EASTMAN CHEMICAL CO

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NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

Non-GAAP financial measures, and the accompanying reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable GAAP measures, are presented below in this section and in "Overview", "Results of Operations", "Summary by Operating Segment", and "Liquidity and Other Financial Information - Cash Flows" in this MD&A.

Management discloses non-GAAP financial measures, and the related reconciliations to the most comparable GAAP financial measures, because it believes investors use these metrics in evaluating longer term period-over-period performance, and to allow investors to better understand and evaluate the information used by management to assess the Company's and its operating segments' performances, make resource allocation decisions, and evaluate organizational and individual performances in determining certain performance-based compensation. Non-GAAP financial measures do not have definitions under GAAP, and may be defined differently by, and not be comparable to, similarly titled measures used by other companies. As a result, management cautions investors not to place undue reliance on any non-GAAP financial measure, but to consider such measures alongside the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

Company Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Non-Core Items and any Unusual or Non-Recurring Items Excluded from Non-GAAP Earnings

In addition to evaluating Eastman's financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, and cash flows as reported in accordance with GAAP, management evaluates Company and operating segment performance, and makes resource allocation and performance evaluation decisions, excluding the effect of transactions, costs, and losses or gains that do not directly result from Eastman's normal, or "core", business and operations, or are otherwise of an unusual or non-recurring nature.

Non-core, unusual, or non-recurring items include transactions, costs, and losses or gains relating to, among other things, cost reduction initiatives, growth and profitability improvement initiatives, changes in businesses and assets, and other events outside of the Company's core business operations, and have included asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges and gains; costs of and related to acquisitions; gains and losses from and costs related to dispositions, closures, or shutdowns of businesses or assets; financing transaction costs; environmental and other costs related to previously divested businesses, non-operational sites and product lines, and discontinued programs; mark-to-market losses or gains for pension and other postretirement benefit plans; the impact from significant tax law changes; and unusual or non-recurring income tax reserves or adjustments.

Because non-core, unusual, or non-recurring transactions, costs, and losses or gains may materially affect the Company's, or any particular operating segment's, financial condition or results in a specific period in which they are recognized, management believes it is appropriate to evaluate the financial measures prepared and calculated in accordance with both GAAP and the related non-GAAP financial measures excluding the effect on the Company's results of these non-core, unusual, or non-recurring items. In addition to using such measures to evaluate results in a specific period, management evaluates such non-GAAP measures, and believes that investors may also evaluate such measures, because such measures may provide more complete and consistent comparisons of the Company's, and its segments', operational performance on a period-over-period historical basis and, as a result, provide a better indication of expected future trends.

Adjusted Tax Rate and Provision for Income Taxes

In interim periods, Eastman discloses non-GAAP earnings with an adjusted effective tax rate and a resulting adjusted provision for income taxes using the Company's forecasted tax rate for the full year as of the end of the interim period. The adjusted effective tax rate and resulting adjusted provision for income taxes are equal to the Company's projected full year effective tax rate and provision for income taxes on earnings excluding non-core, unusual, or non-recurring items for completed periods. The adjusted effective tax rate and resulting adjusted provision for income taxes may fluctuate during the year for changes in events and circumstances that change the Company's forecasted annual effective tax rate and resulting provision for income taxes excluding non-core, unusual, or non-recurring items. Management discloses this adjusted effective tax rate, and the related reconciliation to the GAAP effective tax rate, to provide investors more complete and consistent comparisons of the Company's operational performance on a period-over-period interim basis and on the same basis as management evaluates quarterly financial results to provide a better indication of expected full year results.

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Non-GAAP Debt Measure

Eastman, from time to time, evaluates and discloses to investors and securities and credit analysts the non-GAAP debt measure "net debt", which management defines as total borrowings less cash and cash equivalents. Management believes this metric is useful to investors and securities and credit analysts to provide them with information similar to that used by management in evaluating the Company's overall financial position, liquidity, and leverage and because management believes investors, securities analysts, credit analysts and rating agencies, and lenders often use a similar measure to assess and compare companies' relative financial position and liquidity.

Non-GAAP Measures in this Quarterly Report

The following non-core items are excluded by management in its evaluation of certain earnings results in this Quarterly Report:

•Cost of sales impact from restructuring activities, and

•Asset impairments, restructuring, and other charges, net.

The following unusual item is excluded by management in its evaluation of certain earnings results in this Quarterly Report:

•Income tax related item resulting from enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act ("OBBBA").

As described above, the alternative non-GAAP measure of debt, "net debt", is also presented in this Quarterly Report.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures - Non-Core and Unusual Items Excluded from Earnings and Adjustments to Provision for Income Taxes

This MD&A includes an analysis of the effect of the foregoing on the following GAAP financial measures:

•Gross profit;

•Earnings before interest and taxes ("EBIT");

•Provision for income taxes;

•Net earnings attributable to Eastman;

•Diluted EPS; and

•Total borrowings.