KOP

Koppers Holdings Inc. KOP posted adjusted earnings of $1.37 per share for the second quarter of 2026, down 7.4% year over year but above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.12. On a reported basis, Koppers posted a net loss of $147.5 million, or $7.71 per share, compared with net income of $16.4 million, or 81 cents per share, a year earlier. The reported quarter included $215.8 million of impairment, restructuring and plant closure costs.Revenues rose 3% to $520.1 million and beat the consensus mark of $506.1 million by 2.8%.The quarter benefited from strong Performance Chemicals (PC) segment volumes and higher domestic utility pole volumes. PC volumes increased 11%, while domestic utility pole volumes rose 16%, helping offset pricing pressure and higher costs elsewhere in the portfolio.Adjusted EBITDA totaled $71 million, down 7.9% from $77.1 million. Higher raw material costs, unfavorable pricing in the Railroad and Utility Products and Services (RUPS) unit, higher freight and legal costs, and the impact of 2025 divestitures were partly offset by lower operating costs and improved throughput from network optimization efforts. Koppers Holdings Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Koppers Holdings Inc. Quote PC sales increased 11.5% year over year to $168.2 million. Adjusted EBITDA advanced 31.4% to $37.7 million, while the segment margin expanded to 22.4% from 19%.Higher sales volumes and $1.3 million of lower raw material costs drove the improvement. The raw material benefit reflected gains from Koppers' copper-hedging program, net of higher scrap copper costs, while increased logistics expenses partly offset the upside.RUPS sales fell 1.8% year over year to $245.9 million. Adjusted EBITDA declined 18.7% to $25.7 million, with margin contracting to 10.5% from 12.6%. Lower prices, unfavorable mix, higher raw material costs and weaker maintenance-of-way activity weighed on profitability.Carbon Materials and Chemicals sales rose 2.3% to $106 million, supported by higher carbon black feedstock volume and pricing and higher carbon pitch volume. Still, adjusted EBITDA dropped 54.8% to $7.6 million as higher raw material, operating and selling, general and administrative expenses offset sales gains and cost savings from the Stickney facility actions. For the first six months of 2026, operating cash flow reached a record $96.3 million, up from $27.8 million a year earlier. Free cash flow was also a record at $72.6 million versus $1.4 million, after capital expenditures of $23.7 million.Long-term debt declined to $892.7 million as of June 30, 2026, from $914.3 million at year-end 2025. Cash and cash equivalents were $40.7 million compared with $38 million. Koppers returned $47.4 million to shareholders through share repurchases and quarterly dividends in the first half, up from $32.4 million a year earlier. Koppers maintained its 2026 sales forecast at $1.9-$2 billion but narrowed adjusted EBITDA guidance to $240-$250 million from the prior view of $240-$260 million. Adjusted earnings guidance was revised to $3.80-$4.20 per share from $3.80-$4.60.The company expects the challenging margin environment to persist through the rest of 2026, with input costs and freight remaining headwinds. Operating cash flow guidance remains $165-$185 million, free cash flow is projected at $110-$130 million and capital expenditures are expected to be $55 million. Shares of Koppers have rallied 70.4% in the past year compared with the Zacks Chemicals Diversified industry’s 6.8% growth. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research KOP currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.Ashland Inc.’s ASH adjusted earnings were $1.02 per share for the fiscal third quarter, down around 2% from the year-ago quarter figure of $1.04. The bottom line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.03. For fiscal 2026, Ashland reaffirmed sales guidance of $1.835-$1.870 billion and adjusted EBITDA outlook of $385-$400 million. Huntsman Corporation HUN posted break-even earnings per share on an adjusted basis for the second quarter compared with a loss of 20 cents in the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate of earnings was pegged at 6 cents per share. HUN expects to remain focused on additional price increases and cost-reduction initiatives to offset rising and volatile energy and crude oil-related costs, particularly in Europe. Olin Corporation’s OLN second-quarter adjusted earnings were 7 cents per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. For the third quarter, Olin expects adjusted EBITDA in the range of $160 million to $200 million. OLN expects its Chemical businesses’ results to be comparable with second-quarter levels as lower operating rates at the Freeport vinyl chloride monomer facility and weaker ethylene dichloride pricing offset anticipated stronger caustic soda volumes. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Koppers Holdings Inc. (KOP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ashland Inc. (ASH) : Free Stock Analysis Report Huntsman Corporation (HUN) : Free Stock Analysis Report Olin Corporation (OLN) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

Interested in Koppers Holdings Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better. Koppers lowered its 2026 adjusted EBITDA outlook to $240 million–$250 million from ongoing cost pressures, particularly higher coal tar, freight and logistics costs in Carbon Materials and Chemicals. The company maintained its sales forecast of $1.9 billion–$2 billion. Second-quarter sales increased 3% to $520 million, but adjusted EBITDA fell 7.9% to $71 million. Performance Chemicals delivered strong growth, while RUPS and Carbon Materials and Chemicals experienced profitability declines. Koppers generated record first-half operating cash flow of $96 million and free cash flow of $73 million, enabling $22 million of debt reduction and $47 million in shareholder returns. The company is accelerating the Stickney, Illinois, distillation shutdown to September 2026 and expects the transition to provide $15 million–$20 million in annual adjusted EBITDA benefits. Koppers (NYSE:KOP) reported second-quarter sales growth and record first-half cash generation, while higher coal tar, freight and logistics costs pressured profitability in its Carbon Materials and Chemicals segment and prompted the company to lower its full-year adjusted EBITDA outlook. Second-quarter sales rose 3% year over year to $520 million, while adjusted EBITDA declined 7.9% to $71 million. