Clariant to sell businesses

Swiss speciality chemicals company Clariant has released its strategic targets up until 2015. As part of this plan, which the firm hopes will increase its earnings before the deduction of interest, tax and amortization expenses-to-sales (EBITA) to more than 17%, Clariant is to sell three of its businesses – Textile Chemicals, Paper Specialties and Emulsions, Detergents & Intermediates.

These divestments are intended to further the company's plans to increase efficiency as the sell-off will allow the firm to generate more than 70% of its sales from non-cyclical business units. This move will be aided by Clariant's recent acquisition of Süd-Chemie in April of last year. The German catalysts and adsorbants company has already improved Clariant's EBITA and further improvements are expected as the two firms integrate.