The specialty chemicals group ALTANA recorded a 9% decline in sales to 2,742 million euros in the 2023 fiscal year compared to the strong previous year (3,021 million euros) because of the very challenging economic environment. The sales drop was primarily due to the decline in demand from various industrial sectors, partly due to significant destocking along the value chain. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounted to 385 million euros, 15% down on the previous year's figure (452 million euros). In addition to lower sales volumes, this was attributed to the continued high cost of materials and the costs for three acquisitions. The EBITDA margin was 14.0% (previous year: 15.0%) on account of inflation and acquisitions. Adjusted for the acquisition of the Von Roll Group and other special effects, the EBITDA margin reached the previous year's level despite the decrease in volume due to targeted stabilization measures.