ITEM 3: Key Information

A.	Selected Financial Data

The following tables set forth our selected consolidated financial and other financial and operating data. Historical results are not indicative of the results to be expected in the future. Our financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, or IFRS, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. The selected consolidated financial data set forth below should be read in conjunction with and is qualified by reference to our consolidated financial statements and the related notes, as well as “Item 5: Operating and Financial Review and Prospects.” The consolidated statements of profit or loss and other comprehensive income (loss) for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2017 and the consolidated statements of financial position as of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Report. The consolidated statements of profit or loss and other comprehensive income (loss) for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2013 and 2014 and the consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2013, 2014 and 2015 are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements that are not included in this Report.

Effective December 31, 2017, we changed the presentation currency of our consolidated financial statements from the US dollar to the euro to better reflect the profile of our assets, revenues, costs and cash flows, which are primarily generated in euro, and hence, to better present our financial performance. All comparative financial information has been restated into euro in this annual report.

Consolidated Statements of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
(in thousands except per share and share data)

 

 

* During the year ended December 31, 2017, we changed the income statement classification of expenses related to project development from general and administrative expenses to project development costs to reflect more appropriately their nature and the way in which economic benefits are expected to be derived from the use of such costs. Comparative amounts were reclassified for consistency.

Other financial data (in thousands)

 

*

EBITDA is a non-IFRS measure and is defined as earnings before financial expenses, net, taxes, depreciation and amortization. We present this measure to enhance the understanding of our historical financial performance and to enable comparability between periods. While we consider EBITDA to be an important measure of comparative operating performance, EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net income or other statement of operations or cash flow data prepared in accordance with IFRS as a measure of profitability or liquidity. EBITDA does not take into account our commitments, including capital expenditures and restricted cash and, accordingly, is not necessarily indicative of amounts that may be available for discretionary uses. Not all companies calculate EBITDA in the same manner, and the measure as presented may not be comparable to similarly-titled measures presented by other companies. Our   EBITDA may not be indicative of our historic operating results; nor is it meant to be predictive of potential future results.

Reconciliation of Profit (Loss) to EBITDA (in thousands)

		Year ended December 31,
		2013				2014				2015				2016				2017				2017
		euro																				Convenience Translation into US$ (1)
Profit (loss) for the year			7,323				4,886				8,110				(632	)			(6,641	)			(7,954	)
Financing income (expenses), net			(1,781	)			(2,712	)			2,076				(2,434	)			(9,228	)			(11,052	)
Taxes benefit (taxes on income)			(178	)			(119	)			1,739				(569	)			(372	)			(447	)
Depreciation and amortization			(2,919	)			(4,110	)			(4,428	)			(4,411	)			(4,518	)			(5,411	)
EBITDA			12,201				11,827				6,708				6,782				7,477				8,956

		At December 31,
		2013				2014				2015				2016				2017				2017
		euro																				Convenience Translation into US$ (1)
Working capital (deficiency)			(3,182	)			15,554				21,515				22,402				31,286				37,473
Total assets			106,650				130,953				147,314				148,464				198,088				237,261
Total liabilities			34,238				53,474				60,872				64,093				120,588				144,435
Total equity			72,412				77,479				86,442				84,371				77,500				92,826
Capital stock			76,829	(2)			76,829	(2)			76,660	(3)			76,592	(4)			76,583	(5)			91,728	(5)
Ordinary shares outstanding			10,692,371	(2)			10,692,371	(2)			10,678,888	(3)			10,677,370	(4)			10,675,508	(5)			10,675,508	(5)

____________________________

(1)

The euro figures at December 31, 2017, and for the period then ended have been translated throughout this Report into U.S. dollars using the representative exchange rate of the dollar at December 31, 2017 (euro 1 = US$ 1.198). The translation was made solely for convenience, is supplementary information, and is distinguished from the financial statements. The translated dollar figures should not be construed as a representation that the European currency amounts actually represent, or could be converted into, U.S. dollars. See also “Exchange Rate Information” below for recent exchange rates between the euro and the US$.

(2)

Net of 85,655 treasury shares that were purchased during 2011 and 2012 according to a share buyback program authorized by our Board of Directors.

(3)

Net of 254,666 treasury shares that were purchased during 2011, 2012 and 2015 according to share buyback programs authorized by our Board of Directors.

(4)

Net of 256,184 treasury shares that were purchased during 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016 according to share buyback programs authorized by our Board of Directors.

(5)

Net of 258,046 treasury shares that were purchased during 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2017 according to share buyback programs authorized by our Board of Directors.

 

On March 1, 2018, the euro/US$ exchange rate was euro 1 to US$ 1.222.

B.              Capitalization and Indebtedness

Not Applicable.

          

C.              Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

Not Applicable.

D.              Risk Factors

 

Investing in our securities involves significant risk and uncertainty. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below as well as the other information contained in this report before making an investment decision with respect to our securities. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition, prospects, results of operations and cash flows could be harmed and could therefore have a negative effect on the trading price of our securities .

The risks described below are the material risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations in the future .

 

 

Risks Related to our Business

Risks Related to our Renewable Energy Operations

 

Our business depends to a large extent on the availability of financial incentives. The reduction or elimination of government subsidies and economic incentives could reduce our profitability and adversely impact our revenues and growth prospects.  Many countries, such as Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Japan and Israel, offer substantial incentives to offset the cost of renewable energy production, including photovoltaic power systems and WtE technologies in the form of Feed-in-Tariff, or FiT, or other incentives to promote the use of clean energy (including solar energy and biogas) and to reduce dependence on other forms of energy. In addition, several countries encourage manufacturers and farmers to choose waste management methods that are more environmentally-friendly, either by establishing fines on non-environmentally friendly waste management methods or by payment of incentives. These government incentives could potentially be reduced or eliminated altogether. For instance, both the Italian and Spanish governments previously revised the government incentives as described under “Business” below and in our financial statements included elsewhere in this Report. If the Italian, Spanish or Israeli governments elect to revise the existing incentive schemes, this may adversely affect the profitability of our photovoltaic plants, or the PV Plants, and of any new photovoltaic plant acquired or constructed by us. If the Dutch government revises the incentive scheme for existing or future WtE facilities to reduce the support or increase the liabilities of WtE facilities, it may adversely affect our profitability from future WtE projects in the Netherlands. Any retroactive or prospective changes in the incentive schemes in other countries may affect our business plan and any future projects we may be interested in developing or acquiring in such countries. In general, uncertainty about the introduction of, reduction in, or elimination of, incentives or delays or interruptions in the implementation of favorable laws could substantially affect our profitability and adversely affect our ability to continue and develop new renewable energy facilities.

