| As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 26, 2021 | Registration No. 333 - |
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM F-6
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 FOR AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES EVIDENCED BY
AMERICAN DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS
ABB Ltd
(Exact name of issuer of deposited securities as specified in its charter)
[N/A]
(Translation of issuer’s name into English)
Switzerland
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization of issuer)
CITIBANK, N.A.
(Exact name of depositary as specified in its charter)
388 Greenwich Street
New York, New York 10013
(877) 248-4237
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of depositary’s principal executive offices)
ABB Holdings Inc.
General Counsel
305 Gregson Drive
Cary, North Carolina 27511
(919) 856-2360
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Thomas W. Christopher, Esq. Latham & Watkins LLP 885 Third Avenue New York, New York 10022 (212) 906-1242
| Herman H. Raspé, Esq. Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP
|
| It is proposed that this filing become effective under Rule 466: | ☐ | immediately upon filing. | |
| ☐ | on (Date) at (Time). |
If a separate registration statement has been filed to register the deposited shares, check the following box: ☐
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
| Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered | Amount to be Registered | Proposed Maximum Aggregate Price Per Unit* | Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price** | Amount of Registration Fee |
| American Depositary Shares (“ADS(s)”), each ADS representing the right to receive one (1) fully paid registered share, par value CHF 0.12, of ABB Ltd (the “Company”). | 200,000,000 ADSs | $5.00 | $10,000,000.00 | $1,091.00 |
| * | Each unit represents 100 ADSs. |
| ** | Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee. Pursuant to Rule 457(k), such estimate is computed on the basis of the maximum aggregate fees or charges to be imposed in connection with the issuance of ADSs. |
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 of 1933, or until this Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.
This Registration Statement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of such counterparts together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
ii
PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Cross Reference Sheet
| Item 1. | DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES TO BE REGISTERED |
Item Number and Caption | Location in Form of American Depositary Receipt (“Receipt”) | |||
| 1. | Name of Depositary and address of its principal executive office | Face of Receipt - Introductory Article. | ||
| 2. | Title of Receipts and identity of deposited securities | Face of Receipt - Top Center. | ||
| Terms of Deposit: | ||||
| (i) | The amount of deposited securities represented by one American Depositary Share (“ADSs”) | Face of Receipt - Upper right corner. | ||
| (ii) | The procedure for voting, if any, the deposited securities | Reverse of Receipt - Articles (16) and (17). | ||
| (iii) | The collection and distribution of dividends | Reverse of Receipt – Article (14). | ||
| (iv) | The transmission of notices, reports and proxy soliciting material | Reverse of Receipt – Articles (16) and (17). | ||
| (v) | The sale or exercise of rights | Reverse of Receipt – Articles (14) and (16). | ||
| (vi) | The deposit or sale of securities resulting from dividends, splits or plans of reorganization | Face of Receipt – Article (3); Reverse of Receipt – Articles (14) and (18). | ||
| (vii) | Amendment, extension or termination of the deposit agreement | Reverse of Receipt – Articles (22) and (23) (no provision for extensions). | ||
| (viii) | Rights of holders of Receipts to inspect the transfer books of the Depositary and the list of holders of ADSs | Face of Receipt – Article (13). | ||
| (ix) | Restrictions upon the right to deposit or withdraw the underlying securities | Face of Receipt – Articles (2), (4), and (6). | ||
I-1
| Item Number and Caption | Location in Form of American Depositary Receipt (“Receipt”) Filed Herewith as Prospectus | |||
| (x) | Limitation upon the liability of the Depositary | Reverse of Receipt – Article (20). | ||
| 3. | Fees and charges which may be imposed directly or indirectly on holders of ADSs | Face of Receipt – Article (10). | ||
| Item 2. | AVAILABLE INFORMATION | Face of Receipt - Article (14). | ||
The Company is subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and, accordingly, files certain reports with, and submits certain reports to, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”). These reports can be retrieved from the Commission’s internet website (www.sec.gov), and can be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the Commission at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington D.C. 20549.
I-2
PROSPECTUS
The Prospectus consists of the proposed form of American Depositary Receipt included as Exhibit A to the form of Amendment No. 1 to the Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement, filed as Exhibit (a)(i) to this Registration Statement on Form F-6.
