Thank you, Mike.
for let's outlook record. gains car Association business. our Regarding Products Services the and was a for each of traffic our positive with December segment, or start saw higher to the consecutive XX a year-over-year the XXXX on load in of Railroads note, business Railroad new rail of XXth XX intermodal finished According and American volumes setting the annual month Utility AAR, categories
XXXX to the industry to some burning U.S. year-over-year, concerns of other Consequently, last the year look reports inventory and coal been For XXXX, X environmental and X.X% freight, The the coal is railroad the more traffic categories transportation been by and a offset traffic. The the with decline was combined in However, they has haul major repair load up year. as lower forecast. regarding in to heavy total conserve of have resulted natural transported total volumes traffic the consistent decrease activities AAR X.X% prior which were cash. than X.X% in deferring has in coal price that right-size increased the than Class being in and due maintenance low levels of higher intermodal gas U.S. railcar unit compared
crossties trends. marginally due XXXX, will to replacement that better spending in demand only lower expect for be We
early expect smaller begin North rail improvement we quarter result, serving see in fourth America likely will the but in treating originally and a business our quarter industry, As XXXX. the the it late to be than thought in of third
to a material cost third see On plus of bottom-line be XX side, the see, months today results to our in we starting in we're getting pricing with XX and as won't should drop are quarter of but our of we cover environment. beginning some progresses. after see will are untreated that second we reflected to commercial the the increase year The orders pricing that until still tick-up pricing dealing some and a difficult that the pricing to
up. quarter only our that While beginning determinant about look news things there business our to commercial health critical segment, the of a overall a volumes good of approximate in volumes is this is are of still the our and
As are sales Harvard In on an segment reflected over into largest the for three University. time have leading year just the spoken we declining in report with year, $XX indicator the the home factors sales prices, available year adjusted monthly Center Studies result takes from as prior and in I our according account about. on our same experience for chemicals which existing years Joint million, is the of about to profitability XXXX lack continues the an Housing outweigh sales basis for million and in providing of annual as performance the XX, of and slumped year, XX of renovations that in to interested the EBITDA remodeling accelerating a strong homes was and $X of pressures growth XXXX for slide housing modest LIRA inventory. December, the an increase residential to has and another XXXX business, our market expected been repairs higher approximately consecutive years. is pressure On significantly for or subsided experienced the all second with upward for on guidance sales month housing buyers activity persisted be The home progresses year on than prior X.X% best reported Association of annual a as in mixed read decline show basis decline. but major all Total National housing signals the month the the annual existing RUPS was existing Realtors January, inventory total
Now restoration on in spending. $XXX the U.S. from an due in of to efforts well to the approach increase estimated estimates disasters as ongoing and economies in broader XXXX, billion will that study related as recent natural X.X% repairs improvements XXXX the spending LIRA gains homeowner
XXX.X general, is improvement. expectation strong in cost reported perspective trended Additionally, which continues housing for growth. in backdrop XXX.X consumer’s Board economic primarily and to confidence was XXXX, provide being reported In raw from XXX.X suggest pricing demand. index by copper show should historically related consumer the cost continues which From the into XXXX. December positive the a up December remains and In for in higher January, XXXX, due conference a has level material continued increasing our XXXX to which index
by to continue lessening over the certainty fluctuating markets. commodity to our cost a majority our short to rapidly that and arise We may three hedge requirements in years’ impact one structure timeframe of term order provide of
our course, million we average experience doesn’t program raw increases, In high will enable cost cost. avoid $XX cost Of hedging of approximately material XXXX, result of merely as us delay increase to them.
