Clariant AG (CLRN) Q3 2026 Earnings Report
DE:CLRN Q3 2026 EPS Results
- Actual EPS
- EUR 0.00
- Consensus EPS
- EUR 0.00
- Beat/Miss
- Met expectations
- One Year Ago EPS
- EUR 0.00
DE:CLRN Q3 2026 Revenue Results
- Actual Revenue
- ―
- Expected Revenue
- EUR 1.00B
- Beat/Miss
- ―
- YoY Revenue Growth
- ―
Earnings Announcement Details
- Quarter
- Q3 2026
- Date
- 11/03/2026
- Time
- Before Open
- Conference Call
- Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Clariant AG's next earnings date is estimated for February 23, 2027, based on past reporting schedules.
Q3 2026 Earnings Call Audio
Q3 2026 Earnings Slide Deck
Q3 2026 Earnings Call Summary
The call was mixed but cautiously constructive. Strong sales growth, improved cash conversion, solid Care Chemicals and Adsorbents and Additives performance, substantial savings progress, a strong Catalysts order book and maintained full-year guidance were positive. These were offset by lower group profitability, significant Catalysts pressure from the Middle East conflict, weaker quarterly Care Chemicals margins, negative chemical-industry market expectations, ongoing force majeures and continued cost and geopolitical volatility.
Clariant’s full-year 2026 guidance remains unchanged: sales are expected to be around 2025 levels in local currency, EBITDA margin around 18% before exceptional items, and free cash flow conversion over 45%; the company expects a quarter in Catalysts in line with prior year and higher margins on a positive business mix, continued strong business momentum in Care Chemicals and Additives, volume recovery in Crop Solutions in Q4, and A&A margins in Q4 likely to be on prior year level and higher. Clariant continues to expect CHF 90 million run rate savings by the end of 2026 against total run rate savings of CHF 100 million by 2027, while indicated CapEx of CHF 150 million to CHF 175 million is expected to finish this year at the lower end of that range. Medium-term guidance remains sales growth of 4% to 6%, predicated on market growth of 2% to 4%, EBITDA margin of 19% to 21%, and cash performance of 40%.
- Strong Third-Quarter Sales GrowthThird-quarter sales reached CHF 968 million, increasing 5.6% in local currency and 6.7% excluding portfolio pruning. Pricing increased 5.7% across all three business units, while reported revenue benefited from a 1.3% currency tailwind.
- Underlying Group Volume Growth Excluding Portfolio PruningReported volumes decreased 0.1% due to the Middle East conflict and portfolio pruning, but group volumes grew 1% excluding portfolio pruning.
- Improved Free Cash Flow ConversionFree cash flow conversion increased by 9 percentage points on a last-12-month basis, reaching 48% versus 39% in the prior-year period. The improvement was attributed to better operating cash flow, disciplined capital spending and effective net working capital management.
- Care Chemicals Underlying GrowthCare Chemicals sales increased 8.7% in local currency excluding portfolio pruning and 6.6% including it. Underlying volumes grew 2.1%, with growth driven by industrial applications, base chemicals, mining solutions, and Personal and Home Care. Sales in Swiss francs increased 8.4%.
- Positive Care Chemicals Margin Trends Over Nine MonthsCare Chemicals EBITDA before exceptional items was CHF 93 million in the quarter, and nine-month margins were up 30 basis points. Management said Personal and Home Care margins, including the Lucas Meyer business, remained strong and expected continued momentum in that area.
- Adsorbents and Additives Growth and Margin ExpansionAdsorbents and Additives sales increased 6.4% in local currency and 7.9% in Swiss francs, with pricing up 5.4% and volumes up 1%. EBITDA before exceptional items increased 15.1% to CHF 48.9 million, while the margin increased 110 basis points to 18.5%.
- Strong Additives DemandAdditives sales increased at a double-digit percentage rate, driven by strong price and volume growth. Polymer Solutions benefited from continued demand for flame retardants and waxes, while Coatings and Adhesives benefited from significant growth in passive fire protection.
- Renewable Fuel Demand Supported AdsorbentsGrowth in renewable fuel applications in the United States more than offset lower demand in industrial segments and edible oil purification in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Asia-Pacific.
