iClick Interactive to be Added to the MSCI China Small Cap Index

PR Newswire

HONG KONG, Nov. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited (“iClick” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: ICLK), an independent online marketing and enterprise data solutions provider in China, announced today that the Company’s stock will be added to the MSCI China Small Cap Index, effective as of market close on November 30, 2020. 

The MSCI China Small Cap Index is compiled by MSCI Inc., a leading provider of research-based indexes and analytics, announced the results of the November 2020 Semi-Annual Index Review for the MSCI Equity Indexes – including the MSCI China Small Cap Index. It is designed to measure the performance of the small cap segment of the China market. The index has been widely recognized as a benchmark for global institutional investors to optimize their investment portfolios.

About iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited

iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited (NASDAQ: ICLK) is an independent online marketing and enterprise data solutions provider that connects worldwide marketers with audiences in China. Built on cutting-edge technologies, our proprietary platform possesses omni-channel marketing capabilities and fulfils various marketing objectives in a data-driven and automated manner, helping both international and domestic marketers reach their target audiences in China. Headquartered in Hong Kong, iClick was established in 2009 and is currently operating in ten locations worldwide including Asia and Europe.

For more information, please visit ir.i-click.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements, including those related to the Company’s business strategies, operations and financial performance. These statements constitute “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident” and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management’s current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company’s control. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company’s fluctuations in growth; its success in implementing its mobile and new retail strategies, including extending its solutions beyond its core online marketing business; its success in structuring a CRM & Marketing Cloud platform; relative percentage of its gross billing recognized as revenue under the gross and net models; its ability to retain existing clients or attract new ones; its ability to retain content distribution channels and negotiate favorable contractual terms; market competition, including from independent online marketing technology platforms as well as large and well-established internet companies; market acceptance of online marketing technology solutions and enterprise solutions; effectiveness of its algorithms and data engines; its ability to collect and use data from various sources; ability to integrate and realize synergies from acquisitions, investments or strategic partnership; fluctuations in foreign exchange rates; and general economic conditions in China and other jurisdictions where the Company operates; and the regulatory landscape in China and other jurisdictions where the Company operates. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F and other filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:


In China:


In the United States:


iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited


Core IR

Lisa Li

Tom Caden

Phone: +86-21-3230-3931 #892

Tel: +1-516-222-2560

E-mail: [email protected]

E-mail: [email protected]

 

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SOURCE iClick Interactive Asia Group Limited

Nokia and Deutsche Telekom Group expand strategic cooperation to build 5G-ready IP network

Press Release

Nokia and Deutsche Telekom Group expand strategic cooperation to build
5G-ready IP network

          

  • Deutsche Telekom will deploy the Nokia 7750 Service Router portfolio, designed for the 5G and cloud era, to replace and modernize its existing IP edge/core network in Greece and Hungary initially
     
  • Nokia’s IP edge routers deliver the high-performance, scale and flexibility to support a full array of IP services and functions that meet evolving end user needs

          
12 November 2020

Espoo, Finland – Nokia and Deutsche Telekom Group today announced they are expanding their strategic cooperation to build a 5G-ready IP network. Deutsche Telekom has selected Nokia’s 7750 Service Router (SR) platform to significantly expand capacity across its edge/core routing network as it prepares for next-generation broadband and 5G services. Deployment has already started in Greece, where Nokia is replacing and modernizing the operator’s existing IP network. Rollout in Hungary is expected in Q4 2020.

With networks experiencing unprecedented traffic growth and unpredictable demands, operators want to meet ever-increasing performance requirements while driving down network costs. The scale, feature breadth and versatility of the Nokia 7750 SR-s platform addresses these requirements, enabling operators like Deutsche Telekom Group and its affiliates to build bigger, smarter, automated and secure networks with greater return on investment.

As part of its network modernization, Deutsche Telekom needed to replace an existing IP edge/core network that was reaching its end of service with a new network that can cope with 5G and ultra broadband access requirements. A key principle to achieve this was the consolidation of network layers through the integration of IP aggregation and edge/BNG (Broadband Network Gateway) functions into one converged layer.

Deutsche Telekom selected the Nokia 7750 SR-7s routers as they support the full spectrum of provider edge, gateway and core functions for advanced residential, mobile and enterprise services. Powered by the programmable FP4 network processing silicon, the routers will enable Deutsche Telekom to boost IP network capacity with deterministic performace for a top-quality subscriber experience. As a result, Deutsche Telekom can support 5G interconnectivity and an increasing growth in backbone traffic driven by an increase in mobility applications, video streaming, gaming and other high-capacity demands such as remote working.

The 7750 SR-s is managed by the Nokia Network Services Platform (NSP). NSP supports 5G IP transport with automated slicing across IP and optical transport layers with end-to-end orchestration of network resource provisioning and assurance operations. This simplifies operations so that operators can create customer policies/slices with different network performance, quality and routing capabilities to respond quickly to fast-changing subscriber demand.

Bernhard Scholl, Technology Europe VP Access Core & Transport at Deutsche Telekom, said: “Deutsche Telekom Group affiliates need to expand and modernize their IP networks to address stringent 5G IP transport requirements. We continue to see tremendous growth in network traffic and the need to deliver more throughput and higher capacity with strict QoS to our customers is critical. This is particlarly the case as bandwidth intensive applications are shifting to on demand video along with the growing usage of cloud-based services. Building out this backbone with Nokia’s IP edge routers will allow us to stay ahead of our customers’ network needs.”

Vassilis Kazatzopoulos, Head of International Sales DT Global Customer Business Team at Nokia, said: “With trends like 5G, IoT and Industry 4.0 now a reality, networks are expected to handle hundreds of new applications and services for millions of users. The Nokia 7750 SR-s series of IP routers takes router performance to the next level by delivering the massive scale, comprehensive feature set and platform versatility needed to stay ahead of evolving demands. Nokia is excited to expand its longstanding relationship with Deutsche Telekom Group to help prepare its affiliates’ networks for the future.”

Resources:

About Nokia

We create the technology to connect the world. Only Nokia offers a comprehensive portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing opportunities across the globe. With our commitment to innovation, driven by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, we are a leader in the development and deployment of 5G networks.

Our communications service provider customers support more than 6.4 billion subscriptions with our radio networks, and our enterprise customers have deployed over 1,300 industrial networks worldwide. Adhering to the highest ethical standards, we transform how people live, work and communicate. For our latest updates, please visit us online www.nokia.com and follow us on Twitter @nokia.

Media Inquiries:

Nokia
Communications
Phone: +358 10 448 4900
Email: [email protected]

Faraday’s 22nm Fundamental IP Adopted for Intelligent IoT Devices

Faraday’s 22nm Fundamental IP Adopted for Intelligent IoT Devices

HSINCHU, Taiwan–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Faraday Technology Corporation (TWSE: 3035), a leading ASIC design service and IP provider, today announced that its 22ULP/ULL fundamental IP set has been adopted by customers in multiple IC developments, including IP camera SoCs, true-wireless-stereo (TWS) earphone SoCs, IoT SoCs, and voice recognition AI processors. The IP set is implemented on UMC’s 22ULP/ULL technology, which is tailored to address extended battery life and high-performance requirements of next-generation portable consumer electronics and IoT chips.

Faraday’s 22nm fundamental IP set launched in late 2019. In addition to providing standard cell libraries and memory compilers under a wide voltage range from 0.6V to 1.0V, the IP set also offers 0.7V single rail powered memories to simplify customers’ power designs. To solve the non-Gaussian distribution of STA (Static Timing Analysis) under the 0.6V operating voltage, this IP set applies the moment-based LVF (Liberty Variation Format) model, therefore, the design simulation and physical verification results are more consistent, further enhancing the quality of customer SoC design projects.

“Within a short period of time, our comprehensive 22ULP/ULL fundamental IP set has been deployed in both mainstream and fast-growing consumer electronic applications,” said Flash Lin, chief operating officer of Faraday. “By leveraging this IP offering, our customers can easily deploy new 22nm designs or migrate their existing designs from 28nm to 22nm and obtain better PPA (power, performance, area). To further meet customer needs, we will continue to invest in our 22nm IP portfolio, delivering key functional IPs, including analog, clocks, and high-speed interfaces in the near future.”

About Faraday Technology Corporation

Faraday Technology Corporation (TWSE: 3035) is a leading ASIC design service and IP provider, certificated to ISO 9001 and ISO 26262. The broad silicon IP portfolio includes I/O, Cell Library, Memory Compiler, ARM-compliant CPUs, LPDDR4/4X, DDR4/3, MIPI D-PHY, V-by-One, USB 3.1/2.0, 10/100 Ethernet, Giga Ethernet, SATA3/2, PCIe Gen4/3, and 28G programmable SerDes, etc. Headquartered in Taiwan, Faraday has service and support offices around the world, including the U.S., Japan, and China. For more information, visit www.faraday-tech.com or follow Faraday on LinkedIn.

Press: Faraday Tech, Evan Ke, +886 3 578 7888 ext. 88689, [email protected]

KEYWORDS: Taiwan Asia Pacific

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Technology Internet Hardware Consumer Electronics

MEDIA:

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Ynvisible Appoints Piotr Wierzchowiec to Head of Functional Ink Products & Development Completes Advisory Board Expansion With Three New Experts

Ynvisible Appoints Piotr Wierzchowiec to Head of Functional Ink Products & Development Completes Advisory Board Expansion With Three New Experts

VANCOUVER, British Columbia–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ynvisible Interactive Inc. (the “Company” or “Ynvisible”) (TSXV: YNV, FSE: 1XNA, OTCQB: YNVYF) is pleased to welcome Piotr Wierzchowiec, Ph.D., as the Head of Functional Ink Products & Development. The Company also concludes the expansion of its Advisory Board with three experts from the logistics and supply chain management, organic electronics, and technology venture capital industries.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201112005430/en/

Piotr Wierzchowiec, Ph.D., Head of Functional Ink Products & Development. (Photo: Business Wire)

Piotr Wierzchowiec, Ph.D., Head of Functional Ink Products & Development. (Photo: Business Wire)

FULFILLING FUNCTIONAL INK PRODUCTS & DEVELOPMENT

Dr. Wierzchowiec brings Ynvisible over twelve years of experience in developing materials, inks, and printing processes for organic and printed electronics, including display applications. He joins the Company from Merck KGaA, an internationally leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science, and performance materials. At Merck, Piotr Wierzchowiec was Head of Print Labs for Performance Materials Innovation & Application division. His previous responsibilities included managing product development, leading teams of experts, scouting, coordinating product launch activities, and driving global business development. His background includes applying lean and six sigma methodology, organizing technical customer support, and managing cross-functional collaboration projects. Dr. Wierzchowiec has a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) focused on Molecular Electronics from Bangor University.

“Piotr brings a wealth of experience to the Ynvisible team in fabricating and commercializing functional inks products for the global markets,” said Jani-Mikael Kuusisto, CEO of Ynvisible. “Ynvisible is accelerating our time to revenue. We are now taking systematic steps to build off lessons learned to date from our various client cases: strengthening our intellectual property portfolio, launching our Ynvisible branded products, and deploying our proprietary technology platform offering. We are now selling our first ink products through our website, we are actively delivering on customer needs through our collaborations with NXN-IP and RISE, and we are strengthening our inks portfolio. Inks are central to our business growth. It’s great to have Piotr fortify our efforts in this area.”

“I feel enthusiastic about joining Ynvisible in their efforts to address the rapidly growing needs of the electrochromic display market. I am eager to become a part of this highly dedicated team of pioneers while bringing complementary ink development experience to expand and strengthen the Company’s product portfolio. I am committed to aiming for high-quality standards and fast response to market demands, which are vital for great commercial success,” said Piotr Wierzchowiec, Ph.D.

THREE INDUSTRY LEADERS JOIN ADVISORY BOARD

Ynvisible is excited to announce that it has invited Mitchell Huang, Adam Laubach, and Dr. Rudi Leuschner to its Advisory Board. On November 5, 2020, Ynvisible announced that Ramin Heyardarpour, Sal Pellingra, and Tiffany Vasilchik are joining Ynvisible’s Advisory Board. All new Advisory Board members will be joining Dr. Michael Okoroafor, Dr. Harlan Byker, and Dr. Harri Kopola. This concludes the expansion of Ynvisible’s Advisory Board.

“We are honored to have such a strong group of industry experts in our expanded Advisory Board. As we continue to support our lead customers’ Internet-of-Things initiatives, we rely on our Advisors’ wealth of expertise, extensive networks, and diverse, multi-disciplinary perspectives. Our Advisors help us to remain focused on producing scalable products for the global markets,” says Jani-Mikael Kuusisto, CEO of Ynvisible.

