Evonik Industries Ag (EVKIF) Q1 2025 Earnings Call

Investor webinar replay

Replay transcript excerpt

Thanks a lot, and welcome to our Q1 earnings call today. This is the first time within 10 days that we're going to meet. Today, virtually for our Q1 earnings, and next week, Thursday, for a more strategic view ahead at our Capital Markets Day. My board colleagues and I are really looking forward to welcoming quite some of you next week in Essen. So I guess you agree. that we focus today in our opening statement and during the Q&A session mainly on the current year. At our Capital Markets Day, we can then take a look ahead and cover the more strategic topics. With that, let's come to the key message for today. After a pretty good last year with 25% of earnings growth, we have further increased EBITDA in the first quarter. The same for free cash flow. Already in the last, already in the first quarter, we managed to outgrow the pretty good prior year level by more than 50%. We are confirming our full year guidance today. And, more importantly, it is well underpinned by our positive Q1 performance, as well as a solid start into the second quarter. several supporting factors for the upcoming quarter. This is a strong message, I guess, a strong message in these turbulent times. So, we are confident to deliver on our full year guidance range, driven by our own strengths. As you can see in the first quarter numbers, we have a strong portfolio. The resilient businesses and specialty additives and the strong growth in nutrition and care differentiate our portfolio in the current environment and from most of our peers. Our cost programs are in full execution and further supporting our solid operating performance. And our high share of local production with major production platforms in each and every region shields us from the rise in protectionism and might even offer the one ...