OLIN Corp (OLN)
SIC breadcrumb: Manufacturing > Chemicals And Allied Products > SIC 2800 Chemicals & Allied Products
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=74303. Latest filing source: 0000074303-26-000027.
Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.
Business
Read OLN's verbatim Item 1 Business section from its latest 10-K: Business.
Risk Factors
Read OLN's verbatim Item 1A Risk Factors from its latest 10-K: Risk Factors.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 6,780,800,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-20 |
| Net income | -101,100,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-20 |
| Assets | 7,325,800,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-20 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-20. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000074303.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 5,550,600,000 | 6,268,400,000 | 6,946,100,000 | 6,110,000,000 | 5,758,000,000 | 8,910,600,000 | 9,376,200,000 | 6,833,000,000 | 6,540,100,000 | 6,780,800,000 |
| Net income | -3,900,000 | 549,500,000 | 327,900,000 | -11,300,000 | -969,900,000 | 1,296,700,000 | 1,326,900,000 | 452,000,000 | 105,000,000 | -101,100,000 |
| Operating income | 107,800,000 | 296,600,000 | 676,900,000 | 177,800,000 | -746,700,000 | 1,850,800,000 | 1,779,000,000 | 712,100,000 | 296,500,000 | 5,300,000 |
| Gross profit | 2,181,900,000 | 1,165,500,000 | 737,500,000 | 501,500,000 | ||||||
| Diluted EPS | -0.02 | 3.26 | 1.95 | -0.07 | -6.14 | 7.96 | 8.94 | 3.57 | 0.91 | -0.88 |
| Operating cash flow | 603,200,000 | 648,800,000 | 907,800,000 | 617,300,000 | 433,000,000 | 1,741,000,000 | 1,921,900,000 | 974,300,000 | 503,200,000 | 474,200,000 |
| Capital expenditures | 278,000,000 | 294,300,000 | 385,200,000 | 385,600,000 | 298,900,000 | 200,600,000 | 236,900,000 | 236,000,000 | 195,100,000 | 226,300,000 |
| Dividends paid | 132,100,000 | 133,000,000 | 133,600,000 | 129,300,000 | 126,300,000 | 127,800,000 | 116,200,000 | 101,000,000 | 94,200,000 | 91,600,000 |
| Share buybacks | 0.00 | 0.00 | 50,000,000 | 145,900,000 | 0.00 | 251,900,000 | 1,350,700,000 | 711,300,000 | 300,300,000 | 50,500,000 |
| Assets | 8,762,600,000 | 9,218,300,000 | 8,997,400,000 | 9,187,800,000 | 8,270,900,000 | 8,517,700,000 | 8,044,200,000 | 7,713,200,000 | 7,579,100,000 | 7,325,800,000 |
| Liabilities | 6,489,600,000 | 6,464,600,000 | 6,165,200,000 | 6,770,300,000 | 6,820,100,000 | 5,865,500,000 | 5,500,600,000 | 5,444,900,000 | 5,523,700,000 | 5,455,200,000 |
| Stockholders' equity | 2,273,000,000 | 2,753,700,000 | 2,832,200,000 | 2,417,500,000 | 1,450,800,000 | 2,652,200,000 | 2,543,600,000 | 2,232,400,000 | 2,023,100,000 | 1,838,900,000 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 184,500,000 | 218,400,000 | 178,800,000 | 220,900,000 | 189,700,000 | 180,500,000 | 194,000,000 | 170,300,000 | 175,600,000 | 167,600,000 |
| Free cash flow | 325,200,000 | 354,500,000 | 522,600,000 | 231,700,000 | 134,100,000 | 1,540,400,000 | 1,685,000,000 | 738,300,000 | 308,100,000 | 247,900,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | -0.07% | 8.77% | 4.72% | -0.18% | -16.84% | 14.55% | 14.15% | 6.61% | 1.61% | -1.49% |
| Operating margin | 1.94% | 4.73% | 9.75% | 2.91% | -12.97% | 20.77% | 18.97% | 10.42% | 4.53% | 0.08% |
| Return on equity | -0.17% | 19.95% | 11.58% | -0.47% | -66.85% | 48.89% | 52.17% | 20.25% | 5.19% | -5.50% |
| Return on assets | -0.04% | 5.96% | 3.64% | -0.12% | -11.73% | 15.22% | 16.50% | 5.86% | 1.39% | -1.38% |
| Liabilities / equity | 2.86 | 2.35 | 2.18 | 2.80 | 4.70 | 2.21 | 2.16 | 2.44 | 2.73 | 2.97 |
| Current ratio | 1.68 | 1.78 | 1.53 | 1.58 | 1.43 | 1.34 | 1.38 | 1.29 | 1.27 | 1.21 |
Industry Peer Context
Net margin peer context
Operating margin peer context
ROE peer context
ROA peer context
Financial Bridges
Income statement bridge from reported figures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Revenue: accession 0000074303-26-000027; concept RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax; source concepts us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax | Gross profit: accession 0000074303-26-000027; concept GrossProfit; source concepts us-gaap:GrossProfit | Operating income: accession 0000074303-26-000027; concept OperatingIncomeLoss; source concepts us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss | Net income: accession 0000074303-26-000027; concept NetIncomeLoss; source concepts us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss
Free cash flow = operating cash flow - capital expenditures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Operating cash flow: accession 0000074303-26-000027; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities | Capital expenditures: accession 0000074303-26-000027; concept PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment | Free cash flow: accession 0000074303-26-000027; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
Financial Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000074303-26-000027; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000074303-26-000027; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000074303-26-000027; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: OperatingIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000074303-26-000027; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: GrossProfit. Source concepts: us-gaap:GrossProfit.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000074303-26-000027; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000074303-26-000027; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000074303-26-000027; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000074303-26-000027; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: PaymentsOfDividends. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsOfDividends.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000074303-26-000027; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000074303-26-000027; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: Assets. Source concepts: us-gaap:Assets.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000074303-26-000027; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: Liabilities. Source concepts: us-gaap:Liabilities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000074303-26-000027; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: StockholdersEquity. Source concepts: us-gaap:StockholdersEquity.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000074303-26-000027; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue. Source concepts: us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000074303-26-000027; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-05-08. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000074303.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-Q2 | 2022-06-30 | 422,100,000 | 2.76 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2022-Q3 | 2022-09-30 | 315,200,000 | 2.18 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2022-Q4 | 2022-12-31 | 196,600,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | ||
| 2023-Q1 | 2023-03-31 | 154,000,000 | 1.16 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-06-30 | 1,702,700,000 | 144,700,000 | 1.13 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 1,671,400,000 | 104,500,000 | 0.82 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 1,614,600,000 | 48,800,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 1,635,300,000 | 47,800,000 | 0.40 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 1,644,000,000 | 0.62 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 1,589,500,000 | -0.21 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 1,671,300,000 | 10,100,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 1,644,200,000 | 1,200,000 | 0.01 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 1,758,300,000 | -0.01 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 1,713,200,000 | 0.37 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 1,665,100,000 | -143,200,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 1,583,000,000 | -83,000,000 | -0.73 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0000074303-26-000063; filed 2026-05-08. Concept: RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0000074303-26-000063; filed 2026-05-08. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0000074303-26-000063; filed 2026-05-08. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0000074303-26-000063.
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
BUSINESS BACKGROUND
Olin Corporation (Olin, the Company, we or our) is a Virginia corporation, incorporated in 1892, having its principal executive offices in Clayton, MO. We are a leading vertically integrated global manufacturer and distributor of chemical products and a leading U.S. manufacturer of ammunition. Our operations are concentrated in three business segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls, Epoxy and Winchester. All of our business segments are capital-intensive manufacturing businesses. The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment manufactures and sells chlorine and caustic soda, ethylene dichloride (EDC) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), methyl chloride , methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, perchloroethylene, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen, bleach products and potassium hydroxide. The Epoxy segment produces and sells a full range of epoxy materials and precursors, including aromatics (acetone and phenol), allyl chloride, epichlorohydrin, liquid epoxy resins, solid epoxy resins and formulated solutions products such as converted epoxy resins and additives. The Winchester segment produces and sells sporting ammunition, reloading components, small caliber military ammunition and components, industrial cartridges and clay targets, along with contracted U.S. military project revenue.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Overview
Net (loss) income for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 was $(83.0) million and $1.4 million, respectively. The decrease in net (loss) income for the three months ended March 31, 2026 was primarily due to lower operating results across our Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls and Winchester business segments, partially offset by improved operating results from our Epoxy segment. Diluted net (loss) income per share was $(0.73) for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to $0.01 in the prior year period, a decrease of $0.74 per share.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls reported segment loss of $(44.5) million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to segment income of $78.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025. The decrease in segment results from the comparable prior year period was primarily due to lower pricing and volumes, higher raw material costs, primarily natural gas and electrical power costs, partially offset by lower operating costs. The first quarter 2026 segment loss also included a $36.1 million charge associated with legacy litigation matters.
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Table of Contents
Epoxy reported a segment loss of $(2.9) million and $(28.4) million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively. Epoxy segment results were higher than the comparable prior year period primarily due to lower operating and raw material costs and higher volumes, partially offset by lower pricing. Global epoxy demand remains weak, and our U.S. and European Epoxy businesses remain significantly challenged by subsidized Asian competition.
Winchester reported segment income of $15.2 million and $22.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively. Winchester segment results were lower than the comparable prior year period primarily due to higher raw material and operating costs, including commodity metal and propellant costs, partially offset by higher commercial ammunition pricing and volumes and improved military project revenue.
Liquidity
On February 19, 2026, we executed an amendment to our existing $1,850.0 million senior credit facility (Senior Secured Credit Facility) which, among other things, modified the financial covenants to be less restrictive and incorporated guarantees and collateral by certain of our domestic subsidiaries. The maturity date for the Senior Secured Credit Facility remained March 14, 2030.
During the three months ended March 31, 2026, we had net borrowings of $170.3 million, with $160.0 million borrowed under our Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility (defined below), which was partially used to satisfy the $109.7 million remaining principal amortization payments under the Secured Term Loan Facility (defined below).
International Trade
Tariffs and trade flows continue to influence the demand outlook amid varying market responses. Following the February 20, 2026, U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down broad emergency‑based tariffs issued under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the U.S. administration has begun recalibrating its tariff strategy through other legal alternatives, including expanded use of Section 301 investigations. Following the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, certain importers have begun pursuing tariff‑recovery claims related to previously assessed duties. While we continue to monitor these developments, the financial impact of tariff‑recovery opportunities or obligations has not been significant to our businesses. We also continue to monitor the direct and indirect impact from tariffs on goods being imported into the United States and the competitiveness of our export products in markets that implement retaliatory tariffs.
Additionally, although Winchester procures the majority of metals domestically, we have realized price inflation that we believe is partially tariff‑driven for the domestic supply of copper, steel, and tungsten products. Winchester has also experienced secondary effects from suppliers consuming tariff‑impacted metals in their end products. Winchester continuously monitors market trends and works to mitigate those and other cost increases through economies of scale in procurement and efficient sourcing practices.
Middle East Conflict
The recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East, including escalating tensions with Iran, and the international response to these developments, has increased the level of economic and political uncertainty across global markets. The conflict has contributed to heightened volatility in global supply and demand fundamentals, particularly within energy‑linked and regionally sensitive markets. Sanctions and policy actions from the U.S. and other governments continue to evolve, and the broader implications of the conflict on global economic conditions remain fluid. We continue to closely monitor the changing environment. As of now, the direct impact on our operations has not been significant; however, we are unable to determine the future impact that the conflict and the corresponding global response may have on our business.
Other Items
On September 18, 2025, we announced a mutual decision with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui) to end our joint venture, Blue Water Alliance (BWA), by the end of 2025. This decision was made to evolve our EDC participation by emphasizing longer-term structural opportunities that enhance value and optionality. In connection with the continued cessation of the joint venture, during the first quarter 2026, we paid a cash distribution of $31.3 million to Mitsui for the liquidation of BWA working capital.
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Table of Contents
CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
| Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2025 | |||||||||
| ($ in millions, except per share data) | ||||||||||
| Sales | $ | 1,583.0 | $ | 1,644.2 | ||||||
| Cost of goods sold | 1,507.2 | 1,495.5 | ||||||||
| Gross margin | 75.8 | 148.7 | ||||||||
| Selling and administrative | 145.0 | 101.0 | ||||||||
| Restructuring charges | 9.1 | 4.0 | ||||||||
| Operating (loss) income | (78.3) | 43.7 | ||||||||
| Losses of non-consolidated affiliates | (1.4) | — | ||||||||
| Interest expense | (43.2) | (48.5) | ||||||||
| Interest income | 1.1 | 1.2 | ||||||||
| Non-operating pension income | 3.5 | 5.7 | ||||||||
| Income (loss) before taxes | (118.3) | 2.1 | ||||||||
| Income tax (benefit) provision | (35.3) | 0.9 | ||||||||
| Net (loss) income | (83.0) | 1.2 | ||||||||
| Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests | — | (0.2) | ||||||||
| Net (loss) income attributable to Olin Corporation | $ | (83.0) | $ | 1.4 | ||||||
| Net (loss) income attributable to Olin Corporation per common share: | ||||||||||
| Basic | $ | (0.73) | $ | 0.01 | ||||||
| Diluted | $ | (0.73) | $ | 0.01 |
Three Months Ended March 31, 2026 Compared to Three Months Ended March 31, 2025
Sales for the three months ended March 31, 2026 were $1,583.0 million compared to $1,644.2 million in the same period last year, a decrease of $61.2 million, or 4%. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales decreased by $167.6 million primarily due to lower sales volumes and pricing. Epoxy sales increased by $23.9 million, primarily due to higher volumes, partially offset by lower pricing. Winchester sales increased by $82.5 million, primarily due to increased military project revenue, and higher ammunition sales to military and commercial customers.
Gross margin decreased $72.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to the prior year period. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls gross margin decreased $92.7 million, primarily due to lower product pricing and volumes. Winchester gross margin decreased $5.4 million, primarily due to higher raw material and operating costs, including commodity metal and propellant costs, partially offset by higher product pricing. Epoxy gross margin increased $25.9 million, primarily due to lower operating and raw material costs and higher volumes, partially offset by lower pricing. Gross margin as a percentage of sales decreased to 5% during the three months ended March 31, 2026 from 9% during the three months ended March 31, 2025.
Selling and administrative expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2026 were $145.0 million, an increase of $44.0 million from the prior year period. The increase was primarily due to higher legal and legal-related settlement expenses of $37.2 million, which includes a $36.1 million charge associated with legacy litigation matters and higher stock-based compensation costs of $10.0 million, which includes mark-to-market adjustments. Selling and administrative expenses as a percentage of sales was 9% and 6% for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively.
Restructuring charges for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 were $9.1 million and $4.0 million, respectively. Restructuring charges include facility exit costs, lease and other contract termination costs, employee severance and related benefits costs, and the write off of equipment and facilities.
Losses of non-consolidated affiliates relate to Olin’s equity share of the Hidrogenii, LLC joint venture.
Interest expense for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 included $0.2 million and $3.3 million for the write-off of unamortized deferred debt issuance costs associated financing transactions. Without these items, interest expense decreased $2.2 million from March 31, 2025 primarily due to a lower level of debt outstanding and lower average interest rates.
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Table of Contents
Non-operating pension income includes all components of pension and other postretirement net periodic benefit (income) cost, other than service costs. Non-operating pension income was lower for the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to the prior year period primarily due to higher actuarial losses recognized to income.
The Company’s effective tax rate fluctuates from period to period based on several factors, including the geographic mix of earnings, the level of income or loss relative to available tax attributes, the recognition of valuation allowances in certain jurisdictions, and discrete tax items. For the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company recorded a loss before income taxes of $(118.3) million and an associated income
[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
BUSINESS BACKGROUND
Olin Corporation (Olin, the Company, we or our) is a Virginia corporation, incorporated in 1892, having its principal executive offices in Clayton, MO. We are a leading vertically integrated global manufacturer and distributor of chemical products and a leading U.S. manufacturer of ammunition. Our operations are concentrated in three business segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls, Epoxy and Winchester. All of our business segments are capital-intensive manufacturing businesses. The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment manufactures and sells chlorine and caustic soda, ethylene dichloride (EDC) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), methyl chloride, methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, perchloroethylene, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen, bleach products and potassium hydroxide. The Epoxy segment produces and sells a full range of epoxy materials and precursors, including aromatics (acetone and phenol), allyl chloride, epichlorohydrin, liquid epoxy resins, solid epoxy resins and formulated solutions products such as converted epoxy resins and additives. The Winchester segment produces and sells sporting ammunition, reloading components, small caliber military ammunition and components, industrial cartridges and clay targets, along with contracted U.S. military project revenue.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS
Overview
Net loss was $(100.5) million for 2025 compared to net income of $108.6 million for 2024, a decrease of $209.1 million. The decrease in results from the prior year was primarily due to lower operating results across all of our business segments. Diluted net loss per share was $(0.88) for 2025 compared to diluted net income per share of $0.91 for 2024, a decrease of $1.79 per share, or 197%.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls reported segment income was $181.1 million for 2025 compared to segment income of $296.4 million for 2024. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls 2025 segment income included a $75.0 million pretax charge associated with a litigation loss contingency related to a VCM customer dispute and 2024 segment income included a $93.6 million penalty associated with Hurricane Beryl. The remaining decrease of $133.9 million in segment income from the prior year was primarily due to lower pricing, primarily EDC, and higher raw material and operating costs, including planned maintenance turnaround expenses, partially offset by higher volumes and the 45V Tax Credit (defined below in Other Items).
Epoxy reported segment loss was $(103.5) million for 2025 compared to segment loss of $(85.0) million for 2024. Epoxy’s 2024 segment loss included a $32.7 million penalty associated with Hurricane Beryl. The remaining decrease of $51.2 million in Epoxy segment results, as compared to the prior year, was primarily due to higher operating costs, including unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs incurred from planned inventory reductions and planned maintenance turnarounds, partially offset by improved volumes. Global epoxy demand remains challenged, with continued market saturation from subsidized Asian competition.
Winchester reported segment income of $67.7 million for 2025 compared to segment income of $237.9 million for 2024. Winchester segment results were lower than in the prior year primarily due to decreased commercial ammunition sales volumes and pricing, along with higher raw material and operating costs, including commodity metal and propellant costs, partially offset by higher military project revenue.
Liquidity and Share Repurchases
During 2025, we repurchased and retired 2.2 million shares of common stock at a total value of $50.5 million. As of December 31, 2025, we had $1.9 billion of remaining authorization to repurchase shares of our common stock under our 2022 Repurchase Authorization and 2024 Repurchase Authorization (both defined in Liquidity and Capital Resources) programs.
On March 14, 2025, we issued $600.0 million aggregate principal amount of 6.625% senior notes due April 1, 2033 (2033 Notes), in a private offering exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
On March 14, 2025, we entered into a new $1,850.0 million senior credit facility (2025 Senior Credit Facility), which increased the borrowing limit of our then-existing credit facility by $300.0 million and extended the maturity date from October 11, 2027 to March 14, 2030. Pursuant to the agreement, the aggregate principal amount under our term loan facility increased from $350.0 million to $650.0 million and the aggregate principal amount under our revolving credit facility remained at $1,200.0 million. The term loan was fully drawn on the closing date.
During 2025, we had debt repayments, net of borrowings, of $11.2 million. Proceeds from the 2033 Notes, together with borrowings under the 2025 Senior Credit Facility, were used to redeem the $108.6 million 9.50% senior notes due 2025 (2025 Notes), redeem the $500.0 million 5.125% senior notes due 2027 (2027 Notes), refinance the then-existing $1,550.0 million senior credit facility (2022 Senior Credit Facility), comprised of $505.0 million of borrowings under the revolving credit
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facility with aggregate commitments of $1,200.0 million (2022 Revolving Credit Facility) and $332.5 million of borrowings under the term loan facility with aggregate commitments of $350.0 million (2022 Term Loan Facility), and pay related fees and expenses.
Subsequent Event - Credit Facility
On February 19, 2026, we executed an amendment to the 2025 Senior Credit Facility (Senior Secured Credit Facility) which, among other things, modified the financial covenants to be less restrictive and incorporated guarantees and collateral by certain of our domestic subsidiaries. The amendment required all remaining principal amortization payments under the Secured Term Loan Facility (as defined in Liquidity and Capital Resources) to be satisfied. Borrowings under the Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility (as defined in Liquidity and Capital Resources) were used to satisfy the $109.7 million remaining principal amortization payments under the Secured Term Loan Facility. The maturity date for the Senior Secured Credit Facility remained March 14, 2030.
The amendment requires that the obligations under the Senior Secured Credit Facility be guaranteed by certain of our domestic subsidiaries. The obligations under the Senior Secured Credit Facility are also secured by liens on substantially all of Olin’s and the subsidiary guarantors’ personal property (Collateral), other than certain principal properties and capital stock of subsidiaries, and subject to certain other exceptions. The amendment provides that substantially all guarantees under the Senior Secured Credit Facility and liens on Collateral be released automatically upon notice by Olin, or after September 30, 2027, upon which time all covenant reliefs expire.
International Trade
Tariffs and trade flows continue to impact the demand outlook amid varying market responses. While we are continuing to monitor the situation, as of the date of this filing, the direct impact from current tariffs has not been significant to our chemicals businesses. Our chemicals businesses generally source and sell where we produce. An exception to this would be potential retaliatory tariffs on caustic soda and EDC exports, which could alter the economics rapidly within the respective countries. We continue to monitor and assess the impact of tariffs on goods being imported into the United States and the competitiveness of our export products in markets which implement retaliatory tariffs. Additionally, although Winchester procures the majority of metals domestically, we have realized price inflation that we believe is partially tariff driven for the domestic supply of copper, steel and tungsten products. Winchester has also realized secondary effects from suppliers consuming tariff impacted metals in their end products. Our global supply chain organization continuously monitors market trends and works to mitigate those and other cost increases through economies of scale in global procurement and efficient sourcing practices.
Other Items
On April 18, 2025, Olin acquired AMMO, Inc.’s small caliber ammunition manufacturing assets for total consideration of $55.8 million. The acquisition, which includes AMMO Inc.’s brass shellcase capabilities and its 185,000 square foot production facility located in Manitowoc, WI, is included in Olin’s Winchester segment. The acquisition was financed with cash on hand.
On September 18, 2025, we announced a mutual decision with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. to end our joint venture, Blue Water Alliance, by the end of 2025. This decision was made to evolve our EDC participation by emphasizing longer-term structural opportunities that enhance value and optionality. On November 11, 2025, Olin announced a commercial arrangement with Braskem, one of the largest petrochemical companies in the Americas and the leading producer of PVC in South America, for Olin to supply EDC to Braskem, aligning with Braskem's transformation of its chlor alkali and vinyl assets in Brazil.
In the third quarter of 2025, Olin determined that it qualified for the clean hydrogen production tax credit under Section 45V as part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (45V Tax Credit). We received notice of our provisional carbon dioxide emissions rate from the United States Department of Energy, which was a major milestone for recognition. The 45V Tax Credit is available for qualified clean hydrogen produced and sold during the 10-year period beginning on the date the qualified clean hydrogen production facility was originally placed in service. Since the 45V Tax Credit is refundable, we account for the 45V Tax Credit under a government grant model. As a result, during 2025 Olin recorded a $34.5 million reduction to cost of goods sold primarily related to the sale and use of hydrogen produced at certain of our chlor alkali plants. We expect an annual pretax benefit of $15 million to $20 million for years 2026 through 2028, with lower amounts through 2032. The impact of the 45V Tax Credit is included within the Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results.
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Subsequent Event - Litigation Matter
In April 2023, Shintech filed a lawsuit against Olin Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiary, Blue Cube Operations LLC. Shintech alleged that Olin breached a long‑term VCM supply agreement relating to deliveries to Shintech’s PVC facility in Freeport, TX, following a pricing dispute, a 2023 maintenance turnaround at Olin’s Freeport, TX VCM facility, and Olin’s declaration of force majeure at Olin’s Freeport, TX VCM facility. After nearly three years of litigation, on February 10, 2026, the jury returned a verdict in favor of Shintech on its breach‑of‑contract claims. As a result of this verdict, the Company obtained new information related to this litigation loss contingency and recorded a pretax charge of $75.0 million in the fourth quarter 2025. During the first half of 2026, we expect to pay approximately $185 million to Shintech associated with the litigation matter, and previously recorded accruals for a VCM pricing dispute with Shintech.
CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| ($ in millions, except per share data) | ||||||||||
| Sales | $ | 6,780.8 | $ | 6,540.1 | $ | 6,833.0 | ||||
| Cost of goods sold | 6,279.3 | 5,802.6 | 5,667.5 | |||||||
| Gross margin | 501.5 | 737.5 | 1,165.5 | |||||||
| Selling and administrative | 463.3 | 408.5 | 406.7 | |||||||
| Restructuring charges | 33.4 | 33.3 | 89.6 | |||||||
| Other operating income | 0.5 | 0.8 | 42.9 | |||||||
| Operating income | 5.3 | 296.5 | 712.1 | |||||||
| Losses of non-consolidated affiliates | (3.1) | — | — | |||||||
| Interest expense | (188.3) | (184.5) | (181.1) | |||||||
| Interest income | 4.4 | 3.7 | 4.3 | |||||||
| Non-operating pension income | 20.6 | 26.0 | 24.0 | |||||||
| Income (loss) before taxes | (161.1) | 141.7 | 559.3 | |||||||
| Income tax (benefit) provision | (60.0) | 36.7 | 107.3 | |||||||
| Net (loss) income | (101.1) | 105.0 | 452.0 | |||||||
| Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests | (0.6) | (3.6) | (8.2) | |||||||
| Net (loss) income attributable to Olin Corporation | $ | (100.5) | $ | 108.6 | $ | 460.2 | ||||
| Net (loss) income attributable to Olin Corporation per common share: | ||||||||||
| Basic | $ | (0.88) | $ | 0.92 | $ | 3.66 | ||||
| Diluted | $ | (0.88) | $ | 0.91 | $ | 3.57 |
2025 Compared to 2024
Sales for 2025 were $6,780.8 million compared to $6,540.1 million in 2024, an increase of $240.7 million, or 4%. Epoxy sales increased by $145.5 million, primarily due to higher volumes, including the impact of Hurricane Beryl in 2024, partially offset by lower pricing. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales increased by $54.2 million, primarily due to higher volumes, partially offset by lower pricing. Winchester sales increased by $41.0 million, primarily due to increased sales to military customers and military project revenue, partially offset by lower commercial ammunition sales.
Gross margin in 2025 decreased $236.0 million from 2024. Winchester gross margin decreased by $173.5 million, primarily due to lower commercial sales volumes and pricing, and higher raw material and operating costs, including commodity metal and propellant costs. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls gross margin decreased by $56.3 million primarily due to lower pricing, primarily EDC, higher raw material and operating costs, including planned maintenance turnaround expenses, partially offset by higher volumes, the impact of Hurricane Beryl in 2024 and a benefit primarily related to the 45V Tax Credit. Epoxy gross margin decreased by $13.8 million primarily due to higher operating costs, including unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs incurred from planned inventory reductions and planned maintenance turnaround expenses, partially offset by the impact of Hurricane Beryl in 2024. Gross margin as a percentage of sales decreased to 7% in 2025 from 11% in 2024.
Selling and administrative expenses in 2025 increased $54.8 million, or 13%, from 2024. The increase was primarily due to a $75.0 million charge associated with a litigation loss contingency related to a VCM customer dispute and higher stock-based compensation expense of $10.4 million, which includes mark-to-market adjustments, partially offset by a favorable
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foreign currency impact of $16.6 million and lower consulting and contract services of $13.0 million. Selling and administrative expenses as a percentage of sales increased to 7% in 2025 from 6% in 2024.
Restructuring charges for 2025 were $33.4 million compared to $33.3 million in 2024. Restructuring charges include facility exit costs, lease and other contract termination costs, and employee severance and related benefits costs.
Losses of non-consolidated affiliates relate to Olin’s equity share of the Hidrogenii, LLC joint venture.
Interest expense in 2025 increased $3.8 million from 2024, primarily due to the write-off of unamortized deferred debt issuance costs and costs associated with our first quarter financing transactions including the 2025 Senior Credit Facility, early redemption of the 2025 Notes and the 2027 Notes, and issuance of the 2033 Notes.
Non-operating pension income includes all components of pension and other postretirement net periodic benefit (income) cost, other than service costs. Non-operating pension income was lower for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the prior year, primarily due to a lower assumption for the long-term rate of return on plan assets.
The tax benefit for 2025 was $60.0 million, resulting in a tax rate of 37.2%. The effective tax rate was higher than the 21.0% U.S. federal statutory rate, primarily due to state income tax, non-taxable exchange rate results, U.S. federal tax credits and favorable permanent salt depletion deductions, partially offset by foreign income inclusions, changes in tax contingencies and remeasurement of deferred taxes due to a decrease in tax rates in a foreign jurisdiction. Tax expense for 2024 was $36.7 million, resulting in a tax rate of 25.9%. The effective tax rate was higher than the 21.0% U.S. federal statutory rate, primarily due to state income tax, foreign income inclusions, non-deductible exchange rate results, expenses from prior year tax positions and from a net increase in the valuation allowance related to deferred tax assets in foreign jurisdictions, partially offset by favorable permanent salt depletion deductions, 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.
2024 Compared to 2023
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.
Tax expense for 2024 was $36.7 million, resulting in a tax rate of 25.9%. The effective tax rate was higher than the 21.0% U.S. federal statutory rate, primarily due to state income tax, foreign income inclusions, non-deductible exchange rate results, expenses from prior year tax positions and from a net increase in the valuation allowance related to deferred tax assets
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in foreign jurisdictions, partially offset by favorable permanent salt depletion deductions, 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. Tax expense for 2023 was $107.3 million, resulting in a tax rate of 19.2%. The effective tax rate was lower than the 21.0% U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to a favorable foreign rate differential, favorable permanent salt depletion deductions, benefits associated with a legal entity liquidation, prior year tax positions, stock-based compensation, remeasurement of deferred taxes due to a decrease in our state effective tax rates and foreign rate changes, and from a change in tax contingencies, partially offset by state income tax, an increase in the valuation allowance related to losses in foreign jurisdictions and foreign income inclusions.
SEGMENT RESULTS
We define segment results as income (loss) before interest expense, interest income, other operating income (expense), non-operating pension income, other income and income taxes, and includes the results of non-consolidated affiliates in segment results consistent with management’s monitoring of the operating segments. We have three operating segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls, Epoxy and Winchester. The three operating segments reflect the organization used by our management for purposes of allocating resources and assessing performance, and represents our reportable segments. Chlorine and caustic soda used in our Epoxy segment is transferred at cost from the Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment.
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Sales: | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls | $ | 3,684.4 | $ | 3,630.2 | $ | 3,995.1 | ||||
| Epoxy | 1,371.8 | 1,226.3 | 1,329.2 | |||||||
| Winchester | 1,724.6 | 1,683.6 | 1,508.7 | |||||||
| Total sales | $ | 6,780.8 | $ | 6,540.1 | $ | 6,833.0 | ||||
| Income before taxes: | ||||||||||
| Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls | $ | 181.1 | $ | 296.4 | $ | 664.2 | ||||
| Epoxy | (103.5) | (85.0) | (31.0) | |||||||
| Winchester | 67.7 | 237.9 | 255.6 | |||||||
| Corporate/Other: | ||||||||||
| Environmental expense(1) | (24.5) | (30.2) | (23.7) | |||||||
| Other corporate and unallocated costs | (85.7) | (90.1) | (106.3) | |||||||
| Restructuring charges | (33.4) | (33.3) | (89.6) | |||||||
| Other operating income(2) | 0.5 | 0.8 | 42.9 | |||||||
| Interest expense | (188.3) | (184.5) | (181.1) | |||||||
| Interest income | 4.4 | 3.7 | 4.3 | |||||||
| Non-operating pension income | 20.6 | 26.0 | 24.0 | |||||||
| Income before taxes | $ | (161.1) | $ | 141.7 | $ | 559.3 |
(1)Environmental expense for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2023, included $1.0 million and $6.4 million, respectively, of insurance recoveries for environmental costs incurred and expensed in prior periods. Environmental expense is included in cost of goods sold in the consolidated statements of operations.
(2)Other operating income for the year ended December 31, 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.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls
2025 Compared to 2024
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales for 2025 were $3,684.4 million compared to $3,630.2 million in 2024, an increase of $54.2 million, or 1%. The sales increase was primarily due to higher volumes, partially offset by lower pricing, primarily EDC.
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Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls reported segment income of $181.1 million for 2025 compared to segment income of $296.4 million for 2024, a decrease of $115.3 million. The decrease in Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls operating results were primarily due to lower pricing ($227.5 million), primarily EDC, higher raw material and operating costs ($151.0 million), including planned maintenance turnaround expenses, and a charge associated with a litigation loss contingency related to a VCM customer dispute ($75.0 million). These decreases were partially offset by higher volumes ($134.3 million), the negative impact of Hurricane Beryl in 2024 resulting in incremental costs to restore operations, unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs, and reduced profit from lost sales ($93.6 million), lower costs associated with products purchased from other parties ($75.7 million) and a benefit primarily related to the 45V Tax Credit ($34.5 million). Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $423.6 million and $424.6 million in 2025 and 2024, respectively.
2024 Compared to 2023
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales for 2024 were $3,630.2 million compared to $3,995.1 million in 2023, a decrease of $364.9 million, or 9%. The sales decrease was primarily due to lower pricing, primarily caustic soda, partially offset by increased sales volumes associated with products purchased from other parties.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls reported segment income of $296.4 million for 2024 compared to $664.2 million for 2023, a decrease of $367.8 million. The decrease in Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls operating results were primarily due to lower pricing ($462.8 million), primarily caustic soda, the negative impact of Hurricane Beryl resulting in incremental costs to restore operations, unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs, and reduced profit from lost sales ($93.6 million), and an unfavorable product mix ($42.7 million), partially offset by lower costs associated with products purchased from other parties ($123.4 million) and lower raw material and operating costs ($107.9 million). The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls 2023 segment results were negatively impacted by higher costs and reduced profit from lost sales associated with operating issues related to the second quarter’s maintenance turnaround at our vinyl chloride monomer plant at the Freeport, TX facility. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $424.6 million and $440.7 million in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Epoxy
2025 Compared to 2024
Epoxy sales were $1,371.8 million for 2025 compared to $1,226.3 million in 2024, an increase of $145.5 million, or 12%. The sales increase was due to higher volumes ($206.2 million), including the impact of lost sales associated with Hurricane Beryl in 2024, and a favorable effect of foreign currency translation ($11.1 million), partially offset by lower product pricing ($71.8 million).
Epoxy reported segment loss of $(103.5) million for 2025 compared to segment loss of $(85.0) million for 2024, a decrease in segment results of $18.5 million. The decrease in Epoxy segment results was due to higher operating costs ($104.7 million), including unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs incurred from planned inventory reductions and planned maintenance turnaround expenses, and lower product pricing ($71.8 million), partially offset by lower raw material costs ($76.4 million), primarily benzene and propylene, the negative impact of Hurricane Beryl in 2024 resulting in incremental costs to restore operations, unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs, and reduced profit from lost sales ($32.7 million) and increased volumes ($48.9 million). A significant percentage of our Euro denominated sales are of products manufactured within Europe. As a result, the impact of foreign currency translation on revenue is primarily offset by the impact of foreign currency translation on raw materials and manufacturing costs also denominated in Euros. Epoxy segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $51.7 million and $53.7 million in 2025 and 2024, respectively.
2024 Compared to 2023
Epoxy sales were $1,226.3 million for 2024 compared to $1,329.2 million in 2023, a decrease of $102.9 million, or 8%. The sales decrease was due to lower product prices ($148.3 million) and an unfavorable effect of foreign currency translation ($4.5 million), partially offset by increased sales volumes ($49.9 million), which were negatively impacted by Hurricane Beryl.
Epoxy reported segment loss of $(85.0) million for 2024 compared to $(31.0) million for 2023, a decrease in segment results of $54.0 million. The decrease was due to lower product prices ($148.3 million), which continues to be impacted by significant exports out of Asia into the European and North American markets, and the negative impact of Hurricane Beryl resulting in incremental costs to restore operations, unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs, and reduced profit from lost sales ($32.7 million), partially offset by increased volumes and improved product mix ($76.4 million) and lower raw material and operating costs ($50.6 million). A significant percentage of our Euro denominated sales are of products manufactured within Europe. As a result, the impact of foreign currency translation on revenue is primarily offset by the impact of foreign currency translation on raw materials and manufacturing costs also denominated in Euros. Epoxy segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $53.7 million and $57.4 million in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
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Winchester
2025 Compared to 2024
Winchester sales were $1,724.6 million for 2025 compared to $1,683.6 million in 2024, an increase of $41.0 million, or 2%. The sales increase was due to higher sales to military customers and military project revenue ($250.4 million), partially offset by lower sales to commercial customers ($200.2 million) and law enforcement agencies ($9.2 million).
Winchester reported segment income of $67.7 million for 2025 compared to $237.9 million for 2024, a decrease of $170.2 million. The decrease in segment results was due to an unfavorable sales mix ($70.0 million), higher raw material and operating costs ($58.1 million), including commodity metal and propellant costs, and lower product pricing ($42.1 million). Winchester segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $34.2 million and $33.8 million in 2025 and 2024, respectively.
