The CPH Group with its remaining Chemistry and Packaging divisions reported net sales of CHF 176.9 million for the first half of 2024. EBITDA for the period amounted to CHF 30.2 million, giving an EBITDA margin of 17.1 %. The net result for the Group’s remaining divisions amounted to CHF 21.1 million. With results for the spun-off Paper Division included, the net result stood at CHF ‑ 8.7 million. The Group has confirmed its outlook for 2024.

CPH Chemie + Papier Holding AG (CPH) issued its invitation and shareholder information brochure today for its Extraordinary General Meeting of 20 June 2024 • Shareholders will be asked to approve the division of the present CPH into two separate companies: the stock exchange-listed CPH Group AG and the off-exchange Perlen-Industrieholding AG • All CPH shareholders would receive one registered share in the new Perlen Industrieholding AG for every CPH registered share held through the distribution of a dividend-in-kind • The first trading day for the shares of the new Perlen Industrieholding AG has been set for 25 June 2024 • Non-cash impact of the proposed spin-off on the 2024 half-year results of the future CPH Group AG

Creation of two independent companies with the listed CPH Group AG and the over-the-counter traded Perlen Industrieholding AG • Split by distributing the paper business to shareholders in the form of a dividend in kind • CPH Group AG with a clear focus on the chemistry and packaging business and its attractive growth potential in global niche markets • Perlen Industrieholding AG is concentrating on the paper business and the consistent implementation of the existing last-man-standing strategy. In addition, the potential of the Perlen industrial site will be further exploited by establishing complementary industrial activities • The market presence under the established brands Zeochem, Perlen Packaging and Perlen Papier will remain unchanged • Extraordinary General Meeting on 20 June 2024 to vote on the planned transaction

The CPH Group achieved earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of CHF 83 million for 2023, on net sales of CHF 624 million. The net result for the year amounted to CHF 79 million. The Group can thus report its second-best-ever annual EBIT and net result. The 2024 Annual General Meeting will be asked to approve the distribution of a dividend for the 2023 business year of CHF 4.00 per share.

Zeochem, the chemistry division of the CPH Group, is to acquire Sorbead India and Swambe Chemicals. The purchase of the India-based distributor of molecular sieves and packaging materials and manufacturer of chromatography gels marks a further step in the CPH Group’s expansion strategy.

Sales for the CPH Group in the first half of 2023 totalled CHF 332 million, a decline from the CHF 360 million of the prior-year period. While the Chemistry and Packaging divisions further raised their sales, the Paper Division reported a sales decline. First-half group EBIT remained broadly unchanged at CHF 53 million; and with income from land sales, the net result for the period was raised from CHF 47 million to CHF 61 million.

The CPH Group increased its net sales to CHF 725 million, its EBIT to CHF 112 million and its net result to CHF 101 million – all new record highs – for the 2022 financial year. The 2023 Annual General Meeting will be asked to approve a dividend distribution for 2022 of CHF 4.50 (prior year: CHF 1.30) per share.

The CPH Group has sold industrial land at its former operating site in Full-Reuenthal to Full Property AG. The new owners plan to establish sustainable industrial wood processing operations on the site. The sale has generated non-operating income in the low double-digit millions for the CPH Group.

The CPH Group has raised its forecast for its 2022 annual results. With product orders strong and prices higher, the Group now expects to report net sales for the year of more than CHF 700 million and an annual EBIT of more than CHF 100 million.

The CPH Group generated net sales of CHF 360 million for the first six months of 2022, a 48% improvement on the prior-year period to which all three of its business divisions contributed with double-digit growth. Thanks to strong order volumes and higher sales prices, group EBIT was raised from CHF 5.7 million to CHF 51.9 million, and the net result for the period amounted to CHF 47.5 million.

In view of strong order volumes and higher sales prices, the CPH Group expects to report an EBIT of around CHF 50 million for the first half of 2022, and has also raised its profit forecast for the full financial year.

The CPH Group generated net sales of CHF 496.7 million in 2021, an 11.6% increase on the previous year. Annual EBITDA declined to CHF 25.7 million as a result of steep rises in raw materials costs. Following a one-time impairment of CHF 150 million to the fixed assets of the Group’s paper production in Perlen, the net result for the year amounted to CHF 151.4 million. The 2022 Ordinary General Meeting will be asked to approve a dividend distribution of CHF 1.30 per share for the 2021 financial year.

In view of the continuing predatory competition in the paper segment, the CPH Group expects an extraordinary impairment charge of CHF 150 million to its paper production fixed assets in the 2021 financial year. The impairment will impact the net result for the year, which is expected to be negative broadly in line with the impairment charge. The impairment will have no cash impact, however, and the Group’s equity ratio remains sound at over 50%.

The CPH Group has checked its IT systems after the cyber attack and restored them with its own resources. Production should resume at the affected sites worldwide no later than in the course of Thursday, 13 January 2022.

Due to a cyber attack during the night of 7 January 2022, the IT systems of the CPH Group worldwide were immediately shut down in a controlled manner. The necessary measures to protect the IT infrastructure were initiated.

Marc Haller has been appointed as the new head of the CPH Group’s Packaging Division. He succeeds Wolfgang Grimm, who will retire in spring 2022 after 24 successful years as Head of Packaging and a member of CPH Group Executive Management. Marc Haller was most recently General Manager of Sulzer Mixpac AG and a member of the Sulzer Management Group.

Gerold Brütsch has been appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer of the CPH Group. He succeeds Richard Unterhuber, who will leave the Group by the end of February 2022.

The CPH Group raised its first-half net sales by 5.1% in 2021 to CHF 243.7 million. The Chemistry and the Packaging divisions performed on-track, while earnings for the Paper Division were depressed by higher raw materials costs. Group EBIT for the period declined as expected to CHF 5.7 million. The first-half net result amounted to CHF 5.9 million.