Wacker sales, income rise in 2017
Overall group sales increased by 6.3% to about $5.5 billion (€4.5 billion) for 2017, based on the average exchange rate for the year.
Wacker said higher volumes of chemicals and polysilicon more than offset off-balance prices and the negative currency effects of the euro's strength against the US dollar.
The group's 2017 net income more than quadrupled from the previous year, rising to about $1 billion.
The gains, Wacker said, are reflective of the deconsolidation of Siltronic AG as a Wacker group segment and the inclusion of Siltronic's net income in the first quarter of 2017. Combined, those factors resulted in a gain of approximately $715 million.
Sales for the Wacker Silicones segment grew by 10% to about $2.5 billion in 2017, a direct result of volume gains, somewhat higher prices, plant utilisation and cost efficiencies, Wacker said.
Its Polymers segment grew 5% to $1.41 billion in sales for 2017. Volumes for dispersions and dispersible polymer powders fuelled the growth, while lower prices and negative currency effects dampened sales performance, Wacker said.
For Wacker Biosolutions, sales rose about 1% on the year to $233.2 million, while sales for Wacker Polysilicon climbed 2% to $1.25 billion in 2017. The growth was stifled by a loss of production at the Charleston, Tennessee, plant following a 7 Sept hydrogen explosion at the facility.
Wacker said the blast, caused by technical defect, damaged a section of the plant that had to shut down. The closing led to a loss of 6,600 tonnes of polysilicon, which otherwise would have been available for sale.
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