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 13.7%, and adjusted earnings per share totaled $1.37. The company reported a net loss and negative GAAP earnings per share during the quarter, reflecting significant non-cash charges associated with its planned Stickney, Illinois, facility changes. → Sandisk Just Delivered a Blowout Quarter—Here's Why the Stock Is Falling CEO and Chair Leroy Ball said the company accelerated the planned discontinuation of distillation activity at Stickney by one quarter, now targeting Sept. 30, 2026. Koppers plans to transition those activities to its Nyborg, Denmark, facility. “This action represents exactly the type of difficult but disciplined decision required to optimize our asset network and improve the long-term earnings power of the company,” Ball said. → 4 Oil and Gas ETF Plays as Prices Stay Sky-High The company continues to expect the Stickney initiative to provide approximately $15 million to $20 million of annual adjusted EBITDA benefits, improve adjusted earnings per share by roughly $1 to $1.20 annually, and reduce future annual capital-spending needs. Operating cash flow for the first six months of 2026 reached a record $96 million, compared with $28 million in the prior-year period. Free cash flow was $73 million, up from $1 million a year earlier. CFO and Treasurer Eric Brenner said the improvement was driven primarily by working-capital gains, including inventory alignment with anticipated demand and production-network optimization. → No Hangover: Revisiting Microsoft One Week After Earnings During the first half, Koppers used approximately $24 million for capital expenditures, returned $47 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases, and reduced debt by $22 million. Share repurchases totaled about $44 million, including shares withheld for tax obligations. The company had approximately $30 million remaining under its $100 million repurchase authorization. At June 30, Koppers had $390 million of available liquidity and $857 million of net debt, representing a net leverage ratio of 3.5 times. The company said it remains focused on reducing leverage to between 2 times and 3 times. The board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.09 per share on Aug. 5, a 12.5% increase from the prior year. Maintaining that rate would result in an annualized 2026 dividend of $0.36 per share, subject to future board approvals. Railroad and Utility Products and Services, or RUPS, posted quarterly sales of $246 million, down from $250 million a year earlier. Excluding acquisition, divestiture and currency effects, sales increased 2%, aided by higher volumes. Utility pole volumes in North America rose approximately 16%, including the effect of an acquired pole procurement business in the Western U.S., while crosstie volume increased roughly 2%. RUPS adjusted EBITDA fell to $26 million from $32 million in the prior-year quarter, as higher raw-material costs, pricing concessions, unfavorable sales mix and lower maintenance-of-way activity outweighed higher utility pole volumes. Ball said the company expects its Florence crosstie facility consolidation to improve the segment’s cost position for 2027. Performance Chemicals sales increased to $168 million from $151 million. Excluding currency effects, sales rose 10%, supported by volume gains across all regions. Adjusted EBITDA increased 31% to $38 million, driven by higher volumes and lower material costs, partly offset by higher logistics expenses. Ball said residential treated-wood demand remained generally flat, but market-share gains, industrial demand and utility-pole-related chemical demand supported the segment. He also said elevated copper prices could require meaningful pricing actions in 2027 as copper hedges roll off. Carbon Materials and Chemicals sales increased to $106 million from $104 million, with volume growth in Australasia and favorable currency effects. However, adjusted EBITDA declined to $8 million from $17 million as raw material, operating and selling, general and administrative expenses increased. Coal tar costs rose about 12% year over year and 15% sequentially, while pricing for major products did not keep pace. Ball said the financial effect on CMC from higher oil prices was approximately $2.3 million in the second quarter, with another $4.6 million impact anticipated in the second half. Koppers expects to retain most Stickney customers and volumes, although certain product lines will not continue and remaining supply will primarily come from Europe. Koppers maintained its 2026 sales outlook of $1.9 billion to $2 billion but reduced its adjusted EBITDA forecast to $240 million to $250 million, excluding special charges. The company now expects adjusted earnings per share of $3.80 to $4.20, also excluding special charges. The updated outlook assumes continued strength in Performance Chemicals and utility infrastructure demand, alongside weaker railroad demand and ongoing volatility in carbon markets. Koppers continues to forecast about $175 million of operating cash flow and $120 million of free cash flow for the year after approximately $55 million of capital expenditures. Management said its Catalyst transformation program generated $33 million in year-over-year benefits through June 30, including gains across Performance Chemicals, RUPS, CMC and corporate functions. Ball told analysts that Catalyst benefits could exceed the company’s previous $30 million to $40 million target for 2026, though the additional gains are expected to offset broader business headwinds. Koppers reiterated its longer-term targets, including adjusted EBITDA margins above 15%, adjusted EPS compound annual growth above 10% through 2028, average annual