Specialty chemicals company LANXESS expects to achieve fourth quarter 2020 EBITDA pre exceptionals that considerably exceeds average market expectations and previous year’s level.

The company's EBITDA pre exceptionals for the fourth quarter 2020 is estimated to amount to EUR 200 million, which exceeds average market expectations of EUR 181 million by 10 percent.

“Q4 2020 is expected to be the strongest final quarter we have seen in 8 years. The fact that we achieved this even during the global Corona pandemic shows: Thanks to our stable set-up, we are resilient even and especially in times of crisis,” said Matthias Zachert, Chairman of the Board of Management of LANXESS AG.

The fourth quarter result was positively influenced by a stronger than expected increase in demand especially from the automotive industry particularly in the month of December. LANXESS supplies this industry mainly through its Engineering Materials segment.

The Advanced Intermediates and Specialty Additives segments also recorded a business development above expectations.

The Consumer Protection segment performed well, as expected. These positive developments also more than offset the effects of an unplanned production shutdown in Belgium in the Engineering Materials segment and adverse currency effects from the US dollar.