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As Of Filer Filing As/For/On Docs:Pgs Issuer Agent 7/30/07 Cosan Ltd F-1/A 3:357 RR Donnelley/FA
Document/Exhibit Description Pages Size
1: F-1/A Amendment No. 2 to Form F-1 HTML 2,150K
2: EX-23.1 Consent of Ernst & Young Auditores Independentes HTML 5K
S.S.
3: EX-23.4 Consent of Bdo Trevisan Auditores Independentes HTML 5K
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| Amendment No. 2 to Form F-1 |
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 30, 2007
Registration No. 333-144010
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Amendment No. 2
to
Form F-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
COSAN LIMITED
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
N/A
(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)
| Bermuda | 2860 | Not Applicable | ||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(Primary Standard Industrial Classification Code Number) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
Av. Juscelino Kubitschek, 1726 – 6th floor
São Paulo, SP 04543-000, Brazil
(55)(11) 3897-9797
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant’s principal executive offices)
CT Corporation System
111 Eighth Avenue
(800) 223-7564
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
With copies to:
| Manuel Garciadiaz, Esq. Davis Polk & Wardwell 450 Lexington Avenue New York, New York 10017 (212) 450-4000 |
Glenn M. Reiter, Esq. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP 425 Lexington Avenue |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, please check the following box. ¨
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
| Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered |
Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price(1)(2) |
Amount of Registration Fee(3) | |||||
| Class A common shares, par value $0.01 |
$ | 2,000,000,000 | $ | 61,400.00 | (4) | ||
| (1) | Represents class A common shares that are to be offered in the United States and other countries outside Brazil, and class A common shares that are being offered in Brazil in the form of Brazilian depositary receipts, but that may be resold from time to time in the United States. Such shares are not being registered for the purpose of sales outside the United States. |
| (2) | Includes class A common shares that the underwriters may purchase solely to cover over-allotments, if any. |
| (3) | Estimated solely for purposes of calculating the amount of the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act. |
| (4) | Previously paid. |
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act, or until this Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state or jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
PROSPECTUS (Subject to Completion)
Issued July 30, 2007
100,000,000 Shares
COSAN LIMITED
CLASS A COMMON SHARES
We are selling 100,000,000 class A common shares in a global initial public offering, which consists of an international offering of class A common shares in the United States and other countries outside Brazil and a concurrent offering of class A common shares in the form of Brazilian depositary receipts, or “BDRs”, in Brazil. Each BDR represents one class A common share. The international offering is being underwritten by the international underwriters named in this prospectus. The Brazilian offering is being underwritten by a syndicate of Brazilian underwriters. The closings of the international and Brazilian offerings will be conditioned upon each other.
Prior to the global offering, no public market has existed for our class A common shares. The initial price to the public of our class A common shares will be based upon the closing price on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (Bolsa de Valores de São Paulo—BOVESPA) of the common shares of our subsidiary Cosan S.A. Indústria e Comércio on the date of pricing of the global offering. On July 27, 2007, the closing price of the common shares of Cosan S.A. Indústria e Comércio on the São Paulo Stock Exchange was R$32.50 per common share, which is equivalent to approximately US$17.04 per common share, based upon the selling exchange rate of R$1.9069 to US$1.00, as reported by the Central Bank of Brazil (Banco Central do Brasil) on July 27, 2007. Our class A common shares have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange. After pricing of the global offering, we expect that our class A common shares will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CZZ”. We have also applied to list the BDRs on the São Paulo Stock Exchange under the symbol “CZLT11”.
Investing in our class A common shares involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 13.
PRICE $ PER CLASS A COMMON SHARE
| Price to Public |
Underwriting Discounts and Commissions |
Proceeds to Cosan Limited | ||||
| Per class A common share |
$ | $ | $ | |||
| Total |
$ | $ | $ |
We have granted the international underwriters and the Brazilian underwriters options to purchase collectively up to 15,000,000 additional class A common shares from us, at the public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions to cover over-allotments, if any, in connection with the global offering.
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
We expect to deliver our class A common shares on or about August , 2007.
| CREDIT SUISSE | GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO. | MORGAN STANLEY |
, 2007
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| Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
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| F-1 |
In this prospectus, unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, the terms “we”, “our”, “our company”, “us” or similar terms refer to Cosan Limited together with its subsidiaries and jointly controlled entities, and the term “Cosan” refers to Cosan S.A. Indústria e Comércio, our principal operating subsidiary.
Our and Cosan’s fiscal year ends on April 30, which is the standard fiscal year end for ethanol and sugar companies in the Center-South region of Brazil. References in this prospectus to a particular fiscal year, such as “fiscal year 2007”, relate to the fiscal year ended on April 30 of that calendar year.
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. Neither we nor the international underwriters have authorized any other person to provide you with different or additional information. If anyone provides you with additional, different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. Neither we nor the international underwriters are making an offer to sell our class A common shares in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date on the front cover of this prospectus. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.
We are offering class A common shares in the United States and elsewhere outside Brazil solely on the basis of the information contained in this prospectus and the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, which has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or “SEC”, under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or “Securities Act”.
We are also offering class A common shares in the form of BDRs in Brazil by a Portuguese-language prospectus. The Brazilian prospectus, which has been filed with the Brazilian Securities Commission (Comissão de Valores Mobiliários), or “CVM”, is in a format different from that of this prospectus and contains information not generally included in documents such as this prospectus.
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We have not taken any action to permit the possession or distribution of this prospectus outside the United States. In addition, except for the Brazilian offering of class A common shares in the form of BDRs being made under the Portuguese-language prospectus, we have not taken any action to permit a public offering of our class A common shares outside the United States. Persons outside the United States who have come into possession of this prospectus must inform themselves about and observe restrictions relating to the offering of our class A common shares and the distribution of this prospectus outside of the United States.
Pursuant to a Notice to the Public dated June 1, 2005, issued by the Bermuda Monetary Authority, the Bermuda Monetary Authority granted general permission for the issue and subsequent transfer of any shares of a Bermuda company to and between non-residents of Bermuda where any shares of the company are listed and remain so listed on an appointed stock exchange, which includes the New York Stock Exchange. Prior to the global offering, or as soon as reasonably practicable after publication of this prospectus, this prospectus will be filed with the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda under Part III of the Companies Act 1981. In granting such consent and in accepting this prospectus for filing, neither the Bermuda Monetary Authority nor the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda accepts any responsibility for the financial soundness of any proposals or the correctness of any of the statements made or opinions expressed in this prospectus.
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This summary highlights information about us and the global offering. Before investing in our class A common shares, you should read carefully this entire prospectus, including Cosan’s consolidated financial statements, and “Risk Factors”, “Selected Financial and Other Data”, “Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Financial Information” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this prospectus.
Overview
We are a leading global ethanol and sugar company in terms of production with low-cost, large-scale and integrated operations in Brazil. Our production is based on sugarcane, a competitive and viable feedstock for ethanol, sugar and energy because of its low production cost and high energy efficiency ratio relative to other ethanol sources, such as corn and sugarbeet. We believe that we are:
| • | Sugarcane: the largest grower and processor of sugarcane in the world, having crushed 36.2 million tons in fiscal year 2007 and 27.9 million tons of sugarcane in fiscal year 2006 (planted on approximately 572,000 hectares, of which approximately 50% is leased by us, 40% is supplier owned and 10% is company owned); |
| • | Ethanol: the largest ethanol producer in Brazil and the second largest in the world, having produced 326.7 million gallons (1.2 billion liters) in fiscal year 2007 and 241.7 million gallons (915.0 million liters) in fiscal year 2006, and the largest exporter of ethanol in the world, having exported 72.6 million gallons (274.7 million liters) in fiscal year 2007 and 61.0 million gallons (230.9 million liters) in fiscal year 2006; and |
| • | Sugar: the largest sugar producer in Brazil and one of the three largest sugar producers in the world, having produced 3.2 million tons in fiscal year 2007 and 2.3 million tons of sugar in fiscal year 2006, and the largest exporter of sugar in the world, having exported 2.8 million tons in fiscal year 2007 and 2.1 million tons in fiscal year 2006. |
We operate 17 mills, two refineries, two port facilities and numerous warehouses. All of these facilities are located in the Center-South region of Brazil, which is one of the world’s most productive sugarcane regions primarily because of its favorable soil, topography and climate, nearby research and development organizations and infrastructure facilities.
We were recently incorporated as a Bermuda company to better position ourselves to take advantage of favorable industry trends in ethanol and sugar markets in Brazil and globally. We are constantly pursuing opportunities to capitalize on the growing demand for ethanol and sugar in the world. We are focused on increasing our production capacity through expansion of existing facilities, development of greenfield projects and, as opportunities present themselves, acquisitions. We are also continuing to invest in cogeneration of electricity, which allows us to be energy self-sufficient and also represents a potential additional source of future cash flow.
Our management team has experience in running large-scale facilities, as well as a track record of acquiring, improving and integrating companies and extracting operational synergies. We significantly expanded our businesses through acquisitions and organic growth, increasing our crushing capacity to 40.0 million tons currently from 13.2 million tons since Cosan’s inception in February 2000. From fiscal year 2006 to fiscal year 2007, our net sales increased 53.1% to US$1,679.1 million.
Industry Trends
We believe that the international and Brazilian ethanol and sugar markets are benefiting from trends that present opportunities for the future growth and higher profitability of our company.
| • | Increasing global demand for ethanol. Global demand for ethanol is rising as a result of a focus on reducing exposure to oil price volatility and dependence on oil-exporting countries in areas of political |
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| instability, as well as an increased emphasis on promoting biofuels. Ethanol is an economically viable, cleaner-burning alternative to gasoline, derived from renewable sources and, therefore, the market for ethanol is expected to grow. |
| • | Strong Brazilian demand for ethanol. Brazil is a leader in the global ethanol industry because of decades of public and private sector investment and research in alternative fuels. Due to both government-mandated ethanol/gasoline blends of 20% to 25% (currently, at 25%) and significant sales of flex fuel cars, which operate using ethanol and/or gasoline (82% of 2006 new car sales in Brazil), the country produced 4.7 billion gallons (17.8 billion liters) of ethanol during the 2006/2007 harvest. Brazilian production represented 33% of worldwide production and positioned Brazil as the second largest producer and the largest exporter of ethanol in the world. Increased demand was, however, offset by the downward trend in the price of sugar and the high levels of production in the Center-South region of Brazil. |
| • | Increasing global sugar market opportunities. Worldwide sugar production has more than doubled since the early 1970s, to approximately 159 million tons in the 2006/2007 harvest from approximately 72 million tons in 1971, in each case, measured based on raw sugar equivalent. Protected markets, such as Europe and the United States, represent approximately 28% of the global sugar consumption. We expect future growth opportunities to come from a gradual liberalization of trade barriers in markets outside Brazil, mainly in developed countries; and increased sugar consumption due to (1) population growth, (2) migration from rural to urban areas, (3) increasing purchasing power in many countries; and (4) higher consumption of processed foods. |
| • | Sizeable Brazilian market for sugar. Brazil has the fourth largest domestic sugar market in the world, which is expected to follow the growth of its population and gross domestic product. Brazil produced 32.3 million tons of sugar during the 2006/2007 harvest and experienced consumption of 11.4 million tons of sugar during the same period. Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of sugar, having exported 19.1 million tons during the 2006/2007 harvest. Brazil accounted for approximately 40% of the international sugar trade during the 2006/2007 harvest, and should benefit from any further liberalization of trade barriers and governmental subsidies in non-Brazilian markets. Brazil also has a highly fragmented sugar industry, with the five largest producers accounting for an approximate 17% market share in the aggregate. We believe the industry will experience further consolidation. |
| • | Positive local fundamentals for power cogeneration. Brazilian electricity generation sources rely heavily on hydro power. Forecasts indicate that Brazil will need to increase its power supply by 5% annually to keep pace with expected economic growth. As a result, the Brazilian government is seeking to increase the use of alternative power sources, and we believe that biomass, particularly sugarcane, has the potential to complement hydro-power through cogeneration. Sugarcane leaves and bagasse, which are both sugar/ethanol by-products, are viable and renewable energy sources that can contribute towards meeting a portion of the growing demand for energy in Brazil. |
Competitive Strengths
We believe that, as a low-cost, large-scale producer with well-established integrated operations and long-standing relationships with key customers and suppliers, we can capitalize on the favorable trends in the ethanol and sugar industries—particularly, in light of our competitive strengths:
| • | Low-cost producer. Our existing mills and other facilities are strategically located in the Center-South region of Brazil. Our operations also are in close proximity to our customers, sugarcane fields owned by us and growers, port terminals and other transportation infrastructure and warehouses. These factors help us to manage our operating costs. Increasing mechanization in our agricultural processes and improvements in industrial operations, combined with our energy self-sufficiency, should allow us to continue to lower our operating costs. |
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| • | Leading market position. Our market position as one of the largest global producers and exporters of ethanol and sugar provides us with competitive advantages over our main competitors, particularly in terms of cost-efficiencies, higher pricing power and integrated logistics. We also believe we have the largest sugarcane crushing capacity in Brazil, as our production is approximately three times greater than that of the second largest Brazilian producer. We are focused on increasing our production capacity and maintaining our market leadership through expansion of existing facilities, development of greenfield projects and, as opportunities present themselves, acquisitions. |
| • | Integrated platform. We are engaged in both the agricultural and industrial aspects of ethanol and sugar production. We purchase as well as cultivate, harvest and process sugarcane. We produce approximately 60% of our sugarcane requirements on owned and leased land and purchase most of the remaining 40% mainly from third parties under long-term contracts. These contracts incorporate ethanol- and sugar-linked purchase price provisions, which provides us with a natural hedge and mitigates the risk of potential margin compression. In addition, we own a sugar terminal and a stake in an ethanol terminal, both in the Port of Santos, the largest commercial port complex in South America, and numerous warehouses, which reduces our dependence on logistics services provided by third parties. |
| • | Innovative approach to business. We develop innovative products, production techniques and distribution methods to ensure that we continue to be at the forefront of technological improvements and standards in our industry. For example, we monitor the development of our crops by satellite and have also introduced innovative distribution methods to the Brazilian ethanol and sugar industry. We have established research and development partnerships with leading Brazilian institutions which resulted not only in new sugarcane varieties with higher sucrose content but also in implementing new techniques, such as agricultural and industrial yield improvements, new planting methods and genetic engineering improvements. |
| • | Strategic business relationships. We have developed important strategic relationships in our business, including the Kuok Group (one of the largest agricultural-focused conglomerates in Asia) and Sucres et Denrées, or “Sucden” (one of the two largest sugar trading companies in the world). Both the Kuok Group and Sucden are current shareholders of Cosan. We have also developed strong business relationships with some of our leading customers, such as Petrobras Distribuidora S.A. and Shell Brasil Ltda. in the ethanol business and Sucden, Tate & Lyle International and Coimex Trading Ltd. in the sugar business. |
| • | Production flexibility. We produce virtually every type of ethanol and sugar consumed in the Brazilian and international markets. Our facilities allow us to adjust our production (within certain capacity limits) between ethanol and sugar, as well as between different types of ethanol and sugar, to respond promptly to changes in customer demand and market prices at any point during the crushing process. |
| • | Financial resources. We have a strong balance sheet and a solid track record of sales growth. We recorded operating income of US$232.9 million and US$130.5 million in fiscal year 2007 and fiscal year 2006, respectively. We also recorded net income of US$346.5 million in fiscal year 2007 compared to a net loss of US$72.8 million in fiscal year 2006. Our selling and general and administrative expenses totaled US$254.9 million in fiscal year 2007 compared to US$169.8 million in fiscal year 2006. As of April 30, 2007, we had US$697.9 million in net debt (including US$450.0 million in perpetual notes and US$197.2 million in self-liquidating debt), and a highly liquid position of cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities of US$598.4 million. We also benefit from a higher credit rating (“BB” from Standard & Poor’s Rating Group and “Ba2” from Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.) than many global ethanol producers. We believe that our financial condition and solid capital structure should allow us to access capital as needed to fund our growth strategy. |
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Our Strategy
Our overall objective is to achieve sustainable and profitable growth, further reduce our operating costs and build on our competitive strengths in order to expand our leadership to become a global company with a worldwide platform in the ethanol and sugar markets. The principal components of our strategy are to:
| • | Enhance our leadership position in the Brazilian and global ethanol and sugar markets. We expect to take advantage of future export opportunities likely to emerge from the liberalization of trade barriers that traditionally limited our access to some major markets, as well as mandatory blending requirements to use ethanol as an additive to gasoline. We intend to establish new commercial and distribution partnerships with international industry players to expand and diversify our client base. We closely monitor developments in the Brazilian and global ethanol and sugar industries and will continue to pursue selective acquisitions and partnerships in Brazil and internationally. We also intend to continue to expand our existing facilities and build additional large-scale facilities, featuring technology improvements and enhanced logistics. |
| • | Pursue organic growth opportunities to meet expected demand. We pursue expansion initiatives in order to capitalize on growing global demand for ethanol and sugar. We are increasing our production capacity through expansions of existing facilities and the development of greenfield projects. We recently announced an expansion of 10.6 million tons of crushing capacity for seven of our mills, and an ethanol-dedicated greenfield project consisting of three state-of-the-art mills in the State of Goiás. These new mills are expected to add approximately 10 million tons of crushing capacity by fiscal year 2012. We have already acquired the land where the new mills will be built, and we are in the process of securing the land for planting sugarcane for this greenfield project, which is expected to start producing ethanol in 2009. We will consider other greenfield ethanol projects in Brazil to further increase our production capabilities. |
| • | Continue to realize operating efficiencies. We are seeking to further improve the efficiency and productivity gains of our operations through investments in the development of new varieties of sugarcane, more efficient agricultural, industrial and logistic processes, expanded satellite monitoring of sugarcane development in the region, increased mechanization of harvests, emphasis on employee training programs and improvements in information flows and internal control systems. |
| • | Increase investments in cogeneration. We are self-sufficient in energy by generating our own electricity through the burning of sugarcane bagasse in boilers. In 2003, we built a successful pilot cogeneration plant at one of our mills, from which we sell surplus energy to Companhia Paulista de Força e Luz (CPFL), one of the largest electric power distributors in the State of São Paulo. We believe that energy sales represent a source of additional cash flow. Currently, we plan to install cogeneration systems in eight of our 17 mills to permit sales of energy to third parties. We have begun to invest approximately US$180 million in cogeneration systems for three of these mills, which will generate approximately 455,520 MWh/year to be sold to the Brazilian electricity grid starting in 2009, and currently plan to invest an additional amount of approximately US$325 million for the remaining five mills subject to our obtaining financing at favorable conditions. |
| • | Focus on environmental and social awareness. We are committed to being an environmentally and socially conscious company. The International Finance Corporation, or “IFC” (the corporate finance arm of the World Bank), one of Cosan’s lenders and equity investors, has recently conducted a social and environmental assessment of Cosan. Under the IFC loans, we are required to comply on an ongoing basis with IFC’s environmental policies. We plan to increase investments in the mechanization of our harvests, which not only is cost-efficient in the long-term but also will reduce our emission levels and decrease the burning of sugarcane fields for manual harvesting. We continue to improve and develop new training programs for our employees, as well as programs to reduce workforce accidents. |
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Risks Related to Our Business
Prospective investors should carefully consider the risks and other matters described under “Risk Factors”, including the following:
| • | we operate in industries in which demand and market prices for our products are cyclical and are affected by general economic conditions in Brazil and the world; |
| • | ethanol prices are directly correlated to the price of sugar and are becoming closely correlated to the price of oil, so that a decline in sugar prices will adversely affect both our ethanol and sugar businesses and a decline in the price of oil may adversely affect our ethanol business; |
| • | we face significant competition, which may adversely affect our market share and profitability; |
| • | we may face significant challenges in implementing our expansion strategy in new regions of Brazil and international markets; |
| • | a reduction in market demand for ethanol or a change in the governmental policies requiring that ethanol be added to gasoline may materially adversely affect our financial performance; |
| • | we may incur substantial costs to comply with environmental regulations and may be exposed to liabilities if we fail to comply with these regulations; |
| • | adverse weather conditions may reduce the amount of sugarcane that we can cultivate and purchase in a given harvest and may also negatively affect the sucrose content of that sugarcane; |
| • | we are affected by seasonality, which could have a material adverse effect on our quarterly financial results; and |
| • | we are controlled by Mr. Rubens Ometto Silveira Mello, our indirect controlling shareholder, chairman and chief executive officer, who has and will have the power to elect all of our directors and determine the outcome of substantially all matters submitted to our shareholders for a vote or other approval; and |
| • | our planned corporate reorganization may not be fully implemented, which could result in the continuing presence of a significant minority interest in Cosan, whose interests may diverge from those of our shareholders. |
One or more of these matters could negatively impact our business or financial performance and our ability to implement our business strategy successfully.