free cash flow of $100 million and a sales mix in which Performance Chemicals and RUPS account for more than 85% of revenue. Koppers Company, Inc is a global specialty chemicals and materials manufacturer serving diverse industrial markets. The company operates through two primary segments: Carbon Materials & Chemicals, which produces a range of coal tar–based products, phenolic specialties and carbon compounds; and Railroad Products & Services, which offers wood treating and infrastructure services for rail and utility customers. In its Carbon Materials & Chemicals segment, Koppers supplies coal tar pitch, refined creosote, coal tar‐based distillates and phenolic resins used in aluminum smelting, graphite electrode manufacture, carbon fiber production, and water treatment applications. This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected]. The article "Koppers Q2 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat. View MarketBeat's top stocks for August 2026.

Sales of $520.1 million vs. $504.8 million in Prior Year Quarter Net (loss) income of $(147.5) million, which included $215.8 million of impairment, restructuring and plant closure costs, vs. $16.4 million in Prior Year Quarter Diluted EPS of $(7.71) vs. $0.81 in Prior Year Quarter Adjusted EPS of $1.37 vs. $1.48 in Prior Year Quarter Adjusted EBITDA of $71.0 million vs. $77.1 million in Prior Year Quarter Record year-to-date operating cash flow of $96.3 million vs. $27.8 million in Prior Year Period Record year-to-date free cash flow of $72.6 million vs. $1.4 million in Prior Year Period and returned $47.4 million to shareholders vs. $32.4 million in Prior Year Period PITTSBURGH, Aug. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: KOP), an integrated global provider of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals, and carbon compounds, today reported its second quarter of 2026 results. Chief Executive Officer and Chair Leroy Ball said, "We have made meaningful progress on the actions within our control while navigating continued pressure in certain markets during the second quarter. The benefits from our Catalyst transformation initiative have partly offset the impact of weaker market conditions and our teams delivered volume gains in the competitive markets we serve. On the cost side, we are accelerating the previously announced closure of our Carbon Materials and Chemicals (CMC) plant located at Stickney, Illinois, and advancing the Railroad and Utility Products and Services (RUPS) network optimization efforts to improve utilization and reduce operating costs. At the same time, record year-to-date operating and free cash flow performance enabled us to reduce debt and return capital to shareholders through share repurchases and quarterly dividends." Net sales increased $15.3 million, or 3.0 percent, in the second quarter of 2026 as compared to the prior year quarter. Excluding the net unfavorable impact of 2025 acquisitions, divestitures, and product line rationalizations of $16.3 million and the favorable currency conversion effect of $6.7 million, net sales increased $24.9 million, or 5.1 percent, primarily driven by an increase in Performance Chemicals (PC) and utility pole volumes. The volume-driven increase was offset in part by unfavorable pricing and sales mix in the RUPS segment, when compared to the same period last year. Adjusted EBITDA of $71.0 million decreased $6.1 million, or 7.9 percent, as compared to $77.1 million in the prior year quarter. This decrease was driven by higher raw material costs, unfavorable pricing in RUPS, higher freight and legal costs, and the impact of 2025 divestitures. These unfavorable changes were partly offset by lower operating costs and improved throughput from network optimization efforts. Operating cash flow for the six months ended June 30, 2026, was a record $96.3 million compared to $27.8 million in the prior year period. The primary source of cash was net income excluding non-cash items, principally impairment, depreciation and in 2025, the pension settlement loss. Working capital usage improved in the current year primarily as a result of the timing of receipts and payments as well as a reduction in inventory. Additionally, in 2025, working capital was negatively impacted by pension funding of approximately $14 million in connection with the settlement. Free cash flow for the six months ended June 30, 2026, was $72.6 million, also a record, compared to $1.4 million in the prior year period, net of capital expenditures of $23.7 million and $26.4 million, respectively. RUPS net sales decreased due to lower activity in maintenance-of-way businesses, including approximately $11.9 million related to the sale of its railroad services business during the third quarter of 2025, and price decreases across multiple markets, particularly for crossties, and unfavorable sales mix. These decreases were partly offset by a 16 percent volume increase in domestic utility poles, including an acquisition of a western U.S. pole procurement business, and increased volumes for crossties. Foreign currency changes had a favorable impact on sales in the quarter of $1.0 million compared to the prior year quarter, primarily from the Australian utility pole business. Adjusted EBITDA decreased due to net sales price decreases and unfavorable sales mix, higher raw material costs and lower activity in the maintenance-of-way businesses, including approximately $1.7 million related to the sale of the railroad services business. These decreases were partly offset by an increase in sales volume in the North American utility pole business. PC net sales increased due to an 11 percent volume increase, primarily in the Americas, partly offset by lower prices, primarily in Europe. Foreign currency changes from international markets had a favorable impact on sales in the quarter of $2.2 million compared to the prior year quarter. Adjusted EBITDA increased due primarily to higher sales volumes and lower raw material costs of $1.3 million, partly offset by increased logistics expenses. Lower raw material costs were favorably impacted by the benefit realized from the company's copper-hedging program, net of increased scrap copper costs. CMC net sales increased due mainly to volume and price increases for carbon black feedstock and volume increases for carbon pitch. These increases were partly offset by lower volumes of phthalic anhydride and refined tar as well as lower sales prices for carbon pitch, where prices were down approximately two percent globally. The decreases in carbon pitch prices were driven by market dynamics, particularly in Australasia. Foreign currency changes from international markets had a favorable impact on sales in the quarter of $3.5 million compared to the prior year quarter. Adjusted EBITDA decreased due to higher raw material, operating and selling, general and administrative expenses of $9.2 million, partly offset by the operating cost savings from discontinuing phthalic anhydride production at its facility in Stickney, Illinois. 