Existing regulations, and changes to such regulations, may present technical, regulatory and economic barriers and restrictions to the construction and operation of renewable energy facilities, which may adversely affect our operations .  The installation and operation of renewable energy facilities is subject to oversight and regulation in accordance with international, European (to the extent applicable), national and local ordinances, building codes, zoning (or permitting), environmental protection regulation, including waste disposal regulations, utility interconnection requirements, security requirements and other rules and regulations. Any changes in applicable regulations that increases the burdens or restrictions on the operation of our renewable energy facilities, such as a change in regulations governing waste disposal times and locations in countries in which our WtE facilities dispose the digestate resulting from their operations, could increase our costs of operation and, as a result, adversely affect our results of operations. In addition, various governmental, municipal and other regulatory entities require the issuance and continued effectiveness of relevant permits, licenses and authorizations for the construction and operation of renewable energy facilities. If such permits, licenses and authorizations are not issued on a timely basis, this could result in the interruption, cessation or abandonment of a newly constructed renewable energy facility, or may require making significant changes to such renewable energy facility, any of which may cause severe losses. In addition, if issued, these licenses and permits may be revoked by the authorities following their issuance in the event the authorities discover irregularities or deviations from the scope of the license or permit. Any revocation of existing licenses may obligate us to cease operating the relevant renewable energy facility for the period required in order to renew the relevant license or indefinitely and therefore will adversely affect our business and results of operations.

In recent years, we entered the development and entrepreneurship renewable energy market. These operations are exposed to regulatory and other development risks that may cause such projects not to enter into the construction phase and thereby cause the total or partial loss of the project development funds invested in the project.   We are currently active in several projects in various development stages, mainly the Talasol Project and the Manara Project. Projects in the development stages are exposed to various risks, including the inability to secure the project’s income through a hedging agreement or a PPA supported by a government or a corporation with sufficient financial capabilities, the inability to obtain or maintain regulatory permits and approvals, the inability to obtain project finance, upon terms economically beneficial or at all, potential disagreements and conflicts with partners, dependency on technical consultants and surveys and risks associated with operations in foreign countries. If any of these risks materialize, the entire project may be delayed or cancelled altogether, causing the loss of all part of the funds invested in the project development efforts. Even if we succeed in selling our rights in a project to third parties, the return of our project development expenses will likely be conditioned upon the continued development of the project by such third parties.  

Success of our renewable energy facilities, from their construction through their commissioning and ongoing commercial operation, depend to a large extent on the cooperation, reliability, solvency, and proper performance of the contractors we engage for the construction, operation and maintenance of our renewable energy facilities, or the Contractors, and of the other third parties involved, including subcontractors, local advisors, financing entities, land owners, suppliers of parts and equipment, the energy grid regulator, governmental agencies and other potential purchasers of electricity.  The construction and operation of a renewable energy facility requires timely input, often of a highly specialized technical nature, from several parties, including the suppliers of the various system components (such as solar panels or CHP engine) and plant operators, other suppliers of relevant parts and materials (including replacement parts), feedstock suppliers, land owners, subcontractors, electricity brokers, financing entities and governmental and related agencies (as subsidizers and as regulators). In addition, as we use Contractors to construct and thereafter operate and maintain our renewable energy facilities, we depend on the Contractors’ expertise and experience, representations, warranties and undertakings regarding, inter alia : the construction quality, schedule of construction, operation, maintenance and performance of each of the facilities, the use of high-quality materials, strict compliance with applicable legal requirements and the Contractors’ financial stability. If the Contractors’ representations or warranties are inaccurate or untrue, or if any of the Contractors or other entities fail to perform their obligations properly, this could result in the interruption, cessation or abandonment of the relevant facility, or may require significant expenses to mitigate the damages or repair them, any of which may cause us severe losses.

The performance of our renewable energy facilities depends on the quality of the equipment installed in such facilities and on the reliability of the suppliers of spare and replacement parts. Our renewable energy facilities’ performance depends on the quality of the components of the facility and the equipment installed in the facilities. Any defects or deterioration in the quality of such components and equipment could harm our results of operations and if we will not be able to quickly locate quality replacement parts or perform repairs, our results of operations could be adversely affected for a long period of time. For example, the performance of our PV Plants depends on the quality of the solar panels installed. Degradation in the performance of the solar panels above a certain level is guaranteed by the panel suppliers and we generally receive undertakings from the Contractors with respect to minimum performances. Therefore, one of the critical factors in the success of our PV Plants is the existence of reliable solar panel suppliers, who guarantee the performance and quality of the solar panels supplied and their ability to provide us with replacement and spare parts that are of sufficient quality. If the suppliers of solar panels will not meet their undertakings under the guarantees and no replacement panels will be available at a reasonable price, this could result in the interruption, cessation or abandonment of the relevant PV Plant, or may require significant expenses to mitigate the damages or repair them, any of which may cause us severe losses.

 

In the event we are unable to comply with the obligations and undertakings, including with respect to financial covenants, which we undertook in connection with the project financing of several of our renewable energy facilities, our results of operations may be adversely affected.  In connection with the financing of several of our PV Plants and with our WtE projects, or the WtE Projects, we have long-term agreements with various financing entities and may in the future enter into additional project finance agreements in connection with our other PV Plants. The agreements that govern the provision of financing include and future project finance agreements are expected to include, inter alia , undertakings and financial covenants, the majority of which are based on the ongoing income derived from the relevant PV Plant, which may be adversely affected by the various risks detailed herein. If we fail to comply with any of these undertakings and covenants, we may be subject to penalties, future financing requirements, and the acceleration of the repayment of debt. These occurrences would have an adverse effect on our financial position and results of operations and on our ability to obtain outside financing for other projects.

 

We may seek to invest in renewable energy facilities that have already been connected to the national grid and are eligible to receive the applicable regulatory incentive. These construction ready, constructed and connected renewable energy facilities may not be available for acquisition on terms beneficial to us or at all and, if available, may still be subject to retroactive changes through regulatory action.   Acquisitions of renewable energy facilities that have already been constructed and are connected to the national grid currently provide relatively more certainty as to their economic potential compared to facilities in the planning or construction stage. It may be difficult for us to locate suitable acquisition opportunities with attractive returns, and, even if we do locate them, the acquisition of an operating renewable energy facility may be less attractive as the renewable energy market matures and the remaining subsidy periods are shorter and as operating plants are generally more expensive. Our inability to locate and acquire additional renewable energy facilities and the higher cost of such renewable energy facilities may adversely affect our business and results of operations. Even if we do locate and acquire existing renewable energy facilities, changes in the regulation could be applied retroactively to existing plants and to the existing remuneration scheme, as has already happened in both Spain and Italy, which could also adversely affect our business and results of operations.

As a substantial part of our business is currently located in Europe, we are subject to additional risks that may negatively impact our operations.   We currently have substantial operations in Italy and in Spain and certain WtE operations in the Netherlands, all of which are held by our Luxembourg subsidiary, and may make additional investments in projects located in Europe, such as the expected construction of the photovoltaic plant in the municipality of Talaván, Cáceres, Spain, or the Talasol Project. Due to these existing operations and any additional future investments, we are subject to special considerations or risks associated with companies operating in other jurisdictions, including rules and regulations, cross currency movements, different payment cycles, tax issues, such as tax law changes and variations in tax laws as compared to Israel, cultural and language differences, crime, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks and wars and deterioration of political and economic relations with Israel. Our European operations subject us to a number of these risks, as well as the requirement to comply with Italian, Spanish, Dutch and European Union laws.

In June 2016, a majority of voters in the United Kingdom elected to withdraw from the European Union in a national referendum (Brexit). The referendum was advisory, and the terms of any withdrawal are subject to a negotiation period that could continue for a few years after the government of the United Kingdom formally initiates a withdrawal process. Nevertheless, the referendum has created significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and given rise for the governments of other EU member states to consider withdrawal.

These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, could have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and could significantly reduce global market liquidity and future growth. Asset valuations, currency exchange rates and credit ratings may be especially subject to increased market volatility.