Formation of Cosan Limited and Corporate Reorganization
We were incorporated in Bermuda as an exempted company on April 30, 2007 in preparation for the global offering and a related corporate reorganization. We have not otherwise engaged in any operations or formed any subsidiaries. We believe our incorporation in Bermuda, the corporate reorganization and the global offering will position us to take advantage of favorable global industry trends and opportunities in the ethanol and sugar markets through a global platform.
Prior to the date of this prospectus, Aguassanta Participações S.A., or “Aguassanta”, and Usina Costa Pinto S.A. Açúcar e Álcool, or “Costa Pinto”, controlling shareholders of Cosan and both indirectly controlled by Mr. Rubens Ometto Silveira Mello, or our “controlling shareholder”, contributed their common shares of Cosan to us in exchange for 96,332,044 of our class B series 1 common shares. The common shares contributed to us by Aguassanta and Costa Pinto consist of 96,332,044 common shares of Cosan, representing 51.0% of Cosan’s outstanding common shares. Following such contribution, Aguassanta contributed our class B series 1 common shares to Queluz Holdings Limited, a newly created British Virgin Islands company, which is also indirectly
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controlled by our chairman and chief executive officer, Mr. Rubens Ometto Silveira Mello. The remaining outstanding common shares of Cosan will continue to be held by Brazilian and international investors following the global offering.
Following the global offering, we intend to launch an exchange offer extending to Cosan’s existing shareholders the right to exchange common shares of Cosan held by them for (1) class A common shares of our company or, alternatively, BDRs or (2) solely for Cosan’s existing shareholders of record as of July 26, 2007, class B series 2 common shares. We expect the exchange ratio for the exchange offer to be one-to-one, subject to adjustments based on available cash held by each company. Separate valuation reports for each company will be prepared as required by Brazilian law. A substantial portion of the net proceeds from our sale of class A common shares will be advanced to Cosan in the form of a capital contribution, intercompany loan or a combination thereof. See “Corporate Reorganization” and “Use of Proceeds”.
The following charts set forth (1) our current capital structure, (2) our expected capital structure after completion of the global offering (assuming no exercise of the international and Brazilian underwriters’ over-allotment options) and (3) our capital structure after completion of the remainder of the corporate reorganization, which assumes all Cosan minority shareholders migrate to Cosan Limited in the voluntary exchange offer.
| (1) | Shares held through Queluz Holdings Limited, a British Virgin Islands company, and Usina Costa Pinto S.A. Açúcar e Álcool, a Brazilian corporation, both indirectly controlled by our controlling shareholder. |
| (2) | Assuming that all of Cosan’s shareholders exchange common shares issued by Cosan for our class A common shares. If all of these shareholders exchange for our class B series 2 common shares, 51.6% of the voting power of our share capital would be held by the public. |
Cosan Limited’s principal executive offices are located at Av. Juscelino Kubitschek, 1726 – 6th floor, 04543-000, São Paulo, Brazil. Our telephone number is 55-11-3897-9797, and our e-mail address is ri@cosan.com.br. Our registered office is located at Canon’s Court, 22 Victoria Street, Hamilton HM 12, Bermuda.
Our website is www.cosan.com.br. Information contained on, or accessible through, our website is not incorporated in, and shall not be considered part of, this prospectus.
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THE OFFERING
| Issuer |
Cosan Limited. |
| Global offering |
The global offering consists of the international offering and the concurrent Brazilian offering. |
| International offering |
We are offering class A common shares, par value US$0.01 each, through the international underwriters in the United States and other countries outside Brazil. |
| Brazilian offering |
Concurrently with the international offering, we are offering class A common shares, par value US$0.01 each, in the form of BDRs through the Brazilian underwriters in Brazil. |
| Over-allotment options |
We have granted the international underwriters an option to purchase up to additional 15,000,000 class A common shares from us, at the public offering price less the underwriting discount, minus the number of class A common shares in the form of BDRs sold by us pursuant to the Brazilian underwriters’ over-allotment option referred to below, to cover over-allotments, if any. The Brazilian underwriters may also purchase up to additional class A common shares in the form of BDRs from us to cover over-allotments if any. |
| Share capital after global offering |
Immediately after the global offering, our issued and outstanding share capital will be 196,332,044 common shares, consisting of 100,000,000 class A common shares and 96,332,044 class B series 1 common shares. Following the global offering, we may issue additional class A common shares or class B series 2 common shares in exchange for common shares of Cosan pursuant to an exchange offer to be made to Cosan’s existing shareholders. |
| Voting rights |
Holders of our class B common shares have ten votes per share, while holders of our class A common shares will have one vote per share. Immediately after the global offering, holders of our class B common shares, which are, in turn, owned by our controlling shareholder, will hold 90.6% of the aggregate voting power in our company by virtue of the beneficial ownership of 49.1% of our issued and outstanding share capital and thus will have the power to elect all of our directors and determine the outcome of substantially all matters submitted to our shareholders for a vote or other approval. |
| Tag-along rights |
No person or group of persons (other than a holder of class B series 1 common shares) may, in a transaction or series of transactions, acquire, directly or indirectly, the beneficial ownership of class A common shares representing more than 15% of our issued and outstanding common shares from any person or otherwise acquire control over our company, unless the terms and conditions of such transaction or transactions include an offer by the acquiring person or group of persons to the holders of all other class A common shares or class B common shares to acquire, at the option of each applicable shareholder, all or any part of the respective shares owned by it. |
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| Conversion rights |
Class B common shares are convertible at any time, at the option of the holder, into class A common shares. Each class B common share will automatically convert into one class A common share when either (1) that share is transferred, subject to limited exceptions applicable to class B series 1 common shares, or (2) class B series 1 common shares represent less than 45% of the voting power of the issued and outstanding share capital in our company. |
| Other provisions of our common shares |
Our class A common shares, class B series 1 common shares and class B series 2 common shares are identical except with respect to the voting rights and conversion rights described above. |
| Dividends |
We intend to pay cash dividends to our shareholders on an annual basis representing 25% of our annual consolidated net income (as calculated under U.S. GAAP), unless the payment of dividends is suspended by our board of directors after having concluded that such distribution would not be advisable or appropriate in light of our financial condition. Any determination to pay dividends will, subject to the provisions of Bermuda law, be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on a variety of factors. Our board of directors may, in its discretion, amend or repeal our dividend policy. You may not receive the level of dividends provided for in the dividend policy or any dividends at all. |
| Use of proceeds |
A substantial portion of the net proceeds from our sale of class A common shares will be advanced to Cosan in the form of intercompany loans, capital contributions or a combination thereof to fund the following projects: (1) approximately US$650 million for capital expenditures relating to an ethanol greenfield project in the State of Goiás; (2) approximately US$500 million for capital expenditures relating to the expansion of existing facilities; (3) approximately US$325 million for the development of our cogeneration systems for five of our mills; (4) approximately US$100 million to purchase mechanical harvesters; (5) approximately US$50 million in capital expenditures to increase crop yields, enhance efficiency and reduce production costs; and (6) approximately US$25 million to invest in ten field stations that will be developed by CanaVialis S.A. to identify sugarcane varieties that can be cultivated in different regions of Brazil. Any remaining proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, which consist of future acquisitions and other investments in technology, infrastructure and logistics, including projects carried out by us directly or through our subsidiaries. See “Use of Proceeds”. |
| Listing |
Our class A common shares have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CZZ”. We have applied to have the BDRs listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange under the symbol “CZLT11”. |
| Lock-up agreement |
We, Cosan, our controlling shareholder, and the directors and executive officers of our company and Cosan have agreed, subject to |
8
| certain exceptions described in “Underwriting”, that we and they will not, for a period of 180 days after the date of this prospectus, without the prior written consent of the representatives, offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, or file or cause to be filed a registration statement with the SEC under the Securities Act or the CVM relating to, any shares of our or Cosan’s share capital, including BDRs representing such shares, or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any shares of our or Cosan’s share capital, including BDRs representing such shares, or warrants or other rights to purchase any shares of our or Cosan’s share capital, including BDRs representing such shares, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge, disposition or filing; or enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the consequences of the ownership of shares of our or Cosan’s share capital. Our controlling shareholder will be subject to a three-year (rather than the above 180-day) lock-up period for any sales or transfers of less than all of his shares of our share capital, with the above 180-day lock-up period to apply to any sale or transfer of all of his shares. |
| Risk factors |
See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 13 and the other information included in this prospectus for a discussion of factors you should consider before deciding to invest in our class A common shares. |
Expected timetable for the global offering (subject to change):
| Commencement of marketing of the global offering |
July 30, 2007 | |
| Announcement of public offering price |
August 15, 2007 | |
| Allocation of class A common shares and BDRs |
August 15, 2007 | |
| Settlement and delivery of common shares |
August 21, 2007 | |
Unless otherwise indicated, all information contained in this prospectus assumes (1) no exercise of the international underwriters’ option to purchase up to 15,000,000 additional class A common shares from us at the public offering price less the underwriting discounts and commissions, minus the number of class A common shares in the form of BDRs sold by us pursuant to the Brazilian underwriters’ over-allotment option referred to below, to cover over-allotments, if any; and (2) no exercise of the Brazilian underwriters’ option to purchase up to additional class A common shares in the form of BDRs from us, to cover over-allotments, if any.
9
SUMMARY FINANCIAL AND OTHER DATA
The following table presents summary historical financial and other data for Cosan. You should read this information in conjunction with Cosan’s audited consolidated financial statements and related notes, and the information under “Selected Financial and Other Data” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included in this prospectus.
The financial data at April 30, 2007 and 2006 and for each of the three fiscal years in the period ended April 30, 2007 have been derived from Cosan’s audited consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, or “U.S. GAAP”, included in this prospectus. The balance sheet data at April 30, 2005 has been derived from Cosan’s audited consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP not included in this prospectus.
See “Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Financial Information” for pro forma financial information which gives effect to our incorporation and the contribution of 51.0% of Cosan’s common shares as if it had occurred on May 1, 2006.
| For Fiscal Year Ended April 30, | ||||||||||||
| 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | ||||||||||
| (in millions of US$) | ||||||||||||
| Statement of Operations Data: |
||||||||||||
| Net sales |
US$ | 1,679.1 | US$ | 1,096.6 | US$ | 644.4 | ||||||
| Sugar |
1,031.7 | 660.5 | 415.8 | |||||||||
| Ethanol |
551.5 | 378.4 | 178.4 | |||||||||
| Other products and services |
95.8 | 57.8 | 50.1 | |||||||||
| Cost of goods sold |
(1,191.3 | ) | (796.3 | ) | (456.6 | ) | ||||||
| Gross profit |
487.8 | 300.3 | 187.8 | |||||||||
| Selling expenses |
(133.8 | ) | (97.8 | ) | (57.8 | ) | ||||||
| General and administrative expenses |
(121.1 | ) | (72.0 | ) | (40.0 | ) | ||||||
| Operating income |
232.9 | 130.5 | 90.0 | |||||||||
| Other income (expenses): |
||||||||||||
| Financial income |
555.6 | 186.5 | 76.8 | |||||||||
| Financial expenses |
(266.2 | ) | (413.1 | ) | (115.9 | ) | ||||||
| Other income (expenses) |
16.3 | (5.5 | ) | (16.4 | ) | |||||||
| Income (loss) before income taxes, equity in income of affiliates and minority interest |
538.5 | (101.6 | ) | 34.5 | ||||||||
| Income taxes (expense) benefit |
(188.8 | ) | 29.7 | (14.9 | ) | |||||||
| Income (loss) before equity in income of affiliates and minority interest |
349.7 | (71.8 | ) | 19.6 | ||||||||
| Equity in income of affiliates |
(0.0 | ) | 1.6 | 3.4 | ||||||||
| Minority interest in net (income) loss of subsidiaries |
(3.2 | ) | (2.6 | ) | (0.4 | ) | ||||||
| Net income (loss) |
US$ | 346.5 | US$ | (72.8 | ) | US$ | 22.7 | |||||
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| At and for Fiscal Year Ended April 30, | ||||||||||||
| 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | ||||||||||
| (in millions of US$, except as otherwise indicated) | ||||||||||||
| Balance Sheet Data: |
||||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents |
US$ | 316.5 | US$ | 29.2 | US$ | 13.2 | ||||||
| Marketable securities |
281.9 | 368.8 | 2.0 | |||||||||
| Inventories |
247.5 | 187.2 | 122.2 | |||||||||
| Property, plant, and equipment, net |
1,194.1 | 1,008.1 | 401.8 | |||||||||
| Goodwill |
491.9 | 497.9 | 166.6 | |||||||||
| Total assets |
3,253.4 | 2,691.8 | 960.2 | |||||||||
| Current liabilities |
274.2 | 397.1 | 207.8 | |||||||||
| Estimated liability for legal proceedings and labor claims |
379.2 | 462.2 | 101.7 | |||||||||
| Long-term debt |
1,342.5 | 941.7 | 314.7 | |||||||||
| Minority interest in consolidated subsidiaries |
8.5 | 4.9 | 0.5 | |||||||||
| Total shareholders’ equity |
US$ | 928.7 | US$ | 577.0 | US$ | 190.3 | ||||||
| Other Financial and Operating Data: |
||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization |
US$ | 187.4 | US$ | 98.6 | US$ | 41.7 | ||||||
| EBITDA(1) |
433.3 | 222.7 | 118.4 | |||||||||
| EBITDA margin(2) |
25.8 | 20.3 | 18.4 | |||||||||
| Net debt(3) |
697.9 | 517.4 | 287.0 | |||||||||
| Net debt/EBITDA(4) |
1.6 | 2.3 | 2.4 | |||||||||
| Working capital(5) |
865.3 | 563.2 | 84.7 | |||||||||
| Cash flow provided by (used in): |
||||||||||||
| Operating activities |
284.0 | 86.0 | 7.6 | |||||||||
| Investing activities |
(251.6 | ) | (825.5 | ) | (62.7 | ) | ||||||
| Financing activities |
US$ | 222.8 | US$ | 725.9 | US$ | 33.6 | ||||||
| Crushed sugarcane (in million tons) |
36.2 | 27.9 | 24.3 | |||||||||
| Own sugarcane (in million tons) |
21.6 | 17.2 | 15.0 | |||||||||
| Growers sugarcane (in million tons) |
14.5 | 10.7 | 9.3 | |||||||||
| Sugar production (in thousand tons) |
3,182.3 | 2,328.4 | 2,121.5 | |||||||||
| Ethanol production (in million liters) |
1,236.6 | 915.0 | 741.3 | |||||||||
| (1) | We define and calculate EBITDA using the line items contained in our statement of operations and statement of cash-flows as follows: net income (loss) plus depreciation and amortization less financial income plus financial expenses plus/less income taxes (expense) benefit. |
We believe that the presentation of EBITDA and EBITDA margin provides useful information to investors regarding our operational performance because it enhances an investor’s overall understanding of the financial performance and prospects of our business. Our management uses EBITDA and EBITDA margin as one of the primary measures for planning and forecasting in future periods, including for purposes of analyzing the operating performance of our business from period-to-period without the effect of expenses and gains (losses) that are unrelated to the day-to-day performance of our business.
