailment or closure of certain of our operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
The profitability of metal beverage packaging companies is heavily influenced by the supply of, and demand for, metal packaging. We and all our major competitors, have recently undertaken or are currently undertaking significant metal beverage can capacity expansions in the United States, Europe and Brazil. Such expansions are long-term in nature and may produce excess supply conditions in the market upon completion. If metal beverage can manufacturing capacity
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
15
continues to increase and there is no corresponding increase in demand, the prices we receive for our products could decline or result in the curtailment or closure of certain of our operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
We cannot assure you that metal beverage can manufacturing capacity in any of our markets, including the capacity of our competitors, will not increase further in the future, nor can we assure you that demand for metal beverage packaging will meet or exceed supply. For example, energy shortages and elevated energy prices, particularly in Europe due to the Russia-Ukraine war, could cause our customers to suffer from production stoppages, which could reduce the demand for metal beverage cans.
As our customers are concentrated, our business could be materially adversely affected if we were unable to maintain relationships with our largest customers.
Our ten largest customers accounted for approximately 57% of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022. While we believe that we have good relationships with these customers, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain these relationships. Over 80% of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022 was backed by multi-year supply agreements, ranging from two to seven years in duration. Although these arrangements have provided, and we expect they will continue to provide, the basis for long-term partnerships with our customers, there can be no assurance that our customers will not cease to purchase our products. These arrangements, unless they are renewed, expire in accordance with their respective terms and may be terminated under certain circumstances, such as our failure to meet quality, volume or other contractual commitments. In addition, if our customers unexpectedly reduce the amount of metal beverage cans they purchase from us, cease purchasing our metal beverage cans altogether, or if there are any changes in their strategic choices, such as whether to prioritize price or volume requirements, our revenues could decrease and our inventory levels could increase, both of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
In addition, there can be no assurance that such arrangements will be renewed upon their expiration or that the terms of any renewal will be as favorable to us as the terms of the current arrangements, and there is also the risk that our customers may shift their filling operations to locations in which we do not operate. The loss of one or more of these customers, a significant reduction in sales to these customers, or a significant change in the commercial terms of our relationships with these customers could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Further consolidation of our customer base may intensify pricing pressures or result in the loss of customers, either of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Some of our largest customers have previously acquired companies with similar or complementary product lines, for example, in 2017 Heineken acquired Brasil Kirin and in 2016 AB InBev acquired SABMiller. Such consolidation resulted in an increase in the concentration of our sales with our largest customers and if similar consolidations should occur in the future, it could potentially be accompanied by pressure for lower prices. Increased pricing pressures from these customers may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects. In addition, any consolidation of our customers may lead to their reliance on a reduced number of suppliers. If, following the combination of one of our customers with another company, a competitor was to be the main supplier to the newly consolidated company, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow and prospects.
Demand for our products is seasonable. Unseasonable weather conditions, including as a result of climate change, could lead to unpredictability of demand and materially adversely affect our business.
Demand for our products is seasonal and strongest during spring and summer, which means that our sales in North America and Europe are typically, based on historical trends, greater in the second and third quarters of the year and
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
16
generally lower in the first and fourth quarters. In Brazil, sales are typically strongest in the first and fourth quarters and generally lower in the second and third quarters. However, demand for our products during the quarters with historically greater sales could be reduced if there is unseasonably cool weather in any of these regions.
Unseasonable weather could become a more frequent occurrence as a result of climate change, which could have an adverse effect on demand for our products. Conversely, climate change and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events could also increase demand for our products, such as during a prolonged heat wave in the spring or summer months, or an unseasonably hot period during the fall or winter months. The occurrence of any such events leading to unpredictability of demand could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects. See “—Climate change may adversely affect our ability to conduct our business, including the availability and cost of resources required for our production processes” for a more detailed discussion of the ability of extreme weather events to adversely impact our business.
Our profitability could be adversely affected by the availability and increase in the costs of raw and other input materials, including as a result of changes in tariffs and duties.
We use various raw and other input materials, such as aluminum, as well as materials derived from oil in our production. The availability of various raw and other input materials and their prices depend on global and local supply and demand forces, governmental regulations, level of production, resource availability, transportation and other factors, which could result in temporary shortages due to transportation disruptions, production delays impacting supplier production facility output, pandemic outbreaks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, or other factors. See “—Pandemics or disease outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as governmental mandates and restrictions attributable thereto, have had, and may continue to have an adverse impact on worldwide economic activity and our business” for more detail on the impact COVID-19 has had on our raw material supply chain. No assurance can be given that we would be able to secure our raw and other input materials from sources other than our current suppliers on terms as favorable as our current terms, or at all. The cost of any of the principal raw or input materials that we use may also significantly increase as a result of the introduction of tariffs of 10% on aluminum imports into the United States in 2018, which remain in effect, any other tariff increases, sanctions, duties, other trade actions or increases in our transportation costs. Any such shortages or increase in cost could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
The primary raw material that we use is aluminum ingot, which is in turn rolled into can body and can end stock by our suppliers for use in our production process. Our business is exposed to both the availability of aluminum and the volatility of aluminum prices, including associated premia. Aluminum ingot is traded daily as a commodity on the London Metal Exchange, which has historically been subject to significant price volatility. Because aluminum is priced in U.S. dollars, fluctuations in the U.S. dollar/euro rate also affect the euro cost of aluminum ingot. See “—Currency, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations may have a material impact on our business” for a detailed description on the currency risks associated with the price volatility of aluminum. While in the past sufficient quantities of aluminum have been generally available for purchase, these quantities may not be available in the future, and, even if available, we may not be able to continue to purchase them at current prices. In addition, any increase in the level of investment in metal beverage can capacity expansion by us and our competitors will require a significant increase in can sheet production by the aluminum suppliers, which will in turn require them to make significant investment and capital expenditures. Failure by the suppliers to increase capacity could cause supply shortages and significant increases in the cost of aluminum.
While raw materials are generally available from a range of suppliers, they are subject to fluctuations in price and availability based on a number of factors, including general economic conditions, commodity price fluctuations (such as with respect to aluminum on the London Metal Exchange), the demand by other industries, such as automotive, aerospace and construction, for the same raw materials and the availability of complementary and substitute materials. Furthermore, adverse economic or financial changes, industrial disputes, pandemic-related or energy-related supply disruptions could impact our suppliers, thereby causing supply shortages or increasing costs for our business. Our raw materials suppliers also operate in relatively concentrated industries, and this concentration can impact raw material costs. Over the last ten
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
17
years, the number of major aluminum and steel suppliers has decreased and there is a possibility of further consolidation. Further consolidation could hinder our ability to obtain adequate supplies of these raw materials and could lead to higher prices for aluminum and steel. In addition, the relative price of oil and its by-products could also impact our business, by affecting other input materials costs, such as coatings, lacquer and ink. Accordingly, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the related economic sanctions could have a material adverse effect on our operating costs, and in turn, our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects. See “—Changes to the political, credit, financial and/or economic environment in which we operate could have a material adverse effect on our business, such as affecting consumer demand for beverage products, which could impact our customers and as a result, reduce the demand for our products” for more details.
Although a significant number of our sales contracts with customers include provisions enabling us to pass-through increases and reductions in certain input costs, such as aluminum and coatings, we may not be able to pass on all or substantially all raw material and other input price increases or increase our prices to offset increases in raw and other input material costs without suffering reductions in unit volume, revenue and operating income. The perceived certainty of supply at our competitors may also put us at a competitive disadvantage regarding pricing and product volumes. In addition, we may not be able to hedge successfully against raw material cost increases. See “—Currency, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations may have a material impact on our business” for a more detailed description on hedging risks associated with commodity prices. Any of the above factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
We are dependent on a reliable and affordable supply of energy, and any shortage of energy supplies to our production facilities or increased energy prices would have a material adverse effect on our business.
We require access to reliable sources of affordable energy as certain energy sources are vital to our operations and we rely on a continuous power supply to effectively conduct our business. The Russia-Ukraine war and the related sanctions have led to a significant increase in our energy and other input costs, as well as limited availability of energy and there may be further adverse impacts on energy supplies and prices, particularly in Europe, as a result of uncertainty with regard to Russia’s production and export of oil and natural gas. See “—Changes to the political, credit, financial and/or economic environment in which we operate could have a material adverse effect on our business, such as affecting consumer demand for beverage products, which could impact our customers and as a result, reduce the demand for our products” for more details.
In the event of energy shortages or government measures rationing energy supplies to our industry in Europe, it is likely that we will be unable to meet our energy needs. This could lead to production stoppages, shutdowns, a decline in output, and decreased sales. In the event of a prolonged shortfall of adequate energy supplies, we could experience financial distress. In addition, any future increases or fluctuations in energy costs could result in a significant increase in our operating costs, and if we are not able to recover these costs from our customers, or through fixed-price procurement contracts, index tracking procurement contracts and hedging there could be a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
Currency, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations may have a material impact on our business.
Our functional currency is the euro and we present our financial information in U.S. dollars. Insofar as possible, we actively manage currency exposures through the deployment of assets and liabilities throughout the Group and, when necessary and economically justified, enter into currency hedging arrangements to manage our exposure to currency fluctuations by hedging against rate changes with respect to the euro. However, we may not be successful in limiting such exposure, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects. In addition, our presented results may be impacted because of fluctuations in the U.S. dollar exchange rate versus the euro.
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
18
We have production facilities in nine different countries, and sell products to, and obtain raw materials from, entities located in these and different regions and countries globally. As a result, a significant portion of our consolidated revenue, costs, assets and liabilities are denominated in currencies other than the euro, in particular, the U.S. dollar, the British pound and the Brazilian real. For the year ended December 31, 2022, 73% of our revenue were from countries with currencies other than the euro. The exchange rates between the currencies which we are exposed to, such as the euro, the U.S. dollar and the British pound, have fluctuated significantly in the past and may continue to do so in the future, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. Volatility in exchange rates could increase the costs of our products that we may not be able to pass on to our customers, impair the purchasing power of our customers in different markets, result in significant competitive benefit to certain of our competitors that incur a material part of their costs in different currencies than we do, hamper our pricing, increase our hedging costs and limit our ability to hedge our exchange rate exposure. Furthermore, we are exposed to currency transaction risks, where changes in exchange rates affect our ability to purchase equipment and raw materials and sell products at profitable prices, reduce the value of our assets and revenues, and increase liabilities and costs.
We are also subject to commodity price risk, mainly as a result of fluctuations in the price and availability of raw materials and energy, such as aluminum, natural gas and electricity. Aluminum has historically been subject to significant price volatility, and as aluminum is priced in U.S. dollars, fluctuations in the U.S. dollar/euro rate also affect the euro cost of aluminum. Where we are unable to pass-through increases in certain input costs to our customers, we operate hedging programs to manage the price and foreign currency risk on our aluminum purchases, but increased prices for aluminum could affect customer demand. See “—Our profitability could be adversely affected by the availability and increase in the costs of raw materials, including as a result of changes in tariffs and duties” for more information on the availability and cost of aluminum. We are also exposed to interest rate risk, where fluctuations in interest rates may affect our interest expense on existing debt and the cost of new financing. While we occasionally use cross currency interest rate swaps to manage this type of risk, sustained increases in interest rates could nevertheless materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects. See “—Risks Relating to Our Capital Structure—Our substantial debt could adversely affect our financial health and our ability to effectively manage and grow our business” for a further discussion on how increases in interest rates could affect our ability to service our indebtedness.
To counteract the effects of the aforementioned risks, we engage in certain hedging strategies. Our policy is, where practical, to match net investments in foreign currencies with borrowings and swaps in the same currency. We use derivative agreements to manage some of the material commodity cost risk. For example, as a result of the volatility of natural gas and electricity prices, we have developed an active hedging strategy to fix a significant proportion of our energy costs through contractual arrangements directly with our suppliers. Our policy is to purchase natural gas and electricity by entering into forward price-fixing arrangements with suppliers for the majority of our anticipated requirements for the year ahead. Such contracts are used exclusively to obtain delivery of our anticipated energy supplies. We do not net settle, nor do we sell within a short period of time after taking delivery. We avail ourselves of the own use exemption and, therefore, these contracts are treated as executory contracts. We typically build up these contractual positions in tranches of approximately 10% of the anticipated volumes, and also hedge portions of our natural gas, electricity and diesel price risk by entering into derivatives with banks where it is deemed favorable to hedging with suppliers. Any natural gas, electricity and diesel that is not purchased under forward fixed price arrangements or hedged with banks is purchased under index tracking contracts or at spot prices. However, there can be no assurance that our strategies will prove effective, given that there are certain circumstances that are beyond our control, such as for example increased market volatility as a result of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. See “—Changes to the political, credit, financial and/or economic environment in which we operate could have a material adverse effect on our business, such as affecting consumer demand for beverage products, which could impact our customers and as a result, reduce the demand for our products” for further details. Our costs could be adversely impacted to the extent we are unable to counteract the effects of the aforementioned risks effectively. For a further discussion of these matters and the measures we have taken to seek to protect our business against these risks, see “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” and “Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.”
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
19
Any interruption in the operations of our production facilities may adversely affect our business.
All of our manufacturing activities take place at production facilities that we own or lease under long-term leases. Our manufacturing processes include cutting, coating and shaping metal into containers. These processes, which are conducted at high speeds and involve operating heavy machinery and equipment, entail risks and hazards, including industrial accidents, leaks and ruptures, explosions, fires, mechanical failures and environmental hazards, such as spills, storage tank leaks, discharges or releases of toxic or hazardous substances and gases. Furthermore, certain of our production facilities are located in geographically vulnerable areas, including in some parts of the United States, and the risk of the occurrence of these hazards are exacerbated by the increasing frequency of extreme weather and natural disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and wildfires. These hazards may cause unplanned business interruptions, unscheduled downtime, transportation interruptions, personal injury and loss of life, severe damage to or the destruction of property and equipment, environmental contamination and other environmental damage, civil, criminal and administrative sanctions and liabilities, and third-party claims, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or prospects.
In addition, it may be increasingly difficult to obtain, renew or maintain permits and authorizations issued by governmental authorities necessary to operate our production facilities, due to the increasing urbanization of the sites where some of them are located. Urbanization could lead to more stringent operating conditions for obtaining or renewing the necessary authorizations, the refusal to grant or renew these authorizations, or expropriations of these sites for urban planning projects, any of which could result in the incurrence of significant costs, with no assurance of partial or full compensation from the governmental authorities.
Even though we conduct regular maintenance on our operating equipment, due to the extreme operating conditions inherent in some of our manufacturing processes, we cannot assure you that we will not incur unplanned business interruptions due to equipment breakdowns or similar manufacturing problems. We could also experience disruption to our IT systems and other automated manufacturing processes, including through cyber security attacks, which could halt or severely reduce production. See “—Our heavy reliance on technology and automated systems to operate our business could mean that any significant failure or disruption of these systems, including as a result of cyber security attacks, could have a material adverse effect on our business and reputation” for a further discussion on the impact of a cyber security attack on our business. There can be no assurance that alternative production capacity would be readily available in the event of an interruption.
If any of the aforementioned failures or disruptions affect any of our major operating lines or production facilities, it may result in a disruption of our ability to supply customers and a consequent loss of revenues. The potential impact of any disruption would depend on the nature and extent of the damage caused to such facility. For example, our industry’s business model typically involves a metal beverage can ends production facility supplying multiple metal beverage can production facilities. A failure or disruption in an ends production facility could therefore impact our ability to supply multiple customers with ends and any inability to source ends from another location could result in a material loss of sales.
To the extent that we experience production disruptions as a result of any of aforementioned factors, we may also be required to make unplanned capital expenditures even though we may not have available resources at such time, which would result in significant costs and expenses. As a result, our liquidity may be adversely affected, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or prospects.
We are reliant on the performance of our suppliers, who may not be able to meet our demands due to supply chain disruption.
