The Navigator Company increases paper prices in Europe from 1st February 2021

“2024 was a transformational year for Clearwater Paper. We took significant steps to focus our strategy on becoming a paperboard packaging company. We acquired a high-quality manufacturing facility in Augusta, Georgia, increasing our paperboard capacity by nearly 75% and improving our geographic footprint in North America,” said Arsen Kitch, president and chief executive officer. “We also divested our tissue business for $1.06 billion at closing and used the proceeds to de-lever our balance sheet and Net sales from total operations were $483 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, down 6% compared to fourth quarter 2023 net sales of $513 million. Net income from total operations for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $199 million, or $11.91 per diluted share which includes $307 million of gain on sale of the tissue division ($219 million after tax) compared to $18 million for the fourth quarter of 2023, or $1.06 per diluted per share. Net sales from total operations were $2.2 billion for 2024, an increase of 6% compared to 2023 net sales of $2.1 billion. Net income for 2024 was $196 million, or $11.70 per diluted share, compared to $108 million for 2023, or $6.30 per diluted share.

Stora Enso has decided to start using a valuation method for its forest assets in the Nordics based on market transaction data and change the accounting policy from the fourth quarter of 2020 onwards. Preliminary estimations, based on transactions in those areas in which Stora Enso has forest land, indicate that the value of the Group’s forest assets, including leased land, will be between EUR 6.5 billion and EUR 7.0 billion, compared with the end of Q3/2020 book value of EUR 5.4 billion. The review of the fair value will be completed during the fourth quarter and will take into account also the latest transaction prices. Deferred tax liability will be recognised based on the difference between the forest assets’ book value and their value for tax purposes in the same manner as currently.

The suspense is not completely over for Appleton Coated and its 620 employees. The struggling paper mill's sale to Industrial Assets Corp., a used machinery dealer based in Los Angeles, progressed in a six-hour marathon hearing Monday before Outagamie County Circuit Court Judge Gregory Gill. "I'm not going to take any action," Gill said late Monday. "We have definitive things in place but we're not at the finish line." Lawyers have a maximum of five days to hash out the details of a hybrid agreement that states Industrial Assets will pay $20 million for Appleton Coated and at the same time market the mill as an ongoing operation for 45 days. Mark Freedlander, an attorney for Industrial Assets, said "we have reached an agreement and we are responsible for marketing the entity as a going concern." Click Read More below for additional detail.