2024 Compared to 2023
Winchester sales were $1,683.6 million for 2024 compared to $1,508.7 million in 2023, an increase of $174.9 million, or 12%. The increase was due to higher sales to domestic and international military customers ($148.9 million) and higher sales to commercial customers ($30.1 million), partially offset by lower sales to law enforcement agencies ($4.1 million). Commercial sales were higher due to 2024 sales from White Flyer, partially offset by lower commercial ammunition sales.
Winchester reported segment income of $237.9 million for 2024 compared to $255.6 million for 2023, a decrease of $17.7 million. The decrease in segment results was due to higher commodity and operating costs ($19.2 million), including propellant costs, and lower product pricing ($10.9 million), partially offset by higher sales volumes ($12.4 million), which includes White Flyer. Winchester segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $33.8 million and $27.2 million in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Corporate/Other
2025 Compared to 2024
For the year ended December 31, 2025, charges to income for environmental investigatory and remedial activities were $24.5 million, compared to $30.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. These charges relate primarily to expected future investigatory and remedial activities associated with past manufacturing operations and former waste disposal sites. For the year ended December 31, 2025, environmental expense included $1.0 million of insurance recoveries for environmental costs incurred and expensed in prior periods.
For 2025, other corporate and unallocated costs were $85.7 million compared to $90.1 million for 2024, a decrease of $4.4 million, or 5%. The decrease was primarily due to a favorable foreign currency impact ($16.6 million) and lower legal and legal-related settlement expenses ($4.5 million), partially offset by higher stock-based compensation costs ($10.4 million), which includes mark-to-market adjustments, and higher depreciation and amortization expense ($6.1 million).
2024 Compared to 2023
For the year ended December 31, 2024, charges to income for environmental investigatory and remedial activities were $30.2 million, compared to $23.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. These charges relate primarily to expected future investigatory and remedial activities associated with past manufacturing operations and former waste disposal sites. For the year ended December 31, 2023, environmental expense included $6.4 million of insurance recoveries for environmental costs incurred and expensed in prior periods.
For 2024, other corporate and unallocated costs were $90.1 million compared to $106.3 million for 2023, a decrease of $16.2 million, or 15%. The decrease was primarily due to lower stock-based compensation costs ($18.0 million), which includes mark-to-market adjustments and a favorable foreign currency impact ($7.4 million), partially offset by higher consulting costs ($4.9 million) and increased legal and legal-related settlement expenses ($2.9 million).
Restructurings
Pretax restructuring charges related to our restructuring and optimization efforts include facility exit costs, lease and other contract termination costs, employee severance and related benefits costs and non-cash write-off of equipment and facilities. Pretax restructuring charges for the years ended 2025, 2024 and 2023 were as follows:
| Years Ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| Restructuring Charges | ($ in millions) | ||||||
| Restructuring charges | 33.4 | 33.3 | 89.6 |
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We have included additional information with respect to our restructuring charges within Item 8—“Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” within Note 5, “Restructuring Charges” of our notes to consolidated financial statements.
2026 OUTLOOK
During the fourth quarter 2025, Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results included a $75 million pretax charge associated with a litigation loss contingency related to a VCM customer dispute. Due to this non-recurring charge, we expect first quarter 2026 operating results from our Chemicals businesses to be higher than the fourth quarter 2025 but to be negatively impacted by higher planned maintenance turnaround costs and higher raw material costs, including increased power costs. We expect our Winchester business first quarter 2026 results to modestly increase from fourth quarter 2025 due to more normalized inventories at our retail customers. Overall, we expect Olin’s first quarter 2026 operating results to be higher than the fourth quarter 2025 levels.
Other corporate and unallocated costs in 2026 are expected to be higher than the $85.7 million in 2025.
During 2026, we anticipate environmental expenses in the $25 million to $35 million range, compared to $24.5 million in 2025.
We expect non-operating pension income in 2026 to be lower than the $20.6 million in 2025. Based on our plan assumptions and estimates, we will not be required to make any cash contributions to our domestic qualified defined benefit pension plan in 2026. We have several international qualified defined benefit pension plans for which we anticipate cash contributions of less than $5 million in 2026.
During the first half of 2026, we expect to pay approximately $185 million to Shintech associated with the litigation matter discussed in Note 22, “Commitments and Contingencies” of our notes to consolidated financial statements, and previously recorded accruals for a VCM pricing dispute with Shintech.
In 2026, we currently expect our capital spending to be approximately $200 million. We expect 2026 depreciation and amortization expense to be approximately $475 million.
We currently believe the 2026 effective tax rate will be in the 20% to 30% range. We expect to receive refunds from prior years related to the clean hydrogen production tax credit under Section 45V as part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Factoring in these refunds, we expect cash taxes to be in the range of a net refund of $20 million to a net payment of $20 million.
PENSION AND POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS
We recorded an after-tax benefit of $39.9 million ($52.1 million pretax) to shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2025, for our pension and other postretirement plans. This benefit primarily reflects a favorable performance on plan assets and a 60-basis point increase in the international defined benefit pension plans’ discount rate, partially offset by a 30-basis point decrease in the domestic pension plans’ discount rate during 2025.
In 2024, we recorded an after-tax benefit of $21.7 million ($29.7 million pretax) to shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2024, for our pension and other postretirement plans. This benefit primarily reflected a 50-basis point increase in the domestic pension plans’ discount rate and a 20-basis point increase in the international defined benefit pension plans’ discount rate, partially offset by an unfavorable performance on plan assets during 2024.
In 2023, we recorded an after-tax charge of $13.2 million ($18.1 million pretax) to shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2023, for our pension and other postretirement plans. This charge primarily reflected a 30-basis point decrease in the domestic pension plans’ discount rate and a 50-basis point decrease in the international defined benefit pension plans’ discount rate, partially offset by a favorable performance on plan assets during 2023.
Based on our plan assumptions and estimates, we will not be required to make any cash contributions to the domestic qualified defined benefit pension plan at least through 2026.
In connection with our international qualified defined benefit pension plans, we made cash contributions of $0.7 million, $1.3 million and $1.0 million in 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and we anticipate less than $5 million of cash contributions to international qualified defined benefit pension plans in 2026.
At December 31, 2025, the projected benefit obligation of $2,024.8 million exceeded the market value of assets in our qualified defined benefit pension plans by $97.9 million, as calculated under Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 715 “Compensation—Retirement Benefits.”
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Components of net periodic benefit (income) costs were:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Net Periodic Benefit (Income) Costs | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Pension benefits | $ | (17.8) | $ | (22.4) | $ | (20.7) | ||||
| Other postretirement benefit costs | 2.5 | 2.1 | 3.1 |
The service cost component of net periodic benefit (income) costs related to employees of the operating segments are allocated to the operating segments based on their respective estimated census data.
We have included additional information with respect our defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans within Item 8—“Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” Note 12, “Pension Plans,” and Note 13, “Postretirement Benefits,” of our notes to consolidated financial statements.
ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Cash Outlays | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Remedial and investigatory spending (charged to reserve) | $ | 25.7 | $ | 27.3 | $ | 25.9 | ||||
| Capital spending | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.3 | |||||||
| Plant operations (charged to cost of goods sold) | 191.0 | 177.0 | 176.2 | |||||||
| Total cash outlays | $ | 217.5 | $ | 205.3 | $ | 203.4 |
Cash outlays for remedial and investigatory activities associated with former waste sites and past operations were not charged to income but instead were charged to reserves established for such costs identified and expensed to income in prior years. Cash outlays for normal plant operations for the disposal of waste and the operation and maintenance of pollution control equipment and facilities to ensure compliance with mandated and voluntarily imposed environmental quality standards were charged to income.
Total environmental-related cash outlays for 2026 are estimated to be approximately $210 million, of which approximately $25 million to $35 million is expected to be spent on investigatory and remedial efforts, approximately $6 million on capital projects and approximately $175 million on normal plant operations. Historically, we have funded our environmental capital expenditures through cash flow from operations and expect to do so in the future.
Annual environmental-related cash outlays for site investigation and remediation, capital projects and normal plant operations are expected to range between $200 million to $220 million over the next several years, $25 million to $35 million of which is for investigatory and remedial efforts, which are expected to be charged against reserves recorded on our consolidated balance sheet. While we do not anticipate a material increase in the projected annual level of our environmental-related cash outlays for site investigation and remediation, there is always the possibility that such an increase may occur in the future in view of the uncertainties associated with environmental exposures.
Our liabilities for future environmental expenditures were as follows:
| December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| Environmental Liabilities | ($ in millions) | |||||
| Beginning balance | $ | 156.5 | $ | 153.6 | ||
| Charges to income | 25.5 | 30.2 | ||||
| Remedial and investigatory spending | (25.7) | (27.3) | ||||
| Ending balance | $ | 156.3 | $ | 156.5 |
As is common in our industry, we are subject to environmental laws and regulations related to the use, storage, handling, generation, transportation, emission, discharge, disposal and remediation of, and exposure to, hazardous and non-hazardous substances and wastes in all of the countries in which we do business.
The establishment and implementation of national, state or provincial and local standards to regulate air, water and land quality affect substantially all of our manufacturing locations around the world. Laws providing for regulation of the manufacture, transportation, use and disposal of hazardous and toxic substances, and remediation of contaminated sites, have
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imposed additional regulatory requirements on industry, particularly the chemicals industry. In addition, implementation of environmental laws has required and will continue to require new capital expenditures and will increase plant operating costs. We employ waste minimization and pollution prevention programs at our manufacturing sites.
We are party to various government and private environmental actions associated with past manufacturing facilities and former waste disposal sites. Associated costs of investigatory and remedial activities are provided for in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles governing probability and the ability to reasonably estimate future costs. Our ability to estimate future costs depends on whether our investigatory and remedial activities are in preliminary or advanced stages. With respect to unasserted claims, we accrue liabilities for costs that, in our experience, we expect to incur to protect our interests against those unasserted claims. Our accrued liabilities for unasserted claims amounted to $11.4 million at December 31, 2025. With respect to asserted claims, we accrue liabilities based on remedial investigation, feasibility study, remedial action and operation, maintenance and monitoring (OM&M) expenses that, in our experience, we expect to incur in connection with the asserted claims. Required site OM&M expenses are estimated and accrued in their entirety for required periods not exceeding 30 years, which reasonably approximates the typical duration of long-term site OM&M.
Environmental provisions charged to income, which are included in cost of goods sold, were as follows:
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Environmental Expense | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Provisions charged to income | $ | 25.5 | $ | 30.2 | $ | 30.1 | ||||
| Insurance recoveries(1) | (1.0) | — | (6.4) | |||||||
| Environmental expense | $ | 24.5 | $ | 30.2 | $ | 23.7 |
(1) Insurance recoveries for costs incurred and expensed in prior periods.
These charges relate primarily to remedial and investigatory activities associated with past manufacturing operations and former waste disposal sites and may be material to operating results in future years.
We have included additional information with respect to environmental matters within Item 8—“Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” Note 20, “Environmental,” of our notes to consolidated financial statements.
LEGAL MATTERS AND CONTINGENCIES
Discussion of legal matters and contingencies can be referred to under Item 8—“Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” within Note 22, “Commitments and Contingencies” of our notes to consolidated financial statements.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Cash Flow Data
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Cash Provided by (Used for) | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Net operating activities | $ | 474.2 | $ | 503.2 | $ | 974.3 | ||||
| Capital expenditures | (226.3) | (195.1) | (236.0) | |||||||
| Business acquired in purchase transaction, net of cash acquired | (55.8) | — | (63.9) | |||||||
| Payments under other long-term supply contracts | (31.0) | (58.6) | (64.5) | |||||||
| Proceeds from disposition of property, plant and equipment | — | — | 28.8 | |||||||
| Investments in non-consolidated affiliates | (1.8) | (23.0) | — | |||||||
| Net investing activities | (319.6) | (283.7) | (340.8) | |||||||
| Long-term debt (repayments) borrowings, net | (11.2) | 169.7 | 85.9 | |||||||
| Common stock repurchased and retired | (50.5) | (300.3) | (711.3) | |||||||
| Stock options exercised | 2.3 | 23.9 | 25.4 | |||||||
| Dividends paid | (91.6) | (94.2) | (101.0) | |||||||
| Contributions received from noncontrolling interests | — | — | 44.1 | |||||||
| Net financing activities | (163.0) | (212.6) | (656.9) |
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Operating Activities
For 2025, cash provided by operating activities decreased by $29.0 million from 2024, primarily due to decreased operating results, partially offset by a benefit in working capital compared with a use of working capital in the prior year. For 2025, working capital decreased $143.1 million, compared to an increase of $19.9 million in 2024. Receivables decreased by $123.7 million, primarily as a result of an improved days sales outstanding for 2025. Inventories decreased by $80.0 million primarily as a result of inventory reduction initiatives in our Epoxy business. Income taxes payable, net of income taxes receivable, decreased by $179.8 million from December 31, 2024, primarily due to timing of international tax payments and Inflation Reduction Act tax credits recognized in 2025. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities increased $128.0 million from December 31, 2024, which includes an increase in accruals associated with a litigation matter discussed within Note 22, “Commitments and Contingencies,” of the notes to consolidated financial statements. During the first half of 2026, we expect to pay approximately $185 million to Shintech associated with the litigation matter, and previously recorded accruals for a VCM pricing dispute with Shintech.
For 2024, cash provided by operating activities decreased by $471.1 million from 2023, primarily due to a decrease in operating results and increased working capital compared to the prior year. For 2024, working capital increased $19.9 million, compared to a decrease of $68.6 million in 2023. Receivables increased by $119.4 million, primarily as a result of the termination of our accounts receivable factoring program. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities increased $72.8 million.
Investing Activities
Capital spending was $226.3 million and $195.1 million in 2025 and 2024, respectively. In 2026, we expect our capital spending to be in the $200 million range. Our capital spending forecast represents normal capital spending to maintain our current operating facilities.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, payments of $31.0 million were made under other long-term supply contracts related to our Stade, Germany facility. Our payments for this project were completed in 2025. For the year ended December 31, 2024, payments of $58.6 million were made under other long-term supply contracts for energy modernization projects on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Our payments for this project were completed in 2024.
On April 18, 2025, Olin acquired AMMO, Inc.’s small caliber ammunition manufacturing assets for total consideration of $55.8 million. The acquisition was financed with cash on hand.
For the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, we contributed capital of $1.8 million and $23.0 million, respectively, in a non-consolidated affiliate, Hidrogenii, a joint venture between Plug Power, Inc. and Olin Corporation.
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Financing Activities
During 2025 and 2024, activity with respect to our outstanding debt included:
| December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||||
| Long-term Debt Borrowings (Repayments) | ($ in millions) | ||||||
| Borrowings | |||||||
| Term Loan Facilities | $ | 650.0 | $ | — | |||
| Revolving Credit Facilities | 790.0 | 490.0 | |||||
| Receivables Financing Agreements | 715.0 | 591.9 | |||||
| 2033 Notes | 600.0 | — | |||||
| Total borrowings | 2,755.0 | 1,081.9 | |||||
| Repayments | |||||||
| Go zone bonds, due 2024 | — | (50.0) | |||||
| Recovery zone bonds, due 2024 | — | (20.0) | |||||
| Term Loan Facilities | (344.7) | (8.8) | |||||
| Revolving Credit Facilities | (960.0) | (388.0) | |||||
| Receivables Financing Agreements | (850.0) | (445.4) | |||||
| Industrial development and environmental improvement obligations | (2.9) | — | |||||
| 2025 Notes | (108.6) | — | |||||
| 2027 Notes | (500.0) | — | |||||
| Total repayments | (2,766.2) | (912.2) | |||||
| Long-term debt (repayments) borrowings, net | $ | (11.2) | $ | 169.7 |
In 2025 we paid debt issuance costs of $12.0 million associated with the 2033 Notes and the 2025 Senior Credit Facility. In 2024, we paid debt issuance costs of $1.2 million associated with the 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement.
For the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, 2.2 million and 5.9 million shares, respectively, of common stock were repurchased and retired at a total value of $50.5 million and $300.3 million, respectively.
For the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, we issued 0.1 million and 0.9 million shares, respectively, with a total value of $2.3 million and $23.9 million, respectively, representing stock options exercised. For the year ended December 31, 2024, we withheld and paid $10.5 million for employee taxes on share-based payment arrangements.
The percentage of total debt to total capitalization increased to 60.2% as of December 31, 2025, from 58.0% as of December 31, 2024, primarily as a result of lower shareholders’ equity, primarily due to our operating results, dividends paid, and common stock repurchases.
Dividends per common share were $0.80 in 2025 and 2024. Total dividends paid on common stock amounted to $91.6 million and $94.2 million in 2025 and 2024, respectively. On February 19, 2026, our Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.20 per share on our common stock, payable on March 13, 2026, to shareholders of record on March 3, 2026.
The payment of future cash dividends is subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors and will be determined in light of then-current conditions, including our earnings, our operations, our financial condition, our capital requirements and other factors deemed relevant by our Board of Directors. In the future, our Board of Directors may change our dividend policy, including the frequency or amount of any dividend, in light of then-existing conditions.
Liquidity and Other Financing Arrangements
Our principal sources of liquidity are from cash and cash equivalents, cash flow from operations and borrowings under our Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility and our 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement (as defined below). Additionally, we believe that we have access to the high-yield debt and equity markets.
On March 14, 2025, Olin issued $600.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2033 Notes, in a private offering exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Interest on the 2033 Notes is paid semi-annually and began on October 1, 2025.
On March 14, 2025, Olin entered into the 2025 Senior Credit Facility, which increased the borrowing limit of our then-existing 2022 Senior Credit Facility by $300.0 million and extended the maturity date from October 11, 2027 to March 14,
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2030. The 2025 Senior Credit Facility includes a term loan facility with aggregate commitments of $650.0 million (2025 Term Loan Facility) and a revolving credit facility with aggregate commitments of $1,200.0 million (2025 Revolving Credit Facility).
The 2025 Term Loan Facility replaced Olin’s then-existing 2022 Term Loan Facility (collectively, with the 2025 Term Loan Facility, the Term Loan Facilities). The 2025 Term Loan Facility requires principal amortization payments that began on June 30, 2025 at a rate of 0.625% per quarter through March 31, 2027, increasing to 1.250% per quarter thereafter, until maturity, and was fully drawn on the closing date.
The 2025 Revolving Credit Facility replaced Olin’s then-existing 2022 Revolving Credit Facility (collectively, with the 2025 Revolving Credit Facility, the Revolving Credit Facilities). The 2025 Revolving Credit Facility includes a $100.0 million letter of credit subfacility.
Proceeds from the 2033 Notes, together with borrowings under the 2025 Senior Credit Facility, were used to redeem the $108.6 million 2025 Notes, redeem the $500.0 million 2027 Notes, refinance the then-existing 2022 Senior Credit Facility, comprised of $505.0 million of borrowings under the 2022 Revolving Credit Facility and $332.5 million of borrowings under the 2022 Term Loan Facility, and pay related fees and expenses.
We were in compliance with all covenants and restrictions under all our outstanding debt agreements as of December 31, 2025, and no event of default had occurred under any of our outstanding debt agreements that would permit the acceleration of the debt if not cured. In the future, our ability to generate sufficient operating cash flows, among other factors, will determine the amounts available to be borrowed under these facilities. As of December 31, 2025, as a result of our restrictive covenant related to the leverage ratio, the maximum additional borrowings available to us was $825.3 million. This limitation restricts our ability to borrow the maximum amounts available under the 2025 Revolving Credit Facility and the 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement. As of December 31, 2025, there were no other covenants or restrictions that would have limited our ability to borrow.
On February 19, 2026, we executed the Senior Secured Credit Facility which, among other things, modified the financial covenants to be less restrictive and incorporated guarantees and collateral by certain of our domestic subsidiaries. The Senior Secured Credit Facility maintained the 2025 Term Loan Facility, as amended (Secured Term Loan Facility) and the 2025 Revolving Credit Facility, as amended (Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility). The amendment required all remaining principal amortization payments under the Secured Term Loan Facility to be satisfied. Borrowings under the Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility were used to satisfy the $109.7 million remaining principal amortization payments under the Secured Term Loan Facility. The maturity date for the Senior Secured Credit Facility remained March 14, 2030.
The amendment requires that the obligations under the Senior Secured Credit Facility be guaranteed by certain of our domestic subsidiaries and are also secured by liens on Collateral, other than certain principal properties and capital stock of subsidiaries, and subject to certain other exceptions. The amendment provides that substantially all guarantees under the Senior Secured Credit Facility and liens on Collateral be released automatically upon notice by Olin, or after September 30, 2027, upon which time all covenant reliefs expire.
Under the Senior Secured Credit Facility, we may select various floating rate borrowing options. The actual interest rate paid on borrowings under the Senior Secured Credit Facility is based on a pricing grid which is dependent upon the net leverage ratio as calculated under the terms of the applicable facility for the prior fiscal quarter. The Senior Secured Credit Facility includes various customary restrictive covenants, including restrictions related to the ratio of secured debt to earnings before interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization (net leverage ratio) and the ratio of earnings before interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization to interest expense (coverage ratio). The calculation of secured debt in our net leverage ratio excludes borrowings under the 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement, up to a maximum of $425.0 million.
We were in compliance with all covenants and restrictions under all our outstanding credit agreements as of the date of the amendment, and no event of default had occurred that would permit the lenders under our outstanding credit agreements to accelerate the debt if not cured. In the future, our ability to generate sufficient operating cash flows, among other factors, will determine the amounts available to be borrowed under these facilities. As a result of our restrictive covenant related to the net leverage ratio, the maximum additional borrowings available to us could be limited in the future. The limitation, if an amendment or waiver from our lenders is not obtained, could restrict our ability to borrow the maximum amounts available under the Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility and the 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement.
We believe, based on current and projected levels of cash flow from our operations, together with our cash and cash equivalents on hand and the availability to borrow under our Senior Secured Revolving Credit Facility and 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement, we have the ability to access sufficient liquidity to meet our short-term and long-term needs, to make required payments of interest on our debt, fund our operating needs, working capital and our capital expenditure requirements, and comply with the financial ratios and other covenants and restrictions in our debt agreements.
On December 11, 2024, our Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program with a $1.3 billion authorization (2024 Repurchase Authorization). On July 28, 2022, our Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program for the
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purchase of shares of common stock at an aggregate price of up to $2.0 billion (2022 Repurchase Authorization). The 2024 Repurchase Authorization and 2022 Repurchase Authorization will terminate upon the purchase of $1.3 billion and $2.0 billion of common stock, respectively.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, 2.2 million shares of common stock were repurchased and retired at a total value of $50.5 million. As of December 31, 2025, a cumulative total of 27.4 million shares have been repurchased and retired at a total value of $1,351.1 million under the 2022 Repurchase Authorization program, and $1,948.9 million of common stock remained authorized to be repurchased under the 2022 Repurchase Authorization and 2024 Repurchase Authorization programs.
On November 20, 2024, we entered into a $500.0 million receivables financing agreement (2024 Receivables Financing Agreement), which increased the borrowing limit of our then-existing $425.0 million receivables financing agreement (2022 Receivables Financing Agreement) by $75.0 million and extended the maturity date from October 14, 2025 to November 19, 2027 (collectively, the Receivables Financing Agreements).
Under the Receivables Financing Agreements, our eligible trade receivables are used for collateralized borrowings and continue to be serviced by us. In addition, the Receivables Financing Agreements incorporate the net leverage ratio covenant that is contained in the 2025 Senior Credit Facility. On February 19, 2026, the 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement incorporated the net leverage ratio covenant relief that is contained in the Senior Secured Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, we had $340.0 million and $475.0 million, respectively, drawn under the Receivables Financing Agreements. As of December 31, 2025, $588.8 million of our trade receivables were pledged as collateral and we had $105.5 million of additional borrowing capacity under the 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement, which was subject to the maximum additional borrowings noted above and limited by our borrowing base.
As part of the 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement, we terminated our trade accounts receivable factoring arrangements (AR Facilities), under which certain of our domestic and international subsidiaries could sell their accounts receivable. These receivables had qualified for sales treatment under ASC 860 “Transfers and Servicing” and, accordingly, the proceeds were included in net cash provided by operating activities in the consolidated statements of cash flows.
The following table summarizes the AR Facilities activity:
| December 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ||
| AR Facilities | ||
| Beginning balance | $ | 63.3 |
| Gross receivables sold | 552.1 | |
| Payments received from customers on sold accounts | (615.4) | |
| Ending balance | $ | — |
The factoring discount paid under the AR Facilities was recorded as interest expense on the consolidated statements of operations. The factoring discount for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $3.0 million.
We have registered the sale of an undetermined number of securities with the SEC, so that, from time-to-time, we may issue, offer and sell debt securities, preferred stock, common stock and/or warrants to purchase any such securities pursuant to a registration statement.
Credit Ratings
We receive ratings from three independent credit rating agencies: Fitch Ratings (Fitch), Moody's Investor Service (Moody's) and Standard & Poor's (S&P). The following table summarizes our credit ratings as of February 19, 2026:
| Credit Rating Agency | Long-term Rating | Outlook | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitch Ratings | BBB- | Stable | ||
| Moody’s Investors Service | Ba1 | Negative | ||
| Standard & Poor’s | BB | Negative |
On February 18, 2026, S&P downgraded Olin to BB (from BB+) and affirmed its negative outlook. On January 14, 2026, Fitch affirmed Olin’s BBB- rating and stable outlook. On November 20, 2025, Moody’s affirmed Olin’s Ba1 rating and revised its outlook from stable to negative.
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Contractual Obligations
Our current debt structure is used to fund our business operations. As of December 31, 2025, we had long-term borrowings, including the current installment, of $2,827.3 million, of which $1,060.8 million was at variable rates. We expect to meet our contractual obligations through our normal sources of liquidity and believe we have the financial resources to satisfy these contractual obligations.
We have several defined benefit pension and defined contribution plans, as described in Note 12, “Pension Plans,” and Note 16, “Defined Contribution Plans,” in the notes to consolidated financial statements, contained in Item 8—“Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” We fund the defined benefit pension plans based on the minimum amounts required by law plus such amounts we deem appropriate. Given the inherent uncertainty as to actual minimum funding requirements for qualified defined benefit pension plans, no amounts are included in this table for any period beyond one year for the domestic qualified defined benefit plan. Based on the current funding requirements, we will not be required to make any cash contributions to the domestic qualified defined benefit pension plan at least through 2026. We also have postretirement healthcare plans that provide health and life insurance benefits to certain retired employees and their beneficiaries, as described in Note 13, “Postretirement Benefits,” in the notes to consolidated financial statements contained in Item 8—“Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” The defined contribution and other postretirement plans are not prefunded, and expenses are paid by us as incurred.
Our long-term contractual commitments associated with debt, contingent tax liabilities, pension and other postretirement benefits consisted of the following:
| Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | More than 5 Years | Total | ||||||||||||||
| Contractual Commitments | ($ in millions) | |||||||||||||||||
| Debt obligations(1) | $ | 109.7 | $ | 340.0 | $ | 1,712.7 | $ | 683.0 | $ | 2,845.4 | ||||||||
| Interest payments under debt obligations(2) | 157.6 | 293.6 | 174.7 | 105.6 | 731.5 | |||||||||||||
| Contingent tax liability | 7.0 | 16.0 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 28.9 | |||||||||||||
| International qualified pension plan payments(3) | 12.1 | 21.4 | 23.1 | 209.9 | 266.5 | |||||||||||||
| Non-qualified pension plan payments | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 3.3 | |||||||||||||
| Postretirement benefit payments | 2.3 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 19.8 | 30.5 | |||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 289.2 | $ | 676.0 | $ | 1,918.3 | $ | 1,022.6 | $ | 3,906.1 |
(1)Excludes unamortized debt issuance costs of $18.1 million at December 31, 2025. All debt obligations are assumed to be held until maturity.
(2)For the purposes of this table, we have assumed for all periods presented that there are no changes in the interest rates from those in effect at December 31, 2025, which ranged from 4.7% to 6.6%.
(3)These amounts are only estimated benefit payments for our foreign qualified pension plans, assuming a weighted average annual expected rate of return on pension plan assets of 4.2% and a discount rate on pension plan obligations of 4.0%. These estimated payments are subject to significant variation and the actual payments may be more than the amounts estimated. In connection with our international qualified defined benefit pension plans we made cash contributions of $0.7 million, $1.3 million and $1.0 million in 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and we anticipate less than $5 million of cash contributions to international qualified defined benefit pension plans in 2026.
Non-cancelable operating leases and purchasing commitments are utilized in our normal course of business for our projected needs. Our operating lease commitments as described in Item 8—“Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” Note 21, “Leases,” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements, are primarily for railcars, but also include logistics, manufacturing, storage, real estate, and information technology assets. Virtually none of our lease agreements contain escalation clauses or step rent provisions. We also have supply contracts with various third parties for certain raw materials, including ethylene, electricity, propylene and cumene. These contracts have initial terms ranging from several to 20 years. Our long-term contractual commitments associated with operating leases and purchasing commitments consisted of the following:
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| Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | More than 5 Years | Total | ||||||||||||||
| Lease and Purchase Commitments | ($ in millions) | |||||||||||||||||
| Lease Commitments | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operating leases | $ | 72.3 | $ | 113.7 | $ | 79.6 | $ | 120.7 | $ | 386.3 | ||||||||
| Purchase Commitments | ||||||||||||||||||
| Raw materials / utilities | 720.2 | 1,187.8 | 1,020.3 | 2,631.1 | 5,559.4 | |||||||||||||
| Capital expenditures | 6.6 | — | — | — | 6.6 | |||||||||||||
| Total purchase commitments | $ | 726.8 | $ | 1,187.8 | $ | 1,020.3 | $ | 2,631.1 | $ | 5,566.0 |
Other Guarantees
We also have standby letters of credit outstanding of $161.4 million of which $0.4 million have been issued under our 2025 Revolving Credit Facility. The letters of credit were used to support certain long-term debt, workers compensation insurance policies, plant closure and post-closure obligations, international payment obligations and international pension funding requirements.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, sales and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Significant estimates in our consolidated financial statements include goodwill recoverability, environmental, restructuring and other unusual items, litigation, income tax reserves including deferred tax asset valuation allowances, pension, postretirement and other benefits and allowance for doubtful accounts. We base our estimates on prior experience, current facts and circumstances and other assumptions. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
We believe the following critical accounting estimates are the more significant judgments used in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements.
Goodwill
Goodwill is not amortized, but is reviewed for impairment annually in the fourth quarter and/or when circumstances or other events indicate that impairment may have occurred. ASC 350 “Intangibles—Goodwill and Other” permits entities to make a qualitative assessment of whether it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying amount before applying a quantitative goodwill impairment test. Circumstances that are considered as part of the qualitative assessment and could trigger a quantitative impairment test include, but are not limited to: a significant adverse change in the business climate; a significant adverse legal judgment; adverse cash flow trends; an adverse action or assessment by a government agency; unanticipated competition; sustained decline in our stock price; and a significant restructuring charge within a reporting unit. We define reporting units at the business segment level or one level below the business segment level. For purposes of testing goodwill for impairment, goodwill has been allocated to our reporting units to the extent it relates to each reporting unit.
It is our practice, at a minimum, to perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test in the fourth quarter every three years. In the fourth quarter of 2023, we performed our triennial quantitative goodwill impairment test for our reporting units. We use a discounted cash flow approach to develop the estimated fair value of a reporting unit when a quantitative review is performed. Management judgment is required in developing the assumptions for the discounted cash flow model. We also corroborate our discounted cash flow analysis by evaluating a market-based approach that considers earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) multiples from a representative sample of comparable public companies. As a further indicator that each reporting unit has been valued appropriately using a discounted cash flow model, the aggregate fair value of all reporting units is reconciled to the total market value of Olin. An impairment would be recorded if the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeded the estimated fair value. Based on the aforementioned analysis, the estimated fair value of our reporting units exceeded the carrying value of the reporting units.
Fair value determinations require considerable judgment and are sensitive to changes in underlying assumptions, estimates and market factors. The discount rate, profitability assumptions and terminal growth rate of our reporting units and the supply and demand fundamentals of the chlor alkali industry are material assumptions utilized in the discounted cash flow model used to estimate the fair value of each reporting unit. The discount rate reflects a weighted-average cost of capital, which
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is calculated, in part based on observable market data. Some of this data (such as the risk free or treasury rate and the pretax cost of debt) are based on the market data at a point in time. Other data (such as the equity risk premium) are based upon market data over time for a peer group of companies in the chemical manufacturing or distribution industries with a market capitalization premium added, as applicable. Also factoring into the discount rate is a market participant’s perceived risk (such as the company specific risk premium) in the valuation implied by the sustained reduction in our stock price.
The discounted cash flow analysis requires estimates, assumptions and judgments about future events. Our analysis uses our internally generated long-range plan. Specifically, the assumptions in our long-range plan about terminal growth rates, forecasted capital expenditures and changes in future working capital requirements are used to determine the estimated fair value of each reporting unit. The long-range plan reflects management judgment, supplemented by independent chemical industry analyses which provide multi-year chlor alkali industry operating and pricing forecasts.
As a further indicator that each reporting unit has been valued appropriately using a discounted cash flow model, the aggregate fair value of all reporting units is reconciled to the total market value of Olin. We believe the assumptions used in our goodwill impairment analysis are appropriate and result in reasonable estimates of the implied fair value of each reporting unit. However, given the economic environment and the uncertainties regarding the impact on our business, there can be no assurance that our estimates and assumptions, made for purposes of our goodwill impairment testing, will prove to be an accurate prediction of the future.
Environmental
Accruals (charges to income) for environmental matters are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated, based on current law and existing technologies. These amounts, which are not discounted and are exclusive of claims against third parties, are adjusted periodically as assessments and remediation efforts progress or additional technical or legal information becomes available. Environmental costs are capitalized if the costs increase the value of the property and/or mitigate or prevent contamination from future operations. Environmental costs and recoveries are included in costs of goods sold.
Environmental exposures are difficult to assess for numerous reasons, including the identification of new sites, developments at sites resulting from investigatory studies, advances in technology, changes in environmental laws and regulations and their application, changes in regulatory authorities, the scarcity of reliable data pertaining to identified sites, the difficulty in assessing the involvement and financial capability of other potentially responsible parties (PRPs) and our ability to obtain contributions from other parties and the lengthy time periods over which site remediation occurs. It is possible that some of these matters (the outcomes of which are subject to various uncertainties) may be resolved unfavorably to us, which could materially adversely affect our financial position, cash flows or results of operations.
NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
Discussion of new accounting pronouncements can be referred to under Item 8—“Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” within Note 3, “Recent Accounting Pronouncements” of our notes to consolidated financial statements.
DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
We are exposed to market risk in the normal course of our business operations due to our purchases of certain commodities, our ongoing investing and financing activities and our operations that use foreign currencies. The risk of loss can be assessed from the perspective of adverse changes in fair values, cash flows and future earnings. We have established policies and procedures governing our management of market risks and the use of financial instruments to manage exposure to such risks. ASC 815 “Derivatives and Hedging” (ASC 815) requires an entity to recognize all derivatives as either assets or liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets and measure those instruments at fair value. In accordance with ASC 815, we designate derivative contracts as cash flow hedges of forecasted purchases of commodities and forecasted interest payments related to variable-rate borrowings and designate certain interest rate swaps as fair value hedges of fixed-rate borrowings. We do not enter into any derivative instruments for trading or speculative purposes.
Energy costs, including electricity and natural gas, and certain raw materials used in our production processes are subject to price volatility. Depending on market conditions, we may enter into futures contracts, forward contracts, commodity swaps and put and call option contracts in order to reduce the impact of commodity price fluctuations. The majority of our commodity derivatives expire within one year.
For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the change in fair value of the derivative is recognized as a component of other comprehensive income (loss) until the hedged item is recognized in earnings.
We use cash flow hedges for certain raw material and energy costs such as copper, zinc, ethane, electricity and natural gas to provide a measure of stability in managing our exposure to price fluctuations associated with forecasted purchases of raw materials and energy used in our manufacturing process. Settlements on commodity derivative contracts resulted in gains
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(losses) of $16.6 million, $(30.6) million, and $(72.5) million in 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively, which were included in cost of goods sold. At December 31, 2025, we had open derivative notional contract positions through 2028 totaling $218.6 million. If all open futures contracts had been settled on December 31, 2025, we would have recognized a pretax gain of $7.8 million.
If commodity prices were to remain at December 31, 2025 levels, approximately $3.5 million of deferred gains, net of tax, would be reclassified into earnings during the next twelve months. The actual effect on earnings will be dependent on actual commodity prices when the forecasted transactions occur.
We use interest rate swaps as a means of minimizing cash flow fluctuations that may arise from volatility in interest rates of our variable-rate borrowings. We also use interest rate swaps as a means of managing interest expense and floating interest rate exposure to optimal levels. For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a fair value hedge, the gain or loss on the derivative as well as the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk are recognized in current earnings. We include the gain or loss on the hedged items (fixed-rate borrowings) in the same line item, interest expense, as the offsetting loss or gain on the related interest rate swaps. There were no outstanding interest rate swaps at December 31, 2025 and 2024.
