Olin Corp.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call
What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 7 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 new. The quarter’s numbers.
Key takeaways
- Net loss of $83.0 million: The company reported a first-quarter net loss of ($83.0) million, or ($0.73) per diluted share. A year earlier it reported net income of $1.4 million, or $0.01 per diluted share. Source
- Sequential improvement in adjusted EBITDA: Management said adjusted EBITDA improved from the prior quarter. The prior release reported fourth-quarter 2025 adjusted EBITDA of $67.7 million. Source
- Chlor Alkali swung to a segment loss: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales were $756.9 million, down from $924.5 million. The segment posted a loss of ($44.5) million, against $78.3 million of earnings a year earlier. Source
- Winchester improved on destocking and pricing: Management tied the Winchester sequential improvement to late-2025 actions to speed channel inventory destocking, and to demand and pricing measures offsetting metals and materials inflation. Source
- Chemicals expected to improve from Q1: Management expects Chemicals earnings to improve from the first quarter, on seasonal demand gains and better pricing for ethylene dichloride, caustic soda and epoxy resins. Source
- Iran conflict raising feedstock costs: Late in the first quarter the Iran conflict began to affect trade flows and raise raw material and feedstock costs, according to management. Source
- Net debt to adjusted EBITDA rose to 5.1 times: Net debt was approximately $2.8 billion at March 31, 2026. The ratio was 4.1 times at year-end 2025 and 3.5 times a year earlier. Source
“During the first quarter, the Olin team delivered sequential improvement in adjusted EBITDA.”
Ken Lane, President and Chief Executive Officer
Guidance
| Area | Period | Figure | Against last quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adjusted EBITDA Source | second quarter 2026 | $160 million to $200 million | New |
What changed from last quarter
- New guidance: A second-quarter 2026 adjusted EBITDA range was given. The prior release gave only a first-quarter 2026 expectation. Source
- New: Management said the Iran conflict began affecting trade flows and raising raw material and feedstock costs late in the first quarter. Source
- Ended: The Blue Water Alliance joint venture stopped operating at the end of 2025. Source
Quarterly results and headline figures
- Net loss of $83.0 million: The company reported a first-quarter net loss of ($83.0) million, or ($0.73) per diluted share. A year earlier it reported net income of $1.4 million, or $0.01 per diluted share. Source
- Sales declined year over year: Sales were $1,583.0 million against $1,644.2 million a year earlier. Winchester and Epoxy sales rose, while Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales fell. Source
- Adjusted EBITDA excludes litigation and restructuring: Adjusted EBITDA of $86.2 million excludes $117.2 million of depreciation and amortization, $9.1 million of restructuring charges and $36.1 million of legacy litigation charges. Year-earlier adjusted EBITDA was $185.6 million. Source
- Sequential improvement in adjusted EBITDA: Management said adjusted EBITDA improved from the prior quarter. The prior release reported fourth-quarter 2025 adjusted EBITDA of $67.7 million. Source
Segment results
- Chlor Alkali swung to a segment loss: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales were $756.9 million, down from $924.5 million. The segment posted a loss of ($44.5) million, against $78.3 million of earnings a year earlier. Source
- Pricing, volumes and power costs cut earnings: Segment earnings fell $122.8 million, partly offset by lower operating costs. Management cited natural gas and electrical power costs and higher planned maintenance turnaround expenses. Source
- Epoxy segment loss narrowed: Epoxy sales rose to $355.6 million from $331.7 million. The segment loss was ($2.9) million, compared with a loss of ($28.4) million a year earlier. Source
- Lower costs and higher volumes lifted Epoxy: Management attributed the $25.5 million improvement in Epoxy segment results to lower operating costs and higher volumes. Source
- Winchester sales rose on military work: Winchester sales were $470.5 million, against $388.0 million a year earlier. Management pointed to higher military project revenue, military sales and commercial ammunition sales. Source
- Winchester earnings fell on metal costs: Winchester segment earnings were $15.2 million, against $22.8 million a year earlier. Commodity metal costs and higher operating costs were partly offset by higher commercial ammunition pricing. Source
“As global supply shortages persist into the second quarter and potentially beyond, our advantaged North American asset base positions us to reliably serve our customers.”
