10. Aug 2026
PU foam additives demand helps lift Evonik Custom Solutions sales 4%
Higher demand for polyurethane foam additives contributed to a 4% increase in second-quarter sales at Evonik’s Custom Solutions segment.
The segment generated sales of €1.42 billion in the second quarter of 2026, supported by higher volumes and selling prices. Negative currency movements and other effects partially offset the increase.
Evonik said its Additives business recorded higher demand for products used in PU foams and consumer durables. Strong demand for paints and coatings products and oil additives also supported sales and enabled higher selling prices.
Custom Solutions’ adjusted EBITDA rose 7% year-on-year to €271 million. The adjusted EBITDA margin increased from 18.6% to 19.1%.
The performance represents an improvement from 2025, when Evonik reported weaker additive volumes, particularly for products used in PU foam production and performance coatings.
Across the Evonik group, second-quarter adjusted EBITDA increased 24% to €630 million. Revenue rose 11%, with sales volumes and selling prices both increasing by 7%. Net income nevertheless declined to €84 million from €120 million in the corresponding period of 2025.
Evonik said disruption to global shipping caused by the continuing conflict in the Middle East had created supply shortages, particularly for Asian competitors dependent on raw material shipments around the Arabian Peninsula.
The effect was most pronounced in the company’s Advanced Technologies segment, where sales rose 9% to €1.65 billion and adjusted EBITDA increased 25% to €333 million.
Evonik has raised its adjusted EBITDA forecast for 2026 to between €2 billion and €2.2 billion, compared with its previous range of €1.7–2 billion. The company generated adjusted EBITDA of approximately €1.9 billion in 2025.
Christian Kullmann, Evonik chief executive, said: “We are witnessing a warm summer rain. But unfortunately, this does not change the fundamental challenges for our industry.”
Evonik is extending its Tailor Made efficiency program as it seeks to improve its long-term competitiveness. Measures introduced for 2024–2026 will reduce its workforce by 2,800 positions, while a further 3,200 positions are scheduled to be eliminated between 2027 and 2029. The company said its employee count had fallen by almost 700 since the beginning of 2026.