NewMarket Emphasizes Margin Strategy and Increases Dividend by 9% Following Calca Acquisition in Specialty Segment Expansion
Financial Performance: NewMarket Corporation reported a net income of $100 million for Q3 2025, down from $132 million in Q3 2024, with petroleum additives sales at $649 million and operating profit at $131 million, impacted by one-time charges and a 4.1% shipment decrease.
Strategic Investments: The company expanded its Specialty Materials segment by acquiring Calca Solutions, LLC, and plans to continue investing in technology and inventory optimization to enhance long-term value for shareholders.
Dividend Increase: NewMarket returned $155 million to shareholders in the first nine months of 2025, including a 9% increase in the quarterly dividend to $3 per share, effective January 2, 2026.
Market Challenges: Management acknowledged ongoing inflationary pressures and market softness affecting shipments, particularly in petroleum additives, while expressing confidence in cash flow and capital returns despite these challenges.
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- Income Decline: In Q4 2025, NewMarket reported net income of $81 million or $8.65 per share, down from $111 million and $11.56 per share in Q4 2024, primarily due to a higher effective tax rate, indicating challenges in the current economic environment.
- Petroleum Additives Sales Drop: The quarter saw petroleum additives sales of $585 million with an operating profit of $107 million, reflecting a 6% decline in shipments and lower selling prices, highlighting the direct impact of market softness on the company's core business.
- Specialty Materials Growth: Specialty materials sales reached $49 million, up from $27 million last year, with operating profit increasing to $7 million, driven by higher volumes at AMPAC and the acquisition of Calca Solutions, showcasing the company's success in diversifying its product lines.
- Capital Return and Debt Management: The company returned $183 million to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends while reducing total debt by $88 million, with the net debt-to-EBITDA ratio decreasing from 1.2x at the end of 2024 to 1.1x, reflecting ongoing efforts in financial stability.
- Revenue and Net Income Decline: In Q4 2025, net income was $81.3 million, or $8.65 per share, significantly down from $110.7 million and $11.56 per share last year, reflecting pressures from market softness and a higher effective tax rate.
- Petroleum Additives Sales Drop: Q4 2025 petroleum additives sales were $585.1 million, down from $626.1 million in Q4 2024, primarily due to a 6% decline in shipments and lower selling prices, leading to operating profit dropping to $106.8 million, impacting overall profitability.
- Specialty Materials Growth: Specialty materials sales reached $48.5 million in Q4 2025, up from $27.1 million last year, with operating profit increasing from $1.5 million to $7.3 million, showcasing the positive impact of AMPAC and Calca acquisitions.
- Cash Flow and Shareholder Returns: The company generated strong cash flows in 2025, paying $105.9 million in dividends and repurchasing $77.2 million in stock while reducing long-term debt by $87.9 million, demonstrating financial resilience amid an uncertain economic environment.
- Earnings Highlights: NewMarket reported Q4 GAAP EPS of $8.65, maintaining stable profitability; however, revenue declined by 2.9% year-over-year to $635.4 million, indicating growth challenges faced by the company.
- Revenue Decline Reasons: The revenue drop is primarily attributed to weak market demand and increased competition, putting pressure on the company to maintain sales, which could impact future profitability and investor confidence.
- Cash Return Performance: Despite the revenue decline, NewMarket continues to provide strong cash returns, demonstrating effective capital management that may attract investors seeking stable income.
- Growth Outlook Analysis: Analysts suggest that NewMarket's earnings growth may face a ceiling, indicating a need for the company to identify new growth drivers to adapt to changing market conditions and maintain competitiveness.
- Net Income Decline: NewMarket reported a net income of $418.7 million and earnings per share of $44.44 for 2025, down from $462.4 million and $48.22 in 2024, primarily due to an increased effective tax rate, indicating pressure on profitability.
- Petroleum Additives Sales Drop: Sales for petroleum additives reached $2.5 billion in 2025, down from $2.6 billion in 2024, with operating profit at $520.1 million, a decline from the record $591.9 million, reflecting market softness and strategic adjustments in low-margin businesses.
- Specialty Materials Growth: Specialty materials sales hit $182.5 million in 2025 with an operating profit of $4.7 million, significantly up from 2024, driven by acquisitions of AMPAC and Calca, showcasing expansion potential in high-tech materials.
- Strong Cash Flow Performance: The company generated robust cash flows in 2025, paying $105.9 million in dividends, repurchasing $77.2 million in stock, and reducing long-term debt by $87.9 million, resulting in a net debt to EBITDA ratio of 1.1, indicating solid financial management.

- Sales Forecast: Neuren Pharmaceuticals anticipates that its prescription drug DAYBUE for Rett syndrome will achieve global net sales of $700 million by 2028, reflecting strong growth potential in the market.
- Patient Treatment: Since its U.S. launch, over 2,000 Rett patients have been treated with DAYBUE, with a 12-month treatment persistency increase of 55%, indicating high patient reliance and satisfaction with the drug.
- Market Expansion: The company continued to expand its U.S. customer-facing teams in the second quarter of 2025, further driving DAYBUE sales growth, which underscores its strategic focus on market penetration and customer service.
- New Product Launch: The DAYBUE STIX formulation is set to launch in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2026, with a full commercial rollout planned for the second quarter, marking a significant enhancement of the company's product line and competitive positioning.
- Oversold Condition: NewMarket Corp's stock price fell to $695.94 on Tuesday, with an RSI reading of 29.7 indicating an oversold condition, suggesting potential buying opportunities for investors.
- Dividend Yield: Based on the current price of $704.44, NEU's annualized dividend of $12 per share translates to a yield of 1.70%, making it an attractive option for dividend investors seeking higher returns.
- Market Comparison: NEU's low RSI compared to the average RSI of 52.0 for covered dividend stocks suggests that recent heavy selling may be exhausting, drawing interest from bullish investors.
- Investor Strategy: While dividends are not always predictable, analyzing NEU's dividend history can assist investors in assessing the likelihood of continued payments, enabling more informed investment decisions.