We are reliant on our suppliers for the timely delivery of raw materials, such as aluminum for the production of our metal beverage cans. We also engage third parties for the supply of various services, including, among others, logistics services for the transport of our metal beverage cans and IT services. If one or more of our suppliers is unable or unwilling
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
20
to fulfil delivery obligations, for example due to shortages of necessary raw materials, elevated energy prices or energy shortages, external conflicts, labor shortages or strikes, capacity allocation to other customers, financial distress, insolvency, government regulations, currency rate fluctuations, natural disasters and adverse weather conditions that are exacerbated by climate change, or other unforeseen circumstances, we could be at risk of production downtime, inventory backlogs and delays in deliveries to customers. The risk of financial distress for our suppliers could become more acute if energy prices continue to increase or remain elevated, or if energy supplies are threatened. As a result, we may need to bear increased costs for such services or to find alternative providers, which may not be available on comparable terms, or at all. In addition, such suppliers could provide services that do not meet our requirements or fail to provide services in a timely manner, which could cause us to experience disruptions, delays, or product quality issues. If any of the foregoing risks were to materialize, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or prospects.
We may not be able to integrate any future acquisitions effectively.
We aim, over the longer term, to continue expanding our packaging activities. This strategy may in the future require us to capitalize on strategic opportunities, including the acquisition of existing businesses. If we were to acquire any existing businesses, there is no certainty that any acquired business will be effectively integrated. If we cannot successfully integrate acquired businesses within a reasonable time frame, we may not be able to realize the cost savings, synergies and revenue enhancements that we anticipate either in the anticipated amount or time frame, and the costs of achieving these benefits may be higher than, and the timing may differ from, what we expected. Our ability to realize anticipated cost savings and synergies may be affected by a number of factors, including the use of more cash or other financial resources on integration and implementation activities than we expect, such as restructuring and other exit costs, unanticipated conditions imposed in connection with obtaining required regulatory approvals; and increases in expected acquisition costs and expenses, which may offset the cost savings and other synergies realized from such acquisitions. To the extent we pursue an acquisition that causes us to incur unexpected costs or that fails to generate expected returns, or fail to successfully integrate such businesses, the diversion of management attention and other resources from our existing operations could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
A significant write down of goodwill could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our goodwill as of December 31, 2022 was $1.0 billion. We evaluate goodwill annually or whenever indicators suggest that impairment may have occurred. The determination of the recoverable amounts of goodwill requires the use of a market approach, which includes estimates and assumptions which are based on comparable companies’ equity valuations. The resulting accounting estimates will, by definition, seldom equal the related actual results. As described further in the audited consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report, we use the fair value less costs of disposal (“FVLCD”) model for the purposes of our annual goodwill impairment testing. However, if an impairment indicator exists for a cash generating unit (“CGU”), we also use the value in use (“VIU”) model in order to establish the recoverable amount being the higher of the FVLCD model and VIU model when compared to the carrying value of the CGU. Sensitivity analysis is performed reflecting potential variations in assumptions. Future changes in the estimates and assumptions used in the FVLCD or VIU models, general market conditions, or other factors may cause our goodwill to be impaired, resulting in a non-cash charge against results of operations to write down goodwill for the amount of the impairment. If a significant write down is required, the charge would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.
Our heavy reliance on technology and automated systems to operate our business could mean that any significant failure or disruption of these systems, including as a result of cyber security attacks, could have a material adverse effect on our business and reputation.
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
21
We depend on automated systems and technology to operate our business, including manufacturing, accounting, telecommunication and information technology systems. There can be no assurance that these systems will not fail or suffer from substantial or repeated disruptions due to various events, some of which are beyond our control, such as natural disasters, power failures, terrorist attacks, equipment or software failures, user errors or computer viruses. Any such disruptions could severely interrupt the operation of our production facilities for an extended period of time, which could have an adverse effect on the supply of our products and result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or prospects.
Increased global cyber security threats and more sophisticated and targeted computer crime also pose a risk to the security of our systems and networks and the confidentiality, availability and integrity of our data, as well as those of our business partners. As the cyber-threat landscape evolves, these attacks are growing in frequency, sophistication and intensity, and due to the nature of some of these attacks, there is also a risk that they may remain undetected for a period of time. We have previously been the target of cyber-attacks and expect such attempts to continue. In 2021, AGSA announced that it had experienced a cyber security incident, the response to which included temporarily shutting down certain IT systems and applications used by us. While we have since established a cyber transformation program, there can be no assurance that it will protect us from such threats and prevent disruptions or breaches to our or our third-party providers’ databases or systems that could materially adversely affect our business. See “Item 4. B. Business Overview—Information Technology” for a further description of our cyber transformation program.
In addition, the services under our cyber transformation program are provided by AGSA pursuant to the Services Agreement. There can be no assurance that we will be able to find a replacement provider for such services on comparable terms or at all, if such services are no longer provided under the Services Agreement. See “—Our ability to operate our business effectively depends largely on certain administrative and other support functions provided to us by AGSA pursuant to the Services Agreement, which may suffer if we are unable to establish our own administrative and other support functions in a cost effective manner following the termination of the Services Agreement” for a further discussion of the Services Agreement.
Substantial or repeated systems failures or disruptions, including as a result of not effectively remediating system failures, cyber security incidents and other disruptions could result in the unauthorized release of confidential or otherwise protected information, improper use of our systems and networks, defective products, harm to individuals or property, contractual or regulatory actions and fines, penalties and potential liabilities, production downtime and operational disruptions and loss or compromise of important or sensitive data. For example, the loss, disclosure, misappropriation of or access to our employees’ or business partners’ information or our failure to meet increasing data privacy and security obligations could result in lost revenue, increased costs, legal claims or proceedings, liability or regulatory penalties, including, for instance, under the EU General Data Protection Regulation or the California Consumer Privacy Act. Any of the aforementioned risks could result in increased costs, lost revenue, reputational harm and decreased competitiveness, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flow or prospects, and increased global cyber security threats and more sophisticated and targeted computer crime may further increase this risk.
Climate change may adversely affect our ability to conduct our business, including the availability and cost of resources required for our production processes.
There continues to be a growing concern that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (“GHG”) in the atmosphere may have an adverse impact on global temperatures, weather and precipitation patterns and the frequency and severity of extreme weather conditions and natural disasters. The impact of climate change presents immediate and long-term risks of loss arising from climate change, to us and the markets in which we operate, which are expected to increase over time. Climate risks consist of physical risks and transition risks, either of which may materially adversely affect our ability to conduct our business. Our operations could be exposed to physical risks resulting from chronic and acute climate change and extreme weather-related events, such as increased storms, drought, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes or floods, which may directly damage our physical assets (such as facilities and materials) or otherwise impact their value or productivity, cause raw material shortages (including energy supply) and supply chain disruptions (including delivery), and increase
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
22
production cost and health and safety risks, among other risks. See “—Any interruption in the operations of our production facilities may adversely affect our business” for a further discussion on the impact such damage to our physical assets could have on our business. In addition, unseasonal extreme weather can reduce demand for certain beverages, and as a result, our products. See “—Demand for our products is seasonal. Unseasonable weather conditions, including as a result of climate change, could lead to unpredictability of demand and adversely affect our business” for a more detailed discussion on the impact of unseasonable weather on demand for our products. We are not able to accurately predict the materiality of any potential losses or costs associated with the effects of climate change, and the impact of climate change may also vary by geographic location and other circumstances, including weather patterns.
We could also be exposed to transition risks resulting from changes in policy, technology and market preference to address climate change, such as carbon pricing policies, including increased prices for certain fuels, including natural gas and the introduction of a carbon tax, and power generation shifts from fossil fuels to renewable energy, which may lead to changes in the value of assets. In addition, measures to address climate change through laws and regulations, for example by requiring reductions in emissions of GHGs or introducing compliance schemes, could create economic risks and uncertainties for our businesses, by increasing GHG-related costs, such as the cost of abatement equipment to reduce emissions to comply with legal requirements on GHG emissions or required technological standards, or reducing demand for our products, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects. See “—We are subject to various environmental and other legal requirements and may be subject to additional requirements that could impose substantial costs upon us” for a more detailed discussion on the risks to our business associated with the introduction of new laws and regulations by governments to combat climate change. In 2022, we received approval from the Science Based Targets initiative (“SBTi”) for our GHG emission reduction targets to reduce scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 42% and to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions by 12.3% by 2030. The vast majority of our scope 3 GHG emissions arise in the various stages of the manufacturing of the aluminum and steel coils that we purchase to produce our products, which depend on various factors that are difficult to predict and outside our control. Our ability to meet our sustainability targets also depends on market or competitive conditions that are outside our control, as well as expectations and assumptions that are necessarily uncertain. Failure to meet our SBTi targets and reduce our emissions, or failure to meet any of our other sustainability targets, could result in increased costs for us in the form of carbon taxes and could have a material adverse effect our reputation, customer and investor relationships, or ability to access capital on favorable terms, particularly given investors’ increasing focus on environmental, social and corporate governance (“ESG”) matters.
We are subject to various environmental and other legal requirements and may be subject to additional requirements that could impose substantial costs on us.
Our operations and properties are subject to extensive laws, ordinances, regulations and other legal requirements relating to the protection of people and the environment. The laws and regulations which may affect our operations include requirements regarding remediation of contaminated soil, groundwater and buildings, water supply and use, natural resources, water discharges, air emissions, waste management, noise pollution, asbestos and other deleterious materials, the generation, storage, handling, transportation and disposal of regulated materials, product safety, food safety, and workplace health and safety. See “—We are subject to an extensive, complex and evolving legal and regulatory framework and changes in laws and government regulations and their enforcement may have a material impact on our operations” for a discussion of the product and food safety regulations that are applicable to us and “—Any interruption in the operations of our production facilities may adversely affect our business” for a discussion of the risks related to workplace health and safety. These laws and regulations are also subject to constant review by lawmakers and regulators which may result in further, including more stringent, environmental or health and safety legal requirements.
We have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, costs to comply with such legal requirements, and these costs may increase in the future. Demands for more stringent pollution control devices could also result in the need for further capital upgrades to our production facilities. For example, under the EU Industrial Emissions Directive (Directive 2010/75/EU) (“EU IED”), permitted pollutant emissions levels from our production facilities are substantially reduced on a periodic basis. EU member states may continue to introduce lower permitted pollutant emissions levels into national
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
23
legislation and impose stricter limits in the future. Additional pollutant or GHG emissions control schemes may be introduced in any jurisdiction on a national and/or local level, which may require additional measures. Further, in order to comply with air emission restriction, significant capital investments may be necessary at some sites.
We also require a variety of permits to conduct our operations, including operating permits such as those required under various U.S. laws, including the federal Clean Air Act, and the EU IED water and trade effluent discharge permits, water abstraction permits and waste permits. We are in the process of applying for, or renewing, permits at a number of our sites. Failure to obtain and maintain the relevant permits, as well as non-compliance with such permits, could result in criminal, civil and administrative sanctions and liabilities, including substantial fines and orders, or a partial or total shutdown of our operations, as well as litigation, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
Furthermore, changes to the laws and regulations governing the materials that are used in our production facilities may impact the price of such materials or result in such materials no longer being available. For example, the European Union Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (“REACH”) regulations impose stringent obligations on the manufacturers, importers and users of chemical substances. Certain substances that we use in our manufacturing process may be required to be removed from the market under REACH’s authorization and restriction provisions or substituted for alternative substances. Any of the foregoing could adversely impact our operations and result in a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
In addition, our sites often have a long history of industrial activities and may be, or have been in the past, engaged in activities involving the use of materials and processes that could give rise to contamination and result in potential liability to investigate or remediate, as well as claims for alleged damage to persons, property or natural resources. These legal requirements may apply to contamination at sites that we currently or formerly owned, occupied or operated, or that were formerly owned, occupied or operated by companies we acquired or at sites where we have sent waste to third-party sites for treatment or disposal. There can be no assurance that our due diligence investigations identified or accurately quantified all material environmental matters related to the facilities that we acquired and liability for remediation of any third-party sites may be established without regard to whether the party disposing of the waste was at fault or the disposal activity was legal at the time it was conducted. If we are designated as a potentially responsible party for the clean-up and remediation of any sites, including any “Superfund” sites in the United States, this could impose significant costs on us and result in reputational damage, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
We are subject to extensive, complex and evolving legal and regulatory frameworks and changes in laws and government regulations and their enforcement may have a material impact on our operations.
Our business operates in multiple jurisdictions and is subject to complex legal and regulatory frameworks, including in relation to product requirement, environmental, anti-trust, economic sanctions, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering matters. For a detailed discussion on the various environmental requirements that we are subject to, please see “—We are subject to various environmental and other legal requirements and may be subject to additional requirements that could impose substantial costs on us.” Laws and regulations in these areas are complex and constantly evolving, and enforcement continues to increase. As a result, we may become subject to increasing limitations on our business activities and risks of fines or other sanctions for non-compliance. Additionally, we may become subject to governmental investigations and lawsuits by private parties. Compliance costs associated with current and proposed laws and potential regulations could be substantial, and any failure or alleged failure to comply with these laws or regulations could lead to litigation or government action, all of which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
For example, changes in laws and regulations relating to deposits on, and any limits or restrictions to the recycling of, metal packaging could adversely affect our business if implemented on a large scale in the major markets in which we operate. Additionally, the effectiveness of new standards such as the ones related to recycling or deposits on different
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
24
packaging materials, could result in excess costs or logistical constraints for some of our customers, who could choose to reduce their consumption and limit the use of metal packaging for their products. We could thus be forced to reduce, suspend or even stop the production of certain types of products. These regulatory changes could also affect our prices, margins, investments and activities, particularly if these changes resulted in significant or structural changes in the market for food packaging that might affect the market shares for metal packaging, the volumes produced or production costs.
Changes in laws and regulations imposing restrictions on, and conditions for use of, food and beverage contact materials or on the use of materials and agents in the production of our products could likewise adversely affect our business, such as epoxy-based coatings. Changes in regulatory agency statements, adverse information concerning bisphenol A or rulings made in certain jurisdictions may result in restrictions, for example, on bisphenol A in epoxy-based internal liners for some of our products. Such restrictions have required us, together with our respective suppliers and customers, to develop substitutes for relevant products to meet legal and customer requirements. In addition, changes to health and food safety regulations could increase costs may also have a material adverse effect on revenues if the public attitude toward end-products, for which we provide packaging, were substantially affected as a result.
Environmental, sustainability, food and beverage health and safety, political and ethical concerns could lead government authorities to implement and strictly enforce other regulations that are likely to impose restrictions on us and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects. For example, enhanced legal requirements on the reporting, due diligence and restricted use of “conflict minerals” originating from mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and adjoining countries as well as heightened regulatory requirements on the bauxite or cassiterite value chain increases reputational and compliance risks along the supply chain and could affect the sourcing, availability and economics of minerals used in the manufacture of metal beverage cans. For example, there may only be a limited pool of suppliers who provide conflict-free materials, and we cannot provide assurance that we will be able to obtain such products in sufficient quantities or at competitive prices. In addition, given the complexity of our supply chains, we may face reputational challenges with our customers if we are unable to sufficiently verify the origins of all materials used in the products that we sell. Furthermore, there is significant variation, among countries where we sell our products, in the limitation on certain constituents in packaging, which can have the effect of restricting the types of raw materials we use. In turn, these restrictions can increase our operating costs by requiring increased energy consumption or greater environmental controls.
We could incur significant costs in relation to workplace injury and illness claims at our production facilities arising out of our manufacturing processes.
We may face liability claims arising out of our manufacturing processes, including alleged personal injury due to workplace injuries and illness at our production facilities. The type of activities performed by our employees during the manufacturing process carries an increased risk of accidents. There can be no assurance that the health and safety measures and programs we have implemented will prevent accidents occurring or employees contracting illnesses due to prolonged exposure to workplace hazards, such as hazardous substances, noise, vibrations and stress at our production facilities. If an individual successfully brings a claim against us, we may not have adequate insurance to cover such claims or may face increased insurance premiums. See “—Our existing insurance coverage may be insufficient and future coverage may be difficult or expensive to obtain” for more details on our insurance coverage. Failure to accurately assess potential risks or assure implementation of effective safety measures may result in increases in the relative frequency or severity of workplace injuries at our production facilities, which may result in increased workers’ compensation claims expense. If our employees or customers perceive us having a poor safety record, it could materially impact our ability to attract and retain new employees and our reputation could suffer. Any substantial increase in such liability claims and related reputational harm could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
25
We may be subject to litigation, arbitration and other proceedings that could have an adverse effect on us.
