Nippon Paint to buy AkzoNobel Southeast Asia paint arm for $1.35 billion

RPM International is scheduled to report first-quarter fiscal 2027 results on Oct. 6, before the opening bell, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate for adjusted earnings per share at $1.95, down slightly from $1.96 over the past 30 days but still indicating 3.7% growth from the year-ago figure of $1.88. The consensus mark for net sales stands at $2.22 billion, implying 4.9% year-over-year growth, while the company expects consolidated sales to rise in the mid-single-digit range, with each of its Construction Products Group, Performance Coatings Group and Consumer Group segments also expected to grow in the mid-single-digit range. RPM expects previously announced SG&A reductions to generate $25 million in benefits in the quarter, partly offset by higher health care and benefit expenses, and it anticipates 5-6% raw material inflation with pricing increases already implemented to offset that inflation on a dollar basis. Consolidated adjusted EBITDA is expected to increase year over year in the mid-single-digit range, though a temporary supplier issue affecting propylene oxide-derived raw materials is expected to weigh somewhat on first-quarter sales growth. The company's earnings ESP is -1.64% and it carries a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell), so the model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat.

AkzoNobel said on Monday it has agreed to sell its Southeast Asian decorative paints business to Nippon Paint for $1.35 billion, concluding its strategic review of its Asian decorative paints portfolio. The sale covers decorative paints operations in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, and Australia, the Dutch paints maker said, adding that it expects net cash proceeds of about $1 billion after tax and payments to minority partners. The Dulux paintmaker earlier divested its decorative paints operations in India and Pakistan for $1.6 billion and 50 million euros, respectively. The Indonesia deal is expected to close separately in late 2026, while the remaining transactions are expected to close around mid-2027. AkzoNobel said it will now focus on the successful closing of its merger with US coatings maker Axalta, which was announced last November.

Wendel finalized the sale of its stake in Stahl, excluding Muno, to Henkel for an enterprise value of €2.1 billion after receiving all required regulatory approvals. The transaction generated total net proceeds of approximately €1.14 billion for Wendel after debt and transaction costs, a multiple of 6.3 times its total investment since 2006, which included €427m of past proceeds, and an annualized IRR of over 15% over 20 years. That compares with a value of €960 million for Stahl in Wendel's net asset value published before the transaction announcement, as of September 30, 2025, a premium of about 20%. Wendel said the sale marks a key milestone in the roadmap it presented in early December 2025 and supports its long-term value creation and portfolio rotation objectives. In 2026 alone, Wendel announced significant asset disposals totaling €1.6 billion, completed the acquisition of Committed Advisors, and will return more than €500 million to shareholders, including a July share buyback representing 9% of its share capital.

Clariant has acknowledged the closing of the Stahl transaction between Wendel SE and Henkel, a deal that triggers its contractual obligation to sell its minority stake. Clariant held a minority stake of 14.6 % in Stahl Group, and its participation in the closing results in a preliminary cash proceed of CHF ~ 220 m pre-tax. The company said the existing shareholder agreement included a contractual obligation for Clariant as minority shareholder to participate in the transaction following notification from Wendel SE. The announcement was made in Muttenz on 01 October 2026.