We use EBITDA as a supplemental measure of financial performance as well as of our ability to generate cash from operations. EBITDA, which is not a U.S. GAAP measure, does not have a standardized meaning, and our definition of EBITDA may not be comparable to EBITDA as used by other companies. We understand that although EBITDA is frequently used by securities analysts, lenders and others in their evaluation of companies, EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and
(footnotes continued on next page)
11
should not be considered in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under U.S. GAAP. These limitations include the following:
| • | EBITDA does not reflect our cash expenditures, or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments; |
| • | EBITDA does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs; |
| • | EBITDA does not include income taxes, which are a necessary and ongoing cost of our operations; |
| • | EBITDA does not reflect the significant interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on our debts; |
| • | Although depreciation is a non-cash charge, the assets being depreciated will often have to be replaced in the future, and EBITDA does not, therefore, reflect any cash requirements for such replacements; and |
| • | EBITDA can be affected by the lease rather than purchase of fixed assets. |
The following table is an unaudited reconciliation of EBITDA to our net income (loss):
| For Fiscal Year Ended April 30, | ||||||||||||
| 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | ||||||||||
| (in millions of US$) | ||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) |
US$ | 346.5 | US$ | (72.8 | ) | US$ | 22.7 | |||||
| Depreciation and amortization |
187.4 | 98.6 | 41.7 | |||||||||
| Financial income |
(555.6 | ) | (186.5 | ) | (76.8 | ) | ||||||
| Financial expenses |
266.2 | 413.1 | 115.9 | |||||||||
| Income taxes expense (benefit) |
188.8 | (29.7 | ) | 14.9 | ||||||||
| EBITDA |
US$ | 433.3 | US$ | 222.7 | US$ | 118.4 | ||||||
The following table is an unaudited reconciliation of EBITDA to our cash flows:
| For Fiscal Year Ended April 30, | ||||||||||||
| 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | ||||||||||
| (in millions of US$) | ||||||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities |
US$ | 284.0 | US$ | 86.0 | US$ | 7.6 | ||||||
| Increase/decrease in operating assets and liabilities |
342.8 | (70.4 | ) | 72.8 | ||||||||
| Current income and social contribution taxes |
38.6 | 23.3 | 17.2 | |||||||||
| Minority interest in net income of subsidiaries |
(3.2 | ) | (2.6 | ) | (0.4 | ) | ||||||
| Other financial expenses |
(228.9 | ) | 186.4 | 21.2 | ||||||||
| EBITDA |
US$ | 433.3 | US$ | 222.7 | US$ | 118.4 | ||||||
| (2) | EBITDA divided by net sales. |
| (3) | Net debt consists of current and non-current long-term debt, net of cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities and Cédulas do Tesouro Nacional, or “CTNs” (Brazilian Treasury bills) recorded in the financial statements as other non-current assets. Net debt is not a U.S. GAAP measurement. |
| (4) | Net debt/EBITDA is net debt at a particular date divided by EBITDA for the twelve months ended at that date. We believe the presentation of net debt and net debt/EBITDA provides useful information to investors regarding our liquidity position because it enhances an investor’s overall understanding of our ability to service our debt obligations. |
| (5) | Working capital consists of current assets less current liabilities. |
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You should carefully consider the risks described below and the other information included in this prospectus before making an investment in our class A common shares. Our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected by any of these risks. As a result, the trading price of our class A common shares could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. The risks described below are those known to us and that we currently believe may materially affect us. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently consider immaterial may also impair our business.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industries
We operate in industries in which the demand and the market price for our products are cyclical and are affected by general economic conditions in Brazil and the world.
The ethanol and sugar industries, both globally and in Brazil, have historically been cyclical and sensitive to domestic and international changes in supply and demand.
Ethanol is marketed as a fuel additive to reduce vehicle emissions from gasoline, as an enhancer to improve the octane rating of gasoline with which it is blended or as a substitute fuel for gasoline. As a result, ethanol prices are influenced by the supply and demand for gasoline, and our business and financial performance may be materially adversely affected if gasoline demand or price decreases. Despite the greater supply of ethanol at the beginning of the 2006/2007 harvest season, ethanol prices in fiscal year 2007 remained at historically high levels in Brazil, due primarily to increased sales of flex fuel cars in the country. The increase in the production and sale of flex fuel cars has resulted, in part, from lower taxation, since 2002, of such vehicles compared to gasoline-only cars. This favorable tax treatment may be eliminated and the production of flex fuel cars may decrease, which could adversely affect demand for ethanol.
Historically, the international sugar market has experienced periods of limited supply—causing sugar prices and industry profit margins to increase—followed by an expansion in the industry that results in oversupply—causing declines in sugar prices and industry profit margins. In addition, fluctuations in prices for ethanol or sugar may occur, for various other reasons, including factors beyond our control, such as:
| • | fluctuations in gasoline prices; |
| • | variances in the production capacities of our competitors; and |
| • | the availability of substitute goods for the ethanol and sugar products we produce. |
The prices we are able to obtain for sugar depends, in large part, on prevailing market prices. These market conditions, both in Brazil and internationally, are beyond our control. The wholesale price of sugar has a significant impact on our profits. Like other agricultural commodities, sugar is subject to price fluctuations resulting from weather, natural disasters, harvest levels, agricultural investments, government policies and programs for the agricultural sector, domestic and foreign trade policies, shifts in supply and demand, increasing purchasing power, global production of similar or competing products, and other factors beyond our control. In addition, a significant portion of the total worldwide sugar production is traded on exchanges and thus is subject to speculation, which could affect the price of sugar and our results of operations. The price of sugar, in particular, is also affected by producers’ compliance with sugar export requirements and the resulting effects on domestic supply. As a consequence, sugar prices have been subject to higher historical volatility when compared to many other commodities. Competition from alternative sweeteners, including saccharine and high fructose corn syrup, known as “HFCS”, changes in Brazilian or international agricultural or trade policies or developments relating to international trade, including those under the World Trade Organization, or “WTO”, are factors that can directly or indirectly result in lower domestic or global sugar prices. Any prolonged or significant decrease in sugar prices could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial performance.
13
If we are unable to maintain sales at generally prevailing market prices for ethanol and sugar in Brazil, or if we are unable to export sufficient quantities of ethanol and sugar to assure an appropriate domestic market balance, our ethanol and sugar business may be adversely affected.
Sugar prices began to decline in the second half of fiscal year 2007 and recently fell to a two-year low, mainly due to record volumes in 2006/2007 harvests on a worldwide basis. We expect that sugar prices will continue to decline in the first quarter of fiscal year 2008 and in fiscal year 2008 as a whole, also due to record harvests, and will negatively affect our net sales and overall financial performance for those fiscal periods. Based solely on preliminary data that are subject to change, we currently anticipate a modest net loss for the first quarter of fiscal year 2008 and a net loss for fiscal year 2008 as a whole. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Outlook for Fiscal Year 2008”.
Ethanol prices are directly correlated to the price of sugar and are becoming closely correlated to the price of oil, so that a decline in the price of sugar will adversely affect both our ethanol and sugar businesses and a decline in the price of oil may adversely affect our ethanol business.
The price of ethanol generally is closely associated with the price of sugar and is increasingly becoming correlated to the price of oil. A vast majority of ethanol in Brazil is produced at sugarcane mills that produce both ethanol and sugar. Because sugarcane millers are able to alter their product mix in response to the relative prices of ethanol and sugar, this results in the prices of both products is directly correlated, and the correlation between ethanol and sugar may increase over time. In addition, sugar prices in Brazil are determined by prices in the world market, so that there is a strong correlation between Brazilian ethanol prices and world sugar prices.
Because flex fuel vehicles allow consumers to choose between gasoline and ethanol at the pump rather than at the showroom, ethanol prices are now becoming increasingly correlated to gasoline prices and, consequently, oil prices. We believe that the correlation among the three products will increase over time. Accordingly, a decline in sugar prices will have an adverse effect on the financial performance of our ethanol and sugar businesses, and a decline in oil prices may have an adverse effect on that of our ethanol business.
We may not successfully acquire or develop additional production capacity through greenfield projects or expansion of existing facilities.
We continually explore opportunities to increase our production capacity, including through greenfield projects and expansion of existing facilities. We expect to invest approximately US$650 million in an ethanol greenfield project, consisting of three mills in the State of Goiás, which is in the Center-South region of Brazil. We expect that this greenfield project will start producing ethanol in fiscal year 2009 and reach full production in fiscal year 2012, with an expected total production of approximately 240 million gallons (900 million liters) per year. We also intend to invest approximately US$500 million to expand our existing facilities, add up to an aggregate of 10.6 million tons of crushing capacity from fiscal year 2009 to fiscal year 2012. If we are unable to develop successfully these greenfield projects, or expand existing facilities, we may not develop additional production capacity.
We expect to explore other greenfield projects in the future. Except for the ethanol greenfield project in the State of Goiás, we do not have environmental or other permits, designs or engineering, procurement and construction contracts with respect to any potential projects. As a result, we may not complete these greenfield projects on a timely basis or at all, and may not realize the related benefits we anticipate. In addition, we may be unable to obtain the required financing for these projects on satisfactory terms, or at all. For example, we may not be able to obtain all of the land for which we have obtained options in the State of Goiás or we may not have the appropriate personnel, equipment and know-how to implement projects. In particular, we have no significant prior experience in planning, developing and managing large-scale greenfield projects.
The integration of greenfield projects or expansion of our existing facilities may result in unforeseen operating difficulties and may require significant financial and managerial resources that would otherwise be available for the ongoing development or expansion of our existing operations. Planned or future greenfield projects or expansion of existing facilities may not enhance our financial performance.
14
We may not successfully implement our plans to sell energy from our cogeneration projects, and the Brazilian government’s regulation of the energy sector may affect our business and financial performance.
Our current total installed energy cogeneration capacity is approximately 150 MW, a substantial majority of which is used to generate energy for our own industrial operations. We won bids in two government “new energy” auctions, held in December 2005 and October 2006, to sell 455,520 MWh/year to the Brazilian electricity grid at current average prices of US$72.0 per megawatt-hour starting in 2009 under contracts with 15-year terms. We are investing approximately US$180 million in cogeneration systems for three mills to provide the energy to be sold under these contracts. With the net proceeds of this offering, we plan to expand our investment by approximately US$325 million in order to generate an additional approximately 680,000 MWh/year to be made available for sale in five mills. We have no significant prior experience in planning, developing and managing large-scale energy cogeneration projects. We may need to invest significant amounts to overcome any operating difficulties. In addition, the Brazilian government regulates the energy sector extensively. We may not be able to satisfy all the requirements necessary to acquire new contracts or to otherwise comply with Brazilian energy regulation. Changes to the current energy regulation or federal authorization programs, and the creation for more stringent criteria for qualification in future public energy auctions, may adversely affect the implementation of this element of our business strategy.
We may engage in hedging transactions, which involve risks that can harm our financial performance.
We are exposed to market risks arising from the conduct of our business activities—in particular, market risks arising from changes in commodity prices, exchange rates or interest rates. In an attempt to minimize the effects of volatility of sugar prices and exchange rates on our cash flows and results of operations, we engage in hedging transactions involving commodities and exchange rate futures, options, forwards and swaps. We also engage in interest rate-related hedging transactions from time to time. Hedging transactions expose us to the risk of financial loss in situations where the other party to the hedging contract defaults on its contract or there is a change in the expected differential between the underlying price in the hedging agreement and the actual price of commodities or exchange rate. In fiscal year 2006, we experienced losses of US$209.4 million from sugar price and exchange rate hedging transactions. We may occur significant hedging-related losses in the future. We hedge against market price fluctuations by fixing the prices of approximately 25% to 50% of our sugar export volumes. Since we record derivatives at fair value, to the extent that the market prices of our products exceed the fixed price under our hedging policy, our results will be lower than they would have been if we had not engaged in such transactions as a result of the related non-cash derivative expenses. As a result, our financial performance would be adversely affected during periods in which commodities prices increase. Alternatively, we may choose not to engage in hedging transactions in the future, which could adversely affect our financial performance during periods in which commodities prices decrease.
We face significant competition, which may adversely affect our market share and profitability.
The ethanol and sugar industries are highly competitive. Internationally, we compete with global ethanol and sugar producers such as Aventine Renewable Energy, Inc., Archer-Daniels-Midland Company, Cargill, Inc. and A.E. Staley Manufacturing Company (a subsidiary of Tate & Lyle, PLC). Some of our competitors are divisions of larger enterprises and have greater financial resources than our company. In Brazil, we compete with numerous small to medium-size producers. Despite increased consolidation, the Brazilian ethanol and sugar industries remain highly fragmented. Our major competitors in Brazil are Grupo Louis Dreyfus (the second largest ethanol and sugar producer in Brazil), Grupo Carlos Lyra, Grupo Vale do Rosário, Grupo São Martinho, Grupo Tercio Wanderley, Grupo Guarani, Grupo Zillo Lorenzetti, Grupo Oscar Figueiredo, Grupo Santa Terezinha, Grupo Santa Elisa, Grupo Da Pedra and Grupo Nova América. Grupo Zillo Lorenzetti, Grupo São Martinho, Grupo Irmãos Biagi and other ethanol and sugar producers in Brazil market their ethanol and sugar products through the Cooperative of Sugarcane, Sugar and Alcohol Producers of the State of São Paulo (Cooperativa de Produtores de Cana-de-açúcar, Açúcar e Álcool do Estado de São Paulo), or “Copersucar”. During the 2006/2007 harvest, Copersucar had 27 members that produce ethanol and sugar in the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Paraná. We are not a member of Copersucar.
15
We face strong competition from international producers—in particular, in highly regulated and protected markets, such as the United States and the European Union. Historically, imports of sugar have not provided substantial competition for us in Brazil due to, among other factors, the production and logistical cost-competitiveness of sugar produced in Brazil. If the Brazilian government creates incentives for sugar imports, we could face increased competition in the Brazilian market by foreign producers. Many factors influence our competitive position, including the availability, quality and cost of fertilizer, energy, water, chemical products and labor. Some of our international competitors have greater financial and marketing resources, larger customer bases and broader product ranges than we do. If we are unable to remain competitive with these producers in the future, our market share may be adversely affected.
