Ashland provides update on fiscal 2020 third-quarter earnings and sets date for fiscal 2020 third-quarter earnings release

WILMINGTON, Del., July 17, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ashland Global Holdings Inc. (NYSE: ASH) today provided an update for preliminary fiscal 2020 third-quarter financial results. Additional information regarding third-quarter fiscal earnings will be shared during a conference call webcast with securities analysts on July 29, 2020.

Preliminary fiscal 2020 third-quarter financial results

Ashland’s financial results demonstrated resiliency during the quarter, despite the global macroeconomic uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sales were approximately $574 million, down 10 percent versus the prior-year period, as strength in many consumer markets was more than offset by weak industrial demand across the globe.

Ashland expects income from continuing operations during the third fiscal quarter of approximately $50 million, or approximately $0.81 per diluted share. Adjusted earnings from continuing operations are expected to be approximately $51 million, or $0.84 per diluted share, including an effective tax rate of approximately 20 percent. Adjusted earnings from continuing operations excluding intangibles amortization are expected to be approximately $68 million, or $1.12 per diluted share. Net income (including discontinued operations) is expected to be approximately $37 million. Ashland’s Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be approximately $143 million.

“Ashland’s financial results in the third quarter demonstrate the strength of our specialty materials portfolio and the importance of the actions we are taking internally,” said Guillermo Novo, chairman and chief executive officer, Ashland. “Our priorities continue to be the health and safety of our employees and the continued supply of products to customers in the critical industries which we serve. Our consumer business units performed particularly well as we experienced significantly stronger demand for pharmaceutical excipients, biofunctional ingredients and additives for hand sanitizers. While our industrial businesses felt the impact of reduced global demand during April and May, the teams began to see signs of improving demand trends in June.”

“Our internal actions are also driving improvements to our cost structure and profitability,” continued Novo. “The combined benefit of cost reductions, improved product mix and lower raw-material costs yielded Adjusted EBITDA growth of 2 percent during the quarter. Our cost-reduction plans for the year remain on track, and we plan to take $20 million to $30 million of the previously-disclosed inventory-control actions during the fiscal-fourth quarter. I am confident that these continued internal actions mean we are well positioned for the upcoming fiscal year. I look forward to discussing our results in more detail on the upcoming call with securities analysts.”

The information in this release is preliminary, based upon information available at the time of this news release, and actual results may differ.

Conference Call Webcast

Ashland plans to issue its third-quarter earnings release at approximately 5 p.m. ET on July 28, 2020. The company’s live webcast with securities analysts will include an executive summary and detailed remarks. The live webcast will take place at 9 a.m. ET on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. Simultaneously, the company will post a slide presentation in the Investor Relations section of its website at .

Among those participating in the webcast presentation will be:

• Guillermo Novo, chairman and chief executive officer;
• Kevin Willis, senior vice president and chief financial officer; and
• Seth Mrozek, director of investor relations.

The webcast and supporting materials will be accessible through the Investor Relations section of Ashland's website at . Following the live event, an archived version of the webcast and supporting materials will be available on the Ashland website for 12 months.

Use of Non-GAAP Measures

Ashland believes that by removing the impact of depreciation and amortization and excluding certain non-cash charges, amounts spent on interest and taxes and certain other charges that are highly variable from year to year, adjusted EBITDA provides Ashland’s investors with performance measures that reflect the impact to operations from trends in changes in sales, margin and operating expenses, providing a perspective not immediately apparent from net income. The adjustments Ashland makes to derive the non-GAAP measure of adjusted EBITDA exclude items which may cause short-term fluctuations in net income and which Ashland does not consider to be the fundamental attributes or primary drivers of its business. Adjusted EBITDA provides disclosure on the same basis as that used by Ashland’s management to evaluate financial performance on a consolidated and reportable segment basis and provide consistency in our financial reporting, facilitate internal and external comparisons of Ashland’s historical operating performance and its business units and provide continuity to investors for comparability purposes.

