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CLW · Clearwater Paper Corp

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$21.42 -0.53 (-2.41%) At close · Aug 14
Market Cap
$345.40M
Shares
16.13M
All earnings calls

Earnings call · FY2026 Q2

Clearwater Paper Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call

Clearwater Paper Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call

Concluded Jul 28, 2026 Audio replay
Jul 28, 2026 42:49 53 turns
Period
FY2026 Q2
Runtime
42:49
Sources
5 artifacts

Executive readout · one minute

What matters this quarter

Clearwater Paper reported Q2 2026 net sales of $375 million and a net loss of $21 million ($1.33/share), with negative Adjusted EBITDA of $8 million driven by a 9% YoY decline in market pricing, partly offset by 8% shipment growth. Management cited improving SBS industry conditions, announced two $60/ton price increases, launched a new CRB product line (CERCA), and highlighted ongoing cost reduction actions.

Product portfolio diversification (CERCA/CRB/Allura) 31 SBS industry conditions improving 31 Price increases and pricing flow-through 17 Cost reduction and restructuring 13 Shipment volumes and demand 12 Transportation and geopolitical cost pressure 7

Management tone

Positive

Net tone +25 · moderate hedging

Grounding quotes
  • “We are seeing some meaningful green shoots in SBS industry conditions.”
  • “Our shipment volumes were up this quarter with strong eight percent year-over-year growth.”
  • “We believe that the actions we have taken through the down cycle will result in improved margins and cash flow as the industry recovers in the coming quarters.”
  • “Even as industry conditions and pricing are improving, we continue to face substantial cost pressure and margin levels that do not support long-term investment in our industry's capital intensive assets.”

Research coverage

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Key takeaways

What improved, and what deserves a closer read.

Constructive signals

  • Shipment volumes grew 8% year-over-year, with SBS shipping volumes up 6% year-to-date and industry imports down 11%
  • SBS industry operating rates improving from low 80% in Q1 to a RECI forecast of 88% in Q2 and over 90% by year-end, with ~300,000 tons of reduced SBS production year-to-date
  • Announced two $60/ton price increases (June and August), expected to drive $50–60 million annual EBITDA improvement as they flow through P&L
  • Launched CERCA, a new CRB product line manufactured by Green Paper, to broaden offering to North American converters; exploring a lower-cost CUK option at Cypress Bend
  • Reduced net debt by $59 million in Q2 and $50 million year-to-date through working capital improvements, tax refunds, and insurance recoveries
  • Completed Lewiston major maintenance outage on time and on target at $22 million direct cost; Cypress Bend restructuring expected to deliver $8–12 million annualized savings with ~20% headcount reduction

Risks & pressure points

  • Net sales declined to $375 million from $392 million YoY, with market pricing down 9% per the RECI index
  • Reported net loss of $21 million ($1.33/diluted share) versus net income of $3 million ($0.17) in Q2 2025
  • Adjusted EBITDA was negative $8 million versus positive $40 million in Q2 2025, within guidance but still negative
  • Faced higher-than-expected transportation costs partly driven by the Iran war
  • Management stated margins remain ~10% below levels needed across the cycle to deliver required returns on capital even after recent RECI price improvements
  • Approximately 50% of volumes tied to the RECI index, meaning price recovery will take several quarters to fully flow through P&L

Key moments

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Full-screen source Call document