We may face significant challenges in implementing our expansion strategy in other regions of Brazil and international markets.
Our growth strategy includes the expansion of our activities in other regions of Brazil and international markets, through organic growth and acquisitions. Our expansion to regions of Brazil in which we do not now operate may involve potential challenges, such as inadequate transportation systems and different state and local laws, regulations and policies. For example, we may not be able to secure an adequate supply of surgarcane either from suppliers or through our own cultivation in sufficient proximity to our mills to be economically viable in terms of transportation costs.
We are currently looking at opportunities worldwide, but have not yet identified any particular investment locations outside of Brazil. Our international expansion, to countries in which we do not now operate includes additional challenges, such as the following:
| • | changes in economic, political or regulatory conditions; |
| • | difficulties in managing geographically diverse operations; |
| • | changes in business regulation, including policies governing ethanol technological standards; |
| • | effects of foreign currency movements; |
| • | difficulties in enforcing contracts; and |
| • | cultural and language barriers. |
If we fail to address one or more of these challenges, our business and financial performance may be materially adversely affected.
Our export sales are subject to a broad range of risks associated with international operations.
Our net sales from exports in fiscal year 2007 totaled US$1.014,8 million, representing 60.4% of our total net sales. In fiscal year 2007, we had export net sales of sugar of US$873.0 million, representing 52.0% of our total net sales, and we had export net sales of ethanol of US$138.3 million, representing 8.2% of our total net sales. We expect to expand our ethanol exports in the future. Expansion of ethanol exports depends on factors beyond our control, including liberalization of existing trade barriers and the establishment of distribution systems for hydrous ethanol in countries outside of Brazil. Our future financial performance will depend, to a significant extent, on economic, political and social conditions in our main export markets.
Most ethanol and/or sugar producing countries, including the United States and member countries of the European Union, protect local producers from foreign competition by establishing government policies and regulations that affect ethanol and sugar production, including quotas, import and export restrictions, subsidies, tariffs and duties. As a result of these policies, domestic ethanol and sugar prices vary greatly in individual countries. We have limited or no access to these large markets as a result of trade barriers. If these protectionist policies continue, we may not be able to expand our export activities at the rate we currently expect, or at all, which could adversely affect our business and financial performance. Also, if new trade barriers are established in our key export markets, we may face difficulties in reallocating our products to other markets on favorable terms, and our business and financial performance may be adversely affected.
16
The expansion of our business through acquisitions and strategic alliances creates risks that may reduce the benefits we anticipate from these transactions.
We have grown substantially through acquisitions. We plan to continue to acquire, from time to time, other ethanol or sugar producers or facilities in Brazil or elsewhere that complement or expand our existing operations. We also may enter into strategic alliances to increase our competitiveness. However, our management is unable to predict whether or when any prospective acquisitions or strategic alliances will occur, or the likelihood of any particular transaction being completed on favorable terms and conditions. Our ability to continue to expand our business through acquisitions or alliances depends on many factors, including our ability to identify acquisitions or access capital markets on acceptable terms. Even if we are able to identify acquisition targets and obtain the necessary financing to make these acquisitions, we could financially overextend ourselves, especially if an acquisition is followed by a period of lower than projected ethanol and sugar prices.
Acquisitions, especially involving sizeable enterprises, may present financial, managerial and operational challenges, including diversion of management attention from existing business and difficulties in integrating operations and personnel. Any failure by us to integrate new businesses or manage any new alliances successfully could adversely affect our business and financial performance. Some of our major competitors may be pursuing growth through acquisitions and alliances, which may reduce the likelihood that we will be successful in completing acquisitions and alliances. In addition, any major acquisition we consider may be subject to antitrust and other regulatory approvals. We may not be successful in obtaining required approvals on a timely basis or at all.
Acquisitions also pose the risk that we may be exposed to successor liability relating to prior actions involving an acquired company, or contingent liabilities incurred before the acquisition. Due diligence conducted in connection with an acquisition, and any contractual guarantees or indemnities that we receive from sellers of acquired companies, may not be sufficient to protect us from, or compensate us for, actual liabilities. A material liability associated with an acquisition, such as labor- or environmental-related liabilities, could adversely affect our reputation and financial performance and reduce the benefits of the acquisition.
A reduction in market demand for ethanol or a change in governmental policies that ethanol be added to gasoline may materially adversely affect our business.
Governmental authorities of several countries, including Brazil and certain states of the United States, currently require the use of ethanol as an additive to gasoline. Since 1997, the Brazilian Sugar and Alcohol Interministerial Council (Conselho Interministerial do Açúcar e Álcool) has set the percentage of anhydrous ethanol that must be used as an additive to gasoline (currently, at 25% by volume). Approximately one-half of all fuel ethanol in Brazil is used to fuel automobiles that run on a blend of anhydrous ethanol and gasoline; the remainder is used in either flex fuel vehicles or vehicles powered by hydrous ethanol alone. Five districts in China require the addition of 10% ethanol to gasoline. Japan requires the addition of 3% of ethanol to gasoline, increasing such requirement to 10% in 2010 and nine states and four union territories in India require the addition of 5% of ethanol to gasoline. Other countries have similar governmental policies requiring various blends of anhydrous ethanol and gasoline. In addition, flex fuel vehicles in Brazil are currently taxed at lower levels than gasoline-only vehicles, which has contributed to the increase in the production and sale of flex fuel vehicles. Any reduction in the percentage of ethanol required to be added to gasoline or increase in the levels at which flex fuel vehicles are taxed in Brazil, as well as growth in the demand for natural gas and other fuels as an alternative to ethanol, lower gasoline prices or an increase in gasoline consumption (versus ethanol), may cause demand for ethanol to decline.
Government policies and regulations affecting the agricultural sector and related industries could adversely affect our operations and profitability.
Agricultural production and trade flows are significantly affected by Brazilian federal, state and local, as well as foreign, government policies and regulations. Governmental policies affecting the agricultural industry, such as taxes, tariffs, duties, subsidies and import and export restrictions on agricultural commodities and
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commodity products, may influence industry profitability, the planting of certain crops versus others, the uses of agricultural resources, the location and size of crop production, the trading levels for unprocessed versus processed commodities, and the volume and types of imports and exports.
Future government policies in Brazil and elsewhere may adversely affect the supply, and demand for, and prices of, our products or restrict our ability to do business in our existing and target markets, which could adversely affect our financial performance. Sugar prices, like the prices of many other staple goods in Brazil, were historically subject to controls imposed by the Brazilian government. Sugar prices in Brazil have not been subject to price controls since 1997. However, additional measures may be imposed in the future. In addition, our operations are currently concentrated in the State of São Paulo. Any changes affecting governmental policies and regulations regarding ethanol, sugar or sugarcane in the State of São Paulo may adversely affect our company.
We may not be successful in reducing operating costs and increasing operating efficiencies.
As part of our strategy, we continue to seek to reduce operating costs and increase operating efficiencies to improve our future financial performance. For example, we intend to invest approximately US$100 million of the net proceeds of the global offering to purchase mechanical harvesters to achieve mechanization of approximately 80% of our sugarcane by fiscal year 2012. In addition, we intend to use approximately US$50 million of the net proceeds of the global offering to increase crop yields and enhance efficiency, as well as reduce production costs. We may not be able to achieve the cost savings that we expect to realize from these or other initiatives. Any failure to realize anticipated cost savings may adversely affect our competitiveness and financial performance.
We incur substantial costs to comply with environmental regulations and may be exposed to liabilities in the event we fail to comply with these regulations or as a result of our handling of hazardous materials.
We are subject to various Brazilian federal, state and local environmental protection and health and safety laws and regulations governing, among other matters:
| • | the generation, storage, handling, use and transportation of hazardous materials; |
| • | the emission and discharge of hazardous materials into the ground, air or water; and |
| • | the health and safety of our employees. |
We are also required to obtain permits from governmental authorities for certain aspects of our operations. These laws, regulations and permits often require us to purchase and install expensive pollution control equipment or to make operational changes to limit actual or potential impacts on the environment and/or health of our employees. Currently, we do not anticipate any material claims or liabilities resulting from a failure to comply with these laws and regulations. However, any violations of these laws and regulations or permit conditions can result in substantial fines, criminal sanctions, revocations of operating permits and/or shutdowns of our facilities.
Due to the possibility of changes to environmental regulations and other unanticipated developments, the amount and timing of future environmental expenditures may vary substantially from those currently anticipated. Under Brazilian environmental laws, we could be held strictly liable for all of the costs relating to any contamination at our or our predecessors’ current and former facilities and at third-party waste disposal sites used by us or any of our predecessors. We could also be held responsible for any and all consequences arising out of human exposure to hazardous substances, such as pesticides and herbicides, or other environmental damage.
We are party to a number of administrative and judicial proceedings for alleged failures to comply with environmental laws which may result in fines, shutdowns, or other adverse effects on our operations. We have not recorded any provisions or reserves for these proceedings as we do not currently believe that they will result in liabilities material to our business or financial performance. See “Business—Legal Proceedings—Environmental Proceedings”. Our costs of complying with current and future environmental and health and safety laws, and our liabilities arising from past or future releases of, or exposure to, hazardous substances could adversely affect our business or financial performance.
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Government laws and regulations governing the burning of sugarcane could have a material adverse impact on our business or financial performance.
Approximately 70% of our sugarcane is currently harvested by burning the crop, which removes leaves and destroys insects and other pests. The State of São Paulo and some local governments have established laws and regulations that limit our ability to burn sugarcane or that reduce and/or entirely prohibit the burning of sugarcane. We currently incur significant costs to comply with these laws and regulations, and there is a likelihood that increasingly stringent regulations relating to the burning of sugarcane will be imposed by the State of São Paulo and other governmental agencies in the near future. As a result, the costs to comply with existing or new laws or regulations are likely to increase, and, as a result, our ability to operate our own plants and harvest our sugarcane crops may be adversely affected.
Any failure to comply with these laws and regulations may subject us to legal and administrative actions. These actions can result in civil or criminal penalties, including a requirement to pay penalties or fines, which may range from R$50.00 to R$50 million (US$24.60 to US$24.6 million) and be doubled or tripled in case of recidivism, an obligation to make capital and other expenditures or an obligation to materially change or cease some operations.
Adverse weather conditions may reduce the volume and sucrose content of sugarcane that we can cultivate and purchase in a given harvest, and we are affected by seasonality of the sugarcane growing cycle.
Our sugar production depends on the volume and sucrose content of the sugarcane that we cultivate or that is supplied to us by growers located in the vicinity of our mills. Crop yields and sucrose content depend primarily on weather conditions such as rainfall and temperature, which vary. Weather conditions have historically caused volatility in the ethanol and sugar industries and, consequently, in our results of operations by causing crop failures or reduced harvests. Flood, drought or frost can adversely affect the supply and pricing of the agricultural commodities that we sell and use in our business. Future weather patterns may reduce the amount of sugar or sugarcane that we can recover in a given harvest or its sucrose content. In addition, our business is subject to seasonal trends based on the sugarcane growing cycle in the Center-South region of Brazil. The annual sugarcane harvesting period in the Center-South region of Brazil begins in April/May and ends in November/December. This creates fluctuations in our inventory, usually peaking in November to cover sales between crop harvests (i.e., December through April), and a degree of seasonality in our gross profit, with ethanol and sugar sales significantly lower in the last quarter of the fiscal year. Seasonality and any reduction in the volumes of sugar recovered could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial performance.
We may be adversely affected by a shortage of sugarcane or by high sugarcane costs.
Sugarcane is our principal raw material used for the production of ethanol and sugar. In fiscal year 2007, sugarcane purchased from suppliers accounted for 30% of our consolidated costs of goods sold and operating expenses. We purchase 40% of the sugarcane that we use in our production of ethanol and sugar directly from thousands of third-party sugarcane growers. Historically, approximately 80% of the sugarcane purchased by us has been under medium- and long-term contracts with sugarcane growers, 5% on a spot basis and the remaining 15% from sugarcane growers with whom we have long-term relationships but no contractual arrangements. We generally enter into medium- and long-term supply contracts for periods varying from three and one-half to seven years. As of April 30, 2007, we also leased approximately 290,000 hectares under approximately 1,600 land lease contracts with an average term of five years. Any shortage in sugarcane supply or increase in sugarcane prices in the near future, including as a result of the termination of supply contracts or lease agreements representing a material reduction in the sugarcane available to us for processing or increase in sugarcane prices may adversely affect our business and financial performance.
Fire and other disasters could affect our agricultural and manufacturing properties, which would adversely affect our production volumes and, consequently, financial performance.
Our operations will be subject to risks affecting our agricultural properties and facilities, including fire potentially destroying some or our entire yield and facilities. In addition, our operations are subject to hazards
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associated with the manufacture of inflammable products and transportation of feed stocks and inflammable products. Our insurance coverage may not be sufficient to provide full protection against these types of casualties. Our Da Barra mill was responsible for approximately 25% of our total sugar production in the 2006/2007 harvest. Any material damage to our Da Barra mill would adversely affect our production volumes and, consequently, our financial performance.
Disease and pestilence may strike our crops which may result in destruction of a significant portion of our harvest.
Crop disease and pestilence can occur from time to time and have a devastating effect on our crops, potentially rendering useless or unusable all or a substantial portion of affected harvests. Even when only a portion of the crop is damaged, our business and financial performance could be adversely affected because we may have incurred a substantial portion of the production cost for the related harvest. The cost of treatment of crop disease tends to be high. Any serious incidents of crop disease or pestilence, and related costs, may adversely affect our production levels and, as a result, our net sales and overall financial performance.
Disruption of transportation and logistics services or insufficient investment in public infrastructure could adversely affect our operating results.
One of the principal disadvantages of Brazilian agriculture sector is that key growing regions lie far from major ports. As a result, efficient access to transportation infrastructure and ports is critical to the growth of Brazilian agriculture as a whole and of our operations in particular. As part of our business strategy, we intend to invest in areas where existing transportation infrastructure is under developed. Improvements in transportation infrastructure are likely to be required to make more agricultural production accessible to export terminals at competitive prices. A substantial portion of Brazilian agricultural production is currently transported by truck, a means of transportation significantly more expensive than the rail transportation available to U.S. and other international producers. Our dependence on truck transport may affect our position as low-cost producer, so that our ability to compete in world markets may be impaired.
Even though road and rail improvement projects have been considered for some areas of Brazil, and in some cases implemented, substantial investments are required for road and rail improvement projects, which may not be completed on a timely basis—if at all. Any delay or failure in developing infrastructure systems could hurt the demand for our products, impede our delivery of products or impose additional costs on us. We currently outsource the transportation and logistics services necessary to operate our business. Any disruption in these services could result in supply problems at our processing plants and impair our ability to deliver processed products to our customers in a timely manner. In addition, a natural disaster or other catastrophic event could result in disruption in regional transportation infrastructure systems affecting our third-party transportation providers.
We depend on third parties to provide our customers and us with facilities and services that are integral to our business.
We have entered into agreements with third-party contractors to provide facilities and services required for our operations, such as the transportation and storage of ethanol and sugar. The loss or expiration of our agreements with third-party contractors or our inability to renew these agreements or to negotiate new agreements with other providers at comparable rates could harm our business and financial performance. Our reliance on third parties to provide essential services on our behalf also gives us less control over the costs, efficiency, timeliness and quality of those services. Contractors’ negligence could compromise the safety of the transportation of ethanol from our production facilities to our export facilities. We expect to be dependent on such agreements for the foreseeable future, and if we enter any new market, we will need to have similar agreements in place.
Technological advances could affect demand for our products or require substantial capital expenditures for us to remain competitive.
The development and implementation of new technologies may result in a significant reduction in the costs of ethanol production. We cannot predict when new technologies may become available, the rate of acceptance
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of new technologies by our competitors or the costs associated with such new technologies. Advances in the development of alternatives to ethanol also could significantly reduce demand or eliminate the need for ethanol as a fuel oxygenate. Any advances in technology which require significant capital expenditures to remain competitive or which otherwise reduce demand for ethanol will have a material adverse effect on our business and financial performance.
Alternative sweeteners have negatively affected demand for our sugar products in Brazil and other countries.
We believe that the use of alternative sweeteners, especially artificial alternative sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharine and HFCS, has adversely affected the growth of the overall demand for sugar in Brazil and the rest of the world. Soft drink bottlers in many countries have switched from sugar to, or increased consumption of, alternative sweeteners. In addition, the use of alternative sweeteners by sugar consumers, including soft drink bottlers, may also reduce the demand for sugar in Brazil. A substantial decrease in sugar consumption, or the increased use of alternative or artificial sweeteners, would decrease demand for our sugar products and could result in lower growth in our net sales and overall financial performance.
Our sugar and ethanol products are sold to a small number of customers which may be able to exercise significant bargaining power concerning pricing and other sale terms.