Key items, which are set forth on Table 2 accompanying this release, are defined as financial effects from significant transactions that, either by their nature or amount, have caused short-term fluctuations in net income and/or operating income which Ashland does not consider to most accurately reflect Ashland’s underlying business performance and trends.  Further, Ashland believes that providing supplemental information that excludes the financial effects of these items in the financial results will enhance the investor’s ability to compare financial performance between reporting periods.

Adjusted diluted earnings per share is a performance measure used by Ashland and is defined by Ashland as earnings (loss) from continuing operations, adjusted for identified key items and divided by the number of outstanding diluted shares of common stock.  Ashland believes this measure provides investors additional insights into operational performance by providing earnings and diluted earnings per share metrics that exclude the effect of the identified key items and tax specific key items.

Adjusted diluted earnings per share, excluding intangibles amortization expense metric enables Ashland to demonstrate the impact of non-cash intangibles amortization expense on earnings per share, in addition to key items previously mentioned. Ashland’s management believe this presentation is helpful to illustrate how previous acquisitions impact applicable period results.

About Ashland 

Ashland Global Holdings Inc. (NYSE: ASH) is a premier global specialty materials company serving customers in a wide range of consumer and industrial markets, including adhesives, architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, food and beverage, nutraceuticals, personal care and pharmaceutical. At Ashland, we are approximately 4,600 passionate, tenacious solvers – from renowned scientists and research chemists to talented engineers and plant operators – who thrive on developing practical, innovative and elegant solutions to complex problems for customers in more than 100 countries. Visit  to learn more. 

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Ashland has identified some of these forward-looking statements with words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “expects,” “estimates,” “is likely,” “predicts,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “objectives,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “plans” and “intends” and the negative of these words or other comparable terminology. Ashland may from time to time make forward-looking statements in its annual reports, quarterly reports and other filings with the SEC, news releases and other written and oral communications. These forward-looking statements are based on Ashland’s expectations and assumptions, as of the date such statements are made, regarding Ashland’s future operating performance, financial condition and expected effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Ashland’s business, operating cash flow and liquidity, as well as the economy and other future events or circumstances. These statements include but may not be limited to Ashland’s expectations regarding its ability to drive sales and earnings growth and realize further cost reductions.

Ashland’s expectations and assumptions include, without limitation, internal forecasts and analyses of current and future market conditions and trends, management plans and strategies, operating efficiencies and economic conditions (such as prices, supply and demand, cost of raw materials, and the ability to recover raw-material cost increases through price increases), and risks and uncertainties associated with the following: the impact of acquisitions and/or divestitures Ashland has made or may make (including the possibility that Ashland may not realize the anticipated benefits from such transactions); Ashland’s substantial indebtedness (including the possibility that such indebtedness and related restrictive covenants may adversely affect Ashland’s future cash flows, results of operations, financial condition and its ability to repay debt); severe weather, natural disasters, public health crises (including the current COVID-19 pandemic), cyber events and legal proceedings and claims (including product recalls, environmental and asbestos matters); the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the geographies in which we operate, the end markets we serve and on our supply chain and customers, and without limitation, risks and uncertainties affecting Ashland that are described in Ashland’s most recent Form 10-K (including Item 1A Risk Factors) filed with the SEC, which is available on Ashland’s website at or on the SEC’s website at Various risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from those stated, projected or implied by any forward-looking statements. The extent and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and operations is uncertain. Factors that will influence the impact on our business and operations include the duration and extent of the pandemic, the extent of imposed or recommended containment and mitigation measures, and the general economic consequences of the pandemic. Ashland believes its expectations and assumptions are reasonable, but there can be no assurance that the expectations reflected herein will be achieved. Unless legally required, Ashland undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

¹Financial results are preliminary until Ashland’s Form 10-Q is filed with the SEC.

™ Trademark, Ashland or its subsidiaries, registered in various countries.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Investor Relations:                                                     Media Relations:

Seth A. Mrozek                                                          Carolmarie C. Brown

+1 (302) 594-5010                                                      +1 (302) 995-3158

                                        

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