The Chemours Company announced financial results for the first quarter 2017. Chemours President and CEO Mark Vergnano said, “We began 2017 with great business performance across all three segments, bolstered by growth of Opteon refrigerants and improved pricing and demand for Ti-Pure titanium dioxide. Our transformation plan initiatives remain a key part of our strategy, as evidenced in the improvements of the Chemical Solutions segment. These results demonstrate that we are getting the full benefit of both market momentum and the strength that is embedded in our businesses and employees. As a result, Adjusted EBITDA margin doubled versus last year’s first quarter.” First quarter net sales were $1.4 billion, an increase of 11 percent from $1.3 billion in the prior-year quarter. Volume growth in Titanium Technologies and Fluoroproducts drove a 15 percent increase in revenue and higher prices in Titanium Technologies added another 5 percent. These results were reduced by 8 percent due to the portfolio effects of divestitures within Chemical Solutions and approximately 1 percent related to negative currency translation year-over-year. First quarter net income was $150 million, or $0.79 per diluted share, versus net income of $51 million, or $0.28 per diluted share in last year’s first quarter. Adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter 2017 improved by $157 million to $285 million versus $128 million in the first quarter of 2016. This improvement was primarily driven by increased volume and pricing despite the impact of the portfolio changes in Chemical Solutions.
Fluoroproducts Fluoroproducts segment sales in the first quarter were $652 million, an increase of 23 percent versus the prior-year quarter. Opteon refrigerants sales growth and solid demand for fluoropolymers drove the volume increase compared to the prior-year quarter. Price declined versus last year’s first quarter primarily driven by unfavorable mix. Segment Adjusted EBITDA was $155 million, an 82 percent increase versus the prior-year quarter, a result of the increased volume partially offset by lower price.
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