GrafTech International (NYSE:EAF) reported higher graphite electrode sales volumes and improved manufacturing utilization in the second quarter of 2026, while lower realized pricing continued to weigh on sales and earnings.
Chief Executive Officer Tim Flanagan said the company made progress on its commercial, operational and cost initiatives during the period
Sales volume rose 8% from a year earlier, including a 29% increase in the United States, while production exceeded 33,000 metric tons and capacity utilization reached 74%, the company’s highest quarterly utilization rate since 2022. “The second quarter marked another period of meaningful progress for GrafTech,” Flanagan said, citing higher volume, increased production and further manufacturing cost improvements. The company reaffirmed its full-year expectations for sales-volume growth and lower cash cost of goods sold per metric ton. Volume Growth Offset by Lower Pricing Second-quarter sales volume totaled about 31,000 metric tons, up 8% year over year and 10% sequentially.
Chief Financial Officer Rory O’Donnell said the company’s volume performance remains consistent with its forecast for full-year sales-volume growth of 5% to 10%. Net sales fell 3% from the prior-year period to $127 million. The increase in shipments was offset by lower weighted-average realized pricing, which was about $3,900 per metric ton.