NEW ADVISORY BOARD

Dr. Michael Okoroafor, VP of Global Sustainability & Packaging Innovation, McCormick & Co.

Dr. Harlan Byker, Founder & CEO, Pleotint LLC.

Dr. Harri Kopola, Fellow, Organic Electronics Association

Ramin Heyardarpour, Managing Partner, Flex R&D / Former Global VP R&D Avery Dennison

Sal Pellingra, VP Global Application & Innovation, ProAmpac

Tiffany Vasilchik, SVP Growth Strategy, Magid

Mitchell Huang, Technology Start-Ups / Investment / Product Management

Adam Laubach, Printed Electronics / Medical Device Lab-to-Fab / Leadership

Dr. Rudi Leuschner, Associate Prof. of Supply Chain Management, Rutgers Business School

PROFILES OF YNVISIBLE’S NEW ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Adam E. Laubach, Lab-to-Fab Leadership

Adam E. Laubach serves as the technology advisor for Exothermix, a Texas-based company focusing on materials and products through self-heating technology. He was CEO of Exothermix from 2014 to 2018. Before joining Exothermix in 2011, he served as the chief technology officer for multiple technology companies, including ReVolt Technologies, GSI Technologies, and Aveso Displays, an early pioneering company in printed electronic displays. Laubach also spent 13 years with Dow Chemical. Today, Laubach is the director of Amani Baby Cottage in Jinja, Uganda. His contributions in worldwide missions’ work include developing a desalination system for a community in Haiti, wells and filter systems that provide clean water in Honduras, and clean-burning stoves and ovens in Uganda. Mr. Laubach has a SB in Chemistry and BA in German from Texas State University and an M.B.A. from The University of Texas.

Dr. Rudi Leuschner, Associate Professor, Rutgers Business School

Professor Leuschner is an Associate Professor in the Department of Supply Chain Management and the Program Director for the online Master of Science in Supply Chain Management program at Rutgers Business School. He is at the forefront of online education as the Rutgers Faculty Coordinator for Distance and Online Learning. He is the creator of the Rutgers Supply Chain Management MOOC specialization.

His research focuses on the end-to-end supply chain and the integration of its three primary flows: products, information and finances. Specifically, in the new field of Supply Chain Finance, he has been active in developing relevant insights for academics and practitioners. He co-developed the Rutgers Business School Payment Practices Index, which ranks retailers’ performance. He received his Ph.D. in Logistics and a minor in Marketing from Ohio State University. His work has appeared among others in the Journal of Supply Chain Management, Journal of Business Logistics, Decision Sciences, the Journal of Business Ethics, Harvard Business Review, and Rutgers Business Review

He has been a frequent speaker at academic and practitioner conferences, his teaching interests at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive education levels on the topics of Supply Chain Strategy, Innovation, Supply Chain Finance, and Demand Management.

Mitchell Huang, Transformative Finance Consultant

Mitchell Huang joins Ynvisible as a technology and finance advisor specializing in the financing lifecycle of technology companies. Over the course of his 20-year career, he has helped companies ranging from Fortune 100 companies to seed-stage startups use financial products to reach their business goals.

Recently, Mr. Huang served as an early employee in several technology startups, including VenueNext and EVA Automation, structuring growth capital investments and managing finance. Before working at startups, Huang spent 13 years at JPMorganChase as Executive Director of the Special Investments Group, focusing on private equity and growth capital investments. Huang also held positions in credit trading, restructuring and leveraged finance.

Mitchell Huang received his S.B. in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

About Ynvisible Interactive Inc.

Ynvisible aims to be a leading company in the emerging printed and flexible electronics sector. Given the cost and power-consumption advantages over conventional electronics, printed electronics are a key enabler of mass adoption of the Internet of Things (“IoT”) and smart objects. Ynvisible has the experience, know-how and intellectual property in electrochromic materials, inks, and systems. Ynvisible’s interactive printed graphics solutions solve the need for ultra-low power, mass deployable, & easy-to-use electronic displays and indicators for everyday smart objects, IoT devices, and ambient intelligence (intelligent surfaces). Ynvisible offers a mix of services, materials and technology to brand owners developing smart objects and IoT products. Additional information on Ynvisible is available at www.ynvisible.com

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

“Jani-Mikael Kuusisto,” CEO, Ynvisible Interactive Inc.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, statements about the Company’s Q3 forecast of sales, cost of sales, operating expenses and income from other sources; the Company’s business strategy, plans and outlooks; the future financial or operating performance of the Company; and future marketing and operating plans are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and, even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: the impact of COVID-19; risks and uncertainties related to additional costs being subsequently identified and the allocation of costs between reporting periods; and the possibility that the actual financial results will not be consistent with the Company’s expectations. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Readers are encouraged to refer to the Company’s public disclosure documents for a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected future results. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, unless required pursuant to applicable laws.

Elyssia Patterson

[email protected]

Investor Relations

+1 778-683-4324

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: Germany Europe North America Canada

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Office Products Hardware Electronic Design Automation Specialty Data Management Technology Retail Other Technology

MEDIA:

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Photo
Piotr Wierzchowiec, Ph.D., Head of Functional Ink Products & Development. (Photo: Business Wire)

Multicloud services from Rackspace Technology enables Plus500 to securely manage over 3 million trades every month

LONDON, Nov. 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rackspace Technology™ (NASDAQ: RXT), the multicloud solutions provider, is supporting Plus500’s multicloud environment, having migrated services to Google Cloud whilst managing the existing VMware private cloud platform. Plus500’s highly sensitive data is also now guarded by Rackspace Managed Security.

International financial firm, Plus500, provides online trading across more than 2,000 securities and multiple asset classes. With the new multicloud environment, Plus500 now facilitates more than 3 million trades every month – more than one per second. With assistance from Rackspace Managed Security services, Plus500 can navigate the complexities of this data securely and compliantly.

As Plus500’s business has become increasingly global, its robust and bespoke private cloud platform has continued to underpin its operations. However, with expansion and international growth a key business priority, the need for greater scalability became apparent and it selected Google Cloud for this expansion.

Ari Shotland, Chief Technology Officer at Plus500, said, “Being online-based, and given how quickly things change in the modern world, we have to be agile and constantly looking to adapt and enhance what we are doing. This coupled with the fact that multicloud adds a lot of complexities is why Rackspace Technology has been so invaluable.”

“Multicloud provides a wide range of advantages for many organisations, but navigating the technical complexities takes a team of experts to master,” said Mahesh Desai, Chief Relationship Officer for EMEA at Rackspace Technology. “Our expertise in supporting customers at every stage in their cloud journey enables organisations like Plus500 to support their customers with secure critical financial data, removing the challenges of managing the technical infrastructure.”

About Rackspace Technology

Rackspace Technology is a leading end-to-end multicloud technology services company. We can design, build and operate our customers’ cloud environments across all major technology platforms, irrespective of technology stack or deployment model. We partner with our customers at every stage of their cloud journey, enabling them to modernize applications, build new products and adopt innovative technologies.

Media Contact

Devika Mistry
Rackspace Technology Corporate Communications
[email protected] 

Hanzo Receives Grant From The Sustainable Innovation Fund with Innovate UK

Hanzo to tackle the increased “people risk” that dynamic and unmoderated content on collaboration platforms poses to organisations after the massive pandemic-induced shift to work-from-home.

New York, NY, Nov. 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hanzo, the company known for its pioneering technology in dynamic web content preservation from enterprise collaboration applications, complex websites, and social media, today announced being selected to receive a grant from the Sustainable Innovation Fund with Innovate UK to extend its flagship Hanzo Hold product to address workplace risk.

COVID-19 has accelerated existing trends to both ‘work from home’ and ‘work anywhere’. Hanzo’s project aims to reduce information security and HR risks created by inappropriate staff behaviour on collaboration platforms. 

The adoption of collaboration tools such as Slack is fundamentally changing the way people interact with one another. However, even after employees return to traditional offices, the use of collaboration platforms will continue (as will the risk of abuse) including both IT and behavioural risks.

‘Working from anywhere’ usually means taking hardware, and the information on that hardware, outside of the controlled environment of an office. This increases the risk that data may leak from an organization. This can include intellectual property, such as patent applications or embargoed press releases, as well as personal information, including financial details and national insurance numbers of employees.

Moreover, without proper policies and monitoring, online communications between employees can change how they interact with each other, potentially creating space for communications that could be considered discriminatory, racist, or harassing in nature. These communications unchecked can contribute to a hostile work environment and create risk for the organisation.  

“Organisations want to retain control over data, security, and protect their employees but are ill-equipped today to tackle the complexities of collaboration software,” said Hanzo CTO, Denis Maurin. “For information security, human resources and compliance, identifying risks early is paramount to reducing risk and is an opportunity to solve a costly and substantial unmet organisational need.” 

Aidan Randle Conde, Lead Data Scientist at Hanzo, commented, “Collaboration platforms lack powerful built-in capabilities for advanced content analysis. Analysis of collaboration content over time can help identify atypical patterns of behaviour. These can then be quickly assessed to determine if subsequent actions are warranted to protect employees and organisations, and support safe work environments that might include workplace training, policy enforcement, or further investigation.”

Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, is investing up to £191 million to fund single and collaborative research and development projects as part of the Sustainable Innovation Fund over the next two years. The aim of these competitions is to help all sectors of the UK rebuild after the effects of COVID-19.

The Sustainable Innovation Fund is funding 1,103 projects, 1189 UK businesses, and totalling over £130 million in support across the UK.

Innovate UK Executive Chair Dr Ian Campbell said:

“In these difficult times, we have seen the best of British business innovation. The pandemic is not just a health emergency but one that impacts society and the economy.”

 “Hanzo, along with every initiative Innovate UK has supported through this fund, is an important step forward in driving sustainable economic development. Each one is also helping to realise the ambitions of hard-working people.”

Hanzo recognises that we live in an interconnected world, with many organisations working in multiple nations and jurisdictions. As the world becomes more connected, economies become more intertwined globally, and large organisations increase their reach into new markets. Although the innovation funding is British, its impact reaches far beyond the borders of the UK. 

Hanzo is in a uniquely strong position to meet the needs of businesses that use Slack and other enterprise platforms. Hanzo has always been a remote-first company, and we want to help other companies find the benefits of working remotely while mitigating against possible risks.

You can learn more about Hanzo’s project here https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/933304/Competition_Results_-_The_Sustainable_Innovation_Fund_Round_1__Temporary_Framework_.pdf

About Innovate UK

Innovate UK drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas. We connect businesses to the partners, customers and investors that can help them turn ideas into commercially successful products and services and business growth. We fund business and research collaborations to accelerate innovation and drive business investment into R&D. Our support is available to businesses across all economic sectors, value chains and UK regions. Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation. For more information visit www.innovateuk.ukri.org

About Hanzo

Hanzo provides modern ediscovery and compliance software for enterprise organisations. Our solutions empower legal and compliance teams to efficiently manage the preservation, targeted collection, and review of dynamic content from enterprise collaboration applications, social media, and complex websites. Hanzo is SOC 2® Type 2 certified, demonstrating Hanzo’s commitment to data security and serves large corporations across the globe—giving them control, visibility, and context over their data to reduce cost and mitigate risk. Learn more at hanzo.co and follow updates on Twitter: @gethanzo or on LinkedIn.

Attachment

Sarena Regazzoni
Hanzo, Inc.
5034074208
[email protected]

Flywire Releases Playbook to Help Travel Companies Accelerate Growth in 2021

Actionable tips help agents, operators and destination management companies across the world find new revenue streams and increase efficiencies

BOSTON, Nov. 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Flywire, a high-growth vertical payments company, today released a playbook to help companies within the travel industry adapt to the changes brought on by COVID-19 and kickstart growth into 2021. The guide, Bouncing Back 2021 Playbook: Tips, Trends, and Strategies for Resilient Travel Companies,” draws from industry experts to share actionable insights into how companies can grow their business despite the headwinds posed by the coronavirus.

“The coronavirus has upended the travel industry to such an extreme that, for most companies, the old way of doing business is not sustainable,” said Colin Smyth, head of travel at Flywire. “Consumers have completely reset their expectations for what constitutes a safe, yet enjoyable experience. By adapting to current customer demand and putting the right tools in place, travel companies will set themselves up for long term success.”

