In This Article:
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Revenue: EUR3.6 billion for Q3 2024.
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Volume Growth: 6.1% year-on-year increase.
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EBITDA: EUR287 million, within the guidance range of EUR250 million to EUR350 million.
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Free Operating Cash Flow: Positive at EUR112 million for Q3 2024.
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Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio: 3.0x based on a four-quarter rolling EBITDA of EUR1 billion.
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EBITDA Margin (Solutions & Specialties): 11.7% for Q3 2024.
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Sales Growth (Performance Materials): 4.1% year-on-year increase.
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CapEx: 9M 2024 CapEx of EUR422 million, slightly lower year-on-year.
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Guidance for FY 2024 EBITDA: Narrowed to EUR1.0 billion to EUR1.25 billion.
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Sales Expectation for FY 2024: Narrowed to EUR14 billion to EUR14.5 billion.
Release Date: October 29, 2024
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
Positive Points
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Covestro AG (CVVTF) reported a strong volume growth of 6.1% year on year, driven by improved demand and reliability.
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The company achieved an EBITDA of EUR287 million, which is within their guidance range of EUR250 million to EUR350 million.
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Covestro AG (CVVTF) turned its free operating cash flow positive with EUR112 million in Q3 2024.
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Significant progress was made towards climate neutrality, including a new catalyst installation in China reducing CO2 emissions by 60,000 tons annually.
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The company increased its share of renewable electricity through a PPA with bp, raising its renewable electricity share in Spain from 10% to 30%.
Negative Points
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Sales were affected by lower prices, resulting in a total of EUR3.6 billion, despite volume growth.
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The pricing delta negatively impacted EBITDA by EUR126 million due to an unfavorable supply-demand ratio.
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The automotive and construction industries showed concerning trends, with automotive expected to remain flattish and construction projected to decline.
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Covestro AG (CVVTF) experienced a negative free operating cash flow of minus EUR164 million for the first nine months of 2024.
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The company's net debt increased by EUR159 million compared to the end of 2023, partly due to seasonally negative cash flow and bonus payouts.
Q & A Highlights
Q: Can you discuss demand trends post-Q3, particularly in electronics and any industry showing demand revival? A: October is developing as expected, similar to September. Electronics showed some improvement earlier but weakened in September. Current trends align with full-year guidance, with strong production reliability allowing us to meet demand opportunities.
Q: Why are you bearish on the automotive sector, and what are your expectations for 2025? A: Despite positive EV market growth, overall automotive sentiment is cautious, especially in Europe and North America. We remain diversified across OEMs, but expect a weaker Q1 2025. We are vigilant about developments in 2025 but not overly concerned due to our customer base.