Cascades Reports Results for the Second Quarter of 2026

Canada NewsWire

KINGSEY FALLS, QC , Aug. 6, 2026 /CNW/ -- Cascades Inc. (TSX: CAS) reports its unaudited financial results for the three-month period ended June 30, 2026.

Q2 2026 Highlights

Sales of $1,219 million (compared with $1,125 million in Q1 2026 and $1,187 million in Q2 2025);

Operating income of $58 million (compared with $81 million in Q1 2026 and $36 million in Q2 2025);

Net earnings per common share of $0.21 (compared with net earnings per common share of $0.38 in Q1 2026 and a net loss per common share of ($0.03) in Q2 2025);

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA (A)) 1 of $140 million (compared with $118 million in Q1 2026 and $137 million in Q2 2025);

Adjusted net earnings per common share 1 of $0.24 (compared with $0.07 in Q1 2026 and $0.19 in Q2 2025);

Net debt 1 of $1,879 million as of June 30, 2026 (compared with $1,901 million as of March 31, 2026). Net debt to EBITDA (A) ratio 1 remained stable at 3.3x;

Total capital expenditures of $40 million in Q2 2026, compared to $28 million in Q1 2026 and $44 million in Q2 2025. The Corporation's 2026 forecasted capital expenditures before disposals will be in a range of $150 million to $175 million.

The Company generated $5 million in asset sale proceeds during the second quarter, bringing total proceeds to $154 million for the 2025 - 2026 period. The Company's objective of generating $230 million is progressing well and is now expected to be achieved in early 2027.

Hugues Simon, President and CEO, commented: "Our second quarter results exceeded expectations, driven by a stronger performance in Packaging, reflecting continued solid production and demand levels across our paper mill network, meaningful progress in onboarding new customers and a more favourable economic environment than initially anticipated. Packaging volumes tracked ahead of our forecasted assumptions, contributing to stronger profitability in the quarter. In Tissue, the results came in slightly ahead of our expected range. Performance benefited from improved productivity and sales volumes and the positive impact of ongoing cost reduction initiatives. The operational improvements achieved over the past several quarters are translating into greater efficiency and a stronger cost structure across the business. Overall, our leverage ratio remained stable during the quarter, while net debt decreased modestly despite unfavourable exchange rate movements."

Discussing near-term outlook, Mr. Simon commented, "On July 20, 2026, the U.S. administration announced new tariffs on a number of products imported into the United States and we are conducting an assessment of the potential impact on our operations. Based on information currently available, certain tissue and packaging products exported to the United States could be subject to the announced 50% tariffs.

While this represents a notable development, we believe the potential impact is manageable. We are actively pursuing several tactical initiatives that we expect will materially mitigate the potential financial impact of these tariffs over the coming months. In addition to the direct effects of this announcement, some customers whose products are subject to these tariffs may experience weaker demand or reduce production levels, which could negatively affect volumes in certain segments. Based on our current assessment and the mitigation actions underway, we remain confident in our ability to successfully manage these challenges.

Looking ahead, this situation does not change our confidence in the earnings trajectory of the business. Supported by our ongoing profitability improvement initiatives and the momentum we continue to see across our operations, and excluding the potential impact of the announced tariffs, we now expect annual run-rate Adjusted EBITDA to exceed $600 million during the second half of 2026, surpassing our original objective. The implementation of previously announced selling price increases in both Packaging and Tissue is progressing as planned. In Packaging, the recent $50 per ton price increase, announced in June, is expected to further strengthen earnings momentum in the coming quarters.

This confidence reflects the significant work completed over the past several quarters to make Cascades a more resilient and agile organization. Through operational excellence initiatives, cost optimization efforts and disciplined capital allocation, we have strengthened our ability to respond effectively to changing market conditions and navigate a period of heightened geopolitical uncertainty. We are also closely monitoring developments in the Middle East. Continued instability has increased volatility in energy markets, and sustained increases in oil prices could create additional inflationary pressures on transportation, manufacturing and other operating costs. We will continue to leverage the flexibility of our business model and disciplined cost-management approach to mitigate these pressures wherever possible.

We continue to make progress on the sale of non-core assets and remain committed to our objective of generating $230 million in proceeds. Although some transactions are taking longer than anticipated, this reflects our disciplined approach to ensuring we maximize value from these asset sales. Concurrently, we remain focused on improving our financial profile and creating long-term value for shareholders through a balanced approach to operational excellence, profitability improvement and disciplined capital allocation."

Financial Summary

Selected consolidated information

Segmented sales

Segmented operating income (loss)

Segmented EBITDA (A) 1

Analysis of results for the three-month period ended June 30, 2026 (compared to the same period last year)

The Corporation's second quarter sales of $1,219 million increased by $32 million compared with the same period last year. This increase reflects consolidated net benefits of $13 million from higher average selling prices and a favourable sales mix of $21 million. However, these factors were partially offset by a $2 million impact from lower volumes, mainly in the Packaging Products segment, reflecting the impact of business closures and dispositions in previous quarters.