Ken Lane, President and Chief Executive Officer
Costs, margins and pricing
- Beyond250 cost actions helped Chlor Alkali: Management credited Beyond250 structural cost actions and lower-than-expected planned maintenance turnaround expenses for favorable operating cost performance in the segment. Source
- Corporate costs rose $13.2 million: Other corporate and unallocated costs were $33.2 million, against $20.0 million a year earlier, according to the segment table. Higher incentive costs and foreign currency were cited. Source
- Legacy litigation costs hit segment results: Legacy litigation costs of $36.1 million were included in Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls results and were excluded from adjusted EBITDA. Source
Demand and second-quarter expectations
- Winchester improved on destocking and pricing: Management tied the Winchester sequential improvement to late-2025 actions to speed channel inventory destocking, and to demand and pricing measures offsetting metals and materials inflation. Source
- Chlor Alkali sales fell on volumes and pricing: Lower volumes came mainly from reduced Blue Water Alliance trading volumes, and pricing was also lower. The segment reported sales of $756.9 million. Source
- Epoxy product margins slipped slightly: Epoxy product margins were slightly lower than a year earlier, while volumes in the segment were higher. Source
- Chemicals expected to improve from Q1: Management expects Chemicals earnings to improve from the first quarter, on seasonal demand gains and better pricing for ethylene dichloride, caustic soda and epoxy resins. Source
- Winchester earnings expected to grow: Management expects improving commercial and military demand to support sequential earnings growth in the Winchester business. Source
“Our Epoxy business returned to positive adjusted EBITDA underpinned by growth in its European business, supported by structurally improved costs at our Stade, Germany facility.”
Ken Lane, President and Chief Executive Officer
External conditions and feedstock costs
- Iran conflict raising feedstock costs: Late in the first quarter the Iran conflict began to affect trade flows and raise raw material and feedstock costs, according to management. Source
- Global supply shortages expected to persist: Management said global supply shortages persist into the second quarter and potentially beyond. It cited its advantaged North American asset base for serving customers reliably. Source
- Power and gas costs rose in Chlor Alkali: Higher natural gas and electrical power costs were named as a driver of the Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls earnings decline against the year-earlier quarter. Source
Capital, cash and shareholder returns
- Net debt to adjusted EBITDA rose to 5.1 times: Net debt was approximately $2.8 billion at March 31, 2026. The ratio was 4.1 times at year-end 2025 and 3.5 times a year earlier. Source
- Liquidity of about $1.3 billion: Cash was $192.2 million at March 31, 2026, against $167.6 million at December 31, 2025. The company cited unrestricted access to the undrawn revolving credit facility. Source
- Working capital rose with seasonality: Working capital increased $56.8 million. Management attributed the rise to normal seasonality, tempered by disciplined cash management. Source
- Operating cash use narrowed, capex fell: Net operating activities used $48.6 million of cash, against $86.0 million a year earlier. Capital expenditures were $43.7 million, against $61.4 million. Source
- Noncontrolling distributions of $31.3 million: Distributions to noncontrolling interests were $31.3 million in the quarter. Noncontrolling interests in equity fell to $0.4 million from $31.7 million at year-end. Source
- No buybacks; dividends paid $22.8 million: No common stock was repurchased in the quarter, against $20.2 million a year earlier. Dividends paid were $22.8 million, and the board declared $0.20 per share on April 29, 2026. Source
Portfolio and structural actions
- Blue Water Alliance joint venture ended: The joint venture stopped operating at the end of 2025. Its trading volumes accounted for part of the Chlor Alkali sales decline in the first quarter. Source
- Stade cost gains support Epoxy: Management linked the Epoxy return to positive adjusted EBITDA to European growth and structurally improved costs at the Stade, Germany facility. Source
- Guarujá epoxy plant closure planned: The prior release planned closure of the Guarujá, Brazil epoxy resin plant, with about $10 million of annual savings expected. This release records $9.1 million of restructuring charges but does not report closure status.
- Beyond250 savings realized in 2025: Management reported $44 million of structural cost reductions realized in 2025 under Beyond250, and said benefits had begun to appear.
Coming up, as management said on 7 May 2026
- Dividend payable June 12, 2026: The $0.20 per share dividend is payable June 12, 2026, to holders of record at the close of business on May 14, 2026. Source
Risks management discussed
- External: Management said global supply shortages could persist into the second quarter and potentially beyond, affecting trade flows and feedstock costs. Source
- Operational: Higher natural gas and electrical power costs raised raw material costs in Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls. Source
- Operational: Commodity metal costs and higher operating costs weighed on Winchester segment earnings. Source
- Demand: Lower Blue Water Alliance trading volumes and lower pricing reduced Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales. Source
- Demand: Winchester earnings depend on channel inventory destocking, which management accelerated late last year. Source
- Regulatory: Legacy litigation costs of $36.1 million were recorded in segment results this quarter. Source
Earlier plans management reported on
- Not stated: The prior release expected Epoxy to return to profitability in 2026. This release reports positive adjusted EBITDA for the Epoxy business in the first quarter.
- Not stated: The prior release expected first-quarter 2026 adjusted EBITDA below fourth-quarter 2025 levels of $67.7 million. This release reports $86.2 million for the first quarter.
- Not stated: The prior release said Winchester was implementing higher commercial ammunition pricing for the first quarter. This release cites pricing measures offsetting commodity metals and raw materials inflation.
Other quarters
Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.