We cannot assure you that we would be able to adequately address some or all of these additional risks. If we were unable to do so, our operations might suffer.

 

A drop in the price of energy may negatively impact our results of operations.   The revenue from the sale of energy produced by renewable energy facilities includes the incentives in the form of governmental subsidies and in addition proceeds from the sale of electricity and gas produced in the electricity and gas market at market price. A decrease in the price of electricity and gas in the countries in which we operate and in which some of our revenues are based on the market price of electricity and gas may negatively impact our profitability and our ability or interest to expand our renewable energy operations.

 

An increase in the prices of components of the renewable energy facility may adversely affect our development projects, future growth and business. Renewable energy facilities installations have substantially increased over the past few years. The increased demand led to fluctuations in the prices of the components resulting from oversupply and undersupply. For example, the increased demand for solar panels resulted in substantial investments in solar panels production facilities, creating oversupply and a sharp continuing decrease in the prices of solar panels. A future reversal in the trend and an increase in the prices of solar panels and other components of the system (such as invertors and related electric components) or an increase in the prices of components of other renewable energy facilities, may increase the costs of replacing components in our existing facilities or the costs of constructing new facilities and impact the profitability of constructing facilities and our ability to expand our business. Additionally, if there is a shortage of key components necessary for the production of the components, that may constrain our revenue growth.

 

As electric power accounts for a growing share of overall energy use, the market for renewable energy is intensely competitive and rapidly evolving . The market for renewable energy attracts many initiatives and therefore is intensely competitive. Our competitors who strive to construct new renewable energy facilities and acquire existing facilities may have established more prominent market positions and may have more experience in this field. Extensive competition may adversely affect our ability to continue to acquire and develop new facilities.

 

Risks Related to our PV Plants

 

The revenues derived from our PV Plants mainly depend on payments received from governmental entities. Any future deterioration in the financial position of the local governments or regulated entities, resulting in partial or no payment or in regulatory changes may adversely affect the results of our operations.  The revenues derived by our PV Plants are based mainly on payments received from governmental or regulated entities. In Italy, the main portion of our PV related revenues is still based on the FiT, in Spain our revenues are primarily based on payments from governmental entities in accordance with a specific remuneration incentive scheme and in Israel all of our income is based on a fixed tariff from the Israel Electric Company, or the IEC, a governmental company that controls the Israeli electricity market. Although the economies of both Italy and Spain has improved since the global financial crisis in 2007, both countries remain in a state of financial crisis and commenced during 2013 and 2014 several legislation processes that revise or affect the remuneration scheme for photovoltaic plants (as described under “Business” below and our financial statements included elsewhere in this Report), and may do so again in the future.  We cannot assure you that the continued economic crisis will not cause additional changes to the Italian or Spanish governments’ photovoltaic energy incentive schemes. The IEC has also experienced financial crises over the years and is in the process of implementing a reform in its operations, however we cannot predict how and when this reform will be implemented and what its outcome will be. Any changes in the financial stability of the governmental entities paying all or a portion of our PV revenues and any resulting change in the regulation may directly or indirectly affect the payments we receive and, therefore, our operations and revenues.

We are exposed to the possibility of damages to, or theft of, the various components of our PV Plants. Such occurrences may cause disruptions in the production of electricity and additional costs.  Some of our PV Plants suffered damages and disruption in the production of electricity as a result of theft of panels and other components, or due to bad weather and land conditions. Although such damages and theft are generally covered by the PV Plants’ insurance policies, in certain circumstances such occurrences, may not be covered in part by the insurance and may cause an increase in the premiums paid to our insurance companies, all of which may adversely affect our results of operations and profitability.

 

Our ability to produce solar power is dependent upon the magnitude and duration of sunlight as well as other meteorological and geographic factors.  Solar power production has a seasonal cycle, and adverse meteorological conditions can materially impact the output of photovoltaic plants and result in production of electricity below expected output, which in turn could adversely affect our profitability. For example, 2016 was characterized with relatively low levels of radiation, which resulted in a decrease in our PV-related revenues for that year. In addition, floods, storms, seismic turbulence and earth movements may damage our PV Plants and the insurance coverage we have for such risks may not cover the damage in full because these circumstances are sometimes deemed “acts of god.” Future expenses due to the need to replace damaged components or the lower electricity output due to changes in meteorological conditions and other geographic factors may adversely affect our profitability.

 

Risks Related to WtE Projects

We only recently entered into the Ludan Agreement and although we contribute and will continue to contribute to the Approved Projects from our existing and accumulated expertise, we are only now gaining experience in the WtE field. We entered into the Ludan Agreement in July 2016 and, although we contribute and expect to continue to contribute to the Approved Projects from our renewable energy managerial, operational and project finance expertise, we do not yet have a substantial experience with WtE projects and in the Netherlands renewable energy market. There are currently two WtE projects, or the WtE Projects, in advanced construction stages under the Ludan Agreement, which includes several conditions precedent to our obligation to invest in WtE projects. There is no assurance as to how many additional projects will comply with these conditions and as to the timing of such compliance. Although we hold and will hold a majority of the shares of each project company, Ludan received minority holder protective rights under the Ludan Agreement and will also act as the EPC and O&M contractor of the Approved Projects (except for the first Gasification Approved Project), based on agreements to be mutually agreed with us. Future disagreements with Ludan may have a material adverse effect on the operations of the Approved Projects and, as a result, on our results of operations.

In addition to the risks involved in the construction and operation of, and the regulatory risks applicable to, renewable energy facilities in general, WtE projects are exposed to risks specific to this industry. In addition to the risks detailed above under “Risks Related to our Renewable Energy Operations,” WtE projects are exposed to additional risks specific to this industry, including:

 

·

As the raw materials used to produce energy in the WtE market are not freely available (as is the case with wind, solar and hydro energies), the success of a WtE facility depends on its ability to procure and maintain sufficient levels of the waste applicable and suitable to the WtE technology the facility uses, in order to meet a certain of range of energy (gas, electricity or heat) production levels. The WtE facility is required to enter into long-term supply agreements with waste suppliers, such as farmers, food manufacturers and other specialized waste suppliers. Any increase in the price of waste or shortage in the type or quality of waste required to produce the desired energy levels with the technology used by the facility could slow down or halt operations, causing a material adverse effect on the results of operations. The quality and availability of a range of a certain feedstock mix might also increase the facility’s operating costs, either due to the need to purchase more expensive feedstock mix in order to meet the desired energy production levels, or due to increase in the amounts of residues and the resulting increase of removal of surplus quantities. In addition to the impact of  the quality of the feedstock on the production levels, maintaining and monitoring the feedstock quality is crucial, for preventing malfunctions in the process, for example due to high levels of certain chemicals that might harm the CHP engines. The quality and reliability of the gas upgrading component, which convert the biogas to grid quality gas (methane), in facilities that produce gas to grid, is important for determining the gas upgrading ratio, which ultimately regulate the gas production levels and therefor the revenue streams from the sales of gas, receiving subsidy for gas, and eventually the facility's profitability. Therefore, any shortage of quality feedstock, changes in the feedstock mix available for use, and shortage in the gas upgrading component could have a material adverse effect on the results of operations of the WtE facilities.