A substantial portion of our sugar and ethanol production is sold to a small number of customers that acquire large portions of our production and thus may be able to exercise significant bargaining power concerning pricing and other sale terms. In fiscal year 2007, five of our customers accounted for 61.8% of our net sales of sugar. In the same fiscal year, five of our customers accounted for 50.0% of our net sales of ethanol. In addition, intensive competition in the ethanol and sugar industries further increases the bargaining power of our customers.
Our subsidiary’s port concession is subject to termination by the granting authority.
We own and operate a sugar-loading terminal at the Port of Santos in the State of São Paulo through our subsidiary Cosan Operadora Portuária S.A., or “Cosan Portuária”. The close proximity of our mills to the port enables us to benefit from lower transportation costs. Pursuant to the port concession agreement with the State of São Paulo’s Port Authority, Cosan Portuária’s concession to operate this terminal will expire on 2016, and it may be renewed for an additional 20 years if Cosan Portuária meets its obligations under the port concession agreement. However, the port concession may be unilaterally terminated by the granting authority prior to that time upon:
| • | expropriation of the port concession in the public interest; |
| • | default by Cosan Portuária in the performance of its obligations under the port concession agreement, including the payment of concession fees or failure to comply with other legal and regulatory obligations; |
| • | Cosan Portuária’s failure to comply with determinations by the granting authority; or |
| • | bankruptcy or dissolution of Cosan Portuária. |
Termination of the port concession agreement may adversely impact our transportation costs and the turn-around time for the export of our products as well as our revenues from service agreements related to our port facilities.
We may be adversely affected by unfavorable outcomes in pending legal proceedings.
We are involved in a significant number of tax, civil and labor proceedings, which we estimate involve claims against us aggregating US$1,088.4 million, and as to which, at April 30, 2007, we recorded a provision totaling US$379.2 million (including judicial deposits in an aggregate amount of US$21.3 million). We cannot
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predict whether we will prevail in these or other proceedings, or whether we will have to pay significant amounts, including penalties and interest, as payment for our liabilities, which would materially and adversely impact our business and financial performance.
We are highly dependent on our chief executive officer and other members of our management to develop and implement our strategy and to oversee our operations.
We are dependent upon Mr. Rubens Ometto Silveira Mello, our chairman and chief executive officer, and other members of senior management on certain members of our board of directors and some of our executive officers, especially with respect to business planning, strategy and operations. If any of these key members of our management leaves our company, our business and financial performance may be negatively affected. Our business is particularly dependent on Mr. Rubens Ometto Silveira Mello, who is also our controlling shareholder. We currently do not carry any key man insurance.
We are indirectly controlled by a single individual who has the power to control us and all of our subsidiaries.
Immediately after the global offering, Mr. Rubens Ometto Silveira Mello, our controlling shareholder, chairman and chief executive officer, will continue to have the power to indirectly control us, including the power to:
| • | elect a majority of our directors and appoint our executive officers, set our management policies and exercise overall control over our company and subsidiaries; |
| • | agree to sell or otherwise transfer his controlling stake in our company; and |
| • | determine the outcome of substantially all actions requiring shareholder approval, including transactions with related parties, corporate reorganizations, acquisitions and dispositions of assets, and dividends. |
Our class B common shares have ten votes per share and our class A common shares, which is the class of common shares being sold in the global offering, have one vote per share. We anticipate that our controlling shareholder and his affiliates will together own all of our class B series 1 common shares, representing 90.6% of the voting power of our issued and outstanding share capital immediately after the global offering. In addition, because of our share capital structure, our controlling shareholder will continue to be able to control substantially all matters submitted to our shareholders for a vote or approval even if the controlling shareholder comes to own less than 50% of the issued and outstanding share capital in the company. This concentrated control will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and, as a result, we may take actions that our shareholders do not view as beneficial. As a result, the market price of our class A common shares could be adversely affected.
We may face conflicts of interest in transactions with related parties.
We engage in business and financial transactions with our controlling shareholder and other shareholders that may create conflicts of interest between our company and these shareholders. For example, we enter into land leasing agreements with our affiliates, including Amaralina Agrícola Ltda, or “Amaralina”, Santa Bárbara Agrícola S.A., or “Santa Bárbara” and São Francisco S.A., or “São Francisco”. The accounts payable balances result mainly from the lease of agriculture land, which are at prices and on terms equivalent to the average terms and prices of transactions that we enter into with third parties. Commercial and financial transactions between our affiliates and us, even on if entered into on an arm’s length basis, create the potential for, or could result in, conflicts of interests.
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Risks Related To Brazil
Brazilian economic, political and other conditions, and Brazilian government policies or actions in response to these conditions, may negatively affect our business and financial performance and the market price of our class A common shares.
The Brazilian economy has been characterized by frequent and occasionally extensive intervention by the Brazilian government and unstable economic cycles. The Brazilian government has often changed monetary, taxation, credit, tariff and other policies to influence the course of Brazil’s economy. For example, the government’s actions to control inflation have at times involved setting wage and price controls, blocking access to bank accounts, imposing exchange controls and limiting imports into Brazil. We have no control over, and cannot predict, what policies or actions the Brazilian government may take in the future.
Our business, financial performance and prospects, as well as the market prices of our class A common shares, may be adversely affected by, among others, the following factors:
| • | exchange rate movements; |
| • | exchange control policies; |
| • | expansion or contraction of the Brazilian economy, as measured by rates of growth in gross domestic product, or “GDP”; |
| • | inflation; |
| • | tax policies; |
| • | other economic, political, diplomatic and social developments in or affecting Brazil; |
| • | interest rates; |
| • | liquidity of domestic capital and lending markets; and |
| • | social and political instability. |
These factors, as well as uncertainty over whether the Brazilian government may implement changes in policy or regulations relating to these factors, may adversely affect us and our business and financial performance and the market price of our class A common shares.
Cosan generally invoices its sales in Brazilian reais, but a substantial portion of Cosan’s net sales are from export sales that are billed in U.S. dollars. At the same time, the majority of Cosan’s costs are denominated in reais. As a result, our operating margins are negatively affected when there is an appreciation of the real to the U.S. dollar.
Inflation and government measures to curb inflation, may adversely affect the Brazilian economy, the Brazilian securities market, our business and operations and the market prices of our class A common shares.
At times in the past, Brazil has experienced high rates of inflation. According to the General Market Price Index (Índice Geral de Preços—Mercado), or “IGP-M”, a general price inflation index, the inflation rates in Brazil were 25.3% in 2002, 8.7% in 2003, 12.4% in 2004, 1.2% in 2005, 3.8% in 2006 and 1.4% in the first half of 2007. In addition, according to the National Extended Consumer Price Index (Índice Nacional de Preços ao Consumidor Amplo), or “IPCA”, published by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística), or “IBGE”, the Brazilian price inflation rates were 12.5% in 2002, 9.3% in 2003, 7.6% in 2004, 5.7% in 2005, 3.1% in 2006 and 1.8% in the first half of 2007. The Brazilian government’s measures to control inflation have often included maintaining a tight monetary policy with high interest rates, thereby restricting availability of credit and reducing economic growth. Inflation, actions to combat inflation and public speculation about possible additional actions have also contributed materially to economic uncertainty in Brazil and to heightened volatility in the Brazilian securities markets.
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Brazil may experience high levels of inflation in future periods. Periods of higher inflation may slow the rate of growth of the Brazilian economy, which could lead to reduced demand for our products in Brazil and decreased net sales. Inflation is also likely to increase some of our costs and expenses, which we may not be able to pass on to our customers and, as a result, may reduce our profit margins and net income. In addition, high inflation generally leads to higher domestic interest rates, and, as a result, the costs of servicing any floating-rate real-denominated debt may increase, resulting in lower net income. Inflation and its effect on domestic interest rates can, in addition, lead to reduced liquidity in the domestic capital and lending markets, which could affect our ability to refinance our indebtedness in those markets. Any decline in our net sales or net income and any deterioration in our financial performance would also likely lead to a decline in the market price of our class A common shares.
Our reporting currency is the U.S. dollar but a substantial portion of our sales is in Brazilian real, so that exchange rate movements may increase our financial expenses and negatively affect our profitability.
Cosan generally invoices its sales in Brazilian real, but reports results in U.S. dollars. The results of Cosan and our other Brazilian subsidiaries are translated from reais into U.S. dollars upon consolidation. When the U.S. dollar strengthens against other currencies, our net sales and net income may decrease.
Significant volatility in the value of the real in relation to the U.S. dollar could harm our ability to meet our U.S. dollar-denominated liabilities.
The Brazilian currency has historically suffered frequent devaluations. In the past, the Brazilian government has implemented various economic plans and exchange rate policies, including sudden devaluations and periodic mini-devaluations, during which the frequency of adjustments has ranged from daily to monthly, floating exchange rate systems, exchange controls and dual exchange rate markets. There have been significant fluctuations in the exchange rate between the Brazilian currency and the U.S. dollar and other currencies. In fiscal year 2004, the real devalued slightly by 1.9%, ending at R$2.945 on April 30, 2004. In fiscal year 2005, the real ended at R$2.531 per US$1.00, which represented a 14.0% appreciation. In fiscal year 2006, the real appreciated by 17.5%, ending at R$2.089 per US$1.00. In fiscal year 2007, the real appreciated by 2.6%, ending at R$2.034 per US$1.00.
Because Cosan generally invoices its sales in Brazilian real, devaluation of the real against foreign currencies may generate losses in our foreign currency-denominated liabilities as well as an increase in our funding costs with a negative impact on our ability to finance our operations through access to the international capital markets and on the market value of the class A common shares. A strengthening of the real in relation to the U.S. dollar generally has the opposite effect. Further devaluations of the Brazilian currency may occur and impact our business in the future. These foreign exchange and monetary gains or losses can be substantial, which can significantly impact our earnings from one period to the next. In addition, depreciation of the real relative to the U.S. dollar could (1) result in additional inflationary pressures in Brazil by generally increasing the price of imported products and services and requiring recessionary government policies to curb demand and (2) weaken investor confidence in Brazil and reduce the market price of the class A common shares. On the other hand, further appreciation of the real against the U.S. dollar may lead to a deterioration of the country’s current account and the balance of payments and may dampen export-driven growth.
Because a substantial portion of Cosan’s indebtedness and some of its operational expenses are, and will continue to be, denominated in or indexed to the U.S. dollar, our foreign currency exposure related to Cosan’s indebtedness and other liabilities on April 30, 2007 was US$1,134.0 million. We manage a portion of our exchange rate risk through foreign currency derivative instruments, but our foreign currency debt obligations are not completely hedged. In addition, a devaluation of the real would effectively increase the interest expense in respect of our U.S. dollar-denominated debt.
Changes in tax laws may increase our tax burden and, as a result, adversely affect our profitability.
The Brazilian government regularly implements changes to tax regimes that may increase the tax burden on Cosan and its customers. These changes include modifications in the rate of assessments and, on occasion,
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enactment of temporary taxes, the proceeds of which are earmarked for designated governmental purposes. In April 2003, the Brazilian government presented a tax reform proposal, which was mainly designed to simplify tax assessments, to avoid internal disputes within and between the Brazilian states and municipalities, and to redistribute tax revenues. The tax reform proposal provided for changes in the rules governing the federal Social Integration Program (Programa de Integração Social), or “PIS”, the federal Contribution for Social Security Financing (Contribuição para Financiamento da Seguridade Social), or “COFINS”, the federal Tax on Bank Account Transactions (Contribuição Provisória sobre Movimentação ou Transmissão de Valores e de Créditos e Direitos de Natureza Financeira), or “CPMF”, the state Tax on the Circulation of Merchandise and Services (Imposto Sobre a Circulação de Mercadorias e Serviços), or “ICMS”, and some other taxes. The effects of these proposed tax reform measures and any other changes that result from enactment of additional tax reforms have not been, and cannot be, quantified. However, some of these measures, if enacted, may result in increases in our overall tax burden, which could negatively affect our overall financial performance.
Risks Related To Our Class A Common Shares
We are a Bermuda company, and it may be difficult for you to enforce judgments against us or our directors and executive officers.
We are a Bermuda exempted company, so that the rights of holders of the class A common shares will be governed by Bermuda law and our bye-laws. The rights of shareholders under Bermuda law may differ from the rights of shareholders of companies incorporated in other jurisdictions. All of our directors and some of the experts referred to in this prospectus are not citizens or residents of the United States, and all of our assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process on those persons in the United States or to enforce judgments obtained in U.S. courts against us or those persons based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal or state securities laws. We have been advised by our Bermuda counsel, Appleby, that uncertainty exists as to whether courts in Bermuda will enforce judgments obtained in other jurisdictions, including the United States, against us or our directors or officers under the securities laws of those jurisdictions or entertain actions in Bermuda against us or our directors or officers under the securities laws of other jurisdictions. The United States and Bermuda do not currently have a treaty providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters. Therefore, a final judgment for the payment of money rendered by any federal or state court in the United States based on civil liability, whether or not based solely on U.S. federal or state securities laws, may not necessarily be enforceable in Bermuda.
Bermuda law differs from the laws in effect in the United States and Brazil and may afford less protection to shareholders.
Our shareholders may have more difficulty protecting their interests than shareholders of a corporation incorporated in the United States or Brazil. As a Bermuda company, we are governed by the Companies Act 1981. The Companies Act 1981 differs in material respects from laws generally applicable to U.S. or Brazilian corporations and their shareholders, including the provisions relating to interested directors, amalgamations, takeovers, shareholder lawsuits and indemnification of directors.
Under Bermuda law, directors and officers of a company generally owe fiduciary duties to the company and not to individual shareholders. Class actions and derivative actions are generally not available to shareholders under Bermuda law. The Bermuda courts may, however, in certain circumstances permit a shareholder to commence an action in the name of a company to remedy a wrong to the company where the act complained of is alleged to be beyond the corporate power of the company or illegal, or would result in the violation of the company’s memorandum of association or bye-laws. Consideration would be given by a Bermuda court to acts that are alleged to constitute a fraud against the minority shareholders or, for example, where an act requires the approval of a greater percentage of the company’s shareholders than that which actually approved it. The Companies Act 1981 imposes a duty on directors and officers to act honestly and in good faith with a view to the best interests of the company and to exercise the care and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances. Directors of a Bermuda company have a duty to avoid conflicts of interest.
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However, if a director discloses a direct or indirect interest in any contract or arrangement with us as required by Bermuda law, such director is entitled to be counted for quorum purposes, but may not vote in respect of any such contract or arrangement in which he or she is interested. In addition, the rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under the Companies Act 1981 are not as clearly established as under statutes or judicial precedent in jurisdictions in the United States, particularly in the State of Delaware.
Provisions in our bye-laws may discourage takeovers, which could affect the return on the investment of our shareholders.
Our bye-laws contain provisions that could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us without the consent of our board of directors. These provisions provide, among other things, for:
| • | a classified board of directors with staggered three-year terms; |
| • | restrictions on the time period in which directors may be nominated; |
| • |
the affirmative vote of a majority of our directors in office and a majority of all votes attaching to all shares then in issue or, if not approved by a majority of the directors in office, at least 66- 2/3% of all votes attaching to all shares then in issue for amalgamation and other business combination transactions; and |
| • | the tag-along rights described under “Description of Share Capital—Tag-along Rights”. |
These bye-laws provisions could deter a third party from seeking to acquire us, even if the third party’s offer may be considered beneficial by many shareholders.
As a holding company, we may face limitations on our ability to receive distributions from our subsidiaries.
We conduct all of our operations through subsidiaries and are dependent upon dividends or other intercompany transfers of funds from our subsidiaries to meet our obligations. For example, Brazilian law permits the Brazilian government to impose temporary restrictions on conversions of Brazilian currency into foreign currencies and on remittances to foreign investors of proceeds from their investments in Brazil, whenever there is a serious imbalance in Brazil’s balance of payments or there are reasons to expect a pending serious imbalance. The Brazilian government last imposed remittance restrictions for approximately six months in 1989 and early 1990. The Brazilian government may take similar measures in the future. Any imposition of restrictions on conversions and remittances could hinder or prevent us from converting into U.S. dollars or other foreign currencies and remitting abroad dividends, distributions or the proceeds from any sale in Brazil of common shares of our Brazilian subsidiaries. We currently conduct all of our operations through our Brazilian subsidiaries. As a result, any imposition of exchange controls restrictions could reduce the market prices of the class A common shares.
We may not be able to implement successfully our corporate reorganization.