The key takeaways from Flywire’s new framework for travel companies include:

  • Adhere to updated Health & Safety Guidelines to mitigate risk. Follow the new standards set out by The ATTA and Cleveland Clinic to manage COVID-19 risk factors and create a safe environment for travel customers.
  • Reset Terms & Conditions to protect your business interests. Update your terms and conditions to include more transparent communication around refund and cancellation policies. This will help preserve cost and minimize risk for the business.
  • Adapt travel insurance policies to meet consumer demand. The Google search term “travel insurance” surged 92% once the coronavirus hit. Providing customized and flexible insurance policies will cater to the changing expectations of clients and protect the business from unanticipated events.
  • Master social media marketing to attract new customers. Effective social media marketing can yield significant ROI. Certain tips, like turning customers into content creators, will help grow your customer base overtime.
  • Digitize payments to reduce costs. Leverage a digital payment platform, like Flywire, to reduce fees, simplify processes, mitigate risk and improve the guest experience. 

Flywire and a team of industry experts will be hosting a live webinar that unveils the findings of the playbook in detail on November 12th at 12:00 pm ET. Interested participants can sign up here.

Resources

  • Read the complete report here
  • To find out how much your travel business can save, request a free payments assessment today at flywire.com/assessment.

About Flywire

Flywire is a high-growth vertical payments company trusted by organizations around the world to deliver on their customers’ most important moments. Unlike other companies, Flywire is proven to solve vertical-specific payment and receivables problems for organizations that deliver high-value services. Whether in education, healthcare, travel or technology, Flywire has vertical-specific insight and technology that allows organizations to optimize the payment experience for their customers while eliminating operational challenges. To date, Flywire has processed over $16 billion in total payments volume for over 2,000 clients around the world. The company is headquartered in Boston, USA and has offices around the world. For more information, visit www.flywire.com. Follow Flywire on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Media Contacts

Sarah King
[email protected]

Prosek Partners (US)
[email protected]

CC Group (UK)
[email protected]

Nouveau Monde’s Integrated Battery Anode Material Outperforms Leading Commercial Producers

  • Nouveau Monde has received important and impressive test results for its advanced graphite-based anode materials.
  • Nouveau Monde’s anode material has outperformed leading Asian commercial producers – the Company’s reversible capacity (or energy density) performed at 365 mAh/g, above the 360 mAh/g of Asian peers, with similar charging efficiency, and well above the minimum customer specifications requirement of 350 mAh/g.
  • Multiple samples were produced by Nouveau Monde’s advanced international technical team, in partnership with its R&D consortium partners, and have now delivered to prospective lithium-ion battery customers for qualification testing.
  • This proprietary carbon coating technology will be incorporated into the company’s demonstration plant at Becancour, Quebec.
  • Nouveau Monde is actively working with its partner, Forge Nano, to even further enhance the performance with their Atomic Layer Deposition ALD technology.
  • Nouveau Monde’s ability to control the entire value chain from graphite ore to the final coated anode material allows it to offer a high quality and consistent product, representing an important and cost-competitive supply of non-Chinese sustainable anode product to the fast-growing lithium-ion battery market.
  • Nouveau Monde’s unique, high-quality and zero-carbon footprint anode materials are well placed to serve both the North American as well as European anode materials markets for decades to come.

MONTREAL, Nov. 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nouveau Monde Graphite (“Nouveau Monde” or the “Company”) (TSXV: NOU; OTCQX: NMGRF; Frankfurt: NM9) is pleased to announce that it has completed an important technical program on its proprietary coating process with its research and development consortium, internal experts and raw material suppliers. The primary objective of the program, operating since 2018, was to establish the optimal process operational parameters and design criteria needed to complete the engineering and procurement of a large-scale demonstration coating line. This process step is crucial in demonstrating the full value chain proposition as an integrated battery anode materials producer, from mine to market-ready coated spherical purified graphite (“CSPG”).

Eric Desaulniers, President & CEO, states, “The last few years of dedication to R&D and to forging partnerships with the leading research and battery anode experts is now allowing us to bring to market a high-quality ready-for-market battery anode material that compares very favorably with the established Asian supply chain. We will be able to respond to clients needs based on scale, cost-competitiveness, carbon-neutrality and product quality and performance efficiency.”

Furthermore, Arne H.Frandsen, Chairman of Nouveau Monde, commented: “This is an important announcement, confirming both the high quality of our anode product as well as our ability to produce those critical battery raw materials. With our substantial resource base in Québec and integrated value-chain, Nouveau Monde is well set to become a global leader in the supply of anode materials for decades to come”.

To confirm product quality and performance, the Company’s CSPG was benchmarked against the leading Asian commercial anode material that currently dominate the lithium-ion supply chain. A series of electrochemical tests made by the National Research Council of Canada revealed that under the same conditions in half-button cell batteries, the reversible capacity (a measure of the energy density for performance) obtained with Nouveau Monde’s anode material is 365 mAh/g compared with 360 mAh/g for the leading Asian standards. Importantly, the coulombic efficiency for the first cycle was similar for both products and within industry specifications. Further, the broader market minimum specification for reversible capacity is well below at only 350 mAh/g, highlighting the market opportunity for Nouveau Monde.


Figure 1:


Nouveau


Monde’s


coated anode material


outperform


s leading peers 
is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/523254c4-655f-4d9e-ad00-6f215a4ed450

The importance of coating
to Nouveau Monde

In a lithium-ion battery, coating is used to:

  • form a stable and passive carbon barrier around the high-purity spheronised graphite, which prevents the electrolyte from penetrating into the graphite and creates a stable electrolyte interface layer; and
  • increase first-cycle efficiency by decreasing the specific surface area of the particles, reducing the loss of lithium within the electrolyte interface.

Coating is considered the last value-added production step and will allow Nouveau Monde to provide high purity, battery grade anode material for the rapidly growing electric vehicle and renewable energy storage industries, securing significantly higher margins and cash flow for shareholders.


Figure 2:


Increased margins through the value-added process
 is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dc052726-ee93-47bf-bea5-bca0ffbb9ed1

Forge Nano’s
ALD coating
will
enhance performance of current carbon coated anode material

On October 6, 2020 Nouveau Monde announced a collaborative agreement between the Company and
the
US-based
high-tech
company Forge Nano for the use of advanced coating technologies to enhance the performance of Nouveau Monde’s carbon coated anode material. Eric Desaulniers explains: “Now that we have developed a process that is scalable, low-cost and proven based on the known carbon coating technologies, we are working closely with our partner at Forge Nano with their state-of-the art ALD coating to significantly improve anode material quality above what is currently available in the market. The ALD coating that Forge Nano will provide will be added on top of our coated product, creating a premium anode material for specific customers. Through Nouveau Monde, potential clients will have the ability to purchase our industry-standard anode material or an enhanced superior anode material for more performance driven applications.”

Market
p
erspective

On October 22, 2020, Roskill, an expert research and consultancy firm focused on the metals, minerals and chemicals industries, commented on Nouveau Monde and shared their insight into the market for coated product: “The addition of coatings creates even higher potential for profit from spherical graphite. Only a limited number of producers currently carry out battery material coating processes, which require a high level of knowledge and experience and has traditionally taken place in Japan and, more recently, South Korea, using proprietary production methods. Chinese spherical graphite producers have now also begun to develop coatings, mainly for supply to the domestic market.

The average value of Chinese imports of (mostly coated) spherical graphite was US$7,157/t in 2019 but prices vary widely depending on the type of coating, as requested by the consumer and determined by the final battery application. China’s monthly average value of imports ranged from a low of US$4,068/t to a high of US$22,965/t in 2019.”

About Nouveau Monde

Nouveau Monde will be a key operator in the sustainable energy revolution. The Company is developing the only fully integrated source of green battery anode material in the Western World. Targeting full scale commercial operations by early 2023, the Company will provide advanced carbon-neutral graphite-based material solutions to the growing lithium-ion and fuel cell markets. With low-cost operations and the highest of ESG standards, Nouveau Monde will become a strategic supplier to the world’s leading battery and auto manufacturers, ensuring robust and reliable advanced material, while guaranteeing supply chain traceability.

Media  Investors 
   
Julie Paquet 
Director, Communications 
Nouveau Monde
+1 450-757-8905 (#140) 
[email protected]  
Christina Lalli 
Director, Investor Relations 
Nouveau Monde
+1 438-399-8665 
[email protected]  

Subscribe to our news feed:  
http://nouveaumonde.ca/en/support-nmg/ 


Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
 
All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release including, but not limited to (i) the positive impact of the foregoing on project economics, (ii)increased margins through NMG’s value-added process,and  (iii)  generally, or the “About Nouveau Monde Graphite” paragraph which essentially describe the Corporation’s outlook and objectives, constitute “forward-looking information” or “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of certain securities laws, and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect.  
Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management’s expectations and plans relating to the future. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law.   


Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined


in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. 
 
Further information regarding Corporation is available in the SEDAR database (www.sedar.com) and on the Corporation’s website at: www.NouveauMonde.ca 

Forestry, Conservation and Environmental CEOs Establish Common Ground on the Role of Private Working Forests as a Natural Climate Solution

48 CEOs agree on common vision for increasing the contribution of forests and forest products to climate mitigation

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 48 environmental, conservation and forest business leaders today announced an agreement of principles on the important role of sustainably managed forests and forest products can play in mitigating climate change.

Today, forests in the U.S. offset 15% of the country’s industrial carbon emissions. Carbon sequestration in sustainably managed private forest lands and carbon storage in forest products can provide a natural solution to climate change while also providing a wide variety of additional benefits like clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and good paying jobs.

The principles are signed by the CEOs of American Forests, American Forest Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund, National Alliance of Forest Owners, The Nature Conservancy, and the CEOs of 43 forestry businesses representing over 46 million acres of working forests across the United States.

The executives are united in a common vision: to harness the power of the private forest sector to address climate change, we must engage forest owners of all sizes, support strong rural economies, and ensure sustainable, science-based practices.

The policy principles encourage incentive and market-based approaches to increase the carbon benefits of working forests and forest products. They recognize the important role that private sector participation, investment, and partnerships can play in expanding carbon benefits from the forest sector. The principles underscore the importance of safeguards that promote positive outcomes for forests and the climate, healthy markets for forest products, and investments needed to strengthen rural communities. They also emphasize need for robust science, data and life cycle analysis to guide policy.

The principles provide a common starting place for signing CEOs, and their respective organizations, to engage policymakers, business leaders in other sectors, investors, shareholders, and other stakeholders in discussions about climate solutions available through forestry and wood products.

Private Working Forests as A Natural Climate Solution

Climate change poses a significant challenge to our environment, our economy and our communities. Carbon sequestration in sustainably managed private forest lands and carbon storage in forest products can provide a natural solution to climate change while also providing a wide variety of additional benefits like clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and good paying jobs.

Forest owners and forest products manufacturers are well positioned to optimize the carbon potential of the private working forest value chain through sustainable forest management and the manufacture of sustainable forest products. Forest owners and managers should be empowered with the tools they need to increase overall forest carbon sequestration using sustainable forest management practices and technologies, and site-appropriate reforestation. Healthy, sustainable forest products markets are essential to optimizing the benefits of forest carbon on private lands and in the materials and products they produce. For example, solid wood construction at scale using new engineered wood technologies, like mass timber produced from sustainably managed forests, presents a significant opportunity to store carbon and reduce energy consumption and related carbon emissions in the built environment.

Private forests are under increasing threat from uncharacteristic wildfire, pests and disease, drought and extreme weather events that can cause significant carbon releases and other environmental damage. In many private forests, addressing these threats requires sustainable management such as thinning, prescribed fire, and other forest management techniques that bolster forest health and resilience.

Public policies should include market and incentive-based approaches that help capture the potential of private forests and forest products to sequester more carbon, while ensuring sustainable forest management to maintain and improve forest health and resilience, boost private sector investment in rural communities, and help keep forests as forests.

Policy is strengthened through advances in science, technologies, techniques, and practices to improve forest carbon inventories and provide better information to landowners, forest managers and the public regarding the contribution and management of forests and forest products for climate mitigation. Such advances also support forest practices that benefit the environment and forest economies.

Maintaining sustainable private working forests at scale to benefit the climate requires investing in the jobs, businesses, and infrastructure necessary to support a strong forest economy. Such investments must help sustain markets that increase the carbon mitigation benefits of forest and wood products, provide additional environmental benefits, and strengthen rural communities.

Leadership and innovation in the private sector play an important role in advancing and informing public policy. Throughout the economy, businesses are seeking natural climate solutions to reduce their carbon footprints. A growing number of partnerships between private companies, the forest sector, and environmental and conservation organizations are driving investment in the significant carbon potential of sustainably managed forests and forest products. The insights and experience gained from such early action provides an important basis for effective policy.

Policy Principles

As leaders of the environmental, conservation and forest business communities, we recognize that private working forests and forest products can play an important role in mitigating climate change. The following principles outline our shared vision for increasing the contribution of forests and forest products to climate mitigation.