2026 Outlook The company believes the current, more challenging margin environment will persist through the remainder of 2026, with overall profitability likely to be toward the lower end of previously stated guidance. Input costs and freight expenses are expected to remain headwinds. At the same time, several working capital initiatives are anticipated to generate additional cash flow, supporting the company's ability to maintain its cash flow guidance. Accordingly, Koppers is updating its 2026 forecast as follows: Commenting on the 2026 forecast, Mr. Ball said, "We remain confident that our strategy and ongoing transformation initiatives position Koppers to unlock significant and sustainable improvements in earnings and cash flow. Our near-term priorities remain reducing debt and returning capital to shareholders, while continuing to execute a disciplined approach to long-term value creation." Koppers does not provide reconciliations of guidance for adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow and adjusted EPS to comparable GAAP measures, in reliance on the unreasonable efforts exception. Koppers is unable, without unreasonable efforts, to forecast certain items required to develop meaningful comparable GAAP financial measures. These items include, but are not limited to, restructuring and impairment charges, acquisition-related costs, mark-to-market commodity hedging, and LIFO adjustments that are difficult to forecast for a GAAP estimate and may be significant. Forward-looking statements, including the guidance above, are based upon current expectations and are subject to factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth above. Please see the "Safe Harbor Statement" below for more information. Investor Conference Call and Webcast Koppers management will conduct a conference call this morning, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the company's results for the second quarter of 2026. Presentation materials will be available at least 15 minutes before the call on www.koppers.com in the Investor Relations section of the company's website. Interested parties may access the live audio broadcast toll free by dialing 833-366-1128 in the United States and Canada, or 412-902-6774 for international, Conference ID number 10205150. Participants are requested to access the call at least five minutes before the scheduled start time to complete a brief registration. The conference call will be broadcast live on www.koppers.com and can also be accessed here. An audio replay will be available approximately two hours after the completion of the call toll free at 855-669-9658 for the U.S. and Canada, or 412-317-0088 for international, using replay access code 2050613. The recording will be available for replay through September 6, 2026. About Koppers Koppers (NYSE: KOP) is an integrated global provider of essential treated wood products, wood preservation technologies and carbon compounds. Our team of approximately 1,800 employees create, protect and preserve key elements of our global infrastructure – including railroad crossties, utility poles, outdoor wooden structures, and production feedstocks for steel, aluminum and construction materials, among others – applying decades of industry-leading expertise while constantly innovating to anticipate the needs of tomorrow. Together we are providing safe and sustainable solutions to enable rail transportation, keep power flowing, and create spaces of enjoyment for people everywhere. Protecting What Matters, Preserving The Future. Learn more at Koppers.com. Inquiries from the media should be directed to Ms. Jessica Franklin Black at [email protected] or 412-227-2025. Inquiries from the investment community should be directed to Ms. Quynh McGuire at [email protected] or 412-227-2049. Non-GAAP Financial Measures This press release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures. Koppers believes that adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, free cash flow and adjusted earnings per share provide information useful to investors in understanding the underlying operational performance of the company, its business and performance trends, and facilitates comparisons between periods. The exclusion of certain items permits evaluation and a comparison between periods of results for ongoing business operations, and it is on this basis that Koppers management internally assesses the company's performance. In addition, the Board of Directors and executive management team use adjusted EBITDA as a performance measure under the company's annual incentive plans and for certain performance share units granted to management prior to 2026. The Board of Directors and executive management also use free cash flow and adjusted earnings per share as performance measures for certain performance share units granted to management in 2026. Although Koppers believes that these non-GAAP financial measures enhance investors' understanding of its business and performance, these non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered an alternative to GAAP basis financial measures and should be read in conjunction with the relevant GAAP financial measure. Other companies in a similar industry may define or calculate these