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Investing.com -- Clariant (SIX:CLN) shares climbed 5.8% as the Swiss specialty chemicals company reported first-quarter earnings that surpassed analyst expectations and confirmed its full-year outlook.
The company’s adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter came in at CHF 190 million, beating the Vara consensus of CHF 174 million by 9%.
The positive earnings were largely attributed to the performance of its Care Chemicals division. Despite a challenging environment marked by increased trade tensions, Clariant managed to maintain its sales on a local currency basis, with a slight increase of 1%. This was achieved through a combination of pricing strategies and portfolio adjustments, which offset a 2% volume decline.
Clariant’s reported group sales reached CHF 1,013 million, slightly below the consensus estimate of CHF 1,019 million. Nonetheless, the company’s adjusted EBITDA margin improved by 60 basis points year-over-year.
Looking ahead, Clariant has reaffirmed its full-year 2025 guidance, projecting 3-5% local currency growth at the lower end of the range and EBITDA margins between 17-18%. This guidance implies an EBITDA of approximately CHF 750 million, which is above the Vara consensus of CHF 716 million.
The company anticipates growth in its Care Chemicals, and Adsorbents & Additives divisions, while expecting sales in Catalysts to remain at similar levels to the previous year.
In executive news, Clariant announced that CFO Bill Collins is set to retire. He will be succeeded by Oliver Rittgen, an external hire from Bayer (OTC:BAYRY) Crop, which could signal a strategic move as the company navigates through the current business landscape.
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