Wacker Chemie AG shareholders approved all agenda proposals by a large majority at the company’s 20th Annual Shareholders’ Meeting held online, including the decision not to distribute a dividend for the 2025 financial year following losses incurred during the period.

The company said the move aligns with its dividend policy of distributing around 50% of net profit. More than 40.3 million shares, representing 77.31% of the company’s capital stock, were represented during the meeting.

Christian Hartel said the company remains focused on strengthening competitiveness through its “PACE” cost-savings and efficiency programme, launched in October 2025. He described the initiative as the largest efficiency programme in WACKER’s history and said it would help build a stronger economic foundation while supporting long-term growth aligned with the company’s strategic priorities.

Hartel also referred to the company’s revised 2026 outlook announced in mid-April following volatility in energy and commodity markets caused by tensions in the Middle East. WACKER has raised its full-year sales forecast from low single-digit growth to high single-digit growth, driven by its strategy of passing increased raw material and energy costs on to customers.

However, the company maintained its EBITDA guidance in the range of €550 million to €700 million due to ongoing market uncertainties and volatile order intake. Hartel noted that geopolitical tensions and structural challenges facing the chemical industry in Germany and Europe continue to create pressure on the sector.

He further called on policymakers in Berlin and Brussels to create competitive conditions for the chemical industry, highlighting concerns around energy prices, bureaucracy and regulatory burdens. According to Hartel, supportive policy frameworks are critical to ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the European chemical sector.