measures differently than the company, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures. Because of these limitations, these non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for performance measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. See the attached tables for the following reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures included in this press release: Unaudited Reconciliation of Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA, Unaudited Reconciliations of Net Income to Adjusted Net Income and Diluted Earnings Per Share and Adjusted Earnings Per Share and Unaudited Reconciliation of Net Cash Provided by (Used In) Operating Activities to Free Cash Flow. Safe Harbor Statement Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and may include, but are not limited to, statements about sales levels, acquisitions, restructuring, declines in the value of Koppers assets and the effect of any related impairment charges, profitability and anticipated expenses and cash outflows. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature are forward-looking, and words such as "outlook," "guidance," "forecast," "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "estimate," "may," "will," "should," "continue," "plan," "potential," "intend," "likely," or other similar words or phrases are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement contained herein, in other press releases, written statements or other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, regarding future dividends, expectations with respect to sales, earnings, cash flows, operating efficiencies, restructurings, cost reduction efforts, transformation initiatives, product introductions or expansions, the benefits of acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures or other matters as well as financings and debt reduction, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and contingencies. Many of these risks, uncertainties and contingencies are beyond our control, and may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance or achievements. Factors that might affect such forward-looking statements include, among other things, availability of and fluctuations in the prices of key raw materials, including coal tar, lumber and scrap copper; the impact of changes in commodity prices, such as oil, copper and chemicals, on product margins; the successful implementation of multi-year cost mitigation programs; the extent of the dependence of certain of our businesses on certain market sectors and customers; economic, political and environmental conditions in international markets, including governmental changes, tariffs, restrictions on trade and restrictions on the ability to transfer capital across countries; geopolitical events (including the current conflicts in the Middle East); current and potential future tariffs or duties; general economic and business conditions; potential difficulties in protecting our intellectual property; the ratings on our debt and our ability to repay or refinance our outstanding indebtedness as it matures; our ability to operate within the limitations of our debt covenants; unexpected business disruptions; potential delays in timing or changes to expected benefits from cost reduction efforts; timing and results of any transformation initiatives, including estimates and assumptions related to the cost and the anticipated benefits of the transformation initiatives; potential impairment of our goodwill and/or long-lived assets; demand for Koppers goods and services; competitive conditions; capital market conditions, including interest rates, borrowing costs and foreign currency rate fluctuations; disruptions and inefficiencies in the supply chain; changes in laws; the impact of environmental laws and regulations and compliance therewith; unfavorable resolution of claims against us, as well as those discussed more fully elsewhere in this release and in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Koppers, particularly our latest annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent filings by Koppers with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution you that the foregoing list of important factors may not contain all of the material factors that are important to you. In addition, in light of these risks and uncertainties, the matters referred to in the forward-looking statements contained in this release may not in fact occur. Any forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after that date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. For Information:Quynh McGuireVice President, Investor Relations412 227 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/koppers-reports-second-quarter-2026-results-302844600.html

Koppers (KOP) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.37 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.12 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.48 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +22.32%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this maker of chemicals, carbon compounds and wood treatment products would post earnings of $0.44 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.57, delivering a surprise of +29.55%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. Koppers, which belongs to the Zacks Chemical - Diversified industry, posted revenues of $520.1 million for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.77%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $504.8 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Koppers shares have added about 88.4% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 12.8%. While Koppers has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Koppers was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.35 on $503.1 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $4.13 on $1.93 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Chemical - Diversified is currently in the top 43% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. One other stock from the broader Zacks Basic Materials sector, Sylvamo Corporation (SLVM), is yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 7. This company is expected to post quarterly loss of $0.14 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -137.8%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.6% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. Sylvamo Corporation's revenues are expected to be $800 million, up 0.8% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Koppers Holdings Inc. (KOP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Sylvamo Corporation (SLVM) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Release Date: August 06, 2026 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Koppers Holdings Inc (NYSE:KOP) delivered record operating cash flow of $96 million and record free cash flow of $73 million in the first half of 2026, a significant improvement from the prior year period. The Performance Chemicals segment showed strong momentum, with sales up 10% year-over-year and adjusted EBITDA increasing 31%, driven by volume gains and market share gains in a flat demand environment. The company is accelerating the closure of its Stickney facility to September 30, 2026, which is expected to generate annual adjusted EBITDA benefits of $15-20 million and improve adjusted EPS by $1.00-$1.20 per share. The Utility and Industrial Products business continues to be a strong performer, with organic demand up 12% in the second quarter, driven by robust utility infrastructure spending and AI-related electricity demand. The company is making significant progress on its Catalyst transformation program, achieving $33 million in year-over-year benefits through June 30, 2026, and identifying over $90 million in future benefits through 2028. Koppers Holdings Inc (NYSE:KOP) returned $47 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases in the first half of 2026 while also reducing debt by $22 million. Koppers Holdings Inc (NYSE:KOP) experienced a challenging cost environment, with coal tar costs increasing 12% year-over-year and 15% sequentially, which negatively impacted profitability, particularly in the Carbon Materials and Chemicals segment. The Carbon Materials and Chemicals segment saw adjusted EBITDA decline significantly to $8 million from $17 million in the prior year quarter, due to higher raw material, operating, and SG&A expenses. The Railroad Products and Services segment faced headwinds from Class 1 railroads tightening capital budgets, leading to reduced treated tie procurement volumes and a more challenging demand environment. The company's adjusted EBITDA guidance for 2026 was lowered to $240-250 million, reflecting expected declines in RPS (down $8-11 million) and CMC (down $19-23 million) segments. The Middle East conflict and volatile tariff environment are creating uncertainty and driving up input costs, including freight and logistics expenses, with an additional $4.6 million impact expected in the second half of 2026. The company faces ongoing pricing pressure in the cross tie market, having made price concessions in 2026 to secure contractual commitments, which negatively impacted profitability in the RPS segment. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 8 Warning Sign with KOP. Is KOP fairly valued? Test your thesis with our free DCF calculator. Q: The target for Catalyst benefits was 30 to 40 million, but you've already achieved 33 million in the first half. Is it possible we could see more than the high end of that range this year, or was the benefit just accelerated? A: Leroy Ball (CEO): It's a little bit of both. I would expect that we will probably come in over the high end of that range, Gary. However, as we've seen over the course of our transformation efforts, all of that is essentially going to offset the headwinds we're experiencing across our portfolio businesses. So, yes, that number would come in higher, but it will be absorbed within and offset by some of the other headwinds we've mentioned. Q: Are the elevated input costs you experienced in Q2 expected to remain high in Q3? A: Leroy Ball (CEO): Yes, we don't see that situation abating in the near term. It's a volatile market out there right now. The Middle East conflict is having downstream impacts, primarily within our carbon materials and chemicals business. It also impacts our freight and logistics network across business lines and even impacts some other key raw materials we utilize within PC. We don't expect the input cost standpoint to abate anytime soon. However, through contractual mechanisms already in place, primarily in the CMC business, and some contracts coming up in the back half of this year heading into 2027, we are positioned to reset some things and put us in a better position. Q: Regarding the RUPS segment, how much of a gating factor is the Class 1 railroad relationship on profitability? A: Leroy Ball (CEO): We had a couple of different circumstances with contracts expiring that enabled us to compete for larger shares of business, which we were able to secure. In other cases, we made price concessions to secure business and enable an orderly exit from our Florence facility. As volume ramps up from that customer base and we take costs out of the system through consolidation, we will see improvements run through RUPS. Right now, we are in the early parts of that. We are still treating ties out of Florence, which we expect to finish in the fourth quarter of this year. We will be in a much better position heading into 2027 as contracts move up with higher volumes and more costs are taken out of the system. Q: You talked about market share gains in Performance Chemicals. Where is that coming from and how is it working through the segment? A: Leroy Ball (CEO): We announced earlier this year that we got some volume back that we had lost in the previous year, as well as adding market share from a customer base that made an acquisition and decided to move their chemical business from a competitor over to Koppers. We benefit from operating leverage by getting more volume through our plants. Additionally, the utility pole market is strong, so our industrial chemical demand has been strong. We had a pretty