NOTE Q – REPORTABLE SEGMENT INFORMATION

Ashland determines its reportable segments based on how operations are managed internally for the products and services sold to customers, including how the results are reviewed by Guillermo Novo, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, which includes determining resource allocation methodologies used for reportable segments. Operating income (loss) and EBITDA are the primary measures of performance that are reviewed by the chief operating decision maker in assessing each reportable segment's financial performance. Ashland does not aggregate operating segments to arrive at these reportable segments.

Reportable segment business descriptions

Life Sciences is comprised of pharmaceuticals, nutrition, agricultural chemicals, diagnostic films (formerly known as advanced materials) and fine chemicals. Pharmaceutical solutions include controlled release polymers, disintegrants, tablet coatings, thickeners, solubilizers and tablet binders. Nutrition solutions include thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers and additives for enhancing mouthfeel, controlling moisture

migration, reducing oil uptake and binding structured foods. Customers include pharmaceutical, food, beverage, hospitals and radiologists manufacturers. The nutraceuticals business was sold in August 2024. See Note B for additional details.

Personal Care is comprised of biofunctionals, microbial protectants (preservatives), skin care, sun care, oral care, hair care and household. These businesses have a broad range of natural, nature-derived, biodegradable, and high-performance ingredients for customer-driven solutions to help protect, renew, moisturize and revitalize skin and hair, and provide solutions for toothpastes, mouth washes and rinses, denture cleaning and care for teeth. Personal Care supplies nature-derived rheology ingredients, biodegradable surface wetting agents, performance encapsulates, and specialty polymers for household, industrial and institutional cleaning products. Customers include formulators at large multinational branded consumer products companies and smaller, independent boutique companies. The Avoca business was sold in March 2025. See Note B for additional details.

Specialty Additives is comprised of rheology and performance-enhancing additives serving the architectural coatings, construction, energy, automotive and various industrial markets. Solutions include coatings additives for architectural paints, finishes and lacquers, cement- and gypsum-based dry mortars, ready-mixed joint compounds, synthetic plasters for commercial and residential construction, and specialty materials for industrial applications. Products include rheology modifiers (cellulosic and associative thickeners), foam control agents, surfactants and wetting agents, pH neutralizers, advanced ceramics used in catalytic converters, and environmental filters, ingredients that aid the manufacturing process of ceramic capacitors, plasma display panels and solar cells, ingredients for textile printing, thermoplastic metals and alloys for welding. Products help improve desired functional outcomes through rheology modification and control, water retention, workability, adhesive strength, binding power, film formation, deposition and suspension and emulsification. Customers include, but are not limited to, global paint manufacturers, electronics and automotive manufacturers, textile mills, the construction industry and welders.

Intermediates is comprised of the production of 1,4 butanediol ("BDO") and related derivatives, including n-methylpyrrolidone. These products are used as chemical intermediates in the production of engineering polymers and polyurethanes, and as specialty process solvents in a wide array of applications including electronics, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, water filtration membranes and more. BDO is also supplied to Life Sciences, Personal Care, and Specialty Additives for use as a raw material.

Unallocated and Other generally includes items such as certain significant company-wide restructuring activities, corporate governance costs and legacy costs or activities that relate to divested businesses that are no longer operated by Ashland.

International data

Information about Ashland’s domestic and international operations for the years ended September 30, are as follows. Ashland has no operations in any individual international country or single customer that represented more than 10% of sales in 2025, 2024 and 2023.

 

 

Sales to external
customers

 

 

Net assets
(liabilities)

 

 

Property, plant and
equipment - net

 

(In millions)

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

United States

 

$

464

 

 

$

624

 

 

$

634

 

 

$

872

 

 

$

1,352

 

 

$

848

 

 

$

961

 

International

 

 

1,360

 

 

 

1,489

 

 

 

1,557

 

 

 

1,032

 

 

 

1,516

 

 

 

353

 

 

 

342

 

 

 

$

1,824

 

 

$

2,113

 

 

$

2,191

 

 

$

1,904

 

 

$

2,868

 

 

$

1,201

 

 

$

1,303

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reportable segment results

Results of Ashland’s reportable segments are presented based on its management and internal accounting structure. The structure is specific to Ashland; therefore, the financial results of Ashland’s reportable segments are not necessarily comparable with similar information for other comparable companies. Ashland allocates all costs to its reportable segments except for certain significant company-wide restructuring activities, certain corporate governance costs and other costs or activities that relate to former businesses that Ashland no longer operates. The service cost component of pension and other postretirement benefits costs is allocated to each reportable segment on a ratable basis; while the remaining components of pension and other postretirement benefits costs are recorded within the other net periodic benefit loss caption of the Statements of Consolidated Comprehensive Income (loss). Ashland refines its expense allocation methodologies to the reportable segments from time to time as more refined information becomes available and the industry or market changes. Significant revisions to Ashland’s methodologies are adjusted for all reportable segments on a retrospective basis. There were no material changes in methodology for the years ended September 30, 2025, 2024 or 2023.