The second quarter EBITDA (A) 1 totaled $140 million, an increase of $3 million, or 2%, from the $137 million generated in the same period last year. This increase was driven by higher volumes, higher average selling prices and cost reduction initiatives across the Corporation's businesses. These impacts were partially offset by higher raw material and transportation costs.

The main specific items, before income taxes, that impacted our operating income and/or net earnings for the second quarter of 2026 were:

$3 million of gains related to the sale of a business and some assets in Canada and in the United States (operating income and net earnings);

$2 million of restructuring costs related to corporate organizational changes (operating income and net earnings);

$6 million loss on financial instruments (operating income and net earnings).

For the three-month period ended June 30, 2026, the Corporation posted net earnings of $21 million, or $0.21 per common share, compared to a net loss of $(3) million, or ($0.03) per common share, in the same period of 2025. On an adjusted basis 1 , the Corporation posted net earnings of $24 million in the second quarter of 2026, or $0.24 per common share, compared to net earnings of $19 million, or $0.19 per common share, in the same period of 2025.

Dividend on common shares and normal course issuer bid

The Board of Directors of Cascades declared a quarterly dividend of $0.12 per common share to be paid on September 3, 2026 to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 20, 2026. This dividend is an "eligible dividend" as per the Income Tax Act (R.C.S. (1985), Canada). During the second quarter of 2026, Cascades purchased no common shares for cancellation.

2026 Second Quarter Results Conference Call Details

Management will discuss the 2026 second quarter financial results during a conference call today at 9:00 a.m. ET. The call can be accessed by dialing 1-800-990-4777 (international 1-289-819-1299). The conference call, including the investor presentation, will be broadcast live on the Cascades website ( www.cascades.com ) under the "Investors" section. A replay of the call will be available on the Cascades website and may also be accessed by phone until September 6, 2026 by dialing 1-888-660-6345 (international 1-289-819-1450), access code 00655 #.

Founded in 1964, Cascades offers sustainable, innovative and value-added packaging, hygiene and recovery solutions. The company employs approximately 8,900 women and men across a network of 60 operating facilities, including 17 Recovery and Recycling facilities which are part of Corporate Activities and joint ventures managed by the Corporation, in North America. Driven by its participative management, half a century of experience in recycling, and continuous research and development efforts, Cascades continues to provide innovative products that customers have come to rely on, while contributing to the well-being of people, communities and the entire planet. Cascades' shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CAS. Certain statements in this release, including statements regarding future results and performance, are forward-looking statements based on current expectations. The accuracy of such statements is subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including, but not limited to, the effect of general economic conditions, decreases in demand for the Corporation's products, increases in raw material costs, fluctuations in selling prices and adverse changes in general market and industry conditions and other factors.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS (LOSS)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

SEGMENTED INFORMATION

The Corporation's operations are managed in two segments: Packaging Products and Tissue Papers. The accounting policies of the reportable segments are the same as the Corporation's accounting policies described in the most recent Audited Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2025.

The Corporation's operating segments are reported in a manner consistent with the internal reporting provided to the chief operating decision-maker (CODM). The Chief Executive Officer has authority for resource allocation and management of the Corporation's performance and is therefore the CODM. The CODM assesses the performance of each reportable segment based on sales and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, adjusted to exclude specific items (EBITDA (A)). The CODM considers EBITDA (A) to be the best performance measure of the Corporation's activities.

Sales for each segment are prepared on the same basis as those of the Corporation. Inter-segment operations are recorded on the same basis as sales to third parties, which are at fair market value.

EBITDA (A) does not have a standardized meaning under IFRS Accounting Standards; accordingly, it may not be comparable to similarly named measures used by other companies. Investors should not view EBITDA (A) as an alternative measure to, for example, net earnings, or as a measure of operating results, which are IFRS Accounting Standards measures.

Sales by business segment are shown in the following table:

EBITDA (A) by business segment is reconciled to the IFRS Accounting Standards measure, namely operating income (loss), and is shown in the following table:

Payments for property, plant and equipment by business segment are shown in the following table:

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION ON NON-IFRS ACCOUNTING STANDARDS MEASURES AND OTHER FINANCIAL MEASURES

SPECIFIC ITEMS

The Corporation incurs some specific items that adversely or positively affect its operating results. We believe it is useful for readers to be aware of these items as they provide additional information to measure performance, compare the Corporation's results between periods, and assess operating results and liquidity, notwithstanding these specific items. Management believes these specific items are not necessarily reflective of the Corporation's underlying business operations in measuring and comparing its performance and analyzing future trends. Our definition of specific items may differ from that of other corporations and some of these items may arise in the future and may reduce the Corporation's available cash.