We are currently involved in various litigation matters, and we anticipate that we will be involved in litigation matters from time to time in the future. The risks inherent in our business expose us to litigation, including personal injury, environmental litigation, contractual litigation with customers and suppliers, intellectual property litigation, tax or securities litigation, and product liability lawsuits. We cannot predict with certainty the outcome or effect of any claim, regulatory investigation, or other litigation matter, or a combination of these. Any such litigation, arbitration or other proceedings, current or future, whether with or without merit, could be expensive and time consuming, and could divert the attention of senior management, and any adverse outcome in these or other proceedings, could harm our reputation and have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects. For more information our contingencies for legal proceedings, see Note 27 to our audited consolidated financial statements.
Changes in consumer lifestyle, nutritional preferences, health-related concerns and consumer taxation could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Changes in consumer preferences and tastes can have an impact on demand for our customers’ products, which in turn can lead to reduced demand for our products. Certain end-products represent a significant proportion of our packaging market, such as beer. Our ability to develop new product offerings for a diverse group of global customers with differing preferences, while maintaining functionality and spurring innovation, is critical to our success. This requires a thorough understanding of our existing and potential customers and end-users on a global basis, particularly in potential high developing markets. Failure to adapt and deliver quality products that meet our customers’ or end-users’ needs, through research and development or licensing of new technology, ahead of our competitors, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
In addition, public health and government officials have become increasingly concerned about the health consequences associated with over-consumption of certain types of beverages, such as sugar-sweetened and alcoholic beverages, including those produced by certain of our customers. For example, France and the United Kingdom have introduced taxes on drinks with added sugar and artificial sweeteners that companies produce or import. France has also imposed taxes on energy drinks using certain amounts of taurine and caffeine. As a result of such taxes, demand has decreased in these countries, and the imposition of similar health-related taxes in the future on end-products in other countries may lower the demand for certain soft drinks and alcoholic beverages that our customers produce, which may as a result cause our customers to reduce their purchases of our products. Any decline in the popularity of any end-products due to lifestyle, nutrition or health considerations, or our inability to adapt to customer needs, could have a significant impact on our customers and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
We face costs and future funding obligations associated with post-retirement benefits provided to employees, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.
As of December 31, 2022, our accumulated post-retirement benefit obligation, net of employee benefit assets, was approximately $122 million covering our employees in multiple jurisdictions. The costs associated with these and other benefits to employees could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
We operate and contribute to pension and other post-retirement benefit schemes (including both single employer and multiple employer schemes) funded by a range of assets that include property, derivatives, equities and/or bonds. The value of these assets is heavily dependent on the performance of markets, which are subject to volatility. The liability structure of the obligations to provide such benefits is also subject to market volatility in relation to its accounting valuation and management. Additional significant funding of our pension and other post-retirement benefit obligations may be required if market underperformance is severe. Furthermore, for certain of our pension schemes in the United States, under
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
26
the United States Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, the U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (“PBGC”) has the authority to terminate pension plans regulated by the PBGC if certain funding requirements are not met; any such termination would further accelerate the cash obligations related to such a pension plan. In addition, we may have to make significant cash payments to some or all of these plans, including under guarantee agreements, in the future to provide additional funding, which would reduce the cash available for our business.
Organized strikes or work stoppages by unionized employees could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Many of our operating companies are party to collective bargaining agreements with trade unions, which cover the majority of our employees. A prolonged work stoppage or strike at any facility with union employees could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects. In addition, we cannot ensure that, upon the expiration of our existing collective bargaining agreements, new agreements will be reached without union action or that our operating companies will be able to negotiate acceptable new contracts with trade unions, which could result in strikes by the affected employees and increased operating costs as a result of higher wages or benefits paid to unionized employees. If unionized employees at our operating companies or any unionized employees were to engage in a strike or other work stoppage, we could experience a significant disruption of operations, higher ongoing labor costs and reputational harm, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
Failure of our control measures and systems that result in faulty or contaminated products could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We have strict control measures and systems in place to ensure that the maximum safety and quality of our products is maintained. The consequences of a product not meeting these rigorous standards, due to, among other things, accidental or malicious raw materials contamination or due to supply chain contamination caused by human error or equipment fault, could be severe. Such consequences might include: adverse effects on consumer health and our reputation, an increase in our litigation exposure and financial costs, and loss of market share and revenues.
If our products fail to meet rigorous standards or warranties that we provide in certain contracts in respect of our products and their conformity to the specific use defined by the customer, we may be required to incur substantial costs in taking appropriate corrective action (up to and including recalling products from consumers) and to reimburse customers and/or end-users for losses that they suffer as a result of this failure. Customers and end-users may seek to recover these losses through litigation and, under applicable legal rules, may succeed in any such claim, despite there being no negligence or other fault on our part. In addition, if our packaging fails to preserve the integrity of its contents, it is possible that the manufacturer of the product may allege that our packaging is the cause of the fault or contamination, even if the packaging complies with contractual specifications. This could result in liability to our customers and to third parties for bodily injury or other tangible or intangible damages suffered as a result. If any of these claims are successful, there could be a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
Furthermore, placing an unsafe product on the market, failing to notify the regulatory authorities of a safety issue, failing to take appropriate corrective action and failing to meet other regulatory requirements relating to product safety could lead to regulatory investigation, enforcement action and/or prosecution. Any product quality or safety issue may also result in adverse publicity, which may damage our reputation. This could in turn have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects. Although we have not had material claims for damages for defective products in the past, and have not conducted any substantial product recalls or other material corrective action, there can be no assurance that these events will not occur in the future.
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
27
Our existing insurance coverage may be insufficient and future coverage may be difficult or prohibitively expensive to obtain.
Our insurance arrangements are subject to the limitations of certain market capacities and the economics of certain types of cover, and may typically exclude certain risks and are subject to certain thresholds and limits. We cannot assure you that the coverage available will be sufficient to protect us from all possible loss or damage resulting from unforeseen events. As a result, our insurance coverage may prove to be inadequate for events that may cause significant disruption to our operations, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects. In addition, we may also suffer indirect losses, such as the disruption of our business or third-party claims of damages, as a result of an insured risk event. While we carry business interruption coverage and general liability coverage, such coverage is subject to certain limitations, thresholds and limits, and may not fully cover all indirect losses.
We renew our insurance arrangements on an annual basis, and the cost of coverage may increase to an extent that we may choose to reduce our coverage limits or agree to certain exclusions from our coverage. Among other factors, adverse political developments, limited insurance market capacity, security concerns and natural disasters in any country in which we operate may adversely affect available insurance coverage and result in increased premiums, for and additional exclusions from, available coverage.
We depend on our executive and senior management as well as skilled personnel, and our operations may be disrupted if we are unable to retain or motivate such personnel.
We depend on our experienced executive team, who are identified under “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees,” members of senior management, and other key and skilled personnel. These individuals, possess manufacturing, sales, marketing, technical, financial and other specialized skills that are critical to the operation of our business. The loss of services of one or more of the members of our executive team, members of senior management or other key and skilled personnel, or the failure to provide adequate succession plans for such personnel could adversely affect our operations and competitiveness until a suitable replacement can be found. Moreover, the hiring of qualified individuals in our industry is highly competitive and there may be a limited number of persons with the requisite skills and experience to serve in these positions, for example, where recruiting for replacements with similar expertise in can-making may not always be possible for our production facility-based roles. Our business may also suffer from various disruptions if we experience high levels of staff turnover across our business, or if our personnel do not adapt effectively to any adjustments or changes that we might make to our operating model. There can be no assurance that we would be able to locate, employ or retain required qualified personnel on terms acceptable to us, or at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of our operations, cash flows or prospects.
Continuing uncertainty regarding the effects of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Under the terms of the withdrawal agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union (the “Withdrawal Agreement”), the United Kingdom formally left the European Union on January 1, 2020, and on January 1, 2021, the United Kingdom left the EU Single Market and Customs Union, as well as all EU policies and international agreements (commonly referred to as “Brexit”). On December 24, 2020, the European Commission reached a trade agreement with the United Kingdom on the terms of its future cooperation with the European Union (the “Trade and Cooperation Agreement” and together with the Withdrawal Agreement, the “Brexit Agreements”), which provided for among other things, a zero tariff, zero quota arrangement on sales of goods between the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Approximately 8% of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022 was derived from revenues generated in the United Kingdom and three of our 24 production facilities are located in the United Kingdom, as of December 31, 2022. Customs duties on goods originating outside the United Kingdom, amendment or suspension of zero tariff
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
28
arrangements under the Brexit Agreements, driver shortages in the trucking industry and supply chain disruptions due to delays at British ports as a result of customs checks might lead to additional costs for and transportation delays with products and materials shipped from the United Kingdom to Europe or from Europe to the United Kingdom, including aluminum and coatings. Furthermore, the required changes to our business systems and processes in order to comply with customs procedures have led to additional costs. The Brexit Agreements also allow for the possibility of future changes in laws and regulations, including changes to import, tax and employment laws and regulations, which could adversely impact our U.K. business, as additional resources and efforts will have to be expended to ensure compliance with any future changes. For example, there is uncertainty surrounding environmental permits and permissions currently governed by the EU IED, and whether more burdensome requirements will be imposed by new U.K. regulations. In addition, some of our customers are based in the United Kingdom and export outside the U.K. market. These customers may experience reduced demand or delays arising from post-Brexit arrangements. Although we seek to export through channels where delays would be minimized, we have nonetheless experienced delays in the transport of certain products, consumables and other materials particularly in relation to shipments from the United Kingdom to the European Union. The impact of these delays, if prolonged, could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of our operations, cash flows or prospects.
More generally, the uncertainty and unpredictability concerning the impact of Brexit that could result in politically divergent national laws and regulations, on relationships between commercial parties, financial institutions, suppliers and service providers and their respective customers in the United Kingdom and the European Union, and the legal, political and economic relationships between the United Kingdom and the European Union, may result in adverse effects on credit markets and foreign direct investments in Europe and the United Kingdom, and significant currency and interest rate fluctuations. See “—Currency, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations may have a material impact on our business” for a further discussion on the effect such fluctuations could have on our business. Any further volatility in political, regulatory, economic or market conditions could adversely affect national and local economies and employment rates, increase consumer and commercial bankruptcy filings, and cause other results that adversely affect household incomes, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of our operations, cash flows or prospects.
The economic outlook could also be further adversely affected by the risk of other European Union member states leaving the European Union, demand for independence by Scotland, or the risk that the euro as the single currency of all Eurozone member states ceases to exist. These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, may have a material adverse effect on the stability of global financial markets, and could significantly reduce global market liquidity and restrict the ability of key market participants to operate in certain financial markets. Asset valuations, currency exchange rates and credit ratings may be especially subject to increased market volatility. Any such developments could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of our operations, cash flows or prospects. See “—Changes to the political, credit, financial and/or economic environment in which we operate could have a material adverse effect on our business, such as affecting consumer demand for beverage products, which could impact our customers and as a result, reduce the demand for our products.”
Pandemics or disease outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as governmental mandates and restrictions attributable thereto, have had, and may continue to have an adverse impact on worldwide economic activity and our business.
Pandemics or disease outbreaks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as measures enacted to prevent its spread, including restrictions on travel, imposition of quarantines and prolonged closures of workplaces and other businesses, including hospitality, leisure and entertainment outlets, and the related cancellation of events, have impacted and may continue to impact our business in several ways. The various governmental lockdown mandates and other restrictive measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic over the last three years reduced global economic activity, which resulted in lower demand for certain of our customers’ products and, therefore, the products we manufacture, although demand for “at-home” consumption increased and therefore demand for many of our customers’ products. As a result, the sales of our products proved to be resilient during this phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the COVID-
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
29
19 pandemic has at times caused, and may again give rise to an adverse effect on our operations, including disruptions to our supply chain and workforce and the incurrence of increased costs. Although our production has not been significantly impacted to date, our production facilities may be required to curtail or cease production in response to the spread of COVID-19 or any future pandemic or disease outbreaks. The impact of any pandemic or disease outbreaks on capital markets could also increase our cost of borrowing. In addition, our customers, distribution partners, service providers or suppliers may experience financial distress, file for bankruptcy protection, go out of business, or suffer disruptions in their businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic or any future pandemic or disease outbreaks, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. While COVID-19 vaccines are now widely available and the spread and severity of COVID-19 have been mitigated to some extent, it is not clear whether or how our customers and end-users will modify their behavior in response. In addition, new strains and variants of the COVID-19 virus have and may continue to cause outbreaks and increased reported infection rates, which may impact general economic recovery and contribute to an extended recession or depression. We cannot predict the full extent of the impact and significance of these disruptions. There can be no assurance that the COVID-19 pandemic or any future pandemics or disease outbreaks will not have a material adverse effect on global economic activity and on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
If we fail to maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and internal controls over financial reporting, our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements or comply with applicable regulations could be impaired.
We are required to maintain internal controls over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses in those controls. If we identify future material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting that is not remediated, or fail to meet our obligations as a listed company, including the requirements of the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), we may be unable to accurately report our financial results, or report them within the timeframes required by law or NYSE regulations, which could cause investors to lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our reported financial information, and result in an adverse effect on the market price of our Ordinary Shares. Under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, we are required to evaluate and determine the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting and provide a management report as to internal controls over financial reporting. Failure to maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting also could potentially subject us to investigations or sanctions by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), NYSE or other regulatory authorities, or shareholder lawsuits, which could require additional financial and management resources.
We are controlled by AGSA, whose interests may conflict with our interests and the interests of our shareholders.
As of December 31, 2022, AGSA indirectly owns approximately 76% of our outstanding Ordinary Shares through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ardagh Investments Holdings Sarl, and, under the Business Combination Agreement, has the right to receive up to an additional 60,730,000 Ordinary Shares (the “Earnout Shares”) if the trading prices of Ordinary Shares exceed certain specified amounts during specified periods of time. In addition, AGSA indirectly owns 100% of our preferred shares (the “Preferred Shares”) through Ardagh Investments Holdings Sarl, which are redeemable non-voting shares. The Preferred Shares have no voting rights and will not be taken into account in determining quorum and voting majority requirements at general meetings of AMPSA, except where mandatorily required by the Luxembourg law of 10 August 1915, on commercial companies, as amended (the “Luxembourg Companies Law”), where each Preferred Share will be entitled to one vote, irrespective of its nominal value, for example, where when the rights attached to the Preferred Shares are amended or if we are put into liquidation, among others. As a controlling shareholder of the Company, AGSA is able to exercise significant influence over our business policies and affairs, including the composition of our Board and any action requiring approval of our shareholders. In addition, as long as AGSA beneficially owns a specified number of the outstanding Ordinary Shares, pursuant to the Shareholders Agreement, AGSA has the right to designate a specified number of directors, including the chair, to our Board, receive access to certain information for the benefit of AGSA, approve certain of our significant actions, receive our cooperation with certain matters relating to us, and access certain information for registration rights with respect to its Ordinary Shares. For more information, see “Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions–B. Related Party Transaction.”
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
30
In addition, because we are a controlled company, relevant risks materializing at the ultimate parent level could have an adverse impact on our share price, financial condition, credit ratings or reputation. It is also possible that AGSA’s controlling shareholders may take actions in relation to our business that are not entirely in our or our other shareholders’ best interests. See “—Risks Relating to Being a Luxembourg Company and Our Status as a Foreign Private Issuer— We qualify for and rely on exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements” for a further discussion on the corporate governance exemptions that we avail ourselves of as a controlled company.
Our ability to operate our business effectively depends largely on certain administrative and other support functions provided to us by AGSA pursuant to the Services Agreement, which may suffer if we are unable to establish our own administrative and other support functions in a cost effective manner following the termination of the Services Agreement.
We rely on certain administrative and other resources provided by AGSA, including information technology, financial reporting, tax, treasury, human resources, procurement, insurance and risk management and legal services, to operate our business. Any of the services covered by the Services Agreement, or the entire Services Agreement may be terminated by either us or AGSA and for any reason as of and from December 31, 2024, or by either party upon a change of control of the other party, in either case with nine months’ prior written notice to the party undergoing a change of control. The services covered by the Services Agreement may not be sufficient to meet our needs and may not be provided at the same level as when we were part of AGSA. If AGSA is unable to satisfy its material obligations under the Services Agreement, or if the Services Agreement is terminated in whole or in part, we may not be able to find a replacement for such services at all, or obtain such services on comparable terms, which could result in operational difficulties and in turn a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects. In addition, any failure or significant interruption of AGSA’s systems during the term of the Services Agreement could result in unexpected costs or prevent us from meeting customer needs on a timely basis. See “—Our heavy reliance on technology and automated systems to operate our business could mean that any significant failure or disruption of these systems, including as a result of cyber security attacks, could have a material adverse effect on our business and reputation” for a discussion on the possible impact if there is a disruption to information technology systems.