Ashland determined that disclosing sales by specific product was impracticable due to the highly customized and extensive portfolio of products offered to customers and since no one product or a small group of products could be aggregated together to represent a majority of revenue within a reportable segment.

The following table presents various financial information for each reportable segment for the years ended September 30:

(In millions)

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Sales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Sciences

 

$

641

 

 

$

810

 

 

$

869

 

Personal Care

 

 

577

 

 

 

634

 

 

 

598

 

Specialty Additives

 

 

511

 

 

 

572

 

 

 

600

 

Intermediates

 

 

137

 

 

 

144

 

 

 

185

 

Intersegment sales(a)

 

 

(42

)

 

 

(47

)

 

 

(61

)

 

 

$

1,824

 

 

$

2,113

 

 

$

2,191

 

Cost of sales

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Sciences

 

$

418

 

 

$

515

 

 

$

568

 

Personal Care

 

 

345

 

 

 

398

 

 

 

395

 

Specialty Additives

 

 

433

 

 

 

522

 

 

 

494

 

Intermediates

 

 

121

 

 

 

107

 

 

 

127

 

Intersegment sales

 

 

(42

)

 

 

(47

)

 

 

(61

)

 

 

$

1,275

 

 

$

1,495

 

 

$

1,523

 

Selling, general and administrative expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Sciences

 

$

77

 

 

$

89

 

 

$

89

 

Personal Care

 

 

84

 

 

 

95

 

 

 

81

 

Specialty Additives

 

 

64

 

 

 

61

 

 

 

66

 

Intermediates

 

 

7

 

 

 

7

 

 

 

7

 

   Total operating segments

 

 

232

 

 

 

252

 

 

 

243

 

Unallocated and other

 

 

112

 

 

 

152

 

 

 

122

 

 

 

$

344

 

 

$

404

 

 

$

365

 

Research and development expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Sciences

 

$

15

 

 

$

15

 

 

$

14

 

Personal Care

 

 

25

 

 

 

26

 

 

 

24

 

Specialty Additives

 

 

12

 

 

 

11

 

 

 

11

 

Intermediates

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Total operating segments

 

 

52

 

 

 

52

 

 

 

49

 

Unallocated and other

 

 

2

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

$

54

 

 

$

55

 

 

$

51

 

Amortization expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Sciences

 

$

18

 

 

$

23

 

 

$

28

 

Personal Care

 

 

35

 

 

 

43

 

 

 

47

 

Specialty Additives

 

 

9

 

 

 

10

 

 

 

18

 

Intermediates

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

63

 

 

$

76

 

 

$

93

 

Equity and other income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Sciences

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Personal Care

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

Specialty Additives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intermediates

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Total operating segments

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

Unallocated and other

 

 

3

 

 

 

6

 

 

 

6

 

 

 

$

4

 

 

$

6

 

 

$

7

 

Goodwill impairment and (income) loss on acquisitions and divestitures, net

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Sciences

 

$

375

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Personal Care

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Specialty Additives

 

 

331

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intermediates

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Total operating segments

 

 

706

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unallocated and other

 

 

161

 

 

 

115

 

 

 

(6

)

 

 

$

867

 

 

$

115

 

 

$

(6

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(In millions)

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Operating income (loss)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Sciences(b)

 

$

(262

)

 

$

168

 

 

$

172

 

Personal Care(c)

 

 

90

 

 

 

73

 

 

 

52

 

Specialty Additives(d)

 

 

(338

)

 

 

(32

)

 

 

10

 

Intermediates

 

 

8

 

 

 

29

 

 

 

50

 

   Total operating segments

 

 

(502

)

 

 

238

 

 

 

284

 

Unallocated and other(e)

 

 

(273

)

 

 

(264

)

 

 

(112

)

   Total operating income (loss)

 

$

(775

)

 

$

(26

)

 

$

172

 

Net interest and other expense (income)

 

 

33

 

 

 

(24

)

 

 

6

 

Other net periodic benefit loss

 

 

1

 

 

 

22

 

 

 

6

 

Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes

 

$

(809

)

 

$

(24

)

 

$

160

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EBITDA(f)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Sciences

 

$

(187

)

 

$

229

 

 

$

241

 

Personal Care

 

 

155

 

 

 

152

 

 

 

137

 

Specialty Additives

 

