Huntsman Corporation’s HUN first-quarter 2026 loss (as reported) was 31 cents per share, wider than a loss of 3 cents in the year-ago quarter.
Barring one-time items, adjusted loss per share was 20 cents compared with a loss of 11 cents in the year-ago quarter. It was narrower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 23 cents.
Revenues were $1,420 million, up around 1% year over year. The top line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,374.2 million. HUN saw volume growth in Polyurethanes and strength in Advanced Materials, partly offset by lower selling prices and weakness in Performance Products.
Huntsman Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Huntsman Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Huntsman Corporation Quote
HUN’s Q1 Segment Highlights
Polyurethanes: Revenues from the segment rose 1% year over year to $923 million. The figure beat our estimate of $903 million. The upside was driven by higher sales volumes, mainly in the Americas and Europe, partly offset by lower average selling prices. MDI selling prices fell due to less favorable supply-demand dynamics, partly masked by favorable currency movements.
Performance Products: Revenues moved down 11% year over year to $228 million, missing our estimate of $242 million. The decrease was mainly caused by lower sales volumes and lower average selling prices. Volumes were hurt by the closure of the Moers, Germany maleic anhydride facility and lower demand, while pricing was adversely impacted by competitive pressures.
Advanced Materials: Revenues from the unit increased 12% year over year to $279 million and beat our estimate of $252 million. The increase was primarily due to higher average selling prices and higher sales volumes. Pricing benefited from a favorable sales mix and currency movements, while volumes improved across aerospace, power and automotive markets.
HUN’s Financials
Free cash flow from continuing operations was a use of $91 million compared with a use of $107 million in the prior-year quarter. The company had around $0.9 billion in combined cash and unused borrowing capacity as of March 31, 2026. Huntsman spent $38 million on capital expenditures compared with $36 million in the prior-year quarter. Net cash used in operating activities from continuing operations was $53 million in the reported quarter.
HUN’s Outlook
For the second quarter of 2026, Huntsman expects sequential improvement, especially in Polyurethanes. The company expects margin improvement across regions from its pricing initiatives. It anticipates second-quarter adjusted EBITDA of $60-$75 million for Polyurethanes, $30-$40 million for Performance Products and $50-$55 million for Advanced Materials.
Huntsman expects Performance Products to benefit from price increases implemented to offset higher feedstock costs, additional savings from cost-reduction programs and contributions from recently completed growth capital investments. In Advanced Materials, the company expects continued strength from aerospace demand, sustained investment in power generation and grid infrastructure, and disciplined pricing to offset higher costs. The company also expects to manage capital expenditures at a level similar to 2025, with critical maintenance, cybersecurity risk mitigation and mandatory safety and environmental spending of around $150 million. Depreciation and amortization are expected to be roughly $290 million in 2026.
HUN’s Stock Price Performance
Shares of Huntsman have gained 22.3% in the past year compared with the Zacks Chemicals Diversified industry’s 18.9% rise.
HUN’s Zacks Rank & Key Picks
HUN currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks worth a look in the basic materials space are Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. SQM, Idaho Strategic Resources, Inc. IDR and Hawkins, Inc. HWKN.
Sociedad is slated to report first-quarter 2026 results on May 26. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for loss is pegged at $1.58 per share, indicating 229.2% year-over-year growth. SQM has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present.
Idaho is expected to report first-quarter 2026 results on May 14. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 43 cents per share, indicating 258.3% year-over-year growth. IDR sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Hawkins is scheduled to report fiscal fourth-quarter results on May 13. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HWKN’s fourth-quarter earnings is pegged at 77 cents per share. HWKN currently has a Zacks Rank #2.
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Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A. (SQM): Free Stock Analysis Report
Huntsman Corporation (HUN): Free Stock Analysis Report
Hawkins, Inc. (HWKN): Free Stock Analysis Report
Idaho Strategic Resources, Inc. (IDR): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).