In addition, the price for the corporate services provided pursuant to the Services Agreement have been fixed through 2024, subject to certain adjustments. After December 31, 2024, or earlier following a change of control of either us or AGSA, the services will be provided at a price equal to the fully allocated cost of such services, or such other price to be negotiated in good faith by both parties, taking into consideration various factors, including the cost of providing such services and the level of services expected to be provided. We cannot provide any assurance that the current fixed fees are more favorable than the price that we would have been able to pay if we obtained such services at a price equal to the fully allocated cost of such services or, if we had obtained such services from one or more third parties. During the period in which the Services Agreement was negotiated, we did not have a board or a management team that was independent of AGSA and the terms of the Services Agreement were agreed while we were a wholly owned subsidiary of AGSA and in the context that AGSA would own a controlling interest in us following the Merger. In addition, we also cannot provide any assurance that the price of the services, when adjusted after December 31, 2024, or upon a change of control of us or AGSA, will not be significantly greater than the fixed price established for these services prior to such adjustment.
The AMP Business historical financial results and consolidated financial statements prior to the AMP Transfer may not be representative of AMPSA’s results as a separate company.
The AMP Business historical financial information included in this Annual Report prior to April 2021 has been derived on a carve-out basis from the consolidated financial statements and accounting records of the Ardagh Group and does not necessarily reflect what our financial position, results of operations or cash flows would have been had it been a separate company during the periods presented. Although the Ardagh Group accounted for our business as separate reporting segments, we were not operated as a separate company for the historical periods presented, and the historical costs and expenses reflected in the consolidated financial statements prior to the AMP Transfer include an allocation for
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
31
certain corporate functions historically provided by Ardagh Group, most of which continue to be provided pursuant to the Services Agreement. These allocations were based on what management considered to be reasonable reflections of the historical utilization levels of these services required in support of our business, and the historical information does not necessarily reflect what the cost of these functions will be in the future, pursuant to the Services Agreement or otherwise. For additional information in relation to materially significant related party transactions during the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, see note 26 to the audited consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report.
Risks Relating to Our Capital Structure
Our substantial debt could adversely affect our financial health and our ability to effectively manage and grow our business.
We have a substantial amount of debt and significant debt service obligations. As of December 31, 2022, we had total borrowings and net debt of $3.6 billion and $3.0 billion, respectively. Some of the agreements under which we borrow funds contain covenants or provisions that impose certain restrictions on us, such as debt ratios and may prevent us from incurring additional debt. For more information, see the description of our debt facilities and the table outlining our principal financing arrangements in “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—B. Liquidity and Capital Resources.”
Our substantial debt could have adverse consequences for us and for our shareholders. For example, our substantial debt could:
● | require us to dedicate a large portion of our cash flow from operations to service debt and fund repayments on our debt, thereby reducing the availability of our cash flow to fund working capital, capital expenditures and other general corporate purposes; |
● | increase our vulnerability to adverse general economic or industry conditions; |
● | limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business or industry; |
● | limit our ability to raise additional debt or equity capital in the future; |
● | restrict us from making strategic acquisitions or exploiting business opportunities; and |
● | place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less debt. |
Further, notwithstanding our current indebtedness levels and restrictive covenants, we may still be able to incur substantial additional debt or make certain restricted payments, which could exacerbate the risks described above.
Adverse developments in our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects due to deteriorating global economic conditions, increased interest rates or other factors could cause ratings agencies to lower the credit ratings, or ratings outlook, of our short- and long-term debt and, consequently, impair our ability to raise new financing or refinance our current borrowings and increase our costs of issuing any new debt instruments. See “—Risks Relating to Our Business—Currency, interest rate and commodity price fluctuations may have a material impact on our business” for a further discussion on interest rate risk and the potential increase to our cost of borrowing. Additionally, a significant weakening of our financial position or operating results due to changes in global economic conditions or other factors could result in non-compliance with our restrictive covenants in our financing arrangements and reduced cash flow from our operations, which, in turn, could materially adversely affect our business. See “—Risks Relating to Our Business—Changes to the political, credit, financial and/or economic environment in which we operate could have a
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
32
material adverse effect on our business, such as affecting consumer demand for beverage products, which could impact our customers and as a result, reduce the demand for our products” for further details.
We may not be able to raise additional capital or only be able to raise additional capital at significantly increased costs or by diluting our shareholders.
We may require additional cash resources due to changed business conditions or other future developments, including any investments or acquisitions we may decide to pursue. If our current resources are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity or debt securities or incur debt under credit facilities we may put in place. The sale of additional equity securities could result in the dilution of our current shareholders, and the incurrence of additional indebtedness could further limit our ability to pay dividends or require us to seek consents for the payment of dividends, increase our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions and limit our ability to pursue our business strategies. See “—Risks Relating to Our Capital Structure— Our substantial debt could adversely affect our financial health and our ability to effectively manage and grow our business” for a further discussion on how the incurrence of indebtedness could reduce the availability of our cash flow, which could materially adversely affect our business.
Furthermore, we cannot assure you that financing will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all. For example, deteriorating economic conditions, such as an increase in interest rates or disruptions in global capital markets, could make it more difficult for us to secure financings. See “—Risks Relating to Our Business—Changes to the political, credit, financial and/or economic environment in which we operate could have a material adverse effect on our business, such as affecting consumer demand for beverage products, which could impact our customers and as a result, reduce the demand for our products” for further detail on deteriorating economic conditions. If we are unable to raise additional capital, or if the cost of raising additional capital significantly increases, as is the case when central banks raise benchmark interest rates, we may be unable to make necessary or desired capital expenditures, take advantage of investment opportunities, refinance existing indebtedness or meet unexpected financial requirements. This could cause us to default on our indebtedness, delay or abandon anticipated expenditures and investments, or otherwise limit our operations, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows or prospects.
Risks Relating to Our Ordinary Shares
The trading price of our Ordinary Shares may be volatile and holders of our securities could incur substantial losses.
The trading price of our Ordinary Shares could be volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control. Any of the factors listed below could have a material adverse effect on the market price of our Ordinary Shares and the Ordinary Shares may trade at prices significantly below the price you paid for them. In addition, the trading price of our Ordinary Shares may not recover and may experience a further decline.
Factors affecting the trading price of our securities may include:
● | the realization of any of the risk factors presented in this Item 3D. of this Annual Report; |
● | announcements of new products and services by us or our competitors; |
● | news regarding any gain or loss of customers by us; |
● | announcements of competitive developments, acquisitions or strategic alliances in our industry; |
● | changes in the general condition of the global economy and financial markets; |
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
33
● | general market conditions or other developments affecting us or our industry; |
● | cost and availability of raw materials; |
● | changes in environmental regulations or other laws or regulations applicable to our business; |
● | actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations; |
● | changes in financial projections or estimates about our financial or operational performance by securities research analysts; |
● | changes in investor sentiment toward the stock of packaging companies; |
● | announcements by third parties of significant claims or proceedings against us, our industry or both, or investigations by regulators into our business or those of our competitors; |
● | changes in accounting standards, policies, guidelines, interpretations or principles; |
● | any significant change in our management; |
● | adverse media reports about us or our directors and officers; |
● | public reaction to our press releases, other public announcements or filings with the SEC; |
● | a default under the agreements governing our indebtedness; |
● | release or expiry of transfer restrictions on our issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares; and |
● | anticipated sales of additional shares. |
In addition, the stock market may experience periods of unusual volatility that, in some cases, is unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of particular companies. See “—Risks Relating to Our Business— Changes to the political, credit, financial and/or economic environment in which we operate could have a material adverse effect on our business, such as affecting consumer demand for beverage products, which could impact our customers and as a result, reduce the demand for our products.” above for a more detailed discussion of the global economic environment. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our Ordinary Shares, regardless of our actual operating performance.
In the past, following periods of market volatility, shareholders have instituted securities class action litigation. If we were involved in securities litigation, it could have a substantial cost and divert resources and the attention of executive management from our business regardless of the outcome of such litigation.
Future sales of our Ordinary Shares, including by AGSA, the Subscribers and the GHV Sponsor could have an adverse impact on the price of our Ordinary Shares.
Future sales of our Ordinary Shares, or securities exercisable for those Ordinary Shares, including by the Subscribers, the GHV Sponsor and AGSA, or the perception that sales may be made by these shareholders could significantly reduce the market price of our Ordinary Shares. Further, even if none of these shareholders sell a large number of our Ordinary Shares into the market, their right to sell their Ordinary Shares as contemplated by the Registration Rights
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
34
and Lock-Up Agreement and the Subscription Agreements may depress the price of our Ordinary Shares. Substantially all of our Ordinary Shares may be sold in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, which could have the effect of increasing the volatility in the price of our Ordinary Shares or putting significant downward pressure on their price. See “Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions–B. Related Party Transactions” in this Annual Report.
The Warrants are exercisable for our Ordinary Shares, which may increase the number of our Ordinary Shares eligible for future resale in the public market and may result in dilution to our shareholders, and may adversely affect the market price of our Ordinary Shares.
Outstanding Warrants to purchase an aggregate of 16,749,984 of our Ordinary Shares are exercisable in accordance with the terms of the Warrant Agreement. The Warrants are exercisable at the exercise price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in the Warrant Agreement as set forth under “Exhibit 2.7—Description of Securities Registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act.” To the extent such Warrants are exercised, additional Ordinary shares will be issued, which will result in dilution to the holders of our Ordinary Shares and increase the number of our Ordinary Shares eligible for resale in the public market.
There is no guarantee that the Warrants will not expire worthless and we may redeem unexpired Warrants prior to their exercise at a time that could be disadvantageous to a Warrant holder.
The exercise price for our Warrants is $11.50 per share. There is no guarantee that any of our Warrants will be in-the-money following the time they became exercisable and prior to their expiration, and as such, the Warrants may expire worthless. In addition, we have the ability to redeem outstanding Warrants pursuant to the Warrant Agreement, subject to the conditions as set forth under “Exhibit 2.7—Description of Securities Registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act.” If the Warrants become redeemable by us, we may exercise our redemption right at a time that could be disadvantageous to a Warrant holder.
In the future, we may issue additional Ordinary Shares or offer options, restricted shares and certain forms of share-based compensation, which have the potential to dilute shareholder value and cause the price of our Ordinary Shares to decline.
We may issue additional Ordinary Shares or offer share options, restricted shares and certain forms of share-based compensation to our directors, officers and employees in the future. If we issue additional Ordinary Shares, any options that we issue are exercised, or any restricted shares that we may issue vest, and those shares are sold into the public market, the ownership of our existing shareholders would be diluted and our earnings per share could be reduced, which may adversely affect the market price of our Ordinary Shares. In addition, the availability of Ordinary Shares for award under any equity incentive plan we may introduce, or the grant of share options, restricted shares or other forms of share-based compensation, may adversely affect the market price of our Ordinary Shares. See “—Risks Relating to Our Capital Structure—We may not be able to raise additional capital or only be able to raise additional capital at significantly increased costs or by diluting our shareholders” for a discussion surrounding circumstances that would results in the issuance of additional Ordinary Shares.
If we do not pay cash dividends on our Ordinary Shares, you may not receive any return on investment unless you sell your shares for a price greater than that which you are deemed to have paid for it.
Even though we issued cash dividends on our Ordinary Shares on a quarterly basis in 2022, the declaration, amount and payment of any future dividends will be determined by our Board. Our Board may take into account general and economic conditions, our financial condition and operating results, our available cash, current and anticipated cash needs, capital requirements, contractual, legal, tax and regulatory restrictions, implications on the payment of dividends by us to our shareholders and such other factors as the Board may deem relevant. In addition, no distributions may be made to the holders of our Ordinary Shares so long as the preferred dividend due to the holders of Preferred Shares has
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
35
not been paid in accordance with our articles of association (“Articles”) or unless the Preferred Shares are redeemed. Each Preferred Share is entitled to an annual preferred dividend amounting to 9% of its nominal value of €4.44 per share. For more information on our policy regarding dividends, see “Item 8A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Dividend Policy.”
In addition, as we are a holding company, our ability to pay cash dividends on our Ordinary Shares may be limited by restrictions on our ability to obtain sufficient funds through dividends from subsidiaries, including restrictions under the terms of the agreements governing the current indebtedness of us and our subsidiaries or future indebtedness that we or our subsidiaries may incur. Subject to any limitations referred to above, or as prescribed by the provisions of the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (“Luxembourg Law”), the declaration of future dividends, if any, will depend upon our future operations and earnings, capital expenditure requirements, general financial conditions, legal and contractual restrictions and other factors.
Risks Relating to Being a Luxembourg Company and Our Status as a Foreign Private Issuer
As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from a number of U.S. securities laws and rules and are permitted to publicly disclose less information than U.S. public companies are required to disclose, which may limit the information available to holders of our Ordinary Shares. Conversely, if we lose our foreign private issuer status in the future, this could result in significant additional costs and expenses.
We currently qualify as a “foreign private issuer,” as defined under the SEC’s rules and regulations, and, consequently, we are not subject to all of the disclosure requirements applicable to public companies organized within the United States. For example, we are exempt from certain rules under the Exchange Act that regulate disclosure obligations and procedural requirements related to the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations applicable to securities registered under the Exchange Act. In addition, our officers and directors are exempt from the reporting and “short-swing” profit recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and related rules with respect to their purchases and sales of our Ordinary Shares, such that any such sales are not required to be disclosed as they would need to be disclosed if AMPSA was a public company organized within the United States. Accordingly, once such sales are eventually disclosed, the price of our Ordinary Shares may decline significantly. Moreover, we are not required to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. public companies are, and are also not subject to Regulation FD under the Exchange Act, which would prohibit us from selectively disclosing material nonpublic information to certain persons without concurrently making a widespread public disclosure of such information. Accordingly, there may be less publicly available information concerning us than there is for U.S. public companies.
As a foreign private issuer, we are required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the close of each fiscal year ended December 31 and furnish reports on Form 6-K relating to certain material events promptly after we publicly announce these events. However, because of the exemptions for foreign private issuers mentioned above, our shareholders will not be afforded the same information generally available to investors holding shares in public companies that are not foreign private issuers.
We could lose our foreign private issuer status if a majority of our Ordinary Shares are held by residents in the United States, and we fail to meet any one of the additional “business contacts” requirements. The regulatory and compliance costs to us if we are deemed to be a U.S. domestic issuer may be significantly higher than costs we incur as a foreign private issuer. If the Company is not a foreign private issuer, we will be required to file periodic reports and prospectuses on U.S. domestic issuer forms with the SEC, which are more detailed and extensive than the forms available to a foreign private issuer. For example, we would become subject to the proxy rules under the Exchange Act. In addition, we would be required to change our basis of accounting from IFRS as issued by the IASB to U.S. GAAP, which may be difficult and costly for it to comply with. If we lose our foreign private issuer status and fail to comply with the standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, we may have to de-list from NYSE, and could be subject to investigation by the SEC, NYSE and other regulators, among other potentially materially adverse consequences.
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
36
U.S. investors may have difficulty enforcing civil liabilities against us and our directors and officers.
We are organized under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. In addition, a substantial amount of our assets are located outside the United States, and many of our directors and officers reside outside the United States and will continue to reside outside the United States. As a result, although we have appointed an agent for service of process in the United States, investors may not be able to effect service of process within the United States upon us or these persons or enforce judgments obtained against us or these persons in U.S. courts, including judgments in actions predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws. Likewise, it also may be difficult for an investor to enforce in U.S. courts judgments obtained against us or these persons in courts located in jurisdictions outside the United States, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws. Awards of punitive damages in actions brought in the United States or elsewhere are generally not enforceable in Luxembourg.
