AkzoNobel lifts its adjusted EBITDA margin to 15.3 percent as organic sales rise 2 percent on pricing

AkzoNobel said on Wednesday that organic sales rose 2 percent in the third quarter on higher prices, while reported revenue held at €2.54bn, according to the company's results release.

Adjusted EBITDA rose to €388m from €385m. The margin widened to 15.3 percent from 15.1 percent, which chief executive Greg Poux-Guillaume called the sixth consecutive quarter of margin expansion.

The statutory line moved the other way. Operating income was a loss of €73m, against a loss of €29m a year earlier, which the company attributed to the deconsolidation of its Russian entities and the divestment in Pakistan. Net cash from operating activities fell to €187m from €331m.

The paint and coatings maker kept its outlook for about €1.47bn of adjusted EBITDA in 2026 and leverage near two times by year end. It also said its merger with Axalta remains on course to close in early 2027, subject to regulatory approval. Earlier this month the company agreed to sell its decorative paints business in South East Asia to Nippon Paint for $1.35bn.