Key Takeaways ASH's agrimer eco-coat polymer seed coating is officially posted and approved by the U.S. EPA.ASH can now use the ingredient in food and non-food pesticide formulations.ASH says the posting enables U.S. and authorized global growers to buy, sell and test the coating.Ashland Inc. (ASH) announced that its agrimer eco-coat polymer seed coating for crop care has been officially posted and approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The new ingredient has been developed using the ...

WILMINGTON, Del., Feb. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ashland announces the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has officially posted and approved its petition under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) for agrimer™ eco-coat polymer seed coating for crop care. This innovative ingredient is based on the company’s patented Transformed Vegetable Oils (TVO) technology. Approval means the ingredient can now be used in all food and non‑food pesticide formulations under reg ...

Financial Performance - Sales for the three months ended December 31, 2025, were $386 million, a decrease of 4.7% compared to $405 million in the same period of 2024[7] - Gross profit for the same period was $105 million, down from $111 million, reflecting a gross margin of 27.2%[7] - Operating loss narrowed to $6 million from a loss of $179 million year-over-year, indicating improved operational efficiency[7] - Net loss for the quarter was $12 million, significantly reduced from a net loss of $165 million in the prior year[7] - The company reported a loss from continuing operations of $14 million for the three months ended December 31, 2025, compared to a loss of $166 million for the same period in 2024[106] - The diluted EPS from continuing operations improved to a loss of $0.30 in Q1 2025 from a loss of $3.51 in Q1 2024, reflecting a positive change of $3.21[148] - Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended December 31, 2025, was $58 million, compared to $61 million in the same period of 2024, indicating a slight decline[185] - The company reported an EBITDA of $42 million for the three months ended December 31, 2025, compared to a loss of $128 million in the same period of 2024, reflecting a significant improvement[196] Cash and Liquidity - Cash and cash equivalents increased to $304 million from $215 million at the end of the previous quarter, showing improved liquidity[11] - As of December 31, 2025, Ashland had $596 million of remaining borrowing capacity under its 2022 Credit Agreement[63] Assets and Liabilities - Total assets decreased to $4,519 million from $4,611 million, primarily due to changes in current and noncurrent assets[9] - Total current liabilities decreased to $366 million from $423 million, indicating better management of short-term obligations[9] - Ashland's total stockholders' equity decreased to $1.878 billion as of December 31, 2025, down from $2.592 billion in 2024[110] Restructuring and Operational Efficiency - Ashland initiated a restructuring plan in fiscal 2025 to offset impacts from the sale of the Nutraceuticals and Avoca businesses, continuing into fiscal 2026[26] - The total severance expense for the 2025 Restructuring Program was $2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2025, compared to $4 million for the same period in 2024[30] - As of December 31, 2025, the balance for the 2025 Restructuring Program severance liabilities was $4 million, down from $5 million at September 30, 2025[32] - The company continues to refine its expense allocation methodologies for reportable segments as market conditions evolve[123] Segment Performance - Sales in the Life Sciences segment increased to $139 million in Q1 2026, up from $134 million in Q1 2025[114] - Life Sciences segment sales increased to $139 million in 2025 from $134 million in 2024, while Personal Care segment sales remained stable at $123 million[125] - Specialty Additives segment sales were $102 million in 2025, a decrease from $115 million in 2024[125] - The Personal Care segment's operating income remained stable at $11 million, despite a decrease in sales[196] Research and Development - Research and development expenses remained stable at $13 million, reflecting ongoing investment in innovation[7] - Research and development expenses for Life Sciences were $4 million in 2025, consistent with 2024[125] Tax and Compliance - The effective tax rate for the three months ended December 31, 2025, was a benefit of 7%, compared to a benefit of 21% for the same period in 2024[68][69] - The effective tax rate for Q1 2025 was a benefit of 7%, significantly improved from a 21% benefit in Q1 2024, influenced by jurisdictional income mix and discrete tax items[164][165] Environmental and Legal Reserves - Total reserves for asbestos claims were $246 million at December 31, 2025, down from $258 million at September 30, 2025[79] - Ashland estimates that the upper end of reasonably possible future costs for identified environmental remediation sites could reach approximately $485 million[102] - Environmental remediation reserves totaled $226 million as of December 31, 2025, unchanged from September 30, 2025, with $179 million classified as other noncurrent liabilities[98] Other Income and Expenses - The company recorded a pre-tax gain of $2 million from the sale of excess land property during the quarter[21] - Investment income for the three months ended December 31, 2025, was $6 million, compared to $5 million for the same period in 2024[43] - The company reported a net interest and other expense of $8 million for the three months ended December 31, 2025, down from $28 million in 2024[126]

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) Q1 2026 Earnings call February 03, 2026 09:00 AM ET Company ParticipantsAlessandra Faccin Assis - SVP, Life Sciences and IntermediatesDago Caceres - SVP, Specialty AdditivesGuillermo Novo - Chair and CEOJim Minicucci - SVP, Personal CareJosh Spector - Director of Equity ResearchMichael Sison - Managing DirectorSandy Klugman - Director of Investor RelationsStephen Haynes - VP in Equity ResearchWilliam Whitaker - CFOConference Call ParticipantsBhavesh Lodaya - Senior Research AnalystChris P ...