  • Policies should include incentives and market-based mechanisms and should be designed to be accessible and credible to maintain working forests, increase carbon benefits across the working forest value chain, and encourage broad participation from forest owners, forest products manufacturers and potential investors.
  • Public funding should be directed to improve forest carbon science and data collection and incentivize the development of new technologies, techniques, and practices to improve forest carbon inventories and life cycle analyses for forest products.
  • Increased public funding and policies should focus on innovative approaches to increase carbon benefits in and from forests and improve the scalability and outcomes of USDA private forest conservation programs, such as the Forest Legacy Program, State and Private Forest Grant Programs, the Healthy Forests Reserve Program.
  • Policies should encourage, recognize, and reward private sector partnerships that advance the carbon potential of sustainably managed forests and forest products at scale.
  • Policies should help spur investments in the rural jobs, businesses, and infrastructure necessary to support a strong forest economy.
  • Policies to reward the carbon benefits of forest products, such as mass timber and other advanced building materials, must be based on scientifically sound life cycle analysis and include safeguards to promote positive outcomes for forests and the climate.
  • Policies should support updating building and architectural codes to reflect the carbon benefits of advanced wood construction.
  • Public funding should be invested in training programs for architects, builders, and other professionals who make important decisions about building materials and their sourcing.
  • Policies should ensure sustainability through practices such as forest certification, use of best management practices and other approaches that support clean air and water, wildlife habitat, the conservation of ecologically sensitive areas, and other environmental benefits.

About the CEO Principles

The CEO Principles are a shared vision for increasing the contribution of forests and forest products to climate mitigation from leaders of the environmental, conservation and forest business communities. The signing CEOs recognize that private working forests and forest products can play an important role in mitigating climate change through thoughtful policy, private sector engagement, and investment in rural communities.

Tom Martin
PRESIDENT AND CEO, AMERICAN FOREST FOUNDATION
Jad Daley
PRESIDENT AND CEO, AMERICAN FORESTS
Fred Krupp
PRESIDENT, ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND
David P. Tenny
PRESIDENT AND CEO, NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF FOREST OWNERS
Jennifer Morris
CEO, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY

John Cashwell
REPRESENTATIVE, BBC LAND, LLC

Gerrity Lansing
HEAD, BTG PACTUAL TIMBERLAND INVESTMENT GROUP

Dave Rumker
MANAGING DIRECTOR, CIO, CAMPBELL GLOBAL, LLC

Joel Caswell
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CASWELL THOMPSON, INC.

Brian Davis
CEO AND PRESIDENT, CATCHMARK TIMBER TRUST

J. Travis Bryant
PRESIDENT & CEO, COASTAL FOREST RESOURCES COMPANY

Paul Young
FOUNDING MEMBER, CONSERVATION RESOURCES

Joe Sanderson
MANAGING DIRECTOR, DOMAIN TIMBER ADVISORS

Earl D. Barrs Wanda T. Barrs
DUE SOUTH INVESTMENTS, 2020 FOREST LANDOWNERS ASSOCIATION FOREST LANDOWNER OF THE YEAR

Marc Walley
PRESIDENT, FOREST INVESTMENT ASSOCIATES

  Mike McFetridge
CIO, GLOBAL FOREST PARTNERS, LP

Douglas Reed
PRESIDENT, GREEN DIAMOND RESOURCE COMPANY

Jeff Nuss
PRESIDENT AND CEO, GREENWOOD RESOURCES, INC.

Peter Sikora
CEO, GIUSTINA RESOURCES

William Peressini
PRESIDENT AND CEO, HANCOCK NATURAL RESOURCE GROUP

Marc Brinkmeyer
OWNER, IDAHO FOREST GROUP

James D. Irving
CO-PRESIDENT, J.D. IRVING, LIMITED

Troy Harris MANAGING DIRECTOR, JAMESTOWN, LP

Mark Sherman
PRESIDENT, KEWEENAW LAND ASSOCIATION, LIMITED

Toby Luther
PRESIDENT AND CEO, LONE ROCK RESOURCES

Stephen Hicks
PRESIDENT AND CEO, LONGYEAR

Nicole Kimzey
COO, MERRILL & RING

  Bob Lyle
PRESIDENT, MOLPUS WOODLANDS GROUP

David Brand
CEO, NEW FORESTS

Alexander Ingraham
PRESIDENT, PINGREE ASSOCIATES, INC.

René Ancinas
CHAIRMAN & CEO, PORT BLAKELY

Mike Covey
CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, POTLATCHDELTIC

David Nunes
PRESIDENT AND CEO, RAYONIER, INC.

Thomas Walker
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR, RED RIVER FORESTS, LLC

Craig Blair
PRESIDENT AND CEO, RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SERVICE, LLC

Grady Mulbery
PRESIDENT AND CEO, ROSEBURG FOREST PRODUCTS

Mark Emmerson
CHAIRMAN AND CFO, SIERRA PACIFIC INDUSTRIES

Bob Ratliffe
PRESIDENT, SILVER CREEK CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

  Randy Hereford
PRESIDENT AND CEO, STARKER FORESTS, INC.

Scott Griffin
PRESIDENT AND CEO, SUPERIOR PINE PRODUCTS COMPANY

Blake Stansell
CEO, THE FORESTLAND GROUP, LLC

James Hourdequin
CEO, THE LYME TIMBER COMPANY LP

Mike Claridge
PARTNER, HEAD OF FORESTRY & AGRICULTURE, THE ROHATYN GROUP

Brian Luoma
PRESIDENT AND CEO, THE WESTERVELT COMPANY

Steve Killgore
CEO, TIMBER PRODUCTS COMPANY

Tom Johnson
MANAGING DIRECTOR, TIMBERLAND INVESTMENT RESOURCES, LLC

Tom Colgan
CEO, WAGNER FOREST MANAGEMENT

Devin Stockfish
PRESIDENT AND CEO, WEYERHAEUSER

Commentary from Signing CEOs

“Families and individuals own the largest portion of America’s forests, and their valuable contributions address some of our country’s most pressing conservation issues. We proudly stand alongside our partners to recognize and elevate that contribution. More than 21 million families own forests in the U.S., so every time their work is empowered and their forests are supported, we get one step closer to properly tapping natural climate solutions that will have a significant impact on both climate and rural American communities.”

– Tom Martin, President and CEO, American Forest Foundation

“America’s forests and forest products already capture nearly 15 percent of our carbon dioxide emissions, and have potential to do even more. Private forest owners steward over half of our nation’s forests, and they are positioned to implement forest practices at scale that can grow this powerful forest carbon sink. Now is the time for America to partner with our nation’s private forest owners to capture this opportunity.”

– Jad Daley, President and CEO, American Forests

“Climate change is an urgent, existential threat that requires us to seek a diverse set of creative solutions. The signers to these principles may not agree on everything, but we all recognize that privately owned and sustainably managed forests can play an important role in sequestering carbon and providing additional benefits like clean air, clean water and wildlife habitat. With the right policies and market incentives in place, the forest sector can be a leader in reducing emissions and building resilience in the face of mounting climate impacts.”

– Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund

“These principles show how leaders can come together from different perspectives to establish common ground for the common good. Private working forests, the products they produce and the rural communities that sustain them, are the beating heart of natural climate solutions in the U.S. Together they help reverse the impacts of climate change better than any other segment of our economy while sustaining 2.5 million American jobs. By harnessing the power of markets, science and sustainable practices, we can empower them to do even more. Modern forestry harnesses the power of forest product markets to support rural communities with jobs that are helping mitigate climate change.”

– David P. Tenny, President and CEO, National Alliance of Forest Owners

“To maximize the role of forests in our collective work to combat climate change, we need more carbon on the landscape. To do that, we need strong safeguards to protect carbon stocks and new incentives for climate smart management of private working forests. We’re pleased to join so many voices across the forestry sector on these principles for ensuring our forests play a central role as a natural climate solution.”

– Jennifer Morris, CEO, The Nature Conservancy

“Sustainably managed forests and climate-positive forest products are critical for accelerating the transition to a renewable economy and a climate-stable future. BTG Pactual is pleased to stand with The Nature Conservancy, the Environmental Defense Fund and others in our industry to ensure that our global forest economy delivers natural climate solutions at scale, and positively impacts biodiversity, water and inclusive rural economic development.”

– Gerrity Lansing, Head, BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group

“The recognition by non-industrial stakeholders of private timberland’s pivotal role as a net positive contributor to carbon storage, emissions, and conservation is a milestone for productive efforts to advance public policies that produce significant environmental benefits.”

– Joel Caswell, CEO, Caswell Thompson

“Promoting forest stewardship and sustainability through state-of-the-art management practices is not only integral to CatchMark’s operations and essential for our ongoing business success, but also is critical to the success of our industry and the entire forest sector.”

– Brian Davis, CEO and President, CatchMark Timber Trust

“We are committed to managing the resources entrusted to us for the betterment of all stakeholders and we believe sustainable forest management is an integral part of the solution to addressing climate change. Coastal has been actively managing its forests for over 70 years, and today our timber inventories are greater than ever. Our forests are providing more clean air, clean water and superior wildlife habitat thanks to our intensive management approach.”

– J. Travis Bryant, President & CEO, Coastal Forest Resources Company

“The majority of our working forests are in rural areas. In order to continue to sustainably manage our forests it is critical we support fair competitive markets and jobs while supporting rural America.”

– Earl D. Barrs, Wanda T. Barrs, Due South Investments, 2020 Forest Landowners Association Forest Landowner of the Year

“Giustina Resources welcomes this opportunity to share what we have learned in over 100 years of sustainably managing our family forests and to learn from others as we work together in the pursuit of natural climate solutions.”

– Peter Sikora, CEO, Giustina Resources

“As large scale landowners and active participants in the carbon offset market, we believe there is great potential for private landowners to be meaningful contributors to climate change solutions. We are delighted to work with such esteemed partners on a shared vision.”

– Douglas Reed, President, Green Diamond Resource Company

“It’s imperative for public policies to recognize working forests as natural climate solutions to enable continued investment in sustainable forestry and to reward the carbon benefits of forest products, thereby fully incorporating natural climate solutions into climate change mitigation strategies.”

– William Peressini, President and CEO, Hancock Natural Resource Group

“We believe that healthy forests are a natural solution to climate change. Our company utilizes technology and our logging contractors as tools to actively manage private and public forests alike. Not only do our actions mitigate catastrophic wildfire, but they also create forest conditions that store carbon, produce clean air and water, promote the manufacture of wood products, and offset the impacts of climate change.”

– Marc Brinkmeyer, Owner, Idaho Forest Group

“Lone Rock Resources is excited to be a part of the shared vision described in these principles. Our company is committed to sustainable forest management practices that support robust carbon sequestration in our forestlands, which when coupled with a strong market for wood products to store the carbon, is a fundamental element to aggressively confronting climate change.”

– Toby Luther, President and CEO, Lone Rock Resources

“At Molpus, we fully support the CEO Principles and believe that private working forests are a critical carbon mitigation and natural climate solution. As a long-term timberland manager and a signatory to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment, Molpus’s core focus is the responsible stewardship of the forest investments we manage. We are proud of the myriad benefits our working forests provide, including valuable contributions to the environment, the economy, and the communities where we live and work.”

– Bob Lyle, President, Molpus Woodlands Group

“Pingree Associates fully endorses the principles described in Private Working Forests as A Natural Climate Solution. Pingree is a private family owned company that has owned timberland in Maine for eight generations. Our family has always taken a forward looking approach to sustainability, conservation, and now climate change. We view timberland as an important tool to fighting climate change and helping our world get to a stronger, healthier future. Our forests provide clean air, clean water, habitat for wildlife, and timber for a robust forest economy that supports good paying rural jobs. Private forests are the backbone of the forest economy and one of the greatest tools available to fight climate change. If we are going to actively combat climate change forests will need to be a part of the solution, and enhancing their contribution potential through well designed and implemented policy will ensure that forests keep producing solid wood products that lock up carbon, and keep growing trees that actively sequester carbon and service solid wood markets. Pingree has been sustainably managing our forests for generations, and look forward to continuing that philosophy for generations to come in a healthier and more resilient climate.”

– Alexander Ingraham, President, Pingree Associates, Inc.

“As a family-owned company focused on cultivating a healthy world, tackling the climate crisis is an urgent priority. Our working forests must be part of the solution so the next generation can continue our stewardship.”

– René Ancinas, Chairman & CEO, Port Blakely

“Rayonier is proud to join NAFO and our other partners in addressing the climate challenges our society faces. Private working forests play an indispensable role in providing natural climate solutions that help reduce carbon in the atmosphere by sequestering large amounts of carbon both in the forest ecosystem and in the wood products produced from harvested trees. As our society utilizes more sustainably produced forest products and replaces more carbon intensive materials such as concrete or steel, we will thus help to ensure the long-term sustainability of our ecosystem.”