Our corporate reorganization is comprised of a number of steps, including a voluntary exchange offer for Cosan’s common shares that we intend to launch following completion of the global offering, which may, depending on the level of acceptance of our exchange offer by shareholders of Cosan, ultimately result in the delisting of Cosan from the Novo Mercado segment of the São Paulo Stock Exchange. Each of these steps will require approvals from the relevant regulatory authorities. We anticipate that fewer than all existing holders of Cosan’s common shares will tender their securities in the exchange offer that we intend to launch following completion of the global offering. We may not be able to obtain all requisite approvals, or otherwise implement all of these steps in a timely manner, or at all. In addition, if our corporate reorganization is not successfully implemented, a significant minority interest in Cosan whose interests may diverge from those of our shareholders will continue to exist, which could adversely affect the trading market for our class A common shares. Moreover,
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delay or other adverse effects may reduce the value of the corporate reorganization for us and our shareholders. If these transactions do not take place and Cosan common shares continue to be publicly traded, the trading price of our class A common shares may be negatively affected.
We have not determined when we will launch the exchange offer, which depends on regulatory approvals in Brazil and the United States. Pending completion of the exchange offer and the level of acceptance by shareholders, and subject to any delisting of Cosan’s common shares from the Novo Mercado segment of the São Paulo Stock Exchange, Cosan’s common shares will continue to trade in the Brazilian securities market. The trading price of Cosan’s common shares in that market, whether for a short period of time or on a long-term basis, is likely to affect the trading price of our class A common shares. Even if the delisting of Cosan’s common shares from the Novo Mercado occurs, these shares may continue to trade on another segment of the São Paulo Stock Exchange to the extent that existing Cosan shareholders do not participate in the exchange offer.
All of our directors and executive officers may have conflicts of interest because of their continuing positions with Cosan.
All of our directors and executive officers will continue to serve in the same positions for Cosan, our principal operating subsidiary, which will likely have minority shareholders following the global offering. These dual responsibilities could create, or appear to create, potential conflicts of interest when our directors and executive officers are faced with decisions that could have different business, financial or legal implications for Cosan and us. In addition, our directors and executive officers have fiduciary duties to us and Cosan that may also create potential conflicts of interest.
Our bye-laws restrict shareholders from bringing legal action against our directors and officers and also provide our directors and officers with indemnification from their actions and omissions, although such indemnification for liabilities under the Securities Act is unenforceable in the United States.
Our bye-laws contain a broad waiver by our shareholders of any claim or right of action, both individually and on our behalf, against any of our officers or directors. The waiver applies to any action taken by an officer or director, or the failure of an officer or director to take any action, in the performance of his or her duties, except with respect to any matter involving any fraud or dishonesty on the part of the officer or director. This waiver limits the right of shareholders to assert claims against our officers and directors unless the act or failure to act involves fraud or dishonesty. Our bye-laws also indemnify our directors and officers in respect of their actions and omissions, except in respect of their fraud or dishonesty. The indemnification provided in our bye-laws is not exclusive of other indemnification rights to which a director or officer may be entitled, provided these rights do not extend to his or her fraud or dishonesty. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we understand that, in the opinion of the staff of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable in the United States.
The sale, or issuance, of a significant number of our common shares after the global offering may adversely affect the market value of our class A common shares.
The sale of a significant number of our common shares after the global offering, or the perception that such a sale could occur, may adversely affect the market price of our class A common shares. Immediately following the global offering, we will have an authorised share capital of 1,000,000,000 class A common shares and 188,886,360 class B common shares, of which 100,000,000 class A common shares will be issued and outstanding and 96,332,044 class B series 1 common shares will be issued and outstanding. Following the global offering, we may issue additional class A common shares or class B series 2 common shares in exchange for common shares of Cosan pursuant to an exchange offer to be made to Cosan’s existing shareholders. In accordance with lock-up agreements, we, Cosan, our controlling shareholder, the directors and executive officers of our company and Cosan have agreed, subject to limited exceptions, not to offer, sell, transfer, or dispose in any other way, directly or indirectly, for 180 days after the date of this prospectus, any class A common shares or class B common shares issued by us or any option to buy such class A common shares or class B common shares
27
or any securities that may be converted into such class A common shares or class B common shares or that represent any right to receive such shares. After the end of the lock-up period, such previously restricted class A common shares or class B common shares may be traded freely.
Our bye-laws establish that our board of directors is authorized to issue any of our authorized, but unissued share capital. Our shareholders at a shareholders’ general meeting may authorize the increase of our authorized share capital. As a result, we will be able to issue a substantial number of new shares after the lock-up period, which, if we decided to do so, could dilute the participation of our shareholders in our share capital.
Actual dividends paid on our class A common shares may not be consistent with the dividend policy adopted by our board of directors.
Our board of directors will adopt a dividend policy that provides, subject to Bermuda law, for the payment of dividends to shareholders equal to approximately 25% of our annual consolidated net income (as calculated in accordance with U.S. GAAP). Our board of directors may, in its discretion and for any reason, amend or repeal this dividend policy. Our board of directors may decrease the level of dividends provided for in this dividend policy or entirely discontinue the payment of dividends. Future dividends with respect to our common shares, if any, will depend on, among other things, our results of operations, cash requirements, financial condition, distribution of dividends made by our subsidiaries, contractual restrictions, business opportunities, provisions of applicable law and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant.
Cosan has a dividend policy that is similar to that of our company, although the net income is calculated in accordance with Brazilian GAAP (subject to certain adjustments mandated by Brazilian corporate law). Because Brazilian GAAP differs in significant respects from U.S. GAAP, Cosan’s dividends to us may be lower than the corresponding amounts under our dividend policy, which is based upon net income under U.S. GAAP. Accordingly, we may not be able to pay the dividends anticipated under our dividend policy in the event that Cosan’s net income under Brazilian GAAP is substantially lower than our net income under U.S. GAAP.
To the extent we pay dividends to our shareholders, we will have less capital available to meet our future liquidity needs.
Our business strategy contemplates substantial growth over the next several years, and we expect that such growth will require considerable liquidity. To the extent that we pay dividends in accordance with our dividend policy, the amounts distributed to our shareholders will not be available to us to fund future growth and meet our other liquidity needs.
We may require additional funds in the future, which may not be available or which may result in dilution of the interests of shareholders in our company.
We may need to issue debt or equity securities in order to obtain additional public or private financing. The securities that we issue may have rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of our class A common shares. If we decide to raise additional capital through an offering of common shares, the participation of our shareholders in our share capital may be diluted. Moreover, additional funding that may be required in the future may not be available under favorable terms.
Application of the net proceeds of the global offering may be significantly delayed.
We will use the net proceeds of the global offering for long-term capital expenditure projects, including for a major ethanol greenfield project, the expansion of existing facilities, investments in cogeneration systems, and mechanization of harvests, increase in crop yield, which may not occur within forecasted timeframe. Any remaining proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, including future acquisitions and other investments in infrastructure and logistics. We may be unable to apply the proceeds as planned as these projects may be subject to significant delays.
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The economic value of the investment made by investors in the global offering could be diluted.
The initial public offering price for the class A common shares may exceed the book value of our common shares after the completion of the global offering. For the purpose of any subsequent calculation of net book value, any amounts above book value paid by investors would be aggregated with other tangible assets and attributed to the total number of issued and outstanding class A common shares and class B common shares following completion of the offering. If this were the case, investors acquiring the class A common shares in the global offering would suffer an immediate and significant decline in the book value of their investment. In addition, in the event that we need to obtain additional capital for our operations by issuing new shares, any such issuance may be made at a value below the book value of our class A common shares and class B common shares on the relevant date. In that event, investors subscribing for or acquiring the class A common shares in the global offering would suffer an immediate and significant dilution in relation to future transactions on the capital markets.
An active market for our class A common shares may not develop, and, if such a market does develop, the price of class A common shares is subject to volatility.
Prior to the global offering, no public market for our class A common shares has existed in the United States, Brazil or elsewhere. The initial public offering price for our class A common shares will be determined by negotiations between us and the representatives of the international underwriters. Although our class A common shares have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange and application has been made to list the BDRs representing these shares on the São Paulo Stock Exchange, an active public market for our class A common shares may not develop or be maintained after the global offering. Even if an active market develops, the market price for our class A common shares may fall below the initial public offering price. The market price of our class A common shares could be subject to significant fluctuations due to various factors, including actual or anticipated fluctuations in our financial performance, economic downturns, political events in Brazil or other jurisdictions in which we operate, developments affecting the ethanol and sugar industries, changes in financial estimates by securities analysts, the introduction of new products or technologies by us or our competitors, or our failure to meet expectations of analysts or investors.
We have not yet completed our evaluation of our internal control over financial reporting in compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
We will be required to comply with the internal control evaluation and certification requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act by the end of our 2008 fiscal year. We have not yet completed our evaluation as to whether our current internal control over financial reporting is compliant with Section 404. We may not be compliant and may not be able to meet the Section 404 requirements in a timely manner. If it is determined that we are not in compliance with Section 404, we may be required to implement new internal control procedures and re-evaluate our financial reporting. We may experience higher than anticipated operating expenses as well as outside auditor fees during the implementation of these changes and thereafter. We also may need to hire additional qualified personnel in order for us to be compliant with Section 404. If we fail, for any reason, to implement these changes effectively or efficiently, such failure could harm our operations, financial reporting or financial results and could result in our conclusion that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective.
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This prospectus contains estimates and forward-looking statements, principally in “Risk Factors”, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business”. Some of the matters discussed concerning our business and financial performance include estimates and forward-looking statements.
Our estimates and forward-looking statements are mainly based on our current expectations and estimates on projections of future events and trends, which affect or may affect our businesses and results of operations. Although we believe that these estimates and forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, they are subject to several risks and uncertainties and are made in light of information currently available to us. Our estimates and forward-looking statements may be influenced by the following factors, among others:
| • | general economic, political, demographic and business conditions in Brazil and in the world and the cyclicality affecting our selling prices; |
| • | our ability to implement our expansion strategy in other regions of Brazil and international markets through organic growth and acquisitions; |
| • | competitive developments in the ethanol and sugar industries; |
| • | our ability to implement our capital expenditure plan, including our ability to arrange financing when required and on reasonable terms; |
| • | our ability to compete and conduct our businesses in the future; |
| • | changes in customer demand; |
| • | changes in our businesses; |
| • | technological advances in the ethanol sector and advances in the development of alternatives to ethanol; |
| • | government interventions and trade barriers, resulting in changes in the economy, taxes, rates or regulatory environment; |
| • | inflation, depreciation and devaluation of the real; |
| • | other factors that may affect our financial condition, liquidity and results of our operations; and |
| • | other risk factors discussed under “Risk Factors”. |
The words “believe”, “may”, “will”, “estimate”, “continue”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “expect” and similar words are intended to identify estimates and forward-looking statements. Estimates and forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made, and we undertake no obligation to update or to review any estimate and/or forward-looking statement because of new information, future events or other factors. Estimates and forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Our future results may differ materially from those expressed in these estimates and forward-looking statements. In light of the risks and uncertainties described above, the estimates and forward-looking statements discussed in this prospectus might not occur and our future results and our performance may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements due to, inclusive, but not limited to, the factors mentioned above. Because of these uncertainties, you should not make any investment decision based on these estimates and forward-looking statements.
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PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL AND OTHER INFORMATION
Financial Statements
We maintain our books and records in U.S. dollars and prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
We have included in this prospectus our audited opening balance sheet at April 30, 2007, which has been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We have also included Cosan’s audited consolidated financial statements at April 30, 2007 and 2006 and for each of the three fiscal years in the period ended April 30, 2007 prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The balance sheet data at April 30, 2005 has been derived from Cosan’s audited consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, not included in this prospectus. Unless otherwise indicated, all financial information of our company included in this prospectus has been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
We have also included in this prospectus selected financial data for Cosan at and for the years ended April 30, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003, prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles adopted in Brazil, or “Brazilian GAAP”, which differs in significant respect from U.S. GAAP. This financial data under Brazilian GAAP has been derived from Cosan’s audited consolidated financial statements not included in this prospectus.
In addition, we have included in this prospectus pro forma financial information to give effect to our incorporation and the contribution by Aguassanta and Costa Pinto of 51.0% of the common shares of Cosan as if it had occurred on May 1, 2006. See “Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Financial Information”.
Cosan acquired Açucareira Corona S.A., or “Corona”, Mundial Açúcar e Álcool S.A. and Usina Açucareira Bom Retiro S.A. and also increased its ownership in FBA—Franco Brasileira S.A. Açúcar e Álcool from 47.5% to 99.9% in fiscal year 2006. We also made other smaller acquisitions in fiscal year 2005 and fiscal year 2007. As a result, these acquisitions may affect the comparability of the financial information for the periods presented in this prospectus. See “Business—Acquisitions, Partnerships and Restructuring”. We have included in this prospectus Corona’s audited consolidated financial statements at January 31, 2006 and April 30, 2005, and for the nine months ended January 31, 2006 and for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2005, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
Fiscal Year
Our and Cosan’s fiscal year ends on April 30, which is the standard fiscal year end for ethanol and sugar companies in the Center-South region of Brazil. References in this prospectus to a particular fiscal year, such as “fiscal year 2007”, relate to the fiscal year ended on April 30 of that calendar year. However, for purposes of calculating income and social contribution taxes in accordance with Brazilian tax laws, the applicable year ends on December 31.
Market Data
We obtained market and competitive position data, including market forecasts, used throughout this prospectus from market research, publicly available information and industry publications, as well as internal surveys. We include data from reports prepared by LMC International Ltd., or “LMC”, the Central Bank of Brazil (Banco Central do Brasil), or the “Central Bank”, Sugarcane Agroindustry Association of the State of São Paulo (União da Agroindústria Canavieira de São Paulo), or “UNICA”, Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística), or “IBGE”, the National Traffic Agency (Departamento Nacional de Trânsito), or DENATRAN, the Brazilian Association of Vehicle Manufactures (Associação Nacional dos Fabricantes de Veículos Automotores), or “ANFAVEA”, Datagro Publicações Ltda., or “Datagro”, F.O. Licht, Czarnikow, Apoio e Vendas Procana Comunicações Ltda., the São Paulo Commodities
31
and Futures Exchange (Bolsa de Mercadorias e Futuros), or “BM&F”, the International Sugar Organization, the Brazilian National Economic and Social Development Bank (Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social), or “BNDES”, the New York Board of Trade, or NYBOT, the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange. We believe that all market data in this prospectus is reliable, accurate and complete.
Terms Used in this Prospectus
In this prospectus, we present information in gallons and liters. One gallon is equal to approximately 3.78 liters. In addition, we also present information in tons. In this prospectus, references to “ton” refer to the metric ton, which is equal to 1,000 kilograms.
All references in this prospectus to “TSR” are to total sugar recovered, which represents the total amount of sugar content in the sugarcane.
All references in this prospectus to “U.S. dollars,” “dollars” or “US$” are to U.S. dollars. All references to the “real”, “reais” or “R$” are to the Brazilian real, the official currency of Brazil.
Rounding
We have rounding adjustments to reach some of the figures included in this prospectus. Accordingly, numerical figures shown as totals in some tables may not be an arithmetic aggregation of the figures that preceded them.
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The total estimated net proceeds from our sale of class A common shares in the global offering, including class A common shares in the form of BDRs, will be approximately US$1,617 million (or US$1,860 million if the underwriters’ over-allotment options are exercised in full) after deducting underwriting discounts and estimated expenses of the global offering that are payable by us. This estimate of net proceeds is based on (1) an offering price of R$32.50 per common share, which is the closing price on the São Paulo Stock Exchange of the common shares of Cosan on July 27, 2007 and (2) the selling exchange rate of R$1.9069 to US$1.00, as reported by the Central Bank on July 27, 2007.
A substantial portion of the net proceeds from our sale of class A common shares will be advanced to Cosan in the form of intercompany loans, capital contributions or a combination thereof to fund the following projects:
| • | approximately US$650 million will be used for capital expenditures relating to an ethanol greenfield project in the State of Goiás, Center-South region of Brazil. We expect this greenfield project will start producing ethanol in fiscal year 2009 and reach full production in fiscal year 2012, with an expected crushing capacity of 10 million tons of sugarcane and total ethanol production of approximately 240 million gallons (900 million liters) per year; |
| • | approximately US$500 million will be used for capital expenditures relating to the expansion of existing facilities, which will add an estimated 10.6 million tons of additional crushing capacity by fiscal year 2012; |
| • | approximately US$325 million will be used for the development of our cogeneration systems for our Gasa, Univalem, Diamante, Ipaussu and Barra mills; |
| • | approximately US$100 million will be used to purchase mechanical harvesters for approximately 80% of the sugarcane we cultivate by fiscal year 2012, reducing production costs and emissions, and profiting from the non-burned extra biomass; |
| • | approximately US$50 million will be used to increase crop yields and enhance efficiency, as well to reduce production costs; and |
| • | approximately US$25 million will be used to invest in ten field stations that will be developed by CanaVialis S.A. to identify sugarcane varieties that can be cultivated in different regions of Brazil. |
Any remaining proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, which consist of future acquisitions and other investments in technology, infrastructure and logistics, through projects carried out by us directly or through our subsidiaries.