 

(254

)

 

 

89

 

 

 

86

 

Intermediates

 

 

21

 

 

 

42

 

 

 

63

 

   Total operating segments

 

 

(265

)

 

 

512

 

 

 

527

 

Unallocated and other

 

 

(273

)

 

 

(264

)

 

 

(112

)

   Total EBITDA

 

$

(538

)

 

$

248

 

 

$

415

 

Depreciation expense

 

 

174

 

 

 

198

 

 

 

150

 

Amortization expense

 

 

63

 

 

 

76

 

 

 

93

 

Net interest and other expense (income)

 

 

33

 

 

 

(24

)

 

 

6

 

Other net periodic benefit loss

 

 

1

 

 

 

22

 

 

 

6

 

Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes

 

$

(809

)

 

$

(24

)

 

$

160

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation expense

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Sciences(g)

 

$

57

 

 

$

38

 

 

$

41

 

Personal Care(h)

 

 

30

 

 

 

36

 

 

 

38

 

Specialty Additives(i)

 

 

75

 

 

 

111

 

 

 

58

 

Intermediates

 

 

12

 

 

 

13

 

 

 

13

 

 

 

$

174

 

 

$

198

 

 

$

150

 

Additions to property, plant and equipment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Sciences

 

$

49

 

 

$

61

 

 

$

46

 

Personal Care

 

 

7

 

 

 

11

 

 

 

20

 

Specialty Additives

 

 

34

 

 

 

61

 

 

 

99

 

Intermediates

 

 

3

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

3

 

Unallocated and other

 

 

5

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

$

98

 

 

$

137

 

 

$

170

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(In millions)

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Sciences

 

$

1,498

 

 

$

1,778

 

Personal Care

 

 

751

 

 

 

950

 

Specialty Additives

 

 

1,020

 

 

 

1,516

 

Intermediates

 

 

116

 

 

 

127

 

Unallocated and other

 

 

1,226

 

 

 

1,274

 

 

 

$

4,611

 

 

$

5,645

 

Property, plant and equipment - net

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life Sciences

 

$

481

 

 

$

415

 

Personal Care

 

 

101

 

 

 

146

 

Specialty Additives

 

 

484

 

 

 

603

 

Intermediates

 

 

30

 

 

 

38

 

Unallocated and other

 

 

105

 

 

 

101

 

 

 

$

1,201

 

 

$

1,303

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)
Intersegment sales from Intermediates are accounted for at prices that approximate market value. All other intersegment sales are accounted for at cost.
(b)
Includes goodwill impairment of $375 million for Life Sciences in 2025.
(c)
Includes a capital project impairment charge of $11 million for Personal Care in 2024.
(d)
Includes goodwill impairment of $331 million in 2025 and a $4 million impairment charge related to a facility in 2023 for Specialty Additives.
(e)
Includes a $8 million gain on sale and a $183 million impairment charge related to the divestiture of the Avoca business in 2025, and a $8 million loss on sale and a $99 million impairment charge related to the divestiture of the Nutraceuticals business in 2024 within the income (loss) on acquisitions and divestitures, net.
(f)
Excludes income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes and other net periodic benefit loss. See the Statements of Consolidated Comprehensive Income (Loss) for applicable amounts excluded.
(g)
Depreciation includes accelerated depreciation of $21 million for Life Sciences in 2025.
(h)
Depreciation includes accelerated depreciation of $1 million and $2 million for Personal Care in 2025 and 2024, respectively.
(i)
Depreciation includes accelerated depreciation of $19 million and $55 million for Specialty Additives in 2025 and 2024, respectively.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Nov 20, 2025Showing above
2024Nov 18, 2024
2023Nov 17, 2023
2022Nov 21, 2022
2021Nov 22, 2021
2020Nov 23, 2020
2019Nov 25, 2019
2018Nov 19, 2018
2017Nov 20, 2017
2016Nov 21, 2016

About Segments Disclosures

Segment disclosures break a company into its reportable operating units, revealing revenue, profit, and asset allocation that consolidated financial statements obscure. Under ASC 280, segments must match how the chief operating decision maker views the business, providing a window into internal management structure and resource allocation priorities.

Key signals: compare segment margins to identify which units drive profitability and which destroy value. Watch for changes in the number of reportable segments — segment aggregation or disaggregation often coincides with strategic shifts or attempts to obscure declining performance. Intersegment elimination patterns reveal internal pricing practices. The reconciliation between segment totals and consolidated figures exposes corporate overhead allocation and unallocated items. Geographic revenue concentration highlights regulatory and currency exposure. Compare segment-level capital expenditure against segment revenue to assess where management is investing for future growth versus harvesting existing assets.