– David Nunes, President and CEO, Rayonier, Inc.

“As a global manager of long-term working forest investments, we are well-positioned to advocate market-based policies promoting working forest solutions to climate change and to execute strategies that expand the role of forests through private investments in afforestation and improved forest management. RMS is already advancing these principles by providing access and support for basic and applied research on the role of working forests in addressing climate change, expanding investor and key stakeholder awareness through regular carbon storage and sequestration reporting, and Partnering with selected architectural schools to increase knowledge of the positive climate impacts of sustainably managed forests.”

– Craig Blair, President and CEO, Resource Management Service, LLC

“Sierra Pacific Industries values collaborative partnerships that seek solutions and policies recognizing the role of sustainable forest management and forest products in helping to achieve positive climate outcomes. As a result of the long-term investment we have already made with forest carbon offset projects registered under California’s offset program, we know that effective climate policy can create both climate and economic benefits. These benefits are achieved while maintaining a vibrant rural economy and continuously storing carbon through the wood products in homes and buildings.”

– Mark Emmerson, Chairman and CFO, Sierra Pacific Industries

“Superior Pine Products Company supports the CEO Climate Change Principles because of the current and future importance of managing our private working forests on a sustainable basis in order to support climate mitigation. Our Company employs the best forest management practices and techniques that naturally sequester Carbon, while also providing forest products, jobs, recreation, and a host of other benefits directly influencing the health and well-being of the private forest community. I believe that these principles should supplement public policies grounded in reasonable and sound forest management that will support and improve climate mitigation well into the future.”

– Scott Griffin, President and CEO, Superior Pine Products Company

“Signing on to the CEO Principles was an easy choice for The Forestland Group. For over 25 years, our company has been managing natural forests to mitigate climate change, drive positive ecological impacts, support rural economic resilience, and maximize financial returns for investors. We look forward to building on this legacy alongside NAFO and other signatories to the CEO Principles.”

– Blake Stansell, CEO, The Forestland Group, LLC

“We are signing on because we believe the need to address climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time and all businesses have a responsibility to look for solutions. Our role is to understand the science pertaining to the role of forests, forest management, and forest products in mitigating climate change, then to participate in the design of regulations and market based solutions that will enable our businesses to contribute meaningfully to climate solutions.”

– James Hourdequin, CEO, The Lyme Timber Company LP

“Westervelt is proud to be a part of this important dialogue within the forest business and conservation sectors. We believe conservation, sustainably managed working forests and forest products are essential in a natural climate solution to capture the benefits of carbon storage and mitigate the effects of climate change.”

– Brian Luoma, President and CEO, The Westervelt Company

“We are proud of the critical role our timberlands play in addressing climate change. Our job as a private timberland steward is to sustainably manage the resource to yield a continuous supply of timber for durable wood products while ensuring that the forest is healthy and resilient. Our lands produce a stream of benefits beyond timber, including: clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, recreation, and carbon benefits. We have partnered with conservation groups who recognize the value of the benefits that our lands provide. By acknowledging these values, these partnerships enable us to continue managing these lands as forests, ensuring a continuous benefit stream. The NAFO climate solution principles recognize the carbon potential of private timberlands and will help ensure that these lands play a critical role in mitigating climate change.”

– Steve Killgore, CEO, Timber Products Company

“Slowing, mitigating, and eventually reversing the impacts of climate change will require collaboration, innovation, and a shared vision for how the problem can be addressed. The private working forests upon which we and others practice sustainable forestry plays an important role in helping us remove carbon from the atmosphere. In addition, our ability to use the timber produced in these forests to store more atmospheric carbon in long-lived, durable products, like Mass Timber, can unquestionably make an impact in the fight against global warming. A deeper and more engaged commitment to cooperative problem solving among members of the corporate, investment, government, and non-profit sectors is the key to developing the public policy frameworks and markets necessary for these things to happen. That is why we at Timberland Investment Resources, LLC have chosen to become a signatory to the CEO Principles.”

– Tom Johnson, Managing Director, Timberland Investment Resources, LLC

“Our forests play a critically important role as a natural climate solution, but we know addressing the significant challenges of climate change will require collaboration with a broad coalition of partners. These principles represent an important first step in bringing together industry and environmental groups around a shared commitment to climate action. We look forward to working with this coalition to advocate together for effective climate policies in the future.”

– Devin Stockfish, President and CEO, Weyerhaeuser

CONTACT: KATE GATTO,  NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF FOREST OWNERS
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  703-945-5875

ICL Reports Resilient Third Quarter 2020 Results

PR Newswire

TEL AVIV, Israel, Nov. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — ICL (NYSE: ICL) (TASE: ICL), a leading global specialty minerals and specialty chemicals company, today reported its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2020.

Highlights for the Third Quarter of 2020

  • Sales of $1.20 billion, unchanged compared to the previous quarter and 9% lower than the third quarter of 2019.
  • Implementation of efficiency plans on track, including in the potash and phosphate operations.
  • Operating income of $100 million and adjusted operating income of $106 million, a decrease of 50% and 47%, respectively, compared to the third quarter of 2019. Adjusted EBITDA of $226 million, a decrease of 26% compared to the third quarter of 2019.
  • Continued strong cash generation, with operating cash flow of $203 million, increasing by $26 million compared to the previous quarter, and free cash flow of $60 million.
  • Achieved record nine-month potash production at the Dead Sea, offsetting the impact of the early closure of the Villafruns mine at ICL Iberia.
  • Continued focus on growing specialty business reflected in a record $34 million operating income from phosphate specialties, a 13% increase compared to the third quarter of 2019.
  • Third consecutive quarter of improved year-over-year results for the Innovative Ag Solutions (IAS) division, driven by strong sales volumes and cost reduction initiatives.
  • Strong liquidity position of approximately $1.25 billion, including cash, deposits and unutilized credit facilities.
  • Declared a quarterly dividend of $29 million, in line with ICL’s balanced approach to capital allocation.
  • As part of the Company’s strategy to grow its crop nutrition businesses organically and through M&A, subsequent to the end of the quarter, ICL agreed to acquire Fertiláqua, a leading Brazilian specialty plant nutrition company, providing ICL a strong foothold in a market where demand growth for specialty plant nutrition products is rapidly increasing.

ICL’s
 
President
 
&
 
CEO,
 
Raviv
 
Zoller,
 stated “ICL’s ability to execute on strategic priorities is reflected in our consistent delivery of positive results in all operating segments, as well as continuous solid cash generation, while commodity prices remain at cyclically low levels and dislocations persist in many of our end markets.  The diversity and breadth of our products, as well as our continued cost efficiency initiatives, partly offset the impact of COVID-19 and lower commodity prices in the third quarter of 2020. Despite these ongoing challenges, we remain focused on important growth initiatives across our segments, as we announced in our recent capital markets day, and are pleased with the progress we are making.  ICL’s strong financial position and balanced capital priorities will help us navigate through the current global market challenges and position ICL to execute on timely opportunities, as we have demonstrated with our recently announced agreement to acquire Fertiláqua, one of Brazil’s leading specialty plant nutrition companies.  This acquisition will unlock immediate synergies for distribution in Brazil and further expands ICL’s product portfolio with higher margin products, and we intend to continue executing on our specialty businesses’ growth strategy, both organically and inorganically. Although COVID-19 may continue to impact our results in the near term, we are very well-positioned for the future. As conditions begin to normalize, which we expect to occur during 2021, we will see further benefits from our strategic efficiency plans, which were accelerated by COVID-19 and implemented across all of our business segments and will result in annualized savings of about $50 million, driving margin expansion and cash flow generation.”

Results for the third quarter of 2020 were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting decline in industrial activity and crude oil production, as well as continued lower prices of commodity fertilizers, which impacted sales and operating income.  Notwithstanding the market environment, ICL maintained profitability in each of its operating segments due to its diverse business mix, the impact of cost efficiency initiatives and ICL’s ongoing focus on increasing its specialties businesses.  In the Phosphate Solutions segment, operating income from phosphate specialties increased by 13% compared to the third quarter of 2019, reaching a record level.  The recent increase in phosphate commodity market prices and an optimized geographical sales mix, as well as record operating profits from the YPH JV in China, decreased the operating loss from phosphate commodities by $16 million compared to the prior quarter. In the Potash segment, total production from ICL Dead Sea reached a record level for the first nine months of the year, offsetting decreased production from ICL Iberia and positively contributing to the segment’s results. Our Industrial Products segment was impacted by lower sales volumes of bromine-based flame retardants due the impact of COVID-19 on global industrial activity and by lower demand for clear brine fluids due to lower oil and gas drilling activity. Demand in certain end markets, including building and construction and electronics manufacturing began to recover towards the end of the third quarter of 2020. The IAS segment reported its third consecutive quarterly year-over-year increase in operating income, due to higher sales volumes, lower costs of raw materials and the continuous implementation of efficiency and cost reduction initiatives.

Financial Figures and Non-GAAP Financial Measures



7-9/2020



7-9/2019


1-9/2020


1-9/2019


1-12/2019


$


millions


% of


sales


$


millions


% of


sales


$


millions


% of


sales


$


millions


% of


sales


$


millions


% of


sales

Sales


1,204



1,325


3,726



4,165

5,271

Gross profit


365


30

472

36


1,085


29

1,481

36

1,817

34

Operating income


100


8

201

15


63


2

668

16

756

14

Adjusted operating
income (1)


106


9

201

15


366


10

672

16

760

14

Net income (loss) –
shareholders of the
Company


54


4

130

10


(54)


(1)

427

10

475

9

Adjusted net income –
shareholders of the
Company (1)


58


5

130

10


190


5

431

10

479

9

Diluted earnings (loss) per share (in dollars)


0.04



0.10


(0.04)



0.33

0.37

Diluted adjusted earnings per share (in dollars) (2)


0.05



0.10


0.15



0.34

0.37

Adjusted EBITDA (2)


226


19

307

23


722


19

997

24

1,198

23

Cash flows from operating activities


203



368


546



780

992

Purchases of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets (3)


143



147


443



419

576

(1)  See “Adjustments to reported operating and net income (Non-GAAP)” below. 

(2)  See “Adjusted EBITDA and Diluted Adjusted Earnings Per Share for the periods of activity” below.

(3)  See “Condensed consolidated statements of cash flows (unaudited)” to the accompanying financial statements.

ConsolidatedResults Analysis


Results analysis for the period July – September 2020


Sales


Expenses


Operating
income


$ millions


Q3 2019 figures


1,325


(1,124)


201

Total adjustments Q3 2019*


Adjusted Q3 2019 figures


1,325


(1,124)


201

Quantity

(50)

29

(21)

Price

(92)

(92)

Exchange rates

21

(21)

Raw materials

18

18

Energy

(2)

(2)

Transportation

5

5

Operating and other expenses

(3)

(3)


Adjusted Q3 2020 figures


1,204


(1,098)


106

Total adjustments Q3 2020*

(6)

(6)


Q3 2020 figures


1,204


(1,104)


100

* See “Adjustments to reported operating and net income (Non-GAAP)”.

  • Quantity – The negative impact on operating income was primarily related to a decrease in the quantities sold of bromine-based industrial solutions, mainly clear brine fluids and elemental bromine, as well as bromine–based flame retardants, mainly due to a decrease in global demand related to the COVID–19 pandemic. This was partly offset by improved potash site mix, as well as higher sales volumes of phosphate fertilizers, specialty fertilizers and dairy proteins.
  • Price – The negative impact on operating income was primarily related to a $64 decrease in the average realized price per tonne of potash, compared to the same quarter last year, and a decrease in the selling prices of phosphate commodities products.
  • Exchange rates – The appreciation of the average exchange rate of the euro against the dollar, which contributed to revenue more than it increased operational costs and the devaluation of the average exchange rate of the Brazilian real against the dollar, which contributed to operational cost-savings, were fully offset by the appreciation of the average exchange rate of the Israeli shekel, which increased operational costs.
  • Raw materials – The positive impact of raw material prices on operating income was primarily related to lower prices of sulphur consumed during the quarter, as well as a decrease in the prices of various raw materials used for products of the Innovative Ag Solutions segment.
  • Transportation – The positive impact on operating income was primarily related to a decrease in marine transportation costs.
  • Operating and other expenses – The negative impact on operating income was primarily related to higher operating costs, mainly due to decreased production in Spain and costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Financing expenses, net

Net financing expenses in the third quarter of 2020 amounted to $29 million, compared to $32 million in the same quarter last year – a decrease of $3 million, mainly related to lower interest expenses due to our ability to reduce the average interest rate we pay on our debt.