The following table summarizes the estimated sources and uses of proceeds from the global offering:
| Sources: |
Uses: | ||||||
| (in millions of US$) | |||||||
| Class A common shares offered in the global offering |
US$ | Greenfield project |
US$650.0 | ||||
| Expansion of existing facilities | 500.0 | ||||||
| Cogeneration | 325.0 | ||||||
| Acquisition of mechanical harvesters | 100.0 | ||||||
| Increase crop yields, enhance efficiency and reduce production costs |
50.0 | ||||||
| Ten field stations | 25.0 | ||||||
| General corporate purposes | |||||||
| Total sources of funds |
US$ | Total uses of funds |
US$ | ||||
In the event that the net proceeds from the global offering are less than US$1,650 million, we will fund the above projects using a combination of cash flows from operations, debt financings or, possibly, future equity offerings. These projects involve expenditures over a four-year period through fiscal year 2012. We believe that the net proceeds from the global offering, together with our sources of liquidity and capital resources, will be sufficient to fund these projects over this period.
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Prior to the global offering, no public market has existed for our class A common shares. Our class A common shares have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange. After pricing of the global offering, we expect that our class A common shares will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CZZ”.
We have also applied to list the BDRs representing our class A common shares on the São Paulo Stock Exchange. We expect that the BDRs representing our class A common shares will trade on the São Paulo Stock Exchange under the symbol “CZLT11”.
We cannot assure you that any active trading market will develop for our class A common shares, or that our class A common shares will trade in the public markets subsequent to the offering at or above the initial public offering price.
No public market has existed for our class B series 1 common shares, and no public market is expected to exist in the future for our class B series 1 common shares or any class B series 2 common shares.
Trading History of Cosan’s Common Shares
Prior to the global offering and the formation of our company, Cosan’s common shares have been listed on the Novo Mercado segment of the São Paulo Stock Exchange under the symbol “CSAN3”. Following conclusion of the corporate reorganization, it is possible that the common shares will have to be delisted from the Novo Mercado, but unless substantially all shareholders of Cosan accept our exchange offer, we do not expect to seek delisting from trading on the São Paulo Stock Exchange. See “Corporate Reorganization”.
The following information concerning the trading history of Cosan’s common shares is presented solely for informational purposes. This information should not be viewed as indicative of future sales prices for either our class A common shares on the New York Stock Exchange or BDRs representing our class A common shares on the São Paulo Stock Exchange. Actual future sales prices for our class A common shares and the BDRs are likely to be significantly different from the trading history of Cosan’s common shares.
The market information in the following tables has been restated to reflect the three-for-one share split of Cosan’s common shares on August 31, 2006.
The following table sets forth the high and low closing sales prices for Cosan’s common shares on the São Paulo Stock Exchange for the periods indicated.
| São Paulo Stock Exchange | ||||||
| (reais per common share) | ||||||
| High | Low | |||||
| Year |
||||||
| 2006 |
R$ | 60.17 | R$ | 22.67 | ||
| 2007(through July 27, 2007) |
47.15 | 30.70 | ||||
| Quarter |
||||||
| First Quarter 2006 |
49.47 | 22.67 | ||||
| Second Quarter 2006 |
60.17 | 38.83 | ||||
| Third Quarter 2006 |
50.67 | 27.80 | ||||
| Fourth Quarter 2006 |
44.70 | 32.92 | ||||
| First Quarter 2007 |
47.15 | 36.38 | ||||
| Second Quarter 2007 |
44.00 | 31.01 | ||||
| Third Quarter 2007 (through July 27, 2007) |
35.50 | 30.70 | ||||
(footnotes on next page)
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| São Paulo Stock Exchange | ||||||
| (reais per common share) | ||||||
| High | Low | |||||
| Month |
||||||
| January 2007 |
R$ | 47.15 | R$ | 36.70 | ||
| February 2007 |
42.95 | 37.20 | ||||
| March 2007 |
40.10 | 36.38 | ||||
| April 2007 |
44.00 | 37.00 | ||||
| May 2007 |
42.30 | 37.98 | ||||
| June 2007 |
39.66 | 31.01 | ||||
| July 2007 (through July 27, 2007) |
35.50 | 30.70 | ||||
Source: São Paulo Stock Exchange.
The following table sets forth the average daily trading volumes for Cosan’s common shares on the São Paulo Stock Exchange for the periods indicated.
| Average Daily Trading Volume | ||
| Quarter |
||
| First Quarter 2006 |
29,697,471 | |
| Second Quarter 2006 |
33,532,784 | |
| Third Quarter 2006 |
36,128,807 | |
| Fourth Quarter 2006 |
31,360,440 | |
| First Quarter 2007 |
37,886,100 | |
| Second Quarter 2007 |
49,236,865 | |
| Third Quarter (through July 27, 2007) |
34,727,692 |
Source: São Paulo Stock Exchange.
On July 27, 2007, the last reported closing sale price of Cosan’s common shares on the São Paulo Stock Exchange was R$32.50 (US$17.04) per share.
Trading on the São Paulo Stock Exchange
The BDRs will be traded only in the secondary market of the São Paulo Stock Exchange, and private trading will not be permitted. The CVM and the São Paulo Stock Exchange have discretionary authority to suspend trading in shares of a particular issuer under certain circumstances. Trading in securities listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange may be effected off the exchanges in the over-the-counter market in certain limited circumstances. The shares of all companies listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange, including the Novo Mercado and Level 1 and Level 2 companies, are traded together. Settlement of transactions occurs three business days after the trade date. Delivery of and payment for shares are made through the facilities of separate clearing houses for each exchange, which maintain accounts for member brokerage firms. The seller is ordinarily required to deliver the shares to the clearing house on the second business day following the trade date. The clearing house for the São Paulo Stock Exchange is the Companhia Brasileira de Liquidação e Custódia, or “CBLC”. In order to reduce volatility, the São Paulo Stock Exchange has adopted a “circuit breaker” system pursuant to which trading sessions may be suspended for a period of 30 minutes or one hour whenever specified indices of the São Paulo Stock Exchange fall below the limits of 10% and 15%, respectively, in relation to the index levels for the previous trading session.
Although the Brazilian equity market is the largest in Latin America in terms of capitalization, it is smaller and less liquid than the major U.S. and European securities markets. The São Paulo Stock Exchange is
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significantly less liquid than the New York Stock Exchange, or other major exchanges in the world. As of December 31, 2006, the aggregate market capitalization of the 394 companies listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange was equivalent to approximately R$1,545 billion (US$722.6 billion) and the 10 largest companies listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange represented 51.3% of the total market capitalization of all listed companies. In contrast, at December 31, 2006, the aggregate market capitalization of the 2,764 companies listed on the NYSE was approximately US$25.0 trillion and the 10 largest companies listed on the NYSE represented approximately 10.2% of the total market capitalization of all listed companies. Although any of the outstanding shares of a listed company may trade on the São Paulo Stock Exchange, in most cases fewer than half of the listed shares are actually available for trading by the public, the remainder being held by small groups of controlling persons, by government entities or by one principal shareholder. The relative volatility and illiquidity of the Brazilian securities markets may negatively impact the market price of the BDRs representing our class A common shares.
Trading on the São Paulo Stock Exchange by a holder not deemed to be domiciled in Brazil for Brazilian tax and regulatory purposes, or by a non-Brazilian holder, is subject to certain limitations under Brazilian foreign investment regulation. With limited exceptions, non-Brazilian holders that invest in Brazil under the terms of Conselho Monetário Nacional (National Monetary Council), or “CMN” Resolution No. 2,689 of January 26, 2000, as amended, or CMN Resolution No. 2,689, may trade on Brazilian stock exchanges or Brazilian organized and authorized over-the-counter markets, and must restrict their securities trading to transactions on such markets. With limited exceptions, non-Brazilian holders may not transfer the ownership of investments made under CMN Resolution No. 2,689 to other non-Brazilian holders through a private transaction. CMN Resolution No. 2,689 requires that securities held by non-Brazilian holders be maintained in the custody of, or in deposit accounts with, financial institutions and be registered with a clearing house. Such financial institutions and clearing houses must be duly authorized to act as such by the Central Bank and the CVM. See “Regulation of Brazilian Securities Markets”.
Regulation of Brazilian Securities Markets
The Brazilian securities markets are principally governed by Law No. 6,385, of December 7, 1976, and by Law No. 6,404 of December 15, 1976, or “Brazilian corporate law”, each as amended and supplemented, and by regulations issued by the CVM, which has authority over stock exchanges and the securities markets generally; the CMN; and the Central Bank of Brazil, or “Central Bank”, which has, among other powers, licensing authority over brokerage firms and regulates foreign investment and foreign exchange transactions. These laws and regulations, among others, provide for licensing and oversight of brokerage firms, governance of the Brazilian stock exchanges, disclosure requirements applicable to issuers of traded securities, restrictions on price manipulation and protection of minority shareholders. They also provide for restrictions on insider trading. However, the Brazilian securities markets are not as highly regulated and supervised as the U.S. securities markets or securities markets in some other jurisdictions.
Any trades or transfers of the BDRs representing our class A common shares by our officers and directors, our controlling shareholders or any of the officers and directors of our controlling shareholders must comply with the regulations issued by the CVM. Under Brazilian corporate law, a Brazilian corporation is either publicly held (companhia aberta), as Cosan is, or closely held (companhia fechada). All publicly held companies are registered with the CVM and are subject to reporting requirements. Additionally, non-Brazilian companies sponsors of BDR programs are also registered with the CVM and, to the extent permitted by the respective applicable laws and regulations, are also subject to reporting requirements.
A company registered with the CVM may trade its securities either in stock exchanges or in the Brazilian over-the-counter market. The common shares issued by Cosan are listed on the Novo Mercado segment of the São Paulo Stock Exchange. We have applied to list the BDRs representing our class A common shares on the São Paulo Stock Exchange. The trading of securities of a listed company on the São Paulo Stock Exchange may be suspended at the request of such company in anticipation of a material announcement. Trading may also be
36
suspended on the initiative of the São Paulo Stock Exchange or the CVM, based on or due to, among other reasons, a belief that a company has provided inadequate information regarding a material event or has provided inadequate responses to inquiries by the CVM or the São Paulo Stock Exchange.
The Brazilian over-the-counter market consists of direct trades between individuals in which a financial institution registered with the CVM serves as intermediary. No special application, other than registration with the CVM, is necessary for securities of a publicly held company to be traded in this market. The CVM requires that it be given notice of all trades carried out in the Brazilian over-the-counter market by the respective intermediaries.
Investment in BDRs by Non-Residents of Brazil
Investors residing outside Brazil, including institutional investors, are authorized to purchase equity instruments, including BDRs, on a Brazilian stock exchange, provided that they comply with the registration requirements set forth in CMN Resolution No. 2,689 and CVM Instruction No. 325. With certain limited exceptions, CMN Resolution No. 2,689 investors are permitted to carry out any type of transaction in the Brazilian financial and capital markets involving a security traded on a stock, futures or organized and authorized over-the-counter market. Investments and remittances outside Brazil of gains, dividends, profits or other payments under our BDRs are made through the exchange markets and are subject to restrictions under foreign investment regulations which generally require, among other things, registration with the Central Bank and the CVM. In order to subscribe BDRs through the foreign exchange market, under the CMN Resolution No. 2,689, an investor residing outside Brazil must:
| • | appoint at least one representative in Brazil with powers to take actions relating to the investment; |
| • | appoint an authorized custodian in Brazil for the investments, which must be a financial institution duly authorized by the Central Bank and the CVM; and |
| • | through its representative, register itself as a foreign investor with the CVM and register the investment with the Central Bank. |
Securities and other financial assets held by foreign investors pursuant to CMN Resolution No. 2,689 must be registered or maintained in deposit accounts or under the custody of an entity duly licensed by the Central Bank or the CVM. In addition, securities trading by foreign investors are generally restricted to transactions on the Brazilian stock exchanges and organized over-the-counter markets involving securities listed for trading in such markets.
Additionally, an investor operating under the provisions of CMN Resolution No. 2,689 must be registered with the Brazilian Taxpayers’ Registry, managed by the Brazilian Federal Revenue Office (Receita Federal do Brasil), pursuant to its Instruction No. 568. For information on certain possible Brazilian tax effects on the sale of our BDRs, see “Risk Factors”.
37
Until March 4, 2005, there were two legal foreign exchange markets in Brazil, the commercial rate exchange market, or “Commercial Market”, and the floating rate exchange market, or “Floating Market”. The Commercial Market was reserved primarily for foreign trade transactions and transactions that generally required prior approval from Brazilian monetary authorities, such as registered investments by foreign persons and related remittances of funds abroad (including the payment of principal and interest on loans, notes, bonds and other debt instruments denominated in foreign currencies and registered with the Central Bank). The Floating Market rate generally applied to specific transactions for which Central Bank approval was not required. Both the Commercial Market rate and the Floating Market rate were reported by the Central Bank on a daily basis.
On March 4, 2005, the Central Bank issued Resolution No. 3,265, providing for several changes in Brazilian foreign exchange regulation, including: (1) the unification of the foreign exchange markets into a single exchange market; (2) the easing of several rules for acquisition of foreign currency by Brazilian residents; and (3) the extension of the term for converting foreign currency derived from Brazilian exports. It is expected that the Central Bank will issue further regulations in relation to foreign exchange transactions, as well as on payments and transfers of Brazilian currency between Brazilian residents and non-residents (such transfers being commonly known as the “international transfers of reais”), including those made through the so-called non-resident accounts (also known as CC5 accounts). The Central Bank has allowed the real to float freely since January 15, 1999. Since the beginning of 2001, the Brazilian exchange market has been increasingly volatile, and, until early 2003, the value of the real declined relative to the U.S. dollar, primarily due to financial and political instability in Brazil and Argentina. According to the Central Bank, in 2004, 2005 and 2006, however, the real appreciated in relation to the U.S. dollar by 8.8%, 13.4% and 9.5%, respectively. Although the Central Bank has intervened occasionally to control unstable movements in the foreign exchange rates, the exchange market may continue to be volatile as a result of this instability or other factors, and, therefore, the real may substantially decline or appreciate in value in relation to the U.S. dollar in the future.
The following tables set forth the exchange rate, expressed in reais per U.S. dollar (R$/US$) for the periods indicated, as reported by the Central Bank.
| Period-end | Average for Period |
Low | High | |||||||||
| (reais per U.S. dollar) | ||||||||||||
| Fiscal Year Ended: |
||||||||||||
| R$ | 2.3625 | R$ | 2.4522 | R$ | 2.1957 | R$ | 2.8007 | |||||
| 2.8898 | 3.2648 | 2.3770 | 3.9552 | |||||||||
| 2.9447 | 2.9108 | 2.8022 | 3.0740 | |||||||||
| 2.5313 | 2.8450 | 2.5195 | 3.2051 | |||||||||
| 2.0892 | 2.2841 | 2.0892 | 2.5146 | |||||||||
| 2.0339 | 2.1468 | 2.0231 | 2.3711 | |||||||||
| Month Ended: |
||||||||||||
| January 2007 |
2.1247 | 2.1385 | 2.1247 | 2.1556 | ||||||||
| February 2007 |
2.1182 | 2.0963 | 2.0776 | 2.1182 | ||||||||
| March 2007 |
2.0504 | 2.0887 | 2.0504 | 2.1388 | ||||||||
| April 2007 |
2.0339 | 2.0320 | 2.0231 | 2.0478 | ||||||||
| May 2007 |
1.9289 | 1.9816 | 1.9289 | 2.0309 | ||||||||
| June 2007 |
1.9262 | 1.9319 | 1.9047 | 1.9638 | ||||||||
| July 2007 (through July 27, 2007) |
1.9069 | 1.8832 | 1.8448 | 1.9176 | ||||||||
Source: Central Bank.
Exchange rate fluctuation will affect the U.S. dollar equivalent of the market price of our BDRs on the São Paulo Stock Exchange, as well as the U.S. dollar value of any distributions we receive from our subsidiary Cosan, which will be made in reais. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Brazil”.
