Lanxess group sales grow 4% in 2012

LANXESS confirmed the preliminary results for 2012 that it published on March 7, 2013. Group sales grew by 4 percent in fiscal 2012 to EUR 9,094 million. Business development was driven notably by the focus on emerging markets, solid demand for agrochemicals, pleasing contributions from acquisitions and the price-before-volume strategy.

EBITDA pre exceptionals improved by 7 percent to EUR 1,225 million, compared with EUR 1,146 million in the previous year. The operating result thus came within the target corridor of a 5 to 10 percent increase. The EBITDA margin pre exceptionals amounted to 13.5 percent, compared with 13.1 percent in the previous year. Net income and earnings per share (EPS) improved by 2 percent in 2012, to EUR 514 million and EUR 6.18, respectively.

The company will propose to the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting on May 23, 2013, that a dividend of EUR 1.00 per share be paid for 2012. This represents an increase of about 18 percent compared with the prior year and results in a payout of roughly EUR 83 million.

The employees will also benefit from the strong earnings, receiving some EUR 115 million in profit-sharing payouts for the year. This figures compares to about EUR 100 million for 2011.

Regional sales development

The Asia-Pacific region again proved to be a stabilizing factor in 2012. Sales grew by about 10 percent to about EUR 2.2 billion. In Greater China (Hong Kong, China, Taiwan), the EUR 1 billion sales threshold was exceeded for the first time. Business in North America also gained strongly, with sales advancing by more than 10 percent to roughly EUR 1.6 billion.

The EMEA region (Europe excluding Germany, Middle East, Africa) – with sales of EUR 2.5 billion – once again accounted for the largest share of LANXESS sales, although business in this region showed a slight decline of just under 1 percent. In Germany, sales rose slightly to approximately EUR 1.6 billion. In the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), sales moved forward by 1 percent year-on-year to nearly EUR 2.2 billion.

Segment development

Performance Polymers showed a solid performance and remained the largest segment in business terms, raising sales by more than 2 percent from the strong level of the prior year to some EUR 5.2 billion. The Butyl Rubber, Performance Butadiene Rubbers and Technical Rubber Products business units, which all serve the automotive and tire industries, experienced a drop in volumes. However, sales were buoyed by the positive portfolio effects from the Keltan EPDM business acquired in 2011. EBITDA pre exceptionals of the segment climbed by 6.4 percent to EUR 817 million.