Chemours reports progress on 5-pt Transformation Plan

In its financial results for the second quarter 2016, the company said its net sales were $1.4 billion, a decrease of 8 per cent from $1.5 billion in the prior-year quarter. Second quarter net loss was $18 million, or ($0.10) per diluted share, versus net loss of $18 million, or ($0.10) per diluted share on a pro forma basis in the prior-year quarter.

Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter was $187 million versus $127 million in the prior-year quarter. Improved profitability in fluoroproducts and cost reductions throughout the company were partially offset by lower average prices in titanium technologies and chemical solutions along with approximately $9 million of unfavourable currency movements versus the prior-year quarter.

Sequentially, sales increased by $86 million, an increase of 7 per cent from $1.3 billion in the first quarter. Second quarter net loss was $18 million, or ($0.10) per diluted share down from net income of $51 million or $0.28 per diluted share. The net loss was primarily driven by asset impairment charges of $63 million in the second quarter. Second quarter adjusted EBITDA increased by $59 million versus $128 million in the first quarter of 2016. The improved performance was primarily driven by higher seasonal volumes in Titanium Technologies and Fluoroproducts and supplemented by higher TiO2 pricing and lower costs. These were partially offset by unfavourable corporate and other expenses, the company said.

“Our second quarter results reflect our focused execution against our Five-Point Transformation Plan and our drive to deliver on our commitments to all our stakeholders. We have just celebrated our first anniversary as a public company, and we are pleased with the progress we have made in that time to strengthen our business model, reduce costs, and optimise our company portfolio. At this point, we have completed the strategic review of our Chemical Solutions portfolio, closed the sale of our Sulfur business for approximately $325 million and announced the sale of our Clean and Disinfect business for $230 million. We began commercial production at our new TiO2 plant in Altamira, Mexico and have been encouraged by improvement in the titanium technologies segment with increasing TiO2 prices,” said Chemours president and CEO Mark Vergnano.

“Overall, I am very pleased that we have delivered approximately $100 million in cost reductions, improved margins, improved our working capital, streamlined our portfolio and modestly improved our balance sheet in the first half of 2016,” he added. (RKS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India