Wacker Chemie cuts guidance amid prolonged tariff uncertainty

By Paolo Laudani

(Reuters) -German chemicals company Wacker Chemie on Friday cut its sales outlook for the 2025 financial year, pointing to weak customer demand stemming from global economic and trade policy uncertainty.

"There are no signs of a recovery so far," said Chief Executive Christian Hartel in a statement.

Wacker, which supplies polysilicon for roughly half of the world's chips, had expected a resolution to the tariff-related uncertainty that would have allowed demand to recover.

"This development has so far not materialised," the company said.

It now expects annual sales of between 5.5 billion and 5.9 billion euros ($6.41 billion and $6.87 billion), down from previous guidance of between 6.1 billion and 6.4 billion euros.

Wacker said that the change in its guidance had also been prompted by a stronger euro since the beginning of the second quarter of the year, and the expectation that the current exchange rate level will remain unchanged.

The euro has gained 12% against the dollar this year on the tariff turmoil and more recently due to worries about U.S. President Donald Trump's massive spending and tax-cut bill, and his relentless criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not cutting rates.

Wacker posted second-quarter revenue of 1.41 billion euros, in line with expectations in a company provided poll compiled by Vara Research.

Its shares fell by as much as 3% but pared losses to stand 1% lower by 1240 GMT.

($1 = 0.8586 euros)

(Reporting by Paolo Laudani, additional reporting by Linda Pasquini; Editing by Friederike Heine, Kirsten Donovan)