Clariant Functional Chemicals division: 4Q 2009

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2010
• Weight: 75 KB
• Volume: 2010
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1351-4210
• DOI: 10.1016/s1351-4210(10)70121-9

✦ Synopsis

4Q 2009 ($1.7 M in 4Q 2008), both record figures. The record income is the result of improvement in all three business segments, attributable to lower commodity raw material costs, successful cost control initiatives and a desirable surfactant product mix of laundry and personal care products that performed well during the economic downturn, the company reports. Annual net sales were down 20% to $1.28 bn while 4Q sales fell 15% to $310 M. Surfactant gross profit for the year improved by $48.3 M, or 40%, on a 7% decline in volume. Laundry and personal care products posted a slight increase in sales volume. Annual sales for the surfactant segment fell 19% to $972.6 M. For the final quarter sales were down 17% at $234.5 M on a 5% decline in volumes, while gross profit rose 68%. The decline in sales was due to lower selling prices and volume and the impact of foreign translation.