Specialty chemicals company Lanxess has started the 2025 fiscal year with a significant increase in earnings: EBITDA pre exceptionals rose by 31.7% from 101 million Euros to 133 million Euros – despite the weak global economic environment. The group improved its earnings in all segments, mainly due to better capacity utilization and cost savings as part of the ‘Forward!’ action plan.
Sales in the first quarter remained stable at 1.601 billion Euros, on a par with the prior-year figure of 1.607 billion Euros. Lanxess increased sales volumes in most businesses, although lower sales prices had a negative impact on revenues.
“We have made a solid start to the new fiscal year – despite all the adversities in the economic and geopolitical environment. Our more efficient positioning and improved cost situation are now paying off,” said Matthias Zachert, chairman of the board of management of Lanxess AG. “The situation around us has continued to escalate since the beginning of the year. The U.S. government’s new trade policy has shaken the markets and exacerbated the already high level of uncertainty. Combined with the ongoing weakness of the economy, this makes the situation even more challenging for companies.”
Net income for the first quarter of 2025 was minus 57 million Euros, compared with minus 98 million Euros in the same period last year.
Lanxess confirms its guidance for the 2025 fiscal year and continues to expect EBITDA pre exceptionals of between 600 and 650 million Euros.
For the second quarter of the fiscal year 2025, Lanxess anticipates an increase in earnings compared with the first quarter of 2025. However, compared with the same quarter of the previous year, the Group expects earnings to decline, primarily because the earnings contribution from Urethane Systems will no longer be included.
Sale of Urethane Systems business completed
On 1 April 2025, Lanxess sold its Urethane Systems business to Japan’s UBE Corporation, thus divesting its last remaining polymer business. The transaction was the last major step in the company’s portfolio transformation towards specialty chemicals.
Lanxess will use the proceeds from the sale to redeem its EUR 500 million benchmark bond due May 2025 and further reduce its debt.
Business development in the segments
The Consumer Protection segment posted first-quarter sales of 513 million Euro, an increase of 0.8% compared with the prior-year figure of 509 million Euros. EBITDA pre exceptionals rose by 49% from 49 million Euros in the prior-year quarter to 73 million Euros. This was mainly due to higher sales volumes and the associated improvement in capacity utilization. In addition, cost savings from the ‘Forward!’ action plan had a positive impact on earnings and margins. The EBITDA margin pre exceptionals was 14.2%, compared with 9.6% in the same period of the previous year.
In the first quarter of 2025, the Specialty Additives segment recorded sales of 545 million Euros, down 3.7% on the first quarter of 2024, when sales amounted to 566 million Euros. EBITDA pre exceptionals increased by 8.3% from 48 million Euros in the same quarter of the previous year to 52 million Euros. The cost savings from the ‘Forward!’ The action plan also had a positive impact on earnings and margins, along with a favorable product mix. The EBITDA margin pre exceptionals was 9.5%, up from 8.5% in the prior-year quarter.
The Advanced Intermediates segment generated sales of 476 million Euros in the first quarter of 2025, up 2.4% from 465 million Euros in the year-ago period. EBITDA pre exceptionals reached 40 million Euros, up 8.1% from 37 million Euros in the prior-year period. Higher sales volumes and cost savings from the ‘Forward!’ action plan had a particularly positive impact on earnings and margins. The EBITDA margin pre exceptionals was 8.4%, slightly above the margin of 8.0% recorded in the same quarter of the previous year.