 

·

The WtE industry is subject to many laws and regulations which govern the protection of the environment, quality control standards, health and safety requirements, and the management, transportation and disposal of different types of waste. Environmental laws and regulations may require removal or remediation of pollutants and may impose civil and criminal penalties for violations. The costs arising from compliance with environmental laws and regulations may increase operating costs for our WtE facilities and we may be exposed to penalties for failure to comply with such laws and regulations. In addition, existing regulation governing waste management and waste disposal provide incentives to feedstock suppliers to use waste management solutions such as the provision of feedstock to WtE facilities. Any regulatory changes that impose additional environmental restrictions on the WtE industry or that relieve feedstock suppliers from the stringent regulation concerning waste management and disposal could increase our operating costs, limit or change the cost of the feedstock available to us, and adversely affect our results of operations.

 

Risks Related to our Israeli Operations

 

The electricity sector in Israel is highly regulated. Failure to obtain and maintain conditional or permanent electricity production and supply licenses from the regulator could materially adversely affect our operations and results of operations. The Israeli electricity sector is subject to various laws and regulations, such as in connection with the tariffs charged by the IEC, including the resolution from May 2013 to charge private manufacturers, such as Dorad, for the IEC’s system operation services, and the licensing requirement. The prices paid by Dorad to the IEC for system operation services provided to Dorad and the fees received by Dorad and PV plant located in Talmei Yosef, Israel, or the Talmei Yosef PV Plant, that we recently acquired, from the IEC for electricity sold to the IEC and for providing the IEC with energy availability are all based on tariffs determined by the Israeli regulator. The updates and changes to the regulation and tariffs required to be paid to the IEC by Dorad may not necessarily involve negotiations or consultations with Dorad and may be unilaterally imposed on it. Any changes in the tariffs, system charges or applicable regulations may adversely affect our operations and results of operations.

 

The electricity sector in Israel is highly centralized. The IEC controls and operates the electricity system and all stages of the transmission of electricity. The electricity sector in Israel is dominated by the IEC, which controls and operates the electricity system in Israel, including the delivery and transmission of electricity, and also manufactures the substantial majority of electricity in Israel. The IEC is also the only customer of the Talmei Yosef PV Plant and is subject to the requirement to pay a fixed tariff for the electricity manufactured by such project. Similarly, should the prospective pumped storage project in the Manara Cliff in Israel, or the Manara PSP, be constructed and become operational, it is currently expected that its sole customer will be the IEC, who will be required to pay the Manara PSP for availability and electricity. The IEC experienced financial difficulties in recent years and the ability of the IEC to pay the renewable energy manufacturers could be affected by the financial instability of the IEC.

 

The employees of the IEC, who object to certain reforms in the Israeli electricity sector, have in the past applied sanctions to prevent the connection, and at a later stage threatened to disconnect, the Dorad Power Plant from the Israeli national grid as part of their efforts to prevent implementation of these reforms and may in the future do so again.

 

 

The inability of the IEC to pay Dorad or Talmei Yosef or unilateral actions on the part of IEC’s employees may adversely affect our plan of operations and could have a material adverse effect on our profitability.

 

The Talmei Yosef PV Plant and the Dorad Power Plant are located in the southern part of Israel, in proximity to the Gaza Strip and within range of missile and mortar bombs launched from the Gaza Strip. The Manara PSP is expected to be located the northern party of Israel, in proximity to the border with Lebanon. The Talmei Yosef Project is located near the Gaza Strip border and the Dorad Power Plant is located in Ashkelon, a town in the southern party of Israel, in proximity to the Gaza Strip. In recent years, there has been an escalation in violence and missile attacks from the Gaza Strip, including a fifty day period in July and August of 2014 in which more than 4,500 missiles, rockets and mortar shells were fired from the Gaza Strip to Southern and Central Israel. The Manara PSP is expected to be constructed in close proximity to Israel’s border with Lebanon. Certain measures were taken to protect the Dorad Power Plant from missile attacks. However, any such further attacks to the area surrounding the Gaza Strip or to the area in close proximity to the northern border of Israel or any direct damage to the location of these projects may damage the relevant facilities and disrupt the operations of the projects and thereafter their operations, and may cause losses and delays.

 

Risks Related to Our Investment in Dori Energy

 

We have joint control in U. Dori Energy Infrastructures Ltd., or Dori Energy, who, in turn, holds a minority stake in Dorad.  Therefore, we do not control the operations and actions of Dorad. We currently hold 50% of the equity of Dori Energy who, in turn, holds 18.75% of Dorad and accordingly our indirect interest in Dorad is 9.375%. Although we entered into a shareholders’ agreement with Dori Energy and the other shareholder of Dori Energy, Amos Luzon Entrepreneurship and Energy Group Ltd. (f/k/a U. Dori Group Ltd.), or the Dori SHA and the Luzon Group, respectively, providing us with joint control of Dori Energy, should differences of opinion as to the management, prospects and operations of Dori Energy arise, such differences may limit our ability to direct the operations of Dori Energy. Moreover, Dori Energy holds a minority stake in Dorad and as of the date hereof is entitled to nominate only one director in Dorad, which, according to the Dori SHA, we are entitled to nominate. As we have one representative on the Dorad board of directors, which has a total of nine directors, we do not control Dorad’s operations. Therefore, as we have joint control over Dori Energy and limited control over Dorad, we may be unable to prevent certain developments that may adversely affect their business and results of operations. Since July 2015, several of Dorad’s direct and indirect shareholders, including Ellomay Clean Energy Ltd., or Ellomay Energy, our wholly-owned subsidiary that holds Dori Energy’s shares, are involved in various legal proceedings, all as more fully described below. In addition, to the extent our interest in Dori Energy is deemed an investment security, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, or the Investment Company Act, we could be deemed to be an investment company under the Investment Company Act, depending on the value of our other assets. Please see “We may be deemed to be an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which could subject us to material adverse consequences” below.

 

The Dori Energy Shareholders Agreement contains restrictions on our right to transfer our holdings in Dori Energy, which may make it difficult for us to terminate our involvement with Dori Energy. The Dori SHA contains several restrictions on our ability to transfer our holdings in Dori Energy, including a right of first refusal. The aforesaid restrictions may make it difficult for us to terminate our involvement with Dori Energy should we elect to do so and may adversely affect the return on our investment in Dori Energy.

 

Dorad, which is currently the only substantial asset held by Dori Energy, operates the Dorad Power Plant, whose successful operations and profitability is dependent on a variety of factors, many of which are not within Dorad’s control.   Dorad’s only substantial asset is a combined cycle power (bi-fuel) plant running mainly on natural gas, with a production capacity of approximately 850 MW, or the Dorad Power Plant, on the premises of the Eilat-Ashkelon Pipeline Company, or EAPC, located south of Ashkelon, Israel. The Dorad Power Plant is subject to various complex agreements with third parties (the Israeli Electric Company, or IEC, the operations and maintenance contractor, suppliers, private customers, etc.) and to regulatory restrictions and guidelines in connection with, among other issues, the tariffs to be paid by the IEC to Dorad for the energy produced. Various factors and events may materially adversely affect Dorad’s results of operations and profitability and, in turn, have a material adverse effect on Dori Energy’s and our results of operations and profitability. These factors and events include:

 

·

The Dorad Power Plant is exposed to various risks, including noncompliance or breach by the contractor involved in the construction of its obligations during the warranty period causing delays and inability to provide electricity to Dorad’s customers, which may result, inter alia , in fines and penalties being imposed on Dorad or in higher operating expenses, or outside events and delays in supply of equipment or replacement parts required for the continued operations of the Dorad Power Plant, all of which may have a material adverse effect on Dorad’s results of operations and profitability;

 

·

The operation of the Dorad Power Plant is highly complex and dependent upon the continued ability: (i) to operate the various turbines, and (ii) to turn the turbines on and shut them down quickly based on demand. The profitability of Dorad also depends on the accuracy of the proprietary forecasting system used by Dorad. Any defects or disruptions, or inaccuracies in forecasts, may result in an inability to provide the amount of electricity required by Dorad’s customers or in over-production, both of which could have a material adverse effect on Dorad’s operations and profitability.