38
At April 30, 2007, we had a pro forma consolidated net tangible book value of US$4.92 per common share. Pro forma net tangible book value represents the amount of our pro forma consolidated total assets less pro forma consolidated total liabilities, divided by 96,332,044, the total number of our common shares that would have been outstanding at April 30, 2007. Pro forma net tangible book value gives effect to the contribution by Aguassanta and Costa Pinto of 51.0% of Cosan’s outstanding common shares in exchange for class B series 1 common shares of our company and the related adjustments as described under “Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Financial Information”. After giving effect to the sale by us of 100,000,000 class A common shares including class A common shares in the form of BDRs, based on (1) the closing price on the São Paulo Stock Exchange of the common shares of Cosan on July 27, 2007 of R$32.50 per common share and (2) the selling exchange rate of R$1.9069 to US$1.00, as reported by the Central Bank on July 27, 2007, and after deduction of underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value estimated at April 30, 2007 would have been approximately US$10.66 per class A common share. This represents an immediate increase in pro forma net tangible book value of US$5.74 per class A common share to existing shareholders and an immediate dilution in pro forma net tangible book value of US$6.38 per class A common share to purchasers of class A common shares in the global offering. Dilution for this purpose represents the difference between the price per class A common share paid by these purchasers and pro forma net tangible book value per class A common share immediately after the completion of the global offering.
The following table illustrates this dilution of US$6.38 per class A common share to purchasers of class A common shares in the global offering:
| Assumed initial public offering price per class A common share |
US$ | 17.04 | ||
| Pro forma net tangible book value per common share at April 30, 2007 |
4.92 | |||
| Increase in pro forma net tangible book value per common share to existing investors |
5.74 | |||
| Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per common share after the global offering |
10.66 | |||
| Dilution per class A common share of new investors |
US$ | 6.38 | ||
| Percentage of dilution in pro forma net tangible book value per class A common share for new investors(1) |
37.5 | % | ||
| (1) | Percentage of dilution for new investors is calculated by dividing the dilution per class A common share of new investors by the price of the offering. |
39
The following table sets forth our consolidated short-term debt and capitalization at April 30, 2007: (1) on an actual basis at April 30, 2007; (2) on a pro forma basis to give effect to the contribution by Aguassanta and Costa Pinto of 51.0% of Cosan’s outstanding common shares in exchange for class B series 1 common shares of our company and the related adjustments as described under “Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Financial Information”; and (3) on an as adjusted basis to reflect the issuance and sale of 100,000,000 class A common shares in the global offering. The adjustments are based on (1) the closing price on the São Paulo Stock Exchange of the common shares of Cosan on July 27, 2007 of R$32.50 per common shares and (2) the selling exchange rate of R$1.9069 to US$1.00, as reported by the Central Bank on July 27, 2007. Based on these assumptions, we expect to receive total estimated net proceeds of approximately US$1,617 million, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and estimated expenses of the offering that are payable by us.
You should read this table in conjunction with the information under “Selected Financial and Other Data”, “Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Financial Information”, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in this prospectus.
| At April 30, 2007 | |||||||||
| Actual(1) | Pro Forma | As Adjusted | |||||||
| (in millions of US$) | |||||||||
| Total short-term debt(2) |
US$ | — | US$ | 36.1 | US$ | 36.1 | |||
| Total long-term debt |
US$ | — | US$ | 1,342.5 | US$ | 1,342.5 | |||
| Shareholders’ equity: |
|||||||||
| Common shares, 1,000,000,000 class A common shares, par value $.01 per share, authorized and no such shares issued and outstanding at April 30, 2007, and pro forma; and 100,000,000, as adjusted; and 188,886,360 class B common shares, par value $.01 per share, authorized and no such shares issued and outstanding at April 30, 2007; and 96,332,044, pro forma and as adjusted |
— | 473.6 | 2,090.7 | ||||||
| Additional paid-in capital |
— | — | — | ||||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive income |
— | — | — | ||||||
| Retained earnings (losses) |
— | — | — | ||||||
| Total shareholders’ equity(3) |
— | 473.6 | 2,090.7 | ||||||
| Total capitalization(3)(4) |
US$ | — | US$ | 1,816.1 | US$ | 3,433.2 | |||
| (1) | Cosan Limited was incorporated on April 30, 2007. |
| (2) | Includes current portion of long-term debt (loans, financing and debentures). |
| (3) | Each US$1.00 increase (decrease) in the offering price per common share would increase (decrease) our total capitalization and shareholders’ equity by approximately US$100.0 million. |
| (4) | Total capitalization consists of total long-term debt (loans, financing and debentures) plus total shareholders’ equity. |
The amounts in the above table do not give effect to the exchange offer, which is expected to be launched following completion of the global offering.
40
SELECTED FINANCIAL AND OTHER DATA
The following table presents selected historical financial and operating data for Cosan. You should read the following information in conjunction with Cosan’s audited consolidated financial statements and related notes, and the information under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included in this prospectus.
See “Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Financial Information” for financial information reflecting our consolidated financial information, to give effect to our incorporation and the contribution of 51.0% of the common shares of Cosan as if it had occurred on May 1, 2006.
U.S. GAAP
The financial data at April 30, 2007 and 2006 and for each of the three fiscal years in the period ended April 30, 2007 has been derived from Cosan’s audited consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP included in this prospectus. The balance sheet data at April 30, 2005 has been derived from Cosan’s audited consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, not included in this prospectus.
| For Fiscal Year Ended April 30, | ||||||||||||
| 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | ||||||||||
| (in millions of US$) | ||||||||||||
| Statement of Operations Data: |
||||||||||||
| Net sales |
US$ | 1,679.1 | US$ | 1,096.6 | US$ | 644.4 | ||||||
| Sugar |
1,031.7 | 660.5 | 415.8 | |||||||||
| Ethanol |
551.5 | 378.4 | 178.4 | |||||||||
| Other products and services |
95.8 | 57.8 | 50.1 | |||||||||
| Cost of goods sold |
(1,191.3 | ) | (796.3 | ) | (456.6 | ) | ||||||
| Gross profit |
487.8 | 300.3 | 187.8 | |||||||||
| Selling expenses |
(133.8 | ) | (97.8 | ) | (57.8 | ) | ||||||
| General and administrative expenses |
(121.1 | ) | (72.0 | ) | (40.0 | ) | ||||||
| Operating income |
232.9 | 130.5 | 90.0 | |||||||||
| Other income (expenses): |
||||||||||||
| Financial income |
555.6 | 186.5 | 76.8 | |||||||||
| Financial expenses |
(266.2 | ) | (413.1 | ) | (115.9 | ) | ||||||
| Other income (expenses) |
16.3 | (5.5 | ) | (16.4 | ) | |||||||
| Income (loss) before income taxes, equity in income of affiliates and minority interest |
538.5 | (101.6 | ) | 34.5 | ||||||||
| Income taxes (expense)/benefit |
(188.8 | ) | 29.7 | (14.9 | ) | |||||||
| Income (loss) before equity in income of affiliates and minority interest |
349.7 | (71.8 | ) | 19.6 | ||||||||
| Equity in income of affiliates |
— | 1.6 | 3.4 | |||||||||
| Minority interest in net (income) loss of subsidiaries |
(3.2 | ) | (2.6 | ) | (0.4 | ) | ||||||
| Net income (loss) |
US$ | 346.5 | US$ | (72.8 | ) | US$ | 22.7 | |||||
41
| At and for Fiscal Year Ended April 30, | ||||||||||||
| 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | ||||||||||
| (in millions of US$, except as otherwise indicated) | ||||||||||||
| Balance Sheet Data: |
||||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents |
US$ | 316.5 | US$ | 29.2 | US$ | 13.2 | ||||||
| Marketable securities |
281.9 | 368.8 | 2.0 | |||||||||
| Inventories |
247.5 | 187.2 | 122.2 | |||||||||
| Property, plant, and equipment, net |
1,194.1 | 1,008.1 | 401.8 | |||||||||
| Goodwill |
491.9 | 497.9 | 166.6 | |||||||||
| Total assets |
3,253.4 | 2,691.8 | 960.2 | |||||||||
| Current liabilities |
274.2 | 397.1 | 207.8 | |||||||||
| Estimated liability for legal proceedings and labor claims |
379.2 | 462.2 | 101.7 | |||||||||
| Long-term debt |
1,342.5 | 941.7 | 314.7 | |||||||||
| Minority interest in consolidated subsidiaries |
8.5 | 4.9 | 0.5 | |||||||||
| Total shareholders’ equity |
US$ | 928.7 | US$ | 577.0 | US$ | 190.3 | ||||||
| Other Financial and Operating Data: |
||||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization |
US$ | 187.4 | US$ | 98.6 | US$ | 41.7 | ||||||
| EBITDA(1) |
433.3 | 222.7 | 118.4 | |||||||||
| EBITDA margin(2) |
25.8 | 20.3 | 18.4 | |||||||||
| Net debt(3) |
697.9 | 517.4 | 287.0 | |||||||||
| Net debt/EBITDA(4) |
1.6 | 2.3 | 2.4 | |||||||||
| Working capital(5) |
865.3 | 563.2 | 84.7 | |||||||||
| Cash flow provided by (used in): |
||||||||||||
| Operating activities |
284.0 | 86.0 | 7.6 | |||||||||
| Investing activities |
(251.6 | ) | (825.5 | ) | (62.7 | ) | ||||||
| Financing activities |
US$ | 222.8 | US$ | 725.9 | US$ | 33.6 | ||||||
| Crushed sugarcane (in million tons) |
36.2 | 27.9 | 24.3 | |||||||||
| Own sugarcane (in million tons) |
21.6 | 17.2 | 15.0 | |||||||||
| Growers sugarcane (in million tons) |
14.5 | 10.7 | 9.3 | |||||||||
| Sugar production (in thousand tons) |
3,182.3 | 2,328.4 | 2,121.5 | |||||||||
| Ethanol production (in million liters) |
1,236.6 | 915.0 | 741.3 | |||||||||
| (1) | We define and calculate EBITDA using the line items contained in our statement of operations and statement of cash-flows as follows: net income (loss) plus depreciation and amortization less financial income plus financial expenses plus/less income taxes expense (benefit). |
We believe that the presentation of EBITDA and EBITDA margin provides useful information to investors regarding our operational performance because it enhances an investor’s overall understanding of the financial performance and prospects of our business. Our management uses EBITDA and EBITDA margin as one of the primary measures for planning and forecasting in future periods, including for purposes of analyzing the operating performance of our business from period-to-period without the effect of expenses and gains (losses) that are unrelated to the day-to-day performance of our business.
We use EBITDA as a supplemental measure of financial performance as well as of our ability to generate cash from operations. EBITDA, which is not a U.S. GAAP measure, does not have a standardized meaning, and our definition of EBITDA may not be comparable to EBITDA as used by other companies. We understand that although EBITDA is frequently used by securities analysts, lenders and others in their evaluation of companies, EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and should not be considered in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under U.S. GAAP. These limitations include the following:
| • | EBITDA does not reflect our cash expenditures, or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments; |
(footnotes continued on next page)
42
| • | EBITDA does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs; |
| • | EBITDA does not include income taxes, which are a necessary and ongoing cost of our operations; |
| • | EBITDA does not reflect the significant interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on our debts; |
| • | Although depreciation is a non-cash charge, the assets being depreciated will often have to be replaced in the future, and EBITDA does not, therefore, reflect any cash requirements for such replacements; and |
| • | EBITDA can be affected by the lease rather than purchase of fixed assets. |
The following table is an unaudited reconciliation of EBITDA to our net income (loss):
| For Fiscal Year Ended April 30, | ||||||||||||
| 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | ||||||||||
| (in millions of US$) | ||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) |
US$ | 346.5 | US$ | (72.8 | ) | US$ | 22.7 | |||||
| Depreciation and amortization |
187.4 | 98.6 | 41.7 | |||||||||
| Financial income |
(555.6 | ) | (186.5 | ) | (76.8 | ) | ||||||
| Financial expenses |
266.2 | 413.1 | 115.9 | |||||||||
| Income taxes expense (benefit) |
188.8 | (29.7 | ) | 14.9 | ||||||||
| EBITDA |
US$ | 433.3 | US$ | 222.7 | US$ | 118.4 | ||||||
The following table is an unaudited reconciliation of EBITDA to our cash flows:
| For Fiscal Year Ended April 30, | ||||||||||||
| 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | ||||||||||
| (in millions of US$) | ||||||||||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities |
US$ | 284.0 | US$ | 86.0 | US$ | 7.6 | ||||||
| Increase/decrease in operating assets and liabilities |
342.8 | (70.4 | ) | 72.8 | ||||||||
| Current income and social contribution taxes |
38.6 | 23.3 | 17.2 | |||||||||
| Minority interest in net income of subsidiaries |
(3.2 | ) | (2.6 | ) | (0.4 | ) | ||||||
| Other financial expenses |
(228.9 | ) | 186.4 | 21.2 | ||||||||
| EBITDA |
US$ | 433.3 | US$ | 222.7 | US$ | 118.4 | ||||||
| (2) | EBITDA divided by net sales. |
| (3) | Net debt consists of current and non-current long-term debt, net of cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities and CTNs (Brazilian Treasury bills) recorded in the financial statements as other non-current assets. Net debt is not a U.S. GAAP measurement. |
| (4) | Net debt/EBITDA is net debt at a particular date divided by EBITDA for the twelve months ended at that date. We believe the presentation of net debt and net debt/EBITDA provides useful information to investors regarding our liquidity position because it enhances an investor’s overall understanding of our ability to service our debt obligations. |
| (5) | Working capital consists of current assets less current liabilities. |
Brazilian GAAP
The following table presents consolidated financial data for Cosan at and for the years ended April 30, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003, prepared in accordance with Brazilian GAAP, which differs in significant respects from U.S. GAAP. The financial data have been derived from Cosan’s audited consolidated financial statements not included in this prospectus.
43
The historical financial information presented below is Cosan’s consolidated financial information prepared in Brazilian reais in accordance with Brazilian GAAP.
| For Fiscal Year Ended April 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | 2007(8) | 2006(8) | 2005(8) | 2004(8) | 2003(8) | |||||||||||||||||||
| (in millions of US$)(1) |
(in millions of R$) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statement of Operations Data: |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net operating revenue |
US$ | 1,772.4 | R$ | 3,605.1 | R$ | 2,477.9 | R$ | 1,900.4 | R$ | 1,586.1 | R$ | 1,409.6 | ||||||||||||
| Cost of goods sold and services rendered |
(1,219.9 | ) | (2,481.1 | ) | (1,721.3 | ) | (1,338.5 | ) | (1,078.9 | ) | (873.3 | ) | ||||||||||||
| Gross profit |
552.6 | 1,123.9 | 756.6 | 561.8 | 507.1 | 536.3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operating (expenses) income: |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selling expenses |
(138.7 | ) | (282.0 | ) | (217.1 | ) | (171.7 | ) | (144.3 | ) | (113.7 | ) | ||||||||||||
| General and administrative expenses(2) |
(121.0 | ) | (246.2 | ) | (150.0 | ) | (121.9 | ) | (111.7 | ) | (100.0 | ) | ||||||||||||
| Financial expenses, net |
77.7 | 158.0 | (245.2 | ) | (102.0 | ) | (132.1 | ) | (170.9 | ) | ||||||||||||||
| Earnings on equity investments |
(0.0 | ) | (0.1 | ) | 0.6 | — | 7.9 | 16.8 | ||||||||||||||||
| Goodwill amortization |
(110.0 | ) | (223.7 | ) | (142.8 | ) | (93.2 | ) | (140.6 | ) | (30.0 | ) | ||||||||||||
| Other operating income (expenses), net |
17.4 | 35.3 | (11.8 | ) | (39.7 | ) | 2.3 | (24.4 | ) | |||||||||||||||
| Expenses from placement of shares |
— | — | (52.8 | ) | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating income (loss) |
277.9 | 565.3 | (62.5 | ) | 33.3 | (11.4 | ) | 114.1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Non-operating result |
1.0 | 2.0 | (1.0 | ) | 2.7 | 52.6 | (23.5 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
| Income (loss) before income and social contribution taxes |
278.9 | 567.3 | (63.5 | ) | 36.0 | 41.2 | 90.6 | |||||||||||||||||
| Income and social contribution taxes |
(100.2 | ) | (203.9 | ) | 5.8 | (22.2 | ) | (7.8 | ) | (80.9 | ) | |||||||||||||
| Income (loss) before minority interest |
178.7 | 363.4 | (57.7 | ) | 13.8 | 33.4 | 9.7 | |||||||||||||||||
| Minority shareholders’ interest |
(3.0 | ) | (6.2 | ) | (6.9 | ) | 3.3 | (1.0 | ) | 15.8 | ||||||||||||||
| Net income (loss) |
US$ | 175.7 | R$ | 357.3 | R$ | (64.6 | ) | R$ | 17.1 | R$ | 32.3 | R$ | 25.5 | |||||||||||
| At April 30, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | 2007(8) | 2006(8) | 2005(8) | 2004(8) | 2003(8) | |||||||||||||||||||
| (in millions of US$)(1) |
(in millions of R$) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance Sheet Data: |
||||||||||||||||||||||||