Wenyi Huang's questions to CABOT (CBT) leadership • Q1 2025
Question
Wenyi Huang of JPMorgan asked for a breakdown of the product lines that drove the 8% volume growth in Performance Chemicals, a quantification of the energy center revenue loss, and the reason for lower allocated corporate costs.
Answer
CFO Erica McLaughlin detailed that while all product lines grew, carbons and compounds were up 5-6%, and fumed metal oxides led with approximately 20% growth. She quantified the energy center headwind at about $5 million in EBIT year-over-year, driven by Europe and China. McLaughlin attributed the lower corporate costs to the timing of certain expenses and guided for them to be higher, in the $14-$16 million range, for the remaining quarters of the fiscal year.