Any judgments obtained in any U.S. federal or state court against us may have to be enforced in the courts of Luxembourg or other EU member states. As there is no treaty in force on the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters between the United States and Luxembourg, courts in Luxembourg will not automatically recognize and enforce a final judgment rendered by a U.S. court. A valid judgment obtained from a court of competent jurisdiction in the United States may be entered and enforced through a court of competent jurisdiction in Luxembourg, subject to compliance with the enforcement procedures (exequatur). The enforceability in Luxembourg courts of judgments rendered by U.S. courts will be subject, prior to any enforcement in Luxembourg, to the procedure and the conditions set forth in the Luxembourg procedural code, which conditions may include the following (which may change):
● | the judgment of the U.S. court is final and enforceable (exécutoire) in the United States and has not been enforced in the United States; |
● | the U.S. court had jurisdiction over the subject matter leading to the judgment (that is, its jurisdiction was in compliance both with Luxembourg private international law and local law rules and with the applicable domestic U.S. federal or state jurisdictional rules); |
● | the judgment was granted following proceedings where the counterparty had the opportunity to appear, and if it appeared, to present a defense and other conditions for a fair trial have been complied with taking into account all facts and circumstances whether occurring before, during or after trial or issue and delivery of the judgment, and the judgment has not been obtained by reason of fraud; |
● | the U.S. court applied the substantive laws as designated by the Luxembourg conflict of law rules; |
● | the U.S. judgment does not contravene international public policy (ordre public) or order, both substantive and procedural, as understood under the laws of Luxembourg or has been given in proceedings of a criminal nature; and |
● | the absence of contradiction between such judgment and an already issued judgment of a Luxembourg court. |
In addition, actions brought in a Luxembourg court against us, the members of our Board or our officers to enforce liabilities based on U.S. federal securities laws may be subject to certain restrictions. In particular, Luxembourg courts generally do not award punitive damages. Litigation in Luxembourg also is subject to rules of procedure that differ from the U.S. rules, including, with respect to the taking and admissibility of evidence, the conduct of the proceedings and the allocation of costs. Proceedings in Luxembourg would have to be conducted in the French or German language, and all documents submitted to the court would, in principle, have to be translated into French or German. For these reasons, it may be difficult for a U.S. investor to bring an action in a Luxembourg court predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us, the members of our Board or our officers. In addition, even if a judgment
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
37
against us, the members of our Board or our officers based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws is obtained, a U.S. investor may not be able to enforce it in U.S. or Luxembourg courts.
Our directors and officers have entered into indemnification agreements with us as permitted under our Articles. Under such agreements, our directors and officers are entitled to indemnification from us to the fullest extent permitted by Luxemburg law against liability and expenses reasonably incurred or paid by them in connection with claims, actions, suits or proceedings in which they become involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of performing or having performed as a director or officer, and against amounts paid or incurred by them in the settlement of such claims, actions, suits or proceedings. Luxembourg Law and our Articles permit us to keep directors indemnified against any expenses, judgments, fines and amounts paid in connection with liability of a director towards us or a third party for management errors, i.e., for wrongful acts committed during the execution of the mandate (mandat) granted to the director by us, except in connection with criminal offenses, gross negligence, fraud or dishonesty. The rights to and obligations of indemnification among or between us and any of our current or former directors and officers are generally governed by the laws of Luxembourg and subject to the jurisdiction of the Luxembourg courts, unless such rights or obligations do not relate to or arise out of such persons’ capacities listed above. Although there is doubt as to whether U.S. courts would enforce this indemnification provision in an action brought in the United States under U.S. federal or state securities laws, this provision could make it more difficult to obtain judgments outside Luxembourg or from non-Luxembourg jurisdictions that would apply Luxembourg Law against our assets in Luxembourg.
Luxembourg and European insolvency and bankruptcy laws are substantially different from U.S. insolvency and bankruptcy laws and may offer our shareholders less protection than they would have under U.S. insolvency and bankruptcy laws.
As a company organized under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and with its registered office in Luxembourg, we are subject to Luxembourg insolvency and bankruptcy laws in the event any insolvency proceedings are initiated against it including, among other things, Council and European Parliament Regulation (EU) 2015/848 of 20 May 2015 on insolvency proceedings (recast). Should courts in another European country determine that the insolvency and bankruptcy laws of that country apply to the Company in accordance with and subject to such European Union regulations, the courts in that country could have jurisdiction over the insolvency proceedings initiated against us. Insolvency and bankruptcy laws in Luxembourg or the relevant other European country, if any, may offer our shareholders less protection than they would have under U.S. insolvency and bankruptcy laws and make it more difficult for them to recover the amount they could expect to recover in a liquidation under U.S. insolvency and bankruptcy laws.
The rights of our shareholders may differ from the rights they would have as shareholders of a U.S. corporation and consequently our shareholders may have more difficulty protecting their interests.
Our corporate affairs are governed by our Articles and Luxembourg Law, including the Luxembourg Companies Law. The rights of our shareholders and the responsibilities of our directors and officers under Luxembourg Law are different from those applicable to a corporation incorporated in the United States.
In the performance of its duties, the Board is required to act as a collegiate body in the interest of the Company. It is possible that the Company may have interests that are different from interests of the shareholders. If any member of our Board has a direct or indirect financial interest in a matter which has to be considered by the Board that conflicts with the interests of the Company, Luxembourg Law provides that such director will not be entitled to participate in deliberations on, and exercise his vote with respect to the approval of such transaction. If the interest of such a member of the Board does not conflict with the interests of the Company, then the applicable director with such interest may participate in deliberations on, and vote on the approval of, that transaction. Further, under Luxembourg Law, there may be less publicly available information about the Company than is regularly published by or about U.S. domestic issuers. In addition, Luxembourg Law governing the securities of Luxembourg companies may not be as extensive as those in effect in the United States, and Luxembourg Law and regulations in respect of corporate governance matters might not be as protective of minority shareholders as state corporation laws in the United States. Therefore, our shareholders may have more
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
38
difficulty in protecting their interests in connection with actions taken by its directors and officers or its principal shareholders than they would as shareholders of a corporation incorporated in the United States.
Neither our Articles nor Luxembourg Law provides for appraisal rights for dissenting shareholders in certain extraordinary corporate transactions that may otherwise be available to shareholders under certain U.S. state laws. As a result of these differences, our shareholders may have more difficulty protecting their interests than they would as shareholders of a U.S. domestic issuer.
Our Articles include compulsory share transfer provisions that may not provide our minority shareholders with the same benefits as they would have in a merger of a Delaware corporation.
We have included in our Articles, provisions that give the holder of 75% of the number of our outstanding Ordinary Shares (which would include AGSA for so long as it holds the requisite number of our Ordinary Shares) the right to acquire our outstanding Ordinary Shares held by all other holders at such time for a purchase price payable in cash that is equal to the fair market value of such Shares, as determined by an independent investment banking firm of international reputation in accordance with the procedures contained in our Articles. These procedures include a dispute resolution provision permitting holders of at least 10% of the Ordinary Shares held by our minority shareholders at that time to dispute the purchase price proposed by the acquiring shareholder. It is uncertain whether our minority shareholders will be able to coordinate with each other in a manner that will enable them to take full advantage of these provisions. There can be no assurance that these provisions would result in a price as favorable to our minority shareholders as they would receive in a transaction subject to Delaware law and appraisal rights.
Anti-takeover provisions in our Articles might discourage or delay attempts to acquire it.
Our Articles contain provisions that may make acquisition of the Company more difficult, including the following:
● | Classified Board. Our Board is classified into three classes of directors that are, as nearly as possible, of equal size. Each class of directors will be elected for a three-year term of office, but the terms are staggered so that the term of only one class of directors expires at each annual general meeting of shareholders. The existence of a classified board could impede a proxy contest or delay a successful tender offeror from obtaining majority control of the Board, and the prospect of that delay might deter a potential offeror. |
● | Notice Requirements for Shareholder Proposals. Luxembourg Law and our Articles provide that one or more shareholders together holding at least 10% of the Company’s share capital may request the addition of one or more items to the agenda of any general meeting. The request must be sent to the registered office by registered mail, at least five clear days before the meeting is held. Our Articles also specify certain requirements regarding the form and content of a shareholder’s notice. These requirements may make it difficult for our shareholders to bring matters before a general meeting. |
● | Special Resolutions. Our Articles require special resolutions adopted at an extraordinary general meeting for any of the following matters, among other things: (a) an increase or decrease of the authorized or issued capital, (b) an amendment to the Articles and (c) dissolving the Company. Pursuant to our Articles, for any special resolutions to be considered at a general meeting the quorum is in excess of one-half (1∕2) of the share capital in issue present in person or by proxy unless otherwise mandatorily required by Luxembourg Law, where the Preferred Shares will not be taken into account for purposes of quorum and voting majority requirements, in the circumstances where the Preferred Shares do not have any voting rights. If such quorum is not met at a first extraordinary general meeting, a second meeting may be convened, and such second meeting shall validly deliberate regardless of the proportion of the capital represented. Any special resolution may be adopted at a general meeting at which a |
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
39
quorum is present (except as otherwise provided by mandatory law) by the affirmative votes of at least two-thirds (2∕3) of the votes validly cast on such resolution by shareholders entitled to vote. |
These anti-takeover provisions could discourage, delay or prevent a transaction involving a change in control of the Company, even if such transaction would benefit its shareholders.
We qualify for and rely on exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements.
We are exempt from certain corporate governance requirements of the NYSE by virtue of being a “foreign private issuer” as such term is defined under U.S. securities laws and a “controlled company” as such term is defined under the corporate governance standards of the NYSE (the “NYSE Standards”) and are not subject to all the disclosure requirements applicable to public companies organized within the United States. As a foreign private issuer, we are permitted to follow the corporate governance practice of our home country in lieu of certain provisions of the NYSE Standards. See “—As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from a number of U.S. securities laws and rules and are permitted to publicly disclose less information than U.S. public companies are required to disclose, which may limit the information available to holders of our Ordinary Shares. Conversely, if we lose our foreign private issuer status in the future, this could result in significant additional costs and expenses” and “Item 16G. Corporate Governance” for more information.
As AGSA controls, directly or indirectly, a majority of the voting power of our issued and outstanding Ordinary Shares, we are a controlled company within the meaning of the NYSE Standards, and are not required to comply with the following requirements:
● | a majority of the Board consist of independent directors; |
● | the nominating and governance committee be composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities; |
● | the compensation committee be composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities; and |
● | there be an annual performance evaluation of the nominating and governance and compensation committees. |
We currently avail ourselves of the exemption that allows our compensation committee and nominating and governance committees not to be composed entirely of independent directors. See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—C. Board Practices—Controlled Company” and “Item 16G. Corporate Governance” for more information.
As a result of the foregoing exemptions afforded to us as a foreign private issuer and controlled company, we can cease voluntary compliance at any time, and our shareholders may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the NYSE Standards.
Holders generally will be subject to a 15% withholding tax on payment of dividends made on the Ordinary Shares under current Luxembourg tax law.
Under current Luxembourg tax law, payments of dividends made on the Ordinary Shares generally are subject to a 15% Luxembourg withholding tax. Certain exemptions or reductions in the withholding tax may apply, but it will be up to the holders to claim any available refunds from the Luxembourg tax authority. For more information on the taxation implications, see “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation.”
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
40
Item 4. Information on the Company
A.History and development of the Company
Ardagh Group traces its origins back to 1932 in Dublin, Ireland, when the Irish Glass Bottle Company was founded and listed on the Irish Stock Exchange. Ardagh Group operated a single glass plant in Dublin, largely serving the domestic beverage and food customer base until 1998, when Yeoman International, led by the current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ardagh Group and major shareholder, Paul Coulson, took an initial stake in Ardagh Group, becoming Chairman later that year.
Since 1999, Ardagh Group has played a major role in the consolidation of the global metal and glass packaging industries, completing 23 acquisitions and significantly increasing our scope, scale, and geographic presence.
AMPSA was incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on January 20, 2021 as a public limited liability company (société anonyme) having its registered office at 56, rue Charles Martel, L-2134 Luxembourg, Luxembourg and registered with the Luxembourg Register of Commerce and Companies (Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés de Luxembourg) under number B 251465. We currently operate 24 production facilities globally, located in Europe (twelve), North America (nine) and Brazil (three). These comprise 19 facilities producing beverage cans, four facilities producing can ends and one facility producing both cans and ends. The history and development of our production facility footprint has been as follows:
● | In June 2016, Ardagh Group acquired the assets required to be divested by Ball Corporation and Rexam PLC to gain approval for the acquisition of Rexam PLC by Ball Corporation. The divested assets comprised 22 production facilities, located in Europe (twelve), North America (eight) and Brazil (two). |
● | The twelve production facilities acquired by Ardagh Group in Europe comprised ten former Ball Corporation plants, as well as two former Rexam PLC production facilities. Ball Corporation had established and grown its presence in Europe, principally through the acquisition of Schmalbach-Lubeca in 2008, at the time the second largest manufacturer of beverage cans in Europe. Rexam PLC had established and grown its beverage can business in Europe through the acquisitions of PLM, AB, Swedish-listed beverage can and glass bottle manufacturer, acquired in 1999, and American National Can Corporation, acquired in 2000, as well as organic investments in new capacity. The eight production facilities acquired in North America represented part of the former Rexam PLC business. Finally, the two production facilities in Brazil were formerly owned by Latapack-Ball, a joint venture in which Ball Corporation had held an approximately 60% stake. In December 2015, Ball Corporation acquired full ownership of this joint venture, prior to divesting these two production facilities. |
● | In 2018, the construction of a greenfield production facility in Manaus, Brazil was completed, which supplies can ends to our can production facilities in Jacarei, Brazil and Alagoinhas, Brazil. |
● | In October 2020, Ardagh Group announced a $1.5 billion growth investment program to grow its metal packaging business. In February 2021, in response to the positive demand outlook we announced our decision to undertake additional investments increasing the total amount of the growth investment program to $1.8 billion for the period from 2021 to 2024. |
● | In December 2020, we acquired a large brownfield and building site in Huron, Ohio, which was converted into a new beverage can and ends plant. Ends production commenced in November 2021 and beverage can production began in July 2022. |
● | In February 2021, the combination with GHV was announced, whereby we would be separately listed on the NYSE. This combination with GHV was completed in August 2021, and we began trading on the NYSE under |
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
41
the ticker “AMBP.” As at December 31, 2022, AGSA indirectly retains a stake of approximately 76% in us and intends to remain a long-term majority shareholder. |
● | In November 2021, we announced the acquisition of Quebec-based Hart Print, a North America based innovator in digital printing services to the beverage market. |
The SEC maintains an internet site at www.sec.gov that contains reports and information statements and other information regarding registrants like us that file electronically with the SEC.
We routinely post important information on our website https://www.ardaghmetalpackaging.com/corporate/investors. The contents of the website are not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report.
Our agent for service in the United States is: Ardagh Metal Packaging Corp., 8770 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Chicago, IL 60631 (Telephone: +1 (773) 399-3000).
B.Business Overview
We are one of the leading suppliers of consumer metal beverage cans in the world and believe that we hold the #2 or #3 market positions in Europe, the United States and Brazil. The global beverage can industry is a large, consumer-driven industry with attractive growth characteristics. Our end-use categories include beer, carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, hard seltzers, juices, pre-mixed cocktails, teas, sparkling waters and wine. Our customers include a wide variety of leading beverage products, which value our packaging products for their convenience and quality, as well as the end-user appeal they offer through design, innovation and brand promotion. With our significant invested capital base, supported by consistent levels of re-investment, our extensive technical capabilities and manufacturing know-how, we believe we are well-positioned to continue to meet the dynamic needs of our global customers.
Within the $117 billion global metal packaging industry, the metal can packaging market is comprised of beverage cans (50%), food cans (28%), aerosol cans (5%) and other cans (17%), according to an October 2020 report from Smithers Pira, a leading independent market research firm with extensive specialized experience in the packaging, paper and print industries. We compete in the beverage can sector of the consumer and metal packaging industry. Because the consumer metal packaging industry primarily supplies packaging for food, drinks and other basic needs, it is considered to be a relatively stable market sector that is less sensitive to economic cycles than many other industries.
We serve over 200 customers across more than 40 countries, comprised of multi-national companies and large national and regional companies. In our target regions of Europe, North America and Brazil, our customers include a wide variety of companies owning some of the best-known brands in the world. We have a stable customer base with long-standing relationships and over 80% of our sales are generated under multi-year contracts, with the remainder largely subject to annual arrangements. A significant portion of our sales volumes are supplied under contracts which include input cost pass-through provisions, which help us deliver generally consistent absolute margins.
