In This Article:
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Q3 EBITDA: EUR66 million, down from EUR72 million last year.
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Agriculture Sales Volumes: 1.8 million tonnes.
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Free Cash Flow (First Nine Months): EUR111 million.
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Full Year 2024 EBITDA Expectation: Around EUR540 million, closer to the lower end of the previous range.
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Free Cash Flow Expectation for Full Year: At least breakeven despite increased capital expenditures.
Release Date: November 14, 2024
For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.
Positive Points
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K+S AG (KPLUF) reported a robust Q3 performance, slightly above expectations, driven by a strong specialty business.
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The company achieved a Q3 EBITDA of EUR66 million, with lower costs and positive currency effects offsetting lower revenues.
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Free cash flow for the first nine months amounted to EUR111 million, indicating strong cash management.
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The specialty business, particularly SOP, remains strong due to limited competition and favorable sulfur prices.
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The Werra 2060 project is on track, promising significant environmental and operational benefits by 2028.
Negative Points
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Q3 EBITDA decreased from EUR72 million last year to EUR66 million this year, primarily due to lower prices.
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The company reduced the upper end of its agriculture sales volume guidance due to production bottlenecks caused by high illness rates.
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Production shortages due to sickness rates are expected to continue impacting Q4, affecting sales volumes.
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Bethune's production increase will be flat in 2025 due to technical reasons, affecting expected growth.
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The potash market faces challenges with low pricing and lack of price discipline among players, impacting profitability.
Q & A Highlights
Q: Was the production shortage due to sickness rates in Q3 also a concern for Q4? A: Yes, the illness rate is a broader issue affecting Germany and other European countries. We expect some impact in Q4, but it is already factored into our guidance for the rest of the year. - Burkhard Lohr, CEO
Q: Can you provide an early view on own produced volumes for 2025? A: We do not guide production volumes, but we expect strong demand in 2025, which will influence our sales volumes positively. - Burkhard Lohr, CEO
Q: How are production bottlenecks impacting profits in Q4? A: The impact is not significant. We have reduced the upper end of the sales volume range by 100,000 tonnes, translating to a low EBITDA impact. - Burkhard Lohr, CEO
Q: Can you update us on the Werra 2060 project progress and CapEx spend? A: The project is on track, with major CapEx still ahead. We aim to reduce CO2 output by 50% and production waters by more than 50%, extending the project's lifetime by 10 years. - Burkhard Lohr, CEO