Li-Cycle Announces Launch of Proposed Underwritten Public Offering

Rhea-AI Summary

Li-Cycle Holdings (NYSE: LICY) has announced the launch of an underwritten public offering in the United States. The offering consists of units comprising common shares (or pre-funded warrants) and warrants to purchase common shares. Aegis Capital Corp will serve as the sole book-running manager and will receive a 45-day option to purchase up to 15% additional common shares and warrants to cover over-allotments.

The company plans to use the net proceeds for working capital and general corporate purposes. While the common shares trade on NYSE under 'LICY', the offered warrants and pre-funded warrants will not be listed on any exchange. The offering is subject to market conditions, with no guarantee of completion or final terms.

Positive

• Potential strengthening of working capital position
• Flexible funding structure with both shares and warrants

Negative

• Potential dilution for existing shareholders
• Warrants will not be listed on any exchange, reducing their liquidity
• Uncertainty regarding the size and terms of the offering

Insights

Investment Banking Analyst

This equity offering represents a critical financing event for Li-Cycle, carrying significant implications for existing shareholders. The structure combining common shares with warrants suggests a dilutive impact on current stockholders, while the pre-funded warrants option indicates flexibility in the offering's structure to accommodate different investor preferences.

The firm commitment underwriting by Aegis Capital reduces execution risk, but the absence of pricing details and size raises concerns about the potential dilution magnitude. The timing of this capital raise, with Li-Cycle's market cap at approximately $46.2 million, points to urgent working capital needs. The inclusion of warrants, which won't be listed on any exchange, typically indicates challenging market conditions for raising straight equity.

The shelf registration's recent effectiveness (March 2024) suggests this offering was planned as part of a broader capital strategy. The over-allotment option of 15% provides additional flexibility but could further pressure the stock price if exercised.

Financial Risk Analyst

The announcement signals concerning liquidity pressures at Li-Cycle. Pursuing a public offering with both common shares and warrants, typically viewed as a less favorable financing structure, indicates alternatives for capital raising. The working capital designation for proceeds use, rather than growth initiatives, suggests defensive financial positioning.

Key risk factors include:

• Potential significant dilution to existing shareholders
• Warrant overhang potentially pressuring future stock performance
• Timing coinciding with a notably low market capitalization

The combination of these elements points to a company facing financial constraints, which could impact its operational stability and market position in the battery recycling sector.

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. (NYSE: LICY) ("Li-Cycle" or the "Company"), a leading global lithium-ion battery resource recovery company, today announced that it has commenced an underwritten public offering in the United States (the “Offering”) to offer and sell units consisting of (i) common shares (or pre-funded warrants in lieu thereof) and (ii) warrants to purchase common shares.

In addition, the Company expects to grant Aegis Capital Corp. a 45-day option to purchase additional common shares and/or warrants representing up to 15% of the total common shares and up to 15% of the total warrants sold in the Offering solely to cover over-allotments, if any.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.

The Company’s common shares trade on the NYSE under the symbol “LICY”. The offered warrants and pre-funded warrants, if any, will not be listed on any exchange. The Offering is subject to market and other conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the Offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the Offering.

Aegis Capital Corp. is acting as the sole book-running manager for the Offering on a firm commitment basis. Freshfields US LLP is acting as counsel to the Company. Sichenzia Ross Ference Carmel LLP is acting as counsel to Aegis Capital Corp.

The Offering is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-278010) previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (‘SEC”) and declared effective by the SEC on March 29, 2024. A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus describing the terms of the Offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website located at www.sec.gov. Electronic copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be obtained, when available, by contacting Aegis Capital Corp., Attention: Syndicate Department, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, 27th floor, New York, NY 10105, by email at syndicate@aegiscap.com, or by telephone at +1 (212) 813-1010. Before investing in the Offering, interested parties should read in their entirety the registration statement, preliminary prospectus supplement, accompanying prospectus, and the other documents that the Company has filed with the SEC that are incorporated by therein, which provide more information about the Company and the Offering.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Li-Cycle Holdings Corp.