We operate 24 production facilities in nine countries and as at December 31, 2022, employ approximately 6,300 personnel. Our plants are generally located to serve our customers’ filling locations. Certain facilities may also be dedicated to specific end-use categories, enhancing product-specific expertise and generating benefits of scale and production efficiency. Significant capital has been invested in our extensive network of long-lived production facilities, which, together with our skilled workforce and related manufacturing process know-how, supports our competitive positions.
We are committed to market-leading innovation and product development and maintain dedicated innovation, development and engineering centers in the United States and Europe to support these efforts. These facilities focus on three main areas: (i) innovations that provide enhanced product design, differentiation and user experience for our
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
42
customers and end-use consumers; (ii) innovations that reduce input costs to generate cost savings for both our customers and us (e.g. downgauging); and (iii) developments to meet evolving product safety standards and regulations.
Sustainability
Sustainability is a core pillar of our business, recognizing that long-term economic viability is dependent upon having a sustainable business model. Our sustainability strategy initiates key actions to achieve our objectives through reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and our ecological impact as well as supporting our people and communities. In September 2015, member states of the United Nations developed a plan for the next 15 years to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and protect our planet. Underpinning this plan are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”). As a signatory to United Nations Global Compact, our sustainability strategy is linked to specific SDGs including Affordable and Clean Energy (#7), Responsible Consumption and Production (#12), Climate Action (#13), Partnerships for the Goals (#17), Good Health and Wellbeing (#3), Quality Education (#4) and Gender Equality (#5).
We have continued to expand our governance of climate risk and integrate climate considerations into the priorities of our Board and senior management. We intend to measure, manage, and reduce the climate risk on our business in line with Taskforce on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (“TCFD”) guidelines. The TCFD provides a framework to consider and disclose our processes for managing the risks and opportunities associated with climate change. We will continue to consider the recommendations within the TCFD framework and enhance our associated opportunities in order to optimize our risk mitigation strategy. We also monitor regulatory developments on climate risk and sustainable finance. These include, but are not limited to, the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) which will be applicable to us for the year ended December 31, 2025 and the SEC’s proposed rules on disclosures related to climate risks and opportunities, which have not yet been finalized.
Our sustainability focus is centered on minimizing our greenhouse gas emissions and ecological impact, promoting a healthy, safe and inclusive workplace for our employees and contributing positively to the communities in which we operate. We have established the Sustainability Committee (as defined below) to oversee our sustainability initiatives, which is supported by our Group sustainability function.
In pursuance of our environmental objectives, we seek to promote recycling of our products, enhance our product design and target continuous improvement in our processes. Unlike many other packaging substrates, metal is infinitely recyclable, without any degradation in quality. We expect these attributes to continue to enhance our products’ appeal, due to growing consumer awareness of sustainability and the environment.
Recycling rates for aluminum beverage cans are relatively high in the geographies in which we operate, estimated at 60% in the United States, 73% in Europe and 99% in Brazil as of 2020-2021. The use of recycled aluminum reduces energy consumption by over 90% compared with the alternative of producing aluminum cans from its virgin source.
We continuously aim to reduce the material and resource usage in the manufacture of our products, through lightweighting of our metal beverage cans. In addition, we have established specialist groups across our business and promote sharing best practices to drive continuous improvement in our manufacturing processes. In 2022, we joined key aluminum industry leaders to form a partnership agreeing to investments in net zero initiatives this decade to assure the shared global stakeholder objective of net zero emissions by 2050 is achieved. In addition, we were accepted as a member of the Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (“ASI”). The ASI is a multi-stakeholder initiative that promotes measurable and continual improvements in the key environment, social and governance impacts of aluminum production, use and recycling.
In 2022, we received approval for our near-term Science-Based Sustainability Targets through the Science-Based Targets initiative (the “SBTi”), whereby we set specific goals to reduce our Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
43
2030 in line with the Paris Agreement, under which governments mutually pledged to limit the increase in global temperatures to 1.5°C.
We have also established other sustainability targets for reductions in energy consumption, water usage, waste and other metrics. We intend to achieve these targets through a wide range of initiatives, including (i) greater usage of renewable energy, including the installation of solar projects in multiple production facilities (ii) promoting the use of recycled content (iii) pursuing energy-efficiency projects across our plant network (iv) procuring electricity from renewable sources (v) sourcing sustainable inputs from our supplier base and (vi) minimizing volatile organic compounds emissions.
In 2022, we were awarded a CDP (formally the Carbon Disclosure Project) Leadership Class rating of “A-” in respect of water management and a Management Class rating of “B” in respect of climate change.
We aim to ensure a safe and healthy workplace for all our employees by embedding a culture of safety awareness. Broad principles are supported by detailed policies and procedures to minimize accidents and injuries through continuous training and education. We are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace and are establishing diversity and inclusion councils across our business units.
We are a significant local employer and seek to play a positive role in our communities, including promoting educational linkages with the community, through internships and apprenticeships. Alongside the glass packaging business of Ardagh Group, we have mapped out a program which intends to invest approximately $55 million over a multi-year period in our local communities in the United States, Europe and Brazil in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education initiatives for under-privileged children. Each of our production facilities also runs a community involvement program to raise environmental awareness, encourage recycling, and promote and support initiatives to help local charities and good causes.
Information Technology
Our IT systems are integral to our entire business and cover our manufacturing, procurement, accounting and telecommunication systems, among others. They are designed and organized to support our daily business operations, compliance, financial information and reporting, and we have dedicated resources to maintain and optimize our IT portfolio with additional support from external IT partners. We follow a balanced IT strategy, maintaining and carefully improving our core systems that support our day-to-day business operations, while also exploring new and emerging technologies and the benefits they can provide to our business, such as increasing group-wide quality and efficiency. Recent examples include a dedicated focus on the use of cloud and advanced data analytics.
In order to enhance our overall cyber security program, we have implemented a cyber transformation program. The program follows the National Institute of Standards and Technology framework, a standard framework recognized in the industry and general best practices. We also partner with global leaders in the security industry to deliver an integrated information and cyber risk management service using state of the art technologies in areas including anti-virus and anti-malware, email and web security platforms, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, cyber threat intelligence services and advanced persistent threat detection. We strive to identify cyber threats over the entire lifecycle of our applications and systems and to deal with these threats in line with their perceived seriousness. Cyber-attacks are continuously monitored and addressed. In particular, we pay particular attention to risks that could result in the disruption of our business processes due to the failure of IT systems. As part of the program, we have launched the BeSecure communications and training campaign throughout our business to increase cyber security awareness. Program updates are provided to senior and executive management on a monthly basis, and to our Board on at least a quarterly basis. The program is also regularly reviewed by an external and independent professional services company.
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
44
Development
Our leading global positions have been established through organic expansion and strategic growth initiatives, we have also expanded our footprint through strategic investments in new capacity to support our customers’ growth, and in December 2020 we acquired a large brownfield building and site in Huron, Ohio, which has been converted into a new beverage can and ends plant, with ends production having commenced in November 2021 and beverage can production began in July 2022. These initiatives, as well as other acquisitions and investments over many years, in existing and adjacent end-use categories, have increased our scale and diversification and provided opportunities to grow our business with both existing and new customers.
In February 2021, we announced a $1.8 billion growth investment program for the period 2021-2024, comprised of multiple projects to support our customers’ growth and to enhance our productivity in response to the positive demand outlook.
Our profit for the year ended December 31, 2022, was $237 million. Adjusted EBITDA and net cash from operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022, were $625 million and $205 million, respectively.
The following chart illustrates the breakdown of our revenue by destination for the year ended December 31, 2022:
Total revenue of our two operating and reportable segments, Europe and Americas, for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $1,963 million and $2,726 million, respectively.
Our Industry
The global packaging industry is a large, consumer-driven industry with stable growth characteristics. We operate in the metal beverage can sector and our target regions are Europe, North America and Brazil. Metal beverage cans are attractive to brand owners, as their strength and rigidity allows them to be filled at high speeds and easily transported,
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
45
resulting in further efficiencies through the supply chain. The ability to customize and differentiate products supplied in metal beverage cans, through innovative design, shaping and printing, also appeals to our customers. The metal market has been marked by progressive lightweighting, which has generated material savings in input costs and logistics, while enhancing the consumer experience. This reduction in raw material and energy usage in the manufacturing process has also increased the appeal to end-users, who are increasingly focused on sustainability.
Our Competitive Strengths
● | Leader in Metal Beverage Packaging. We believe we are one of the leading suppliers of metal beverage can packaging solutions, capable of supplying multi-national, national and regional beverage producers in our target markets. We believe that we are the #2 supplier of metal beverage cans by value in Europe and the #3 supplier of metal beverage cans by value in North America and Brazil. We believe our leading positions are underpinned by the combination of our extensive footprint, proximity to customers, efficient manufacturing and high level of customer service. |
● | Long-term relationships with diverse blue-chip customer base. We supply some of the world’s best-known beverage brands with sustainable, innovative packaging solutions and have been recognized with numerous industry awards. We have longstanding relationships with many of our major customers, which include leading multinational, national and regional beverage companies. Some of our major customers include AB InBev, Britvic, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Heineken, Mark Anthony Brands, Monster Beverage, National Beverage Company, PepsiCo and Grupo Petrópolis, among others. In recent years, particularly in North America, we have significantly diversified our customer base by growing our business with customers in faster-growing end-use categories, including ready-to-drink (“RTD”) cocktails, sparkling waters, energy drinks and other beverages, and by adding new customers. |
● | Focus on stable economies and generally growing product demand. For the year ended December 31, 2022, we derived 88% of our revenues from Europe and North America, which are mature economies characterized by generally predictable consumer spending and relatively low cyclicality, with the balance largely derived from the Brazilian beverage market. Our revenues are entirely generated from beverage end-use categories, including beer, carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, hard seltzers, juices, sparkling waters, teas and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, demand for which is generally less impacted by economic cycles. In Europe, North America and Brazil, demand growth in the metal beverage can in recent years has principally been driven by new beverage product innovations, increased awareness by consumers of sustainability and structural pack mix shifts by our customers. For our customers, beverage cans are more efficient to fill and easier to transport and store than other substrates. We believe that these advantages, together with beverage cans’ high level of recyclability, combine to provide our customers the lowest total cost of ownership. |
● | Highly contracted revenue base. Over 80% of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022 is backed by multi-year supply agreements ranging from two to seven years in duration, with the remainder largely pursuant to annual arrangements. A significant proportion of our sales volumes are supplied under contracts which include mechanisms that help to protect us from earnings volatility related to input costs, including aluminum. Specifically, such arrangements include (i) multi-year contracts that include input cost pass-through and/or margin maintenance provisions and (ii) one-year contracts that allow us to negotiate pricing levels for our products on an annual basis as we determine our input costs for the relevant year. |
● | Well-invested asset base with significant scale and operational excellence. We operate 24 strategically-located production facilities in nine countries, enabling us to efficiently serve our customers with high quality and innovative products and services across multiple geographies. We pursue continuous improvement in our facilities and promote a culture of consistently pursuing excellence through standardizing and sharing best practices across our network of plants. We believe the total value proposition we offer our customers, in the form |
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
46
of geographic reach, customer service, product quality, reliability, design and innovation will enable us to continue to drive growth and profitability. |
● | Significant and growing specialty can capacity. We have a significant presence in the specialty can segment, which we define as all cans other than 12-ounce 211 diameter cans in the Americas, and all cans other than 330ml and 500ml 211 diameter cans in Europe. Specialty cans include slim cans, sleek cans and cans of a standard diameter but special height. The specialty can segment has grown at a faster rate than the standard can segment in recent years and typically offers more attractive margins. In 2022, specialty cans represented 48% of our total can shipments, with strong representation in both the Europe and Americas segments. |
● | Infinitely recyclable products respond to growing sustainability awareness. Metal beverage cans are infinitely recyclable without loss of quality. We estimate recycling rates for aluminum beverage cans to be at 73% in Europe, 60% in the United States and 99% in Brazil in 2020-2021. We believe that an increasing awareness of the benefits of sustainable packaging in many of our markets will favor pack mix shifts to metal beverage cans in the future. We also believe that legislative and other measures designed to increase recycling rates will favor our substrates in the future. |
● | Technical leadership and innovation. We have advanced technical and manufacturing capabilities in metal beverage packaging, including research and development and engineering centers in the United States and Europe, principally based in Elk Grove, Illinois, and Bonn, Germany. Our capabilities have enabled us to develop product and process innovations to meet the dynamic needs of our customers. We have significant expertise in the production of value-added metal beverage cans, principally aluminum, with features such as high-quality graphic designs, colored tabs and tactile finishes. Our investments in digital print in Hart Print and NOMOQ enhance our design capabilities further. We produce metal beverage cans in a range of sizes and have been a leader in the introduction of lighter aluminum cans. |
● | Proven track record of generating attractive returns through organic expansion, strategic investment and continuous improvement. Since its acquisition by Ardagh Group in 2016, the metal beverage business has grown through a combination of organic expansion, strategic investment and continuous improvement. We have increased our exposure to faster growing categories of the beverage market, as well as diversifying our customer base, notably in North America, thereby improving our business mix. Ardagh Group has also made strategic investments, including the construction of our ends production facility in Manaus, Brazil, in 2018 which allowed us to become self-sufficient for ends supply in that market, as well as converting our production facility in Rugby, United Kingdom from steel to aluminum beverage cans. In addition, we have focused on continuous improvement across our business to optimize costs and drive efficiencies. We expect our principal focus to be on growth through organic expansion and strategic development with new and existing customers. We believe that we can maintain and grow attractive margins through business mix optimization, growth with new and existing customers, efficiency gains, cost reduction, working capital optimization and disciplined capital allocation. |
● | Experienced management team with a proven track record and high degree of shareholder alignment. Members of our management team with extensive experience in the metal beverage packaging industry have demonstrated their ability to manage costs, adapt to changing market conditions, undertake strategic investments and acquire and integrate new businesses, thereby driving significant value creation. Our Chairman has a high degree of indirect ownership in us, as he controls the ultimate parent company of AMPSA. We believe this ownership promotes efficient capital allocation decisions and results in strong shareholder alignment and commitment to further shareholder value creation. |
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
47
Our Business Strategy
Our principal objective remains to increase shareholder value by achieving growth in Adjusted EBITDA and cash generation. We aim to achieve this objective through organically growing our business, but will also continue to evaluate other acquisitions and strategic opportunities to enhance shareholder value. We pursue these objectives through the following strategies:
● | Grow Adjusted EBITDA and cash flow. We seek to leverage our extensive footprint, proximity to customers, efficient manufacturing and high level of customer service to grow revenue with new and existing customers, improve our productivity, and reduce and recover our costs. To increase Adjusted EBITDA, we will continue to exploit opportunities to improve network efficiency and utilization and take a disciplined approach to new growth investment. To increase cash generation, we actively manage our working capital and capital expenditures. Our $1.8 billion growth investment plan across the period 2021-2024 is well advanced, the implementation of which is expected to grow our revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and cash flow generation. |
● | Continue to enhance product mix and profitability. We have enhanced our product mix over the years by replacing lower margin business with higher margin business and by pursuing growth opportunities in new and emerging end-use categories of the beverage market. We will continue to develop long-term partnerships with existing and new customers, including new and emerging growth customers, and selectively pursue such opportunities that will grow our business and improve our overall profitability. We have invested in significantly growing our specialty can mix with those investments supported by long-term customer contracts and commitments. |
● | Emphasize operational excellence and optimize manufacturing base. In managing our businesses, we seek to improve our efficiency, control our costs and preserve and expand our margins. We aim to consistently reduce total costs through implementing operational efficiencies and promoting continuous improvement. We will continue to take actions to enhance efficiency through continuous improvement, best practice sharing and investment, enabling us to serve our existing and new customers’ exacting requirements for sustainable packaging. |
● | Enhance our environmental and social sustainability impact. We will continue to improve the sustainability profile of our business. During 2022, we received approval our near-term Science-Based Sustainability Targets through the SBTi, whereby we set specific goals to reduce our Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in line with the Paris Agreement, under which governments mutually pledged to limit the increase in global temperatures to 1.5°C. See “—Sustainability” for further details on our sustainability strategy and SBTi targets. We seek to ensure that we meet the evolving requirements of end consumers and our customers, while creating a safe and inclusive environment for our employees, contributing positively to the communities in which we operate, improving our efficiency, controlling our costs and preserving and expanding our margins while at the same time growing our revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow generation. |
● | Evaluate and pursue strategic opportunities. We are a leading player in the beverage can sector in Europe, North America and Brazil, and those markets remain our principal near and medium-term focus. We may also evaluate and pursue other strategic opportunities, to grow with existing or new customers, including in new markets that offer attractive risk-adjusted returns, in line with our stringent investment criteria and focus on enhancing shareholder value. |
Manufacturing and Production
As of December 31, 2022, we operated 24 production facilities in nine countries and had approximately 6,300 employees. Our production facilities are currently located in seven European countries, as well as in the United States and Brazil.
