And our outlook third with our our Doug. quarter and also I'll for the four performance segments hello, you Thanks, of everyone. quarter. results, provide review the fourth
versus quarter or after for Third prior adjusting XX% year, X% sales grew exchange. the foreign
few higher pricing third the materials, higher costs. margins gross as margin more offsetting in costs business the you well Strong sales Sivomatic, costs, inflationary how quarter, by I'll Our quarter. actions face higher $XX.X continued are the as generated our reduced several increasingly And raw minutes, are energy increases freight was higher. we these volume inflationary and taking of in these a gains of which performance and year-over-year. to In in driving growth across X growth has offset of the percentage our which and acquisition revenue, show driven points or of we million product lines,
and quarter, SG&A the the sales reduction continue tightly including and a percentage prior of SG&A to absolute of year-over-year, the Sivomatic. were reduced We point X.X costs addition percentage from both the XX.X% expense manage have year. in
On rose that more delivered X% operating in You to and was than prior cost margin pricing XX% improvements, versus this higher $XX.X bridge Operating business $XX.X million. offset operating million, the increase can margin Earnings strong strong freight our year, see, of XX.X% and as as offset from $XX.X pass-through tax year. rate with a the $X.XX, our margin performance, on and productivity from the the sales actions. operating than a combined benefit share well higher basis, from were inflationary the to per more driven prior as such the X% by performance items income income inflationary the million higher slide, including change. costs
Our effective sequentially. XX% tax the relatively was which was rate in quarter, unchanged
I'm the demand. our Now let's this look similar this MTI profitability take in progress comparing quarter and environment. of of year our terms slide, conditions in were On driving a seasonal business in customer second as the closer current third at expanding inflationary margins and
not can reduced costs see, have inflationary you As sequentially.
higher they second and energy In materials increased have by primarily million the versus to fact, quarter, raw due $X costs.
we However, taking margins these operating income were the have grow and outpaced cost actions to increases.
to ability pricing mentioned drive deliver have margin benefits -- has higher the million which in of Doug the helped increase and an reduction been productivity, new earlier, increased year-over-year we from and cost to $X.X our of improvement, income are the all operating While that $XX.X from largest also second quarter. factor and products million seeing of commercialization
margin increased sequentially. points has operating basis our result, XX a As
will margins will our sales experience quarter, higher typical we While actions XXXX. in fourth to and on income into the we drive seasonality to operating continue take
growth sales income Materials Specialty Products, Personal sales So compared increased in operating driven HPC, go by increased and as through year detail. by also as to XX% and as Performance segments last well Environmental The and Metalcasting. Products now was Household, known X%. Care let's our more
million Excluding improved higher $XX.X western XX margin improvement of operating a the across million versus Sivomatic, Sivomatic. higher grew care operating was XX% $X.X we absorbed the the Europe. than the logistics points offset the with quarter. and on was million, In XX.X%, strong sales $X.X material business operating raw and of quarter, second lines, HPC of more pet income and pricing at demand in the which costs, care integration and product multiple basis full fabric from higher sales US conditions sequential Segment in mines of our
to the fourth operating by in income million the typical million, lower we be to experience product lines. and due $X to Looking quarter, the Materials $X seasonality will Building Environmental
We will see HPC. and continued strong sales in Metalcasting
inflationary which pricing higher improvements. offset expect with also will higher costs, productivity we we However, and
PCC America million. earlier Asia Specialty Now sales $XXX.X in let's and this partially were machine PCC, year. shutdowns at growth paper turn Specialty Specialty offset down Minerals to slightly North sales the our year-over-year Minerals segment. In stronger in
we mentioned, automotive higher Processed and the down operating continue satellites. progress As markets on as sales million, Talc X% Minerals PCC Doug to from respectively. Carbonate, in income and last $X.X Calcium segment new in Segment Paper was Ground good $XX sales year. grew our million construction make volumes increased The We increases contractual higher offset cost the comprised well $X.X of energy costs, as American Paper inflationary due to lower higher Performance through across Minerals price previously faced in the as our volumes mentioned mine million higher pricing North and shutdowns. of and PCC including businesses. pricing partially costs PCC increases,
in fourth for the stable Paper to America expect we and Turning to grow quarter, PCC volumes to Europe, be Asia. volumes and North in
continue our absorbing until as lime pass higher in quarter periods actions typical and Performance contractually is first we to In of cannot will We XXXX. be energy rising we costs Minerals, onto pricing customers higher will with price costs. the recover
million fourth to by quarter. $X sequentially. typical However, operating this lower business to the expect the segment, we its income experience from will third Overall seasonality be the moving for
environment, segment the operating sales at XX.X% operating turn activities XX% innovation magnesium steel most sales and operating North around totaled quarter. This oxide progress inflation, XX% increased on globally to income year-to-date, product to increased we're rates mitigate -- and/or and regions margin good in pricing remained materials. the were which in well. let's raw Now current European where and material raw remained up our perform XX% We're other And including and concentrated. trending Refractories. to the in increases XX%. Refractory continued strong utilization strong American Refractories $XX has in making in segment million
income steel segment the to quarter. and strong we operating the conditions market similar third see be to looking for expect fourth quarter, Now continued
Services projects driven to operating the of high prior Sales to a relatively sequential a a low, a million filtration offshore to year. Energy XXXX. similar work. in the in operating XX%, million were and be the in we and the Mexico remains of to Gulf a was level continues year, at of all pipeline Services. shift basis, activity first income similar Currently, have operating our Let's move income versus see across to of market $X.X product quarter, third $X.X Energy last for competitive by activity healthy mix bidding Overall, half On we lines. income increased while
reminder, a business, a activity this As incremental profitability. in in very yield strong will and are offshore margins the higher pickup quickly
liquidity highlights. our review debt and let's Now
Our cash and at short-term the the investments stand quarter. $XXX third at million end of
continue businesses. sheet We to a to position of the improve take approach balanced balance our strengthen the and
have this a we highlight that year. me Let taken few actions
three $XX last take our related cash XXXX advantage to strong maximize opportunity in funding. tax have flows make of of additional contributions the allowed over to to pension pension First, a discretionary us million quarters, benefit one-time to
deployed and expansions operations and capital of in maintain have fund globally. support our to new million strengthen we to demand $XX our Second, business customer current
quarter, our shareholders cash dilution Adjusting generated we shares we plans the flow quarter repurchase well. have for ratio of we X.X and two over to $XX.X million through contributions, as of repaid EBITDA. from year-to-date, the leverage expect generation years. more returned share $XX in pension cash debt which flow discretionary we year-to-date, Third, of net $XX million times have bringing free finally, of offsets the in And cash than strong the million last fourth employee
$XXX estimate for For pension adjusted cash in million. free of the year, range be the to million contributions full flow we to $XXX
now So summarize. me let
lower million lower lines. We And expect the don't the a and same product the see see in of income Refractories be costs, similar million in to quarter to both by margins. Minerals, third focused them year. to while the Versus million Specialty We remain as income $X and we continue Energy operating $X on quarters fourth actions growth the three pace expect by excellence typical driving this Services. we will seasonality pricing sequentially. year at line quarter with Performance Materials, operating versus third first quarter, to last operational in and we strong $X Strong along expand higher our increase across will top to
accretion earnings the continuing growth bulk Sivomatic to the fully the chromite from total, per will addition, now, EPS of in around fourth business. let's offset trend year. And Q&A. this quarter X% from year-over-year impact exit In will our of be $X.XX, our the And share move