good-sized customer on that side of the business that was rebuilding inventories in the first half of the year, which contributed to stronger demand. We expect that to tail off in the back half of the year now that they have normalized their inventory. Q: Performance Chemicals saw a big increase in margins this quarter. What drove the increase, and is 20%+ the new normal? A: Eric Brenner (CFO): We are very pleased with the PC business and its performance in the second quarter. As Leroy highlighted, we had nice market share gains and with that improved our customer as well as product mix. When we look at the margins, it is both customer and product mix, with that industrial growth driving higher margins versus the prior year quarter. Q: Do you expect to retain all of the CMC clients who had been receiving product from Stickney, or will there be a small amount of client loss? A: Leroy Ball (CEO): There are certain product lines that we will likely not continue to participate in, but in our main product lines, we expect that we will continue those relationships and continue to supply. There will be a small erosion of our customer base, but the predominant amount of our customers and volumes will remain, except they will be sourced out of Europe. Q: Given the rising interest rate environment, are you considering allocating more cash to debt reduction versus share buybacks? A: Leroy Ball (CEO): We have continued to take a pretty balanced approach. We have inherent constraints on share purchases in our credit facility, which already limits our ability to repurchase shares up to a certain level. With the strong free cash generation we expect to continue, I would expect that at least half, if not more, of the free cash we generate will go to reduce debt. We will see meaningful reductions in our debt over time while still being able to opportunistically repurchase shares given the strong cash flow yield we are producing. Q: Can you provide more detail on the acceleration of the Stickney facility closure and its expected financial impact? A: Leroy Ball (CEO): We announced in May the decision to discontinue distillation and chemical operations at our Stickney facility and transition those activities to our Nyborg, Denmark facility. We have accelerated the closure by a quarter, with a new target date of September 30th, 2026, for the end of distillation activity. This action contributed to significant non-cash charges in the quarter. We continue to expect this initiative to generate annual adjusted EBITDA benefits of approximately $15 to $20 million, improve adjusted earnings per share by roughly $1 to $1.20 per share annually, and reduce annual capital spending requirements going forward. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Albemarle (ALB) came out with quarterly earnings of $3.75 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.35 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.11 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +11.94%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this specialty chemicals company would post earnings of $1.24 per share when it actually produced earnings of $2.95, delivering a surprise of +137.9%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. Albemarle, which belongs to the Zacks Chemical - Diversified industry, posted revenues of $1.74 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 9.94%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $1.33 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Albemarle shares have lost about 14.6% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 13%. While Albemarle has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Albemarle was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $3.68 on $1.75 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $12.79 on $6.21 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Chemical - Diversified is currently in the top 42% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Koppers (KOP), another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 6. This maker of chemicals, carbon compounds and wood treatment products is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.12 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -24.3%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. Koppers' revenues are expected to be $506.1 million, up 0.3% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Albemarle Corporation (ALB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Koppers Holdings Inc. (KOP) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: KOP), an integrated global provider of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals, and carbon compounds, today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.09 per share of Koppers common stock. The dividend is payable on September 14, 2026, to shareholders of record as of the close of trading on August 28, 2026. Koppers expects to pay regular quarterly dividends, with future declarations subject to approval by its Board of Directors and the Board's determination that the declaration of dividends remains in the best interests of Koppers and its shareholders. The decision of whether to pay future dividends and the amount of any such dividends will be based on the Company's financial position, results of operations, cash flows, capital requirements, the requirements of applicable law and any other factors the Board of Directors may deem relevant. About Koppers Koppers (NYSE: KOP) is an integrated global provider of essential treated wood products, wood preservation technologies and carbon compounds. Our team of approximately 1,800 employees create, protect and preserve key elements of our global infrastructure – including railroad crossties, utility poles, outdoor wooden structures, and production feedstocks for steel, aluminum and construction materials, among others – applying decades of industry-leading expertise while constantly innovating to anticipate the needs of tomorrow. Together we are providing safe and sustainable solutions to enable rail transportation, keep power flowing, and create spaces of enjoyment for people everywhere. Protecting What Matters, Preserving The Future. Learn more at Koppers.com. Inquiries from the media should be directed to Ms. Jessica Franklin Black at [email protected] or 412-227-2025. Inquiries from the investment community should be directed to Ms. Quynh McGuire at [email protected] or 412-227-2049. Safe Harbor Statement Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and may include, but are not limited to, statements about sales levels, acquisitions, restructuring, declines in the value of Koppers assets and the effect of any related impairment charges, profitability and anticipated expenses and cash outflows. