James Cannon

James Cannon asked for a breakdown of volume movements in the LATAM business, specifically regarding demand recovery and the impact of mixed management and business rationalizations. He also sought quantification of the Texture and Healthful Solutions (THS) segment's higher-margin solutions business, including its mix contribution and margin differential.

Answer

James P. Zallie, President and CEO, explained that LATAM's Q4 net sales were up 1%, but volume declined 3% due to brewing adjuncts, offset by growth in food and beverage (Mexico food volumes up 3%, beverage up 1%). James D. Gray, EVP and CFO, noted Mexico's transition to higher-margin products would take 1-2 years. Regarding THS solutions, James P. Zallie stated the business was over $1 billion in 2024-2025, with gross margins 30-35% higher than the segment average. James D. Gray added that it represents approximately 40% of the segment's revenue and is about 5% higher than the segment's overall average margin.

James Cannon, on behalf of Josh Spector, asked for a breakdown of volume movements in the LATAM business, particularly after earlier mixed management and business rationalizations, and how underlying demand is improving. He also sought quantification of the Texture and Healthful Solutions (THS) solutions business mix and its margin differential compared to the rest of the segment.

Answer

Jim Zallie, President and CEO, stated that LATAM's Q4 sales volume declined 3%, primarily due to brewing adjuncts, but food and beverage sales volumes saw growth (Mexico food up 3%, beverage up 1%). He noted efforts to diversify grind utilization towards higher-margin food and confectionery products. Jim Gray, EVP and CFO, added that Mexico's transition is starting well. Regarding THS, Jim Zallie indicated the solutions business was just over $1 billion in 2024-2025, with gross margins 5% higher than the segment average, representing approximately 40% of the segment's revenue.

James Cannon from UBS Group asked for clarification on the volatile performance of the Argentina joint venture and its expected contribution within the LATAM guidance.

Answer

EVP & CFO Jim Gray explained that the volatility stemmed from a uniquely strong Q2 2024, where pricing outpaced stabilizing inflation and currency. He characterized the current quarter's performance as a more normalized result for the JV, reflecting a more stable macroeconomic environment in Argentina compared to the prior year, which created a difficult comparison.

James Cannon, on behalf of Joshua Spector, asked for the magnitude of the TiO2 volume growth in Europe during the quarter and the potential market share opportunity in India and Brazil from pending anti-dumping duties.

Answer

CEO John Romano described the Q4 to Q1 growth in Europe as a 'significant jump,' roughly double the normal seasonal increase. He sized the Indian market at 450,000 tons annually, with over 300,000 tons from China, suggesting the recapture opportunity there could be at or slightly above the level seen in Europe.

Speaking on behalf of Josh Spector, James Cannon asked for details on the company's planned maintenance turnaround schedule for the second half of the year and the expected financial impact, following the $20 million headwind guided for Q2.

Answer

William McLain, EVP and CFO, clarified that turnaround costs in Q3 are expected to be at similar levels to the $20 million headwind in Q2. He added that Q4 would see an improvement with lower maintenance costs. This schedule also helps manage inventory and cash flow in the current uncertain environment.

James Cannon inquired about the Advanced Materials (AM) segment's 2025 guidance, questioning the implied decline in the base business and asking for details on the Kingsport circular economy plant's contribution in Q4 2024 and Q1 2025.

Answer

Board Chair and CEO Mark Costa explained that while the core AM business is delivering innovation-led growth, headwinds from higher natural gas prices and adverse currency effects are offsetting some gains, leading to a flatter core earnings profile. Executive Vice President and CFO William McLain added that the Kingsport plant demonstrated continual operational improvement in Q4, achieving 85% DMP yield since its fall turnaround, and is well-positioned for strong operating rates in 2025.

James Cannon inquired about the macroeconomic assumptions underlying the low end of the full-year guidance, especially concerning tariffs, and asked for the approximate size of the company's exposure to the data center market.

Answer

CEO Ben Gliklich stated that the guidance range reflects the tension between outperformance in the electronics business and weakness in the industrial market. He noted that April trading was strong with no signs of demand destruction from tariffs. Gliklich quantified the data center exposure as over $100 million across assembly and circuitry, approaching $200 million when including the memory business.

James Cannon, on for Josh Spector, asked about the earnings power of the Acetyl business, questioning if the prior year's run rate is still typical given headwinds from contract resets.

Answer

CEO Scott Richardson responded that there is always an opportunity to drive margins. He acknowledged the headwind from contract resets but stated the team is working hard to offset them by leveraging the company's optionality model, flexing up and down the value chain to get back to the performance levels seen in the first half of the prior year.

James Cannon, on behalf of Josh Spector, asked for clarification on New Zealand's gas availability, specifically what production would look like without any on-selling of gas. He also requested an update on current MTO (methanol-to-olefins) affordability levels.

Answer

President and CEO Rich Sumner estimated that based on pure gas supply, New Zealand production would be in the middle of the 500k-700k tonne guidance range, with lower levels implying some gas was on-sold. He stated that MTO affordability is currently around $280-$300 per tonne, but tight market conditions have pushed spot prices in China to the $310-$320 level for coastal producers.

James Cannon, on behalf of Josh Spector at UBS, questioned the rising discount rate for methanol pricing and inquired whether recent unplanned outages in Trinidad were related to reported gas curtailments.

Answer

President and CEO Rich Sumner clarified that the company focuses on strong realized prices, which reflect tight market balances, rather than the discount rate. He also confirmed that Methanex's outage in Trinidad was due to an air separation unit issue and was unrelated to the upstream gas curtailments that affected other producers.

James Cannon of UBS, on behalf of Josh Spector, requested an update on the BEAD program, asking if orders have begun from states with final approval and how they track against the previously stated $4 billion TAM.

Answer

Chairman and CEO Wendell Weeks confirmed that while the 'earliest trickles' of BEAD-related orders are starting, they are not yet material to Corning's overall results. He noted that the limited data supports their view of the total addressable market (TAM) but does not change their outlook that a meaningful financial impact is unlikely before 2026.

James Cannon, on for Josh Spector, asked at what point of sales growth Corning would need to increase CapEx, especially if it continues to track ahead of its plan.

Answer

CEO Wendell Weeks stated that no significant CapEx increase is anticipated to deliver the current Springboard plan. An investment increase would only be considered if the larger, non-risk-adjusted $8 billion sales opportunity becomes more probable. He noted current capital is focused on productivity and reconfiguring factories for new products, which is less intensive than building new plants.