ASHLAND INC. Segments Disclosure
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, 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 |
|
|
Net assets |
|
|
Property, plant and |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
(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 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Nov 20, 2025 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Nov 18, 2024 | |
| 2023 | Nov 17, 2023 | |
| 2022 | Nov 21, 2022 | |
| 2021 | Nov 22, 2021 | |
| 2020 | Nov 23, 2020 | |
| 2019 | Nov 25, 2019 | |
| 2018 | Nov 19, 2018 | |
| 2017 | Nov 20, 2017 | |
| 2016 | Nov 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.