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Acquisitions and Dispositions
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2023
Acquisitions and Dispositions  
Acquisitions and Dispositions

4.     Acquisitions and Dispositions

Aerospace

In the third quarter of 2023, Ball entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (Agreement) with BAE Systems, Inc. (BAE) and, for the limited purposes set forth therein, BAE Systems plc, to sell all of the outstanding equity interests in Ball’s aerospace business to BAE for a purchase price of approximately $5.6 billion in cash, which sale, if consummated, would result in an estimated $4.5 billion in after-tax proceeds and an estimated pre-tax gain in excess of $4.5 billion. These estimates are subject to customary closing adjustments to the purchase price under the terms of the Agreement. The closing of the transaction is subject to the approvals, clearances, or waiting period expirations or terminations required under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, and from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, among other regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions. As of September 30, 2023, we are in the process of seeking such regulatory approvals, clearances, and waiting period expirations or terminations but cannot yet assert that it is probable that such approvals, clearances, and waiting period expirations or terminations will be obtained or the other closing conditions will be satisfied. Due to these conditions, as of September 30, 2023, Ball’s aerospace business does not meet the requirements for held for sale presentation in Ball’s consolidated financial statements.

Russia

In the first quarter of 2022, the company announced that it was pursuing the sale of its aluminum beverage packaging business located in Russia. In the second quarter of 2022, Ball experienced deteriorating conditions and determined this constituted a triggering event for its Russian long-lived asset group. As a result, Ball recorded an impairment loss of $435 million during the second quarter of 2022. In the third quarter of 2022, the company completed the sale of its Russian aluminum beverage packaging business for total cash consideration of $530 million and recorded a gain on disposal of $222 million. When considering the impairment loss recorded during the second quarter 2022 of $435 million, the impairment loss net of gain on the sale of the Russian business was $213 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, and for the year ended December 31, 2022. The impairment loss in the second quarter and the gain on sale in the third quarter were recorded in business consolidation and other activities in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of earnings. Cash proceeds from the sale of $455 million, net of the cash on the disposed business, were received in the third quarter of 2022 and were presented in business dispositions, net of cash sold, in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, and in the consolidated statements of cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2022.

In connection with this sale, Ball entered into a call option agreement that is contingently exercisable between September 2025 and September 2032, and if it becomes exercisable, will provide Ball the right to repurchase the business subject to the status of sanctions and certain other contingencies outside of Ball’s control. The option price, if exercised, would provide a customary compounded annual rate of return to the purchaser based on defined cash flows associated with the purchase and operation of the business from the purchase date through the exercise date of the option. Because the option strike price could limit the residual returns generated by the purchaser, if exercised, the option represents a variable interest retained by Ball in the Russian business. Based on the terms of the option relative to current market conditions in Russia, we determined that the option had an immaterial value at the date of sale. Neither the option nor any other terms in the sales agreement resulted in Ball being the primary beneficiary of the business and, therefore, it was deconsolidated.

Ball Metalpack Investment

During the first quarter of 2022, Ball sold its remaining 49 percent owned equity method investment in Ball Metalpack to Sonoco, a global provider of consumer, industrial, healthcare and protective packaging, for total consideration of approximately $298 million, all of which was received in cash in the first quarter of 2022. Ball’s carrying value of the investment before the sale was zero; therefore, a gain from the sale of $298 million was reported in business consolidation and other activities in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of earnings. Cash proceeds of $298 million related to the sale are presented in business dispositions, net of cash sold, in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of cash flows.

Ball also received proceeds from Ball Metalpack for the repayment of an outstanding promissory note and accrued interest of approximately $16 million, which was recorded as a gain in business consolidation and other activities in the unaudited condensed consolidated statements of earnings.