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
48
The following table summarizes our principal production facilities as of December 31, 2022.
|
Number of |
|
Production |
||
Location |
|
Facilities* |
United States (1) |
|
9 |
Germany |
|
4 |
Brazil |
|
3 |
United Kingdom |
|
3 |
Other European countries(2) |
|
5 |
|
24 |
* Excluding digital print locations.
(1) | In December 2020, we acquired a facility in Huron, Ohio, which was converted into a new beverage can and ends plant, with ends production having commenced in November 2021 and beverage can production in July 2022. |
(2) | One facility in each of Austria, France, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain. |
Industry Overview
We operate in the beverage can segment of the consumer metal packaging industry.
The beverage can sector has grown across the last three years in each of Europe, North America and Brazil. In each of these markets demand for metal beverage cans has accelerated in recent years, principally driven by new beverage product innovations, increased awareness by consumers of sustainability and pack mix shifts. In addition, the convenience of filling, transporting and stocking beverage cans, compared with alternative substrates are believed to be contributing to this growth. Growth in unit volumes of specialty beverage cans has exceeded growth in standard beverage cans, thereby increasing specialty can penetration, a trend that is expected to continue.
We believe the purchasing decisions of retail consumers are significantly influenced by packaging. Consumer product manufacturers and marketers are increasingly using packaging to position their products in the market and differentiate them from alternative products. A growing awareness of sustainability issues among consumers, as well as potential regulatory or legislative changes in this area, are also expected to influence future packaging decisions by consumer product manufacturers. See “—Sustainability” for further details on our sustainability strategy. The development and production of premium, differentiated packaging products with additional value-added features require a higher level of design capabilities, manufacturing and process know-how and quality control than for more standardized products.
Customers
We operate production facilities in Europe, the United States and Brazil, and we sell metal beverage cans to multinational, regional and national customers in these regions. We supply leading manufacturers in each of the markets we serve, including AB InBev, Britvic, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Heineken, Mark Anthony Brands, Monster Beverage, National Beverage Company, PepsiCo and Grupo Petrópolis, among others.
Our top ten customers represented approximately 57% of our revenue in 2022. We estimate that over 80% of our revenue is backed by multi-year supply agreements, ranging from two to seven years in duration. These contracts generally provide for the pass-through of metal price fluctuations as well as a mechanism for the recovery of non-metal input cost inflation, while others have tolling arrangements whereby customers arrange for the procurement of metal themselves. In addition, within multi-year relationships, both parties can work together to streamline the product, service and supply process, leading to significant cost reductions and improvements in product and service, with benefits arising to both parties. Wherever possible, we seek to enter into multi-year supply agreements with our customers. In other cases, sales
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
49
are made under commercial supply agreements, typically of one-year’s duration, with prices based on expected purchase volumes.
Competitors
Our principal competitors in metal beverage packaging include Ball Corporation, Crown Holdings, and CANPACK.
Raw Materials and Suppliers
The principal raw materials used in our business are aluminum, steel, coatings and lining compounds. Over 90% of our metal raw material spend in 2022 related to aluminum. Our major aluminum suppliers include Novelis, Speira, Constellium and Tri-Arrows.
We continuously seek to minimize the price of raw materials and reduce exposure to price movements, including through the following:
● | harnessing the scale of our global metal purchasing requirements, to achieve better raw materials pricing; |
● | entering into variable-priced pass-through contracts with customers, whereby selling prices are indexed to the price of the underlying raw materials; |
● | maintaining the focus on metal content reduction; |
● | targeting reductions in spoilage and waste in manufacturing; |
● | rationalizing the number of both specifications and suppliers; and |
● | hedging the price of aluminum ingot and the related euro/U.S. dollar exposure. |
Aluminum is typically purchased under three-year contracts, with pricing arrangements that are fixed in advance. Despite an increase in the level of aluminum production being targeted to new end-use applications, including automotive and aerospace, we believe that adequate quantities of the relevant grades of packaging aluminum will continue to be available from various producers and that we are not overly dependent upon any single supplier. Some of our aluminum requirements are subject to tolling arrangements with our customers, whereby risk and responsibility for the procurement of aluminum is managed by the customer.
Distribution
We use various freight and haulage contractors to make deliveries to customer sites or warehousing facilities. In certain cases, customers make their own delivery arrangements and therefore may purchase from us on an ex-works basis. Warehousing facilities are primarily situated at our production facilities. However, in certain regions, we rely on networks of externally-rented warehouses at strategic third-party locations close to major customers’ filling operations.
Innovation, Research and Development
The majority of our innovation, development and engineering activities are primarily concentrated at our regional technical center in Elk Grove, Illinois and at our research facility in Bonn, Germany. These centers focus on identifying and serving the existing and potential needs of customers, including the achievement of cost reductions, particularly metal
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
50
content reduction, and meeting new and anticipated legislative requirements, as well as providing technology, engineering and support services to our product facilities and customers.
We currently hold and maintain a number of patent families, filed in several jurisdictions and covering a range of different products.
Environmental, Health and Safety
Our operations and properties are regulated under a wide range of laws, ordinances and regulations and other legal requirements concerning the environment, health and safety and product safety in each jurisdiction in which we operate. We believe that our production facilities are compliant, in all material respects, with these laws and regulations.
The principal environmental issues we face include the environmental impact of the disposal of water used in our production processes, generation and disposal of waste, the receiving, use and storage of hazardous and non-hazardous materials, the potential contamination and subsequent remediation of land, surface water and groundwater arising from our operations and the impact on air quality through gas and particle emissions, including the emission of greenhouse gases.
Our substantial operations in the European Union are subject to, among additional requirements, the requirements of the EU IED which requires that operators of industrial installations, including can-making installations, take into account the whole environmental performance of the installation and obtain and maintain compliance with a permit, which sets emission limit values that are based on best available techniques.
Furthermore, the EU Directive on environmental liability relating to the prevention and remedying of environmental damage aims to make those who cause damage to the environment (specifically damage to habitats and species protected by EU law, damage to water resources and land contamination which presents a threat to human health) financially responsible for its remediation. It requires operators of industrial premises (including those which hold a permit governed by the EU IED) to take preventive measures to avoid environmental damage, inform the regulators when such damage has or may occur and to remediate contamination.
Our U.S. operations are also subject to stringent and complex U.S. federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to environmental protection, including the discharge of materials into the environment, health and safety and product safety including, but not limited to: the U.S. federal Clean Air Act, the U.S. federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, the U.S. federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (“CERCLA”). These laws and regulations may, among other things (i) require obtaining permits to conduct industrial operations; (ii) restrict the types and quantities and concentration of various substances that can be released into the environment; (iii) result in the suspension or revocation of necessary permits, licenses and authorizations; (iv) require that additional pollution controls be installed and (v) require remedial measures to mitigate pollution from former and ongoing operations, including related natural resource damages. Specifically, certain U.S. environmental laws, such as CERCLA and analogous state laws, provide for strict, and under certain circumstances, joint and several liability for the investigation and remediation of releases or the disposal of regulated materials into the environment including soil and groundwater, as well as for damages to natural resources.
In North America, sales of beverage cans are affected by governmental regulation of packaging, including deposit return laws. At December 31, 2022, there were ten U.S. states with container deposit laws in effect, requiring consumer deposits of between 5 and 15 cents (USD), depending on the size of the container or product. In Canada, there are ten provinces and three territories. Deposit laws cover some form of beverage container in all provinces and territories except the territory of Nunavut, which does not have a deposit program. The range for deposits is between 5 and 40 cents (Canadian Dollar), depending on size of container and type of beverage.
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
51
A wider roll out of packaging deposit return systems in Europe, such as that proposed in Scotland from August 2023, could lead to cost increases for collection and recycling of beverage cans and therefore potentially have impacts on the packaging material mix at retailers.
In North America, many beverages and containers, particularly new product innovations and unique alcohol beverage products, are not clearly defined in U.S. and Canadian deposit laws, and local agencies provide final decisions on the application of deposit laws.
We are also committed to ensuring that safe operating practices are established, implemented and maintained throughout our organization. In addition, we have instituted active health and safety programs throughout our company. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business—We are subject to various environmental and other legal requirements and may be subject to additional requirements that could impose substantial costs upon us.”
C.Organizational structure
The following table provides information relating to our principal operating subsidiaries, all of which are wholly owned, with the exception of Hart Print Inc. which is 92% owned, at December 31, 2022.
Country of |
||
Company |
|
incorporation |
Ardagh Metal Packaging Manufacturing Austria GmbH |
|
Austria |
Ardagh Metal Packaging Trading Austria GmbH |
|
Austria |
Ardagh Metal Packaging Brasil Ltda |
|
Brazil |
Ardagh Indústria de Embalagens de Metálicas do Brasil Ltda. |
|
Brazil |
Hart Print Inc. |
Canada |
|
Ardagh Metal Packaging Trading France SAS |
|
France |
Ardagh Metal Packaging France SAS |
|
France |
Ardagh Metal Packaging Germany GmbH |
|
Germany |
Ardagh Metal Packaging Trading Germany GmbH |
|
Germany |
Ardagh Metal Packaging Trading Netherlands B.V. |
|
Netherlands |
Ardagh Metal Packaging Netherlands B.V. |
|
Netherlands |
Ardagh Metal Packaging Trading Poland Sp. z o.o |
|
Poland |
Ardagh Metal Packaging Poland Sp. z o.o |
|
Poland |
Ardagh Metal Packaging Trading Spain SL |
|
Spain |
Ardagh Metal Packaging Spain SL |
|
Spain |
Ardagh Metal Packaging Europe GmbH |
|
Switzerland |
Ardagh Metal Packaging Trading UK Limited |
|
United Kingdom |
Ardagh Metal Packaging UK Limited |
|
United Kingdom |
Ardagh Metal Packaging USA Corp. |
|
United States |
D.Property, plant and equipment
See “Item 4.—Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Manufacturing and Production.”
Item 4A. Unresolved Staff Comments
Not Applicable
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
52
Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects
The following discussion should be read together with, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the audited consolidated financial statements of Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A. for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 including the related notes thereto, included elsewhere in this Annual Report. As used in this section, the “Group” refers to Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A. and its subsidiaries.
Some of the measures used in this Annual Report are not measurements of financial performance under IFRS and should not be considered an alternative to cash flow from operating activities as a measure of liquidity or an alternative to operating profit/(loss) or profit/(loss) for the year, as indicators of our operating performance or any other measures of performance derived in accordance with IFRS.
Business Drivers
The main factors affecting our results of operations for the Group are: (i) global economic trends, end-consumer demand for our products and production capacity of our manufacturing facilities; (ii) prices of energy and raw materials used in our business, primarily aluminum, steel and coatings, and our ability to pass through these and other cost increases to our customers, through contractual pass through mechanisms under multi-year contracts, or through renegotiation in the case of short-term contracts; (iii) investment in capacity expansion and operating cost reductions; (iv) acquisitions; and (v) foreign exchange rate fluctuations and currency translation risks arising from various currency exposures, primarily with respect to the euro, U.S. dollar, British pound, Polish zloty and Brazilian real.
We generate our revenue from supplying metal can packaging to the beverage end-use category. Revenue is primarily dependent on sales volumes and sales prices.
Sales volumes are influenced by a number of factors, including factors driving customer demand, seasonality and the capacity of our metal beverage packaging plants. Demand for our metal beverage cans may be influenced by trends in the consumption of beverages, industry trends in packaging, including customer marketing and pricing decisions, and the impact of environmental regulations and shifts in consumer sentiment towards a greater awareness of sustainability. The demand for our beverage products is strongest during spells of warm weather and therefore demand typically, based on historical trends, peaks during the summer months, as well as in the period leading up to holidays in December. Accordingly, we generally build inventories in the first and fourth quarter in anticipation of the seasonal demands in our beverage business.
Our Adjusted EBITDA is based on revenue derived from selling our metal beverage cans and is affected by a number of factors, primarily cost of sales. The elements of our cost of sales include (i) variable costs, such as electricity, raw materials (including the cost of aluminum), packaging materials, decoration and freight and other distribution costs, and (ii) fixed costs, such as labor and other plant-related costs including depreciation and maintenance. In addition, sales, marketing and administrative costs also impact Adjusted EBITDA. Our variable costs have typically constituted approximately 75% and fixed costs approximately 25% of the total cost of sales for our business.
Recent Acquisitions, Divestments and Developments
On February 22, 2021, the Company announced its entry into a business combination agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”), dated as at February 22, 2021, by and among others, the Company, AGSA, Ardagh MP MergeCo Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (“MergeCo”) and Gores Holdings V Inc. (“Gores Holdings V”), pursuant to which the parties thereto agreed to effect the merger of MergeCo with and into Gores Holdings V, with Gores Holdings V being the surviving corporation as a wholly-owned subsidiary of AMPSA (the “Merger”, and, together with the other transactions contemplated in the Business Combination Agreement, the “Business Combination”) to create
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
53
the Company, an independent, pure-play beverage can company, whose ordinary shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “AMBP.”
Critical Accounting Policies
We prepare our financial statements in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB. A summary of significant accounting policies is contained in note 3 to our audited consolidated financial statements for the three years ended December 31, 2022. In applying accounting principles, we make assumptions, estimates and judgments which are often subjective and may be affected by changing circumstances or changes in our analysis. Material changes in these assumptions, estimates and judgments have the potential to materially alter our results of operations. The estimates and assumptions that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year are discussed below.
Business combinations and goodwill
All business combinations are accounted for by applying the purchase method of accounting. This involves measuring the cost of the business combination and allocating, at the acquisition date, the cost of the business combination to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination are measured initially at their fair values at the acquisition date.
The cost of an acquisition is measured as the aggregate of the consideration transferred, which is measured at acquisition date fair value, and the amount of any non-controlling interests in the acquiree. For each business combination, we elect whether to measure the non-controlling interests in the acquiree at fair value or at the proportionate share of the acquiree’s identifiable net assets. Acquisition-related costs are expensed as incurred and included in sales, general and administration expenses.
When we acquire a business, we assess the financial assets and liabilities assumed for appropriate classification and designation in accordance with the contractual terms, economic circumstances and pertinent conditions as at the acquisition date.
Any contingent consideration is recognized at fair value at the acquisition date.
Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquisition over the fair value of the net identifiable assets of the acquired subsidiary at the date of acquisition.
Goodwill is stated at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. Goodwill is allocated to those groups of CGUs that are expected to benefit from the business combination in which the goodwill arose for the purpose of assessing impairment. Goodwill is tested annually for impairment or whenever indicators suggest that impairment may have occurred.
Where goodwill has been allocated to a CGU and part of the operation within that unit is disposed of, the goodwill associated with the disposed operation is included in the carrying amount of the operation when determining the gain or loss on disposal. Goodwill disposed in these circumstances is measured based on the relative values of the disposed operation and the portion of the cash-generating unit retained.
Impairment of goodwill
Goodwill acquired through a business combination has been allocated to groups of CGUs for the purpose of impairment testing based on the segment into which the business combination is assimilated. The groupings represent the
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
54
lowest level at which the related goodwill is monitored for internal management purposes. As at the reporting date, Europe and Americas were the groups of CGUs to which goodwill was allocated and monitored.
We use the fair value less costs of disposal (“FVLCD”) model for the purposes of goodwill impairment testing.
In assessing FVLCD, we use a market approach, which includes, as a key assumption, a multiple to Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2022. The multiple used is based on both our and comparable companies’ equity valuations and was further adjusted for selling costs. The valuation is considered to be level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.
