Specialist
Former President & C-level Executive at The Chemours Co
Agenda
- Key chemicals industry trends and how Chemours (NYSE: CC) is responding
- Chemours’ competitive landscape and differentiation vs peers
- Demand changes, drivers and the health of Chemours’ segments
- Outlook for year-end and beyond
Questions
1.
Can we start with your updated perspective on the performance chemicals industry? What key themes and trends should we be monitoring?
2.
What are your thoughts on Chemours’ recent performance? What would you say are its key strengths and weaknesses, examining its positioning?
3.
Do you think Chemours’ TiO2 [titanium dioxide] value stabilisation strategy is sustainable? How much volume do you think it is willing to lose before reconsidering the strategy?
4.
How have Chemours’ fixed costs on the TiO2 side been impacted by the implementation of this strategy? How decremental could margins become for that business if the substantial volume declines continue?
5.
What do you think is Chemours’ minimum sustainable operating rate or capacity utilisation rate for TiO2?
6.
What significant headwinds or tailwinds are impacting demand in North American vs EU vs Asia-Pacific TiO2 markets?
7.
Is there a framework we can use to explore Chemours’ cost curve as the utilisation rate of their facilities decrease?
8.
Is there a reason for customers to choose Chemours over other TiO2 producers?
9.
If we are starting to move into a TiO2 upmarket, can Chemours recapture some of the share it has lost over the past year?
10.
How do you foresee the additional capacity Lomon Billions is bringing into the TiO2 market playing out across geographies and impacting Chemours?
11.
Can you outline Chemours’ fluoroproducts segment?
12.
Can you clarify the key end markets for Chemours’ fluoro? Are there any markets with higher growth rates or that are making a significant contribution which investors should be monitoring?
13.
How widely can margins vary between Chemours’ speciality and commoditised fluoroproducts?
14.
You said that Chemours is highly focused on IP. As its products move from highly specialised towards commodity, do you feel it has done a good job investing in IP and preserving margins for the longer-term?
15.
What do you think is key to assessing the health of Chemours’ Chemical Solutions business?
16.
How do you think Chemours is positioned regarding the phaseout of CFCs [chlorofluorocarbons] and HCFCs [hydro-CFCs]?
17.
Do Chemours’ CFC and HCFC assets go idle in this scenario? Does it transition them to another product?
18.
What is your outlook for supply and demand in HFCs [hydrofluorocarbons] and HFOs [hydrofluoroolefins], and pricing trends as a result?
19.
Can you elaborate on the challenges in the cyanide market?
20.
What are your thoughts on Chemours’ ongoing litigation with DuPont and around the firefighting foams?
21.
What 1-2 key strategic objectives do you think Chemours should prioritise short-term? What should we be keeping an eye on?