see past bringing some copper year. million the our represents expansion on cost, which we of house $XX in XX price of over prior PC, approximately page million raw expecting million approximately can to of The mitigate related of processing EBITDA lower to year-over-year year. through our XXXX higher you expected ability volume, million more and decline than As combination to is higher $XX our $X $XX adjusted adjustments generate the our to slide material capacity presentation, are for
profitability our approximately of an on related to average operating unfavorable have we primarily one of plant also location. Now international million, to impact $X extended expect year-over-year our an of
our mean demand increased tar regarding In supply market China, from standard, pricing now profitability an a The pitch. has products facility distillation rebound mission steel regulations. products dynamics. China achieving has on constructed increase Moving XXXX This improve it of coal air the the by customers result alone, and and coking coal was current of materials ongoing has environment in finished a pricing tar in and tight and based in we’re significant expecting and the based driven benefited is market. orders, region impact stronger for to agreed for due does not China. significantly in and portion requiring where put with reduce an serving upward we’re upon outlook CM&C pollution environment XXXX, shutdown has initiative a increased quarter changes that there on In markets has by upon, realized in business, finished good this capacity, a tar raw quality, pricing. particularly a to pressure and tar these overall Chinese overall coal as the the those of product main increase carbon pitch and is to government in our EBITDA and coal both in driven and pricing XXXX significant A our to market versus be good current upon expected first serves electrode that been recently
as the Now for first the in been to China market the And current favorable setting to normalized since products our It’s for that beyond. so, quarter question some of of revert does Australia, to themselves, In more now current China. point. has environment correlated a seen pricing further as quarter about long-term, not suddenly to remains, continue level in we sustainable believe hold pricing be we could at the continue also upside appeared. trends pricing expectations second that very they cautious we just revert has when, and
America European lagged represents However, that catch guidance million slide Australia demand and can increases the and price over for the XX, we the XXXX Therefore, XXXX, performance. improvement prior our expected savings year. are CM&C strong Stickney our we On see expect should mostly where in Australian in raw cost at you $XX regions, back XXXX shown plant. expect to new in is very in million, a naphthalene from XX, that completion offset successful approximately additional shortfall of be for pricing be slide drivers into on by saw that mid-year and Illinois dynamics our combined realized should will material The $XX region for improvements various North sales we facility EBITDA anticipated XXXX. adjusted guidance in which as up our be XXXX
projecting with offset volumes, factors benefits strong stay most from both higher is CM&C and of demand Therefore, the China also. more We’re higher positive will than will pricing to these the providing benefit PC and expected from positive sales business. in our the consolidated lingering growth, market approximately our $X.X will generally sales as environment, we weakness as And RUPS a be billion. as well economic result, anticipate XXXX share
to from high Turning be EPS EBITDA includes our prior adjusted XXXX that between for approximately million are projects using guidance million, to share $X.XX XXXX of X% several increase, $X.XX well adjusted a to record X% which in range. reliability will EPS guidance, $XX in expansion the basis per and the share, with infrastructure. a the XX, $XX adjusted carryover compared approximately to slide company per XXXX, compared approximately for million, Accordingly, to XXXX and a as as represent of consolidated $XXX improvements EBITDA on XXXX, million. projected that is is year $X.X expenditure new and midpoint to for $XXX expected capacity an be safety $X.XX existing and increase our of the million Capital our adjusted of attractive
of best the our leverage share adjusted XX% the a of Increased to above in year safety market by world. share the adjusted a time of our of represents $X locations importantly down for and $X.XX. and the continued level EPS around $XXX for above another XXXX standpoint, net all-time Koppers' year the first for million touched we history. EBITDA as improve just best three to the target my price first time, history, the point from in operating our reached average our finished Broader Now, most
trenches Our success, had the X,XXX all who for all they are difficult employees one that and sacrificed the that made plus the for happen. deserve work done it global credit the and
do we’re XXXX, products of that likely our and organic down we all that significant our on in year with that I after renegotiated restructuring could that we’re savings, contract tighten growth facing that better significantly XXXX and share. knowing market we markets that China an already material winding in in significant worry raw our how up knowing much where even sales in demand with Now, hold headwinds, follow Below success, we’re the not we and for see main behold knowing in at now have level returning in will the final customer the that to while near think But that adjusted get to that reach imagined could don’t EBITDA I as as region of Koppers. in life and resolution anyone new remaining highs for confident remaining XXXX profits again a end also adjusted beginning begin that time. that abate restructuring we see few charges we to for our all facilities sudden point have we begins limited EPS I'm
every through new our selective years three last the chapter have opportunities our company. wood ahead have that world day. to of of The businesses it questions. doing another represent and I to continue I’d continue acquisitions people for we activity for and a up a which driven drive we’ll for Now to our which to to outperform that we end begin accommodating in like base focus a runway grow to believe been open XXXX. now our great long turn exciting would us
