Mondi’s share price plummets amid challenging market conditions

MONDI'S share price fell by a whopping 16.7% on Monday morning after reporting softer markets and extended maintenance shuts for its third quarter to September 30.

- EDWARD WEST

MONDI plant in Richards Bay KZN. The manufacturer of sustainable packaging and paper said softer global markets are likely to persist for the remainder of its financial year to end-December 2025.

(SIMPHIWE MBOKAZI Independent Newspapers)

The JSE and London Stock Exchange-listed global sustainable packaging and paper group said in a trading statement that underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) came to €223 million, including €20m of forestry fair value gain.

This was lower than the second quarter EBITDA of €274m, which included a €16m forestry fair value gain. The first quarter EBITDA came to €290m.

The share price fell to a new 12-month low of R203.10 on the JSE on Monday morning, and the price had fallen more than 37% over a year.

"Trading conditions in the third quarter were challenging, with softer volumes and declining prices across most pulp and paper grades," said the CEO Andrew King.

"Volumes were impacted by subdued demand and paper selling prices declined. To mitigate the impact of the softer markets, we proactively extended certain scheduled annual maintenance shuts," Mondi's directors said in a statement.