We actively manage currency exposures that are associated with net monetary asset positions, currency purchases and sales commitments denominated in foreign currencies and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities created in the normal course of business. We enter into forward sales and purchase contracts to manage currency risk to offset our net exposures, by currency, related to the foreign currency denominated monetary assets and liabilities of our operations. All of the currency derivatives expire within one year and are for USD equivalents. The counterparties to the forward contracts are large financial institutions; however, the risk of loss to us in the event of nonperformance by a counterparty could impact our financial position or results of operations. We had the following notional amounts of outstanding forward contracts to buy and sell foreign currency:
| December 31, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||
| Foreign Currency | ($ in millions) | |||
| Buy | — | — | ||
| Sell | 134.0 | 133.7 |
Our foreign currency forward contracts and certain commodity derivatives did not meet the criteria to qualify for hedge accounting. The effect on operating results of items not qualifying for hedge accounting was a (loss) gain of $(16.8) million, $17.0 million and $(15.7) million in 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
The fair value of our derivative asset and liability balances were:
| December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| Derivative Assets and Liabilities | ($ in millions) | |||||
| Other current assets | $ | 20.5 | $ | 14.5 | ||
| Other assets | 3.3 | 2.0 | ||||
| Total derivative asset | $ | 23.8 | $ | 16.5 | ||
| Accrued liabilities | $ | 16.6 | $ | 3.3 | ||
| Other liabilities | — | 0.4 | ||||
| Total derivative liability | $ | 16.6 | $ | 3.7 |
MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.
FY 2024 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000074303-25-000023.
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
BUSINESS BACKGROUND
Olin Corporation (Olin) is a Virginia corporation, incorporated in 1892, having its principal executive offices in Clayton, MO. We are a leading vertically integrated global manufacturer and distributor of chemical products and a leading U.S. manufacturer of ammunition. Our operations are concentrated in three business segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls, Epoxy and Winchester. All of our business segments are capital-intensive manufacturing businesses. The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment manufactures and sells chlorine and caustic soda, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomer, methyl chloride, methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, perchloroethylene, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen, bleach products and potassium hydroxide. The Epoxy segment produces and sells a full range of epoxy materials and precursors, including aromatics (acetone and phenol), allyl chloride, epichlorohydrin, liquid epoxy resins, solid epoxy resins and formulated solutions products such as converted epoxy resins and additives. The Winchester segment produces and sells sporting ammunition, reloading components, small caliber military ammunition and components, industrial cartridges and clay targets.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS
Overview
Net income was $108.6 million for 2024 compared to $460.2 million for 2023, a decrease of $351.6 million, or 76%. The decrease in net income from the prior year was primarily due to lower operating results across all of our business segments. Net income for 2023 also reflects a pretax gain of $27.0 million from the sale of our domestic private trucking fleet and operations. Diluted net income per share was $0.91 for 2024 compared to $3.57 for 2023, a decrease of $2.66 per share, or 75%.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls reported segment income of $296.4 million for 2024 compared to $664.2 million for 2023. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results were lower than the prior year due to lower pricing, primarily caustic soda, partially offset by lower costs associated with products purchased from other parties, and lower raw material and operating costs. The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls 2024 segment results were also negatively impacted by Hurricane Beryl resulting in incremental costs to restore operations, unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs, and reduced profit from lost sales of $93.6 million. The 2023 segment results were negatively impacted by higher costs and reduced profit from lost sales of $104.2 million associated with operating issues related to a 2023 second quarter maintenance turnaround at our vinyl chloride monomer plant at the Freeport, TX facility.
Epoxy reported segment loss of $85.0 million for 2024 compared to segment loss of $31.0 million for 2023. Epoxy segment results were lower than in the prior year primarily due to lower product pricing and the impact of Hurricane Beryl of $32.7 million, partially offset by increased volumes, improved product mix and lower raw material and operating costs.
Winchester reported segment income of $237.9 million for 2024 compared to $255.6 million for 2023. Winchester segment results were lower than in the prior year primarily due to higher commodity and operating costs, including propellant costs, and lower pricing. The decline was partially offset by higher sales volumes. Higher international military sales, military project revenue, and White Flyer sales were partially offset by lower commercial ammunition sales.
Liquidity and Share Repurchases
On December 11, 2024, our Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program for the purchase of shares of common stock at an aggregate price of up to $1.3 billion. During 2024, we repurchased and retired 5.9 million shares of common stock at a total value of $300.3 million under a prior authorized share repurchase program. As of December 31, 2024, we have $2.0 billion of remaining authorized common stock to be repurchased under the 2022 and 2024 Repurchase Authorization programs.
On November 20, 2024, we entered into a $500.0 million receivables financing agreement (2024 Receivables Financing Agreement) which increased the borrowing limit of our existing $425.0 million receivables financing agreement (2022 Receivables Financing Agreement) by $75.0 million, and extended the maturity date from October 14, 2025 to November 19, 2027 (collectively, the “Receivables Financing Agreements”). As part of the 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement, we terminated our existing trade accounts receivable factoring arrangements (AR Facilities).
During 2024, we had net borrowings of $169.7 million with $102.0 million borrowed under our Senior Revolving Credit Facility, which was partially utilized to repay $70.0 million of tax-exempt variable-rate bonds. We also borrowed $146.5 million under our 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement, which was partially utilized to replace our AR Facilities that were terminated.
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Other Items
On July 10, 2024, we announced a temporary disruption of operations at our Freeport, TX, facility as a result of Hurricane Beryl. In response to this disruption, we declared a system-wide force majeure for our Chlor Alkali Products & Vinyls products and aromatics shipments for our Epoxy segment. This disruption was a result of hurricane-related damage to Olin facilities in Freeport, TX, impacting Olin’s normal production and logistics capabilities including access to power, raw materials, and other essential feedstocks and services. During the third quarter, we safely returned many Freeport, TX plants to operation and on August 28, 2024, we lifted the system wide force majeure on Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls products. However, persistent operating limitations necessitated an additional outage, which we commenced in late September and successfully completed during October.
Our 2024 results included a negative pretax impact of $126.3 million associated with Hurricane Beryl for incremental costs to restore operations, unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs, and reduced profit from lost sales. The Hurricane Beryl impact included in our Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls and Epoxy segment results was $93.6 million and $32.7 million, respectively.
Epoxy segment results in 2024 continue to be impacted by significant exports out of Asia into the European and North American markets, negatively impacting pricing and volumes. On April 3, 2024, we announced the filing of anti-dumping and countervailing duty petitions against China, India, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission relating to certain epoxy resins, as part of the U.S. Epoxy Resin Producers Ad Hoc Coalition. The petitions were filed in response to large volumes of low-priced imports of epoxy resins into the U.S. from the subject countries over the past three years that have injured U.S. domestic epoxy resin producers.
On July 1, 2024, we announced the initiation of an anti-dumping proceeding by the European Commission against China, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan and Thailand concerning low-priced imports of epoxy resins into the European Union (EU), as a result of a complaint lodged by the Ad Hoc Coalition of Epoxy Resin Producers. The complaint alleges that exporting producers in the four targeted countries have injured the European epoxy resin producers by selling their products on the EU market at unfairly low prices that significantly undercut the prices of European producers.
During 2024, the U.S. Army awarded Winchester a contract for the construction of the Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) ammunition manufacturing facility at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant. The project will be the first new manufacturing plant built at the Lake City facility in decades. The new manufacturing facility will provide safe, reliable, and advanced NGSW ammunition to the U.S. warfighter. Winchester will manage all aspects of the government-funded construction project, which commenced in the second quarter of 2024.
Subsequent Event
On January 21, 2025, Olin announced the signing of a definitive agreement with AMMO, Inc. to acquire AMMO, Inc.’s small caliber ammunition manufacturing assets for $75 million, subject to customary terms, closing conditions and post-closing adjustments. The acquisition includes AMMO Inc.’s brass shellcase capabilities and their 185,000 square foot production facility located in Manitowoc, WI. The acquisition will be financed with cash on hand and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025.
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CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| ($ in millions, except per share data) | ||||||||||
| Sales | $ | 6,540.1 | $ | 6,833.0 | $ | 9,376.2 | ||||
| Cost of goods sold | 5,802.6 | 5,667.5 | 7,194.3 | |||||||
| Gross margin | 737.5 | 1,165.5 | 2,181.9 | |||||||
| Selling and administrative | 408.5 | 406.7 | 393.9 | |||||||
| Restructuring charges | 33.3 | 89.6 | 25.3 | |||||||
| Other operating income | 0.8 | 42.9 | 16.3 | |||||||
| Operating income | 296.5 | 712.1 | 1,779.0 | |||||||
| Interest expense | 184.5 | 181.1 | 143.9 | |||||||
| Interest income | 3.7 | 4.3 | 2.2 | |||||||
| Non-operating pension income | 26.0 | 24.0 | 38.7 | |||||||
| Income before taxes | 141.7 | 559.3 | 1,676.0 | |||||||
| Income tax provision | 36.7 | 107.3 | 349.1 | |||||||
| Net income | 105.0 | 452.0 | 1,326.9 | |||||||
| Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests | (3.6) | (8.2) | — | |||||||
| Net income attributable to Olin Corporation | $ | 108.6 | $ | 460.2 | $ | 1,326.9 | ||||
| Net income attributable to Olin Corporation per common share: | ||||||||||
| Basic | $ | 0.92 | $ | 3.66 | $ | 9.16 | ||||
| Diluted | $ | 0.91 | $ | 3.57 | $ | 8.94 |
2024 Compared to 2023
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.
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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.
2023 Compared to 2022
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 $60.2 million tax benefit. Excluding these items, the effective tax rate for 2022 of 24.4% was higher than the 21.0% U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to state income tax, an increase in the valuation allowance related to losses in foreign jurisdictions and foreign income taxes, partially offset by foreign income exclusions and favorable permanent salt depletion deductions.
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SEGMENT RESULTS
We define segment results as income (loss) before interest expense, interest income, other operating income (expense), non-operating pension income, other income and income taxes. We have three operating segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls, Epoxy and Winchester. The three operating segments reflect the organization used by our management for purposes of allocating resources and assessing performance. Chlorine and caustic soda used in our Epoxy segment is transferred at cost from the Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment.
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Sales: | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls | $ | 3,630.2 | $ | 3,995.1 | $ | 5,085.0 | ||||
| Epoxy | 1,226.3 | 1,329.2 | 2,690.5 | |||||||
| Winchester | 1,683.6 | 1,508.7 | 1,600.7 | |||||||
| Total sales | $ | 6,540.1 | $ | 6,833.0 | $ | 9,376.2 | ||||
| Income before taxes: | ||||||||||
| Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls | $ | 296.4 | $ | 664.2 | $ | 1,181.3 | ||||
| Epoxy | (85.0) | (31.0) | 388.5 | |||||||
| Winchester | 237.9 | 255.6 | 372.9 | |||||||
| Corporate/Other: | ||||||||||
| Environmental expense(1) | (30.2) | (23.7) | (23.2) | |||||||
| Other corporate and unallocated costs | (90.1) | (106.3) | (131.5) | |||||||
| Restructuring charges | (33.3) | (89.6) | (25.3) | |||||||
| Other operating income(2) | 0.8 | 42.9 | 16.3 | |||||||
| Interest expense(3) | (184.5) | (181.1) | (143.9) | |||||||
| Interest income | 3.7 | 4.3 | 2.2 | |||||||
| Non-operating pension income | 26.0 | 24.0 | 38.7 | |||||||
| Income before taxes | $ | 141.7 | $ | 559.3 | $ | 1,676.0 |
(1)Environmental expense for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, included $6.4 million and $1.0 million, respectively, of insurance recoveries for environmental costs incurred and expensed in prior periods. Environmental expense is included in cost of goods sold in the consolidated statements of operations.
(2)Other operating income for the year ended December 31, 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 the year ended December 31, 2022, included $13.0 million of gains from the sale of two former manufacturing facilities.
(3)Interest expense was reduced by capitalized interest of $1.7 million, $2.8 million and $3.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls
2024 Compared to 2023
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales for 2024 were $3,630.2 million compared to $3,995.1 million in 2023, a decrease of $364.9 million, or 9%. The sales decrease was primarily due to lower pricing, primarily caustic soda, partially offset by increased sales volumes associated with products purchased from other parties.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls reported segment income of $296.4 million for 2024 compared to $664.2 million for 2023, a decrease of $367.8 million. The decrease in Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls operating results were primarily due to lower pricing ($462.8 million), primarily caustic soda, the negative impact of Hurricane Beryl resulting in incremental costs to restore operations, unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs, and reduced profit from lost sales ($93.6 million), and an unfavorable product mix ($42.7 million), partially offset by lower costs associated with products purchased from other parties ($123.4 million) and lower raw material and operating costs ($107.9 million). The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls 2023 segment results were negatively impacted by higher costs and reduced profit from lost sales associated with operating issues related to the second quarter’s maintenance turnaround at our vinyl chloride monomer plant at the Freeport, TX facility. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $424.6 million and $440.7 million in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
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2023 Compared to 2022
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales for 2023 were $3,995.1 million compared to $5,085.0 million in 2022, a decrease of $1,089.9 million, or 21%. The sales decrease was primarily due to lower volumes across all products and lower prices, primarily caustic soda and EDC, partially offset by products sold by BWA.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls reported segment income of $664.2 million for 2023 compared to $1,181.3 million for 2022, a decrease of $517.1 million. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls operating results were negatively impacted by lower volumes across all products ($846.4 million) and lower prices, primarily caustic soda and EDC ($51.4 million), partially offset by lower raw material and operating costs ($341.0 million), primarily lower natural gas and electrical power costs, and decreased costs associated with product purchased from other parties ($39.7 million). The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results were also negatively impacted by higher costs and reduced profit from lost sales associated with operating issues related to the second quarter’s maintenance turnaround at our vinyl chloride monomer plant at the Freeport, TX facility. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $440.7 million and $482.2 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Epoxy
2024 Compared to 2023
Epoxy sales were $1,226.3 million for 2024 compared to $1,329.2 million in 2023, a decrease of $102.9 million, or 8%. The sales decrease was due to lower product prices ($148.3 million) and an unfavorable effect of foreign currency translation ($4.5 million), partially offset by increased sales volumes ($49.9 million), which were negatively impacted by Hurricane Beryl.
Epoxy reported segment loss of $85.0 million for 2024 compared to $31.0 million for 2023, a decrease in segment results of $54.0 million. The decrease was due to lower product prices ($148.3 million), which continues to be impacted by significant exports out of Asia into the European and North American markets, and the negative impact of Hurricane Beryl resulting in incremental costs to restore operations, unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs, and reduced profit from lost sales ($32.7 million), partially offset by increased volumes and improved product mix ($76.4 million) and lower raw material and operating costs ($50.6 million). A significant percentage of our Euro denominated sales are of products manufactured within Europe. As a result, the impact of foreign currency translation on revenue is primarily offset by the impact of foreign currency translation on raw materials and manufacturing costs also denominated in Euros. Epoxy segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $53.7 million and $57.4 million in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
2023 Compared to 2022
Epoxy sales were $1,329.2 million for 2023 compared to $2,690.5 million in 2022, a decrease of $1,361.3 million, or 51%. The sales decrease was primarily due to the closure of our cumene facility and one of our bisphenol production lines ($649.4 million), lower product prices ($419.6 million), lower volumes ($291.9 million) and an unfavorable effect of foreign currency translation ($0.4 million).
Epoxy reported segment loss of $31.0 million for 2023 compared to segment income of $388.5 million for 2022, a decrease of $419.5 million. The decrease in segment results was due to lower product prices ($419.6 million) and lower volumes ($138.6 million), which were both impacted by significant exports out of Asia into the European and North American markets, partially offset by lower raw material and operating costs ($138.7 million). A significant percentage of our Euro denominated sales are of products manufactured within Europe. As a result, the impact of foreign currency translation on revenue is primarily offset by the impact of foreign currency translation on raw materials and manufacturing costs also denominated in Euros. Epoxy segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $57.4 million and $83.3 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Winchester
2024 Compared to 2023
Winchester sales were $1,683.6 million for 2024 compared to $1,508.7 million in 2023, an increase of $174.9 million, or 12%. The increase was due to higher sales to domestic and international military customers ($148.9 million) and higher sales to commercial customers ($30.1 million), partially offset by lower sales to law enforcement agencies ($4.1 million). Commercial sales were higher due to 2024 sales from White Flyer, partially offset by lower commercial ammunition sales.
Winchester reported segment income of $237.9 million for 2024 compared to $255.6 million for 2023, a decrease of $17.7 million. The decrease in segment results was due to higher commodity and operating costs ($19.2 million), including propellant costs, and lower product pricing ($10.9 million), partially offset by higher sales volumes ($12.4 million), which includes White Flyer. Winchester segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $33.8 million and $27.2 million in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
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2023 Compared to 2022
Winchester sales were $1,508.7 million for 2023 compared to $1,600.7 million in 2022, a decrease of $92.0 million, or 6%. The decrease was due to lower ammunition sales to commercial customers ($272.6 million) and law enforcement agencies ($7.5 million), partially offset by higher sales to domestic and international military customers ($188.1 million). The lower commercial sales were primarily due to lower volumes, partially offset by fourth quarter 2023 sales from White Flyer.
Winchester reported segment income of $255.6 million for 2023 compared to $372.9 million for 2022, a decrease of $117.3 million. The decrease in segment results was due to lower volumes and an unfavorable product mix ($61.4 million), lower product pricing ($40.0 million), and higher commodity and operating costs ($15.9 million). Winchester segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $27.2 million and $24.6 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Corporate/Other
2024 Compared to 2023
For the year ended December 31, 2024, charges to income for environmental investigatory and remedial activities were $30.2 million, compared to $23.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. These charges related primarily to expected future investigatory and remedial activities associated with past manufacturing operations and former waste disposal sites. For the year ended December 31, 2023, environmental expense included $6.4 million of insurance recoveries for environmental costs incurred and expensed in prior periods.
For 2024, other corporate and unallocated costs were $90.1 million compared to $106.3 million for 2023, a decrease of $16.2 million, or 15%. The decrease was primarily due to lower stock-based compensation costs ($18.0 million), which includes mark-to-market adjustments and a favorable foreign currency impact ($7.4 million), partially offset by higher consulting costs ($4.9 million) and increased legal and legal-related settlement expenses ($2.9 million).
2023 Compared to 2022
For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, environmental expense included $6.4 million and $1.0 million, respectively, of insurance recoveries for environmental costs incurred and expensed in prior periods. Without these recoveries, charges to income for environmental investigatory and remedial activities for the year ended December 31, 2023, would have been $30.1 million, compared to $24.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. These charges related primarily to expected future investigatory and remedial activities associated with past manufacturing operations and former waste disposal sites.
For 2023, other corporate and unallocated costs were $106.3 million compared to $131.5 million for 2022, a decrease of $25.2 million, or 19%. The decrease was primarily due to lower legal and legal-related settlement expenses ($13.8 million), a favorable foreign currency impact ($5.5 million) and lower variable incentive compensation costs ($4.2 million), which includes mark-to-market adjustments on stock-based compensation expense.
Restructurings
On December 11, 2024, we announced we had made the decision to permanently close our Chlorine 3 manufacturing facility in Freeport, TX. We expect to incur additional restructuring charges through 2030 of approximately $35 million related to this action.
As a result of weak global resin demand and higher cost structures within the European region, we began a review of our global Epoxy asset footprint to optimize the most productive and cost-effective assets to support our strategic operating model. As part of this review, we announced operational cessations in the fourth quarter of 2022 and the first half of 2023 (collectively, Epoxy Optimization Plan). In connection with the Epoxy Optimization Plan for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we recorded pretax restructuring charges of $24.1 million and $73.4 million, respectively. We expect to incur additional restructuring charges through 2025 of approximately $10 million related to these actions.
In 2024 and 2023, we incurred charges of $9.2 million and $16.2 million, respectively, associated with other previously disclosed restructuring plans. We expect to incur additional restructuring charges through 2027 of approximately $35 million related to these actions. Discussion of our restructuring activity, including a description of each plan, is referenced under Item 8, within Note 5, “Restructuring Charges.” Pretax restructuring charges related to our actions include facility exit costs, lease and other contract termination costs, employee severance and related benefits costs and the write-off of equipment and facilities.
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2025 OUTLOOK
We expect first quarter 2025 operating results from our Chemicals businesses to be lower than the fourth quarter 2024 as we expect both challenging industry conditions and our disciplined market participation to continue. We also expect our Winchester business first quarter 2025 results to decrease sequentially from fourth quarter 2024 due to softer consumer demand compounded by continued inventory destocking efforts by our retail customers. Overall, we expect Olin’s first quarter 2025 operating results to be lower than the fourth quarter 2024 levels.
Other corporate and unallocated costs in 2025 are expected to be higher than the $90.1 million in 2024.
During 2025, we anticipate environmental expenses in the $25 million to $35 million range, compared to $30.2 million in 2024.
We expect non-operating pension income in 2025 to be lower than the $26.0 million in 2024. Based on our plan assumptions and estimates, we will not be required to make any cash contributions to our domestic qualified defined benefit pension plan in 2025. We have several international qualified defined benefit pension plans for which we anticipate cash contributions of less than $5 million in 2025.
In 2025, we currently expect our capital spending to be in the $225 million to $250 million range. We expect 2025 depreciation and amortization expense to be in the $525 million range.
We currently believe the 2025 effective tax rate will be in the 25% to 30% range and our cash tax rate to be in the 60% to 70% range as a result of previously deferred international tax payments expected to be made in 2025.
PENSION AND POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS
We recorded an after-tax benefit of $21.7 million ($29.7 million pretax) to shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2024, for our pension and other postretirement plans. This charge primarily reflects a 50-basis point increase in the domestic pension plans’ discount rate and a 20-basis point increase in the international defined benefit pension plans’ discount rate, partially offset by unfavorable performance on plan assets during 2024. In 2023, we recorded an after-tax charge of $13.2 million ($18.1 million pretax) to shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2023, for our pension and other postretirement plans. This charge primarily reflected a 30-basis point decrease in the domestic pension plans’ discount rate and a 50-basis point decrease in the international defined benefit pension plans’ discount rate, partially offset by a favorable performance on plan assets during 2023. In 2022, we recorded an after-tax benefit of $46.8 million ($72.1 million pretax) to shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2022, for our pension and other postretirement plans. This benefit primarily reflected a 260-basis point increase in the domestic pension plans’ discount rate and a 230-basis point increase in the international defined benefit pension plans’ discount rate, partially offset by unfavorable performance on plan assets during 2022.
Based on our plan assumptions and estimates, we will not be required to make any cash contributions to the domestic qualified defined benefit pension plan at least through 2025.
In connection with international qualified defined benefit pension plans, we made cash contributions of $1.3 million, $1.0 million and $1.3 million in 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and we anticipate less than $5 million of cash contributions to international qualified defined benefit pension plans in 2025.
At December 31, 2024, the projected benefit obligation of $2,013.4 million exceeded the market value of assets in our qualified defined benefit pension plans by $155.9 million, as calculated under Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 715 “Compensation—Retirement Benefits”.
Components of net periodic benefit (income) costs were:
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Net Periodic Benefit (Income) Costs | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Pension benefits | $ | (22.4) | $ | (20.7) | $ | (33.0) | ||||
| Other postretirement benefit costs | 2.1 | 3.1 | 3.8 |
The service cost component of net periodic benefit (income) costs related to employees of the operating segments are allocated to the operating segments based on their respective estimated census data.
We have included additional information with respect our defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans within Item 8, Note 12, “Pension Plans,” and Note 13, “Postretirement Benefits,” of our notes to consolidated financial statements.
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ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Cash Outlays | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Remedial and investigatory spending (charged to reserve) | $ | 27.3 | $ | 25.9 | $ | 24.6 | ||||
| Capital spending | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.5 | |||||||
| Plant operations (charged to cost of goods sold) | 177.0 | 176.2 | 178.8 | |||||||
| Total cash outlays | $ | 205.3 | $ | 203.4 | $ | 204.9 |
Cash outlays for remedial and investigatory activities associated with former waste sites and past operations were not charged to income but instead were charged to reserves established for such costs identified and expensed to income in prior years. Cash outlays for normal plant operations for the disposal of waste and the operation and maintenance of pollution control equipment and facilities to ensure compliance with mandated and voluntarily imposed environmental quality standards were charged to income.
Total environmental-related cash outlays for 2025 are estimated to be approximately $220 million, of which approximately $25 million to $35 million is expected to be spent on investigatory and remedial efforts, approximately $5 million on capital projects and approximately $175 million on normal plant operations. Historically, we have funded our environmental capital expenditures through cash flow from operations and expect to do so in the future.
Annual environmental-related cash outlays for site investigation and remediation, capital projects and normal plant operations are expected to range between $200 million to $220 million over the next several years, $25 million to $35 million of which is for investigatory and remedial efforts, which are expected to be charged against reserves recorded on our consolidated balance sheet. While we do not anticipate a material increase in the projected annual level of our environmental-related cash outlays for site investigation and remediation, there is always the possibility that such an increase may occur in the future in view of the uncertainties associated with environmental exposures.
Our liabilities for future environmental expenditures were as follows:
| December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| Environmental Liabilities | ($ in millions) | |||||
| Beginning balance | $ | 153.6 | $ | 146.6 | ||
| Charges to income | 30.2 | 30.1 | ||||
| Remedial and investigatory spending | (27.3) | (25.9) | ||||
| Other | — | 2.8 | ||||
| Ending balance | $ | 156.5 | $ | 153.6 |
As is common in our industry, we are subject to environmental laws and regulations related to the use, storage, handling, generation, transportation, emission, discharge, disposal and remediation of, and exposure to, hazardous and non-hazardous substances and wastes in all of the countries in which we do business.
The establishment and implementation of national, state or provincial and local standards to regulate air, water and land quality affect substantially all of our manufacturing locations around the world. Laws providing for regulation of the manufacture, transportation, use and disposal of hazardous and toxic substances, and remediation of contaminated sites, have imposed additional regulatory requirements on industry, particularly the chemicals industry. In addition, implementation of environmental laws has required and will continue to require new capital expenditures and will increase plant operating costs. We employ waste minimization and pollution prevention programs at our manufacturing sites.
We are party to various government and private environmental actions associated with past manufacturing facilities and former waste disposal sites. Associated costs of investigatory and remedial activities are provided for in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles governing probability and the ability to reasonably estimate future costs. Our ability to estimate future costs depends on whether our investigatory and remedial activities are in preliminary or advanced stages. With respect to unasserted claims, we accrue liabilities for costs that, in our experience, we expect to incur to protect our interests against those unasserted claims. Our accrued liabilities for unasserted claims amounted to $11.6 million at December 31, 2024. With respect to asserted claims, we accrue liabilities based on remedial investigation, feasibility study, remedial action and operation, maintenance and monitoring (OM&M) expenses that, in our experience, we expect to incur in connection with the asserted claims. Required site OM&M expenses are estimated and accrued in their entirety for required periods not exceeding 30 years, which reasonably approximates the typical duration of long-term site OM&M.
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Environmental provisions charged to income, which are included in cost of goods sold, were as follows:
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Environmental Expense | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Provisions charged to income | $ | 30.2 | $ | 30.1 | $ | 24.2 | ||||
| Insurance recoveries(1) | — | (6.4) | (1.0) | |||||||
| Environmental expense | $ | 30.2 | $ | 23.7 | $ | 23.2 |
(1) Insurance recoveries for costs incurred and expensed in prior periods.
These charges relate primarily to remedial and investigatory activities associated with past manufacturing operations and former waste disposal sites and may be material to operating results in future years.
We have included additional information with respect to environmental matters within Item 8, Note 20, “Environmental,” of our notes to consolidated financial statements.
LEGAL MATTERS AND CONTINGENCIES
Please see the discussion of legal matters and contingencies within Item 8, under the heading of “Legal Matters” within Note 22, “Commitments and Contingencies.”
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Cash Flow Data
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Provided by (Used for) | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Net operating activities | $ | 503.2 | $ | 974.3 | $ | 1,921.9 | ||||
| Capital expenditures | (195.1) | (236.0) | (236.9) | |||||||
| Business acquired in purchase transaction, net of cash acquired | — | (63.9) | — | |||||||
| Payments under other long-term supply contracts | (58.6) | (64.5) | (37.7) | |||||||
| Proceeds from disposition of property, plant and equipment | — | 28.8 | 14.9 | |||||||
| Investments in unconsolidated affiliates | (23.0) | — | — | |||||||
| Net investing activities | (283.7) | (340.8) | (259.7) | |||||||
| Long-term debt borrowings (repayments), net | 169.7 | 85.9 | (201.1) | |||||||
| Common stock repurchased and retired | (300.3) | (711.3) | (1,350.7) | |||||||
| Stock options exercised | 23.9 | 25.4 | 25.7 | |||||||
| Dividends paid | (94.2) | (101.0) | (116.2) | |||||||
| Contributions received from noncontrolling interests | — | 44.1 | — | |||||||
| Net financing activities | (212.6) | (656.9) | (1,646.7) |
Operating Activities
For 2024, cash provided by operating activities decreased by $471.1 million from 2023, primarily due to a decrease in operating results and increased working capital compared to the prior year. For 2024, working capital increased $19.9 million, compared to a decrease of $68.6 million in 2023. Receivables increased by $119.4 million, primarily as a result of the termination of our accounts receivable factoring program. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities increased $72.8 million.
For 2023, cash provided by operating activities decreased by $947.6 million from 2022, primarily due to a decrease in operating results compared with the prior year. For 2023, working capital decreased $68.6 million, compared to a decrease of $65.2 million in 2022. Inventories decreased by $94.4 million from December 31, 2022, primarily due to inventory destocking efforts. A portion of the working capital decrease in 2023 was offset by incremental working capital associated with BWA.
Investing Activities
Capital spending was $195.1 million and $236.0 million in 2024 and 2023, respectively. In 2025, we expect our capital spending to be in the $225 million to $250 million range. Our capital spending forecast represents capital spending to maintain our current operating facilities.
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For the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, payments of $58.6 million and $64.5 million, respectively, were made under other long-term supply contracts for energy modernization projects on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Our payments for this project were completed in 2024.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, we contributed capital of $23.0 million in an unconsolidated affiliate, Hidrogenii, a joint venture between Plug Power, Inc. and Olin Corporation.
On October 1, 2023, Olin acquired the assets of White Flyer from Reagent for $63.9 million. The acquisition was financed with cash on hand.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, we received $28.5 million of cash proceeds from the sale of our domestic private trucking fleet and operations.
Financing Activities
During 2024 and 2023, activity of our outstanding debt included:
| Long-term Debt Borrowings (Repayments) for the Year Ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
| Debt Instruments | ($ in millions) | ||||||
| Borrowings | |||||||
| Senior Revolving Credit Facility | $ | 490.0 | $ | 375.0 | |||
| Receivables Financing Agreements | 591.9 | 332.7 | |||||
| Total borrowings | 1,081.9 | 707.7 | |||||
| Repayments | |||||||
| Variable-rate Go Zone bonds, due 2024 | (50.0) | — | |||||
| Variable-rate Recovery Zone bonds, due 2024 | (20.0) | — | |||||
| Senior Revolving Credit Facility | (388.0) | (307.0) | |||||
| Term Loan Facility | (8.8) | (8.7) | |||||
| Receivables Financing Agreements | (445.4) | (304.2) | |||||
| Finance leases | — | (1.9) | |||||
| Total repayments | (912.2) | (621.8) | |||||
| Long-term debt borrowings (repayments), net | $ | 169.7 | $ | 85.9 |
In 2024, we paid debt issuance costs of $1.2 million associated with the 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement.
In 2024 and 2023, we repurchased and retired 5.9 million and 13.3 million shares, respectively, of common stock with a total value of $300.3 million and $711.3 million, respectively.
In 2024 and 2023, we issued 0.9 million and 1.0 million shares, respectively, with a total value of $23.9 million and $25.4 million, respectively, representing stock options exercised. For the year ended December 31, 2024, we withheld and paid $10.5 million for employee taxes on share-based payment arrangements.
The percent of total debt to total capitalization increased to 58.0% as of December 31, 2024, from 54.1% as of December 31, 2023, primarily as a result of a higher level of debt outstanding and lower shareholders’ equity, primarily due to common stock repurchases, partially offset by our operating results.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, we received $44.1 million of cash contributions from noncontrolling interests for BWA.
Dividends per common share were $0.80 in 2024 and 2023. Total dividends paid on common stock amounted to $94.2 million and $101.0 million in 2024 and 2023, respectively. On February 19, 2025, our Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.20 per share on our common stock, payable on March 14, 2025, to shareholders of record on March 6, 2025.
The payment of cash dividends is subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors and will be determined in light of then-current conditions, including our earnings, our operations, our financial condition, our capital requirements and other factors deemed relevant by our Board of Directors. In the future, our Board of Directors may change our dividend policy, including the frequency or amount of any dividend, in light of then-existing conditions.
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Liquidity and Other Financing Arrangements
Our principal sources of liquidity are from cash and cash equivalents, cash flow from operations and borrowings under our Senior Revolving Credit Facility and 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement. Additionally, we believe that we have access to the high yield debt and equity markets.
We maintain a $1,550.0 million senior credit facility (Senior Credit Facility) which includes a senior term loan facility with aggregate commitments of $350.0 million (Term Loan Facility) and a senior revolving credit facility with aggregate commitments of $1,200.0 million (Senior Revolving Credit Facility). The Term Loan Facility requires principal amortization payments which began on March 31, 2023, at a rate of 0.625% per quarter through the end of 2024, increasing to 1.250% per quarter thereafter until maturity. The maturity date for the Senior Credit Facility is October 11, 2027.
The Senior Revolving Credit Facility includes a $100.0 million letter of credit subfacility. At December 31, 2024, we had $1,029.6 million available under our $1,200.0 million Senior Revolving Credit Facility because we had $170.0 million borrowed under the facility and issued $0.4 million of letters of credit. During 2024, we partially utilized our Senior Revolving Credit Facility to repay $50.0 million of Go Zone and $20.0 million of Recovery Zone tax-exempt variable-rate bonds.
We were in compliance with all covenants and restrictions under all our outstanding credit agreements as of December 31, 2024, and no event of default had occurred that would permit the lenders under our outstanding credit agreements to accelerate the debt if not cured. In the future, our ability to generate sufficient operating cash flows, among other factors, will determine the amounts available to be borrowed under these facilities. As a result of our restrictive covenant related to the net leverage ratio, the maximum additional borrowings available to us could be limited in the future. The limitation, if an amendment or waiver from our lenders is not obtained, could restrict our ability to borrow the maximum amounts available under the Senior Revolving Credit Facility and the 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement. As of December 31, 2024, there were no covenants or other restrictions that limited our ability to borrow.
We believe, based on current and projected levels of cash flow from our operations, together with our cash and cash equivalents on hand and the availability to borrow under our Senior Revolving Credit Facility and 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement, we have sufficient liquidity to meet our short-term and long-term needs to make required payments of interest on our debt, fund our operating needs, working capital, and capital expenditure requirements and comply with the financial ratios in our debt agreements.
On December 11, 2024, our Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program for the purchase of shares of common stock at an aggregate price of up to $1.3 billion. This program will terminate upon the purchase of $1.3 billion of common stock. On July 28, 2022, our Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program for the purchase of shares of common stock at an aggregate price of up to $2.0 billion. This program will terminate upon the purchase of $2.0 billion of common stock.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, 5.9 million shares of common stock have been repurchased and retired at a total value of $300.3 million. As of December 31, 2024, a cumulative total of 25.2 million shares were repurchased and retired at a total value of $1,301.1 million under the 2022 Repurchase Authorization program. As of December 31, 2024, $2.0 billion of common stock remained authorized to be repurchased under the 2022 and 2024 Repurchase Authorization programs.
On November 20, 2024, we entered into a $500.0 million receivables financing agreement (2024 Receivables Financing Agreement) which increased the borrowing limit of our existing $425.0 million receivables financing agreement (2022 Receivables Financing Agreement) by $75.0 million and extended the maturity date from October 14, 2025 to November 19, 2027 (collectively, the “Receivables Financing Agreements”).
Under the Receivables Financing Agreements, our eligible trade receivables are used for collateralized borrowings and continue to be serviced by us. In addition, the Receivables Financing Agreements incorporate the net leverage ratio covenant that is contained in the $1,550.0 million Senior Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we had $475.0 million and $328.5 million drawn under the 2024 and 2022 Receivables Financing Agreements, respectively. As of December 31, 2024, $628.3 million of our trade receivables were pledged as collateral and we had $22.1 million of additional borrowing capacity under the 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement, which was limited by our borrowing base. We paid debt issuance costs of $1.2 million associated with the 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement.
As part of the 2024 Receivables Financing Agreement, we terminated our trade accounts receivable factoring arrangements (AR Facilities), under which certain of our domestic and international subsidiaries could sell their accounts receivable. These receivables had qualified for sales treatment under ASC 860 “Transfers and Servicing” and, accordingly, the proceeds were included in net cash provided by operating activities in the consolidated statements of cash flows.
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The following table summarizes the AR Facilities activity:
| December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| AR Facilities | ($ in millions) | |||||
| Beginning balance | $ | 63.3 | $ | 111.8 | ||
| Gross receivables sold | 552.1 | 899.0 | ||||
| Payments received from customers on sold accounts | (615.4) | (947.5) | ||||
| Ending balance | $ | — | $ | 63.3 |
The factoring discount paid under the AR Facilities was recorded as interest expense on the consolidated statements of operations. The factoring discount for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $3.0 million and $4.7 million, respectively. The agreements were without recourse and therefore no recourse liability had been recorded as of December 31, 2023.
We have registered an undetermined number of securities with the SEC, so that, from time-to-time, we may issue debt securities, preferred stock and/or common stock and associated warrants in the public market under that registration statement.
