Business Review

  • Sales down 9% to €7,644 million, mainly due to lower prices
  • EBIT before special items of €822 million, on a level with the previous year

At €7,644 million, sales to third parties in the Industrial Solutions segment were €745 million below the prior-year figure in 2020. This was due to considerably lower sales in both divisions. Sales declined by €436 million to €2,775 million in the Performance Chemicals division and decreased by €309 million to €4,869 million in the Dispersions & Pigments division.

Factors influencing sales – Industrial Solutions

 

Industrial Solutions

Dispersions & Pigments

Performance Chemicals

Volumes

–2%

0%

–5%

Prices

–4%

–5%

–3%

Portfolio

–1%

0%

–4%

Currencies

–2%

–1%

–2%

Sales

–9%

–6%

–14%

The sales performance was driven by lower price levels, especially in the Dispersions & Pigments division due to the decrease in raw materials prices.

Lower volumes overall also contributed to the sales decrease. In the Performance Chemicals division, the decline in sales volumes was most pronounced in the fuel and lubricant solutions and oilfield chemicals businesses. In the Dispersions & Pigments division, volumes were at the level of the previous year.

Segment data – Industrial Solutions (Million €)

 

 

2020

2019

+/–

Sales to third parties

 

7,644

8,389

–9%

of which Dispersions & Pigments

 

4,869

5,178

–6%

Performance Chemicals

 

2,775

3,211

–14%

Intersegment transfers

 

375

524

–28%

Sales including transfers

 

8,019

8,913

–10%

Income from operations before depreciation, amortization and special items

 

1,189

1,249

–5%

Income from operations before depreciation and amortization (EBITDA)

 

1,099

1,327

–17%

EBITDA margin

%

14.4

15.8

Depreciation and amortizationa

 

469

438

7%

Income from operations (EBIT)

 

630

889

–29%

Special items

 

–192

69

.

EBIT before special items

 

822

820

0%

Return on capital employed (ROCE)

%

9.3

12.5

Assets

 

6,402

6,903

–7%

Investments including acquisitionsb

 

331

426

–22%

Research and development expenses

 

177

192

–8%

a

Depreciation and amortization of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets (including impairments and reversals of impairments)

b

Additions to property, plant and equipment and intangible assets

Sales were additionally reduced by negative currency effects in both divisions as well as portfolio effects from the transfer of BASF’s paper and water chemicals business, which was previously reported under the Performance Chemicals division, to the Solenis group as of January 31, 2019.

Dispersions & Pigments – Sales by region

Location of customer

Industrial Solutions – Dispersions & Pigments – Sales by region (pie chart)
Performance Chemicals – Sales by region

Location of customer

Industrial Solutions – Performance Chemicals – Sales by region (pie chart)

Income from operations (EBIT) before special items was on a level with the previous year at €822 million. Considerably higher EBIT before special items in the Dispersions & Pigments division was offset by a considerably lower contribution from the Performance Chemicals division.

The increase in the Dispersions & Pigments division was largely attributable to lower fixed costs, mainly as a result of cost optimization measures. This more than offset lower margins, primarily from the price-related decrease in sales.

The decline in the Performance Chemicals division was mainly driven by lower volumes.

Compared with 2019, EBIT declined by €259 million to €630 million. EBIT included special charges of €192 million, mainly in connection with the carve-out of the pigments business and for impairments on property, plant and equipment in all regions. This primarily reflected the decline in production in the automotive industry as well as the expected slow recovery due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.