OLIN Corp

Sales for 2024 were $6,540.1 million compared to $6,833.0 million in 2023, a decrease of $292.9 million, or 4%. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales decreased by $364.9 million, primarily due to lower pricing, primarily caustic soda. Epoxy sales decreased by $102.9 million, primarily due to lower product pricing, partially offset by increased sales volumes. Winchester sales increased by $174.9 million, primarily due to increased sales to international military customers and military project revenue and 2024 sales from White Flyer.

Gross margin in 2024 decreased $428.0 million from 2023. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls gross margin decreased by $344.1 million primarily due to lower pricing, primarily caustic soda. Epoxy gross margin decreased by $55.1 million primarily due to lower product pricing, partially offset by increased volumes. Winchester gross margin decreased by $21.3 million, primarily due to higher commodity and operating costs, including propellant costs, and lower product pricing, partially offset by White Flyer results. Gross margin as a percentage of sales decreased to 11% in 2024 from 17% in 2023.

Selling and administrative expenses in 2024 increased $1.8 million from the prior year. The increase was primarily due to higher legal and legal-related settlement expense of $23.2 million and consulting and contract services of $3.1 million, partially offset by lower stock-based compensation expense of $18.0 million, which includes mark-to-market adjustments, and a favorable foreign currency impact of $7.4 million. Selling and administrative expenses as a percentage of sales was 6% for both 2024 and 2023.

Restructuring charges for 2024 were $33.3 million compared to $89.6 million in 2023. The decrease was primarily due to charges associated with our 2023 actions to reconfigure our global Epoxy asset footprint to optimize the most productive and cost-effective assets to support our operating model, which resulted in pretax restructuring charges for 2024 and 2023 of $24.1 million and $73.4 million, respectively.

Other operating income for 2023 included a gain of $27.0 million from the sale of our domestic private trucking fleet and operations and an insurance recovery of $15.6 million associated with a second quarter 2022 business interruption at our Plaquemine, LA Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls facility.

Interest expense in 2024 increased $3.4 million from 2023, primarily due to higher average interest rates. Interest expense for 2024 and 2023 was reduced by capitalized interest of $1.7 million and $2.8 million, respectively.

Non-operating pension income includes all components of pension and other postretirement income (costs) other than service costs.

The effective tax rate for 2024 included benefits associated with stock-based compensation, U.S. Federal tax credits purchased at a discount, changes in tax contingencies and remeasurement of deferred taxes due to a decrease in our state effective tax rates, partially offset by expenses from prior year tax positions and from a net increase in the valuation allowance related to deferred tax assets in foreign jurisdictions. These factors resulted in a net $5.1 million tax benefit. Excluding these items, the effective tax rate for 2024 of 29.5% was higher than the 21.0% U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to state income tax, foreign income inclusions and non-deductible exchange rate results, partially offset by favorable permanent salt depletion deductions. The effective tax rate for 2023 included benefits associated with a legal entity liquidation, prior year tax positions, stock-based compensation, remeasurement of deferred taxes due to a decrease in our state effective tax rates and foreign rate changes, and from a change in tax contingencies, and an expense from a net increase in the valuation allowance related to deferred tax assets in foreign jurisdictions. These factors resulted in a net $29.4 million tax benefit. Excluding these items, the effective tax rate for 2023 of 24.4% was higher than the 21.0% U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to state income tax, an increase in the valuation allowance related to losses in foreign jurisdictions and foreign income inclusions, partially offset by foreign rate differential and favorable permanent salt depletion deductions.

Sales for 2023 were $6,833.0 million compared to $9,376.2 million in 2022, a decrease of $2,543.2 million, or 27%. Epoxy sales decreased by $1,361.3 million, primarily due to lower volumes, including the closure of our cumene facility and one of our bisphenol production lines, and lower product pricing. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales decreased by $1,089.9 million, primarily due to lower volumes, partially offset by products sold by BWA. Winchester sales decreased by $92.0 million, primarily due to lower commercial sales volumes, partially offset by higher domestic and international military sales.

Gross margin in 2023 decreased $1,016.4 million from 2022. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls gross margin decreased by $483.0 million primarily due to lower volumes. Epoxy gross margin decreased by $425.4 million primarily due to lower volumes and lower product pricing. Winchester gross margin decreased by $112.5 million, primarily due to lower commercial volumes. Gross margin as a percentage of sales decreased to 17% in 2023 from 23% in 2022.

Selling and administrative expenses in 2023 increased $12.8 million, or 3%, from 2022. The increase was primarily due to higher costs associated with BWA of $23.9 million, partially offset by lower legal and legal-related settlement expenses of $7.4 million and a favorable foreign currency impact of $5.5 million. Selling and administrative expenses as a percentage of sales increased to 6% in 2023 from 4% in 2022.

Restructuring charges for 2023 were $89.6 million compared to $25.3 million in 2022. The increase in charges was primarily due to our actions to reconfigure our global Epoxy asset footprint to optimize the most productive and cost-effective assets to support our operating model, which resulted in restructuring charges of $73.4 million for 2023.

Other operating income for 2023 included a gain of $27.0 million from the sale of our domestic private trucking fleet and operations and an insurance recovery of $15.6 million associated with a second quarter 2022 business interruption at our Plaquemine, LA Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls facility. Other operating income for 2022 included $13.0 million of gains from the sale of two former manufacturing facilities.

Interest expense in 2023 increased $37.2 million from 2022, primarily due to higher average interest rates. Interest expense for 2023 and 2022 was reduced by capitalized interest of $2.8 million and $3.1 million, respectively.

Non-operating pension income includes all components of pension and other postretirement income (costs) other than service costs. Non-operating pension income was lower in 2023 from the prior year primarily due to an increase in the discount rate used to determine interest costs, partially offset by lower actuarial losses recognized to income.

The effective tax rate for 2023 included benefits associated with a legal entity liquidation, prior year tax positions, stock-based compensation, remeasurement of deferred taxes due to a decrease in our state effective tax rates and foreign rate changes, and from a change in tax contingencies, and an expense from a net increase in the valuation allowance related to deferred tax assets in foreign jurisdictions. These factors resulted in a net $29.4 million tax benefit. Excluding these items, the effective tax rate for 2023 of 24.4% was higher than the 21.0% U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to state income tax, an increase in the valuation allowance related to losses in foreign jurisdictions and foreign income inclusions, partially offset by foreign rate differential and favorable permanent salt depletion deductions. The effective tax rate for 2022 included benefits associated with a legal entity liquidation, prior year tax positions, stock-based compensation, and remeasurement of deferred taxes due to a decrease in our state effective tax rates, and expenses associated with a net increase in the valuation allowance related to state tax credits and a change in tax contingencies. These factors resulted in a net $60.2 million tax benefit. Excluding these items, the effective tax rate for 2022 of 24.4% was higher than the 21.0% U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to state income tax, an increase in the valuation allowance related to losses in foreign jurisdictions and foreign income taxes, partially offset by foreign income exclusions and favorable permanent salt depletion deductions.