Credit Ratings
We receive ratings from three independent credit rating agencies: Fitch Ratings (Fitch), Moody's Investor Service (Moody's) and Standard & Poor's (S&P). The following table summarizes our credit ratings as of January 31, 2025:
| Credit Ratings | Long-term Rating | Outlook | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitch Ratings | BBB- | Stable | ||
| Moody’s Investors Service | Ba1 | Stable | ||
| Standard & Poor’s | BB+ | Stable |
On August 8, 2024, S&P affirmed Olin’s BB+ rating and revised its outlook from positive to stable. On June 24, 2024, Moody’s affirmed Olin’s Ba1 rating and stable outlook. On March 14, 2024, Fitch affirmed Olin’s BBB- rating and stable outlook.
Contractual Obligations
Our current debt structure is used to fund our business operations. As of December 31, 2024, we had long-term borrowings, including the current installment, of $2,842.2 million, of which $1,063.4 million was at variable rates. We expect to meet our contractual obligations through our normal sources of liquidity and believe we have the financial resources to satisfy these contractual obligations.
We have several defined benefit pension and defined contribution plans, as described in Note 12, “Pension Plans,” and Note 16, “Defined Contribution Plans,” in the notes to consolidated financial statements, contained in Item 8. We fund the defined benefit pension plans based on the minimum amounts required by law plus such amounts we deem appropriate. Given the inherent uncertainty as to actual minimum funding requirements for qualified defined benefit pension plans, no amounts are included in this table for any period beyond one year for the domestic qualified defined benefit plan. Based on the current funding requirements, we will not be required to make any cash contributions to the domestic qualified defined benefit pension plan at least through 2025. We also have postretirement healthcare plans that provide health and life insurance benefits to certain retired employees and their beneficiaries, as described in Note 13, “Postretirement Benefits,” in the notes to consolidated financial statements contained in Item 8. The defined contribution and other postretirement plans are not prefunded, and expenses are paid by us as incurred.
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Our long-term contractual commitments associated with debt, contingent tax liabilities, pension and other postretirement benefits consisted of the following:
| Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | More than 5 Years | Total | ||||||||||||||
| Contractual Commitments | ($ in millions) | |||||||||||||||||
| Debt obligations(1) | $ | 129.0 | $ | 1,460.0 | $ | 669.3 | $ | 598.3 | $ | 2,856.6 | ||||||||
| Interest payments under debt obligations(2) | 153.2 | 277.6 | 120.5 | 24.9 | 576.2 | |||||||||||||
| Contingent tax liability | 10.7 | 8.9 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 23.6 | |||||||||||||
| International qualified pension plan payments(3) | 9.8 | 18.4 | 19.9 | 207.1 | 255.2 | |||||||||||||
| Non-qualified pension plan payments | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 3.5 | |||||||||||||
| Postretirement benefit payments | 2.6 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 16.3 | 26.7 | |||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 305.7 | $ | 1,769.8 | $ | 816.9 | $ | 849.4 | $ | 3,741.8 |
(1)Excludes unamortized debt issuance costs and unamortized bond original issue discount of $14.4 million at December 31, 2024. All debt obligations are assumed to be held until maturity.
(2)For the purposes of this table, we have assumed for all periods presented that there are no changes in the interest rates from those in effect at December 31, 2024, which ranged from 5.0% to 9.5%.
(3)These amounts are only estimated benefit payments for our foreign qualified pension plans, assuming a weighted average annual expected rate of return on pension plan assets of 4.3% and a discount rate on pension plan obligations of 3.4%. These estimated payments are subject to significant variation and the actual payments may be more than the amounts estimated. In connection with international qualified defined benefit pension plans we made cash contributions of $1.3 million, $1.0 million and $1.3 million in 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and we anticipate less than $5 million of cash contributions to international qualified defined benefit pension plans in 2025.
Non-cancelable operating leases and purchasing commitments are utilized in our normal course of business for our projected needs. Our operating lease commitments as described in Item 8, Note 21, “Leases,” are primarily for railcars, but also include logistics, manufacturing, storage, real estate, and information technology assets. Virtually none of our lease agreements contain escalation clauses or step rent provisions. We also have supply contracts with various third parties for certain raw materials, including ethylene, electricity, propylene and cumene. These contracts have initial terms ranging from several to 20 years. Our long-term contractual commitments associated with operating leases and purchasing commitments consisted of the following:
| Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | More than 5 Years | Total | ||||||||||||||
| Lease and Purchase Commitments | ($ in millions) | |||||||||||||||||
| Lease Commitments | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operating leases | $ | 75.4 | $ | 108.8 | $ | 77.3 | $ | 107.3 | $ | 368.8 | ||||||||
| Purchase Commitments | ||||||||||||||||||
| Raw materials / utilities | 592.4 | 966.4 | 862.1 | 2,490.5 | 4,911.4 | |||||||||||||
| Capital expenditures | 44.2 | — | — | — | 44.2 | |||||||||||||
| Total purchase commitments | $ | 636.6 | $ | 966.4 | $ | 862.1 | $ | 2,490.5 | $ | 4,955.6 |
Other Guarantees
We also have standby letters of credit outstanding of $166.8 million of which $0.4 million have been issued under our Senior Revolving Credit Facility. The letters of credit were used to support certain long-term debt, workers compensation insurance policies, plant closure and post-closure obligations, international payment obligations and international pension funding requirements.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, sales and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Significant estimates in our consolidated financial statements include goodwill recoverability, environmental, restructuring and other unusual items,
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litigation, income tax reserves including deferred tax asset valuation allowances, pension, postretirement and other benefits and allowance for doubtful accounts. We base our estimates on prior experience, current facts and circumstances and other assumptions. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
We believe the following critical accounting estimates are the more significant judgments used in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements.
Goodwill
Goodwill is not amortized, but is reviewed for impairment annually in the fourth quarter and/or when circumstances or other events indicate that impairment may have occurred. ASC 350 “Intangibles—Goodwill and Other” permits entities to make a qualitative assessment of whether it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying amount before applying a quantitative goodwill impairment test. Circumstances that are considered as part of the qualitative assessment and could trigger a quantitative impairment test include, but are not limited to: a significant adverse change in the business climate; a significant adverse legal judgment; adverse cash flow trends; an adverse action or assessment by a government agency; unanticipated competition; sustained decline in our stock price; and a significant restructuring charge within a reporting unit. We define reporting units at the business segment level or one level below the business segment level. For purposes of testing goodwill for impairment, goodwill has been allocated to our reporting units to the extent it relates to each reporting unit.
It is our practice, at a minimum, to perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test in the fourth quarter every three years. In the fourth quarter of 2023, we performed our triennial quantitative goodwill impairment test for our reporting units. We use a discounted cash flow approach to develop the estimated fair value of a reporting unit when a quantitative review is performed. Management judgment is required in developing the assumptions for the discounted cash flow model. We also corroborate our discounted cash flow analysis by evaluating a market-based approach that considers earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) multiples from a representative sample of comparable public companies. As a further indicator that each reporting unit has been valued appropriately using a discounted cash flow model, the aggregate fair value of all reporting units is reconciled to the total market value of Olin. An impairment would be recorded if the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeded the estimated fair value. Based on the aforementioned analysis, the estimated fair value of our reporting units exceeded the carrying value of the reporting units.
Fair value determinations require considerable judgment and are sensitive to changes in underlying assumptions, estimates and market factors. The discount rate, profitability assumptions and terminal growth rate of our reporting units and the supply and demand fundamentals of the chlor alkali industry are material assumptions utilized in the discounted cash flow model used to estimate the fair value of each reporting unit. The discount rate reflects a weighted-average cost of capital, which is calculated, in part based on observable market data. Some of this data (such as the risk free or treasury rate and the pretax cost of debt) are based on the market data at a point in time. Other data (such as the equity risk premium) are based upon market data over time for a peer group of companies in the chemical manufacturing or distribution industries with a market capitalization premium added, as applicable. Also factoring into the discount rate is a market participant’s perceived risk (such as the company specific risk premium) in the valuation implied by the sustained reduction in our stock price.
The discounted cash flow analysis requires estimates, assumptions and judgments about future events. Our analysis uses our internally generated long-range plan. Specifically, the assumptions in our long-range plan about terminal growth rates, forecasted capital expenditures and changes in future working capital requirements are used to determine the estimated fair value of each reporting unit. The long-range plan reflects management judgment, supplemented by independent chemical industry analyses which provide multi-year chlor alkali industry operating and pricing forecasts.
As a further indicator that each reporting unit has been valued appropriately using a discounted cash flow model, the aggregate fair value of all reporting units is reconciled to the total market value of Olin. We believe the assumptions used in our goodwill impairment analysis are appropriate and result in reasonable estimates of the implied fair value of each reporting unit. However, given the economic environment and the uncertainties regarding the impact on our business, there can be no assurance that our estimates and assumptions, made for purposes of our goodwill impairment testing, will prove to be an accurate prediction of the future.
Environmental
Accruals (charges to income) for environmental matters are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated, based on current law and existing technologies. These amounts, which are not discounted and are exclusive of claims against third parties, are adjusted periodically as assessments and remediation efforts progress or additional technical or legal information becomes available. Environmental costs are capitalized if the costs increase the value of the property and/or mitigate or prevent contamination from future operations. Environmental costs and recoveries are included in costs of goods sold.
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Environmental exposures are difficult to assess for numerous reasons, including the identification of new sites, developments at sites resulting from investigatory studies, advances in technology, changes in environmental laws and regulations and their application, changes in regulatory authorities, the scarcity of reliable data pertaining to identified sites, the difficulty in assessing the involvement and financial capability of other potentially responsible parties (PRPs) and our ability to obtain contributions from other parties and the lengthy time periods over which site remediation occurs. It is possible that some of these matters (the outcomes of which are subject to various uncertainties) may be resolved unfavorably to us, which could materially adversely affect our financial position, cash flows or results of operations.
NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
Discussion of new accounting pronouncements can be referred to under Item 8, within Note 3, “Recent Accounting Pronouncements.”
DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
We are exposed to market risk in the normal course of our business operations due to our purchases of certain commodities, our ongoing investing and financing activities and our operations that use foreign currencies. The risk of loss can be assessed from the perspective of adverse changes in fair values, cash flows and future earnings. We have established policies and procedures governing our management of market risks and the use of financial instruments to manage exposure to such risks. ASC 815 “Derivatives and Hedging” (ASC 815) requires an entity to recognize all derivatives as either assets or liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets and measure those instruments at fair value. In accordance with ASC 815, we designate derivative contracts as cash flow hedges of forecasted purchases of commodities and forecasted interest payments related to variable-rate borrowings and designate certain interest rate swaps as fair value hedges of fixed-rate borrowings. We do not enter into any derivative instruments for trading or speculative purposes.
Energy costs, including electricity and natural gas, and certain raw materials used in our production processes are subject to price volatility. Depending on market conditions, we may enter into futures contracts, forward contracts, commodity swaps and put and call option contracts in order to reduce the impact of commodity price fluctuations. The majority of our commodity derivatives expire within one year.
For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the change in fair value of the derivative is recognized as a component of other comprehensive income (loss) until the hedged item is recognized in earnings.
We use cash flow hedges for certain raw material and energy costs such as copper, zinc, ethane, electricity and natural gas to provide a measure of stability in managing our exposure to price fluctuations associated with forecasted purchases of raw materials and energy used in our manufacturing process. Settlements on commodity derivative contracts resulted in (losses) gains of $(30.6) million, $(72.5) million, and $58.2 million in 2024, 2023, and 2022, respectively, which were included in cost of goods sold. At December 31, 2024, we had open derivative notional contract positions through 2028 totaling $204.5 million. If all open futures contracts had been settled on December 31, 2024, we would have recognized a pretax gain of $10.2 million.
If commodity prices were to remain at December 31, 2024 levels, approximately $6.5 million of deferred gains, net of tax, would be reclassified into earnings during the next twelve months. The actual effect on earnings will be dependent on actual commodity prices when the forecasted transactions occur.
We use interest rate swaps as a means of minimizing cash flow fluctuations that may arise from volatility in interest rates of our variable-rate borrowings. We also use interest rate swaps as a means of managing interest expense and floating interest rate exposure to optimal levels. For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a fair value hedge, the gain or loss on the derivative as well as the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk are recognized in current earnings. We include the gain or loss on the hedged items (fixed-rate borrowings) in the same line item, interest expense, as the offsetting loss or gain on the related interest rate swaps. There were no outstanding interest rate swaps at December 31, 2024 and 2023.
We actively manage currency exposures that are associated with net monetary asset positions, currency purchases and sales commitments denominated in foreign currencies and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities created in the normal course of business. We enter into forward sales and purchase contracts to manage currency risk to offset our net exposures, by currency, related to the foreign currency denominated monetary assets and liabilities of our operations. All of the currency derivatives expire within one year and are for USD equivalents. The counterparties to the forward contracts are large financial institutions; however, the risk of loss to us in the event of nonperformance by a counterparty could impact our financial position or results of operations. We had the following notional amounts of outstanding forward contracts to buy and sell foreign currency:
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| December 31, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||
| Foreign Currency | ($ in millions) | |||
| Buy | — | 21.0 | ||
| Sell | 133.7 | 140.2 |
Our foreign currency forward contracts and certain commodity derivatives did not meet the criteria to qualify for hedge accounting. The effect on operating results of items not qualifying for hedge accounting was a gain (loss) of $17.0 million, $(15.7) million and $(27.3) million in 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
The fair value of our derivative asset and liability balances were:
| December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| Derivative Assets and Liabilities | ($ in millions) | |||||
| Other current assets | $ | 14.5 | $ | 2.1 | ||
| Other assets | 2.0 | 3.2 | ||||
| Total derivative asset | $ | 16.5 | $ | 5.3 | ||
| Accrued liabilities | $ | 3.3 | $ | 31.9 | ||
| Other liabilities | 0.4 | 0.5 | ||||
| Total derivative liability | $ | 3.7 | $ | 32.4 |
FY 2023 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000074303-24-000041.
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
BUSINESS BACKGROUND
Olin Corporation (Olin) is a Virginia corporation, incorporated in 1892, having its principal executive offices in Clayton, MO. We are a leading vertically integrated global manufacturer and distributor of chemical products and a leading U.S. manufacturer of ammunition. Our operations are concentrated in three business segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls, Epoxy and Winchester. All of our business segments are capital-intensive manufacturing businesses. The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment manufactures and sells chlorine and caustic soda, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomer, methyl chloride, methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, perchloroethylene, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen, bleach products and potassium hydroxide. The Epoxy segment produces and sells a full range of epoxy materials and precursors, including aromatics (acetone and phenol), allyl chloride, epichlorohydrin, liquid epoxy resins, solid epoxy resins and systems and growth products such as converted epoxy resins and additives. The Winchester segment produces and sells sporting ammunition, reloading components, small caliber military ammunition and components, industrial cartridges and clay targets.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS
2023 Overview
Net income was $460.2 million for 2023 compared to $1,326.9 million for 2022, a decrease of $866.7 million, or 65%. The decrease in net income from the prior year was primarily due to lower operating results across all of our business segments. Net income for 2023 also reflects a pretax gain of $27.0 million from the sale of our domestic private trucking fleet and operations. Diluted net income per share was $3.57 for 2023 compared to $8.94 for 2022, a decrease of $5.37 per share, or 60%. The decrease in diluted net income per share was positively impacted by share repurchases throughout 2023.
On October 1, 2023, Olin acquired the assets of White Flyer from Reagent for $63.9 million. White Flyer designs, manufactures and sells recreational trap, skeet, international and sporting clay targets and has been included in our Winchester segment.
On January 10, 2023, BWA, our joint venture with Mitsui, began operations. BWA is an independent global trader of ECU-based derivatives, focused on globally traded caustic soda and EDC. Olin holds 51% interest and exercises control in BWA, and the joint venture is consolidated in our financial statements in our Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment, with Mitsui’s 49% interest in BWA classified as noncontrolling interest. All intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls reported segment income of $664.2 million for 2023 compared to $1,181.3 million for 2022. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results were lower than in the prior year due to lower volumes and lower pricing, partially offset by lower raw material and operating costs. The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls 2023 segment results were also negatively impacted by the second quarter’s maintenance turnaround and related operating issues at our vinyl chloride monomer plant at the Freeport, TX facility, which resulted in higher costs and reduced profit from lost sales of $104.2 million. The vinyl chloride monomer plant resumed normal operations in the latter half of the third quarter.
Epoxy reported segment loss of $31.0 million for 2023 compared to segment income of $388.5 million for 2022. Epoxy segment results were lower than in the prior year primarily due to lower volumes and lower product pricing. Epoxy segment results in 2023 have been impacted by significant exports out of Asia into the European and North American markets, negatively impacting pricing and volumes. Partially offsetting the lower volumes and pricing were lower raw material and operating costs.
Winchester reported segment income of $255.6 million for 2023 compared to $372.9 million for 2022. Winchester segment results were lower than in the prior year primarily due to lower commercial volumes and pricing, partially offset by higher domestic and international military sales.
Liquidity and Share Repurchases
During 2023, we repurchased and retired 13.3 million shares of common stock at a total value of $711.3 million. As of December 31, 2023, we have $997.0 million of remaining authorized common stock to be repurchased under the 2022 Repurchase Authorization program.
During 2023, we had net borrowings of $85.9 million with $68.0 million borrowed under our Senior Revolving Credit Facility and $28.5 million borrowed under our Receivables Financing Agreement.
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CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| ($ in millions, except per share data) | ||||||||||
| Sales | $ | 6,833.0 | $ | 9,376.2 | $ | 8,910.6 | ||||
| Cost of goods sold | 5,667.5 | 7,194.3 | 6,616.4 | |||||||
| Gross margin | 1,165.5 | 2,181.9 | 2,294.2 | |||||||
| Selling and administrative | 406.7 | 393.9 | 416.9 | |||||||
| Restructuring charges | 89.6 | 25.3 | 27.9 | |||||||
| Other operating income | 42.9 | 16.3 | 1.4 | |||||||
| Operating income | 712.1 | 1,779.0 | 1,850.8 | |||||||
| Interest expense | 181.1 | 143.9 | 348.0 | |||||||
| Interest income | 4.3 | 2.2 | 0.2 | |||||||
| Non-operating pension income | 24.0 | 38.7 | 35.7 | |||||||
| Income before taxes | 559.3 | 1,676.0 | 1,538.7 | |||||||
| Income tax provision | 107.3 | 349.1 | 242.0 | |||||||
| Net income | 452.0 | 1,326.9 | 1,296.7 | |||||||
| Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests | (8.2) | — | — | |||||||
| Net income attributable to Olin Corporation | $ | 460.2 | $ | 1,326.9 | $ | 1,296.7 | ||||
| Net income attributable to Olin Corporation per common share: | ||||||||||
| Basic | $ | 3.66 | $ | 9.16 | $ | 8.15 | ||||
| Diluted | $ | 3.57 | $ | 8.94 | $ | 7.96 |
2023 Compared to 2022
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 strategic 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.
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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 taxes, 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 taxes, 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.
2022 Compared to 2021
Sales for 2022 were $9,376.2 million compared to $8,910.6 million in 2021, an increase of $465.6 million, or 5%. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales increased by $944.2 million, primarily due to higher pricing across all products, except vinyls intermediates, partially offset by lower volumes. Winchester sales increased by $16.9 million, primarily due to increased commercial ammunition pricing partially offset by lower volumes. Epoxy sales decreased by $495.5 million, primarily due to lower volumes partially offset by higher product prices.
Gross margin in 2022 decreased $112.3 million from 2021. Epoxy gross margin decreased by $238.4 million, and Winchester gross margin decreased by $36.2 million, primarily due to lower volumes and higher raw material and operating costs, partially offset by higher product pricing. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls gross margin increased by $185.2 million, primarily due to higher pricing, partially offset by higher raw material and operating costs and lower volumes. Gross margin as a percentage of sales decreased to 23% in 2022 from 26% in 2021.
Selling and administrative expenses in 2022 decreased $23.0 million, or 6%, from 2021. The decrease was primarily due to the lower variable incentive compensation expense of $35.4 million, which includes mark-to-market adjustments on stock-based compensation expense, partially offset by higher legal and legal-related settlement expense of $7.1 million and an unfavorable foreign currency impact of $7.5 million. Selling and administrative expenses as a percentage of sales decreased to 4% in 2022 from 5% in 2021.
Restructuring charges for 2022 were $25.3 million compared to $27.9 million in 2021. The decrease in charges was primarily due to a productivity initiative to align the organization with our new operating model and improve efficiencies, which was completed during the second quarter of 2021, which resulted in pretax restructuring charges of $10.1 million for 2021. Partially offsetting this action, during the fourth quarter 2022, we committed and completed a plan to close down one of our bisphenol production lines at our Stade, Germany site. This action resulted in pretax restructuring charges of $8.0 million for 2022.
Other operating income for 2022 included $13.0 million of gains from the sale of two former manufacturing facilities.
Interest expense in 2022 decreased by $204.1 million from 2021. Interest expense for 2021 included $137.7 million of bond redemption premiums and $14.5 million for write-off of deferred debt issuance costs, write-off of bond original issue discount, and recognition of deferred fair value interest rate swap losses. Interest expense for 2022 and 2021 was reduced by capitalized interest of $3.1 million and $3.2 million, respectively. Without these items, interest expense decreased by $52.0 million, primarily due to a lower level of debt outstanding and lower average interest rates.
Non-operating pension income includes all components of pension and other postretirement income (costs) other than service costs.
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 taxes, 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. The effective tax rate for 2021 included benefits from a net decrease in the valuation allowance related to
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deferred tax assets in foreign jurisdictions, domestic tax credits, prior year tax positions, stock-based compensation, and expenses from remeasurement of deferred taxes due to an increase in our state effective tax rates and a change in tax contingencies. These factors resulted in a net $103.6 million tax benefit. Excluding these items, the effective tax rate for 2021 of 22.5% was higher than the 21.0% U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to state taxes, foreign income inclusions and foreign rate differential, partially offset by a net decrease in the valuation allowance related to utilization of losses in foreign jurisdictions and favorable permanent salt depletion deductions.
SEGMENT RESULTS
We define segment results as income (loss) before interest expense, interest income, other operating income (expense), non-operating pension income, other income and income taxes. We have three operating segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls, Epoxy and Winchester. The three operating segments reflect the organization used by our management for purposes of allocating resources and assessing performance. Chlorine and caustic soda used in our Epoxy segment is transferred at cost from the Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment.
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Sales: | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls | $ | 3,995.1 | $ | 5,085.0 | $ | 4,140.8 | ||||
| Epoxy | 1,329.2 | 2,690.5 | 3,186.0 | |||||||
| Winchester | 1,508.7 | 1,600.7 | 1,583.8 | |||||||
| Total sales | $ | 6,833.0 | $ | 9,376.2 | $ | 8,910.6 | ||||
| Income before taxes: | ||||||||||
| Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls | $ | 664.2 | $ | 1,181.3 | $ | 997.8 | ||||
| Epoxy | (31.0) | 388.5 | 616.5 | |||||||
| Winchester | 255.6 | 372.9 | 412.1 | |||||||
| Corporate/Other: | ||||||||||
| Environmental expense(1) | (23.7) | (23.2) | (14.0) | |||||||
| Other corporate and unallocated costs | (106.3) | (131.5) | (135.1) | |||||||
| Restructuring charges | (89.6) | (25.3) | (27.9) | |||||||
| Other operating income(2) | 42.9 | 16.3 | 1.4 | |||||||
| Interest expense(3) | (181.1) | (143.9) | (348.0) | |||||||
| Interest income | 4.3 | 2.2 | 0.2 | |||||||
| Non-operating pension income | 24.0 | 38.7 | 35.7 | |||||||
| Income before taxes | $ | 559.3 | $ | 1,676.0 | $ | 1,538.7 |
(1)Environmental expense for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, included $6.4 million, $1.0 million and $2.2 million, respectively, of insurance recoveries for environmental costs incurred and expensed in prior periods. Environmental expense is included in cost of goods sold in the consolidated statements of operations.
(2)Other operating income for the year ended December 31, 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 the year ended December 31, 2022, included $13.0 million of gains from the sale of two former manufacturing facilities. Other operating income for the year ended December 31, 2021, included a $1.4 million gain from the sale of a terminal facility.
(3)Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2021, included a loss on extinguishment of debt of $152.2 million which includes bond redemption premiums, write-off of deferred debt issuance costs, bond original issue discount, and recognition of deferred fair value interest rate swap losses associated with the optional prepayment of existing debt. Interest expense was reduced by capitalized interest of $2.8 million, $3.1 million and $3.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls
2023 Compared to 2022
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales for 2023 were $3,995.1 million compared to $5,085.0 million in 2022, a decrease of $1,089.9 million, or 21%. The sales decrease was primarily due to lower volumes across all products and lower prices, primarily caustic soda and EDC, partially offset by products sold by BWA.
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Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls reported segment income of $664.2 million for 2023 compared to $1,181.3 million for 2022, a decrease of $517.1 million. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls operating results were negatively impacted by lower volumes across all products ($846.4 million) and lower prices, primarily caustic soda and EDC ($51.4 million), partially offset by lower raw material and operating costs ($341.0 million), primarily lower natural gas and electrical power costs, and decreased costs associated with product purchased from other parties ($39.7 million). The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results were also negatively impacted by higher costs and reduced profit from lost sales associated with operating issues related to the second quarter’s maintenance turnaround at our vinyl chloride monomer plant at the Freeport, TX facility. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $440.7 million and $482.2 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively.
2022 Compared to 2021
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales for 2022 were $5,085.0 million compared to $4,140.8 million in 2021, an increase of $944.2 million, or 23%. The sales increase was primarily due to higher pricing across all products except vinyls intermediates, partially offset by lower volumes.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls reported segment income of $1,181.3 million for 2022 compared to $997.8 million for 2021, an increase of $183.5 million. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls 2021 operating results were favorably impacted by Winter Storm Uri ($121.4 million), which includes a net one-time benefit associated with Olin’s customary financial hedges and contracts maintained to provide protection from rapid and dramatic changes in energy costs, partially offset by unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs and storm-related maintenance costs. Without the impact of Winter Storm Uri, the increase in segment results of $304.9 million was due to higher prices across all products, except vinyls intermediates ($1,495.9 million), partially offset by higher raw material and operating costs ($491.4 million), primarily increased natural gas and electrical power costs, lower volumes across all products ($479.2 million) and increased costs associated with product purchased from other parties ($220.4 million). Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $482.2 million and $466.4 million in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Epoxy
2023 Compared to 2022
Epoxy sales were $1,329.2 million for 2023 compared to $2,690.5 million in 2022, a decrease of $1,361.3 million, or 51%. The sales decrease was primarily due to the closure of our cumene facility and one of our bisphenol production lines ($649.4 million), lower product prices ($419.6 million), lower volumes ($291.9 million) and an unfavorable effect of foreign currency translation ($0.4 million).
Epoxy reported segment loss of $31.0 million for 2023 compared to segment income of $388.5 million for 2022, a decrease of $419.5 million. The decrease in segment results was due to lower product prices ($419.6 million) and lower volumes ($138.6 million), which were both impacted by significant exports out of Asia into the European and North American markets, partially offset by lower raw material costs and operating costs ($138.7 million). A significant percentage of our Euro denominated sales are of products manufactured within Europe. As a result, the impact of foreign currency translation on revenue is primarily offset by the impact of foreign currency translation on raw materials and manufacturing costs also denominated in Euros. Epoxy segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $57.4 million and $83.3 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively.
2022 Compared to 2021
Epoxy sales were $2,690.5 million for 2022 compared to $3,186.0 million for 2021, a decrease of $495.5 million, or 16%. The sales decrease was due to lower volumes ($942.1 million) and an unfavorable effect of foreign currency translation ($144.1 million), partially offset by higher product prices ($590.7 million).
Epoxy reported segment income of $388.5 million for 2022 compared to $616.5 million for 2021, a decrease of $228.0 million. Epoxy 2021 operating results were unfavorably impacted by Winter Storm Uri ($21.5 million), which included unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs and storm-related maintenance costs. Without the impact of Winter Storm Uri, the decrease in segment results of $249.5 million was due to lower volumes ($460.5 million), higher raw material costs ($260.3 million), primarily benzene and propylene, higher operating costs ($106.5 million), primarily increased natural gas and electrical power costs, and a net unfavorable foreign currency impact ($12.9 million). These decreases were partially offset by higher product prices ($590.7 million). A significant percentage of our Euro denominated sales are of products manufactured within Europe. As a result, the impact of foreign currency translation on revenue is primarily offset by the impact of foreign currency translation on raw materials and manufacturing costs also denominated in Euros. Epoxy segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $83.3 million and $86.1 million in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
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Winchester
2023 Compared to 2022
Winchester sales were $1,508.7 million for 2023 compared to $1,600.7 million in 2022, a decrease of $92.0 million, or 6%. The decrease was due to lower ammunition sales to commercial customers ($272.6 million) and law enforcement agencies ($7.5 million), partially offset by higher sales to domestic and international military customers ($188.1 million). The lower commercial sales were primarily due to lower volumes, partially offset by fourth quarter 2023 sales from White Flyer.
Winchester reported segment income of $255.6 million for 2023 compared to $372.9 million for 2022, a decrease of $117.3 million. The decrease in segment results was due to lower volumes and an unfavorable product mix ($61.4 million), lower product pricing ($40.0 million), and higher commodity and operating costs ($15.9 million). Winchester segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $27.2 million and $24.6 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively.
2022 Compared to 2021
Winchester sales were $1,600.7 million for 2022 compared to $1,583.8 million for 2021, an increase of $16.9 million, or 1%. The increase was due to higher sales to military customers ($23.7 million) and law enforcement agencies ($18.2 million) partially offset by lower commercial sales ($25.0 million). The lower commercial sales were primarily due to lower volumes, partially offset by higher pricing. During 2022, Winchester experienced a transition in its commercial ammunition business from refilling depleted supply chains to filling inventories at the rate of its customers’ sales. In some cases, customers inventories became too high, so Winchester chose to preserve value by manufacturing and selling less commercial ammunition.
Winchester reported segment income of $372.9 million for 2022 compared to $412.1 million for 2021, a decrease of $39.2 million. The decrease in segment results was due to higher commodity and operating costs ($86.9 million) and lower volumes ($80.8 million), partially offset by higher product pricing ($128.4 million). Winchester segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $24.6 million and $23.3 million in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Corporate/Other
2023 Compared to 2022
For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, environmental expense included $6.4 million and $1.0 million, respectively, of insurance recoveries for environmental costs incurred and expensed in prior periods. Without these recoveries, charges to income for environmental investigatory and remedial activities for the year ended December 31, 2023, would have been $30.1 million, compared to $24.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. These charges related primarily to expected future investigatory and remedial activities associated with past manufacturing operations and former waste disposal sites.
For 2023, other corporate and unallocated costs were $106.3 million compared to $131.5 million for 2022, a decrease of $25.2 million, or 19%. The decrease was primarily due to lower legal and legal-related settlement expenses ($13.8 million), a favorable foreign currency impact ($5.5 million) and lower variable incentive compensation costs ($4.2 million), which includes mark-to-market adjustments on stock-based compensation expense.
2022 Compared to 2021
For the years ended December 2022 and 2021, environmental expense included $1.0 million and $2.2 million, respectively, of insurance recoveries for environmental costs incurred and expensed in prior periods. Without these recoveries, charges to income for environmental investigatory and remedial activities for the year ended December 31, 2022, would have been $24.2 million, compared to $16.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. These charges related primarily to expected future investigatory and remedial activities associated with past manufacturing operations and former waste disposal sites.
For 2022, other corporate and unallocated costs were $131.5 million compared to $135.1 million for 2021, a decrease of $3.6 million, or 3%. The decrease was primarily due to lower variable incentive compensation costs ($27.9 million), which includes mark-to-market adjustments on stock-based compensation expense, partially offset by higher legal and legal-related settlement expenses ($7.6 million) and an unfavorable foreign currency impact ($7.1 million).
Restructurings
As a result of weak global resin demand and higher cost structures within the European region, we began a review of our global Epoxy asset footprint to optimize the most productive and cost-effective assets to support our strategic operating model. As part of this review, we announced operational cessations in the fourth quarter of 2022 and the first half of 2023 (collectively, Epoxy Optimization Plan).
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On June 20, 2023, we announced we had made the decision to cease all remaining operations at our Gumi, South Korea facility, reduce epoxy resin capacity at our Freeport, TX facility, and reduce our sales and support staffing across Asia. These actions were substantially completed by December 31, 2023. On March 21, 2023, we announced we had made the decision to cease operations at our cumene facility in Terneuzen, Netherlands and solid epoxy resin production at our facilities in Gumi, South Korea and Guaruja, Brazil. The closures were completed in the first quarter 2023. During the fourth quarter of 2022, we committed to and completed a plan to close down one of our bisphenol production lines at our Stade, Germany site. For the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we recorded pretax restructuring charges of $73.4 million and $8.0 million, respectively, for the write-off of equipment and facility costs, employee severance and related benefit costs, contract termination costs and facility exit costs related to these actions. We expect to incur additional restructuring charges through 2025 of approximately $25 million related to these actions.
In 2023 and 2022, Olin incurred charges of $16.2 million and $17.3 million, respectively, associated with other previously disclosed restructuring plans. We expect to incur additional restructuring charges through 2027 of approximately $45 million related to these actions.
2024 OUTLOOK
In the fourth quarter of 2023, we executed an initiative which lowered our participation in ECU markets and adjusted our operating rates to mitigate the declining pricing environment we experienced during the second half of 2023. We expect this initiative will continue through most of the first quarter 2024. Our fourth quarter Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls operating results were negatively impacted by this initiative. We expect the first quarter 2024 operating results from our Chemicals business to be slightly higher than the fourth quarter 2023. We also expect our Winchester business first quarter 2024 results to increase sequentially from fourth quarter 2023. Overall, we expect Olin’s first quarter 2024 operating results to be slightly higher than the fourth quarter 2023 levels.
Other corporate and unallocated costs in 2024 are expected to be higher than the $106.3 million in 2023.
During 2024, we anticipate environmental expenses in the $25 million to $35 million range, compared to $23.7 million in 2023.
We expect non-operating pension income in 2024 to be similar to the $24.0 million in 2023. Based on our plan assumptions and estimates, we will not be required to make any cash contributions to our domestic qualified defined benefit pension plan in 2024. We have several international qualified defined benefit pension plans for which we anticipate cash contributions of less than $5 million in 2024.
In 2024, we currently expect our capital spending to be in the $225 million to $250 million range and we expect to make payments under other long-term supply contracts in the $25 million to $50 million range for energy modernization on the U.S. Gulf Coast. We expect 2024 depreciation and amortization expense to be in the $500 million to $525 million range.
We currently believe the 2024 effective tax rate will be in the 25% to 30% range and our cash tax rate to be in the 35% to 40% range as a result of previously deferred international tax payments expected to be made in 2024.
PENSION AND POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS
We recorded an after-tax charge of $13.2 million ($18.1 million pretax) to shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2023, for our pension and other postretirement plans. This charge primarily reflected a 30-basis point decrease in the domestic pension plans’ discount rate and a 50-basis point decrease in the international defined benefit pension plans’ discount rate, partially offset by a favorable performance on plan assets during 2023. In 2022, we recorded an after-tax benefit of $46.8 million ($72.1 million pretax) to shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2022, for our pension and other postretirement plans. This benefit primarily reflected a 260-basis point increase in the domestic pension plans’ discount rate and a 230-basis point increase in the international defined benefit pension plans’ discount rate, partially offset by unfavorable performance on plan assets during 2022. In 2021, we recorded an after-tax benefit of $188.5 million ($249.7 million pretax) to shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2021, for our pension and other postretirement plans. This benefit primarily reflected a 50-basis point increase in the domestic pension plans’ discount rate and favorable performance on plan assets during 2021.
Based on our plan assumptions and estimates, we will not be required to make any cash contributions to the domestic qualified defined benefit pension plan at least through 2024.
In connection with international qualified defined benefit pension plans, we made cash contributions of $1.0 million, $1.3 million and $1.1 million in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and we anticipate less than $5 million of cash contributions to international qualified defined benefit pension plans in 2024.
At December 31, 2023, the projected benefit obligation of $2,144.5 million exceeded the market value of assets in our qualified defined benefit pension plans by $226.5 million, as calculated under Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 715 “Compensation—Retirement Benefits”.
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Components of net periodic benefit (income) costs were:
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Net Periodic Benefit (Income) Costs | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Pension benefits | $ | (20.7) | $ | (33.0) | $ | (27.5) | ||||
| Other postretirement benefit costs | 3.1 | 3.8 | 4.5 |
The service cost component of net periodic benefit (income) costs related to employees of the operating segments are allocated to the operating segments based on their respective estimated census data.
We have included additional information with respect our defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans within Note 13 “Pension Plans” and Note 14 “Postretirement Benefits” of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Cash Outlays | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Remedial and investigatory spending (charged to reserve) | $ | 25.9 | $ | 24.6 | $ | 16.4 | ||||
| Capital spending | 1.3 | 1.5 | 4.1 | |||||||
| Plant operations (charged to cost of goods sold) | 176.2 | 178.8 | 194.9 | |||||||
| Total cash outlays | $ | 203.4 | $ | 204.9 | $ | 215.4 |
Cash outlays for remedial and investigatory activities associated with former waste sites and past operations were not charged to income but instead were charged to reserves established for such costs identified and expensed to income in prior years. Cash outlays for normal plant operations for the disposal of waste and the operation and maintenance of pollution control equipment and facilities to ensure compliance with mandated and voluntarily imposed environmental quality standards were charged to income.
