Three Months Ended – September 30, 2022 vs. September 30, 2021
Net sales decreased by 10% year-over-year. Lower sales volumes, including customers destocking amid falling raw material prices, led to a 20% decrease in net sales from the prior year. This decrease was offset by 10% increase from higher pricing, primarily from the pass through of higher styrene costs.
The $32.5 million, or 63%, decrease in Adjusted EBITDA was primarily due to weaker demand which negatively impacted volumes and margins, particularly in building & construction and appliance applications. This resulted in a decrease of $13.0 million, or 25%, due to lower volumes, and a decrease of $19.3 million, or 38%, due to lower margins. Additionally, a decrease of $3.6 million, or 7%, was due to higher fixed costs.
Nine Months Ended – September 30, 2022 vs. September 30, 2021
The 3% increase in net sales was due to higher pricing primarily from the pass through of higher styrene costs, which led to an increase of 10% increase in net sales compared to the prior year. Slightly offsetting this increase was a 7% decrease due to lower sales volume as described above.
The $62.6 million, or 42%, decrease in Adjusted EBITDA was due to a decrease of $47.6 million, or 32%, from lower margins primarily from weaker demand as well as new supply in China. In addition, a decrease of $17.3 million, or 12%, was due to lower volumes.
Feedstocks Segment
The Feedstocks segment includes the Company’s production and procurement of styrene monomer outside of North America, which is used as a key raw material for the production of polystyrene, expandable polystyrene, SAN resins, SA latex, SB latex, ABS resins, unsaturated polyethylene resins, and styrene-butadiene rubber.
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| | | Three Months Ended | | | | | Nine Months Ended | | | |
| | | September 30, | | | | | | September 30, | | | | |
($ in millions) | | | 2022 | | | 2021 | | | % Change | | | 2022 | | | 2021 | | | % Change | |
Net sales | | | $ | 53.4 | | | $ | 54.8 | | | (3) | % | | $ | 220.3 | | | $ | 199.6 | | | 10 | % |
Adjusted EBITDA | | | $ | (78.0) | | | $ | (27.6) | | | 183 | % | | $ | (59.8) | | | $ | 58.5 | | | (202) | % |
Adjusted EBITDA margin | | | | (146) | % | | | (50) | % | | | | | | (27) | % | | | 29 | % | | | |
Three Months Ended – September 30, 2022 vs. September 30, 2021
Net sales decreased 3% year-over-year. Lower styrene-related sales volume resulted in a 24% decrease which was partially offset by a 22% increase due to higher styrene prices.
The decrease of $50.4 million in Adjusted EBITDA was primarily attributed to a $59.0 million, or 214%, decrease due to lower styrene margins including impacts from elevated utility costs caused by historically high natural gas prices in Europe, weaker demand, and unfavorable net timing. In addition, a decrease of $5.5 million, or 20%, was due to higher fixed costs. Slightly offsetting these decreases was an increase of $14.1 million, or 51%, due to foreign exchange impacts.
Nine Months Ended – September 30, 2022 vs. September 30, 2021
Net sales increased 10% year-over-year. Higher styrene prices resulted in a 29% increase in net sales, which was partially offset by an 18% decrease due to lower styrene-related sales volume.
The decrease of $118.3 million in Adjusted EBITDA was primarily attributed to a $134.8 million, or 231%, decrease due to lower styrene margins including impacts from higher utility costs caused by a rise in natural gas prices in Europe and weaker demand. Slightly offsetting this decrease was an increase of $20.6 million, or 35%, due to foreign exchange rate impacts.
Americas Styrenics Segment
This segment consists solely of the equity earnings from of our 50%-owned joint venture, Americas Styrenics, a producer of both styrene monomer and polystyrene in North America. Styrene monomer is a basic building block of