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GrafTech Posts Q1 Loss as Price Increases Set Up Second-Half Margin Rebound

Management says most of the recent electrode price hikes will lift margins in the second half of 2026.

Overview

  • GrafTech reported a $43 million net loss for the first quarter as lower selling prices weighed on results.
  • Sales volume rose 14% year over year to 28,000 metric tons, and management guided full-year growth of 5% to 10%.
  • The company raised graphite electrode prices by $600 to $1,200 per ton, which it said adds about $1 to $2 to the cost of a ton of electric arc furnace steel and should lift margins mostly in the second half of 2026.
  • Executives backed U.S. trade cases targeting low-priced imports after a preliminary injury finding, with potential countervailing duties by late July and an anti-dumping decision by mid-September.
  • Liquidity stood at $329 million, and the CFO estimated about $12 million of incremental EBITDA for each $100 per ton improvement in average selling price.