Total environmental-related cash outlays for 2024 are estimated to be approximately $210 million, of which approximately $25 million to $35 million is expected to be spent on investigatory and remedial efforts, approximately $5 million on capital projects and approximately $175 million on normal plant operations. Historically, we have funded our environmental capital expenditures through cash flow from operations and expect to do so in the future.
Annual environmental-related cash outlays for site investigation and remediation, capital projects and normal plant operations are expected to range between $200 million to $220 million over the next several years, $25 million to $35 million of which is for investigatory and remedial efforts, which are expected to be charged against reserves recorded on our consolidated balance sheet. While we do not anticipate a material increase in the projected annual level of our environmental-related cash outlays for site investigation and remediation, there is always the possibility that such an increase may occur in the future in view of the uncertainties associated with environmental exposures.
Our liabilities for future environmental expenditures were as follows:
| December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| Environmental Liabilities | ($ in millions) | |||||
| Beginning balance | $ | 146.6 | $ | 147.3 | ||
| Charges to income | 30.1 | 24.2 | ||||
| Remedial and investigatory spending | (25.9) | (24.6) | ||||
| Other | 2.8 | (0.3) | ||||
| Ending balance | $ | 153.6 | $ | 146.6 |
As is common in our industry, we are subject to environmental laws and regulations related to the use, storage, handling, generation, transportation, emission, discharge, disposal and remediation of, and exposure to, hazardous and non-hazardous substances and wastes in all of the countries in which we do business.
The establishment and implementation of national, state or provincial and local standards to regulate air, water and land quality affect substantially all of our manufacturing locations around the world. Laws providing for regulation of the
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manufacture, transportation, use and disposal of hazardous and toxic substances, and remediation of contaminated sites, have imposed additional regulatory requirements on industry, particularly the chemicals industry. In addition, implementation of environmental laws has required and will continue to require new capital expenditures and will increase plant operating costs. We employ waste minimization and pollution prevention programs at our manufacturing sites.
We are party to various government and private environmental actions associated with past manufacturing facilities and former waste disposal sites. Associated costs of investigatory and remedial activities are provided for in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles governing probability and the ability to reasonably estimate future costs. Our ability to estimate future costs depends on whether our investigatory and remedial activities are in preliminary or advanced stages. With respect to unasserted claims, we accrue liabilities for costs that, in our experience, we expect to incur to protect our interests against those unasserted claims. Our accrued liabilities for unasserted claims amounted to $11.6 million at December 31, 2023. With respect to asserted claims, we accrue liabilities based on remedial investigation, feasibility study, remedial action and operation, maintenance and monitoring (OM&M) expenses that, in our experience, we expect to incur in connection with the asserted claims. Required site OM&M expenses are estimated and accrued in their entirety for required periods not exceeding 30 years, which reasonably approximates the typical duration of long-term site OM&M.
Environmental provisions charged to income, which are included in cost of goods sold, were as follows:
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Environmental Expense | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Provisions charged to income | $ | 30.1 | $ | 24.2 | $ | 16.2 | ||||
| Insurance recoveries(1) | (6.4) | (1.0) | (2.2) | |||||||
| Environmental expense | $ | 23.7 | $ | 23.2 | $ | 14.0 |
(1) Insurance recoveries for costs incurred and expensed in prior periods.
These charges relate primarily to remedial and investigatory activities associated with past manufacturing operations and former waste disposal sites and may be material to operating results in future years.
We have included additional information with respect to environmental matters within Note 21, “Environmental,” of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
LEGAL MATTERS AND CONTINGENCIES
Please see the discussion of legal matters and contingencies within Item 8, under the heading of “Legal Matters” within Note 23 “Commitments and Contingencies.”
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Cash Flow Data
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Provided by (Used for) | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Net operating activities | $ | 974.3 | $ | 1,921.9 | $ | 1,741.0 | ||||
| Capital expenditures | (236.0) | (236.9) | (200.6) | |||||||
| Business acquired in purchase transaction, net of cash acquired | (63.9) | — | — | |||||||
| Payments under other long-term supply contracts | (64.5) | (37.7) | — | |||||||
| Proceeds from disposition of property, plant and equipment | 28.8 | 14.9 | 3.2 | |||||||
| Net investing activities | (340.8) | (259.7) | (197.4) | |||||||
| Long-term debt borrowings (repayments), net | 85.9 | (201.1) | (1,103.1) | |||||||
| Debt early redemption premiums | — | — | (137.7) | |||||||
| Common stock repurchased and retired | (711.3) | (1,350.7) | (251.9) | |||||||
| Stock options exercised | 25.4 | 25.7 | 72.4 | |||||||
| Dividends paid | (101.0) | (116.2) | (127.8) | |||||||
| Contributions received from noncontrolling interests | 44.1 | — | — | |||||||
| Net financing activities | (656.9) | (1,646.7) | (1,552.0) |
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Operating Activities
For 2023, cash provided by operating activities decreased by $947.6 million from 2022, primarily due to a decrease in operating results compared with the prior year. For 2023, working capital decreased $68.6 million, compared to a decrease of $65.2 million in 2022. Inventories decreased by $94.4 million from December 31, 2022, primarily due to inventory destocking efforts. A portion of the working capital decrease in 2023 was offset by incremental working capital associated with BWA.
For 2022, cash provided by operating activities increased by $180.9 million from 2021, primarily due to a decrease in working capital compared with the prior year. For 2022, working capital decreased $65.2 million, compared to an increase of $243.1 million in 2021. Receivables decreased by $160.8 million from December 31, 2021, primarily as a result of lower sales in the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to fourth quarter of 2021. Inventories increased by $86.3 million from December 31, 2021, primarily as a result of increased raw material costs and increased inventory quantities within our Winchester and Epoxy businesses.
Investing Activities
Capital spending was $236.0 million and $236.9 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively. In 2024, we expect our capital spending to be in the $225 million to $250 million range. Our capital spending forecast represents normal capital spending to maintain our current operating facilities.
On October 1, 2023, Olin acquired the assets of White Flyer from Reagent for $63.9 million. The acquisition was financed with cash on hand.
For the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, payments of $64.5 million and $37.7 million, respectively, were made under other long-term supply contracts for energy modernization projects on the U.S. Gulf Coast and we expect to make payments in the $25.0 million to $50.0 million range in 2024.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, we received $28.5 million of cash proceeds from the sale of our domestic private trucking fleet and operations. For the year ended December 31, 2022, we received proceeds of $14.9 million from the sale of two former manufacturing facilities.
Financing Activities
During 2023 and 2022, activity of our outstanding debt included:
| Long-term Debt Borrowings (Repayments) for the Year Ended December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| Debt Instrument | ($ in millions) | ||||||
| Borrowings | |||||||
| Senior Revolving Credit Facility | $ | 375.0 | $ | 320.0 | |||
| Receivables Financing Agreement | 332.7 | 95.0 | |||||
| Total borrowings | 707.7 | 415.0 | |||||
| Repayments | |||||||
| 5.50% senior notes, due 2022 (2022 Notes) | — | (200.0) | |||||
| Senior Revolving Credit Facility | (307.0) | (320.0) | |||||
| Term Loan Facility | (8.7) | — | |||||
| Receivables Financing Agreement | (304.2) | (95.0) | |||||
| Finance leases | (1.9) | (1.1) | |||||
| Total repayments | (621.8) | (616.1) | |||||
| Long-term debt borrowings (repayments), net | $ | 85.9 | $ | (201.1) |
In 2022, we paid debt issuance costs of $4.4 million, primarily for the refinancing of our senior credit facilities.
In 2023 and 2022, we repurchased and retired 13.3 million and 25.7 million shares, respectively, of common stock with a total value of $711.3 million and $1,350.7 million, respectively.
In 2023 and 2022, we issued 1.0 million and 1.1 million shares, respectively, with a total value of $25.4 million and $25.7 million, respectively, representing stock options exercised.
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The percent of total debt to total capitalization increased to 54.1% as of December 31, 2023, from 50.4% as of December 31, 2022, primarily as a result of a higher level of debt outstanding and lower shareholders’ equity, primarily due to common stock repurchases partially offset by our operating results.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, we received $44.1 million of cash contributions from noncontrolling interests for BWA.
Dividends per common share were $0.80 in 2023 and 2022. Total dividends paid on common stock amounted to $101.0 million and $116.2 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively. On February 21, 2024, our Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.20 per share on our common stock, payable on March 15, 2024, to shareholders of record on March 7, 2024.
The payment of cash dividends is subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors and will be determined in light of then-current conditions, including our earnings, our operations, our financial condition, our capital requirements and other factors deemed relevant by our Board of Directors. In the future, our Board of Directors may change our dividend policy, including the frequency or amount of any dividend, in light of then-existing conditions.
Liquidity and Other Financing Arrangements
Our principal sources of liquidity are from cash and cash equivalents, cash flow from operations and borrowings under our Senior Revolving Credit Facility, Receivables Financing Agreement (as defined below) and AR Facilities (as defined below). Additionally, we believe that we have access to the high yield debt and equity markets.
On October 11, 2022, we entered into a $1,550.0 million senior credit facility (Senior Credit Facility) that replaced our 2021 Senior Credit Facility. The Senior Credit Facility includes a senior term loan facility with aggregate commitments of $350.0 million (Term Loan Facility) and a senior revolving credit facility with aggregate commitments of $1,200.0 million (Senior Revolving Credit Facility). The Term Loan Facility was fully drawn on the closing date with the proceeds of the Term Loan Facility used to refinance the loans and commitments outstanding under the 2021 Senior Credit Facility. The Term Loan Facility requires principal amortization payments which began on March 31, 2023, at a rate of 0.625% per quarter through the end of 2024, increasing to 1.250% per quarter thereafter until maturity. The maturity date for the Senior Credit Facility is October 11, 2027.
The Senior Revolving Credit Facility includes a $100.0 million letter of credit subfacility. At December 31, 2023, we had $1,131.6 million available under our $1,200.0 million Senior Revolving Credit Facility because we had $68.0 million borrowed under the facility and issued $0.4 million of letters of credit.
We were in compliance with all covenants and restrictions under all our outstanding credit agreements as of December 31, 2023, and no event of default had occurred that would permit the lenders under our outstanding credit agreements to accelerate the debt if not cured. In the future, our ability to generate sufficient operating cash flows, among other factors, will determine the amounts available to be borrowed under these facilities. As a result of our restrictive covenant related to the net leverage ratio, the maximum additional borrowings available to us could be limited in the future. The limitation, if an amendment or waiver from our lenders is not obtained, could restrict our ability to borrow the maximum amounts available under the Senior Revolving Credit Facility and the Receivables Financing Agreement. As of December 31, 2023, there were no covenants or other restrictions that limited our ability to borrow.
We believe, based on current and projected levels of cash flow from our operations, together with our cash and cash equivalents on hand and the availability to borrow under our Senior Revolving Credit Facility, Receivables Financing Agreement and AR Facilities, we have sufficient liquidity to meet our short-term and long-term needs to make required payments of interest on our debt, fund our operating needs, working capital, and capital expenditure requirements and comply with the financial ratios in our debt agreements.
On July 28, 2022, our Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program for the purchase of shares of common stock at an aggregate price of up to $2.0 billion. This program will terminate upon the purchase of $2.0 billion of common stock.
For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, 13.3 million and 25.7 million shares, respectively, of common stock have been repurchased and retired at a total value of $711.3 million and $1,350.7 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, a cumulative total of 19.2 million shares were repurchased and retired at a total value of $1,003.0 million and $997.0 million of common stock remained authorized to be repurchased under the 2022 Repurchase Authorization program.
We maintain a $425.0 million Receivables Financing Agreement (Receivables Financing Agreement) that is scheduled to mature on October 14, 2025. Under the Receivables Financing Agreement, our eligible trade receivables are used for collateralized borrowings and continue to be serviced by us. In addition, the Receivables Financing Agreement incorporates the net leverage ratio covenant that is contained in the Senior Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had $328.5 million and $300.0 million drawn under the agreement. As of December 31, 2023, $456.6 million of our trade receivables were
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pledged as collateral and we had $33.3 million of additional borrowing capacity under the Receivables Financing Agreement, which was limited by our borrowing base.
Olin also has trade accounts receivable factoring arrangements (AR Facilities) and pursuant to the terms of the AR Facilities, certain of our domestic subsidiaries may sell their accounts receivable up to a maximum of $175.5 million and certain of our foreign subsidiaries may sell their accounts receivable up to a maximum of €22.0 million. We will continue to service the outstanding accounts sold. These receivables qualify for sales treatment under ASC 860 “Transfers and Servicing” and, accordingly, the proceeds are included in net cash provided by operating activities in the consolidated statements of cash flows.
The following table summarizes the AR Facilities activity:
| December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| AR Facilities | ($ in millions) | |||||
| Beginning balance | $ | 111.8 | $ | 83.3 | ||
| Gross receivables sold | 899.0 | 1,049.7 | ||||
| Payments received from customers on sold accounts | (947.5) | (1,021.2) | ||||
| Ending balance | $ | 63.3 | $ | 111.8 |
The factoring discount paid under the AR Facilities is recorded as interest expense on the consolidated statements of operations. The factoring discount for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $4.7 million and $3.1 million, respectively. The agreements are without recourse and therefore no recourse liability has been recorded as of December 31, 2023.
We have registered an undetermined amount of securities with the SEC, so that, from time-to-time, we may issue debt securities, preferred stock and/or common stock and associated warrants in the public market under that registration statement.
Credit Ratings
We receive ratings from three independent credit rating agencies: Fitch Ratings (Fitch), Moody's Investor Service (Moody's) and Standard & Poor's (S&P). The following table summarizes our credit ratings as of January 31, 2024:
| Credit Ratings | Long-term Rating | Outlook | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitch Ratings | BBB- | Stable | ||
| Moody’s Investors Service | Ba1 | Stable | ||
| Standard & Poor’s | BB+ | Positive |
On January 12, 2023, Fitch assigned a first-time inaugural rating of BBB- and a stable outlook. On June 30, 2023, Moody's affirmed Olin’s Ba1 rating and stable outlook. On April 4, 2023, S&P affirmed Olin’s BB+ rating and positive outlook.
Contractual Obligations
Our current debt structure is used to fund our business operations. As of December 31, 2023, we had long-term borrowings, including the current installment, of $2,670.1 million, of which $893.7 million was at variable rates. We expect to meet our contractual obligations through our normal sources of liquidity and believe we have the financial resources to satisfy these contractual obligations.
We have several defined benefit pension and defined contribution plans, as described in Note 13 “Pension Plans” and Note 17 “Contributing Employee Ownership Plan” in the notes to consolidated financial statements contained in Item 8. We fund the defined benefit pension plans based on the minimum amounts required by law plus such amounts we deem appropriate. Given the inherent uncertainty as to actual minimum funding requirements for qualified defined benefit pension plans, no amounts are included in this table for any period beyond one year for the domestic qualified defined benefit plan. Based on the current funding requirements, we will not be required to make any cash contributions to the domestic qualified defined benefit pension plan at least through 2024. We also have postretirement healthcare plans that provide health and life insurance benefits to certain retired employees and their beneficiaries, as described in Note 14 “Postretirement Benefits” in the notes to consolidated financial statements contained in Item 8. The defined contribution and other postretirement plans are not pre-funded, and expenses are paid by us as incurred. Our long-term contractual commitments associated with debt, contingent tax liabilities, pension and other postretirement benefits consisted of the following:
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| Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | More than 5 Years | Total | ||||||||||||||
| Contractual Commitments | ($ in millions) | |||||||||||||||||
| Debt obligations(1) | $ | 78.8 | $ | 475.0 | $ | 865.5 | $ | 1,267.6 | $ | 2,686.9 | ||||||||
| Interest payments under debt obligations(2) | 158.3 | 264.8 | 174.8 | 81.5 | 679.4 | |||||||||||||
| Contingent tax liability | 34.6 | 9.3 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 50.3 | |||||||||||||
| International qualified pension plan payments(3) | 10.8 | 17.2 | 20.0 | 166.6 | 214.6 | |||||||||||||
| Non-qualified pension plan payments | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 3.7 | |||||||||||||
| Postretirement benefit payments | 2.7 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 22.7 | 35.2 | |||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 285.8 | $ | 772.2 | $ | 1,069.0 | $ | 1,543.1 | $ | 3,670.1 |
(1)Excludes unamortized debt issuance costs and unamortized bond original issue discount of $16.8 million at December 31, 2023. All debt obligations are assumed to be held until maturity.
(2)For the purposes of this table, we have assumed for all periods presented that there are no changes in the interest rates from those in effect at December 31, 2023, which ranged from 5.0% to 9.5%.
(3)These amounts are only estimated payments for our foreign qualified pension plans, assuming a weighted average annual expected rate of return on pension plan assets of 4.4% and a discount rate on pension plan obligations of 3.2%. These estimated payments are subject to significant variation and the actual payments may be more than the amounts estimated. In connection with international qualified defined benefit pension plans we made cash contributions of $1.0 million, $1.3 million and $1.1 million in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and we anticipate less than $5 million of cash contributions to international qualified defined benefit pension plans in 2024.
Non-cancelable operating leases and purchasing commitments are utilized in our normal course of business for our projected needs. Our operating lease commitments as described in Note 22 “Leases” are primarily for railcars, but also include logistics, manufacturing, storage, real estate, and information technology assets. Virtually none of our lease agreements contain escalation clauses or step rent provisions. We also have supply contracts with various third parties for certain raw materials, including ethylene, electricity, propylene and benzene. These contracts have initial terms ranging from several to 20 years. Our long-term contractual commitments associated with operating leases and purchasing commitments consisted of the following:
| Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | More than 5 Years | Total | ||||||||||||||
| Lease and Purchase Commitments | ($ in millions) | |||||||||||||||||
| Lease Commitments | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operating leases | $ | 80.9 | $ | 125.8 | $ | 81.1 | $ | 132.6 | $ | 420.4 | ||||||||
| Purchase Commitments | ||||||||||||||||||
| Raw materials / utilities | 516.3 | 864.7 | 738.4 | 2,842.5 | 4,961.9 | |||||||||||||
| Capital expenditures | 10.6 | 0.8 | — | — | 11.4 | |||||||||||||
| Other long-term supply contracts | 37.5 | 80.4 | — | — | 117.9 | |||||||||||||
| Total purchase commitments | $ | 564.4 | $ | 945.9 | $ | 738.4 | $ | 2,842.5 | $ | 5,091.2 |
Other Guarantees
We also have standby letters of credit outstanding of $120.7 million of which $0.4 million have been issued under our Senior Revolving Credit Facility. The letters of credit were used to support certain long-term debt, workers compensation insurance policies, plant closure and post-closure obligations, international payment obligations and international pension funding requirements.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, sales and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Significant estimates in our consolidated financial statements include goodwill recoverability, environmental, restructuring and other unusual items, litigation, income tax reserves including deferred tax asset valuation allowances, pension, postretirement and other benefits and
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allowance for doubtful accounts. We base our estimates on prior experience, current facts and circumstances and other assumptions. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
We believe the following critical accounting estimates are the more significant judgments used in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements.
Goodwill
Goodwill is not amortized, but is reviewed for impairment annually in the fourth quarter and/or when circumstances or other events indicate that impairment may have occurred. ASC 350 “Intangibles—Goodwill and Other” permits entities to make a qualitative assessment of whether it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying amount before applying a quantitative goodwill impairment test. Circumstances that are considered as part of the qualitative assessment and could trigger a quantitative impairment test include, but are not limited to: a significant adverse change in the business climate; a significant adverse legal judgment; adverse cash flow trends; an adverse action or assessment by a government agency; unanticipated competition; sustained decline in our stock price; and a significant restructuring charge within a reporting unit. We define reporting units at the business segment level or one level below the business segment level. For purposes of testing goodwill for impairment, goodwill has been allocated to our reporting units to the extent it relates to each reporting unit.
It is our practice, at a minimum, to perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test in the fourth quarter every three years. In the fourth quarter of 2023, we performed our triennial quantitative goodwill impairment test for our reporting units. We use a discounted cash flow approach to develop the estimated fair value of a reporting unit when a quantitative review is performed. Management judgment is required in developing the assumptions for the discounted cash flow model. We also corroborate our discounted cash flow analysis by evaluating a market-based approach that considers earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) multiples from a representative sample of comparable public companies. As a further indicator that each reporting unit has been valued appropriately using a discounted cash flow model, the aggregate fair value of all reporting units is reconciled to the total market value of Olin. An impairment would be recorded if the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeded the estimated fair value. Based on the aforementioned analysis, the estimated fair value of our reporting units exceeded the carrying value of the reporting units.
Fair value determinations require considerable judgment and are sensitive to changes in underlying assumptions, estimates and market factors. The discount rate, profitability assumptions and terminal growth rate of our reporting units and the supply and demand fundamentals of the chlor alkali industry are material assumptions utilized in the discounted cash flow model used to estimate the fair value of each reporting unit. The discount rate reflects a weighted-average cost of capital, which is calculated, in part based on observable market data. Some of this data (such as the risk free or treasury rate and the pretax cost of debt) are based on the market data at a point in time. Other data (such as the equity risk premium) are based upon market data over time for a peer group of companies in the chemical manufacturing or distribution industries with a market capitalization premium added, as applicable. Also factoring into the discount rate is a market participant’s perceived risk (such as the company specific risk premium) in the valuation implied by the sustained reduction in our stock price.
The discounted cash flow analysis requires estimates, assumptions and judgments about future events. Our analysis uses our internally generated long-range plan. Specifically, the assumptions in our long-range plan about terminal growth rates, forecasted capital expenditures and changes in future working capital requirements are used to determine the estimated fair value of each reporting unit. The long-range plan reflects management judgment, supplemented by independent chemical industry analyses which provide multi-year chlor alkali industry operating and pricing forecasts.
As a further indicator that each reporting unit has been valued appropriately using a discounted cash flow model, the aggregate fair value of all reporting units is reconciled to the total market value of Olin. We believe the assumptions used in our goodwill impairment analysis are appropriate and result in reasonable estimates of the implied fair value of each reporting unit. However, given the economic environment and the uncertainties regarding the impact on our business, there can be no assurance that our estimates and assumptions, made for purposes of our goodwill impairment testing, will prove to be an accurate prediction of the future.
Environmental
Accruals (charges to income) for environmental matters are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated, based on current law and existing technologies. These amounts, which are not discounted and are exclusive of claims against third parties, are adjusted periodically as assessments and remediation efforts progress or additional technical or legal information becomes available. Environmental costs are capitalized if the costs increase the value of the property and/or mitigate or prevent contamination from future operations. Environmental costs and recoveries are included in costs of goods sold.
Environmental exposures are difficult to assess for numerous reasons, including the identification of new sites, developments at sites resulting from investigatory studies, advances in technology, changes in environmental laws and
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regulations and their application, changes in regulatory authorities, the scarcity of reliable data pertaining to identified sites, the difficulty in assessing the involvement and financial capability of other potentially responsible parties (PRPs) and our ability to obtain contributions from other parties and the lengthy time periods over which site remediation occurs. It is possible that some of these matters (the outcomes of which are subject to various uncertainties) may be resolved unfavorably to us, which could materially adversely affect our financial position, cash flows or results of operations.
NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
Discussion of new accounting pronouncements can be referred to under Item 8, within Note 3, “Recent Accounting Pronouncements.”
DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
We are exposed to market risk in the normal course of our business operations due to our purchases of certain commodities, our ongoing investing and financing activities and our operations that use foreign currencies. The risk of loss can be assessed from the perspective of adverse changes in fair values, cash flows and future earnings. We have established policies and procedures governing our management of market risks and the use of financial instruments to manage exposure to such risks. ASC 815 “Derivatives and Hedging” (ASC 815) requires an entity to recognize all derivatives as either assets or liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets and measure those instruments at fair value. In accordance with ASC 815, we designate derivative contracts as cash flow hedges of forecasted purchases of commodities and forecasted interest payments related to variable-rate borrowings and designate certain interest rate swaps as fair value hedges of fixed-rate borrowings. We do not enter into any derivative instruments for trading or speculative purposes.
Energy costs, including electricity and natural gas, and certain raw materials used in our production processes are subject to price volatility. Depending on market conditions, we may enter into futures contracts, forward contracts, commodity swaps and put and call option contracts in order to reduce the impact of commodity price fluctuations. The majority of our commodity derivatives expire within one year.
For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the change in fair value of the derivative is recognized as a component of other comprehensive income (loss) until the hedged item is recognized in earnings.
We use cash flow hedges for certain raw material and energy costs such as copper, zinc, lead, ethane, electricity and natural gas to provide a measure of stability in managing our exposure to price fluctuations associated with forecasted purchases of raw materials and energy used in our manufacturing process. Settlements on commodity derivative contracts resulted in (losses) gains of $(72.5) million, $58.2 million, and $180.1 million in 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively, which were included in cost of goods sold. At December 31, 2023, we had open derivative notional contract positions through 2028 totaling $191.0 million. If all open futures contracts had been settled on December 31, 2023, we would have recognized a pretax loss of $24.6 million.
If commodity prices were to remain at December 31, 2023 levels, approximately $20.8 million of deferred losses, net of tax, would be reclassified into earnings during the next twelve months. The actual effect on earnings will be dependent on actual commodity prices when the forecasted transactions occur.
We use interest rate swaps as a means of minimizing cash flow fluctuations that may arise from volatility in interest rates of our variable-rate borrowings. We also use interest rate swaps as a means of managing interest expense and floating interest rate exposure to optimal levels. For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a fair value hedge, the gain or loss on the derivative as well as the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk are recognized in current earnings. We include the gain or loss on the hedged items (fixed-rate borrowings) in the same line item, interest expense, as the offsetting loss or gain on the related interest rate swaps. There were no outstanding interest rate swaps at December 31, 2023 and 2022.
We actively manage currency exposures that are associated with net monetary asset positions, currency purchases and sales commitments denominated in foreign currencies and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities created in the normal course of business. We enter into forward sales and purchase contracts to manage currency risk to offset our net exposures, by currency, related to the foreign currency denominated monetary assets and liabilities of our operations. All of the currency derivatives expire within one year and are for USD equivalents. The counterparties to the forward contracts are large financial institutions; however, the risk of loss to us in the event of nonperformance by a counterparty could impact our financial position or results of operations. We had the following notional amounts of outstanding forward contracts to buy and
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sell foreign currency:
| December 31, | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||
| Foreign Currency | ($ in millions) | |||
| Buy | 21.0 | 275.8 | ||
| Sell | 140.2 | 110.7 |
Our foreign currency forward contracts and certain commodity derivatives did not meet the criteria to qualify for hedge accounting. The effect on operating results of items not qualifying for hedge accounting was a loss of $15.7 million, $27.3 million and $22.0 million in 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
The fair value of our derivative asset and liability balances were:
| December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| Derivative Assets and Liabilities | ($ in millions) | |||||
| Other current assets | $ | 2.1 | $ | 1.8 | ||
| Other assets | 3.2 | 4.0 | ||||
| Total derivative asset | $ | 5.3 | $ | 5.8 | ||
| Accrued liabilities | $ | 31.9 | $ | 42.5 | ||
| Other liabilities | 0.5 | 7.4 | ||||
| Total derivative liability | $ | 32.4 | $ | 49.9 |
FY 2022 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000074303-23-000054.
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
BUSINESS BACKGROUND
Olin Corporation (Olin) is a Virginia corporation, incorporated in 1892, having its principal executive offices in Clayton, MO. We are a leading vertically-integrated global manufacturer and distributor of chemical products and a leading U.S. manufacturer of ammunition. Our operations are concentrated in three business segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls, Epoxy and Winchester. All of our business segments are capital intensive manufacturing businesses. The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment manufactures and sells chlorine and caustic soda, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomer, methyl chloride, methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, perchloroethylene, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen, bleach products and potassium hydroxide. The Epoxy segment produces and sells a full range of epoxy materials and precursors, including aromatics (acetone, bisphenol, cumene and phenol), allyl chloride, epichlorohydrin, liquid epoxy resins, solid epoxy resins and systems and growth products such as converted epoxy resins and additives. The Winchester segment produces and sells sporting ammunition, reloading components, small caliber military ammunition and components, and industrial cartridges.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS
2022 Overview
Net income was $1,326.9 million for 2022 compared to $1,296.7 million for 2021, an increase of $30.2 million, or 2%. The increase in results from the prior year was primarily due to improved operating results in our Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment and lower interest expense, partially offset by a decline in the operating results of our Epoxy and Winchester business segments. Diluted net income per share was $8.94 for 2022 compared to $7.96 for 2021, an increase of $0.98 per share, or 12%. The increase in diluted net income per share was positively impacted by share repurchases throughout 2022.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls reported segment income of $1,181.3 million for 2022 compared to $997.8 million for 2021. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results were higher than in the prior year due to higher pricing across all products except vinyls intermediates, partially offset by higher raw materials and operating costs and lower volumes across all products.
Epoxy reported segment income of $388.5 million for 2022 compared to $616.5 million for 2021. Epoxy segment results were lower than in the prior year primarily due to lower volumes across all products and higher raw materials costs, primarily benzene and propylene, and higher operating costs, partially offset by higher product prices.
Winchester reported segment income of $372.9 million for 2022 compared to $412.1 million for 2021. Winchester segment results were lower than in the prior year primarily due to lower commercial volumes and higher commodity and operating costs, partially offset by increased commercial ammunition pricing. During 2022, Winchester experienced a transition in its commercial ammunition business from refilling depleted supply chains to filling inventories at the rate of its customers’ sales. In some cases, customers inventories became too high so Winchester chose to preserve value by manufacturing and selling less commercial ammunition.
Liquidity and Share Repurchases
In July 2022, our Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program for the purchase of shares of common stock at an aggregate price of up to $2.0 billion. This program will terminate upon the purchase of $2.0 billion of common stock. During 2022, we repurchased and retired 25.7 million shares of common stock at a total value of $1,350.7 million, most of which were repurchased under prior authorized share repurchase programs. As of December 31, 2022, we have $1,701.5 million of remaining authorized common stock to be repurchased under the 2022 Repurchase Authorization program.
During 2022, we repaid $201.1 million of long-term debt which became due utilizing cash on hand.
During 2022, we entered into a new $1,550.0 million senior credit facility (Senior Credit Facility) that replaced our existing senior credit facility. Pursuant to the agreement, the aggregate commitments under our senior revolving credit facility were increased from $800.0 million to $1,200.0 million and the aggregate principal amount under our senior term loan facility remained at $350.0 million. The Senior Credit Facility will mature in October 2027.
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During 2022, we also amended our existing Receivables Financing Agreement which increased the aggregate borrowing capacity from $300.0 million to $425.0 million and extended the maturity to October 2025.
Other Events
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the sanctions imposed in response to this crisis have increased the level of economic and political uncertainty. Russia sales represented less than 0.5% of our total sales for the full year 2021. During the first quarter of 2022, we ceased all sales to and purchases from Russia. Additionally, sanctions from the U.S. and the European Union continue to evolve, along with the overall impact the invasion has on the global economic and political environment. We continue to closely monitor the changing environment, including the increased volatility and heightened degree of uncertainty resulting from the invasion. As of now, the direct impact on our operations has not been significant, but we are unable to fully determine the future impact the invasion and the corresponding global response will have on our business.
CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| ($ in millions, except per share data) | ||||||||||
| Sales | $ | 9,376.2 | $ | 8,910.6 | $ | 5,758.0 | ||||
| Cost of goods sold | 7,194.3 | 6,616.4 | 5,374.6 | |||||||
| Gross margin | 2,181.9 | 2,294.2 | 383.4 | |||||||
| Selling and administration | 393.9 | 416.9 | 422.0 | |||||||
| Restructuring charges | 25.3 | 27.9 | 9.0 | |||||||
| Goodwill impairment | — | — | 699.8 | |||||||
| Other operating income | 16.3 | 1.4 | 0.7 | |||||||
| Operating income (loss) | 1,779.0 | 1,850.8 | (746.7) | |||||||
| Interest expense | 143.9 | 348.0 | 292.7 | |||||||
| Interest income | 2.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | |||||||
| Non-operating pension income | 38.7 | 35.7 | 18.9 | |||||||
| Income (loss) before taxes | 1,676.0 | 1,538.7 | (1,020.0) | |||||||
| Income tax provision (benefit) | 349.1 | 242.0 | (50.1) | |||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | 1,326.9 | $ | 1,296.7 | $ | (969.9) | ||||
| Net income (loss) per common share: | ||||||||||
| Basic | $ | 9.16 | $ | 8.15 | $ | (6.14) | ||||
| Diluted | $ | 8.94 | $ | 7.96 | $ | (6.14) |
2022 Compared to 2021
Sales for 2022 were $9,376.2 million compared to $8,910.6 million in 2021, an increase of $465.6 million, or 5%. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales increased by $944.2 million, primarily due to higher pricing across all products, except vinyls intermediates, partially offset by lower volumes. Winchester sales increased by $16.9 million, primarily due to increased commercial ammunition pricing partially offset by lower volumes. Epoxy sales decreased by $495.5 million, primarily due to lower volumes partially offset by higher product prices.
Gross margin in 2022 decreased $112.3 million from 2021. Epoxy gross margin decreased by $238.4 million and Winchester gross margin decreased by $36.2 million, primarily due to lower volumes and higher raw material and operating costs, partially offset by higher product pricing. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls gross margin increased by $185.2 million, primarily due to higher pricing, partially offset by higher raw material and operating costs and lower volumes. Gross margin as a percentage of sales decreased to 23% in 2022 from 26% in 2021.
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Selling and administration expenses in 2022 decreased $23.0 million, or 6%, from 2021. The decrease was primarily due to lower variable incentive compensation expense of $35.4 million, which includes mark-to-market adjustments on stock-based compensation expense, partially offset by higher legal and legal-related settlement expense of $7.1 million and an unfavorable foreign currency impact of $7.5 million. Selling and administration expenses as a percentage of sales decreased to 4% in 2022 from 5% in 2021.
Restructuring charges for 2022 were $25.3 million compared to $27.9 million in 2021. The decrease in charges was primarily due to a productivity initiative to align the organization with our new operating model and improve efficiencies, which was completed during the second quarter of 2021, which resulted in pretax restructuring charges of $10.1 million for 2021. Partially offsetting this action, during the fourth quarter 2022, we committed and completed a plan to close down one of our BisA production lines at our Stade, Germany site. This action resulted in pretax restructuring charges of $8.0 million for 2022.
Other operating income for 2022 included $13.0 million of gains for the sale of two former manufacturing facilities.
Interest expense in 2022 decreased $204.1 million from 2021. Interest expense for 2021 included $137.7 million of bond redemption premiums and $14.5 million for write-off of deferred debt issuance costs, write-off of bond original issue discount, and recognition of deferred fair value interest rate swap losses. Interest expense for 2022 and 2021 was reduced by capitalized interest of $3.1 million and $3.2 million, respectively. Without these items, interest expense decreased by $52.0 million, primarily due to a lower level of debt outstanding and lower average interest rates.
Non-operating pension income includes all components of pension and other postretirement income (costs) other than service costs.
The effective tax rate for 2022 included a benefit associated with a legal entity liquidation, prior year tax positions and stock-based compensation, a benefit from remeasurement of deferred taxes due to a decrease in our state effective tax rates, an expense associated with a net increase in the valuation allowance related to state tax credits and an expense from a change in tax contingencies. These factors resulted in a net $60.2 million tax benefit. After giving consideration to these items, the effective tax rate for 2022 of 24.4% was higher than the 21% U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to state taxes, 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. The effective tax rate for 2021 included benefits from a net decrease in the valuation allowance related to deferred tax assets in foreign jurisdictions and domestic tax credits, a benefit associated with prior year tax positions, a benefit associated with stock-based compensation, an expense from remeasurement of deferred taxes due to an increase in our state effective tax rates and an expense from a change in tax contingencies. These factors resulted in a net $103.6 million tax benefit. After giving consideration to these items, the effective tax rate for 2021 of 22.5% was higher than the 21% U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to state taxes, foreign income inclusions and foreign income taxes, partially offset by a net decrease in the valuation allowance related to utilization of losses in foreign jurisdictions and favorable permanent salt depletion deductions.
2021 Compared to 2020
Sales for 2021 were $8,910.6 million compared to $5,758.0 million in 2020, an increase of $3,152.6 million, or 55%. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales increased by $1,180.9 million, primarily due to higher pricing across all products. Epoxy sales increased by $1,315.5 million, primarily due to higher product prices. Winchester sales increased by $656.2 million, primarily due to increased commercial ammunition pricing and higher commercial and military sales volumes, which included ammunition produced at Lake City.
Gross margin increased $1,910.8 million from 2020. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls gross margin increased by $986.1 million, primarily due to higher pricing and the effect of Winter Storm Uri. Epoxy gross margin increased by $578.6 million, primarily due to higher product prices, partially offset by higher raw material costs and the effect of Winter Storm Uri. Winchester gross margin increased by $336.1 million, primarily due to increased commercial ammunition pricing and higher sales volumes, which included ammunition produced at Lake City. Gross margin as a percentage of sales increased to 26% in 2021 from 7% in 2020.
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Selling and administration expenses in 2021 decreased $5.1 million, or 1%, from 2020. The decrease was primarily due to the absence of $73.9 million of costs associated with a multi-year implementation of new enterprise resource planning, manufacturing and engineering systems, and related infrastructure (collectively, the Information Technology Project), which was completed in late 2020. This decrease was partially offset by higher variable incentive compensation expense $49.4 million, which includes mark-to-market adjustments on stock-based compensation expense, and inclusion of a full year of selling and administration expenses associated with Lake City operations of $18.6 million. Selling and administration expenses as a percentage of sales decreased to 5% in 2021 from 7% in 2020.
