Koppers Stock Plunges 24%: A Big Earnings Miss and a Guidance Cut

Koppers Holdings (NYSE: KOP) stock plunged 24.4% on Friday, November 6, 2026, closing at $29.97 after the specialty chemicals company reported third-quarter earnings well below Wall Street expectations and sharply cut its full-year profit guidance. The fall made Koppers the biggest decliner on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, as rising materials and logistics costs squeezed a business whose sales actually grew.

What happened

Koppers released its third-quarter results early on Friday morning, and investors sold first and asked questions later. The shares fell $9.67 from Thursday's close of $39.64 to finish at $29.97, a drop of 24.39%. At one point the stock traded as low as $26.86, uncomfortably close to its 52-week low of $25, before recovering part of the loss into the close. The closing price sits far below the stock's 52-week high of $53.

The headline numbers explain the reaction. Sales rose 2.8% from a year earlier to $499.1 million, but that still missed the analyst consensus of about $518.6 million. Profit fell much harder than sales grew: adjusted earnings came in at $0.77 per share, down from $1.21 a year earlier and a full $0.60 below the $1.37 consensus estimate. Adjusted net income dropped to roughly $15 million from more than $24 million a year ago, and adjusted EBITDA fell 18% year over year to $58 million.

Why it's blowing up

The plunge is a textbook earnings-day repricing: a double miss on sales and profit, followed by a guidance cut that told investors the pressure is not ending soon. Koppers makes wood-preservation chemicals, carbon compounds and performance chemicals — products tied to railroad ties, utility poles and residential lumber — and it blamed higher raw-material and logistics costs for the margin squeeze. Sales volumes in its residential and industrial wood-preservative segments actually rose, which helped revenue grow, but the extra volume could not offset what it cost to make and move the product.

What turned a bad quarter into a 24% rout was the outlook. Koppers cut its full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $3.10 to $3.25, down sharply from its previous range of $3.80 to $4.20 and well below the roughly $4.05 analysts had pencilled in. It also lowered its adjusted EBITDA outlook to $220 million to $225 million and said full-year sales should come in at roughly $1.9 billion — the low end of its earlier $1.9 billion to $2 billion range. Management's planned fix, a round of price increases, does not take effect until 2027, leaving investors to sit through at least another quarter or two of squeezed margins.

Key facts

• Stock move: KOP closed down 24.39% at $29.97 on Friday, November 6, 2026, the NYSE's biggest percentage decliner of the session.
• Revenue: $499.1 million, up 2.8% year over year, versus consensus of about $518.6 million.
• Adjusted EPS: $0.77, versus $1.37 expected and $1.21 a year earlier.
• Adjusted EBITDA: $58 million, down 18% year over year.
• Guidance cut: Full-year adjusted EPS lowered to $3.10-$3.25 from $3.80-$4.20; sales expected at roughly $1.9 billion.
• One bright spot: Free cash flow guidance was raised to $115 million to $135 million, from $110 million to $130 million.
• Dividend: A quarterly dividend of $0.09 per share is payable December 14 to shareholders of record on November 27.

What's next

The next test is whether the cost pressure eases before the 2027 price increases arrive. Koppers has told investors the hikes are coming to offset sustained higher materials and logistics costs, so the fourth-quarter update — and any early read on whether customers accept higher prices — will matter more than usual. Until then, the stock is likely to trade on cost headlines and on any sign that the lowered guidance bar is finally low enough to clear. Friday's close near the bottom of the stock's 52-week range shows how much confidence the earnings report cost the company in a single session; rebuilding it will take a quarter where profit, not just sales, moves in the right direction.

Sources: The Motley Fool, MarketBeat, StockSetups NYSE movers

FAQ

Why did Koppers stock fall 24% on Friday?

Koppers reported third-quarter adjusted EPS of $0.77, far below the $1.37 consensus, on sales of $499.1 million that also missed estimates — and then cut its full-year profit guidance, which triggered the sell-off.

What is Koppers' new full-year 2026 guidance?

The company now expects adjusted EPS of $3.10 to $3.25, down from $3.80 to $4.20 previously, adjusted EBITDA of $220 million to $225 million, and sales of roughly $1.9 billion.

What caused Koppers' profit miss?

Higher raw-material and logistics costs weighed heavily on profitability. Sales volumes rose in its wood-preservative segments, but the added costs more than offset the growth.

What does Koppers make?

Koppers is a specialty chemicals company best known for wood-preservation products used in railroad ties and utility poles, along with carbon compounds and performance chemicals.