Li-Cycle (NYSE: LICY) is a leading global lithium-ion battery resource recovery company. Established in 2016, and with major customers and partners around the world, Li-Cycle’s mission is to recover critical battery-grade materials to create a domestic closed-loop battery supply chain for a clean energy future. The Company leverages its innovative, sustainable and patent-protected Spoke & Hub Technologies™ to recycle all different types of lithium-ion batteries. At our Spokes, or pre-processing facilities, we recycle battery manufacturing scrap and end-of-life batteries to produce black mass, a powder-like substance which contains a number of valuable metals, including lithium, nickel and cobalt. At our future Hubs, or post-processing facilities, we plan to process black mass to produce critical battery-grade materials, including lithium carbonate, for the lithium-ion battery supply chain. For more information, visit https://li-cycle.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release may be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21 of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements may generally be identified by the use of words such as “believe”, “may”, “will”, “continue”, “expect”, “should”, “plan”, “potential”, “future”, or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Forward-looking statements in this press release include but are not limited to statements about: the completion and terms of the Offering; and the Company’s intended use of proceeds.

These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, including but not limited to assumptions regarding Li-Cycle’s ability to satisfy the drawdown conditions and access funding under a loan facility with the U.S. Department of Energy (the “DOE Loan Facility”); the timing, scope and cost of Li-Cycle’s projects, including paused projects; the processing capacity and production of Li-Cycle’s facilities; Li-Cycle’s ability to source feedstock and manage supply chain risk; Li-Cycle’s ability to increase recycling capacity and efficiency; Li-Cycle’s ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms or at all; the success of Li-Cycle’s cash preservation plan; the outcome of the go-forward strategy of Li-Cycle’s Rochester Hub; Li-Cycle’s ability to retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with customers, suppliers and other business partners. There can be no assurance that such estimates or assumptions will prove to be correct and, as a result, actual results or events may differ materially from expectations expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of assisting readers in understanding certain key elements of Li-Cycle’s current objectives, goals, targets, strategic priorities, expectations and plans, and in obtaining a better understanding of Li-Cycle’s business and anticipated operating environment. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes and is not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on, by any investor as a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability.

Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of Li-Cycle and are not guarantees of future performance. Li-Cycle believes that these risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: Li-Cycle’s inability to fund the anticipated costs of, and realize the anticipated benefits from, its Spoke optimization plan; Li-Cycle’s inability to satisfy the drawdown conditions and access funding under the DOE Loan Facility; Li-Cycle’s inability to develop the Rochester Hub as anticipated or at all, and other future projects including its Spoke network expansion projects in a timely manner or on budget or that those projects will not meet expectations with respect to their productivity or the specifications of their end products; risk and uncertainties related to Li-Cycle’s ability to continue as a going concern; Li-Cycle’s insurance may not cover all liabilities and damages; Li-Cycle’s reliance on a limited number of commercial partners to generate revenue; Li-Cycle’s failure to effectively remediate the material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting that it has identified or its failure to develop and maintain a proper and effective internal control over financial reporting; and risks of litigation or regulatory proceedings that could materially and adversely impact Li-Cycle’s financial results. These and other risks and uncertainties related to Li-Cycle’s business are described in greater detail in the sections titled “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation—Key Factors Affecting Li-Cycle’s Performance” in its Annual Report on Form 10-K and the sections titled “Part II. Other Information—Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Part I. Financial Information—Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation—Key Factors Affecting Li-Cycle’s Performance” in its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, in each case filed with the SEC and the Ontario Securities Commission in Canada. Because of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement.

Li-Cycle assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Li-Cycle’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250114813190/en/

Investor Relations & Media

Louie Diaz

Sheldon D'souza

Investor Relations: investors@li-cycle.com

Media: media@li-cycle.com

Source: Li-Cycle Holdings Corp.

FAQ

What is the structure of Li-Cycle's (LICY) new public offering?

The offering consists of units containing common shares (or pre-funded warrants) and warrants to purchase common shares, with Aegis Capital Corp as the sole book-running manager.

How will Li-Cycle (LICY) use the proceeds from its 2024 public offering?

Li-Cycle plans to use the net proceeds from the offering for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Will the warrants in Li-Cycle's (LICY) offering be traded on an exchange?

No, the offered warrants and pre-funded warrants will not be listed on any exchange.

What over-allotment options are included in Li-Cycle's (LICY) offering?

Aegis Capital Corp has a 45-day option to purchase up to 15% additional common shares and warrants to cover over-allotments.