 

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Dorad’s operations are dependent upon the expertise and success of its operations and maintenance contractor, who is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Dorad Power Plant. If the services provided by such contractor will cause delays in the production of energy or any other damage to the Dorad Power Plant or to Dorad’s customers, Dorad may be subject to claims for damages and to additional expenses and losses and therefore Dorad’s profitability could be adversely affected.

 

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Significant equipment failures may limit Dorad’s production of energy. Although such damages are generally covered by insurance policies, any such failures may cause disruption in the production, may not all be covered by the insurance and the correction of such failures may involve a considerable amount of resources and investment and could therefore adversely affect Dorad’s profitability.

 

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The construction of the Dorad Power Plant was mainly financed by a consortium of financing entities pursuant to a long-term credit facility and such credit facility provides for pre-approval by the consortium of certain of Dorad’s actions and contracts with third parties. Changes in the credit ratings of Dorad and its shareholders, non-compliance with financing and other covenants, delays in provision of required pre-approvals or disagreements with the financial entities and additional factors may adversely affect Dorad’s operations and profitability.

 

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Dorad entered into a long-term natural gas supply agreement with the partners in the “Tamar” license, or Tamar, located in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel. This agreement includes a “take or pay” mechanism, subject to certain restrictions and conditions that may result in Dorad paying for natural gas not actually required for its operations. In the event Dorad will be required to pay for natural gas that it does not need and cannot store for future use, Dorad’s results of operations and profitability could be adversely affected. Tamar is currently Dorad’s sole supplier of natural gas and has undertaken to supply natural gas to various customers and is permitted to export a certain amount of the natural gas to customers outside of Israel. Dorad’s operations will depend on the timely, continuous and uninterrupted supply of natural gas from Tamar and on the existence of sufficient reserves throughout the term of the agreement with Tamar. In addition, the price of the natural gas under the supply agreement with Tamar is linked to production tariffs determined by the Israeli Public Utilities Authority – Electricity, or the Israeli Electricity Authority but cannot be lower than the “final floor price” included in the agreement. Due to the reduction in fuel and energy prices and the resulting reduction in the production tariff during 2015, the price for natural gas under the agreement with Tamar reached the final floor price in March 2016 and will not be further reduced in the event of future reductions in the fuel and energy prices and the production tariff, as are currently contemplated by the Israeli Electricity Authority. Any delays, disruptions, increases in the price of natural gas under the agreement, or shortages in the gas supply from Tamar will adversely affect Dorad’s results of operations. In addition, as future reductions in the production tariff will not affect the price of natural gas under the agreement with Tamar, Dorad’s profitability may be adversely affected.

 

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The Dorad power plant is subject to environmental regulations, aimed at increasing the protection of the environment and reducing environmental hazards, including by way of imposing restrictions regarding noise, harmful emissions to the environment and handling of hazardous materials. Currently the costs of compliance with the foregoing requirements are not material. Any breach or other noncompliance with the applicable laws may cause Dorad to incur additional costs due to penalties and fines and expenses incurred in order to regain compliance with the applicable laws, all of which may have an adverse effect on Dorad’s profitability and results of operations.

 

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As a result of the agreements with contractors of the Dorad Power Plant and the indexation included in the gas supply agreement, Dorad is exposed to changes in exchange rates of the U.S. dollar against the NIS. To minimize this exposure Dorad executed forward transactions to purchase U.S. dollars against the NIS. In addition, due to the indexing to the Israeli consumer price index under Dorad’s credit facility, it is exposed to fluctuations in the Israeli CPI, which may adversely affect its results of operations and profitability. As the hedging performed by Dorad does not completely eliminate such exposures, Dorad’s profitability might be adversely affected due to future changes in exchange rates or in the Israeli consumer price index.

Risks Related to the Manara PSP

As the energy sector in Israel is subject to regulation and oversight, the implementation, completion and commercial operation of the Manara PSP depend, inter alia , on securing a quota, which will be allocated only following successful and timely completion of a financial closing in accordance with the terms of the conditional license issued in connection with the Manara PSP. The current overall quota for pumped storage projects in Israel, or the PS Quota, as determined by the Israeli Government and implemented by the Israeli Electricity Authority, is 800 MW. Out of the PS Quota, a portion of 156 MW is still available. 300 MW have been allocated to a pumped storage project in the Gilboa region, Israel, or the Gilboa Project, which achieved financial closing and is currently in its final construction stages and 344 MW have been allocated to a pumped storage project in Kochav Hayarden, Israel, or the Kochav Hayarden Project, which also reached financial closing, and entered the construction phase. On December 4, 2017, the Israeli Electricity Authority announced the reduction of the capacity stipulated in the conditional license, or the Conditional License, granted to Ellomay Pumped Storage (2014) Ltd., or Ellomay PS , from 340 MW to 156 MW, based on the remaining available portion of the PS Quota.

According to the Israeli Electricity Authority resolutions, following the utilization of the PS Quota (which will take place upon financial closing in connection with the remaining 156 MW), the Israeli Electricity Authority is expected to initiate a process of revoking the conditional licenses of the pumped storage projects which have not achieved financial closing, and which exceed the PS Quota.

Thus, in the event that any other entities that have been granted a conditional license for the construction of a pumped storage facility in Israel timely comply with the requirements of their conditional license, and achieve financial closing before the Manara PSP reaches financial closing, in accordance with the terms of the Conditional License, the Conditional License may be revoked by the Israeli Electricity Authority. To our knowledge, there is currently one company, other than Ellomay PS, that has been granted a conditional license for the construction of a 156 MW pumped storage project in Nesher, Israel, or the Nesher Project (Nesher Pumped Storage Ltd., or Nesher PS).

Although to our knowledge there have been discussions, inter alia, within the Israeli Electricity Authority, the Ministry of Energy, and the IEC, concerning the increase of the PS Quota to over 1,000 MW, there can be no certainty as to whether and when the PS Quota will be increased.

In addition to failure to secure a quota, the Conditional License may be revoked for other reasons, such as non-compliance with milestones stipulated in the Conditional License. The Conditional License includes several milestones, and deadlines for completing such milestones, including the financial closing, and the completion of the construction works of the pumped storage power plant. The Israeli Electricity Authority could revoke the Conditional License if Ellomay PS does not timely meet milestones under the Conditional License.  Any such attempted revocation is subject to a written notice from the Israeli Electricity Authority, which shall include the reasons for the proposed revocation, and to a hearing of Ellomay PS before the Israeli Electricity Authority. If the Conditional License is revoked, the revocation could prevent the completion of the Manara PSP, resulting in a loss of some or all the funds invested in the Manara PSP.

