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Ardagh Holdings is exploring a possible sale of its metal‑packaging division Ardagh Metal Packaging, or AMP. In regulatory filings released on Thursday, the parent firm stated its board has told advisors to get ready for a potential divestiture. No deal will move forward without formal sign‑off from Ardagh Holdings’ board.   Under the planned sale process, Ardagh Holdings aims to offload part or all of its indirect equity holdings in AMP to an external buyer. The company may also buy out shares held by outside investors, a move that would make a full business sale easier to complete. AMP just hit its ten‑year anniversary; the unit came together years ago when Ball spun off certain assets during its purchase of Rexam. Specialty cans, especially for energy‑drink products, account for more than half of AMP’s operations. Its latest quarterly beverage‑can volumes dipped 1 % year‑on‑year, while first‑half 2026 revenue reached roughly $3.2 billion.   A potential AMP sale would represent another major turning point for Ardagh Group, which has already gone through plenty of restructuring lately. Back in November, the business wrapped up a recapitalization. That shake‑up brought leadership changes: founder Paul Coulson stepped aside, and Mark Porto took on the role of executive chairman.   RBC Capital Markets analysts think multiple buyers may show interest in AMP. In a Thursday investor note, they explained the proposed sale is not a reaction to weak underlying business results. Instead, Ardagh Holdings wants to cut down debt levels and cash in on its AMP stake, helped by the operation’s recent solid results and favourable long‑term outlook for beverage cans. AMP is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and carries a market capitalisation of around $3.1 billion.   There has been steady deal activity across the metal‑packaging sector. Sonoco bought Eviosys for $3.8 billion, a business built from former Crown Holdings assets, and Ball picked up a majority stake in Benepack for over $215 million.   Metal packaging makes up more than half of Ardagh Group’s overall operations. According to its 2025 annual report, Ardagh Holdings indirectly owned around 76 % of AMP’s shares. AMP runs 23 plants across nine countries with 6,500 staff and posted $5.5 billion in 2025 sales. Ardagh also holds a 42 % share in metal‑packaging firm Trivium.   Glass packaging forms Ardagh’s remaining core segment, generating $4.1 billion in 2025 revenue. Facing shrinking market volumes, the group rolled out its “Clearly Ardagh” commercial and operational improvement strategy earlier this year to strengthen its glass‑packaging business.

Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service, known as FAS, has launched an antitrust investigation into aluminium giant Rusal, according to Wednesday reporting from Interfax. The case centres on alleged unfair pricing practices for buyers inside Russia, ramping up existing tensions over how Rusal sets domestic metal prices.   FAS had already told Rusal to adjust its aluminium supply agreements for local customers. Even after the firm asked for two separate deadline extensions, Rusal still did not make the required changes, prompting the formal case to open.   The watchdog takes issue with how Rusal calculates prices for Russian purchasers. Its pricing structure adds a regional surcharge linked to European market benchmarks, yet most of Russia’s home‑produced aluminium currently flows to Asian destinations. Regulators argue this setup puts domestic metal processors in a tough spot, since local firms end up paying higher rates than overseas customers.   FAS pointed out that aluminium costs ripple across many sectors. Everything from packaging goods and building materials to power‑industry machinery becomes more expensive when base metal prices are skewed. The agency stressed that balancing the interests of metal producers and end‑users matters greatly for stable technical progress across related industries and the broader national economy.   Should FAS rule that Rusal broke antitrust rules, the company may receive a fine calculated on its market turnover. Penalties can range from one percent up to 15 percent of revenue earned in the affected market.   Analysts at Russian investment firm BCS weighed in on what the financial fallout might look like. They believe the scope of this case will most likely cover only aluminium sales within Russia, which would keep any possible fine under $100 million. While a far harsher reading of the rules could push penalties as high as $500‑600 million, the research team sees this more severe scenario as improbable.

Ball Corporation saw its global beverage‑can shipment numbers rise 4.3 % compared to the same period last year during the second quarter, with every geographic division delivering higher volumes, the firm shared in its Tuesday update.   According to Dan Rabbitt, Ball’s CFO, sales and incoming orders have been running hotter than expected. While this is positive business news, the surge has put noticeable pressure on the company’s whole manufacturing and supply network. Even with this quarter’s strong performance, Ball has kept its full‑year guidance for 2026 unchanged. It still forecasts total volume growth landing somewhere between 4 % and 6 % for the calendar year.   During the Q&A segment, leadership was asked if the latest Section 232 tariff adjustments, designed to boost local aluminium output in North America, would lift Ball’s can volumes. CEO Ron Lewis gave a direct reply: they would not. In his view, these policy moves are not substantial enough to drive meaningful business change. Lewis went on to note that Ball and its peers closely track aluminium market prices. Though Ball is able to pass higher metal costs onto customers, inflated pricing can dampen end‑consumer appetite. Even so, beverage cans keep gaining market share despite expensive raw materials, and Lewis stated the company would welcome lower aluminium costs.   Ball has brought its brand‑new Millersburg factory in Oregon online, with can production starting one month ago. Full‑speed operation is not projected until 2027. This site runs a single production line focused on standard‑size cans. Lewis made a point to clarify that this plant does not support the industry‑wide shift toward slim sleek‑style cans, even though that product mix change continues across Ball’s other locations.   The North American can‑making landscape remains in a solidly constrained state. Executives pointed out that overall beverage consumption across the region has stayed largely flat. Even with that backdrop, metal cans are stealing ground from alternative packaging formats and clocking 2 %‑to‑3 % annual growth. Once Millersburg hits its stride, it should ease some of that capacity crunch. Ball will absorb $35 million in launch‑related expenses for the facility in 2026; no further startup costs are projected for 2027.   Looking overseas, Lewis sees plenty of untapped potential within Europe. Can adoption rates there lag behind Ball’s other key markets. Favorable sustainability trends are also more pronounced, plus new can‑filling investments are popping up more frequently. Recent buyouts in Belgium and Hungary give Ball extra firepower to capture that European expansion.   India represents another high‑potential territory. Ball has already added extra manufacturing capacity there, as the company keeps chasing growth outside its home North‑American market.