Q2 FY25 Performance - Sales decreased by 17% to $479 million compared to Q2 FY24, but decreased by 5% compared to Q2 FY24 reset[10, 19] - Adjusted EBITDA decreased by 14% to $108 million compared to Q2 FY24, but decreased by 4% to $113 million compared to Q2 FY24 reset[10, 19] - Adjusted EBITDA margin increased by 60 bps to 22.5% compared to Q2 FY24, and increased by 30 bps to 22.2% compared to Q2 FY24 reset[10, 19] - Adjusted EPS decreased by 22% to $0.99 compared to Q2 FY24[10] Business Unit Performance (Sales Change vs Prior Year) - Life Sciences sales decreased by 23% to $172 million, but decreased by 4% to $180 million compared to Q2 FY24 reset[14, 20] - Personal Care sales decreased by 14% to $146 million, but decreased by 5% to $154 million compared to Q2 FY24 reset[14, 27] - Specialty Additives sales decreased by 15% to $134 million, but decreased by 9% to $147 million compared to Q2 FY24 reset[14, 30] - Intermediates sales decreased by 8% to $37 million[23] Strategic Priorities and Outlook - The company is executing initiatives to deliver approximately $90 million in savings through FY27[34, 35] - The company anticipates a $3 to $5 million headwind in 2H from tariffs, and $5 to $7 million annually[44] - FY25 sales outlook is revised to $1.825 - $1.9 billion, and adjusted EBITDA outlook is $400 - $420 million[49]

Core Insights - Ashland Inc. reported a mixed performance in Q2 FY2025, with sales of $479 million, a 17% decrease from $575 million in the prior year, primarily due to portfolio optimization initiatives [4][21][23] - The company revised its full-year fiscal 2025 outlook, anticipating flattish organic sales volume growth and adjusted EBITDA in the range of $400 million to $420 million [21][23] Financial Performance - Net income for Q2 was $31 million, down from $120 million in the prior year, resulting in diluted earnings per share of $0.63 compared to $2.40 [4][5] - Adjusted EBITDA was $108 million, a 14% decrease from $126 million in the prior year, primarily due to the impact of portfolio optimization and lower organic sales [5][10] - Cash flows from operating activities were $9 million, a decrease from $54 million in the prior-year quarter, with ongoing free cash flow totaling negative $6 million [7][32] Segment Performance - Life Sciences sales totaled $172 million, a 23% decrease year-over-year, primarily due to the divestiture of the Nutraceuticals segment [9][10] - Personal Care sales were $146 million, a 14% decrease, attributed to portfolio optimization and specific customer challenges [11][12] - Specialty Additives reported sales of $134 million, a 15% decrease, driven by portfolio optimization and competitive intensity in export markets [13][14] Cost Management and Optimization - The company has completed its portfolio optimization, which included the sale of Avoca and identified a $30 million cost reduction plan [3][4] - Ashland is focusing on accelerating cost savings from its $60 million manufacturing optimization plans, with early benefits evident in robust EBITDA margins above 30% in Life Sciences and Personal Care [3][4] Tariff and Trade Impact - Ashland is closely monitoring tariff policies and has estimated a tariff impact of $3 to $5 million for the second half of FY2025, increasing to $5 to $7 million annually after mitigation actions [19][20] - The company is implementing strategies to mitigate risks associated with tariffs and global trade policies while focusing on maintaining flexible operations [18][19] Market Outlook - The company anticipates a positive inflection in organic sales volumes in the second half of FY2025, led by Life Sciences, to offset declines experienced in the first half [21][24] - Ashland's strategic priorities include enhancing business mix and improving profitability in response to the evolving demand landscape [22][24]