 

 

Risks Related to our Operations

 

Our ability to leverage our investments and increase our operations depends, inter alia , on our ability to obtain attractive project and corporate financing from financial entities.    Our ability to obtain attractive financing and the terms of such financing, including interest rates, equity to debt ratio requirement and timing of debt availability will significantly impact our ability to leverage our investments and increase our operations. Although we have financing agreements with respect to several of our PV Plants and raised significant funds in Israel by the issuance of our Series A Debentures and Series B Debentures, or, together with the Series A Debentures, the Debentures, there is no assurance that we will be able to procure additional project financing for our remaining PV Plants, for the Talasol Project, which is expected to require significant funding, or any operations we will acquire in the future or additional corporate financing, on terms favorable to us or at all. Our inability to obtain additional financing on favorable terms, or at all, may adversely affect our ability to leverage our investments and increase our operations.

Our ability to freely operate our business is limited as a result of certain restrictive covenants contained in the deeds of trust of our Series A and Series B Debentures. The deed of trust governing the Series A Debentures and the deed of trust governing the Series B Debentures, or the Deeds of Trust, contain a number of restrictive covenants that limit our operating and financial flexibility. These covenants include, among other things, a “negative pledge” with respect to a floating pledge on all of our assets and an obligation to pay additional interest in the event of certain rating downgrades. The Deeds of Trust also contain covenants regarding maintaining certain levels of financial ratios and criteria, including as a condition to the distribution of dividends, and other customary immediate repayment conditions, including, under certain circumstances, in the event of a change of control, a default under the deed of trust of the other debentures issued by us, a change in our operations or a disposition of a substantial amount of assets. Our ability to continue to comply with these and other obligations depends in part on the future performance of our business. Such obligations may hinder our ability to finance our future operations or the manner in which we operate our business. In particular, any non-compliance with performance-related covenants and other undertakings of the Debentures could result in demand for immediate repayment of the outstanding amount under the Debentures and restrict our ability to obtain additional funds, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Our debt increases our exposure to market risks, may limit our ability to incur additional debt that may be necessary to fund our operations and could adversely affect our financial stability. As of December 31, 2017, our total indebtedness in connection with corporate and project financing was approximately euro 123.2 million, including principal and interest expected repayments, financing related swap transactions and excluding any related capitalized costs. The Deeds of Trust permit us to incur additional indebtedness, subject to maintaining certain financial ratios and covenants. Our debt, including the Debentures, and any additional debt we may incur, could adversely affect our financial condition by, among other things:

 

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increasing our vulnerability to adverse economic, industry or business conditions and cross currency movements and limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our industry and the economy in general;

 

 

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requiring us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to service our debt, thus reducing the funds available for operations and future business development; and

 

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limiting our ability to obtain additional financing to operate, develop and expand our business.

 

Despite our current indebtedness level, we may still be able to incur significant additional amounts of debt, which could further exacerbate the risks associated with our substantial indebtedness. We may be able to incur substantial additional indebtedness, including additional issuances of debentures and secured indebtedness, in the future. Although the Deeds of Trust governing our Debentures contain conditions that may affect our ability to incur additional debt, mainly through the expansion of the series of the Debentures, these conditions are limited and we will be able to incur additional debt and enter into highly leveraged transactions, so long as we do not breach the financial covenants and meet these conditions. If new debt is added to our existing debt levels, the related risks that we face would intensify and we may not be able to meet all our debt obligations, including the repayment of the Debentures.

We cannot assure you that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations or future borrowings from other sources in an amount sufficient to enable us to service our indebtedness, including the Debentures, or to fund our other liquidity needs. To service our indebtedness, we will require a significant amount of cash. Our ability to make payments on and to refinance our indebtedness, including the Debentures, to fund planned capital expenditures and to maintain sufficient working capital will depend on our ability to generate cash in the future. This, to a certain extent, is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. As such, we may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service the Debentures or our other indebtedness, and may be forced to take other actions to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness, such as reduce or delay capital expenditures, sell assets, seek additional capital or restructure or refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness, including the Debentures, on or before the maturity thereof, which may not be successful and could have a material adverse effect on our operations. We cannot assure you that we will be able to refinance any of our indebtedness, including the Debentures, on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or that the terms of that indebtedness will allow any of the above alternative measures or that these measures would satisfy our scheduled debt service obligations. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow to repay or refinance our debt on favorable terms, it could significantly adversely affect our financial condition, the value of our outstanding debt, including the Debentures, and our ability to make any required cash payments under our indebtedness, including the Debentures. Our ability to restructure or refinance our debt will depend on the condition of the capital markets and our financial condition at that time. Any refinancing of our debt could be at higher interest rates and may require us to comply with more onerous covenants, which could further restrict our business operations.

Our business results may be affected by currency and interest rate fluctuations and the hedging transactions we enter into in order to manage currency and interest rate related risks.  We hold cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and marketable securities mainly in euro and NIS. Our holdings in the Italian and Spanish PV Plants and in the Netherlands WtE project are denominated in euro and our holdings in the Talmei Yosef PV Plant and in Dori Energy are denominated in NIS. Our Debentures and the project finance obtained in connection with the Talmei Yosef Project are denominated in NIS and the interest and principal payments are to be made in NIS. The financing for several of our PV Plants bears interest based on EURIBOR rate. Therefore our repayment obligations and undertakings may be affected by adverse movements in the exchange and interest rates. Although we attempt to manage these risks by entering into various swap interest and currency  transactions as more fully explained in “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” below, we cannot ensure we will manage to eliminate these risks in their entirety. These swap transactions may also impact the results of our operations due to fluctuations in their value based on changes in the relevant exchange or interest rate.

If we do not conduct an adequate due diligence investigation of a target project or if certain events beyond our control occur, we may be required to subsequently take write-downs or write-offs, restructuring, and impairment or other charges that could have a significant negative effect on our financial condition, results of operations and our stock price.  We must conduct a due diligence investigation of target projects that we intend to acquire or purchase an interest in. Intensive due diligence is time consuming and expensive due to the technical, accounting, finance and legal professionals who must be involved in the due diligence process. Even if we conduct extensive due diligence on a target business, we cannot assure you that this due diligence will reveal all material issues that may affect a particular target project, or that factors outside the control of the target project and outside of our control will not later arise. If our due diligence review fails to identify issues specific to a target project, industry or the environment in which the target project operates, or if certain events or circumstances occur that are beyond our control, we may be forced to later write-down or write-off assets, restructure our operations, or incur impairment or other charges that could result in losses. Even though these charges may be non-cash items and may not have an immediate impact on our liquidity, the fact that we report charges of this nature could contribute to negative market perceptions about us or our ordinary shares.