Tax expenses

Tax expenses in the third quarter of 2020 and 2019 amounted to $14 million and $35 million, reflecting an effective tax rate of about 19% and 21%, respectively. The Company’s lower effective tax rate in the current quarter is mainly due to utilization of prior-year tax losses in China.

IMPACT OF COVID-19

In order to manage rapidly evolving conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic and to enable an immediate response to new and frequently changing health and safety requirements, a special COVID-19 response team was established. Directed by the senior management of the Company, the team is responsible for the constant monitoring of new guidelines and instructions issued by global and local health organizations, daily monitoring of operations across the Company’s facilities, quick implementation of necessary adjustments to our operations, management of internal communications to inform our employees on a regular basis, and support our employees to adapt to this challenging environment.

During the first nine months of 2020, most of our manufacturing facilities in Israel and around the world continued to operate undisturbed and have been deemed to be essential businesses by most of the relevant local government authorities. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on our business performance during the first nine months of the year, as revenues decreased, primarily due to lower demand for some of our Industrial Products segment products such as clear brine fluids, as a result of a significant decline in oil prices and demand, and certain flame retardants, due to lower activity in the automotive and electronics industries. In addition, our operating results were negatively impacted, primarily due to lower production in Europe and other operational costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, these were partially mitigated by efficiency initiatives and measures implemented by the Company.

As the ultimate impact of the pandemic on the global economy remains unclear at this stage, we anticipate that it will have a continuing impact on our results for the next few quarters, including but not limited to, affecting our revenues and operating income due to the decline in global demand in the end markets for some of our products, as well as health and safety restrictions and measures affecting our operations. 

As of the end of September 2020, the Company had approximately $1.25 billion in cash, deposits and unutilized credit facilities.

Segment Information

Industrial Products

The Industrial Products segment produces bromine out of a highly concentrated solution in the Dead Sea, as well as bromine–based compounds at its facilities in Israel, the Netherlands and China. In addition, the segment produces salts, magnesium chloride, magnesia-based products, phosphorusbased flame retardants and functional fluids.

Segment sales and operating income in the third quarter of 2020 decreased by 20% and 43% year–over-year, respectively, due to lower sales volumes, slightly offset by a positive price contribution. Lower demand for elemental bromine, clear brine fluids and bromine-based flame retardants, resulting from the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global industrial activity and demand for oil and gas, was partly offset by higher sales volumes of phosphorus–based flame retardants. The moderate recovery in demand for certain flame retardants for the building and construction and electronics industries in the fourth quarter of 2020 could partially mitigate the usual seasonal fourth quarter pattern.

Significant highlights and business environment

  • Market prices of elemental bromine in China gradually increased during the third quarter of 2020 to a U.S. dollar 12-month high. The increase was due to a combination of higher resource taxes imposed by the Chinese government, relatively lower bromine production by several producers and a favorable impact of the appreciation of the Chinese yuan against the dollar. The positive pricing momentum has so far continued into the fourth quarter.
  • Sales of elemental bromine decreased compared to the third quarter of 2019 due to lower demand as a result of the COVID–19 pandemic.
  • Global demand for bromine-based flame retardants softened during the third quarter of 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. ICL’s sales of bromine-based flame retardants decreased compared to the third quarter of 2019, mainly due to lower demand for printed circuit boards, electronics and textile. This was partly offset by higher demand, both sequentially and compared to the third quarter of 2019, for bromine-based flame retardants to the building and construction industry.
  • The sharp decline in demand for oil and gas for transportation and industry, caused by the COVID–19 pandemic, led to a decline in drilling activities and resulted in a significant decrease in demand and sales of clear brine fluids compared to the third quarter of 2019.
  • Phosphorus-based flame retardants sales were higher year-over-year and sequentially. This is mainly due to higher demand from the building and construction industry in Europe and the US, which coincided with supply constraints from Chinese producers, as Chinese regulatory authorities required the shutdown and potential relocation of several production facilities located in high-density populated areas.
  • Sales of specialty minerals decreased as strong performance of the magnesia and calcium businesses, supported by high demand for food supplements and pharmaceuticals markets was more than offset, primarily by weaker pre-season sales of MgCl for de-icing.
  • The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Industrial Products segment is expected to continue through the fourth quarter of 2020 and to result in lower demand for clear brine fluids and certain brominated flame retardants for the automotive industry. At the same time, a gradual recovery in the demand for certain flame retardants for the building and construction and electronics industries, could partly offset the overall negative impact.
  • In September 2020, a new collective labor agreement was signed between the Company’s subsidiary, Bromine Compounds Ltd. and the Bromine Compounds workers’ union, in effect until April 2025. The main terms of the agreement include, among other things, salary increases for employees to whom it applies, a retirement plan for permanent employees and a reduction of FTE’s.



Results of Operations



7-9/2020



7-9/2019


$ millions


$ millions


Segment Sales


270

339

   Sales to external customers


267

337

   Sales to internal customers


3

2

Segment profit


50

88

Depreciation and Amortization


19

17

Capital expenditures*


16

26

* For information regarding the effect of IFRS 16 implementation on 2019 capital expenditures, see “Note 3 – Operating segments” of the financial statements.



Results analysis for the period July – September 2020


Sales


Expenses


Operating
income


$ millions


Q3 2019 figures


339


(251)


88

Quantity

(76)

31

(45)

Price

3

3

Exchange rates

4

(6)

(2)

Raw materials

1

1

Energy

1

1

Transportation

Operating and other expenses

4

4


Q3 2020 figures


270


(220)


50

Potash

The Potash segment produces and sells mainly potash, using an evaporation process to extract potash from the Dead Sea in Israel and conventional mining from an underground mine in Spain. The segment also produces Polysulphate® in its Boulby mine in the UK and magnesium in the Dead Sea in Israel. In addition, the segment sells salt produced in its facilities, and has a power plant in Sodom, which supplies electricity to ICL’s companies in Israel (electricity surplus is sold to external customers) and steam to all facilities in the Sodom site.

The Potash segment’s sales and operating income decreased in the third quarter of 2020 by 17% and 66%, respectively, compared to the same quarter in the prior year. Business performance was primarily impacted by a $64 decrease in the average potash realized price per tonne, mainly due to higher sales volumes to India and China at low contract prices, and higher operating costs, mainly due to decreased production in Spain and costs related to COVID-19. As of the date of the report, production sites are operating as planned, with ICL Dead Sea reaching a record high production level for the first nine months of the year, and we do not expect a very significant impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on the segment’s results in the fourth quarter of 2020, although the full effect of the pandemic on our operations is uncertain and difficult to assess or predict.





Highlights and business environment

  • Toward the end of the third quarter, potash price sentiment improved, mainly in Brazil, where prices were quoted at higher levels compared to the second quarter, supported by favorable exchange rate, supply concerns from Belarus and solid demand despite seasonality challenges. Prices in Southeast Asia also increased due to higher prices of Crude Palm Oil (CPO). However, in other spot markets, mainly in Europe, prices decreased due to high availability. For additional information on potash prices and imports to key markets, see ‘Global potash market – average prices and imports’ in the appendix. 
  • Following ICL’s Dead Sea facilities upgrade in the fourth quarter of 2019, ICL Dead Sea reached record production for the first nine months of the year, despite the operational challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The closure of the Sallent potash site (Vilafruns mine) toward the end of the second quarter of 2020, in accordance with ICL’s strategic decision to concentrate its production in the Suria site (Cabanasses mine), will allow the Company to speed up development in Suria, and to improve its cost per tonne in future periods. However, for the short term, we are incurring certain costs related to the site closure and higher operating costs due to the overall decreased production in Spain, which are expected to continue during the fourth quarter.
  • Production of Polysulphate® increased by 10% to 191 thousand tonnes in the third quarter of 2020, and sales volumes increased by 49% to 113 thousand tonnes compared to the third quarter of 2019.
  • Global end market demand for magnesium started to show initial signs of recovery in the third quarter of 2020, mainly due to a gradual restart of the automotive sector and strong demand from the aluminum packaging industry. However, this positive trend was partly offset by continued decreased demand in the aerospace and other aluminum sectors, along with high levels of inventory among both producers and consumers.
  • The segment is implementing efficiency initiatives, including early retirement of Dead Sea Magnesium employees. See Note 4 to the Company’s condensed consolidated interim financial statements as at September 30, 2020. 



Results of Operations


7-9/2020


7-9/2019


$ millions


$ millions


Segment sales


313

376

   Potash sales to external customers


224

280

   Potash sales to internal customers


20

26

   Other and eliminations*


69

70

Gross profit


115

176

Segment profit


28

83

Depreciation and Amortization


42

37

Capital expenditures**


76

93

Average realized price (in $)***


220

284

*     Primarily includes salt produced in underground mines in the UK and Spain, Polysulphate® and Polysulphate®-based products, magnesium-based products and sales of excess electricity produced by our power plants in Israel.

**   For information regarding the effect of IFRS 16 implementation on 2019 capital expenditures, see “Note 3 – Operating segments” of the accompanying Financial Statements.

*** Potash average realized price (dollar per tonne) is calculated by dividing total potash revenue by total sales quantities. The difference between FOB price and average realized price is primarily due to marine transportation costs.


Potash – Production and Sales


Thousands of tonnes


7-9/2020


7-9/2019

Production


1,064

1,050

Total sales (including internal sales)


1,111

1,079

Closing inventory


401

355


Results analysis for the period July – September 2020




Sales


Expenses


Operating
income


$ millions


Q3 2019 figures


376


(293)


83

Quantity

(1)

18

17

Price

(66)

(66)

Exchange rates

4

(5)

(1)

Energy

(2)

(2)

Transportation

4

4

Operating and other expenses

(7)

(7)


Q3 2020 figures


313


(285)


28

Phosphate Solutions

The Phosphate Solutions segment operates ICL’s phosphate value chain, using phosphate rock and fertilizer-grade phosphoric acid to produce phosphate-based specialty products with higher added value, as well as to produce and sell phosphate-based fertilizers.

The segment’s sales were stable, while operating income decreased by 13%, year–over–year, mainly due to lower phosphate commodity market prices, which started to gradually recover during the third quarter, partly offset by lower raw materials prices and efficiency initiatives. Strong phosphate specialties performance, despite global challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing positive operating income of the YPH JV in China and a recovery in phosphate commodity prices resulted in a significant sequential improvement in operating income. Fourth quarter results for both the commodities and the specialties phosphate businesses are expected to decrease, compared to the current quarter, due to the usual seasonal pattern.

Phosphate specialties sales of $295 million and operating income of $34 million in the third quarter of 2020 were approximately 2% and 13% higher, respectively, compared to the third quarter of 2019. The increase in operating income was driven mainly by strong volumes, lower costs and a positive exchange rates impacts.

Sales of phosphate commodities amounted to $211 million, approximately 3% lower than the third quarter of 2019, mostly due to significantly lower market prices which was partly offset by higher sales volumes and favorable exchange rates. Operating loss of $6 million in the third quarter of 2020, compared to operating income of $2 million in the third quarter of 2019, is attributed to a decrease in prices, partly offset by lower raw materials costs and higher sales volumes, mainly to Asia and North America.

Highlights and business environment

  • Revenues of phosphate salts in the third quarter of 2020 were stable year-over-year. Higher sales volumes of food grade phosphates were partly offset by a decrease in sales volumes of industrial salts. The positive trend in food grade phosphates was driven by strong sales volumes in South America and Europe, which were partly related to a shift of sales from the food service sector to the retail sector, including supermarkets, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The decrease in sales of industrial salts, mainly in Europe and North America, was the result of slowdowns in various key industries and was partly offset by increased sales volumes to the dental hygiene industry in China. 
  • White phosphoric acid (WPA) revenues in the third quarter of 2020 increased slightly year–over-year. Revenues in China increased, despite seasonal slowdown and general weakness in the industrial market. Revenues in Europe and North America remained stable. Revenues in South America decreased compared to the third quarter of 2019, due to lower sales volumes to key industrial markets, though volumes improved sequentially. Market prices for food grade WPA decreased modestly in Europe, North and South America due to a competitive business environment. 
  • Dairy protein revenues in the third quarter of 2020 were significantly higher compared to the third quarter of 2019, mainly due to strong sales of the new goat milk powders business and organic cow products. ICL continues to focus on expanding its global leadership position in the organic cow and goat ingredients market for high end applications. 
  • Phosphate fertilizers prices recovered significantly across most markets during the third quarter of 2020 compared to the second quarter. Prices increased due to tightened supply by major manufacturers in China, Morocco and Russia. The US market registered the sharpest price increases, mainly at the beginning of the third quarter, following the petition by Mosaic (US) to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) and to the US Department of Commerce (DoC) to impose countervailing duties on phosphate imports from Morocco and Russia. Following the DoC decision to postpone its preliminary decision from September to November 2020 and toward the seasonal demand slowdown, price increases in the US began to ease during the second half of the third quarter and shifted to eastern markets, mainly to India. Prices also increased in Brazil, supported by an increase in soybean prices and a favorable exchange rate. For additional information on phosphate prices, see ‘Global phosphate commodities market – average prices’ in the appendix.
  • OCP (Morocco) concluded its phosphoric acid supply contracts to India for the fourth quarter of 2020 at $689/tonne (CFR 100% P2O5), a $64/tonne increase compared to the previous quarter. The accumulated price increase of $99/tonne since the first quarter of 2020 reflects the positive global sentiment in the phosphate commodity market. A similar price increase was reported in OCP’s phosphoric acid supply contracts in Brazil and in Europe. 
  • The normalization agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates has opened up commercial and economic opportunities for both countries. ICL signed its first contract to buy 35 thousand tonnes of sulphur from Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, in order to add a supply source for the purchase of Sulphur and to leverage its relatively low transportation costs compared to deliveries from Russia, Canada or Kazakhstan. 