Restructuring charges for 2021 were $27.9 million compared to $9.0 million in 2020. The increase in charges were primarily due to a productivity initiative to align the organization with our new operating model and improve efficiencies, which was completed during the second quarter of 2021, and the 2021 decisions to permanently close our diaphragm-grade chlor alkali capacity, representing 400,000 tons, at our McIntosh, AL facility.
Goodwill impairment includes non-cash pretax impairment charges of $557.6 million related to the Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment and $142.2 million related to the Epoxy segment recorded during the third quarter of 2020.
Interest expense increased by $55.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Interest expense for 2021 included $137.7 million of bond redemption premiums and $14.5 million for write-off of deferred debt issuance costs, write-off of bond original issue discount, and recognition of deferred fair value interest rate swap losses. Interest expense for 2020 included $14.6 million of bond redemption premiums, $5.8 million for write-off of deferred debt issuance costs and $4.0 million of accretion expense related to the 2020 ethylene payment discount. Interest expense for 2021 and 2020 was reduced by capitalized interest of $3.2 million and $6.4 million, respectively. Without these items, interest expense decreased by $75.7 million, primarily due to a lower level of debt outstanding and lower average interest rates.
Non-operating pension income includes all components of pension and other postretirement income (costs) other than service costs. Non-operating pension income was higher for the year ended December 31, 2021 primarily due to a decrease in the discount rate used to determine interest costs.
The effective tax rate for 2021 included benefits from a net decrease in the valuation allowance related to deferred tax assets in foreign jurisdictions and domestic tax credits, a benefit associated with prior year tax positions, a benefit associated with stock-based compensation, an expense from remeasurement of deferred taxes due to an increase in our state effective tax rates and an expense from a change in tax contingencies. These factors resulted in a net $103.6 million tax benefit. After giving consideration to these items, the effective tax rate for 2021 of 22.5% was higher than the 21% U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to state taxes, foreign income inclusions and foreign income taxes, partially offset by a net decrease in the valuation allowance related to utilization of losses in foreign jurisdictions and favorable permanent salt depletion deductions. The effective tax rate for 2020 included expenses associated with a net increase in the valuation allowance related to foreign and domestic tax credits and deferred tax assets in foreign jurisdictions, a remeasurement of deferred taxes due to an increase in our state effective tax rates and a change in tax contingencies, and stock-based compensation, partially offset by a benefit associated with prior year tax positions. These factors resulted in a net $27.9 million tax expense. For 2020, a tax benefit of $10.8 million was recognized associated with the $699.8 million goodwill impairment charge. After giving consideration to these items, including the goodwill impairment charge on Olin’s loss before taxes, the effective tax rate for 2020 of 21.0% was equal to the 21.0% U.S. federal statutory rate as foreign income taxes, foreign income inclusions and a net increase in the valuation allowance related to losses in foreign jurisdictions were offset by state taxes and favorable permanent salt depletion deductions.
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SEGMENT RESULTS
We define segment results as income (loss) before interest expense, interest income, goodwill impairment charges, other operating income (expense), non-operating pension income, other income and income taxes. We have three operating segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls, Epoxy and Winchester. The three operating segments reflect the organization used by our management for purposes of allocating resources and assessing performance. Chlorine and caustic soda used in our Epoxy segment is transferred at cost from the Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment.
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Sales: | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls | $ | 5,085.0 | $ | 4,140.8 | $ | 2,959.9 | ||||
| Epoxy | 2,690.5 | 3,186.0 | 1,870.5 | |||||||
| Winchester | 1,600.7 | 1,583.8 | 927.6 | |||||||
| Total sales | $ | 9,376.2 | $ | 8,910.6 | $ | 5,758.0 | ||||
| Income (loss) before taxes: | ||||||||||
| Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls | $ | 1,181.3 | $ | 997.8 | $ | 3.5 | ||||
| Epoxy | 388.5 | 616.5 | 40.8 | |||||||
| Winchester | 372.9 | 412.1 | 92.3 | |||||||
| Corporate/Other: | ||||||||||
| Environmental expense(1) | (23.2) | (14.0) | (20.9) | |||||||
| Other corporate and unallocated costs(2) | (131.5) | (135.1) | (154.3) | |||||||
| Restructuring charges | (25.3) | (27.9) | (9.0) | |||||||
| Goodwill impairment | — | — | (699.8) | |||||||
| Other operating income(3) | 16.3 | 1.4 | 0.7 | |||||||
| Interest expense(4) | (143.9) | (348.0) | (292.7) | |||||||
| Interest income | 2.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | |||||||
| Non-operating pension income | 38.7 | 35.7 | 18.9 | |||||||
| Income (loss) before taxes | $ | 1,676.0 | $ | 1,538.7 | $ | (1,020.0) |
(1)Environmental expense for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 included $1.0 million and $2.2 million, respectively, of insurance recoveries for environmental costs incurred and expensed in prior periods. Environmental expense is included in cost of goods sold in the consolidated statements of operations.
(2)Other corporate and unallocated costs for the year ended December 31, 2020 included costs associated with the implementation of the Information Technology Project of $73.9 million.
(3)Other operating income for the year ended December 31, 2022 included $13.0 million of gains for the sale of two former manufacturing facilities. Other operating income for the year ended December 31, 2021 included a $1.4 million gain on the sale of a terminal facility.
(4)Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2021 included a loss on extinguishment of debt of $152.2 million which includes bond redemption premiums, write-off of deferred debt issuance costs, bond original issue discount, and recognition of deferred fair value interest rate swap losses associated with the optional prepayment of existing debt. Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2020 included a loss on extinguishment of debt of $20.4 million which includes bond redemption premiums and write-off of deferred debt issuance costs. Interest expense for the year ended 2020 included $4.0 million of accretion expense related to the ethylene payment discount. Interest expense was reduced by capitalized interest of $3.1 million, $3.2 million and $6.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
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Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls
2022 Compared to 2021
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales for 2022 were $5,085.0 million compared to $4,140.8 million for 2021, an increase of $944.2 million, or 23%. The sales increase was primarily due to higher pricing across all products except vinyls intermediates partially offset by lower volumes.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls reported segment income of $1,181.3 million for 2022 compared to $997.8 million for 2021, an increase of $183.5 million. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls 2021 operating results were favorably impacted by Winter Storm Uri ($121.4 million), which includes a net one-time benefit associated with Olin’s customary financial hedges and contracts maintained to provide protection from rapid and dramatic changes in energy costs, partially offset by unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs and storm-related maintenance costs. Without the impact of Winter Storm Uri, the increase in segment results of $304.9 million was due to higher prices across all products, except vinyls intermediates ($1,495.9 million), partially offset by higher raw material and operating costs ($491.4 million), primarily increased natural gas and electrical power costs, lower volumes across all products ($479.2 million) and increased costs associated with product purchased from other parties ($220.4 million). Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $482.2 million and $466.4 million in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
2021 Compared to 2020
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales for 2021 were $4,140.8 million compared to $2,959.9 million for 2020, an increase of $1,180.9 million, or 40%. The sales increase was primarily due to higher pricing across all product lines. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales increase was also due to higher VCM sales as a result of our primary VCM contract transitioning from a toll manufacturing arrangement to a direct customer sale agreement beginning on January 1, 2021.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls reported segment income of $997.8 million for 2021 compared to $3.5 million for 2020, an increase of $994.3 million. The increase in Chlor Alkali Product and Vinyls segment results was due to higher product prices ($1,128.0 million) and the favorable impact of Winter Storm Uri ($121.4 million), partially offset by higher raw material and operating costs ($132.8 million) and increased costs associated with product purchased from other parties ($122.3 million). The impact of Winter Storm Uri includes a net one-time benefit associated with Olin’s customary financial hedges and contracts maintained to provide protection from rapid and dramatic changes in energy costs, partially offset by unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs and storm-related maintenance costs. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $466.4 million and $451.4 million in 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Epoxy
2022 Compared to 2021
Epoxy sales were $2,690.5 million for 2022 compared to $3,186.0 million for 2021, a decrease of $495.5 million, or 16%. The sales decrease was due to lower volumes ($942.1 million) and an unfavorable effect of foreign currency translation ($144.1 million), partially offset by higher product prices ($590.7 million).
Epoxy reported segment income of $388.5 million for 2022 compared to $616.5 million for 2021, a decrease of $228.0 million. Epoxy 2021 operating results were unfavorably impacted by Winter Storm Uri ($21.5 million), which included unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs and storm-related maintenance costs. Without the impact of Winter Storm Uri, the decrease in segment results of $249.5 million was due to lower volumes ($460.5 million), higher raw material costs ($260.3 million), primarily benzene and propylene, higher operating costs ($106.5 million), primarily increased natural gas and electrical power costs, and a net unfavorable foreign currency impact ($12.9 million). These decreases were partially offset by higher product prices ($590.7 million). A significant percentage of our Euro denominated sales are of products manufactured within Europe. As a result, the impact of foreign currency translation on revenue is primarily offset by the impact of foreign currency translation on raw materials and manufacturing costs also denominated in Euros. Epoxy segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $83.3 million and $86.1 million in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
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2021 Compared to 2020
Epoxy sales were $3,186.0 million for 2021 compared to $1,870.5 million for 2020, an increase of $1,315.5 million, or 70%. The sales increase was due to higher product prices ($1,211.0 million), a favorable effect of foreign currency translation ($74.9 million), and higher volumes ($29.6 million).
Epoxy reported segment income of $616.5 million for 2021 compared to $40.8 million for 2020, an increase of $575.7 million. The increase in segment results was due to higher product prices ($1,211.0 million) and increased volumes ($11.5 million), partially offset by higher raw material costs ($554.4 million), primarily benzene and propylene, higher operating and maintenance turnaround costs ($70.9 million) and the unfavorable impact of Winter Storm Uri ($21.5 million). A significant percentage of our Euro denominated sales are of products manufactured within Europe. As a result, the impact of foreign currency translation on revenue is primarily offset by the impact of foreign currency translation on raw materials and manufacturing costs also denominated in Euros. Epoxy segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $86.1 million and $90.7 million in 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Winchester
2022 Compared to 2021
Winchester sales were $1,600.7 million for 2022 compared to $1,583.8 million for 2021, an increase of $16.9 million, or 1%. The increase was due to higher sales to military customers ($23.7 million) and law enforcement agencies ($18.2 million) partially offset by lower commercial sales ($25.0 million). The lower commercial sales were primarily due to lower volumes, partially offset by higher pricing. During 2022, Winchester experienced a transition in its commercial ammunition business from refilling depleted supply chains to filling inventories at the rate of its customers’ sales. In some cases, customers inventories became too high so Winchester chose to preserve value by manufacturing and selling less commercial ammunition.
Winchester reported segment income of $372.9 million for 2022 compared to $412.1 million for 2021, a decrease of $39.2 million. The decrease in segment results was due to higher commodity and operating costs ($86.9 million) and lower volumes ($80.8 million), partially offset by higher product pricing ($128.4 million). Winchester segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $24.6 million and $23.3 million in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
2021 Compared to 2020
Winchester sales were $1,583.8 million for 2021 compared to $927.6 million for 2020, an increase of $656.2 million, or 71%. The increase was due to higher ammunition sales to commercial customers ($463.6 million) and military customers ($179.2 million), both of which include ammunition produced at Lake City, and law enforcement agencies ($13.4 million).
Winchester reported segment income of $412.1 million for 2021 compared to $92.3 million for 2020, an increase of $319.8 million. The increase in segment results was due to higher product pricing ($221.6 million) and increased sales volumes ($134.1 million), which includes ammunition produced at Lake City, partially offset by higher commodity and operating costs ($49.4 million). Segment results in 2020 were also impacted by transition costs relating to the Lake City contract ($13.5 million). Winchester segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $23.3 million and $20.1 million in 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Corporate/Other
2022 Compared to 2021
For the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, environmental expense included $1.0 million and $2.2 million, respectively, of insurance recoveries for environmental costs incurred and expensed in prior periods. Without these recoveries, charges to income for environmental investigatory and remedial activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 would have been $24.2 million, compared to $16.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. These charges related primarily to expected future investigatory and remedial activities associated with past manufacturing operations and former waste disposal sites.
For 2022, other corporate and unallocated costs were $131.5 million compared to $135.1 million for 2021, a decrease of $3.6 million, or 3%. The decrease was primarily due to lower variable incentive compensation costs ($27.9 million), which
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includes mark-to-market adjustments on stock-based compensation expense, partially offset by higher legal and legal-related settlement expenses ($7.6 million) and an unfavorable foreign currency impact ($7.1 million).
2021 Compared to 2020
For the year ended December 31, 2021, environmental expense were $14.0 million, which includes $2.2 million of insurance recoveries for environmental costs incurred and expensed in prior periods. Without these recoveries, charges to income for environmental investigatory and remedial activities for the year ended December 31, 2021 would have been $16.2 million, compared to $20.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. These charges related primarily to expected future investigatory and remedial activities associated with past manufacturing operations and former waste disposal sites.
For 2021, other corporate and unallocated costs were $135.1 million compared to $154.3 million for 2020, a decrease of $19.2 million, or 12%. The decrease was primarily due to the absence of of costs associated with the implementation of the Information Technology Project ($73.9 million), which was completed in late 2020, partially offset by higher variable incentive compensation costs ($45.7 million), which includes mark-to-market adjustments on stock-based compensation expense, and an unfavorable foreign currency impact ($7.0 million).
Restructurings
As a result of weak global resin demand and higher cost structures within the European region, we began a review of our global Epoxy asset footprint to optimize the most productive and cost effective assets to support our strategic operating model. We committed to and completed a plan during the fourth quarter of 2022 to close down one of our BisA production lines at our Stade, Germany site. For the year ended December 31, 2022, we recorded pretax restructuring charges of $8.0 million for employee severance and related benefit costs and the write-off of equipment and facility costs related to this action. We expect to incur additional restructuring charges through 2024 of approximately $10 million related to this action.
On March 15, 2021, we announced that we had made the decision to permanently close approximately 50% of our diaphragm-grade chlor alkali capacity, representing 200,000 tons, at our McIntosh, AL facility. The closure was completed in the first quarter of 2021. On October 21, 2021, we announced that we had made a decision to permanently cease operations of the remaining 50% of our diaphragm-grade chlor alkali capacity, representing an additional 200,000 tons, at our McIntosh, AL facility. The closure was completed during third quarter of 2022. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we recorded pretax restructuring charges of $8.3 million and $5.6 million, respectively, for write-off of equipment and facility costs, lease and other contract termination costs and for facility exit costs related to this action. We expect to incur additional restructuring charges through 2027 of approximately $30 million related to these actions.
On January 18, 2021, we announced we had made the decision to permanently close our trichloroethylene and anhydrous hydrogen chloride liquefaction facilities in Freeport, TX, which were completed in the fourth quarter of 2021. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we recorded pretax restructuring charges of $2.6 million and $6.5 million, respectively, for facility exit costs related to these actions. We expect to incur additional restructuring charges through 2024 of approximately $15 million related to these actions.
On December 11, 2019, we announced that we had made the decision to permanently close a chlor alkali plant with a capacity of 230,000 tons and our VDC production facility, both in Freeport, TX. The VDC facility and related chlor alkali plant were closed during the fourth quarter of 2020 and second quarter of 2021, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we recorded pretax restructuring charges of $6.0 million and $3.9 million, respectively, for facility exit costs related to these actions. We expect to incur additional restructuring charges through 2026 of approximately $30 million related to these actions.
Olin committed to a productivity initiative to align the organization with our strategic operating model and improve efficiencies. These actions and related activities were completed during the second quarter of 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2021, we recorded pretax restructuring charges of $10.3 million for employee severance and related benefit costs related to these actions. We do not expect to incur additional restructuring charges related to these actions.
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2023 OUTLOOK
In 2023, we expect the challenging global economic conditions to continue as we expect operating results to decline across all our business segments compared to 2022. We expect our chemical businesses to continue to be tested by European and North American epoxy demand weakness and vinyls intermediates demand weakness. As a result, we expect the first quarter 2023 operating results from our Chemical businesses to be slightly lower than fourth quarter 2022 levels. We expect our Winchester business first quarter 2023 results to increase sequentially from fourth quarter 2022 but to be lower than first quarter 2022 levels due to lower commercial ammunition shipments. Overall, we expect Olin’s first quarter 2023 operating results to slightly decline from fourth quarter 2022 levels.
Other Corporate and Unallocated costs in 2023 are expected to be comparable with the $131.5 million in 2022.
During 2023, we anticipate environmental expenses in the $25 million to $30 million range, compared to $23.2 million in 2022.
We expect non-operating pension income in 2023 to be in the $25 million to $30 million range compared to $38.7 million in 2022. Based on our plan assumptions and estimates, we will not be required to make any cash contributions to our domestic qualified defined benefit pension plan in 2023. We have several international qualified defined benefit pension plans for which we anticipate cash contributions of less than $5 million in 2023.
In 2023, we currently expect our capital spending to be in the $200 million to $250 million range and we expect to make payments under other long-term supply contracts in the $50 million to $100 million range for energy modernization on the U.S. Gulf Coast. We expect 2023 depreciation and amortization expense to be in the $550 million to $575 million range.
We currently believe the 2023 effective tax rates will be in the 25% to 30% range and our cash tax rate to be in the 30% to 35% range as a result of previously deferred international tax payments expected to be made in 2023.
PENSION AND POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS
We recorded an after-tax benefit of $46.8 million ($72.1 million pretax) to shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2022 for our pension and other postretirement plans. This benefit primarily reflected a 260-basis point increase in the domestic pension plans’ discount rate and a 230-basis point increase in the international defined benefit pension plans’ discount rate, partially offset by unfavorable performance on plan assets during 2022. In 2021, we recorded an after-tax benefit of $188.5 million ($249.7 million pretax) to shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2021 for our pension and other postretirement plans. This benefit primarily reflected a 50-basis point increase in the domestic pension plans’ discount rate and favorable performance on plan assets during 2021. In 2020, we recorded an after-tax charge of $14.8 million ($26.6 million pretax) to shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2020 for our pension and other postretirement plans. This benefit primarily reflected favorable performance on plan assets during 2020, partially offset by an 80-basis point decrease in the domestic pension plans’ discount rate. These non-cash charges to shareholders’ equity do not affect our ability to borrow under our senior credit facility.
Based on our plan assumptions and estimates, we will not be required to make any cash contributions to the domestic qualified defined benefit pension plan at least through 2023.
In connection with international qualified defined benefit pension plans, we made cash contributions of $1.3 million, $1.1 million and $2.1 million in 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and we anticipate less than $5 million of cash contributions to international qualified defined benefit pension plans in 2023.
At December 31, 2022, the projected benefit obligation of $2,115.3 million exceeded the market value of assets in our qualified defined benefit pension plans by $227.1 million, as calculated under Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 715 “Compensation—Retirement Benefits”.
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Components of net periodic benefit (income) costs were:
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| ($ in millions) | ||||||||||
| Pension benefits | $ | (33.0) | $ | (27.5) | $ | (11.7) | ||||
| Other postretirement benefit costs | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.9 |
The service cost component of net periodic benefit (income) costs related to employees of the operating segments are allocated to the operating segments based on their respective estimated census data.
We have included additional information with respect our defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans within Note 12 “Pension Plans” and Note 13 “Postretirement Benefits” of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Cash outlays: | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Remedial and investigatory spending (charged to reserve) | $ | 24.6 | $ | 16.4 | $ | 12.8 | ||||
| Capital spending | 1.5 | 4.1 | 3.8 | |||||||
| Plant operations (charged to cost of goods sold) | 178.8 | 194.9 | 182.8 | |||||||
| Total cash outlays | $ | 204.9 | $ | 215.4 | $ | 199.4 |
Cash outlays for remedial and investigatory activities associated with former waste sites and past operations were not charged to income but instead were charged to reserves established for such costs identified and expensed to income in prior years. Cash outlays for normal plant operations for the disposal of waste and the operation and maintenance of pollution control equipment and facilities to ensure compliance with mandated and voluntarily imposed environmental quality standards were charged to income.
Total environmental-related cash outlays for 2023 are estimated to be approximately $215 million, of which approximately $25 million to $30 million is expected to be spent on investigatory and remedial efforts, approximately $5 million on capital projects and approximately $185 million on normal plant operations. Historically, we have funded our environmental capital expenditures through cash flow from operations and expect to do so in the future.
Annual environmental-related cash outlays for site investigation and remediation, capital projects and normal plant operations are expected to range between $200 million to $220 million over the next several years, $20 million to $30 million of which is for investigatory and remedial efforts, which are expected to be charged against reserves recorded on our consolidated balance sheet. While we do not anticipate a material increase in the projected annual level of our environmental-related cash outlays for site investigation and remediation, there is always the possibility that such an increase may occur in the future in view of the uncertainties associated with environmental exposures.
Our liabilities for future environmental expenditures were as follows:
| December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| ($ in millions) | ||||||||||
| Beginning balance | $ | 147.3 | $ | 147.2 | $ | 139.0 | ||||
| Charges to income | 24.2 | 16.2 | 20.9 | |||||||
| Remedial and investigatory spending | (24.6) | (16.4) | (12.8) | |||||||
| Foreign currency translation adjustments | (0.3) | 0.3 | 0.1 | |||||||
| Ending balance | $ | 146.6 | $ | 147.3 | $ | 147.2 |
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As is common in our industry, we are subject to environmental laws and regulations related to the use, storage, handling, generation, transportation, emission, discharge, disposal and remediation of, and exposure to, hazardous and non-hazardous substances and wastes in all of the countries in which we do business.
The establishment and implementation of national, state or provincial and local standards to regulate air, water and land quality affect substantially all of our manufacturing locations around the world. Laws providing for regulation of the manufacture, transportation, use and disposal of hazardous and toxic substances, and remediation of contaminated sites, have imposed additional regulatory requirements on industry, particularly the chemicals industry. In addition, implementation of environmental laws has required and will continue to require new capital expenditures and will increase plant operating costs. We employ waste minimization and pollution prevention programs at our manufacturing sites.
We are party to various government and private environmental actions associated with past manufacturing facilities and former waste disposal sites. Associated costs of investigatory and remedial activities are provided for in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles governing probability and the ability to reasonably estimate future costs. Our ability to estimate future costs depends on whether our investigatory and remedial activities are in preliminary or advanced stages. With respect to unasserted claims, we accrue liabilities for costs that, in our experience, we expect to incur to protect our interests against those unasserted claims. Our accrued liabilities for unasserted claims amounted to $9.0 million at December 31, 2022. With respect to asserted claims, we accrue liabilities based on remedial investigation, feasibility study, remedial action and operation, maintenance and monitoring (OM&M) expenses that, in our experience, we expect to incur in connection with the asserted claims. Required site OM&M expenses are estimated and accrued in their entirety for required periods not exceeding 30 years, which reasonably approximates the typical duration of long-term site OM&M.
Environmental provisions charged to income, which are included in cost of goods sold, were as follows:
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| ($ in millions) | ||||||||||
| Provisions charged to income | $ | 24.2 | $ | 16.2 | $ | 20.9 | ||||
| Insurance recoveries for costs incurred and expensed | (1.0) | (2.2) | — | |||||||
| Environmental expense | $ | 23.2 | $ | 14.0 | $ | 20.9 |
These charges relate primarily to remedial and investigatory activities associated with past manufacturing operations and former waste disposal sites and may be material to operating results in future years.
Environmental expense for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 included $1.0 million and $2.2 million, respectively, of insurance recoveries for environmental costs incurred and expensed in prior periods. Environmental expense is included in cost of goods sold in the consolidated statement of operations.
We have included additional information with respect to environmental matters within Note 20, “Environmental,” of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
LEGAL MATTERS AND CONTINGENCIES
Please see the discussion of legal matters and contingencies within Item 8, under the heading of “Legal Matters” within Note 22 “Commitments and Contingencies.”
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LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Cash Flow Data
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Provided by (used for) | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Net operating activities | $ | 1,921.9 | $ | 1,741.0 | $ | 433.0 | ||||
| Capital expenditures | (236.9) | (200.6) | (298.9) | |||||||
| Payments under long-term supply contracts | (37.7) | — | (536.8) | |||||||
| Net investing activities | (259.7) | (197.4) | (835.7) | |||||||
| Long-term debt (repayments) borrowings, net | (201.1) | (1,103.1) | 520.3 | |||||||
| Debt early redemption premium | — | (137.7) | (14.6) | |||||||
| Common stock repurchased and retired | (1,350.7) | (251.9) | — | |||||||
| Stock options exercised | 25.7 | 72.4 | 1.9 | |||||||
| Dividends paid | (116.2) | (127.8) | (126.3) | |||||||
| Net financing activities | (1,646.7) | (1,552.0) | 371.0 |
Operating Activities
For 2022, cash provided by operating activities increased by $180.9 million from 2021, primarily due to a decrease in working capital compared with the prior year. For 2022, working capital decreased $65.2 million, compared to an increase of $243.1 million in 2021. Receivables decreased by $160.8 million from December 31, 2021, primarily as a result of lower sales in the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to fourth quarter of 2021. Inventories increased by $86.3 million from December 31, 2021 primarily as a result of increased raw material costs and increased inventory quantities within our Winchester and Epoxy businesses.
For 2021, cash provided by operating activities increased by $1,308.0 million from 2020, primarily due to a increase in operating results, partially offset by working capital increases to support operations. For 2021, working capital increased $243.1 million, compared to a decrease of $141.6 million in 2020. The working capital increase primarily reflects a higher sales level. Receivables increased by $360.0 million from December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of higher sales in the fourth quarter of 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2021, our days sales outstanding (DSO), which was calculated by dividing period end accounts receivable by average daily sales for the period, improved from the comparable prior year period. Inventories increased by $206.0 million from December 31, 2020 and accounts payable and accrued liabilities increased $240.1 million, which were both primarily as a result of increased raw material costs.
Investing Activities
Capital spending was $236.9 million and $200.6 million in 2022 and 2021, respectively. In 2023, we expect our capital spending to be in the $200 million to $250 million range.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, payments of $37.7 million were made under other long-term supply contracts for energy modernization projects on the U.S. Gulf Coast and we expect to make payments in the $50 million to $100 million range in 2023.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, we received proceeds of $14.9 million for the sale of two former manufacturing facilities.
Financing Activities
During 2022 and 2021, activity of our outstanding debt included:
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| Year Ended December 31, 2022 | Year Ended December 31, 2021 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long-term Debt Borrowings (Repayments) | Long-term Debt Borrowings (Repayments) | Debt Early Redemption Premiums Paid | |||||||||||
| Debt Instrument | ($ in millions) | ||||||||||||
| Borrowings: | |||||||||||||
| Senior Revolving Credit Facility | $ | 320.0 | $ | — | |||||||||
| Senior Term Loans | — | 315.0 | |||||||||||
| Receivables Financing Agreement | 95.0 | 225.0 | |||||||||||
| Total borrowings | $ | 415.0 | $ | 540.0 | |||||||||
| Repayments: | |||||||||||||
| 10.00% senior notes, due 2025 (Blue Cube 2025 Notes) | $ | — | $ | (500.0) | $ | 25.0 | |||||||
| 9.50% senior notes, due 2025 (2025 Notes) | — | (391.4) | 99.4 | ||||||||||
| 9.75% senior notes, due 2023 (2023 Notes) | — | (120.0) | 2.9 | ||||||||||
| 5.625% senior notes, due 2029 (2029 Notes) | — | (80.7) | 8.0 | ||||||||||
| 5.00% senior notes, due 2030 (2030 Notes) | — | (34.7) | 2.4 | ||||||||||
| 5.50% senior notes, due 2022 (2022 Notes) | (200.0) | — | — | ||||||||||
| Senior Revolving Credit Facility | (320.0) | — | — | ||||||||||
| Senior Term Loans | — | (465.0) | 2.0 | ||||||||||
| Receivables Financing Agreement | (95.0) | (50.0) | — | ||||||||||
| Finance leases | (1.1) | (1.3) | — | ||||||||||
| Total repayments | $ | (616.1) | $ | (1,643.1) | $ | 137.7 | |||||||
| Long-term debt repayments, net | $ | (201.1) | $ | (1,103.1) |
In 2022 and 2021, we paid debt issuance costs of $4.4 million and $3.9 million, respectively, primarily for the refinancing of our senior credit facilities.
In 2022 and 2021, we repurchased and retired 25.7 million and 4.7 million shares, respectively, of common stock with a total value of $1,350.7 million and $251.9 million, respectively.
In 2022 and 2021, we issued 1.1 million and 3.4 million shares, respectively, with a total value of $25.7 million and $72.4 million, respectively, representing stock options exercised.
The percent of total debt to total capitalization decreased to 50.4% at December 31, 2022 compared to 51.2% at December 31, 2021, as a result of a lower level of debt outstanding, partially offset by lower shareholders’ equity, primarily due to common stock repurchases partially offset by our operating results.
Dividends per common share were $0.80 in 2022 and 2021. Total dividends paid on common stock amounted to $116.2 million and $127.8 million in 2022 and 2021, respectively. On February 22, 2023, our board of directors declared a dividend of $0.20 per share on our common stock, payable on March 13, 2023 to shareholders of record on March 6, 2023.
The payment of cash dividends is subject to the discretion of our board of directors and will be determined in light of then-current conditions, including our earnings, our operations, our financial condition, our capital requirements and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. In the future, our board of directors may change our dividend policy, including the frequency or amount of any dividend, in light of then-existing conditions.
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Liquidity and Other Financing Arrangements
Our principal sources of liquidity are from cash and cash equivalents, cash flow from operations and borrowings under our Senior Revolving Credit Facility, Receivables Financing Agreement and AR Facilities. Additionally, we believe that we have access to the high yield debt and equity markets.
In 2022, we repaid approximately $201.1 million of our outstanding debt using cash generated from operations. During 2022, activity of our outstanding debt included:
| Long-term Debt Borrowings (Repayments) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year Ended December 31, 2022 | |||
| Debt Instrument | ($ in millions) | ||
| Borrowings: | |||
| Senior Revolving Credit Facility | $ | 320.0 | |
| Receivables Financing Agreement | 95.0 | ||
| Total borrowings | $ | 415.0 | |
| Repayments: | |||
| 5.50% senior notes, due 2022 | (200.0) | ||
| Senior Revolving Credit Facility | (320.0) | ||
| Receivables Financing Agreement | (95.0) | ||
| Finance leases | (1.1) | ||
| Total repayments | $ | (616.1) | |
| Long-term debt repayments, net | $ | (201.1) |
On October 11, 2022, we entered into a new $1,550.0 million senior credit facility (Senior Credit Facility) that replaced our existing senior credit facility (2021 Senior Credit Facility) which included outstanding senior term loans of $350.0 million and a senior revolving credit facility with aggregate commitments in an amount equal to $800.0 million. The Senior Credit Facility includes a senior term loan facility with aggregate commitments of $350.0 million (Term Loan Facility) and a senior revolving credit facility with aggregate commitments of $1,200.0 million (Senior Revolving Credit Facility). The Term Loan Facility was fully drawn on the closing date with the proceeds of the Term Loan Facility used to refinance the loans and commitments outstanding under the 2021 Senior Credit Facility. The Term Loan Facility will require principal amortization amounts payable beginning March 31, 2023 at a rate of 0.625% per quarter through the end of 2024, increasing to 1.250% per quarter thereafter until maturity. The maturity date for the Senior Credit Facility is October 11, 2027.
The Senior Revolving Credit Facility includes a $100.0 million letter of credit subfacility. At December 31, 2022, we had $1,199.6 million available under our $1,200.0 million Senior Revolving Credit Facility because we had issued $0.4 million of letters of credit.
We were in compliance with all covenants and restrictions under all our outstanding credit agreements as of December 31, 2022, and no event of default had occurred that would permit the lenders under our outstanding credit agreements to accelerate the debt if not cured. In the future, our ability to generate sufficient operating cash flows, among other factors, will determine the amounts available to be borrowed under these facilities. As a result of our restrictive covenant related to the net leverage ratio, the maximum additional borrowings available to us could be limited in the future. The limitation, if an amendment or waiver from our lenders is not obtained, could restrict our ability to borrow the maximum amounts available under the Senior Revolving Credit Facility and the Receivables Financing Agreement. As of December 31, 2022, there were no covenants or other restrictions that limited our ability to borrow.
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The overall cash increase of $13.5 million in 2022 primarily reflects our operating results, partially offset by our share repurchases, capital spending, debt repayments and dividends paid. We believe, based on current and projected levels of cash flow from our operations, together with our cash and cash equivalents on hand and the availability to borrow under our Senior Revolving Credit Facility, Receivables Financing Agreement and AR Facilities, we have sufficient liquidity to meet our short-term and long-term needs to make required payments of interest on our debt, fund our operating needs, working capital, and capital expenditure requirements and comply with the financial ratios in our debt agreements.
On July 28, 2022, our Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program for the purchase of shares of common stock at an aggregate price of up to $2.0 billion. This program will terminate upon the purchase of $2.0 billion of common stock. On November 1, 2021, our Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program for the purchase of shares of common stock at an aggregate price of up to $1.0 billion. This program terminated upon the purchase of $1.0 billion of our common stock during the third quarter of 2022. On April 26, 2018, our Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program for the purchase of shares of common stock at an aggregate price of up to $500.0 million. This program terminated upon the purchase of $500.0 million of our common stock during the first quarter of 2022.
For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, 25.7 million and 4.7 million shares, respectively, of common stock have been repurchased and retired at a total value of $1,350.7 million and $251.9 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, a cumulative total of 5.9 million shares were repurchased and retired at a cost of $298.5 million and $1,701.5 million of common stock remained authorized to be repurchased under the 2022 Repurchase Authorization program.
On October 11, 2022, we amended our existing $300 million Receivables Financing Agreement which increased the facility limit to $425.0 million and extended the maturity to October 14, 2025 (Receivables Financing Agreement). Under the Receivables Financing Agreement, our eligible trade receivables are used for collateralized borrowings and continue to be serviced by us. In addition, the Receivables Financing Agreement incorporates the net leverage ratio covenant that is contained in the Senior Credit Facility. As of both December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had $300.0 million drawn under the agreement. As of December 31, 2022, $654.0 million of our trade receivables were pledged as collateral and we had $125.0 million additional borrowing capacity under the Receivables Financing Agreement.
Olin also has trade accounts receivable factoring arrangements (AR Facilities) and pursuant to the terms of the AR Facilities, certain of our domestic subsidiaries may sell their accounts receivable up to a maximum of $207.7 million and certain of our foreign subsidiaries may sell their accounts receivable up to a maximum of €42.9 million. We will continue to service the outstanding accounts sold. These receivables qualify for sales treatment under ASC 860 “Transfers and Servicing” and, accordingly, the proceeds are included in net cash provided by operating activities in the consolidated statements of cash flows. The gross amount of receivables sold for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 totaled $1,049.7 million and $876.4 million, respectively. The factoring discount paid under the AR Facilities is recorded as interest expense on the consolidated statements of operations. The factoring discount for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 was $3.1 million and $1.1 million, respectively. The agreements are without recourse and therefore no recourse liability has been recorded as of December 31, 2022. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, $111.8 million and $83.3 million, respectively, of receivables qualifying for sales treatment were outstanding and will continue to be serviced by us.
We have registered an undetermined amount of securities with the SEC, so that, from time-to-time, we may issue debt securities, preferred stock and/or common stock and associated warrants in the public market under that registration statement.
Credit Ratings
We receive ratings from three independent credit rating agencies: Fitch Ratings (Fitch), Moody's Investor Service (Moody's) and Standard & Poor's (S&P). The following table summarizes our credit ratings as of January 31, 2023:
| Credit Ratings | Long-term Rating | Outlook | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitch Ratings | BBB- | Stable | ||
| Moody’s Investors Service | Ba1 | Stable | ||
| Standard & Poor’s | BB+ | Positive |
On January 12, 2023, Fitch assigned a first-time inaugural rating of BBB- and a stable outlook. On June 10, 2022, Moody's upgraded Olin to Ba1 from Ba2, and changed its outlook from Positive to Stable. On March 31, 2022, S&P affirmed Olin’s BB+ rating, and revised its outlook from stable to positive.
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Contractual Obligations
Our current debt structure is used to fund our business operations. As of December 31, 2022, we had long-term borrowings, including the current installment and finance lease obligations, of $2,580.7 million, of which $805.9 million was at variable rates. We expect to meet our contractual obligations through our normal sources of liquidity and believe we have the financial resources to satisfy these contractual obligations.
We have several defined benefit pension and defined contribution plans, as described in Note 12 “Pension Plans” and Note 16 “Contributing Employee Ownership Plan” in the notes to consolidated financial statements contained in Item 8. We fund the defined benefit pension plans based on the minimum amounts required by law plus such amounts we deem appropriate. Given the inherent uncertainty as to actual minimum funding requirements for qualified defined benefit pension plans, no amounts are included in this table for any period beyond one year. Based on the current funding requirements, we will not be required to make any cash contributions to the domestic qualified defined benefit pension plan at least through 2023. We also have postretirement healthcare plans that provide health and life insurance benefits to certain retired employees and their beneficiaries, as described in Note 13 “Postretirement Benefits” in the notes to consolidated financial statements contained in Item 8. The defined contribution and other postretirement plans are not pre-funded and expenses are paid by us as incurred. Our long-term contractual commitments associated with debt, contingent tax liabilities, pension and other postretirement benefits consisted of the following:
| Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | More than 5 Years | Total | ||||||||||||||
| ($ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Debt obligations, including finance lease obligations(1) | $ | 9.7 | $ | 508.7 | $ | 898.0 | $ | 1,184.6 | $ | 2,601.0 | ||||||||
| Interest payments under debt obligations(2) | 143.9 | 274.1 | 209.3 | 113.5 | 740.8 | |||||||||||||
| Contingent tax liability | 18.3 | 14.9 | 14.0 | 4.4 | 51.6 | |||||||||||||
| International qualified pension plan payments(3) | 6.4 | 8.9 | 11.9 | 158.5 | 185.7 | |||||||||||||
| Non-qualified pension plan payments | 0.7 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 4.2 | |||||||||||||
| Postretirement benefit payments | 2.9 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 21.9 | 34.9 | |||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 181.9 | $ | 812.5 | $ | 1,139.4 | $ | 1,484.4 | $ | 3,618.2 |
(1)Excludes unamortized debt issuance costs and unamortized bond original issue discount of $20.3 million at December 31, 2022. All debt obligations are assumed to be held until maturity.
