Wacker Chemie sees 2024 core profit in upper guidance range as orders pick up

By Antonis Pothitos and Matteo Allievi

(Reuters) - German chemical company Wacker Chemie expects full-year core profit in the upper half of a previously-forecast range from 600 million to 800 million euros, as orders pick up in the second quarter, the company said on Friday.

Chief Executive Christian Hartel pointed to the first signs of a recovering economy, although a sustained turnaround was not yet in sight.

"Inflation rates are dropping faster than expected, and energy and raw material prices have eased," Hartel added. "Order intake in the chemical industry has improved."

In June the Ifo economic institute said the business climate in Germany's chemicals industry had returned to positive territory for the first time since the start of war in Ukraine, with improving demand and volumes brightening the outlook.

The specialty chemicals maker posted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of 160.1 million euros ($173.82 million), beating the 156.7 million euros expected by analysts in a company-provided poll, but down 37% from the year-ago figure of 255.5 million.

Hartel said demand had increased considerably from makers of consumer products, such as paints and packaging.

However, the Munich-based group narrowed its EBITDA guidance in the polysilicon business to the lower half of its previous range, between 200 million and 300 million euros.

"The lower fiscal year 2024 guidance indicates that Wacker has been able to move some of the remaining customers or volumes to ex-China prices but may be struggles more than anticipated with some other clients," a Baader analyst wrote in a note.

Wacker's total sales were down 16% from April to June compared with the corresponding period last year, reaching 1.47 billion euros, due to much lower solar-grade polysilicon volumes.

Wacker also confirmed its full-year sales guidance between 6 billion and 6.5 billion euros.

German peer BASF eked out on Friday a gain of 0.6% in adjusted second-quarter earnings as slightly higher sales volumes made up for lower chemical prices.

Wacker's shares were down 0.1% by 0818 GMT.

($1=0.9211 euros)

(Reporting by Antonis Pothitos and Matteo Allievi in Gdansk; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Clarence Fernandez)