Results of Operations



7-9/2020



7-9/2019


$ millions


$ millions


Segment Sales


506


508

   Sales to external customers


488

491

   Sales to internal customers


18

17

Segment profit


28

32

Depreciation and Amortization


55

44

Capital expenditures*


56

51

* For information regarding the effect of IFRS 16 implementation on 2019 capital expenditures, see “Note 3 – Operating segments” of the financial statements.


Results analysis for the period July – September 2020


Sales


Expenses


Operating
income


$ millions


Q3 2019 figures


508


(476)


32

Quantity

16

(14)

2

Price

(30)

(30)

Exchange rates

12

(9)

3

Raw materials

16

16

Energy

Transportation

1

1

Operating and other expenses

4

4


Q3 2020 figures


506


(478)


28

Innovative Ag Solutions

The Innovative Ag Solutions (IAS) segment develops, manufactures, markets and sells specialty fertilizers based primarily on nitrogen, potash and phosphate. The segment produces water soluble specialty fertilizers, liquid fertilizers, soluble fertilizers and controlled–release fertilizers in its plants in Israel, Europe, China and the United States. The segment markets its products worldwide, mainly in Europe, Asia, North America, Brazil and Israel.

Sales in the third quarter of 2020 increased by 8% year-over-year, driven by higher sales volumes of both specialty agriculture and turf and ornamental products, mainly in Europe and North America, as well as favorable exchange rates, partly offset by lower prices. Operating income amounted to $6 million in the third quarter of 2020, compared to an operating loss of $2 million in the third quarter of 2019, primarily due to lower cost of raw materials, higher sales volumes and cost-saving initiatives. Fourth quarter results are expected to follow the usual seasonal pattern.

Highlights and business environment

  • The segment reported its third consecutive quarterly year-over-year increase in operating income. The increase in operating income in the third quarter of 2020 is mainly attributed to higher sales volumes, lower costs of raw materials and the continuous implementation of efficiency and cost reduction initiatives.
  • Sales to the specialty agriculture market increased compared to the corresponding quarter last year,mainly due to increased demand for straight fertilizers and controlled-release fertilizers products, as well as the positive impact of exchange rates. Sales of Liquid NPK fertilizers in Israel were higher year-over-year due to a delay in the main fertigation season. Higher sales were also recorded in the chemicals business.
  • Sales of specialty agriculture products continued to increase in fast-growing emerging markets such as India and Turkey.
  • Following the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the second quarter of 2020, sales to the Turf and Ornamental (T&O) markets started to recover and increased compared to the corresponding quarter last year. The increase in sales was mainly due to strong demand in the turf and landscape markets, which were supported by favorable early Autumn conditions, higher demand for fungicides and the re-opening of sports fields and golf courses.
  • Subsequent to the end of the quarter, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Agro Fertiláqua Participações S.A. (“Fertiláqua”), one of Brazil’s leading specialty plant nutrition companies, for a consideration of approximately $120 million. For more information, see “Other Information” in the accompanying third quarter financial reports.


Results of Operations



7-9/2020



7-9/2019


$ millions


$ millions


Segment Sales


173

160

   Sales to external customers


168

156

   Sales to internal customers


5

4

Segment profit


6

(2)

Depreciation and Amortization


7

5

Capital expenditures*


4

5

* For information regarding the effect of IFRS 16 implementation on 2019 capital expenditures, see “Note 3 – Operating segments” of the financial statements.


Results analysis for the period July – September 2020


Sales


Expenses


Operating
income


$ millions


Q3 2019 figures


160


(162)


(2)

Quantity

13

(9)

4

Price

(4)

(4)

Exchange rates

4

(4)

Raw materials

6

6

Energy

Transportation

Operating and other expenses

2

2


Q3 2020 figures


173


(167)


6

Dividend Distribution

In connection with ICL’s third quarter 2020 results, the Board of Directors declared a dividend of 2.3 cents per share, or approximately $29 million in the aggregate. The dividend will be paid on December 16, 2020. The record date is December 2, 2020.

About ICL

ICL Group Ltd. is a leading global specialty minerals and chemicals company that creates impactful solutions for humanity’s sustainability challenges in global food, agriculture, and industrial markets. ICL leverages its unique bromine, potash and phosphate resources, its passionate team of talented employees, and its strong focus on R&D and technological innovation to drive growth across its end markets.  ICL shares are dually listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (NYSE and TASE: ICL). The Company employs over 11,000 people worldwide, and its 2019 revenues totaled approximately $5.3 billion.

For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.icl-group.com[1].

ICL makes its financial results easily accessible to investors through an interactive data tool available in the ‘Investors’ section of the Company’s website. The Interactive Analyst Center will provide the company’s historical financial, operational and ESG data in the context of an easy-to-access online web platform.   Data drills/views are customizable based on time periods and various parameters. The information is available for download at any time.  To access the Interactive Data Tool, click here.

To access ICL’s interactive Corporate Social Responsibility Report, please click here.

You can also learn more about ICL on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Appendix:

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)

(In millions except per share data)


For the three-month


period ended


For the nine-month


period ended


For the year ended


September 30, 2020


September 30, 2019


September 30, 2020


September 30, 2019


December 31, 2019


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions

Sales


1,204

1,325


3,726

4,165

5,271

Cost of sales


839

853


2,641

2,684

3,454


Gross profit


365

472


1,085

1,481

1,817

Selling, transport and marketing expenses


191

199


562

590

767

General and administrative expenses


55

62


175

190

254

Research and development expenses


13

13


37

38

50

Other expenses


6

2


252

23

30

Other income



(5)


(4)

(28)

(40)


Operating income


100

201


63

668

756

Finance expenses


52

67


130

195

220

Finance income


(23)

(35)


(18)

(91)

(91)


Finance expenses, net


29

32


112

104

129

Share in earnings of equity-accounted investees


2


4

1

1


Income (loss) before income taxes


73

169


(45)

565

628

Provision for income taxes


14

35


1

132

147


Net income (loss)


59

134


(46)

433

481

Net income attributable to the non-controlling interests


5

4


8

6

6


Net income (loss) attributable to the
shareholders of the Company


54

130


(54)

427

475


Earnings (loss) per share attributable to the shareholders of the Company:

Basic earnings (loss) per share (in dollars)


0.04

0.10


(0.04)

0.33

0.37

Diluted earnings (loss) per share (in dollars)


0.04

0.10


(0.04)

0.33

0.37


Weighted-average number of ordinary shares outstanding:

Basic (in thousands)


1,280,179

1,280,586


1,279,964

1,279,146

1,278,950

Diluted (in thousands)


1,280,403

1,283,675


1,280,190

1,283,401

1,282,056

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as at (Unaudited)


September 30, 2020


September 30, 2019


December 31, 2019


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions


Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents


216

96

95

Short-term investments and deposits


98

91

96

Trade receivables


813

979

778

Inventories


1,233

1,205

1,312

Other receivables


388

324

403


Total current assets


2,748

2,695

2,684


Non-current assets

Investments at fair value through other comprehensive income


73

144

111

Deferred tax assets


121

97

109

Property, plant and equipment


5,368

5,068

5,331

Intangible assets


645

641

652

Other non-current assets


311

468

286


Total non-current assets


6,518

6,418

6,489


Total assets


9,266

9,113

9,173


Current liabilities

Short-term credit


614

476

420

Trade payables


669

691

712

Provisions


51

34

42

Other current liabilities


633

578

587


Total current liabilities


1,967

1,779

1,761


Non-current liabilities

Long-term debt and debentures


2,125

2,101

2,181

Deferred tax liabilities


307

357

341

Long-term employee liabilities


602

576

575

Provisions


268

221

202

Other non-current liabilities


57

45

52


Total non-current liabilities


3,359

3,300

3,351


Total liabilities


5,326

5,079

5,112


Equity

Total shareholders’ equity


3,791

3,901

3,925

Non-controlling interests


149

133

136


Total equity


3,940

4,034

4,061


Total liabilities and equity


9,266

9,113

9,173

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)


For the three-month period ended


For the nine-month period ended


For the year ended


September 30, 2020


September 30, 2019


September 30, 2020


September 30, 2019


December 31, 2019


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions


Cash flows from operating activities

Net income (loss)


59

134


(46)

433

481

Adjustments for:

Depreciation and amortization and impairment of fixed assets 


82

110


450

320

433

Exchange rate and interest expenses, net


(7)

68


56

146

153

Share in earnings of equity-accounted investees


(2)


(4)

(1)

(1)

Loss from divestiture of businesses




4

Capital loss (gain)




1

(12)

(12)

Share-based compensation


2

3


7

9

12

Deferred tax expenses (income)



14


(42)

90

67


75

195


472

552

652

Change in inventories


(10)

(26)


52

(72)

Change in trade receivables


33

70


(42)

(11)

199

Change in trade payables


(55)

27


12

(9)

(58)

Change in other receivables


28

(15)


14

(4)

5

Change in other payables


35

(19)


(41)

(184)

(194)

Change in provisions and employee benefits


38

2


125

3

(21)


Net change in operating assets and liabilities


69

39


120

(205)

(141)


Net cash provided by operating activities


203

368


546

780

992


Cash flows from investing activities

Proceeds (investments) in deposits, net


(1)

(7)


28

4

(2)

Business combinations, net of cash acquired




(27)

Purchases of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets


(143)

(147)


(443)

(419)

(576)

Proceeds from divestiture of businesses net of transaction expenses




17

Dividends from equity-accounted investees




3

1

3

Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment



1


2

36

50


Net cash used in investing activities


(144)

(153)


(420)

(378)

(525)


Cash flows from financing activities

Dividends paid to the Company’s shareholders


(35)

(73)


(88)

(209)

(273)

Payments from transactions in derivatives used for hedging


(2)


(4)

Receipt of long-term debt


182

50


1,059

457

657

Payments of long-term debt


(375)

(138)


(926)

(550)

(689)

Receipts (payments) of short-term credit from banks and others, net


61

(90)


(47)

(120)

(183)

Other



(2)



(2)

(2)


Net cash used in financing activities


(169)

(253)


(6)

(424)

(490)


Net change in cash and cash equivalents


(110)

(38)


120

(22)

(23)

Cash and cash equivalents as at the beginning of the period


323

137


95

121

121

Net effect of currency translation on cash and cash equivalents


3

(3)


1

(3)

(3)


Cash and cash equivalents as at the end of the period


216

96


216

96

95

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (cont’d)

Additional Information


For the three-month period ended


For the nine-month period ended


For the year ended


September 30, 2020


September 30, 2019


September 30, 2020


September 30, 2019


December 31, 2019


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions

Income taxes paid (received), net of refunds


(13)

20


11

78

120

Interest paid


19

17


75

77

115

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these condensed consolidated financial statements.

We disclose in this Press Release non-IFRS financial measures titled adjusted operating income, adjusted net income attributable to the Company’s shareholders, diluted adjusted earnings per share and adjusted EBITDA. Our management uses adjusted operating income, adjusted net income attributable to the Company’s shareholders, diluted adjusted earnings per share and adjusted EBITDA to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period. We calculate our adjusted operating income by adjusting our operating income to add certain items, as set forth in the reconciliation table under “Adjustments to reported operating and net income (Non-GAAP)”
below
. Certain of these items may recur. We calculate our adjusted net income attributable to the Company’s shareholders by adjusting our net income attributable to the Company’s shareholders to add certain items, as set forth in the reconciliation table under “Adjustments to reported operating and net income (Non-GAAP)” below, excluding the total tax impact of such adjustments and adjustments attributable to the non-controlling interests. We calculate our diluted adjusted earnings per share by dividing adjusted net income by the weighted-average number of diluted ordinary shares outstanding. We calculate our adjusted EBITDA by adding back to the net income attributable to the Company’s shareholders the depreciation and amortization, financing expenses, net, taxes on income and the items presented in the reconciliation table under “Consolidated adjusted EBITDA and diluted adjusted Earnings Per Share for the periods of activity (non-GAAP)” below which were adjusted for in calculating the adjusted operating income and adjusted net income attributable to the Company’s shareholders. Other companies may calculate similarly titled non–IFRS financial measures differently than the Company. 

