Koppers (NYSE:KOP) Issues Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.11 EPS

Koppers (NYSE:KOP) announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.70 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.59 by $0.11, Briefing.com reports. The company had revenue of $432.70 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $445.00 million. Koppers had a return on equity of 16.48% and a net margin of 0.84%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.77 EPS. Koppers updated its FY 2026 guidance to 4.200-5.000 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Koppers’ conference call:

• Koppers delivered a strong 2025 with adjusted EBITDA of $256.7 million and a 13.7% margin (a company high as‑reported), $4.07 adjusted EPS, $122.5 million operating cash flow, $38.2 million of buybacks and a raised quarterly dividend; net leverage was 3.4x with a goal of 2–3x.
• The company’s transformation program, Catalyst, produced $46 million of benefits in 2025 and management now expects up to $75 million of cumulative benefits across 2026–2028, targeting $20–40 million in 2026 and a mid‑teens margin run rate by 2028.
• Performance Chemicals is forecast to grow top line ~11% in 2026 from market‑share gains and new commercial wins, but results remain sensitive to copper and tariff risk—management says continued high copper could necessitate roughly a $50 million pricing pass‑through despite hedging.
• Utility & Industrial Products outlook is constructive (AI, data centers, EVs driving electrical demand), and a small Douglas fir procurement acquisition secures a key supply, while cost and production consolidations (including idling Vance plant) should drive most 2026 UIP improvements.
• The CMMC segment faces near‑term headwinds—Q4 sales and EBITDA fell, global coal‑tar costs are higher, a U.S. tar supplier exit reduces throughput, and pricing pressure may require capacity rationalization with margin challenges persisting into 2026.

Koppers Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE KOP traded up $0.42 during trading on Friday, hitting $37.66. 193,599 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 145,294. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $30.22 and a 200-day moving average price of $29.07. Koppers has a 1 year low of $22.99 and a 1 year high of $38.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 2.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $738.66 million, a P/E ratio of 47.08 and a beta of 1.40.

Koppers Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $0.09 dividend. This is a boost from Koppers’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.08. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Koppers’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 45.00%.

Key Headlines Impacting Koppers

Here are the key news stories impacting Koppers this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $55 price target — implying substantial upside from current levels and likely supporting buyer interest. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Koppers beat consensus EPS for Q4 (reported $0.70 vs. $0.59 expected), which traders typically reward; this beat helped offset weaker top-line results. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Koppers provided FY2026 EPS guidance of $4.20–$5.00 (consensus ~4.68), a wide range that leaves room for upside but also introduces execution risk; revenue guidance sits around $1.9–$2.0B. Investors will watch how results track toward the midpoint. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Management’s earnings call and slide deck highlight “resilient performance” and the company’s restructuring efforts; read the transcript and slides for details on margin drivers and capital allocation that will matter for the FY26 outlook. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue fell to $432.7M (down ~9.3% YoY) and missed the Street (~$445M), which constrains near-term growth expectations and is a reason for investor caution. Press Release / Slides
• Negative Sentiment: Koppers announced plans to idle two plants and lay off dozens as part of restructuring — a near-term headwind for operations and a potential signal of softer demand in parts of its businesses. Article Title

Analysts Set New Price Targets

KOP has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Koppers from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Weiss Ratings raised Koppers from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $55.00 target price on shares of Koppers in a report on Friday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $52.50.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its position in shares of Koppers by 258.1% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,930 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 1,391 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP grew its position in shares of Koppers by 95.6% during the second quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 2,130 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $68,000 after buying an additional 1,041 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in shares of Koppers by 23.5% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 3,235 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $104,000 after buying an additional 615 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Koppers in the fourth quarter valued at $114,000. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC acquired a new stake in Koppers in the third quarter valued at $160,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.75% of the company’s stock.

Koppers Company Profile

Koppers Company, Inc is a global specialty chemicals and materials manufacturer serving diverse industrial markets. The company operates through two primary segments: Carbon Materials & Chemicals, which produces a range of coal tar–based products, phenolic specialties and carbon compounds; and Railroad Products & Services, which offers wood treating and infrastructure services for rail and utility customers.

In its Carbon Materials & Chemicals segment, Koppers supplies coal tar pitch, refined creosote, coal tar‐based distillates and phenolic resins used in aluminum smelting, graphite electrode manufacture, carbon fiber production, and water treatment applications.