Wacker silicones division showed strong performance for first quarter

Munich, Germany – Wacker Chemie AG has announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2025, reporting sales of €1.48 billion, nearly matching the prior-year level of €1.49 billion. This represents an 11 percent increase from the previous quarter’s sales of €1.34 billion.

Despite the persistently weak market environment, WACKER’s Silicones division and biotechnology business showed strong performance, contributing positively to the company’s overall sales. However, the Polymers division experienced a slight reduction in sales, and the polysilicon business saw a significant decline due to lower solar-grade polysilicon volumes.

The company’s EBITDA for Q1 2025 was €127 million, down 26 percent from €172 million in Q1 2024. This decrease was primarily driven by lower solar-grade polysilicon volumes, inventory effects, and reduced plant-utilization rates. The EBITDA margin for the quarter was 8.6 percent, compared to 11.6 percent in the same period last year.

WACKER’s EBIT for Q1 2025 fell to €0.4 million from €63 million in Q1 2024, resulting in an EBIT margin of 0.0 percent. Net income for the quarter was €-3 million, compared to €48 million in Q1 2024, translating to earnings per share of €-0.16.

President & CEO Christian Hartel commented on the results, stating, “Given the persistently weak market environment, we started the year off well. We are in line with our expectations.” He noted that weak economic conditions and current US trade policy have caused considerable uncertainty in the markets, impacting customer ordering behavior.

Despite these challenges, WACKER remains optimistic about its future performance and has maintained its full-year forecast unchanged.