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature are forward-looking, and words such as "outlook," "guidance," "forecast," "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "estimate," "may," "will," "should," "continue," "plan," "potential," "intend," "likely," or other similar words or phrases are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement contained herein, in other press releases, written statements or other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, regarding future dividends, expectations with respect to sales, earnings, cash flows, operating efficiencies, restructurings, cost reduction efforts, transformation initiatives, product introductions or expansions, the benefits of acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures or other matters as well as financings and debt reduction, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and contingencies. Many of these risks, uncertainties and contingencies are beyond our control, and may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance or achievements. Factors that might affect such forward-looking statements include, among other things, availability of and fluctuations in the prices of key raw materials, including coal tar, lumber and scrap copper; the impact of changes in commodity prices, such as oil, copper and chemicals, on product margins; the successful implementation of multi-year cost mitigation programs; the extent of the dependence of certain of our businesses on certain market sectors and customers; economic, political and environmental conditions in international markets, including governmental changes, tariffs, restrictions on trade and restrictions on the ability to transfer capital across countries; geopolitical events (including the current conflicts in the Middle East); current and potential future tariffs or duties; general economic and business conditions; potential difficulties in protecting our intellectual property; the ratings on our debt and our ability to repay or refinance our outstanding indebtedness as it matures; our ability to operate within the limitations of our debt covenants; unexpected business disruptions; potential delays in timing or changes to expected benefits from cost reduction efforts; timing and results of any transformation initiatives, including estimates and assumptions related to the cost and the anticipated benefits of the transformation initiatives; potential impairment of our goodwill and/or long-lived assets; demand for Koppers goods and services; competitive conditions; capital market conditions, including interest rates, borrowing costs and foreign currency rate fluctuations; disruptions and inefficiencies in the supply chain; changes in laws; the impact of environmental laws and regulations and compliance therewith; unfavorable resolution of claims against us, as well as those discussed more fully elsewhere in this release and in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Koppers, particularly our latest annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent filings by Koppers with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution you that the foregoing list of important factors may not contain all of the material factors that are important to you. In addition, in light of these risks and uncertainties, the matters referred to in the forward-looking statements contained in this release may not in fact occur. Any forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after that date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/koppers-holdings-inc-declares-quarterly-cash-dividend-302843836.html

Cabot (CBT) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.67 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.66 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.9 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +0.60%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this chemical company would post earnings of $1.47 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.61, delivering a surprise of +9.52%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. Cabot, which belongs to the Zacks Chemical - Diversified industry, posted revenues of $982 million for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 7.38%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $923 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. Cabot shares have added about 32.8% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 9.4%. While Cabot has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Cabot was favorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to outperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.46 on $896.61 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $6.35 on $3.56 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Chemical - Diversified is currently in the bottom 43% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Another stock from the same industry, Koppers (KOP), has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 6. This maker of chemicals, carbon compounds and wood treatment products is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.12 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -24.3%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. Koppers' revenues are expected to be $506.1 million, up 0.3% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Cabot Corporation (CBT) : Free Stock Analysis Report Koppers Holdings Inc. (KOP) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research