Clariant AG

Clariant achieves 8 % sales growth in a softening economic environment - Seite 2

* As of 31 December 2013

Third quarter 2014 - strong sales growth on higher volumes

Muttenz, 30 October 2014 - Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, today announced third quarter 2014 sales of CHF 1.507 billion compared to CHF 1.443 billion in the third quarter of 2013. This corresponds to sales growth of 8 % in local currencies, driven by 7 % higher volumes and average sales price increases of 1 %. Growth in Swiss francs was 4 % as currency developments still had an adverse, albeit weaker, negative impact. Important trading currencies - predominantly the US dollar - strengthened against the Swiss franc during the reporting period, leading to a less pronounced effect of -4 percentage points on sales compared to - 7 percentage points in the first half-year of 2014.

Clariant achieved double-digit local currency sales growth in the emerging markets, led by Latin America with a 23 % sales increase followed by Asia/Pacific with 13 %. In Latin America, Brazil reported single-digit growth while sales in most of the other economies in the region grew double-digit. In Asia/Pacific strong sales growth was achieved in China with 12 % and in India with 38 % higher sales. In the mature markets, North America reached 3 % higher sales, outpacing Europe Middle East & Africa (EMEA), which grew 2 %. As in the first six months, the driver for growth in EMEA was the Middle East & Africa region which achieved growth of 15 %, in-line with other emerging markets. In contrast, growth was uneven across countries in Europe with good growth in the Nordic countries and in Eastern Europe, resulting in 0 % sales growth in the region.

With the exception of Care Chemicals, all Business Areas achieved mid single-digit to double-digit sales growth in local currencies in the third quarter. Care Chemicals reported 1 % lower sales resulting from a reduction of the exposure to lower margin products. Excluding this impact, Care Chemicals grew 5 % in local currencies, reflecting robust growth in Consumer Care, predominantly in Crop Solutions and Personal Care while Industrial Applications grew at a slower pace. Catalysis & Energy achieved 20 % higher sales, driven by a continuing strong growth in the Catalysts business but also due to a substantial improvement in sales in the start-up business Energy Storage. In Natural Resources, both the Oil & Mining Services and Functional Minerals businesses contributed to a 14 % sales increase. Plastics & Coatings sales grew 7 % on the back of a good sales performance of all three businesses: Additives, Masterbatches and Pigments.