Business Context and Reporting Period
This Form 6-K is a report of a foreign private issuer filed by James Hardie Industries N.V. on April 2, 2004. The registrant is headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and files annual reports under Form 20-F. The filing serves to furnish information to the SEC pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b).
Key Financial Metrics
The filing text does not provide a clear value for revenue, profit, cash flow, margins, debt, or liquidity. This document is a procedural filing containing an exhibit index and a safe harbor statement rather than a financial results report.
Material Changes
No material financial changes versus a prior comparable period are disclosed in this filing. The document references four specific corporate actions regarding the exercise of options filed with the Australian Stock Exchange on March 3, March 5, March 8, and March 10, 2004.
Guidance, Outlook, and Risks
The filing includes a Safe Harbor Statement regarding forward-looking statements found in the attached exhibits. Management cautions that actual results may differ materially from expectations due to several risks, including:
- Competition and product pricing.
- General economic and market conditions.
- Compliance with environmental and health and safety laws.
- Dependence on cyclical construction markets.
- Supply and cost of raw materials.
- Reliance on a small number of product distributors.
- Consequences of product failures or defects.
- Exposure to environmental or other legal proceedings.
- Risks of conducting business internationally.
Investor Verification Checklist
- Verify the specific details of the option exercises referenced in Exhibits 99.1 through 99.4 filed with the Australian Stock Exchange.
- Review the company's most recent Form 20-F or Form 6-K for actual financial performance data, as this filing does not contain financial statements.
- Assess the impact of the listed risk factors, particularly those related to cyclical construction markets and legal proceedings, on future outlooks.