Neo Performance Materials (TSE:NEO) reported record second-quarter results, citing higher volumes, favorable pricing and lower conversion costs across its business segments, while reaffirming expectations to reach the high end of its increased 2026 adjusted EBITDA guidance.
Adjusted EBITDA reached an all-time quarterly high of $57 million, more than triple the level recorded in the second quarter of 2025. Revenue rose nearly 80% year over year to $206 million, while adjusted earnings per share increased to $0.55 from $0.21 a year earlier.
Guidance Points to Strong Second Half
Neo raised its full-year adjusted EBITDA outlook in early July to a range of $140 million to $150 million, from prior guidance of $100 million to $110 million. Management said it expects results to come in at the high end of the updated range, with the potential to exceed it.
Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Baksh said the company’s outlook assumes only minimal rare-metals spot sales in the second half, despite contracted hafnium volumes at favorable prices. He said additional spot sales could provide upside to guidance.
“The potential to outperform would come from spot sales,” Baksh said, noting that the first half included strong spot demand. He added that Neo has begun booking contracts for 2027 at what he described as beneficial and accretive prices, with contracted-volume coverage tracking broadly in line with historical levels entering a new year.
Management said spot-sales activity can shift between quarters without signaling demand destruction. Suleman said stronger-than-expected spot sales in June may have pulled forward some demand that otherwise could have occurred in July.
Rare Metals Leads Segment Results
Neo’s Rare Metals segment posted record quarterly results, with revenue rising nearly 200% year over year to $106 million and adjusted EBITDA increasing more than 300% to $44 million. The company attributed the performance to strong volumes, tight global supply and elevated prices.
Hafnium volumes climbed almost 40% from a year earlier while pricing remained at record levels, according to the company. Neo has secured additional contracted volumes through the end of 2026 and into 2027. Management also cited continuing demand and pricing strength for gallium and tantalum amid constrained supply.
Baksh said the company ended the quarter with $96 million in cash and $157 million in total debt. Inventory increased as Neo made strategic purchases of hafnium scrap and continued ramping its European permanent-magnet facility. While average inventory costs have increased, management said selling prices have risen further, and it sees embedded potential profit in inventory that could support spot sales.
In response to an analyst question, Baksh said Neo primarily supplies hafnium metal for superalloy applications, including aerospace and industrial gas turbines, rather than hafnium tetrachloride for the DRAM semiconductor market. However, he said semiconductor demand remains an important influence on hafnium pricing.
Magnetics and Chemicals Businesses Also Expand
Magnequench revenue rose 28% to $64.3 million, supported by a 35% increase in bonded-magnet shipments and higher rare-earth prices. Segment adjusted EBITDA rose nearly 40% to $10.5 million, its strongest quarterly result in more than four years.
Bonded-powder volumes declined 14% year over year during the quarter, though they remained modestly higher on a year-to-date basis. Baksh said the quarterly decline reflected customer-order timing rather than weaker underlying demand. The business continues to see demand from automotive, industrial automation and advanced computing infrastructure customers seeking supply security and geographic diversification.
Chemicals & Oxides revenue rose 27% to $37.4 million, while adjusted EBITDA increased 56% to $8.5 million. Emission-catalyst volumes were up 7%, and the company said it deployed initial customer units for a water-treatment process enhancement technology, with commercial adoption expected to build in coming quarters.
European Magnet Expansion Remains on Track
Neo said its European permanent-magnet facility was built in under two years, on time and on budget. The company has received multiple program awards from three Tier 1 motor manufacturers, including traction-motor programs, and has delivered qualifying samples produced on European equipment.
Management reiterated that it expects to launch two to three customer programs into commercial production by year-end. Neo is also advancing its Phase I-B expansion, which is intended to increase European production capacity to 5,000 metric tons from 2,000 metric tons.
In May, the company completed a C$115 million treasury offering. Suleman said much of the proceeds are earmarked for Phase I-B equipment and expansion of the bonded-magnet business. Neo’s longer-term magnet-production roadmap targets 20,000 tons annually through global expansion, which management estimates could represent 10% to 15% of the projected rare-earth permanent-magnet market outside China.
Suleman said Neo is seeing more demand for localized and resilient magnet supply chains in Europe, particularly as Chinese export controls have complicated some potential competing projects. He said the company’s current capacity still cannot meet all of the demand it sees from customers.
Neo also highlighted its existing bonded-magnet operations, including approximately 8,000 tons of installed bonded magnetic capacity and manufacturing facilities in Thailand, the United Kingdom and China. The company said it is the world’s largest producer of bonded magnetic powders and shipped more than 10 million bonded magnets for AI data centers last year.
About Neo Performance Materials (TSE:NEO)
Neo manufactures the building blocks of many modern technologies that enhance efficiency and sustainability. Neo’s advanced industrial materials – magnetic powders, rare earth magnets, magnetic assemblies, specialty chemicals, metals, and alloys – are critical to the performance of many everyday products and emerging technologies. Neo’s products fast-forward technologies for the net-zero transition. The business of Neo is organized along three segments: Magnequench, Chemicals & Oxides and Rare Metals.