A sensitivity analysis was performed reflecting reasonably possible potential variations in the applied Adjusted EBITDA multiple. If the multiple which was applied to the Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2022, was reduced by 1x, the recoverable amounts calculated for the Europe and Americas groups of CGUs are still significantly in excess of the carrying values of the Europe and Americas groups of CGUs. As a result of the significant excess of recoverable amount, we consider that completing the calculation of the recoverable amount of the Europe and Americas groups of CGUs using a value in use (“VIU”) model or providing additional disclosures under IAS36 are not required.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, we used the VIU model for the purposes of goodwill impairment testing. A sensitivity analysis was performed reflecting potential variations in the key assumptions used. In all cases the recoverable values calculated were significantly in excess of the carrying values of the CGUs.
Income taxes
We are subject to income taxes in numerous jurisdictions and judgment is therefore required in determining the worldwide provision for income taxes. There are many transactions and calculations for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain during the ordinary course of business. We recognize liabilities for anticipated tax audit matters based on estimates of whether additional taxes will be due. Where the final tax outcome of these matters is different from the amounts that were initially recorded, such differences will impact the income tax and deferred tax provisions in the period in which such determination is made.
Measurement of employee benefit obligations
We follow the guidance of IAS 19(R) to determine the present value of our obligations to current and past employees in respect of defined benefit pension obligations, other long-term employee benefits and other end of service employee benefits, which are subject to similar fluctuations in value in the long-term. We, with the assistance of a network of professionals, value such liabilities designed to ensure consistency in the quality of the key assumptions underlying the valuations.
The principal pension assumptions used in the preparation of the financial statements take account of the different economic circumstances in the countries in which we operate and the different characteristics of the respective plans including the length of duration of liabilities.
The ranges of the principal assumptions applied in estimating defined benefit obligations were:
Germany |
UK |
U.S. |
|||||||||
2022 |
|
2021 |
|
2022 |
|
2021 |
|
2022 |
|
2021 |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
||||||
Rate of inflation |
2.00 |
1.70 |
3.00 |
|
3.20 |
|
2.50 |
|
2.20 |
||
Rate of increase in salaries |
3.40 |
2.50 |
2.50 |
2.60 |
|
3.00 |
3.00 |
||||
Discount rate |
3.89 |
1.16 |
5.03 |
1.90 |
|
5.52 |
3.04 |
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
55
Assumptions regarding future mortality experience are set based on actuarial advice in accordance with published statistics and experience.
These assumptions translate into the following average life expectancy in years for a pensioner retiring at age 65. The mortality assumptions for the countries with the most significant defined benefit plans are set out below:
Germany |
UK |
|
U.S. |
|||||||||
2022 |
2021 |
2022 |
2021 |
|
2022 |
2021 |
||||||
|
Years |
|
Years |
|
Years |
|
Years |
|
Years |
|
Years |
|
Life expectancy, current pensioners |
22 |
22 |
23 |
22 |
21 |
21 |
||||||
Life expectancy, future pensioners |
|
25 |
25 |
|
24 |
23 |
22 |
|
22 |
If the discount rate were to decrease by 50 basis points from management estimates, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would increase by an estimated $22 million (2021: $47 million). If the discount rate were to increase by 50 basis points, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would decrease by an estimated $19 million (2021: $41 million).
If the inflation rate were to decrease by 50 basis points from management estimates, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would decrease by an estimated $9 million (2021: $15 million). If the inflation rate were to increase by 50 basis points, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would increase by an estimated $9 million (2021: $16 million).
If the salary increase rate were to decrease by 50 basis points from management estimates, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would decrease by an estimated $10 million (2021: $20 million). If the salary increase rate were to increase by 50 basis points, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would increase by an estimated $11 million (2020: $21 million).
The impact of increasing the life expectancy by one year would result in an increase in the Group’s liability of $7 million at December 31, 2022 (2021: $14 million), holding all other assumptions constant.
Exceptional items
Our consolidated income statement, cash flow and segmental analysis separately identify results before specific items. Specific items are those that in management’s judgment need to be disclosed by virtue of their size, nature or incidence to provide additional information. Such items include, where significant, restructuring, redundancy and other costs relating to permanent capacity realignment or footprint reorganization, directly attributable acquisition costs and acquisition integration costs, and other transaction-related costs, profit or loss on disposal or termination of operations, start-up costs incurred in relation to and associated with plant builds, significant new line investments, major litigation costs and settlements and impairments of non-current assets. In this regard the determination of “significant” as included in our definition uses qualitative and quantitative factors. We use our judgment in assessing the particular items, which by virtue of their scale and nature, are disclosed in our consolidated income statement, and related notes as exceptional items. Our management considers columnar presentation to be appropriate in the consolidated income statement as it provides useful additional information and is consistent with the way that financial performance is measured by management and presented to the Board. Exceptional restructuring costs are classified as restructuring provisions and all other exceptional costs when outstanding at the balance sheet date are classified as exceptional items payable.
Valuation of Earnout Shares
The Group follows the guidance of IAS 32 (Financial Instruments Presentation) in accounting for the Earnout Shares. The Earnout Shares are recorded as a financial liability and measured at fair value. The key data inputs into the valuation are volatility, dividend yield, share price hurdles, share price, and risk-free rate. Volatility is the significant assumption in
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
56
the valuation of the Earnout Shares as it is not directly market observable and there is estimation uncertainty involved in determining the assumed volatility. The critical assumptions and estimates applied are discussed in detail in note 21 to the audited consolidated financial statements included in this annual report.
Recently adopted accounting standards and changes in accounting policies
The impact of new standards, amendments to existing standards and interpretations issued and effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2022 have been assessed by the Board as not having had a material impact on the Group.
Recent accounting pronouncements
The Board’s assessment of the impact of new standards, which are not yet effective and which have not been early adopted by the Group, on the consolidated financial statements and disclosures is on-going but is not expected to have a material impact for the Group.
A.Operating results
Year Ended December 31, 2022 compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021
Year ended |
||||
December 31, |
||||
|
2022 |
|
2021 |
|
(in $ millions) |
||||
Revenue |
|
4,689 |
|
4,055 |
Cost of sales |
|
(4,163) |
|
(3,439) |
Gross profit |
|
526 |
|
616 |
Sales, general and administration expenses |
|
(212) |
|
(418) |
Intangible amortization |
|
(138) |
|
(151) |
Operating profit |
|
176 |
|
47 |
Net finance income/(expense) |
|
80 |
|
(235) |
Profit/(loss) before tax |
|
256 |
|
(188) |
Income tax charge |
|
(19) |
|
(22) |
Profit/(loss) for the year |
|
237 |
(210) |
Revenue
Revenue in the year ended December 31, 2022, increased by $634 million, or 16%, to $4,689 million, compared with $4,055 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in revenue is primarily driven by the pass through to customers of higher input costs and favorable volume/mix effects of 6%, which includes an impact of our growth investment program, partly offset by unfavorable foreign currency translation effects of $210 million.
Cost of sales
Cost of sales in the year ended December 31, 2022, increased by $724 million, or 21%, to $4,163 million, compared with $3,439 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in cost of sales is mainly due to the impact of higher sales as outlined above, higher input costs and higher exceptional cost of sales. Exceptional cost of sales increased by $37 million, mainly reflecting higher start-up related costs relating to our investment programs. Further analysis of the movement in exceptional items is set out in “—Supplemental Management’s Discussion and Analysis.”
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
57
Gross profit
Gross profit in the year ended December 31, 2022, decreased by $90 million, or 15%, to $526 million, compared with $616 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. Gross profit percentage in the year ended December 31, 2022, decreased by 400 basis points to 11.2%, compared with 15.2% in the year ended December 31, 2021. Excluding exceptional cost of sales, gross profit percentage in the year ended December 31, 2022, decreased by 330 basis points to 12.6%, compared with 15.9% in the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily due to the impact of elevated revenue and cost of sales from the pass through to customers and the incurrence, respectively, of higher input costs.
Sales, general and administration expenses
Sales, general and administration expenses in the year ended December 31, 2022, decreased by $206 million, or 49%, to $212 million, compared with $418 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease in sales, general and administration expenses was primarily due to lower exceptional sales, general and administration expenses. Excluding exceptional items, sales, general and administration expenses increased by $13 million, or 7%, primarily due to depreciation. Exceptional sales, general and administration expenses decreased by $219 million, primarily due to an expense of $205 million relating to the service for the listing of Ordinary Shares upon the completion of the Business Combination, as well as transaction-related costs and costs relating to transformation activities, in the year ended December 31, 2021.
Intangible amortization
Intangible amortization in the year ended December 31, 2022, decreased by $13 million or 9%, to $138 million, compared with $151 million in the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily driven by foreign exchange effects.
Operating profit
Operating profit in the year ended December 31, 2022, increased by $129 million, to $176 million compared with $47 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase is primarily due to lower exceptional sales, general and administration expenses, which was partly offset by lower gross profit, as outlined above.
Net finance (income)/expense
Net finance income in the year ended December 31, 2022, was $80 million, compared with a $235 million net finance expense in the year ended December 31, 2021, an improvement of $315 million. Net finance (income)/expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 comprised of the following:
Year ended |
||||
December 31, |
||||
|
2022 |
|
2021 |
|
(in $ millions) |
||||
Senior Secured Green and Senior Green Notes |
113 |
72 |
||
Interest on related party borrowings |
|
— |
43 |
|
Net pension interest cost |
|
3 |
|
3 |
Foreign currency translation losses |
|
3 |
|
49 |
Other net finance expense |
19 |
11 |
||
Finance expense before exceptional items |
138 |
178 |
||
Exceptional finance (income)/expense |
|
(218) |
57 |
|
Net finance (income)/expense |
|
(80) |
|
235 |
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
58
Interest on Senior Secured Green and Senior Green Notes increased by $41 million, or 57%, in the year ended December 31, 2022, compared with the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase primarily relates to interest expense being recognized on the Senior Secured Green and Senior Green Notes as a result of the issuance by two affiliates of the Group of green bonds of approximately $2.8 billion equivalent on March 12, 2021, consisting of €450 million 2.000% Senior Secured Notes due 2028, $600 million 3.250% Senior Secured Notes due 2028, €500 million 3.000% Senior Notes due 2029 and $1,050 million 4.000% Senior Notes due 2029 (the “AMP Notes Issuance”) and the 6.000% Senior Secured Green Notes that were issued on June 8, 2022.
Interest on related party borrowings in the year ended December 31, 2022, decreased by $43 million, to $nil, compared with $43 million in the year ended December 31, 2021. The decrease primarily relates to the settlement of the related party borrowings with the Ardagh Group on April 1, 2021.
Foreign currency translation losses in the year ended December 31, 2022 decreased by $46 million to $3 million, compared with a loss of $49 million in the year ended December 31, 2021 driven largely by the settlement of U.S. dollar and British pound denominated related party borrowings, in euro functional entities, with the Ardagh Group on April 1, 2021.
The $218 million exceptional finance income for the year ended December 31, 2022 primarily comprised of a net $242 million gain and a net $22 million loss on movements in the fair market values and foreign currency, respectively, on the Earnout Shares and Warrants. Exceptional finance expense for the year ended December 31, 2021, of $57 million primarily comprised of a charge of $52 million from AGSA for redemption premiums and issuance costs on related party borrowings in conjunction with the AMP Transfer, $5 million interest payable on the AMP Notes Issuance in March 2021 related to the period prior to completion of the AMP Transfer on April 1, 2021 and a net $13 million foreign currency loss on the Earnout Shares and Public and Private Warrants (see note 21 to the audited consolidated financial statements included in this annual report), partly offset by a foreign currency translation gain of $13 million on the promissory note issued by the Company to AGSA as part of the consideration in connection with the Business Combination (the “AMP Promissory Note”).
Income tax charge
Income tax charge in the year ended December 31, 2022 resulted in a tax charge of $19 million, compared with a tax charge of $22 million in the year ended December 31, 2021.
The decrease in income tax charge is primarily attributable to a decrease of $70 million in the tax charge in respect of income taxed at rates other than the standard rate of Luxembourg corporation tax (primarily related to the non-taxable gain on movements in the fair market values on the Earnout Shares, Public Warrants and Private Warrants in the year ended December 31, 2022), a decrease of $36 million in the tax charge in respect of non-deductible items (amounts in the year ended December 31, 2021 included transaction-related and other costs attributable to the completion of the Business Combination), a decrease of $9 million in tax charge on the re-measurement of deferred taxes (amounts in the year ended December 31, 2021 related to the increase in the substantially enacted rate of corporation tax in the United Kingdom), an increase of $9 million in tax credits on other tax items and a decrease of $1 million in tax charge on income subject to state and other local income taxes. These decreases were partially offset by an increase in profit before tax of $444 million (tax effect of $111 million at the standard rate of Luxembourg corporation tax) and an increase of $11 million in tax losses for which no deferred income tax asset was recognized.
The effective income tax rate on profit before exceptional items for the year ended December 31, 2022 was 28%, consistent with the year ended December 31, 2021.
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
59
Profit/(loss) for the year
As a result of the items described above, the profit for the year ended December 31, 2022, increased by $447 million to $237 million, compared with a $210 million loss in the year ended December 31, 2021.
Year Ended December 31, 2021 compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020
Year ended |
||||
December 31, |
||||
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
|
(in $ millions) |
||||
Revenue |
|
4,055 |
|
3,451 |
Cost of sales |
|
(3,439) |
|
(2,903) |
Gross profit |
|
616 |
|
548 |
Sales, general and administration expenses |
|
(418) |
|
(189) |
Intangible amortization |
|
(151) |
|
(149) |
Operating profit |
|
47 |
|
210 |
Net finance expense |
|
(235) |
|
(70) |
(Loss)/profit before tax |
|
(188) |
|
140 |
Income tax charge |
|
(22) |
|
(29) |
(Loss)/profit for the year |
|
(210) |
111 |
Revenue
Revenue in the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by $604 million, or 18%, to $4,055 million, compared with $3,451 million in the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in revenue is primarily driven by favorable volume/mix effects of 5%, which includes an impact of our growth investment program, the pass through to customers of higher metal costs and favorable foreign currency translation effects of $80 million.
Cost of sales
Cost of sales in the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by $536 million, or 18%, to $3,439 million, compared with $2,903 million in the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase in cost of sales is mainly due to the impact of higher sales as outlined above, unfavorable currency translation effects and higher exceptional cost of sales, partly offset by lower input and other operating costs. Exceptional cost of sales increased by $23 million, mainly reflecting higher start-up related costs relating to our investment programs. Further analysis of the movement in exceptional items is set out in “—Supplemental Management’s Discussion and Analysis.”
Gross profit
Gross profit in the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by $68 million, or 12%, to $616 million, compared with $548 million in the year ended December 31, 2020. Gross profit percentage in the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased by 70 basis points to 15.2%, compared with 15.9% in the year ended December 31, 2020. Excluding exceptional cost of sales, gross profit percentage in the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased by 20 basis points to 15.9%, compared with 16.1% in the year ended December 31, 2020 as a result of the items outlined above in revenue and cost of sales.
Sales, general and administration expenses
Sales, general and administration expenses in the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by $229 million, or 121%, to $418 million, compared with $189 million in the year ended December 31, 2020. Excluding exceptional items,
Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
60
sales, general and administration expenses are in line compared with the year ended December 31, 2020. Further analysis of the movement in exceptional items is set out in “—Supplemental Management’s Discussion and Analysis.”
Intangible amortization
Intangible amortization in the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by $2 million, to $151 million, compared with $149 million in the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was mainly due to foreign exchange effects.
Operating profit
Operating profit in the year ended December 31, 2021 decreased by $163 million, or 78%, to $47 million compared with $210 million in the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease in operating profit primarily reflected the increase in exceptional sales, general and administration expenses, which comprised $242 million of transaction-related and other costs, predominantly the $205 million expense relating to the service for the listing of the Ordinary Shares upon the completion of the Business Combination, partly offset by a higher gross profit.
Net finance expense
Net finance expense in the year ended December 31, 2021 increased by $165 million, or 236%, to $235 million, compared with $70 million in the year ended December 31, 2020. Net finance expense for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 comprised of the following:
Year ended |
||||
December 31, |
||||
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
|
(in $ millions) |
||||
Senior Secured Green and Senior Green Notes |
72 |
— |
||
Interest on related party borrowings |
|
43 |
|
146 |
Net pension interest cost |
|
3 |
|
3 |
Foreign currency translation losses/(gains) |
|
49 |
|
(93) |
Losses on derivative financial instruments |
|
— |
|
5 |
Other net finance expense |
11 |
9 |
||
Finance expense before exceptional items |
|