Dow Reports Fourth Quarter And Full-Year Results

Price was down 3 percent, or 4 percent on an adjusted basis. Currency was a key driver, contributing $1.3 billion – or more than half of the decline. Purchased feedstock and energy costs decreased $2.5 billion.

EBITDA for the full year was $5.6 billion, or $7.5 billion on an adjusted basis.

Dow reported full-year earnings of $0.70 per share, or $1.90 per share on an adjusted basis. This compares with prior-year earnings of $2.05 per share, or adjusted earnings of $2.54 per share.

Dow’s global operating rate was 81 percent, up 1 percentage point versus 2011.

Research and Development (R&D) expenses and Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) expenses together increased $135 million on a full-year basis. Agricultural Sciences represented $128 million of this increase, reflecting the Company’s commitment to prioritize spending in key growth sectors.

Throughout the year, the Company maintained its focus on lowering debt, reporting a gross debt reduction of $613 million in 2012. In addition, year-over-year interest expense declined $72 million.

Outlook

Commenting on the Company’s outlook, Liveris said:

“Dow enters 2013 squarely focused on driving earnings growth, increasing cash flow and rewarding shareholders. And while our business plans do not call for material macroeconomic tailwinds, we will fully harvest our feedstock strength, particularly in Performance Plastics, and further accelerate growth in our technology-driven Agricultural Sciences segment. In addition, we have deployed $2.5 billion of cost reductions and cash flow improvements, and are aggressively managing our portfolio – by prioritizing our growth programs and driving selective, non-core divestitures. Collectively these actions demonstrate our firm resolve to control what we can control, and proactively implement the right strategic decisions to accelerate Dow’s performance.

“We have the right catalysts firmly in place. Our feedstock advantage, particularly as the ethylene cycle unfolds, and the commercialization of our technology pipeline, as well as our integration investments in the U.S. Gulf Coast and Sadara as a whole differentiate Dow, and will continue to propel our strategy to deliver higher earnings growth and increasingly reward shareholders.”

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