They include, but are not limited to, charges for (reversals of) impairment of assets, restructuring gains or costs, loss on refinancing and repurchase of long-term debt, some deferred tax asset provisions or reversals, premiums paid on repurchase of long-term debt, gains or losses on the acquisition or sale of a business unit, gains or losses on the share of results of associates and joint ventures, unrealized and realized gains or losses on derivative financial instruments that do not qualify for hedge accounting, unrealized gains or losses on interest rate hedge instruments and option fair value revaluation, foreign exchange gains or losses on long-term debt and financial instruments, fair value revaluation gains or losses on investments, specific items of discontinued operations and other significant items of an unusual, non-cash or non-recurring nature.

RECONCILIATION AND USES OF NON-IFRS ACCOUNTING STANDARDS MEASURES AND OTHER FINANCIAL MEASURES

To provide more information for evaluating the Corporation's performance, the financial information included in this analysis contains certain data that are not performance measures under IFRS Accounting Standards ("non-IFRS Accounting Standards measures"), which are also calculated on an adjusted basis to exclude specific items. We believe that providing certain key performance and capital measures, as well as non-IFRS Accounting Standards measures, is useful to both Management and investors, as they provide additional information to measure the performance and financial position of the Corporation. This also increases the transparency and clarity of the financial information. The following non-IFRS Accounting Standards measures and other financial measures are used in our financial disclosures:

Non-IFRS Accounting Standards measures

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization or EBITDA (A): represents the operating income (as published in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings (Loss) of the Consolidated Financial Statements) before depreciation and amortization excluding specific items. Measure used to assess recurring operating performance and the contribution of each segment on a comparable basis.

Adjusted net earnings: Measure used to assess the Corporation's consolidated financial performance on a comparable basis.

Adjusted cash flow: Measure used to assess the Corporation's capacity to generate cash flows to meet financial obligations and/or discretionary items such as share repurchases, dividend increases and strategic investments.

Free cash flow: Measure used to calculate the excess cash the Corporation generates by subtracting capital expenditures (excluding strategic projects) from the EBITDA (A).

Working capital: Measure used to assess the short-term liquidity of the Corporation.

Other financial measures

Total debt: Measure used to calculate all the Corporation's debt, including long-term debt and bank loans. Often put in relation to equity to calculate the debt-to-equity ratio.

Net debt: Measure used to calculate the Corporation's total debt less cash and cash equivalents. Often put in relation to EBITDA (A) to calculate the net debt to EBITDA (A) ratio.

Non-IFRS Accounting Standards ratios

Net debt to EBITDA (A) ratio: Ratio used to assess the Corporation's ability to pay its debt and evaluate financial leverage.

EBITDA (A) margin: Ratio used to assess operating performance and the contribution of each segment on a comparable basis calculated as a percentage of sales.

Adjusted net earnings per common share: Ratio used to assess the Corporation's consolidated financial performance on a comparable basis.

Ratio of net debt / (total equity and net debt): Ratio used to evaluate the Corporation's financial leverage and the risk to Shareholders.

Working capital as a percentage of sales: Ratio used to assess the Corporation's operating liquidity performance.

Adjusted cash flow per common share: Ratio used to assess the Corporation's financial flexibility.

Free cash flow ratio: Ratio used to measure the liquidity and efficiency of how much more cash the Corporation generates than it uses to run the business by subtracting capital expenditures (excluding strategic projects) from the EBITDA (A) calculated as a percentage of sales.

Non-IFRS Accounting Standards measures and other financial measures are mainly derived from the consolidated financial statements, but do not have the meanings prescribed by IFRS Accounting Standards. These measures have limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered on their own or as a substitute for an analysis of our results as reported under IFRS Accounting Standards. In addition, our definitions of non-IFRS Accounting Standards measures and other financial measures may differ from those of other corporations. Any such modification or reformulation may be significant.

The Corporation's operations are managed in two segments: Packaging Products and Tissue Papers.

The CODM assesses the performance of each reportable segment based on sales and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, adjusted to exclude specific items (EBITDA (A)) 1 . The CODM considers EBITDA (A) 1 to be the best performance measure of the Corporation's activities.

EBITDA (A) 1 by business segment is reconciled to the IFRS Accounting Standards measure, namely operating income (loss), and is shown in the following table:

The following table reconciles net earnings (net loss) and net earnings (net loss) per common share, as reported, with adjusted net earnings 1 and adjusted net earnings per common share 1 :

The following table reconciles cash flow from operating activities with EBITDA (A) 1 :

The following table reconciles cash flow from operating activities with cash flow from operating activities (excluding changes in non-cash working capital components) and adjusted cash flow from operating activities 1 . It also reconciles adjusted cash flow from operating activities 1 to adjusted cash flow generated (used) 1 before specific items, which is also calculated on a per common share basis:

The following table reconciles total debt 1 and net debt 1 with the ratio of net debt to adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA (A)) 1 :

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Canada Newswire

August 6, 2026 - 3:00 AM PDT

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