The excellent financial performance in 2021 reflects accelerating demand for innovative and sustainable materials, as well as the Group’s reactivity in a demanding and volatile context.Group sales of €9.5 billion, up by 25.9% compared with 2020 at constant scope and currency:
- Growth in volumes of +7.3%, driven notably by robust demand for sustainable solutions with high technological content, particularly in batteries, 3D printing, consumer goods and more environmentally friendly paints
- Increase in selling prices of 18.6% over the year, reflecting the Group’s initiatives to offset strong raw materials and energy inflation, an improved product mix, as well as the tightness of upstream acrylics
- EBITDA at historic high of €1,727 million, up by 46.1% compared with 2020, and EBITDA margin at 18.1%, in an environment marked by operational disruptions and high raw materials and energy costs:
- Excellent performance of Specialty Materials, up strongly in each of the segments, with EBITDA of €1,503 million (€1,018 million in 2020) and EBITDA margin of 18.5%
- Increase in EBITDA of Intermediates (€316 million vs. €231 million in 2020), driven by favorable market conditions in acrylics in Asia and despite the negative scope effect related to the PMMA and Functional Polyolefins divestmentsAdjusted net income multiplied by 2.3 to €896 million, representing €11.88 per share (€5.11 in 2020)
Recurring cash flow stable at €756 million (€762 million in 2020) and net debt down sharply to €1,177 million, including €700 million in hybrid bonds (net debt of €1,910 million at end-2020), representing 0.7x 2021 EBITDA
Proposed dividend of €3.0 per share (€2.5 in 2020)
Strengthening of the Specialty Materials platform in line with the 2024 ambitionMajor steps taken to refocus on Specialty Materials, which represent close to 90% of 2021 pro forma sales (1), with the finalization of the PMMA divestment and the proposed acquisition of Ashland’s performance adhesives business
Numerous customer partnerships and targeted capacity increase projects to support the Group’s sustainable growth strategy, particularly in bio-based products, materials lightweighting, clean mobility, new energies, electronics and more environmentally friendly coatings
Confidence of the Group in the outlook for 2022
Continued implementation of the Group’s strategy, in particular with the closing of the Ashland performance adhesives acquisition, the start-up at mid-year of the PA11 plant in Singapore and the hydrofluoric acid plant in the United States, as well as the strengthening of innovation and targeted investments to support our organic growth
In 2022, in a global environment that should remain volatile, the Group aims, at constant scope, to achieve a Specialty Materials’ EBITDA comparable to the record high of 2021
2024 targets fully supported by the level of performance in 2021 and the significant progress made in the execution of the strategic roadmap