- Catalysts Order Book and Expected Fourth-Quarter RecoveryManagement reported a strong Catalysts order book above the prior-year level and a strong start to October. Fourth-quarter Catalysts revenue is expected to be around the prior-year level, with a more favorable mix driven particularly by higher-margin ethylene and propane-to-polypropylene CATOFIN orders.
- Catalysts Recovery Outside the Middle EastManagement said customers outside the Middle East were successfully sourcing feedstock from other regions and restarting operations. It also noted increased refill business in the United States and Europe and said the business was seeing recovery potential outside the Middle East.
- Largest CATOFIN New-Build Project AwardedClariant was awarded its largest CATOFIN project to date: a 1.2 million-tonne CATOFIN line for Zhejiang Petrochemicals in China. Sales are expected to be recorded toward the end of 2027 or in 2028.
- Performance Improvement Program ProgressThe performance improvement programs target CHF 100 million of total run-rate savings by 2027. Clariant continues to expect CHF 90 million of run-rate savings by the end of 2026, and achieved CHF 10 million of savings in the third quarter, bringing cumulative run-rate savings to CHF 79 million.
- Continued Cost Management and Pricing ActionsValue-based pricing largely offset 12% higher raw-material costs, 9% higher energy costs and 24% higher logistics costs across the group in the third quarter. Management also continued targeted cost-management initiatives globally across business units and corporate functions.
- Full-Year 2026 Guidance MaintainedClariant maintained its full-year 2026 guidance for sales around 2025 levels in local currency, an EBITDA margin of around 18% before exceptional items, and free cash flow conversion above 45%. Management cited strong momentum in Care Chemicals and Additives and a stronger fourth-quarter Catalysts order book.
- Normalized Capital Expenditure LevelCapital expenditure is expected to finish 2026 at the lower end of the CHF 150 million to CHF 175 million range. Management said approximately CHF 150 million to CHF 175 million represents a normalized level after previous capacity investments, including the expansion at Daya Bay in China.
- Disciplined Medium-Term Financial FrameworkManagement reiterated medium-term sales growth guidance of 4% to 6%, based on market growth of 2% to 4%, and a medium-term EBITDA margin range of 19% to 21%. The medium-term cash-conversion guide is 40%, while current-year guidance is above 45%.
- Organic Growth and Investment-Grade PrioritiesManagement said the primary strategy remains organic growth and margin improvement, with disciplined bolt-on acquisitions considered only when they strengthen core segments. Maintaining the investment-grade rating remains an important priority.
- Positive Litigation First-Instance DecisionManagement said the July decision by the Amsterdam District Court was overwhelmingly positive for Clariant and confirmed the company's view. Shell and the Stichting Foundation filed an appeal, with procedural hearings expected sometime in the following year.
- Regional Manufacturing Footprint Limits Tariff ExposureClariant said it operates 68 factories globally and generally produces in a region for that region, meaning tariffs are not a significant impact on its results.
DE:CLRN Earnings History
| Report Date | Fiscal Quarter | Forecast / EPS | Last Year's EPS | EPS YoY Change | Press Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 23, 2027 | 2026 (Q4) | 0.31- | -0.25 | ― | ― |
| Nov 03, 2026 | 2026 (Q3) | 0.000.00 | 0 | ― | |
| Jul 31, 2026 | 2026 (Q2) | 0.310.33 | 0.22 | 46.57% (+0.10) | |
| May 08, 2026 | 2026 (Q1) | ―- | 0 | ― | |
| Feb 26, 2026 | 2025 (Q4) | 0.32-0.25 | 0.15 | -270.59% (-0.40) | |
| Oct 30, 2025 | 2025 (Q3) | 0.000.00 | 0.49 | -100.00% (-0.49) | |
| Jul 31, 2025 | 2025 (Q2) | 0.390.22 | 0.49 | -54.67% (-0.27) | |
| Apr 29, 2025 | 2025 (Q1) | 0.000.00 | 0 | ― | |
| Feb 28, 2025 | 2024 (Q4) | 0.430.15 | 0.25 | -40.61% (-0.10) | |
| Oct 29, 2024 | 2024 (Q3) | 0.000.00 | 0 | ― |
The table shows recent earnings report dates and whether the forecast was beat or missed. See the change in forecast and EPS from the previous year.