(2)For the purposes of this table, we have assumed for all periods presented that there are no changes in the rates from those in effect at December 31, 2022 which ranged from 4.55% to 9.5%.
(3)These amounts are only estimated payments assuming for our foreign qualified pension plans a weighted average annual expected rate of return on pension plan assets of 3.8% and a discount rate on pension plan obligations of 3.7%. These estimated payments are subject to significant variation and the actual payments may be more than the amounts estimated. In connection with international qualified defined benefit pension plans we made cash contributions of $1.3 million, $1.1 million and $2.1 million in 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and we anticipate less than $5 million of cash contributions to international qualified defined benefit pension plans in 2023.
Non-cancelable operating leases and purchasing commitments are utilized in our normal course of business for our projected needs. Our operating lease commitments as described in Note 21 “Leases” are primarily for railcars, but also include logistics, manufacturing, storage, real estate, and information technology assets. Virtually none of our lease agreements contain escalation clauses or step rent provisions. We also have supply contracts with various third parties for certain raw materials, including ethylene, electricity, propylene and benzene. These contracts have initial terms ranging from several to 20 years. Our long-term contractual commitments associated with operating leases and purchasing commitments consisted of the following:
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| Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | More than 5 Years | Total | ||||||||||||||
| ($ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operating leases | $ | 81.8 | $ | 126.5 | $ | 80.7 | $ | 138.3 | $ | 427.3 | ||||||||
| Purchasing commitments: | ||||||||||||||||||
| Raw materials | 949.7 | 1,776.1 | 631.1 | 3,088.8 | 6,445.7 | |||||||||||||
| Capital expenditures | 8.1 | — | — | — | 8.1 | |||||||||||||
| Long-term energy supply contracts | 75.0 | 76.4 | — | — | 151.4 | |||||||||||||
| Utilities | 11.9 | 23.7 | 12.2 | 8.6 | 56.4 | |||||||||||||
| Total Purchasing Commitments | $ | 1,044.7 | $ | 1,876.2 | $ | 643.3 | $ | 3,097.4 | $ | 6,661.6 |
Other Guarantees
We also have standby letters of credit of $89.8 million of which $0.4 million have been issued under our Senior Revolving Credit Facility. The letters of credit were used to support certain long-term debt, certain workers compensation insurance policies, certain plant closure and post-closure obligations, certain international payment obligations and certain international pension funding requirements. At December 31, 2022, we had $1,199.6 million available under our Senior Revolving Credit Facility because we had issued $0.4 million of letters of credit.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, sales and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Significant estimates in our consolidated financial statements include goodwill recoverability, environmental, restructuring and other unusual items, litigation, income tax reserves including deferred tax asset valuation allowances, pension, postretirement and other benefits and allowance for doubtful accounts. We base our estimates on prior experience, current facts and circumstances and other assumptions. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
We believe the following critical accounting estimates are the more significant judgments used in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements.
Goodwill
Goodwill is not amortized, but is reviewed for impairment annually in the fourth quarter and/or when circumstances or other events indicate that impairment may have occurred. ASC 350 “Intangibles—Goodwill and Other” permits entities to make a qualitative assessment of whether it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying amount before applying a quantitative goodwill impairment test. Circumstances that are considered as part of the qualitative assessment and could trigger a quantitative impairment test include, but are not limited to: a significant adverse change in the business climate; a significant adverse legal judgment; adverse cash flow trends; an adverse action or assessment by a government agency; unanticipated competition; sustained decline in our stock price; and a significant restructuring charge within a reporting unit. We define reporting units at the business segment level or one level below the business segment level. For purposes of testing goodwill for impairment, goodwill has been allocated to our reporting units to the extent it relates to each reporting unit.
It is our practice, at a minimum, to perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test in the fourth quarter every three years. We use a discounted cash flow approach to develop the estimated fair value of a reporting unit when a quantitative review is performed. Management judgment is required in developing the assumptions for the discounted cash flow model. We also corroborate our discounted cash flow analysis by evaluating a market-based approach that considers earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) multiples from a representative sample of comparable public companies. As a further indicator that each reporting unit has been valued appropriately using a discounted cash flow model, the aggregate fair value of all reporting units is reconciled to the total market value of Olin. An impairment would be recorded if the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeded the estimated fair value.
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Fair value determinations require considerable judgment and are sensitive to changes in underlying assumptions, estimates and market factors. The discount rate, profitability assumptions and terminal growth rate of our reporting units and the supply and demand fundamentals of the chlor alkali industry are material assumptions utilized in the discounted cash flow model used to estimate the fair value of each reporting unit. The discount rate reflects a weighted-average cost of capital, which is calculated, in part based on observable market data. Some of this data (such as the risk free or treasury rate and the pretax cost of debt) are based on the market data at a point in time. Other data (such as the equity risk premium) are based upon market data over time for a peer group of companies in the chemical manufacturing or distribution industries with a market capitalization premium added, as applicable. Also factoring into the discount rate is a market participant’s perceived risk (such as the company specific risk premium) in the valuation implied by the sustained reduction in our stock price.
The discounted cash flow analysis requires estimates, assumptions and judgments about future events. Our analysis uses our internally generated long-range plan. Specifically, the assumptions in our long-range plan about terminal growth rates, forecasted capital expenditures and changes in future working capital requirements are used to determine the estimated fair value of each reporting unit. The long-range plan reflects management judgment, supplemented by independent chemical industry analyses which provide multi-year chlor alkali industry operating and pricing forecasts.
As a further indicator that each reporting unit has been valued appropriately using a discounted cash flow model, the aggregate fair value of all reporting units is reconciled to the total market value of Olin. We believe the assumptions used in our goodwill impairment analysis are appropriate and result in reasonable estimates of the implied fair value of each reporting unit. However, given the economic environment and the uncertainties regarding the impact on our business, there can be no assurance that our estimates and assumptions, made for purposes of our goodwill impairment testing, will prove to be an accurate prediction of the future.
Environmental
Accruals (charges to income) for environmental matters are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated, based on current law and existing technologies. These amounts, which are not discounted and are exclusive of claims against third parties, are adjusted periodically as assessments and remediation efforts progress or additional technical or legal information becomes available. Environmental costs are capitalized if the costs increase the value of the property and/or mitigate or prevent contamination from future operations. Environmental costs and recoveries are included in costs of goods sold.
Environmental exposures are difficult to assess for numerous reasons, including the identification of new sites, developments at sites resulting from investigatory studies, advances in technology, changes in environmental laws and regulations and their application, changes in regulatory authorities, the scarcity of reliable data pertaining to identified sites, the difficulty in assessing the involvement and financial capability of other potentially responsible parties (PRPs) and our ability to obtain contributions from other parties and the lengthy time periods over which site remediation occurs. It is possible that some of these matters (the outcomes of which are subject to various uncertainties) may be resolved unfavorably to us, which could materially adversely affect our financial position, cash flows or results of operations.
NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
Discussion of new accounting pronouncements can be referred to under Item 8, within Note 3, “Recent Accounting Pronouncements.”
DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
We are exposed to market risk in the normal course of our business operations due to our purchases of certain commodities, our ongoing investing and financing activities and our operations that use foreign currencies. The risk of loss can be assessed from the perspective of adverse changes in fair values, cash flows and future earnings. We have established policies and procedures governing our management of market risks and the use of financial instruments to manage exposure to such risks. ASC 815 “Derivatives and Hedging” (ASC 815) requires an entity to recognize all derivatives as either assets or liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets and measure those instruments at fair value. In accordance with ASC 815, we designate derivative contracts as cash flow hedges of forecasted purchases of commodities and forecasted interest payments related to variable-rate borrowings and designate certain interest rate swaps as fair value hedges of fixed-rate borrowings. We do not enter into any derivative instruments for trading or speculative purposes.
Energy costs, including electricity and natural gas, and certain raw materials used in our production processes are subject to price volatility. Depending on market conditions, we may enter into futures contracts, forward contracts, commodity swaps
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and put and call option contracts in order to reduce the impact of commodity price fluctuations. The majority of our commodity derivatives expire within one year.
For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the change in fair value of the derivative is recognized as a component of other comprehensive income (loss) until the hedged item is recognized in earnings.
We use cash flow hedges for certain raw material and energy costs such as copper, zinc, lead, ethane, electricity and natural gas to provide a measure of stability in managing our exposure to price fluctuations associated with forecasted purchases of raw materials and energy used in our manufacturing process. Settlements on commodity derivative contracts resulted in gains (losses) of $58.2 million, $180.1 million, and $(14.9) million in 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively which were included in cost of goods sold. At December 31, 2022, we had open derivative notional contract positions through 2027 totaling $261.2 million (2021—$224.3 million). If all open futures contracts had been settled on December 31, 2022, we would have recognized a pretax loss of $43.5 million.
If commodity prices were to remain at December 31, 2022 levels, approximately $30.5 million of deferred losses, net of tax, would be reclassified into earnings during the next twelve months. The actual effect on earnings will be dependent on actual commodity prices when the forecasted transactions occur.
We use interest rate swaps as a means of minimizing cash flow fluctuations that may arise from volatility in interest rates of our variable-rate borrowings. We also use interest rate swaps as a means of managing interest expense and floating interest rate exposure to optimal levels. For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a fair value hedge, the gain or loss on the derivative as well as the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk are recognized in current earnings. We include the gain or loss on the hedged items (fixed-rate borrowings) in the same line item, interest expense, as the offsetting loss or gain on the related interest rate swaps.
In 2021, we redeemed the 2025 Notes which resulted in recognition of the outstanding deferred swap loss. For the year ended December 31, 2021, $1.8 million of expense was recorded to interest expense on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations related to these swap agreements.
We actively manage currency exposures that are associated with net monetary asset positions, currency purchases and sales commitments denominated in foreign currencies and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities created in the normal course of business. We enter into forward sales and purchase contracts to manage currency risk to offset our net exposures, by currency, related to the foreign currency denominated monetary assets and liabilities of our operations. At December 31, 2022, we had outstanding forward contracts to buy foreign currency with a notional value of $275.8 million and to sell foreign currency with a notional value of $110.7 million. All of the currency derivatives expire within one year and are for U.S. dollar (USD) equivalents. The counterparties to the forward contracts are large financial institutions; however, the risk of loss to us in the event of nonperformance by a counterparty could impact our financial position or results of operations. At December 31, 2021, we had outstanding forward contracts to buy foreign currency with a notional value of $199.0 million and to sell foreign currency with a notional value of $124.4 million.
Our foreign currency forward contracts and certain commodity derivatives did not meet the criteria to qualify for hedge accounting. The effect on operating results of items not qualifying for hedge accounting was a (loss) gain of $(27.3) million, $(22.0) million and $17.7 million in 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
The fair value of our derivative asset and liability balances were:
| December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| ($ in millions) | ||||||
| Other current assets | $ | 1.8 | $ | 26.8 | ||
| Other assets | 4.0 | 7.9 | ||||
| Total derivative asset | $ | 5.8 | $ | 34.7 | ||
| Accrued liabilities | $ | 42.5 | $ | 3.5 | ||
| Other liabilities | 7.4 | 0.3 | ||||
| Total derivative liability | $ | 49.9 | $ | 3.8 |
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FY 2021 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0000074303-22-000015.
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
BUSINESS BACKGROUND
Olin Corporation (Olin) is a Virginia corporation, incorporated in 1892, having its principal executive offices in Clayton, MO. We are a leading vertically-integrated global manufacturer and distributor of chemical products and a leading U.S. manufacturer of ammunition. Our operations are concentrated in three business segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls, Epoxy and Winchester. All of our business segments are capital intensive manufacturing businesses. The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment manufactures and sells chlorine and caustic soda, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomer, methyl chloride, methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, perchloroethylene, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen, bleach products and potassium hydroxide. The Epoxy segment produces and sells a full range of epoxy materials and precursors, including aromatics (acetone, bisphenol, cumene and phenol), allyl chloride, epichlorohydrin, liquid epoxy resins, solid epoxy resins and downstream products such as converted epoxy resins and additives. The Winchester segment produces and sells sporting ammunition, reloading components, small caliber military ammunition and components, and industrial cartridges.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AND HIGHLIGHTS
Winter Storm Uri
Olin’s Freeport, TX facility was affected by Winter Storm Uri and was forced to halt production due to the lack of electrical power, natural gas, and other raw materials. All of Olin’s Freeport operations were impacted. In addition, production at Olin’s Plaquemine, LA; St. Gabriel, LA; Oxford, MS; and McIntosh, AL facilities were also negatively impacted. As a result, by February 18, 2021, Olin declared Force Majeure on all chemical product shipments from North America. Our facilities had returned to operation by March 31, 2021.
The 2021 results included a net pretax favorable impact of $99.9 million associated with Winter Storm Uri due to Olin’s customary financial hedges and contracts maintained to provide protection from rapid and dramatic changes in energy costs, partially offset by unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs and storm-related maintenance costs. During 2021, Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results included a favorable impact of $121.4 million and Epoxy segment results included an unfavorable impact of $21.5 million associated with Winter Storm Uri.
2021 Overview
Net income was $1,296.7 million for the year ended 2021 compared to net loss of $969.9 million for 2020. The increase in results from the prior year was due to improved operating results across all our business segments. The prior year results were also impacted by a $699.8 million pretax goodwill impairment charge.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls generated segment income of $997.8 million for 2021 compared to $3.5 million for 2020. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results were higher than in the prior year due to higher pricing across all products, partially offset by higher raw material and operating costs.
Epoxy reported segment income of $616.5 million for 2021 compared to $40.8 million for 2020. Epoxy segment results were higher than in the prior year primarily due to higher product prices, partially offset by higher raw materials costs, primarily benzene and propylene.
Winchester reported segment income of $412.1 million for 2021 compared to $92.3 million for 2020. On October 1, 2020, Winchester assumed full management and operational control of Lake City. Winchester segment results were higher than in the prior year primarily due to increased commercial ammunition pricing and higher volumes, which includes ammunition produced at Lake City. Winchester segment results were also negatively impacted by higher commodity costs compared to the prior year.
During 2021, we repaid approximately $1.1 billion of long-term debt. In connection with these financing transactions, we recognized a loss on extinguishment of debt of $152.2 million, which includes the payment of early redemption premiums of $137.7 million.
During 2021, we repurchased and retired 4.7 million shares of common stock at a cost of $251.9 million. As of December 31, 2021, we have $52.2 million of remaining authorized common stock to be purchased under our 2018 Repurchase
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Authorization program and $1.0 billion of remaining authorized common stock to be purchased under our 2021 Repurchase Authorization program.
COVID-19
The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic, and the various governmental, business and consumer responses to this pandemic, significantly impacted our results during 2020. We have taken measures to protect the health and safety of our employees, work with our customers and suppliers to minimize potential disruptions and support our communities during this global pandemic. Our operations are among businesses that were considered “essential” by government and public health authorities. We are following all federal, state and local health department guidelines and the costs associated with these safety procedures were not material. We continue to safely maintain plant operations and focus on business continuity. All Olin manufacturing facilities worldwide continue to operate, with the exception of those undergoing planned maintenance turnarounds.
The spread of the pandemic and the associated response has caused significant disruptions and increased volatility in the U.S. and global economies, resulting in the disruption of the supply and demand fundamentals of our Chemicals businesses. During 2020, the various governmental, business and consumer responses to the pandemic negatively impacted the demand for several of the products produced by our Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls and Epoxy businesses resulting in lower volumes and pricing. We initiated several actions during 2020 that partially mitigated the impact of economic decline on our financial performance, but also enhanced our position, financially and structurally, to take advantage of the eventual global economic recovery. These actions were primarily focused around liquidity and specific actions to reduce our costs in 2020. We continue to monitor the changing business environment, volatility and heightened degree of uncertainty resulting from the response to COVID-19, including compliance with certain federal, state and local governmental mandates. At the current time, we are unable to fully determine its future impact on our business. We continue to work with our customers, employees, suppliers and communities to address the impacts of COVID-19 and we continue to assess possible implications to our business, supply chain and customers, and to take actions in an effort to mitigate adverse consequences.
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CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| ($ in millions, except per share data) | ||||||||||
| Sales | $ | 8,910.6 | $ | 5,758.0 | $ | 6,110.0 | ||||
| Cost of goods sold | 6,616.4 | 5,374.6 | 5,439.2 | |||||||
| Gross margin | 2,294.2 | 383.4 | 670.8 | |||||||
| Selling and administration | 416.9 | 422.0 | 416.9 | |||||||
| Restructuring charges | 27.9 | 9.0 | 76.5 | |||||||
| Goodwill impairment | — | 699.8 | — | |||||||
| Other operating income | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.4 | |||||||
| Operating income (loss) | 1,850.8 | (746.7) | 177.8 | |||||||
| Interest expense | 348.0 | 292.7 | 243.2 | |||||||
| Interest income | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.0 | |||||||
| Non-operating pension income | 35.7 | 18.9 | 16.3 | |||||||
| Other income | — | — | 11.2 | |||||||
| Income (loss) before taxes | 1,538.7 | (1,020.0) | (36.9) | |||||||
| Income tax provision (benefit) | 242.0 | (50.1) | (25.6) | |||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | 1,296.7 | $ | (969.9) | $ | (11.3) | ||||
| Net income (loss) per common share: | ||||||||||
| Basic | $ | 8.15 | $ | (6.14) | $ | (0.07) | ||||
| Diluted | $ | 7.96 | $ | (6.14) | $ | (0.07) |
2021 Compared to 2020
Sales for 2021 were $8,910.6 million compared to $5,758.0 million in 2020, an increase of $3,152.6 million, or 55%. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales increased by $1,180.9 million, primarily due to higher pricing across all products. Epoxy sales increased by $1,315.5 million, primarily due to higher product prices. Winchester sales increased by $656.2 million, primarily due to increased commercial ammunition pricing and higher commercial and military sales volumes, which included ammunition produced at Lake City.
Gross margin increased $1,910.8 million from 2020. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls gross margin increased by $986.1 million, primarily due to higher pricing and the effect of Winter Storm Uri. Epoxy gross margin increased by $578.6 million, primarily due to higher product prices, partially offset by higher raw material costs and the effect of Winter Storm Uri. Winchester gross margin increased by $336.1 million, primarily due to increased commercial ammunition pricing and higher sales volumes, which included ammunition produced at Lake City. Gross margin as a percentage of sales increased to 26% in 2021 from 7% in 2020.
Selling and administration expenses in 2021 decreased $5.1 million, or 1%, from 2020. The decrease was primarily due to the absence of $73.9 million of costs associated with a multi-year implementation of new enterprise resource planning, manufacturing and engineering systems, and related infrastructure (collectively, the Information Technology Project), which was completed in late 2020. This decrease was partially offset by higher variable incentive compensation expense of $49.4 million, which includes mark-to-market adjustments on stock-based compensation expense, and inclusion of a full year of selling and administration expenses associated with Lake City operations of $18.6 million. Selling and administration expenses as a percentage of sales decreased to 5% in 2021 from 7% in 2020.
Restructuring charges for 2021 were $27.9 million compared to $9.0 million in 2020. The increase in charges was primarily due to a productivity initiative to align the organization with our new operating model and improve efficiencies, which was completed during the second quarter of 2021, and the 2021 decisions to permanently close our diaphragm-grade chlor alkali capacity, representing 400,000 tons, at our McIntosh, AL facility.
Goodwill impairment includes non-cash pretax impairment charges of $557.6 million related to the Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment and $142.2 million related to the Epoxy segment recorded during the third quarter of 2020.
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Interest expense increased by $55.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Interest expense for 2021 included $137.7 million of bond redemption premiums and $14.5 million for write-off of deferred debt issuance costs, write-off of bond original issue discount, and recognition of deferred fair value interest rate swap losses. Interest expense for 2020 included $14.6 million of bond redemption premiums, $5.8 million for write-off of deferred debt issuance costs and $4.0 million of accretion expense related to the 2020 ethylene payment discount. Interest expense for 2021 and 2020 was reduced by capitalized interest of $3.2 million and $6.4 million, respectively. Without these items, interest expense decreased by $75.7 million, primarily due to a lower level of debt outstanding and lower average interest rates.
Non-operating pension income includes all components of pension and other postretirement income (costs) other than service costs. Non-operating pension income was higher for the year ended December 31, 2021 primarily due to a decrease in the discount rate used to determine interest costs.
The effective tax rate for 2021 included benefits from a net decrease in the valuation allowance related to deferred tax assets in foreign jurisdictions and domestic tax credits, a benefit associated with prior year tax positions, a benefit associated with stock-based compensation, an expense from remeasurement of deferred taxes due to an increase in our state effective tax rates and an expense from a change in tax contingencies. These factors resulted in a net $103.6 million tax benefit. After giving consideration to these items, the effective tax rate for 2021 of 22.5% was higher than the 21% U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to state taxes, foreign income inclusions and foreign income taxes, partially offset by a net decrease in the valuation allowance related to utilization of losses in foreign jurisdictions and favorable permanent salt depletion deductions. The effective tax rate for 2020 included expenses associated with a net increase in the valuation allowance related to foreign and domestic tax credits and deferred tax assets in foreign jurisdictions, a remeasurement of deferred taxes due to an increase in our state effective tax rates and a change in tax contingencies, and stock-based compensation, partially offset by a benefit associated with prior year tax positions. These factors resulted in a net $27.9 million tax expense. For 2020, a tax benefit of $10.8 million was recognized associated with the $699.8 million goodwill impairment charge. After giving consideration to these items, including the goodwill impairment charge on Olin’s loss before taxes, the effective tax rate for 2020 of 21.0% was equal to the 21.0% U.S. federal statutory rate as foreign income taxes, foreign income inclusions and a net increase in the valuation allowance related to losses in foreign jurisdictions were offset by state taxes and favorable permanent salt depletion deductions.
2020 Compared to 2019
Sales for 2020 were $5,758.0 million compared to $6,110.0 million in 2019, a decrease of $352.0 million, or 6%. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales decreased by $460.2 million, primarily due to lower caustic soda and EDC pricing and lower caustic soda volumes. Epoxy sales decreased by $153.9 million, primarily due to lower product prices. Winchester sales increased by $262.1 million, primarily due to higher commercial and military sales volumes, which included ammunition produced at Lake City, and increased commercial ammunition pricing.
Gross margin for 2020 decreased $287.4 million, or 43%, from 2019. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls gross margin decreased by $327.3 million, primarily due to lower caustic soda and EDC pricing and lower caustic soda volumes, partially offset by lower costs, primarily raw materials. Epoxy gross margin decreased $9.5 million, primarily due to lower product prices, partially offset by lower raw material costs. Winchester gross margin increased $73.5 million, primarily due to higher sales volumes, which included ammunition produced at Lake City, and increased commercial pricing. Gross margin as a percentage of sales decreased to 7% in 2020 from 11% in 2019.
Selling and administration expenses in 2020 increased $5.1 million, or 1%, from 2019. The increase was primarily due to Lake City operations and higher transition costs relating to the Lake City contract of $22.4 million and higher stock-based compensation expense of $14.7 million, which includes mark-to-market adjustments. These increases were partially offset by lower salaries and benefits of $13.9 million, consulting and contract services of $7.9 million and travel-related expenses of $8.1 million. Selling and administration expenses for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 included costs associated with the Information Technology Project of $73.9 million and $77.0 million, respectively. Selling and administration expenses as a percentage of sales were 7% in both 2020 and 2019.
Restructuring charges in 2020 and 2019 were primarily associated with the March 2016 closure of 433,000 tons of chlor alkali capacity across three separate locations. Restructuring charges for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were also associated with the closure of a chlor alkali plant and a VDC production facility, both in Freeport, TX, and included $58.9 million of non-cash impairment charges for equipment and facilities for the year ended December 31, 2019. Restructuring charges for the year ended December 31, 2019 also included costs associated with permanently closing the ammunition assembly operations at our Geelong, Australia facility in December 2018.
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Goodwill impairment includes non-cash pretax impairment charges of $557.6 million related to the Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment and $142.2 million related to the Epoxy segment recorded during the third quarter of 2020.
Interest expense increased by $49.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily due to a higher level of debt outstanding and higher interest rates. Interest expense included $14.6 million of expense related to the 2023 Notes redemption premium and $5.8 million for write-off of deferred debt issuance costs for financing transactions during 2020. Interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 included $4.0 million and $17.0 million, respectively, of accretion expense related to the ethylene payment discount. Interest expense was reduced by capitalized interest of $6.4 million and $10.8 million for 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Non-operating pension income includes all components of pension and other postretirement income (costs) other than service costs. Non-operating pension income was higher for the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily due to a decrease in the amortization of actuarial losses associated with our domestic qualified defined benefit pension plan.
The effective tax rate for 2020 included expenses associated with a net increase in the valuation allowance related to foreign and domestic tax credits and deferred tax assets in foreign jurisdictions, a remeasurement of deferred taxes due to an increase in our state effective tax rates and a change in tax contingencies, and stock-based compensation, partially offset by a benefit associated with prior year tax positions. These factors resulted in a net $27.9 million tax expense. For 2020, a tax benefit of $10.8 million was recognized associated with the $699.8 million goodwill impairment charge. After giving consideration to these items, including the goodwill impairment charge on Olin’s loss before taxes, the effective tax rate for 2020 of 21.0% was equal to the 21% U.S. federal statutory rate as foreign income taxes, foreign income inclusions and a net increase in the valuation allowance related to losses in foreign jurisdictions were offset by state taxes and favorable permanent salt depletion deductions. The effective tax rate for 2019 included benefits associated with the finalization of the IRS review of years 2013 to 2015 U.S. income tax claims, stock-based compensation, prior year tax positions, foreign tax law changes, a remeasurement of deferred taxes due to a decrease in our state effective tax rates and a change in tax contingencies. The effective tax rate also included expenses associated with a net increase in the valuation allowance primarily related to foreign deferred tax assets and liabilities. These factors resulted in a net $19.4 million tax benefit. After giving consideration to these items, the effective tax rate for 2019 of 16.8% was lower than the 21% U.S. federal statutory rate primarily due to state taxes and a net increase in the valuation allowance related to losses in foreign jurisdictions, partially offset by foreign income taxes and favorable permanent salt depletion deductions.
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SEGMENT RESULTS
We define segment results as income (loss) before interest expense, interest income, goodwill impairment charges, other operating income (expense), non-operating pension income, other income and income taxes. We have three operating segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls, Epoxy and Winchester. The three operating segments reflect the organization used by our management for purposes of allocating resources and assessing performance. Chlorine used in our Epoxy segment is transferred at cost from the Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment.
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Sales: | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls | $ | 4,140.8 | $ | 2,959.9 | $ | 3,420.1 | ||||
| Epoxy | 3,186.0 | 1,870.5 | 2,024.4 | |||||||
| Winchester | 1,583.8 | 927.6 | 665.5 | |||||||
| Total sales | $ | 8,910.6 | $ | 5,758.0 | $ | 6,110.0 | ||||
| Income (loss) before taxes: | ||||||||||
| Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls | $ | 997.8 | $ | 3.5 | $ | 336.7 | ||||
| Epoxy | 616.5 | 40.8 | 53.9 | |||||||
| Winchester | 412.1 | 92.3 | 40.1 | |||||||
| Corporate/Other: | ||||||||||
| Environmental expense(1) | (14.0) | (20.9) | (20.5) | |||||||
| Other corporate and unallocated costs(2) | (135.1) | (154.3) | (156.3) | |||||||
| Restructuring charges(3) | (27.9) | (9.0) | (76.5) | |||||||
| Goodwill impairment | — | (699.8) | — | |||||||
| Other operating income(4) | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.4 | |||||||
| Interest expense(5) | (348.0) | (292.7) | (243.2) | |||||||
| Interest income | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.0 | |||||||
| Non-operating pension income | 35.7 | 18.9 | 16.3 | |||||||
| Other income(6) | — | — | 11.2 | |||||||
| Income (loss) before taxes | $ | 1,538.7 | $ | (1,020.0) | $ | (36.9) |
(1)Environmental expense for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2019 included $2.2 million and $4.8 million, respectively, of insurance recoveries for environmental costs incurred and expensed in prior periods. Environmental expense is included in cost of goods sold in the consolidated statements of operations.
(2)Other corporate and unallocated costs for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 included costs associated with the implementation of the Information Technology Project of $73.9 million and $77.0 million, respectively.
(3)Restructuring charges for the year ended December 31, 2021 were primarily due to a productivity initiative to align the organization with our new operating model and improve efficiencies, which was completed during the second quarter of 2021, and the 2021 decisions to permanently close our diaphragm-grade chlor alkali capacity, representing 400,000 tons, at our McIntosh, AL facility. Restructuring charges for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 were primarily associated with the closure of a chlor alkali plant and a VDC production facility, both in Freeport, TX, and included $58.9 million of non-cash impairment charges for equipment and facilities for the year ended December 31, 2019.
(4)Other operating income for the year ended December 31, 2021 included a $1.4 million gain on the sale of a terminal facility. Other operating income for the year ended December 31, 2020 included an $0.8 million gain on the sale of land.
(5)Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2021 included a loss on extinguishment of debt of $152.2 million which includes bond redemption premiums, write-off of deferred debt issuance costs, bond original issue discount, and recognition of deferred fair value interest rate swap losses associated with the optional prepayment of existing debt. Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2020 included a loss on extinguishment of debt of $20.4 million which includes bond redemption premiums and write-off of deferred debt issuance costs. Interest expense for the years ended 2020 and 2019 included $4.0 million and $17.0 million, respectively, of accretion expense related to the ethylene
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payment discount. Interest expense was reduced by capitalized interest of $3.2 million, $6.4 million and $10.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
(6)Other income for the year ended December 31, 2019 included a gain of $11.2 million on the sale of our equity interest in a non-consolidated affiliate.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls
2021 Compared to 2020
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales for 2021 were $4,140.8 million compared to $2,959.9 million for 2020, an increase of $1,180.9 million, or 40%. The sales increase was primarily due to higher pricing across all product lines. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales increase was also due to higher VCM sales as a result of our primary VCM contract transitioning from a toll manufacturing arrangement to a direct customer sale agreement beginning on January 1, 2021.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls generated segment income of $997.8 million for 2021 compared to $3.5 million for 2020, an increase of $994.3 million. The increase in Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results was primarily due to higher product prices ($1,128.0 million) and the favorable impact of Winter Storm Uri ($121.4 million), partially offset by higher raw material and operating costs ($132.8 million) and increased costs associated with product purchased from other parties ($122.3 million). The impact of Winter Storm Uri includes a net one-time benefit associated with Olin’s customary financial hedges and contracts maintained to provide protection from rapid and dramatic changes in energy costs, partially offset by unabsorbed fixed manufacturing costs and storm-related maintenance costs. Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $466.4 million and $451.4 million in 2021 and 2020, respectively.
2020 Compared to 2019
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls sales for 2020 were $2,959.9 million compared to $3,420.1 million for 2019, a decrease of $460.2 million, or 13%. The sales decrease was primarily due to lower caustic soda and EDC pricing and lower volumes, primarily caustic soda.
Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls generated segment income of $3.5 million for 2020 compared to $336.7 million for 2019, a decrease of $333.2 million. The decrease in Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results was primarily due to lower product prices ($318.5 million), primarily caustic soda and EDC, and lower volumes ($143.1 million), primarily caustic soda. Partially offsetting these decreases were lower raw material costs ($83.8 million) and lower maintenance turnaround and operating costs ($44.6 million). Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $451.4 million and $470.4 million in 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Epoxy
2021 Compared to 2020
Epoxy sales were $3,186.0 million for 2021 compared to $1,870.5 million for 2020, an increase of $1,315.5 million, or 70%. The sales increase was primarily due to higher product prices ($1,211.0 million), a favorable effect of foreign currency translation ($74.9 million), and higher volumes ($29.6 million).
Epoxy reported segment income of $616.5 million for 2021 compared to $40.8 million for 2020, an increase of $575.7 million. The increase in segment results was primarily due to higher product prices ($1,211.0 million) and increased volumes ($11.5 million), partially offset by higher raw material costs ($554.4 million), primarily benzene and propylene, higher operating and maintenance turnaround costs ($70.9 million) and the unfavorable impact of Winter Storm Uri ($21.5 million). A significant percentage of our Euro denominated sales are of products manufactured within Europe. As a result, the impact of foreign currency translation on revenue is primarily offset by the impact of foreign currency translation on raw materials and manufacturing costs also denominated in Euros. Epoxy segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $86.1 million and $90.7 million in 2021 and 2020, respectively.
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2020 Compared to 2019
Epoxy sales were $1,870.5 million for 2020 compared to $2,024.4 million for 2019, a decrease of $153.9 million, or 8%. The sales decrease was primarily due to lower product prices ($180.0 million) and an unfavorable effect of foreign currency translation ($6.1 million), partially offset by higher volumes ($32.2 million).
Epoxy reported segment income of $40.8 million for 2020 compared to $53.9 million for 2019, a decrease of $13.1 million, or 24%. The decrease in segment results was primarily due to lower product prices ($180.0 million) and an unfavorable product mix ($24.4 million), partially offset by lower raw material costs ($162.5 million), primarily benzene and propylene, and lower operating costs ($38.8 million). Epoxy segment results were also negatively affected by a first quarter 2020 force majeure declaration by a European phenol supplier, which reduced epoxy resin and epoxy resin precursor production, and Epoxy manufacturing plant closures and operating reductions in Asia due to COVID-19 ($10.0 million). A significant percentage of our Euro denominated sales are of products manufactured within Europe. As a result, the impact of foreign currency translation on revenue is primarily offset by the impact of foreign currency translation on raw materials and manufacturing costs also denominated in Euros. Epoxy segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $90.7 million and $100.1 million in 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Winchester
2021 Compared to 2020
Winchester sales were $1,583.8 million for 2021 compared to $927.6 million for 2020, an increase of $656.2 million, or 71%. The increase was due to higher ammunition sales to commercial customers ($463.6 million) and military customers ($179.2 million), both of which include ammunition produced at Lake City, and law enforcement agencies ($13.4 million).
Winchester reported segment income of $412.1 million for 2021 compared to $92.3 million for 2020, an increase of $319.8 million. The increase in segment results was due to higher product pricing ($221.6 million) and increased sales volumes ($134.1 million), which includes ammunition produced at Lake City, partially offset by higher commodity and operating costs ($49.4 million). Segment results in 2020 were also impacted by transition costs relating to the Lake City contract ($13.5 million). Winchester segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $23.3 million and $20.1 million in 2021 and 2020, respectively.
2020 Compared to 2019
Winchester sales were $927.6 million for 2020 compared to $665.5 million for 2019, an increase of $262.1 million, or 39%. The increase was due to higher ammunition sales to commercial customers ($199.2 million) and military customers ($51.9 million), both of which include ammunition produced at Lake City, and law enforcement agencies ($11.0 million).
Winchester reported segment income of $92.3 million for 2020 compared to $40.1 million for 2019, an increase of $52.2 million, or 130%. The increase in segment results was due to increased sales volumes ($49.2 million), which includes ammunition produced at Lake City, and higher product pricing ($23.4 million), partially offset by higher transition costs relating to the Lake City contract ($12.9 million) and higher operating costs ($7.5 million). Winchester segment results included depreciation and amortization expense of $20.1 million in both 2020 and 2019.
Corporate/Other
2021 Compared to 2020
For the year ended December 31, 2021, charges to income for environmental investigatory and remedial activities were $14.0 million, which includes $2.2 million of insurance recoveries for environmental costs incurred and expensed in prior periods. Without these recoveries, charges to income for environmental investigatory and remedial activities for the year ended December 31, 2021 would have been $16.2 million, compared to $20.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. These charges related primarily to expected future investigatory and remedial activities associated with past manufacturing operations and former waste disposal sites.
For 2021, other corporate and unallocated costs were $135.1 million compared to $154.3 million for 2020, a decrease of $19.2 million, or 12%. The decrease was primarily due to the absence of $73.9 million of costs associated with the implementation of the Information Technology Project, which was completed in late 2020, partially offset by higher variable
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incentive compensation costs of $45.7 million, which includes mark-to-market adjustments on stock-based compensation expense, and an unfavorable foreign currency impact of $7.0 million.
2020 Compared to 2019
For the year ended December 31, 2020, charges to income for environmental investigatory and remedial activities were $20.9 million compared to $20.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. These charges related primarily to expected future investigatory and remedial activities associated with past manufacturing operations and former waste disposal sites. The year ended December 31, 2019 includes a $4.8 million environmental insurance-related settlement gain.
For 2020, other corporate and unallocated costs were $154.3 million compared to $156.3 million for 2019, a decrease of $2.0 million, or 1%. The decrease was primarily due to lower salary and benefit costs of $12.2 million and lower travel-related expenses of $2.1 million, partially offset by higher stock-based compensation expense of $14.8 million, which includes mark-to-market adjustments. Other corporate and unallocated costs included costs associated with the implementation of the Information Technology Project for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 of $73.9 million and $77.0 million, respectively.