You should not view adjusted operating income, adjusted net income attributable to the Company’s shareholders, diluted adjusted earnings per share or adjusted EBITDA as a substitute for operating income or net income attributable to the Company’s shareholders determined in accordance with IFRS, and you should note that our definitions of adjusted operating income, adjusted net income attributable to the Company’s shareholders, diluted adjusted earnings per share and adjusted EBITDA may differ from those used by other companies. Additionally, o
ther companies may use other measures to evaluate their performance, which may reduce the usefulness of our non-IFRS financial measures
 as tools for comparison. However, we believe adjusted operating income, adjusted net income attributable to the Company’s shareholders, diluted adjusted earnings per share and adjusted EBITDA provide useful information to both management and investors by excluding certain items that management believes are not indicative of our ongoing operations. Our management uses these non-IFRS measures to evaluate the Company’s business strategies and management’s performance. We believe that these non–IFRS measures provide useful information to investors because they improve the comparability of our financial results between periods and provide for greater transparency of key measures used to evaluate our performance.




We present a discussion in the period-to-period comparisons of the primary drivers of change in the Company’s results of operations. This discussion is based in part on management’s best estimates of the impact of the main trends on its businesses. We have based the following discussion on our financial statements. You should read such discussion together with our financial statements.


Adjustments to reported operating and net income (Non-GAAP)


7-9/2020


7-9/2019


1-9/2020


1-9/2019


1-12/2019


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions


Operating income (loss)


100

201


63

668

756

Impairment of assets, provision for site closure and restoration costs (1)


6


225

(10)

(3)

Provision for early retirement (2)




78

Provision for legal proceedings (3)





14

7


Total adjustments to operating income


6


303

4

4


Adjusted operating income


106

201


366

672

760


Net income (loss) attributable to the shareholders of the Company


54

130


(54)

427

475

Total adjustments to operating income


6


303

4

4

Total tax impact of the above operating income


(2)


(59)


Total adjusted net income – shareholders of the Company


58

130


190

431

479

 

  1. For 2020, this reflects an impairment and write-off of certain assets in Israel (Rotem Amfert Israel), related to continued low phosphate prices and the Company’s plan to discontinue unprofitable phosphate rock production and sale, which also resulted in an increase in the provision for assets retirement obligation (ARO) as well as an increase in facilities restoration costs. Also reflects an impairment of assets and an increase in the Sallent site (Vilafruns) closure costs in Spain (ICL Iberia). For 2019, this represents a partial reversal of an impairment loss related to assets in Germany – due to an agreement for the sale of assets – which was incurred in 2015, partly offset by an increase in the provision for the Sallent site closure costs, together with an increase in the provision for the removal of prior periods waste in bromine production facilities in Israel.
  2. For 2020, this reflects an increase in the provision related to headcount reduction, which was implemented as part of the Company’s efficiency initiatives and measures, primarily through an early retirement plan for the Israeli production facilities (Rotem Amfert Israel, Bromine Compounds and Dead Sea Magnesium).
  3. For 2019, this reflects an increase in the provision for the finalization of the royalties’ arbitration in Israel related to prior periods, which was partly offset by a decrease in the provision related to legal claims in Spain.

For more information, see Note 4 to the Company’s condensed consolidated interim financial statements as at September 30, 2020.

Consolidated adjusted EBITDA and diluted adjusted Earnings Per Share for the periods of activity

Calculation of adjusted EBITDA was made as follows:


7-9/2020


7-9/2019


1-9/2020


1-9/2019


1-12/2019


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions

Net income (loss) attributable to the shareholders of the Company


54

130


(54)

427

475

Depreciation and Amortization


123

110


360

330

443

Financing expenses, net


29

32


112

104

129

Taxes on income


14

35


1

132

147

Adjustments*


6


303

4

4


Total adjusted EBITDA


226

307


722

997

1,198

*    See “Adjustments to reported operating and net income (Non-GAAP)” above.

Calculation of diluted adjusted earnings per share was made as follows:


7-9/2020


7-9/2019


1-9/2020


1-9/2019


1-12/2019


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions


$ millions

Net income (loss) – shareholders of the Company


54

130


(54)

427

475

Adjustments*


6


303

4

4

Total tax impact of the above operating income & finance expenses adjustments


(2)


(59)

Adjusted net income – shareholders of the Company


58

130


190

431

479

Weighted-average number of diluted ordinary shares outstanding (in thousands)


1,280,403

1,283,675


1,280,190

1,283,401

1,282,056

Diluted adjusted earnings per share (in dollars)**


0.05

0.10


0.15

0.34

0.37

*    See “Adjustments to reported operating and net income (Non-GAAP)” above.

** The diluted adjusted earnings per share is calculated as follows: dividing the adjusted net income–shareholders of the Company by the weighted-average number of diluted ordinary shares outstanding (in thousands).

Global potash market – average prices and imports:


Average prices


Q3 2020


Q3 2019


VS


Q3 2019


Q2 2020


VS
Q2 2020

Granular potash – Brazil  

CFR spot

($ per tonne)


239

327

(27%)

222

8%

Granular potash – Northwest Europe  

CIF spot/contract

(€ per tonne)
 


241

280

(14%)

245

(2%)

Standard potash -Southeast Asia  

CFR spot

($ per tonne)


240

293

(18%)

243

(1%)


Potash imports  

To Brazil  

million tonnes  


3.3

3.4

(3%)

3.1

6%

To China  

million tonnes  


2.9

2.3

26%

1.7

71%

To India  

million tonnes  


1.5

1.0

50%

0.9

67%

Sources: CRU (Fertilizer Week Historical Price: October 2020), FAI, Brazil and Chinese customs data.

Global phosphate commodities market – average prices:


$ per tonne


Q3 2020


Q3 2019


VS


Q3 2019


Q2 2020


VS


Q2 2020

DAP

CFR India Spot


338

342

(1.2%)

316

7.0%

TSP

CFR Brazil Spot


246

306

(19.6%)

245

0.4%

SSP

CPT Brazil inland 18-20% P2O5 Spot


170

221

(23.1%)

173

(1.7%)

Sulphur

Bulk FOB Adnoc monthly contract


59

84

(29.8%)

60

(1.7%)

Source: CRU (Fertilizer Week Historical Prices, October 2020).

Operating Segments 


Industrial Products


Potash


Phosphate Solutions


Innovative Ag
Solutions


Other


Activities


Reconciliation


Consolidated


$ millions


For the three-month period ended September 30, 2020

Sales to external parties


267


274


488


168


7




1,204

Inter-segment sales


3


39


18


5


1


(66)



Total sales


270


313


506


173


8


(66)


1,204

Segment profit (loss)


50


28


28


6


(1)


(5)


106

Other expenses not allocated to the segments


(6)

Operating income


100

Financing expenses, net


(29)

Share in earnings of equity-accounted investees


2

Income before income taxes


73

Depreciation and amortization


19


42


55


7






123

Capital expenditures


16


76


56


4




6


158

 

Operating Segments (cont’d)


Industrial Products


Potash


Phosphate Solutions


Innovative Ag Solutions


Other


Activities


Reconciliation


Consolidated


$ millions


For the three-month period ended September 30, 2019

Sales to external parties

337

333

491

156

8

1,325

Inter-segment sales

2

43

17

4

2

(68)

Total sales

339

376

508

160

10

(68)

1,325

Segment profit (loss)

88

83

32

(2)

5

(5)

201

Other income not allocated to the segments

Operating income

201

Financing expenses, net

(32)

Income before income taxes

169

Depreciation, amortization and impairment

17

37

44

5

4

3

110

Implementation of IFRS 16

5

1

6

Capital expenditures

26

93

51

5

1

2

178

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This announcement contains statements that constitute “forward–looking statements”, many of which can be identified by the use of forward–looking words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “could”, “expect”, “should”, “plan”, “intend”, “estimate” and “potential”, among others.

Forward–looking statements appear in a number of places in this announcement and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our intent, belief or current expectations. Forward–looking statements are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and the actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward–looking statements due to various factors, including, but not limited to


:

Loss or impairment of business licenses or mineral extractions permits or concessions; volatility of supply and demand and the impact of competition; the difference between actual reserves and our reserve estimates; natural disasters; failure to raise the water level in evaporation Pond 5 in the Dead Sea; construction of a new pumping station; disruptions at our seaport shipping facilities or regulatory restrictions affecting our ability to export our products overseas; general market, political or economic conditions in the countries in which we operate; price increases or shortages with respect to our principal raw materials; delays in the completion of major projects by third party contractors and/or termination of engagements with contractors and/or governmental obligations; the inflow of significant amounts of water into the Dead Sea could adversely affect production at our plants; labor disputes, slowdowns and strikes involving our employees; pension and health insurance liabilities; the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted, and may continue to impact our sales, operating results and business operations by disrupting our ability to purchase raw materials, by negatively impacting the demand and pricing for some of our products, by disrupting our ability to sell and/or distribute products, impacting customers’ ability to pay us for past or future purchases and/or temporarily closing our facilities or the facilities of our suppliers or customers and their contract manufacturers, or restricting our ability to travel to support our sites or our customers around the world; changes to governmental incentive programs or tax benefits, creation of new fiscal or tax related legislation; changes in our evaluations and estimates, which serve as a basis for the recognition and manner of measurement of assets and liabilities; higher tax liabilities; failure to integrate or realize expected benefits from mergers and acquisitions, organizational restructuring and joint ventures; currency rate fluctuations; rising interest rates; government examinations or investigations; disruption of our, or our service providers’, information technology systems or breaches of our, or our service providers’, data security; failure to retain and/or recruit key personnel; inability to realize expected benefits from our cost reduction program according to the expected timetable; inability to access capital markets on favorable terms; cyclicality of our businesses; changes in demand for our fertilizer products due to a decline in agricultural product prices, lack of available credit, weather conditions, government policies or other factors beyond our control; sales of our magnesium products being affected by various factors that are not within our control; our ability to secure approvals and permits from the authorities in Israel to continue our phosphate mining operations in Rotem; volatility or crises in the financial markets; uncertainties surrounding the proposed withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union; hazards inherent to mining and chemical manufacturing; the failure to ensure the safety of our workers and processes; cost of compliance with environmental legislative and licensing restrictions; laws, regulations and physical impacts of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions; litigation, arbitration and regulatory proceedings; exposure to third party and product liability claims; product recalls or other liability claims as a result of food safety and food-borne illness concerns; insufficiency of insurance coverage; closing of transactions, mergers and acquisitions; war or acts of terror and/or political, economic and military instability in Israel and its region; filing of class actions and derivative actions against the Company, its executives and Board members; and other risk factors discussed under “Item 3 – Key Information— D. Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 5, 2020.

Forward–looking statements speak only as at the date they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new information or future developments or to release publicly any revisions to these statements in order to reflect later events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

This press release for the third quarter of 2020 (hereinafter – “the Press Release”) should be read in conjunction with the Annual Report published by the Company on Form 20–F as at and for the year ended December 31, 2019 (hereinafter – the “Annual Report”), the report for the third quarter of 2020 (hereinafter – “the Quarterly Report”) and the report for the first quarter and second quarter of 2020 published by the Company (the “prior quarterly reports”), including the description of the events occurring subsequent to the date of the statement of financial position, as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. As part of the Press Release and Quarterly Report, the Company updated the disclosures provided in the Annual Report, to the extent there were material developments since the publication date of the Annual Report, on March 5, 2020 and the prior quarterly reports, on May 12, 2020 and July 29, 2020, and up to the publication date of the Quarterly Report.

[1] The reference to our website is intended to be an inactive textual reference and the information on, or accessible through, our website is not intended to be part of this Form 6-K.

 


INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS


PRESS CONTACT


Peggy Reilly Tharp


Dudi Musler


Or-li Kasuto Madmon


VP, ICL Global Investor Relations


Director, Investor Relations


Scherf Communications


+1-314-983-7665


+972-3-684-4448


+972-52-4447750


[email protected]


[email protected]



[email protected]

 

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SOURCE ICL