PECHINEY

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 6-K

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER


PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 or 15d-16 OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Report on Form 6-K dated July 24, 2003

Commission File No. 1-14110


PECHINEY
(Name of Registrant)

7, Place du Chancelier Adenauer
75218 Paris Cedex 16
France

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)



Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:

Form 20-F: [X]     Form 40-F: [ ]

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):

Yes:[ ]      No:  [X]

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):

Yes:[ ]     No:  [X]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Yes:[ ]     No:  [X]

If “Yes” is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with

Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- __________


Enclosure: A press release dated July 23, 2003, announcing Pechiney’s for the second quarter of 2003 results. 
 

PRESS RELEASE

July 23. 2003

Second Quarter Results 2003
(Provisional and none audited results. Definitive results will be approved by the Board on July 28. and will be published on July 29. at 7:30 AM)

For the second quarter of 2003, Pechiney announces earnings from operations of €67 million, down slightly from the €71 million in the previous quarter. Net income in the second quarter totals €12 million, after a net loss of €1 million in the first quarter of the year.

Highlights

The main trends in the Group’s earnings from operations were as follows.

Pechiney actively continued to implement its strategy during the second quarter with:

Statement of income (French GAAP)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Million of euros H1 2002   H1 2003        Million of euros Q2 2002   Q1 2003*   Q2 2003  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net sales 6,211   5.446   Net sales 3,397   2,820   2,626  
Earnings from operations 241   138   Earnings from operations 137   71   67  
Restructuring expense, other (70)   (76)   Restructuring expense, other (54)   (59)   (17)  
(expense) income         (expense) income            
Financial expense, net (22)   (24)   Financial expense, net (11)   (11)   (13)  
Income tax expense (59)   (15)   Income tax expense (31)   5   (20)  
Equity affiliates 4   5   Equity affiliates 3   2   3  
Minority interests 0   (3)   Minority interests 4   (2)   (1)  
Net Income before goodwill 94   25   Net Income before goodwill 48   6   19  
Goodwill amortisation (17)   (14)   Goodwill amortisation (8)   (7)   (7)  
except. Goodwill amortisation (31)   -   except. Goodwill amortisation (31)   -   -  
Net income 46   11   Net income 9   (1)   12  
Net Income Per share "A" (€) 0.57   0.14   Net Income Per share "A" (€) 0.11   (0.02)   0.15  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Adjusted Net Income ** 123   60   Adjusted Net Income ** 74   37   23  
Adj. Net inc. / share** bef. GW 1.78   0.95   Adj. Net inc. / share** bef. GW 1.04   0.56   0.39  
Adj. net income per share** 1.56   0.77   Adj. net income per share** 0.94   0.47   0.30  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(*) The accounting standard SFAS 143 “Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations” was adopted during the second quarter of 2003, effective January 1, 2003. This change, which affects essentially the Primary Aluminum sector, resulted in a decrease of Earnings from Operations for the first quarter of 2003 by €1 million and an improvement of net income for the first quarter of 2003 by € 1 million. (**) Published net income per share as adjusted to exclude the impact, after taxes, of restructuring expense, other (expense) income and other non-recurring items. Pechiney believes that presenting net income is an additional measure of performance that investors can use to compare net income between reporting periods.
 
 
Net Sales
         
Earnings from operations
   
Principal indicators
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Millions of euros                                                          
  Q2   Q1   Q2   Q2   ***Q1   Q2    
Q2
Q1
Q2
 
  2002   2003   2003   2002   2003   2003    
2003
2003
2003
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   Primary Aluminium 488   473   460   93   42   37   Average euro/U.S.$ 0.92   1.07   1.14  
   Aluminium Conversion 703   659   618   9   15   14   Realised € / $ 0.90   1.04   1.11  
   Packaging 614   559   549   40   26   26   LME average price ($/t) 1,377   1,392   1,380  
   International Trade 1,592   1,129   999   18   14   14   Average realized price
1,385
1,368
1,390
 
   Central Costs -   -   -   (23)   (26)   (24)   ($/t)            
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
               
Total 3,397   2,820   2,626   137   71   67                
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
               
(***) Restated for the application of FAS 143.

Pursuant to article 7 of the COB Rule book n° 2002-04, this press release was disclosed to the Commission des Opérations de Bourse before its release.

Pechiney is an international group listed on the Paris and New York stock exchanges. Its three core businesses are primary aluminum, aluminium conversion and packaging. Pechiney achieved sales of €11.9 billion in 2002. It employs 34,000 employees.

*************

Certain statements in this press release that describe Pechiney’s intentions, expectations or projections may constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Pechiney’s actual results, performance or achievement to be materially different from its intentions, expectations or projections. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of its date and Pechiney undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Investor Relations Contact:         Press Contacts:
Charles L. Ranunkel: Tel: 33 1 56 28 25 07
Fax 33 1 56 28 33 38
  Chrystèle Ivins: Tel: 33 1 56 28 24 18
chrystele.ivins@pechiney.com

PECHINEY
7, place du Chancelier Adenauer
75116 Paris
e-mail:
Pechiney-IR-Team@pechiney.com
Internet: http://www.pechiney.com

  Stephan Giraud: Tel: 33 1 56 28 24 19
stephan.giraud@pechiney.
com
       
 

 

SIGNATURES



Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Pechiney has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.


Date: July 24, 2003 PECHINEY

By:

/s/ OLIVIER MALLET

Name: Olivier MALLET

Title: Chief Financial Officer