Restructurings
Olin committed to a productivity initiative to align the organization with our new operating model and improve efficiencies (collectively, Productivity Plan). These actions and related activities were completed during the second quarter of 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2021, we recorded pretax restructuring charges of $10.3 million for employee severance and related benefit costs related to these actions. We do not expect to incur additional restructuring charges related to these actions.
On May 18, 2021, we announced that we had made the decision to permanently close approximately 20% of our diaphragm-grade chlor alkali capacity, representing 225,000 tons, at our Plaquemine, LA facility (Plaquemine Plan). The closure was completed in the second quarter of 2021. We do not expect to incur restructuring charges related to this action.
On March 15, 2021, we announced that we had made the decision to permanently close approximately 50% of our diaphragm-grade chlor alkali capacity, representing 200,000 tons, at our McIntosh, AL facility. The closure was completed in the first quarter of 2021. On October 21, 2021, we announced that we had made a decision to permanently cease operations of the remaining 50% of our diaphragm-grade chlor alkali capacity, representing an additional 200,000 tons, at our McIntosh, AL facility (collectively, McIntosh Plans). The closure is expected to be completed by the end of the third quarter of 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2021, we recorded pretax restructuring charges of $5.6 million for lease and other contract termination costs related to these actions. We expect to incur additional restructuring charges through 2026 of approximately $35 million related to these actions.
On January 18, 2021, we announced we had made the decision to permanently close our trichloroethylene and anhydrous hydrogen chloride liquefaction facilities in Freeport, TX, which was completed in the fourth quarter of 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2021, we recorded pretax restructuring charges of $6.5 million for facility exit costs related to these actions. We expect to incur restructuring charges through 2024 of approximately $20 million related to these actions.
2022 OUTLOOK
In 2022, we expect to continue to benefit from Olin’s strategic operating model of optimizing value across our Chemicals and Winchester businesses. In 2022, we expect operating results to improve across all our business segments compared to 2021. In early 2022, we expect sequentially higher raw material and operating costs, mainly increased natural gas and electrical power costs. As a result, we expect the first quarter 2022 results from our Chemicals businesses to be similar to fourth quarter 2021 levels. We expect our Winchester business first quarter 2022 results to increase sequentially from fourth quarter 2021.
Other Corporate and Unallocated costs in 2022 are expected to be lower than the $135.1 million in 2021.
During 2022, we anticipate environmental expenses in the $25 million to $30 million range compared to $14.0 million in 2021.
We expect non-operating pension income in 2022 to be in the $40 million to $45 million range compared to $35.7 million in 2021. Based on our plan assumptions and estimates, we will not be required to make any cash contributions to our domestic qualified defined benefit pension plan in 2022. We have several international qualified defined benefit pension plans for which we anticipate cash contributions of less than $5 million in 2022.
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In 2022, we currently expect our capital spending to be in the $200 million to $250 million range. We expect 2022 depreciation and amortization expense to be in the $575 million to $600 million range.
We currently believe the 2022 effective and cash tax rates will be in the 25% to 30% range.
PENSION AND POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS
We recorded an after-tax benefit of $188.5 million ($249.7 million pretax) to shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2021 for our pension and other postretirement plans. This benefit primarily reflected a 50-basis point increase in the domestic pension plans’ discount rate and favorable performance on plan assets during 2021. In 2020, we recorded an after-tax benefit of $14.8 million ($26.6 million pretax) to shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2020 for our pension and other postretirement plans. This benefit primarily reflected favorable performance on plan assets during 2020, partially offset by an 80-basis point decrease in the domestic pension plans’ discount rate. In 2019, we recorded an after-tax charge of $150.2 million ($183.9 million pretax) to shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2019 for our pension and other postretirement plans. This charge primarily reflected a 100-basis point decrease in the domestic pension plans’ discount rate, partially offset by favorable performance on plan assets during 2019. These non-cash charges to shareholders’ equity do not affect our ability to borrow under our senior credit facility.
During 2019, we made a discretionary cash contribution to our domestic qualified defined benefit pension plan of $12.5 million. Based on our plan assumptions and estimates, we will not be required to make any cash contributions to the domestic qualified defined benefit pension plan at least through 2022.
In connection with international qualified defined benefit pension plans, we made cash contributions of $1.1 million, $2.1 million and $2.4 million in 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and we anticipate less than $5 million of cash contributions to international qualified defined benefit pension plans in 2022.
At December 31, 2021, the projected benefit obligation of $2,883.0 million exceeded the market value of assets in our qualified defined benefit pension plans by $377.3 million, as calculated under ASC 715.
Components of net periodic benefit (income) costs were:
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| ($ in millions) | ||||||||||
| Pension benefits | $ | (27.5) | $ | (11.7) | $ | (8.8) | ||||
| Other postretirement benefit costs | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4.9 |
The service cost component of net periodic benefit (income) costs related to employees of the operating segments are allocated to the operating segments based on their respective estimated census data.
We have included additional information with respect our defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement benefit plans within Note 12 “Pension Plans” and Note 13 “Postretirement Benefits” of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Cash outlays: | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Remedial and investigatory spending (charged to reserve) | $ | 16.4 | $ | 12.8 | $ | 12.2 | ||||
| Capital spending | 4.1 | 3.8 | 1.2 | |||||||
| Plant operations (charged to cost of goods sold) | 194.9 | 182.8 | 188.4 | |||||||
| Total cash outlays | $ | 215.4 | $ | 199.4 | $ | 201.8 |
Cash outlays for remedial and investigatory activities associated with former waste sites and past operations were not charged to income but instead were charged to reserves established for such costs identified and expensed to income in prior years. Cash outlays for normal plant operations for the disposal of waste and the operation and maintenance of pollution
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control equipment and facilities to ensure compliance with mandated and voluntarily imposed environmental quality standards were charged to income.
Total environmental-related cash outlays for 2022 are estimated to be approximately $215 million, of which approximately $25 million is expected to be spent on investigatory and remedial efforts, approximately $5 million on capital projects and approximately $185 million on normal plant operations. Remedial and investigatory spending is anticipated to be higher in 2022 than 2021 due to the timing of continuing remedial action plans and investigations. Historically, we have funded our environmental capital expenditures through cash flow from operations and expect to do so in the future.
Annual environmental-related cash outlays for site investigation and remediation, capital projects and normal plant operations are expected to range between $200 million to $220 million over the next several years, $20 million to $30 million of which is for investigatory and remedial efforts, which are expected to be charged against reserves recorded on our consolidated balance sheet. While we do not anticipate a material increase in the projected annual level of our environmental-related cash outlays for site investigation and remediation, there is always the possibility that such an increase may occur in the future in view of the uncertainties associated with environmental exposures.
Our liabilities for future environmental expenditures were as follows:
| December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| ($ in millions) | ||||||||||
| Beginning balance | $ | 147.2 | $ | 139.0 | $ | 125.6 | ||||
| Charges to income | 16.2 | 20.9 | 25.3 | |||||||
| Remedial and investigatory spending | (16.4) | (12.8) | (12.2) | |||||||
| Foreign currency translation adjustments | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.3 | |||||||
| Ending balance | $ | 147.3 | $ | 147.2 | $ | 139.0 |
As is common in our industry, we are subject to environmental laws and regulations related to the use, storage, handling, generation, transportation, emission, discharge, disposal and remediation of, and exposure to, hazardous and non-hazardous substances and wastes in all of the countries in which we do business.
The establishment and implementation of national, state or provincial and local standards to regulate air, water and land quality affect substantially all of our manufacturing locations around the world. Laws providing for regulation of the manufacture, transportation, use and disposal of hazardous and toxic substances, and remediation of contaminated sites, have imposed additional regulatory requirements on industry, particularly the chemicals industry. In addition, implementation of environmental laws has required and will continue to require new capital expenditures and will increase plant operating costs. We employ waste minimization and pollution prevention programs at our manufacturing sites.
We are party to various government and private environmental actions associated with past manufacturing facilities and former waste disposal sites. Associated costs of investigatory and remedial activities are provided for in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles governing probability and the ability to reasonably estimate future costs. Our ability to estimate future costs depends on whether our investigatory and remedial activities are in preliminary or advanced stages. With respect to unasserted claims, we accrue liabilities for costs that, in our experience, we expect to incur to protect our interests against those unasserted claims. Our accrued liabilities for unasserted claims amounted to $9.0 million at December 31, 2021. With respect to asserted claims, we accrue liabilities based on remedial investigation, feasibility study, remedial action and operation, maintenance and monitoring (OM&M) expenses that, in our experience, we expect to incur in connection with the asserted claims. Required site OM&M expenses are estimated and accrued in their entirety for required periods not exceeding 30 years, which reasonably approximates the typical duration of long-term site OM&M.
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Environmental provisions charged to income, which are included in cost of goods sold, were as follows:
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| ($ in millions) | ||||||||||
| Provisions charged to income | $ | 16.2 | $ | 20.9 | $ | 25.3 | ||||
| Insurance recoveries for costs incurred and expensed | (2.2) | — | (4.8) | |||||||
| Environmental expense | $ | 14.0 | $ | 20.9 | $ | 20.5 |
These charges relate primarily to remedial and investigatory activities associated with past manufacturing operations and former waste disposal sites and may be material to operating results in future years.
Environmental expense for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2019 included $2.2 million and $4.8 million, respectively, of insurance recoveries for environmental costs incurred and expensed in prior periods. Environmental expense is included in cost of goods sold in the consolidated statement of operations.
We have included additional information with respect to environmental matters within Note 20, “Environmental,” of our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
LEGAL MATTERS AND CONTINGENCIES
Please see the discussion of legal matters and contingencies within Item 8, under the heading of “Legal Matters” within Note 23, “Commitments and Contingencies.”
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Cash Flow Data
| Years ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Provided by (used for) | ($ in millions) | |||||||||
| Net operating activities | $ | 1,741.0 | $ | 433.0 | $ | 617.3 | ||||
| Capital expenditures | (200.6) | (298.9) | (385.6) | |||||||
| Payments under long-term supply contracts | — | (536.8) | — | |||||||
| Proceeds from disposition of non-consolidated affiliate | — | — | 20.0 | |||||||
| Net investing activities | (197.4) | (835.7) | (365.6) | |||||||
| Long-term debt (repayments) borrowings, net | (1,103.1) | 520.3 | 80.8 | |||||||
| Debt early redemption premium | (137.7) | (14.6) | — | |||||||
| Stock options exercised | 72.4 | 1.9 | 1.7 | |||||||
| Common stock repurchased and retired | (251.9) | — | (145.9) | |||||||
| Net financing activities | (1,552.0) | 371.0 | (209.3) |
Operating Activities
For 2021, cash provided by operating activities increased by $1,308.0 million from 2020, primarily due to an increase in operating results, partially offset by working capital increases to support operations. For 2021, working capital increased $243.1 million, compared to a decrease of $141.6 million in 2020. The working capital increase primarily reflects a higher sales level. Receivables increased by $360.0 million from December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of higher sales in the fourth quarter of 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2021, our days sales outstanding (DSO), which was calculated by dividing period end accounts receivable by average daily sales for the period, improved from the comparable prior year period. Inventories increased by $206.0 million from December 31, 2020 and accounts payable and accrued liabilities increased $240.1 million, which were both primarily as a result of increased raw material costs.
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For 2020, cash provided by operating activities decreased by $184.3 million from 2019, primarily due to a decrease in operating results, partially offset by a decrease in the investment in working capital from the prior year. During 2020, we executed a strategy to improve our working capital and manage our balance sheet to maximize our financial flexibility. For 2020, working capital decreased $141.6 million, which included an approximately $67 million investment in working capital to support Lake City operations, compared to a decrease of $11.0 million in 2019. In 2020, inventories decreased by $28.6 million, primarily as a result of lower raw material costs and lower Winchester inventory due to improved commercial ammunition demand, partially offset by the investment in Lake City inventory. Accounts payable and accrued liabilities increased by $149.3 million as a result of specific actions taken by management to improve Olin’s working capital.
Investing Activities
Capital spending was $200.6 million and $298.9 million in 2021 and 2020, respectively. In 2022, we expect our capital spending to be in the $200.0 million to $250.0 million range.
In 2017, we began a multi-year implementation of the Information Technology Project. The project standardized business processes across the chemicals businesses with the objective of maximizing cost effectiveness, efficiency and control across our global operations. The project was completed in 2020. Our results for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 include $41.0 million and $56.0 million, respectively, of capital spending and $73.9 million and $77.0 million, respectively, of expenses associated with this project.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, a payment of $461.0 million was made associated with long-term supply contracts to reserve additional ethylene at producer economics and a payment of $75.8 million was made associated with the resolution of a dispute over the allocation to Olin of certain capital costs incurred at our Plaquemine, LA site.
Financing Activities
During 2021 and 2020, activity of our outstanding debt included:
| Long-term Debt Borrowings (Repayments) | Debt Early Redemption Premiums Paid | Long-term Debt Borrowings (Repayments) | Debt Early Redemption Premiums Paid | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year Ended December 31, 2021 | Year Ended December 31, 2020 | ||||||||||||||
| Debt Instrument | ($ in millions) | ||||||||||||||
| Borrowings: | |||||||||||||||
| Senior Term Loans | $ | 315.0 | $ | 675.0 | |||||||||||
| Receivables Financing Agreement | 225.0 | 655.0 | |||||||||||||
| 9.50% senior notes due 2025 | — | 497.5 | |||||||||||||
| Total borrowings | $ | 540.0 | $ | 1,827.5 | |||||||||||
| Repayments: | |||||||||||||||
| 10.00% senior notes due 2025 | $ | (500.0) | $ | 25.0 | $ | — | $ | — | |||||||
| 9.50% senior notes due 2025 | (391.4) | 99.4 | — | — | |||||||||||
| 9.75% senior notes due 2023 | (120.0) | 2.9 | (600.0) | 14.6 | |||||||||||
| 5.625% senior notes due 2029 | (80.7) | 8.0 | — | — | |||||||||||
| 5.00% senior notes due 2030 | (34.7) | 2.4 | — | — | |||||||||||
| Senior Term Loans | (465.0) | — | (175.0) | — | |||||||||||
| Receivables Financing Agreement | (50.0) | — | (530.0) | — | |||||||||||
| Finance leases | (1.3) | — | (2.2) | — | |||||||||||
| Total repayments | $ | (1,643.1) | $ | 137.7 | $ | (1,307.2) | $ | 14.6 | |||||||
| Long-term debt (repayments) borrowings, net | $ | (1,103.1) | $ | 520.3 |
In 2021, we paid debt issuance costs of $3.9 million, primarily for the amendments to our Senior Credit Facility. In 2020, we paid debt issuance costs of $10.3 million, primarily for the issuance of the 2025 Notes and amendments to our Senior Credit Facility and Receivables Financing Agreement.
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In 2021, we repurchased and retired 4.7 million shares of common stock with a total value of $251.9 million. In 2020, no shares were repurchased.
We issued 3.4 million and 0.1 million shares representing stock options exercised for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, with a total value of $72.4 million and $1.9 million, respectively.
The percent of total debt to total capitalization decreased to 51.2% at December 31, 2021 compared to 72.7% at December 31, 2020, as a result of a lower level of debt outstanding and higher shareholders’ equity primarily resulting from our operating results.
Dividends per common share were $0.80 in 2021 and 2020. Total dividends paid on common stock amounted to $127.8 million and $126.3 million in 2021 and 2020, respectively. On February 22, 2022, our board of directors declared a dividend of $0.20 per share on our common stock, payable on March 11, 2022 to shareholders of record on March 4, 2022.
The payment of cash dividends is subject to the discretion of our board of directors and will be determined in light of then-current conditions, including our earnings, our operations, our financial condition, our capital requirements and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. In the future, our board of directors may change our dividend policy, including the frequency or amount of any dividend, in light of then-existing conditions.
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Liquidity and Other Financing Arrangements
Our principal sources of liquidity are from cash and cash equivalents, cash flow from operations and borrowings under our Senior Revolving Credit Facility, Receivables Financing Agreement and AR Facilities. Additionally, we believe that we have access to the high yield debt and equity markets.
In 2021, we repaid approximately $1.1 billion of our outstanding debt using cash generated from operations. During 2021, activity of our outstanding debt included:
| Long-term Debt Borrowings (Repayments) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year Ended December 31, 2021 | |||
| Debt Instrument | ($ in millions) | ||
| Borrowings: | |||
| Senior Term Loans | $ | 315.0 | |
| Receivables Financing Agreement | 225.0 | ||
| Total borrowings | $ | 540.0 | |
| Repayments: | |||
| 10.00% senior notes due 2025 (Blue Cube 2025 Notes) | $ | (500.0) | |
| 9.50% senior notes due 2025 (2025 Notes) | (391.4) | ||
| 9.75% senior notes due 2023 (2023 Notes) | (120.0) | ||
| 5.625% senior notes due 2029 (2029 Notes) | (80.7) | ||
| 5.00% senior notes due 2030 (2030 Notes) | (34.7) | ||
| Senior Term Loans | (465.0) | ||
| Receivables Financing Agreement | (50.0) | ||
| Finance leases | (1.3) | ||
| Total repayments | $ | (1,643.1) | |
| Long-term debt repayments, net | $ | (1,103.1) |
On February 24, 2021, we entered into a $1,615.0 million senior secured credit facility (Senior Credit Facility) that amended our existing $1,300.0 million senior secured credit facility. On July 28, 2021, the liens on the collateral provided under the Senior Credit Facility were released based on the achievement of a net leverage ratio below 3.50 for the prior two consecutive fiscal quarters. The Senior Credit Facility includes a senior delayed-draw term loan facility with aggregate commitments of $315.0 million (Delayed Draw Term Loan), a senior term loan facility with aggregate commitments of $500.0 million (2020 Term Loan and together with the Delayed Draw Term Loan, the Senior Term Loans) and a senior revolving credit facility with aggregate commitments in an amount equal to $800.0 million (Senior Revolving Credit Facility). The maturity date for the Senior Credit Facility is July 16, 2024. The amendment modified the pricing grid for the Senior Credit Facility by reducing applicable interest rates on the borrowings under the facility.
On March 30, 2021, Olin drew the entire $315.0 million of the Delayed Draw Term Loan and used the proceeds to fund the redemption of the 10.00% senior notes due October 15, 2025. During the year ended December 31, 2021, we repaid $465.0 million of the Senior Term Loans. These repayments satisfied all future required quarterly installments of the Senior Term Loans. The Senior Revolving Credit Facility includes a $100.0 million letter of credit subfacility. At December 31, 2021, we had $799.6 million available under our $800.0 million Senior Revolving Credit Facility because we had issued $0.4 million of letters of credit.
Under the Senior Credit Facility, we may select various floating-rate borrowing options. The actual interest rate paid on borrowings under the Senior Credit Facility is based on a pricing grid which is dependent upon the net leverage ratio as calculated under the terms of the applicable facility for the prior fiscal quarter. The Senior Credit Facility includes various customary restrictive covenants, including restrictions related to the ratio of debt to earnings before interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization (net leverage ratio) and the ratio of earnings before interest expense, taxes, depreciation and amortization to interest expense (coverage ratio). The calculation of debt in our net leverage ratio excludes borrowings under
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the Receivables Financing Agreement, up to a maximum of $250.0 million, and is reduced by all unrestricted cash and cash equivalents. Compliance with these covenants is determined quarterly. We were in compliance with all covenants and restrictions under all our outstanding credit agreements as of December 31, 2021, and no event of default had occurred that would permit the lenders under our outstanding credit agreements to accelerate the debt if not cured. In the future, our ability to generate sufficient operating cash flows, among other factors, will determine the amounts available to be borrowed under these facilities. As a result of our restrictive covenant related to the net leverage ratio, the maximum additional borrowings available to us could be limited in the future. The limitation, if an amendment or waiver from our lenders is not obtained, could restrict our ability to borrow the maximum amounts available under the Senior Revolving Credit Facility and the Receivables Financing Agreement. As of December 31, 2021, there were no covenants or other restrictions that limited our ability to borrow.
The overall cash decrease of $9.2 million in 2021 primarily reflects our debt repayments, capital spending, dividends paid and share repurchases funded primarily through our operating results. We believe, based on current and projected levels of cash flow from our operations, together with our cash and cash equivalents on hand and the availability to borrow under our Senior Revolving Credit Facility, Receivables Financing Agreement and AR Facilities, we have sufficient liquidity to meet our short-term and long-term needs to make required payments of interest on our debt, fund our operating needs, working capital, and capital expenditure requirements and comply with the financial ratios in our debt agreements.
On April 26, 2018, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase program for the purchase of shares of common stock at an aggregate price of up to $500.0 million. This program will terminate upon the purchase of $500.0 million of our common stock. On November 1, 2021, our board of directors authorized an additional share repurchase program for the purchase of shares of common stock at an aggregate price of up to $1.0 billion. This program will terminate upon the purchase of $1.0 billion of our common stock. For the year ended December 31, 2021, 4.7 million shares have been repurchased and retired at a cost of $251.9 million. For the year ended December 31, 2020, there were no shares repurchased. As of December 31, 2021, a total of 14.7 million shares were repurchased and retired at a cost of $447.8 million under the 2018 Repurchase Authorization program and $52.2 million of common stock remained authorized to be repurchased under this plan. As of December 31, 2021, there have been no repurchases under the 2021 Repurchase Authorization program and $1.0 billion of common stock remained authorized to be repurchased under this plan.
During 2021, we amended our existing $250.0 million Receivables Financing Agreement which expanded the borrowing capacity to $300.0 million (Receivables Financing Agreement) and extended the maturity to September 28, 2024. The Receivables Financing Agreement includes a minimum borrowing requirement of 50% of the facility limit or available borrowing capacity, whichever is less. The administrative agent for our Receivables Financing Agreement is PNC Bank, National Association. Under the Receivables Financing Agreement, our eligible trade receivables are used for collateralized borrowings and continue to be serviced by us. In addition, the Receivables Financing Agreement incorporates the leverage covenant that is contained in the Senior Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, we had $300.0 million and $125.0 million, respectively, drawn under the agreement. As of December 31, 2021, $556.2 million of our trade receivables were pledged as collateral and we had no additional borrowing capacity under the Receivables Financing Agreement.
Olin also has trade accounts receivable factoring arrangements (AR Facilities) and pursuant to the terms of the AR Facilities, certain of our domestic subsidiaries may sell their accounts receivable up to a maximum of $250.0 million and certain of our foreign subsidiaries may sell their accounts receivable up to a maximum of €43.4 million. We will continue to service the outstanding accounts sold. These receivables qualify for sales treatment under ASC 860 “Transfers and Servicing” and, accordingly, the proceeds are included in net cash provided by operating activities in the consolidated statements of cash flows. The gross amount of receivables sold for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 totaled $673.4 million and $854.3 million, respectively. The factoring discount paid under the AR Facilities is recorded as interest expense on the consolidated statements of operations. The factoring discount for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $1.1 million and $1.5 million, respectively. The agreements are without recourse and therefore no recourse liability has been recorded as of December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, $65.7 million and $48.8 million, respectively, of receivables qualifying for sales treatment were outstanding and will continue to be serviced by us.
We have registered an undetermined amount of securities with the SEC, so that, from time-to-time, we may issue debt securities, preferred stock and/or common stock and associated warrants in the public market under that registration statement.
Supplemental Guarantor Financial Information
On May 14, 2021, following the redemption of the remaining Blue Cube 2025 Notes, all subsidiary guarantees of the 2025 Notes, 5.125% senior notes due 2027, 2029 Notes and 2030 Notes (collectively, the Senior Notes) were released in accordance with the terms of the indentures governing the Senior Notes. Our obligations under the Senior Notes are no longer
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guaranteed by any of Olin’s subsidiaries and there are no outstanding debt securities issued by any of Olin’s subsidiaries that are guaranteed by Olin or any other of Olin’s subsidiaries.
Contractual Obligations
Our current debt structure is used to fund our business operations. As of December 31, 2021, we had long-term borrowings, including the current installment and finance lease obligations, of $2,779.3 million, of which $805.9 million was at variable rates. We expect to meet our contractual obligations through our normal sources of liquidity and believe we have the financial resources to satisfy these contractual obligations.
We have several defined benefit pension and defined contribution plans, as described in Note 12 “Pension Plans” and Note 16 “Contributing Employee Ownership Plan” in the notes to consolidated financial statements contained in Item 8. We fund the defined benefit pension plans based on the minimum amounts required by law plus such amounts we deem appropriate. Given the inherent uncertainty as to actual minimum funding requirements for qualified defined benefit pension plans, no amounts are included in this table for any period beyond one year. Based on the current funding requirements, we will not be required to make any cash contributions to the domestic qualified defined benefit pension plan at least through 2022. We also have postretirement healthcare plans that provide health and life insurance benefits to certain retired employees and their beneficiaries, as described in Note 13 “Postretirement Benefits” in the notes to consolidated financial statements contained in Item 8. The defined contribution and other postretirement plans are not pre-funded and expenses are paid by us as incurred. Our long-term contractual commitments associated with debt, contingent tax liabilities, pension and other postretirement benefits consisted of the following:
| Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | More than 5 Years | Total | ||||||||||||||
| ($ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Debt obligations, including finance lease obligations(1) | $ | 201.1 | $ | 721.8 | $ | 194.7 | $ | 1,684.5 | $ | 2,802.1 | ||||||||
| Interest payments under debt obligations(2) | 116.5 | 214.8 | 183.9 | 195.0 | 710.2 | |||||||||||||
| Contingent tax liability | 13.5 | 5.9 | 19.6 | 4.4 | 43.4 | |||||||||||||
| International qualified pension plan contributions(3) | 1.6 | 7.9 | 10.5 | 283.6 | 303.6 | |||||||||||||
| Non-qualified pension plan payments | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 3.1 | 5.3 | |||||||||||||
| Postretirement benefit payments | 3.4 | 6.2 | 5.8 | 35.1 | 50.5 | |||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 336.9 | $ | 957.3 | $ | 415.2 | $ | 2,205.7 | $ | 3,915.1 |
(1)Excludes unamortized debt issuance costs and unamortized bond original issue discount of $22.8 million at December 31, 2021. All debt obligations are assumed to be held until maturity.
(2)For the purposes of this table, we have assumed for all periods presented that there are no changes in the rates from those in effect at December 31, 2021 which ranged from 0.2% to 9.5%.
(3)These amounts are only estimated payments assuming for our foreign qualified pension plans a weighted average annual expected rate of return on pension plan assets of 4.2% and a discount rate on pension plan obligations of 1.4%. These estimated payments are subject to significant variation and the actual payments may be more than the amounts estimated. In connection with international qualified defined benefit pension plans we made cash contributions of $1.1 million, $2.1 million and $2.4 million in 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and we anticipate less than $5 million of cash contributions to international qualified defined benefit pension plans in 2022.
Non-cancelable operating leases and purchasing commitments are utilized in our normal course of business for our projected needs. Our operating lease commitments as described in Note 21 “Leases” are primarily for railroad cars, but also include logistics, manufacturing, office and storage facilities and equipment, information technology equipment and land. Virtually none of our lease agreements contain escalation clauses or step rent provisions. We also have supply contracts with various third parties for certain raw materials, including ethylene, electricity, propylene and benzene. These contracts have initial terms ranging from several to 20 years. Our long-term contractual commitments associated with operating leases and purchasing commitments consisted of the following:
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| Payments Due by Period | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | More than 5 Years | Total | ||||||||||||||
| ($ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operating leases | 86.1 | 125.8 | 80.8 | 149.1 | 441.8 | |||||||||||||
| Purchasing commitments: | ||||||||||||||||||
| Raw materials | 1,237.4 | 1,923.3 | 1,114.1 | 3,057.9 | 7,332.7 | |||||||||||||
| Capital expenditures | 6.5 | — | — | — | 6.5 | |||||||||||||
| Utilities | $ | 0.1 | $ | 0.2 | $ | — | $ | — | 0.3 | |||||||||
| Total Purchasing Commitments | $ | 1,244.0 | $ | 1,923.5 | $ | 1,114.1 | $ | 3,057.9 | $ | 7,339.5 |
Other Guarantees
We also have standby letters of credit of $81.1 million of which $0.4 million have been issued through our Senior Revolving Credit Facility. The letters of credit were used to support certain long-term debt, certain workers compensation insurance policies, certain plant closure and post-closure obligations, certain international payment obligations and certain international pension funding requirements. At December 31, 2021, we had $799.6 million available under our Senior Revolving Credit Facility because we had issued $0.4 million of letters of credit.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, sales and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Significant estimates in our consolidated financial statements include goodwill recoverability, environmental, restructuring and other unusual items, litigation, income tax reserves including deferred tax asset valuation allowances, pension, postretirement and other benefits and allowance for doubtful accounts. We base our estimates on prior experience, current facts and circumstances and other assumptions. Actual results may differ from these estimates.
We believe the following critical accounting estimates are the more significant judgments used in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements.
Goodwill
Goodwill is not amortized, but is reviewed for impairment annually in the fourth quarter and/or when circumstances or other events indicate that impairment may have occurred. ASC 350 “Intangibles—Goodwill and Other” (ASC 350) permits entities to make a qualitative assessment of whether it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s fair value is less than its carrying amount before applying the goodwill impairment test. Circumstances that are considered as part of the qualitative assessment and could trigger a quantitative impairment test include, but are not limited to: a significant adverse change in the business climate; a significant adverse legal judgment; adverse cash flow trends; an adverse action or assessment by a government agency; unanticipated competition; sustained decline in our stock price; and a significant restructuring charge within a reporting unit. We define reporting units at the business segment level or one level below the business segment level. For purposes of testing goodwill for impairment, goodwill has been allocated to our reporting units to the extent it relates to each reporting unit.
It is our practice, at a minimum, to perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test in the fourth quarter every three years. We use a discounted cash flow approach to develop the estimated fair value of a reporting unit when a quantitative review is performed. Management judgment is required in developing the assumptions for the discounted cash flow model. We also corroborate our discounted cash flow analysis by evaluating a market-based approach that considers earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) multiples from a representative sample of comparable public companies. As a further indicator that each reporting unit has been valued appropriately using a discounted cash flow model, the aggregate fair value of all reporting units is reconciled to the total market value of Olin. An impairment would be recorded if the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeded the estimated fair value.
Fair value determinations require considerable judgment and are sensitive to changes in underlying assumptions, estimates and market factors. The discount rate, profitability assumptions and terminal growth rate of our reporting units and
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the supply and demand fundamentals of the chlor alkali industry were the material assumptions utilized in the discounted cash flow model used to estimate the fair value of each reporting unit. The discount rate reflects a weighted-average cost of capital, which is calculated, in part based on observable market data. Some of this data (such as the risk free or treasury rate and the pretax cost of debt) are based on the market data at a point in time. Other data (such as the equity risk premium) are based upon market data over time for a peer group of companies in the chemical manufacturing or distribution industries with a market capitalization premium added, as applicable. Also factoring into the discount rate was a market participant’s perceived risk (such as the company specific risk premium) in the valuation implied by the sustained reduction in our stock price.
The discounted cash flow analysis requires estimates, assumptions and judgments about future events. Our analysis uses our internally generated long-range plan. Specifically, the assumptions in our long-range plan about terminal growth rates, forecasted capital expenditures and changes in future working capital requirements are used to determine the implied fair value of each reporting unit. The long-range plan reflects management judgment, supplemented by independent chemical industry analyses which provide multi-year chlor alkali industry operating and pricing forecasts.
As a further indicator that each reporting unit has been valued appropriately using a discounted cash flow model, the aggregate fair value of all reporting units is reconciled to the total market value of Olin. We believe the assumptions used in our goodwill impairment analysis are appropriate and result in reasonable estimates of the implied fair value of each reporting unit. However, given the economic environment and the uncertainties regarding the impact on our business, there can be no assurance that our estimates and assumptions, made for purposes of our goodwill impairment testing, will prove to be an accurate prediction of the future.
Environmental
Accruals (charges to income) for environmental matters are recorded when it is probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated, based upon current law and existing technologies. These amounts, which are not discounted and are exclusive of claims against third parties, are adjusted periodically as assessments and remediation efforts progress or additional technical or legal information becomes available. Environmental costs are capitalized if the costs increase the value of the property and/or mitigate or prevent contamination from future operations. Environmental costs and recoveries are included in costs of goods sold.
Environmental exposures are difficult to assess for numerous reasons, including the identification of new sites, developments at sites resulting from investigatory studies, advances in technology, changes in environmental laws and regulations and their application, changes in regulatory authorities, the scarcity of reliable data pertaining to identified sites, the difficulty in assessing the involvement and financial capability of other PRPs and our ability to obtain contributions from other parties and the lengthy time periods over which site remediation occurs. It is possible that some of these matters (the outcomes of which are subject to various uncertainties) may be resolved unfavorably to us, which could materially adversely affect our financial position, cash flows or results of operations.
NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
Discussion of new accounting pronouncements can be referred to under Item 8, within Note 3, “Recent Accounting Pronouncements.”
DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
We are exposed to market risk in the normal course of our business operations due to our purchases of certain commodities, our ongoing investing and financing activities and our operations that use foreign currencies. The risk of loss can be assessed from the perspective of adverse changes in fair values, cash flows and future earnings. We have established policies and procedures governing our management of market risks and the use of financial instruments to manage exposure to such risks. ASC 815 requires an entity to recognize all derivatives as either assets or liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets and measure those instruments at fair value. In accordance with ASC 815, we designate derivative contracts as cash flow hedges of forecasted purchases of commodities and forecasted interest payments related to variable-rate borrowings and designate certain interest rate swaps as fair value hedges of fixed-rate borrowings. We do not enter into any derivative instruments for trading or speculative purposes.
Energy costs, including electricity and natural gas, and certain raw materials used in our production processes are subject to price volatility. Depending on market conditions, we may enter into futures contracts, forward contracts, commodity swaps and put and call option contracts in order to reduce the impact of commodity price fluctuations. The majority of our commodity derivatives expire within one year.
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For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a cash flow hedge, the change in fair value of the derivative is recognized as a component of other comprehensive income (loss) until the hedged item is recognized in earnings.
We use cash flow hedges for certain raw material and energy costs such as copper, zinc, lead, ethane, electricity and natural gas to provide a measure of stability in managing our exposure to price fluctuations associated with forecasted purchases of raw materials and energy used in our manufacturing process. Settlements on commodity derivative contracts resulted in gains (losses) of $180.1 million, $(14.9) million, and $31.1 million in 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively which were included in cost of goods sold. At December 31, 2021, we had open derivative notional contract positions through 2027 totaling $224.3 million (2020—$214.1 million). If all open futures contracts had been settled on December 31, 2021, we would have recognized a pretax gain of $30.3 million.
If commodity prices were to remain at December 31, 2021 levels, approximately $17.3 million of deferred gains, net of tax, would be reclassified into earnings during the next twelve months. The actual effect on earnings will be dependent on actual commodity prices when the forecasted transactions occur.
We use interest rate swaps as a means of minimizing cash flow fluctuations that may arise from volatility in interest rates of our variable-rate borrowings. For the year ended December 31, 2019, $4.3 million of income was recorded to interest expense on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations related to these swap agreements.
We also use interest rate swaps as a means of managing interest expense and floating interest rate exposure to optimal levels. For derivative instruments that are designated and qualify as a fair value hedge, the gain or loss on the derivative as well as the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk are recognized in current earnings. We include the gain or loss on the hedged items (fixed-rate borrowings) in the same line item, interest expense, as the offsetting loss or gain on the related interest rate swaps.
In August 2019, we terminated the interest rate swaps designated as fair value hedges which resulted in a loss of $2.3 million that was deferred as an offset to the carrying value of the related debt and was subsequently recognized to interest expense. In 2021, we redeemed the 2025 Notes which resulted in recognition of the outstanding deferred swap loss. For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2019 and 2018, $1.8 million, $0.4 million and $2.6 million, respectively, of expense was recorded to interest expense on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations related to these swap agreements.
We actively manage currency exposures that are associated with net monetary asset positions, currency purchases and sales commitments denominated in foreign currencies and foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities created in the normal course of business. We enter into forward sales and purchase contracts to manage currency risk to offset our net exposures, by currency, related to the foreign currency denominated monetary assets and liabilities of our operations. At December 31, 2021, we had outstanding forward contracts to buy foreign currency with a notional value of $199.0 million and to sell foreign currency with a notional value of $124.4 million. All of the currency derivatives expire within one year and are for U.S. dollar (USD) equivalents. The counterparties to the forward contracts are large financial institutions; however, the risk of loss to us in the event of nonperformance by a counterparty could impact our financial position or results of operations. At December 31, 2020, we had outstanding forward contracts to buy foreign currency with a notional value of $169.9 million and to sell foreign currency with a notional value of $113.6 million.
Our foreign currency forward contracts and certain commodity derivatives did not meet the criteria to qualify for hedge accounting. The effect on operating results of items not qualifying for hedge accounting was a (loss) gain of $(22.0) million, $17.7 million and $(4.0) million in 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
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The fair value of our derivative asset and liability balances were:
| December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | |||||
| ($ in millions) | ||||||
| Other current assets | $ | 26.8 | $ | 24.2 | ||
| Other assets | 7.9 | 7.2 | ||||
| Total derivative asset | $ | 34.7 | $ | 31.4 | ||
| Accrued liabilities | $ | 3.5 | $ | 0.1 | ||
| Other liabilities | 0.3 | 0.6 | ||||
| Total derivative liability | $ | 3.8 | $ | 0.7 |