We may be deemed to be an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which could subject us to material adverse consequences.  We could be deemed to be an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act if we invest more than 40% of our assets in “investment securities,” as defined in the Investment Company Act. Investments in securities of majority owned subsidiaries (defined for these purposes as companies in which we control 50% or more of the voting securities) are not “investment securities” for purposes of this definition. As our interest in Dori Energy is not considered an investment in majority owned securities, unless we maintain the required portion of our assets under our control, limit the nature of the requisite portion of our investments of our cash assets to cash and cash equivalents (which are generally not “investment securities”), succeed in making additional strategic “controlling” investments and continue to monitor our investment in Dori Energy, we may be deemed to be an “investment company.” We do not believe that our holdings in the PV Plants would be considered “investment securities,” as we control the PV Plants via wholly-owned subsidiaries, or that our holdings in the Manara PSP or the Talasol Project would be considered “investment securities,” as we control the project company. In addition, despite minority holder protective rights granted under the Ludan Agreement, including several rights which effectively require the unanimous consent of all shareholders on several issues central to the business’ operation, we believe that our interests in these Approved Projects do not constitute “investment securities” given, among other things, our contribution and expected continued contribution to the operations of the Approved Projects and majority shareholder and board membership status in the Approved Projects. We do not believe that the current fair value of our holdings in Dori Energy (all as more fully set forth under “Business” below) and other relevant assets, all of which may be deemed to be “investment securities,” would result in our being deemed to be an “investment company.” If we were deemed to be an “investment company,” we would not be permitted to register under the Investment Company Act without an order from the SEC permitting us to register because we are incorporated outside of the United States and, prior to being permitted to register, we would not be permitted to publicly offer or promote our securities in the United States. Even if we were permitted to register, it would subject us to additional commitments and regulatory compliance. Investments in cash and cash equivalents might not be as favorable to us as other investments we might make if we were not potentially subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act. We seek to conduct our operations, including by way of investing our cash and cash equivalents, to the extent possible, so as not to become subject to regulation under the Investment Company Act. In addition, because we are actively engaged in exploring and considering strategic investments and business opportunities, and in fact the majority of our investments to date (mainly in the Italian, Spanish and Israeli photovoltaic power plants markets) were made through a controlling investment, we do not believe that we are currently engaged in “investment company” activities or business. These strategies may force us to pursue less than optimal business strategies or forego business arrangements and to forgo certain cash management strategies that could have been financially advantageous to us and to our financial situation and business prospect.

Our ability to successfully effect acquisitions and to be successful thereafter will be significantly dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel. Several of our key personnel allocate their time to other businesses.  Our ability to successfully effect acquisitions is dependent upon the efforts of our key personnel, including Shlomo Nehama, our chairman of the board, Ran Fridrich, a director and our Chief Executive Officer, and Hemi Raphael, a member of our board. We entered into a management services agreement, or the Management Services Agreement, with entities affiliated with these board members and they have allocated a significant portion of their time to our company since the execution of the Management Services Agreement. However, they are not required to commit their full time to our affairs, which could create a conflict of interest when allocating their time between our operations and their other commitments. If their other business affairs require them to devote more substantial amounts of time to such affairs, it could limit their ability to devote time to our affairs and could have a negative impact on our ability to consummate acquisitions.

We may be characterized as a passive foreign investment company. Our U.S. shareholders may suffer adverse tax consequences.  Under the passive foreign investment company or “PFIC” rules, for any taxable year that our passive income or our assets that produce passive income exceed specified levels, we will be characterized as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. This characterization could result in adverse U.S. tax consequences for our U.S. shareholders, which may include having certain distributions on our ordinary shares and gains realized on the sale of our ordinary shares treated as ordinary income, rather than as capital gains income, and having potentially punitive interest charges apply to the proceeds of sales of our ordinary shares and certain distributions.

Certain elections may be made to reduce or eliminate the adverse impact of the PFIC rules for our U.S. shareholders, but these elections may be detrimental to such U.S. shareholders under certain circumstances. The PFIC rules are extremely complex and U.S. investors are urged to consult independent tax advisers regarding the potential consequences to them of our classification as a PFIC.

Based on our income and/or assets, we believe that we were a PFIC with respect to any U.S. shareholder that held our shares in 2008 through 2012.  We also believe, based on our income and assets, that it is likely that we were not a PFIC with respect to U.S. shareholders that initially acquired our ordinary shares in 2013-2017. However, the Internal Revenue Service may disagree with our determinations regarding our prior or present PFIC status and, depending on future events, we could become a PFIC in future years.

For a more detailed discussion of the consequences of our being classified as a PFIC, see “Item 10.E: Taxation” below under the caption “U.S. Tax Considerations Regarding Ordinary Shares.”

Risks Relating to our Ordinary Shares

You may have difficulty enforcing U.S. judgments against us in Israel.   We are organized under the laws of Israel and our headquarters are in Israel. All of our officers and directors reside outside of the United States. Therefore, it may be difficult to effect service of process upon us or any of these persons within the United States. In addition, you may not be able to enforce any judgment obtained in the U.S. against us or any of such persons in Israel and in any event will be required to file a request with an Israeli court for recognition or enforcement of any non-Israeli judgment. Subject to certain time limitations, executory judgments of a United States court for liquidated damages in civil matters may be enforced by an Israeli court, provided that: (i) the judgment was obtained after due process before a court of competent jurisdiction, that recognizes and enforces similar judgments of Israeli courts and according to the rules of private international law currently prevailing in Israel, (ii) adequate service of process was effected and the defendant had a reasonable opportunity to be heard, (iii) the judgment and its enforcement are not contrary to the law, public policy, security or sovereignty of the State of Israel, (iv) the judgment was not obtained by fraud and does not conflict with any other valid judgment in the same matter between the same parties, (v) the judgment is no longer appealable, and (vi) an action between the same parties in the same matter is not pending in any Israeli court at the time the lawsuit is instituted in the foreign court. If a foreign judgment is enforced by an Israeli court, it will be payable in Israeli currency. You may not be able to enforce civil actions under U.S. securities laws if you file a lawsuit in Israel.

We may rely on certain Israeli “home country” corporate governance practices which may not afford shareholders the same protection afforded to stockholders of U.S. companies. As a foreign private issuer for purposes of U.S. securities laws, NYSE American LLC rules allow us to follow certain Israeli “home country” corporate governance practices in lieu of the corresponding NYSE American LLC corporate governance rules. Such home country practices may not afford shareholders the same level of rights or protections in certain matters as those of stockholders of U.S. domestic companies. To the extent we are entitled to elect to follow Israeli law and practice rather than corresponding U.S. law or practice, such as with regard to the requirement for shareholder approval of changes to option plans, our shareholders may not be afforded the same level of rights they would have under U.S. practice.

The rights and responsibilities of our shareholders are governed by Israeli law and differ in some respects from the rights and responsibilities of shareholders under U.S. law. We are incorporated under Israeli law. The rights and responsibilities of holders of our ordinary shares are governed by our memorandum and articles of association and Israeli law. These rights and responsibilities differ in some respects from the rights and responsibilities of shareholders in typical U.S. corporations. In particular, each shareholder of an Israeli company has a duty to act in good faith in exercising his or her rights and fulfilling his or her obligations toward the company and other shareholders and to refrain from abusing his power in the company, including, among other things, in voting at the general meeting of shareholders on certain matters.  Israeli law provides that these duties are applicable in shareholder votes on, among other things, amendments to a company’s articles of association, increases in a company’s authorized share capital, mergers and interested party transactions requiring shareholder approval. In addition, a controlling shareholder of an Israeli company or a shareholder who knows that it possesses the power to determine the outcome of a shareholder vote or who has the power to appoint or prevent the appointment of a director or officer in the company has a duty of fairness toward the company. However, Israeli law does not define the substance of this duty of fairness. Because Israeli corporate law has undergone extensive revisions in recent years, there is little case law available to assist in understanding the implications of these provisions that govern shareholder behavior.

