Reporting Profile

Reporting Principles

The Half-Year Financial Report of Covestro AG meets the requirements pursuant to the applicable provisions of the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG) and, in accordance with Section 115, Paragraphs 2–4 of the WpHG (Half-Year Financial Report; power to issue statutory orders), comprises condensed consolidated interim financial statements, an interim group management report, and a responsibility statement. The consolidated interim financial statements were prepared in accordance with IAS 34 (Interim Financial Reporting) according to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) as endorsed by the European Union (EU) and in effect at the closing date as well as their Interpretations. The Half-Year Financial Report should be read alongside the Annual Report 2020 and the additional information about the company contained therein, as well as the Interim Statement as of March 31, 2021.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Report may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by the management of Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development, or performance of the Group and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s public reports, which are available at www.covestro.com. The Group assumes no liability whatsoever to update such forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Alternative Performance Measures

Throughout its financial reporting, Covestro uses alternative performance measures (APMs) to assess the business performance of the Group. These are not defined in the IFRSs. These non-IFRS indicators should be considered a supplement to, not a replacement for, the performance measures determined in accordance with IFRSs. The alternative performance measures of relevance to the Covestro Group include earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), return on capital employed (ROCE), free operating cash flow (FOCF), and net financial debt. Covestro uses ROCE to assess profitability in the context of the company’s internal management system. EBITDA is also calculated as an additional indicator of profitability. FOCF is a key factor in the presentation of the liquidity position that indicates the company’s ability to generate a cash surplus and finance its activities. Net financial debt gauges the Group’s financial condition and financing requirements. The calculation methods for the APMs may vary from those of other companies, thus limiting the extent of the overall comparability. These alternative performance measures should not be viewed in isolation or employed as an alternative to the financial indicators determined in accordance with IFRSs and presented in the consolidated financial statements for purposes of assessing Covestro’s net assets, financial position, and results of operations.
Explanations of the definition and calculation of these alternative performance measures can be found in the “Management” section in the combined management report in the Annual Report 2020.

Abbreviations

Acronyms and abbreviations used in this Report are explained in this Report or in the Glossary provided in the Annual Report 2020.

Rounding and Percentage Deviations

As the indicators in this Report are stated in accordance with commercial rounding principles, totals and percentages may not always be exact.

Percentage deviations are only calculated and reported if they are no more than 100%. Larger deviations are reported as >100%, >200%, etc. If a deviation changes from positive to negative or vice versa, or if it is greater than 1,000%, this is shown by a period.

Inclusive Language

We consider equal treatment, diversity and inclusion to be important. To ensure better readability, this report avoids gender-specific wordings. All terms should be taken to apply equally to all genders.

Publication

This Report was published in German and English on August 6, 2021. The German version is binding.