I-3
PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
| Item 3. | EXHIBITS |
| (a)(i) | Form of Amendment No. 1 to the Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement, by and among ABB Ltd (the “Company”), Citibank, N.A., as depositary (the “Depositary”), and all Holders and Beneficial Owners of American Depositary Shares issued thereunder. — Filed herewith as Exhibit (a)(i). |
| (a)(ii) | Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement, dated as of May 7, 2001, by and among the Company, the Depositary, and all Holders and Beneficial Owners of American Depositary Shares evidenced by the American Depositary Receipts issued thereunder. — Previously filed with the Commission on November 19, 2007 (Reg. No. 333-147488) and incorporated herein by reference. |
| (b)(i) | Letter Agreement, dated as of May 28, 2004, by and between the Company and the Depositary in respect of the conversion of the US$968,000,000 4.625 per cent Convertible Unsubordinated Bonds due 2007 (the “Bonds”) by the holders of such Bonds or by the trustee of the Bonds into American Depositary Shares. — Previously filed with the Commission on November 19, 2007 (Reg. No. 333-147488) and incorporated herein by reference. |
| (b)(ii) | Letter Agreement, dated as of September 5, 2007, by and between the Company and the Depositary in respect of the establishment by the Depositary of a “direct registration system” (the “DR System”) for ADSs and the issuance by the Depositary of “uncertificated ADSs” as part of the DR System. — Previously filed with the Commission on November 19, 2007 (Reg. No. 333-147488) and incorporated herein by reference. |
| (c) | Every material contract relating to the deposited securities between the Depositary and the issuer of the deposited securities in effect at any time within the last three years. — None. |
| (d) | Opinion of counsel for the Depositary as to the legality of the securities to be registered. — Filed herewith as Exhibit (d). |
| (e) | Certificate under Rule 466. — None. |
| (f) | Powers of Attorney for certain officers and directors and the authorized representative of the Company. — Set forth on the signature pages hereto. |
II-1
| Item 4. | UNDERTAKINGS |
| (a) | The Depositary undertakes to make available at the principal office of the Depositary in the United States, for inspection by holders of ADSs, any reports and communications received from the issuer of the deposited securities which are both (1) received by the Depositary as the holder of the deposited securities, and (2) made generally available to the holders of the underlying securities by the issuer. |
| (b) | If the amount of fees charged is not disclosed in the prospectus, the Depositary undertakes to prepare a separate document stating the amount of any fee charged and describing the service for which it is charged and to deliver promptly a copy of such fee schedule without charge to anyone upon request. The Depositary undertakes to notify each registered holder of an ADS thirty (30) days before any change in the fee schedule. |
II-2
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Citibank, N.A., acting solely on behalf of the legal entity to be created by the Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement, as amended, by and among ABB Ltd, Citibank, N.A., as depositary, and all Holders and Beneficial Owners from time to time of American Depositary Shares evidenced by American Depositary Receipts issued thereunder, certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that all the requirements for filing on Form F-6 are met and has duly caused this Registration Statement on Form F-6 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York, on the 26th day of February 2021.
| Legal entity created by the Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement, as amended, under which the American Depositary Shares registered thereunder are issued, each American Depositary Share representing the right to receive one (1) fully paid registered share of ABB Ltd. | |||
| CITIBANK, N.A., solely in its capacity as Depositary | |||
| By: | /s/ Leslie DeLuca | ||
| Name: | Leslie DeLuca | ||
| Title: | Attorney-in-Fact | ||
II-3
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, ABB Ltd certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that all the requirements for filing on Form F-6 are met and has duly caused this Registration Statement on Form F-6 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized, in Zürich, Switzerland on February 26, 2021.
| ABB Ltd | |||
| By: | /s/ Timo Ihamuotila | ||
| Name: | Timo Ihamuotila | ||
| Title: | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | ||
| By: | /s/ Richard A. Brown | ||
| Name: | Richard A. Brown | ||
| Title: | Group Senior Vice President and Chief Counsel Corporate & Finance | ||
II-4
POWERS OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints each of Peter Voser, Björn Rosengren, Timo Ihamuotila, Maria Varsellona, Tarja Sipila, and Richard A. Brown to act as his/her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution, for him/her and in his/her name, place and stead, in any and all such capacities, to sign any and all amendments, including post-effective amendments, and supplements to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as s/he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his/her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement on Form F-6 has been signed by the following persons in the following capacities on February 26, 2021.
| Signature | Title | |
| /s/ Björn Rosengren | Chief Executive Officer | |
| Björn Rosengren | (Principal Executive Officer) | |
| /s/ Timo Ihamuotila | Chief Financial Officer | |
| Timo Ihamuotila | (Principal Financial Officer) | |
| /s/ Tarja Sipila | Controller | |
| Tarja Sipila | (Principal Accounting Officer) | |
| /s/ Peter Voser | Chairman of the Board of Directors | |
| Peter Voser | ||
| /s/ Jacob Wallenberg | Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors | |
| Jacob Wallenberg | ||
| /s/ Matti Alahuhta | Director | |
| Matti Alahuhta | ||
| /s/ Gunnar Brock | Director | |
| Gunnar Brock |
II-5
| Signature | Title | |
| /s/ David Constable | Director | |
| David Constable | ||
| /s/ Frederico Fleury Curado | Director | |
| Frederico Fleury Curado | ||
| /s/ Lars Förberg | Director | |
| Lars Förberg | ||
| /s/ Jennifer Xin-Zhe Li | Director | |
| Jennifer Xin-Zhe Li | ||
| /s/ Geraldine Matchett | Director | |
| Geraldine Matchett | ||
| /s/ David Meline | Director | |
| David Meline | ||
| /s/ Satish Pai | Director | |
| Satish Pai |
II-6
SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED U.S. REPRESENTATIVE OF REGISTRANT
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned, the duly authorized representative in the United States of ABB Ltd has signed this Registration Statement on Form F-6 on February 26, 2021.
| Abb holdings inc. | |||
| By: | /s/ Bridget N. Smith | ||
| Name: | Bridget N. Smith | ||
| Title: | Secretary | ||
II-7
Index to Exhibits
| Exhibit | Document | Sequentially Numbered Page |
| (a)(i) | Form of Amendment No. 1 to the Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement | |
| (d) | Opinion of counsel to the Depositary |