Tax audits may result in an obligation to make material payments to tax authorities at the conclusion of these audits.   We conduct our business globally (currently in Israel, Luxemburg, Italy, Spain and The Netherlands). Our domestic and international tax liabilities are subject to the allocation of revenues and expenses in different jurisdictions and the timing of recognizing revenues and expenses. Additionally, the amount of income taxes paid is subject to our interpretation of applicable laws in the jurisdictions in which we file. Not all of the tax returns of our operations in other countries and in Israel are final and we may be subject to further audit and assessment by the applicable tax authorities. We are subject to an ongoing tax audit in Israel. Such audits often result in proposed assessments and any estimation of the potential outcome of an uncertain tax issue is a matter for judgment, which can be subjective and highly complex. While we believe we comply with applicable tax laws and that we provided adequately for any reasonably foreseeable outcomes related to the tax audit, there can be no assurance that a governing tax authority will not have a different interpretation of the law and assess us with additional taxes, as a result of which our future results may be adversely affected. Although we believe our estimates to be reasonable, the ultimate outcome of such audits, and of any related litigation, could differ materially from our provisions for taxes, which may have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements.

We are controlled by a small number of shareholders, who may make decisions with which you may disagree and which may also prevent a change of control via purchases in the market.  Currently, a group of investors comprised of Kanir Joint Investments (2005) Limited Partnership, or Kanir, and S. Nechama Investments (2008) Ltd., or Nechama Investments, hold an aggregate of 58.6% of our outstanding ordinary shares. Shlomo Nehama, our Chairman of the Board who controls Nechama Investments holds directly an additional 4.4% of our outstanding ordinary shares, Ran Fridrich, our CEO and a member of our Board of Directors, holds directly an additional 1.1% of our outstanding ordinary shares and Hemi Raphael, a member of our Board of Directors who, together with Ran Fridrich, controls the general partner of Kanir, directly and indirectly holds an additional 4.3% of our outstanding ordinary shares. Therefore, acting together, these shareholders could exercise significant influence over our business, including with respect to the election of our directors and the approval of change in control and other material transactions. This concentration of control may have the effect of delaying or preventing changes in control or changes in management, or limiting the ability of our other shareholders to approve transactions that they may deem to be in their best interest. In addition, as a result of this concentration of control, we are deemed a “controlled company” for purposes of NYSE American LLC rules and as such we are not subject to certain NYSE American LLC corporate governance rules. Moreover, our Second Amended and Restated Articles includes the casting vote provided to our Chairman of the Board under certain circumstances and the ability of members of our Board to demand that certain issues be approved by our shareholders, requiring a special majority, all as more fully described in “Memorandum of Association and Second Amended and Restated Articles” below may have the effect of delaying or preventing certain changes and corporate actions that would otherwise benefit our shareholders.

Our ordinary shares are listed in two markets and this may result in price variations that could affect the trading price of our ordinary shares. Our ordinary shares are listed on the NYSE American LLC and on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, or TASE, both under the symbol “ELLO.” Trading in our ordinary shares on these markets is made in different currencies (U.S. dollars on the NYSE American LLC and New Israeli Shekels on the TASE), and at different times (due to the different time zones, different trading days and different public holidays in the United States and Israel). The trading prices of our ordinary shares on these two markets may differ due to these and other factors. Any decrease in the trading price of our ordinary shares on one of these markets could cause a decrease in the trading price of our ordinary shares on the other market.

Our non-compliance with the continued listing requirements of the NYSE American LLC   could cause the delisting of our ordinary shares.   The NYSE American LLC requires listed companies to comply with continued listing requirements, including with respect to stockholders’ equity, distribution of shares and low selling price. There can be no assurance that we will continue to qualify for listing on the NYSE American LLC. If our ordinary shares are delisted from the NYSE American LLC, trading in our ordinary shares in the United States could be conducted on an electronic bulletin board such as the OTC Bulletin Board, which could affect the liquidity of our ordinary shares and the ability of the shareholders to sell their ordinary shares in the secondary market, which, in turn, may adversely affect the market price of our ordinary shares. In addition, as our shares are also traded on the TASE, to the extent our shares are delisted from the NYSE American LLC we could decide to cease being a reporting company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which may make it more difficult for investors to find up to date information about us, in English or at all. Moreover, in the event our ordinary shares are delisted from the NYSE American LLC but still listed on the TASE, we will be required to start filing and publishing reports in Hebrew with the Israeli authorities in a similar manner to the Israeli public companies whose shares are not listed on an exchange recognized by the Israeli regulator, which will subject us to additional substantial expenses and to additional regulatory requirements that may have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

We did not pay a cash dividend or buyback a substantial amount of shares in 2017 and there is no assurance we will do so in the future.  On March 18, 2015, our Board of Directors adopted a dividend distribution policy, which applies to the payment of dividends and the repurchase of our shares and in May 2015, our Board of Directors approved a $3 million share buyback plan. On March 23, 2016, we announced the decision to distribute a cash dividend in the amount of $0.225 per share (an aggregate distribution of approximately $2.4 million). We did not pay any cash dividend or announce an additional share buyback plan during 2017. The declaration of future dividends or the approval of future share buyback plans will depend on our  earnings, if any, capital requirements, general financial condition and applicable legal and contractual constraints in connection with distribution of profits and will be within the discretion of our then-board of directors. There can be no assurance that any additional dividends will be paid or share buyback programs adopted, as to the timing or the amount of the dividends or share buyback programs, or as to whether our Board of Directors will elect to distribute our profits by means of share repurchases or a distribution of a cash or other dividend. In addition, the terms of the deed of trust governing our Debentures restrict our ability to made “distributions” (as such term is defined in the Israeli Companies Law, 1999, as amended, or the Companies Law, which includes cash dividends and repurchase of shares). For more information see “Item 5.B: Liquidity and Capital Resources” and “Item 8.A: Financial Information; Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information; Dividends” below.

Our stock price has been very volatile in the past and   may continue to be volatile, which could adversely affect the market liquidity of our ordinary shares and our ability to raise additional funds.   The market liquidity and analyst coverage of our ordinary shares is limited . Our ordinary shares have experienced substantial price volatility, particularly as there is still very limited volume of trading in our ordinary shares and every transaction performed significantly influences the market price. Although our ordinary shares are listed both on the NYSE American LLC and on the TASE, there is still limited liquidity, and combined with the general economic and political conditions, these circumstances cause the market price for our ordinary shares to continue to be volatile. The continuance of such factors and other factors relating to our business may materially adversely affect the market price of our ordinary shares in the future and could result in lower prices for our ordinary shares than might otherwise prevail and in larger spreads between the bid and asked prices for our ordinary shares. These issues could materially impair our ability to raise funds through the issuance of our ordinary shares in the securities markets.

Provisions of Israeli law may delay, prevent or make difficult an acquisition of Ellomay or a controlling position in Ellomay, which could prevent a change of control and, therefore, depress the price of our shares.  Israeli corporate law regulates mergers, requires tender offers for acquisitions of shares above specified thresholds, requires special approvals for transactions involving directors, officers or significant shareholders and regulates other matters that may be relevant to these types of transactions. Furthermore, Israeli tax considerations may make potential transactions unappealing to us or to some of our shareholders. These provisions of Israeli law may delay, prevent or make difficult an acquisition of Ellomay, which could prevent a change of control and therefore depress the price of our shares.