OEC

Event Announcement: Gabelli Funds is hosting its 16th Annual Specialty Chemicals Symposium on March 20, 2025, at The Harvard Club in New York, focusing on key industry topics such as pricing power, margin recovery, and global trade policy.

Agenda Highlights: The symposium will feature presentations from various companies in the specialty chemicals sector, with opportunities for one-on-one meetings between attendees and company management.

Insider Trading Activity: Carlos Quinones, Sr. VP of Global Operations at $OEC, purchased 3,300 shares for approximately $43,131, increasing his holdings by about 4.3% to a total of 79,702 shares; this marks the only insider trade in the past six months.

Institutional Investor Movements: In the last quarter, 83 institutional investors increased their positions in $OEC stock while 128 reduced theirs, indicating mixed sentiment among large stakeholders.

Company Participation in Conferences: Orion S.A. will participate in the Loop Capital Markets' 2025 Investor Conference on March 10 and the Gabelli Funds' 16th Annual Specialty Chemical Conference on March 20, with key executives attending both events.

About Orion S.A.: Orion S.A. is a leading global supplier of carbon black, producing it at 15 plants worldwide for various applications, and has a history of over 160 years in the industry, emphasizing innovation and sustainable solutions.

Orion S.A. Recognition: Orion S.A. has been listed as a "Key Innovator" on the European Commission's Innovation Radar for producing circular carbon black from 100% pyrolysis oil sourced from end-of-life tires, marking a significant achievement in sustainable materials.

Ongoing Innovations: The company continues to focus on sustainability through various initiatives, including the Clean Carbon Black Research and Development Project, aimed at developing climate-neutral processes for carbon black production.

Recognition of Innovation: Orion S.A. has been listed on the European Commission's "Innovation Radar" for being a "Key Innovator" in producing circular carbon black from 100% pyrolysis oil derived from end-of-life tires, marking a significant step towards sustainability in the industry.

Ongoing Sustainability Efforts: The company continues to innovate beyond the completed BlackCycle project, focusing on developing climate-neutral processes and enhancing their capabilities in producing sustainable carbon black alternatives.

Event Announcement: Gabelli Funds is hosting its 16th Annual Specialty Chemicals Symposium on March 20, 2025, at The Harvard Club in New York, focusing on key industry topics such as pricing power and global trade policy.

Agenda Highlights: The symposium will feature presentations from various companies in the specialty chemicals sector, including Cabot Corporation, BASF, and The Sherwin-Williams Company, along with opportunities for one-on-one meetings with management.

Annual General Meeting Announcement: Orion S.A. will hold its 2025 annual general meeting on June 26, 2025, at its Luxembourg office, with a record date for shareholders set for April 24, 2025. The meeting will be conducted in person and via live online webcast.

Company Overview: Orion S.A. is a leading global supplier of carbon black, used in various applications such as tires and coatings, with a history spanning over 160 years and operations across 15 production plants worldwide.

Interim Dividend Announcement: Orion S.A. has declared an interim dividend of $0.0207 per common share, totaling approximately $1.25 million, to be paid on April 4, 2025, to shareholders recorded by March 13, 2025, with a 15% Luxembourg withholding tax applicable.

Company Overview: Orion S.A. is a leading global supplier of carbon black, producing it at 15 plants worldwide for various applications, and has a corporate history spanning over 160 years, emphasizing innovation and sustainable solutions.

Dividend Predictability: Dividend amounts for companies like Orion SA can be unpredictable, influenced by profitability, and historical data can help assess the likelihood of continued dividends.

Options Trading Insights: The stock's historical volatility and trading history provide insights into options strategies, such as selling covered calls, while acknowledging common myths about options expiration.

Long-term Supply Agreement: Orion S.A. has signed a long-term supply agreement with Contec S.A. to provide tire pyrolysis oil for producing circular carbon black, enhancing its sustainability efforts and diversifying its sources of raw materials.

Innovative Recycling Technology: Contec's proprietary Molten® technology allows for efficient chemical recycling of end-of-life tires, positioning both companies as leaders in the transition towards a circular economy in the tire and rubber industry.

Financial Update: Orion S.A. expects its 2024 adjusted EBITDA to be slightly below the guidance range of $305-$315 million due to foreign exchange impacts, one-time costs from a cost reduction plan, and weaker Rubber segment volumes.

Future Outlook: Despite challenges, Orion anticipates modest growth in 2025, driven by strategic commercial positioning in the Rubber segment and ongoing cost reduction initiatives.

Company Participation: Orion S.A. will participate in the Baird Global Industrial Conference on November 14, featuring a presentation by CEO Corning Painter, which will be accessible online.

About Orion S.A.: Orion is a leading global supplier of carbon black, with a history spanning over 160 years, producing specialized materials for various high-performance applications across 15 plants worldwide.

Conference Participation: Orion S.A. will participate in the Baird Global Industrial Conference on November 14 in Chicago, with CEO Corning Painter scheduled to present from 10:50 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. CST.

Company Overview: Orion S.A. is a leading global supplier of carbon black, producing it at 15 plants worldwide and offering diverse production processes for various high-performance applications.

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Orion and Cabot Ratings Update: J.P. Morgan upgraded Orion (OEC) to Overweight while downgrading Cabot (CBT) to Underweight, citing that Orion is undervalued and Cabot is overvalued, with both companies expected to see a 9% increase in earnings per share by 2025.

Market Trends for Carbon Black: The report anticipates stabilization in carbon black prices after years of increases, noting negative volume trends for both companies due to consumer shifts towards lower-quality imported tires, but expects volume growth for both in the U.S. by 2025.

Stock Performance: Orion SA's shares hit a new 52-week low of $14.94, marking a 47.54% decline from its high of $28.48, necessitating a 90.63% gain to return to that peak.

Insider Activity: Despite the stock's drop, there have been four instances of insider buying in the past six months, suggesting potential confidence in a future rebound for OEC shares.

New Leadership at OpenAI: Caitlin "CK" Kalinowski, former head of Meta's Orion AR glasses initiative, has joined OpenAI to lead its robotics and consumer hardware efforts, focusing on integrating AI into the physical world.

Investment in Robotics: OpenAI announced an investment in Physical Intelligence, a robot startup that raised $400 million, highlighting its commitment to developing general-purpose AI for robotics.

Price Increase Announcement: Orion S.A. is raising prices for all Specialty carbon black grades produced in Europe and NEROX® from South Korea, effective January 1, 2025, to address rising costs and support product development.

Company Overview: Orion S.A. is a leading global supplier of carbon black, with over 160 years of history, producing high-performance materials for various applications and operating 15 plants worldwide.

New Appointment: Natalia Scherbakoff has been appointed as the new chief technology officer of Orion S.A., succeeding David Deters, who is retiring after nearly a decade of leadership in innovation and sustainability within the company.

Background and Responsibilities: Scherbakoff brings extensive experience from her previous role at Trinseo and will oversee Orion's innovation capabilities, including a significant investment in developing climate-neutral carbon black production processes.

Dividend Predictability: Dividend amounts for companies like Orion SA can be unpredictable and are influenced by profitability; historical data can help assess the likelihood of continued dividends.

Options Trading Activity: Recent trading shows a high call volume in S&P 500 options, with a put:call ratio of 0.41, indicating a preference for calls among traders compared to the long-term median ratio.