(Reuters) – Specialty chemicals company Celanese cut its quarterly dividend by about 95% and laid out additional cost reduction programs, as it struggles with weak demand, sending its shares down 14% in extended trading on Monday.
The company said the dividend reduction was a prudent and cost-effective path forward to support deleveraging, and its plans to cut additional costs would help it save more than $75 million by the end of 2025.
The company also said it was “reducing manufacturing costs through the end of 2024 by temporarily idling production facilities in every region and driving cash generation through an expected $200 million inventory release in the fourth quarter.”
Celanese makes chemical products that are used in coatings, paints and pharmaceutical products and polymers.
The chemicals industry, which had previously been dealing with high inventory that led to destocking, is now facing weaker demand in key markets such as China and Europe.
Third-quarter net earnings for the company fell about 87% to $120 million, as its engineered materials segment was impacted by rapid slowdowns in commercial activity in both automotive and industrial segments.
(Reporting by Seher Dareen and Tanay Dhumal in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva)
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