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) Q1 2026 Earnings call February 03, 2026 09:00 AM ET Company ParticipantsAlessandra Faccin Assis - SVP, Life Sciences and IntermediatesDago Caceres - SVP, Specialty AdditivesGuillermo Novo - Chair and CEOJim Minicucci - SVP, Personal CareJosh Spector - Director of Equity ResearchMichael Sison - Managing DirectorSandy Klugman - Director of Investor RelationsStephen Haynes - VP in Equity ResearchWilliam Whitaker - CFOConference Call ParticipantsBhavesh Lodaya - Senior Research AnalystChris P ...

Ashland (NYSE:ASH) Q1 2026 Earnings call February 03, 2026 09:00 AM ET Speaker13Hello, and thank you for standing by. Welcome to Ashland's first quarter 2026 earnings conference call and webcast. At this time, all participants are on a listen-only mode. After the speaker's presentation, there will be a question-and-answer session. To ask the question during the session, you will need to press star one one on your telephone. You would then hear an automated message advising your hand is raised. To withdraw y ...

earnings conference call first quarter fiscal 2026 — February 3, 2026 Forward-Looking Statements — This presentation contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Ashland has identified some of these forward-looking statements with words such as "anticipates," "believes," "expects," "estimates," "is likely," "predicts," "projects," "forecasts," "objectives," "may," "will," "s ...

Core Insights - Ashland Global Holdings Inc. reported a loss from continuing operations of $14 million or 30 cents per share for Q1 fiscal 2026, an improvement from a loss of $166 million or $3.51 per share in the same quarter last year [1] - Adjusted earnings were 26 cents per share, slightly down from 28 cents in the prior year, but exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 23 cents [1] Financial Performance - Sales decreased by 5% year over year to $386 million, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $408.3 million [2] - The decline in sales was attributed to the divestiture of the Avoca business, which reduced revenue by approximately $10 million, and weaker demand in sectors such as coatings, construction, personal care, and industrials, along with modest pricing pressure [2] Segment Performance - Life Sciences segment sales increased by 4% year over year to $139 million, though it fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $146 million, driven by resilient demand in pharma applications [3] - Personal Care segment sales declined by 8% year over year to $123 million, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $132 million, primarily due to portfolio optimization linked to the Avoca divestiture [4] - Specialty Additives segment sales fell by 11% year over year to $102 million, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $111 million, due to weak demand in coatings in China and increased competition [5] - Intermediates segment sales decreased by 6% year over year to $31 million, slightly beating the consensus estimate of $30.26 million, mainly due to lower pricing across the BDO value chain [6] Financial Position - Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the quarter were $304 million, reflecting a sequential increase of approximately 41.4% [7] - Long-term debt stood at $1,387 million, up roughly 0.2% from the previous quarter [7] Outlook - For fiscal 2026, Ashland anticipates sales between $1.835 billion and $1.905 billion, with adjusted EBITDA projected at $400 million to $420 million [8] - Adjusted EPS is expected to show double-digit growth due to operating improvements and portfolio optimization, with free cash flow conversion targeted at around 50% of adjusted EBITDA and capital expenditure estimated at about $100 million [8]

-2 = "Weak, <-10% YoY:, -1 = "Soft", 0 = "Flat, -2% to 2%", 1 = "Healthy", 2 = "Strong, >10%" . (2.0) (1.5) (1.0) (0.5) - 0.5 1.0 1.5 Sales This Month Sales YTD New Orders This Month Inventories This Month Expected Sales Next Month Sourcing Difficulty (>0 = Easier) Orders Vs. Inventories Sales Acceleration (Next Month YoY - This Month) Paint Chemicals Average Source: Jefferies Proprietary Survey 100% Chart 2 - Sales Acceleration Muted, Order-to-inventory Ratio Lower Chart 3 - Market Outlook Flat For Hardwar ...

Ashland (ASH) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.26 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.23 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.28 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +12.46%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this chemical company would post earnings of $1.17 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.08, delivering a surprise of -7.69%.Over the last four quarters, the company ...