Huntsman Corporation (HUN): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money

Huntsman Corporation (HUN) is a global specialty chemical powerhouse, but how does a company with a trailing twelve-month revenue of approximately $5.78 Billion USD navigate the cyclical pressures that led to a net loss of $25 million in the third quarter of 2025? You need to understand the structural resilience of its business model-the one that transforms basic raw materials into thousands of differentiated products for everything from construction to aerospace-to see past the headline numbers.

We'll cut through the complexity to map out Huntsman Corporation's history, its institutional ownership structure (where over 93% is held by institutions), and the precise mechanisms it uses to generate cash flow, even when the market is defintely challenging. Are you prepared to delve into the core of how this company operates and creates value in a competitive market?

Huntsman Corporation (HUN) History

The story of Huntsman Corporation is a classic American entrepreneurial saga, starting with a packaging innovation and evolving into a global specialty chemical powerhouse through aggressive acquisitions and strategic divestitures. You need to understand this history because the company's current structure-focused on differentiated products like polyurethanes and advanced materials-is a direct result of decades of bold, debt-fueled growth and subsequent portfolio streamlining.

Given Company's Founding Timeline

Year established

The company was established in 1970, initially operating as Huntsman Container Corporation.

Original location

Operations began in Fullerton, California, focused on plastics and packaging, though the corporate headquarters eventually settled in The Woodlands, Texas, by 2024.

Founding team members

The visionary behind the company was Jon M. Huntsman Sr., who founded it alongside his younger brother, Alonzo Blaine Huntsman Jr.

Initial capital/funding

Initial capital was generated through entrepreneurial success, notably the development of the lightweight, stackable plastic clamshell container-famously used for the McDonald's Big Mac-which provided the cash flow to fuel early expansion, rather than relying on large initial venture capital.

Given Company's Evolution Milestones

Given Company's Transformative Moments

The company's trajectory is defined by its willingness to execute massive, often counter-cyclical, acquisitions and then ruthlessly streamline the resulting portfolio. It's a classic roll-up strategy.

• The 1990s acquisition spree, including Texaco Chemical Co. for $1.1 billion, rapidly transformed a plastics company into the third-largest petrochemical business in the U.S. by 1999, fundamentally changing its scale and risk profile.
• The proposed $20 billion merger-of-equals with Clariant in 2017, though ultimately terminated, showed the company's ambition to become the undisputed global leader in specialty chemicals.
• The 2017 spin-off of the Pigments and Additives division into Venator Materials was a pivotal, long-term strategic decision to exit the volatile commodity titanium dioxide market and concentrate capital on higher-margin, differentiated products like polyurethanes.
• In 2025, the company is demonstrating its realist approach by focusing on cash generation and cost control, expanding a restructuring program to cut the global workforce by almost 10% as market conditions remain soft. This is a clear, decisive action.

This focus on differentiated chemistry is why, even with Q3 2025 revenues at $1.46 billion and adjusted EBITDA at $94 million, the company can still generate strong free cash flow from continuing operations of $157 million in the same quarter, a crucial metric for investors. Dive deeper into how these strategic moves impact the balance sheet in Breaking Down Huntsman Corporation (HUN) Financial Health: Key Insights for Investors.

Huntsman Corporation (HUN) Ownership Structure

Huntsman Corporation's ownership structure is dominated by institutional money managers, which is typical for a major publicly-traded chemical company, but the Huntsman family still maintains a significant, influential insider stake. This dual structure means that while large funds drive stock price action, the company's long-term strategic direction is defintely still tied to its founding family's vision.

Huntsman Corporation's Current Status

Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and specialty chemicals, listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol HUN. As of November 2025, the company continues to navigate a challenging market, reporting third quarter 2025 revenues of $1.5 billion and an adjusted EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) of $94 million. This public status subjects the company to rigorous reporting standards, giving you clear visibility into its operations and financial health, which you can explore further in Breaking Down Huntsman Corporation (HUN) Financial Health: Key Insights for Investors.

Huntsman Corporation's Ownership Breakdown

The vast majority of outstanding shares are held by institutional investors, a clear sign that major financial players view Huntsman Corporation as a core holding in the basic materials sector. This high institutional ownership-nearly 85%-means that decisions by a few large investment firms can significantly impact the stock price. Here's the quick math on who owns the company's common stock as of late 2025, based on the latest public filings:

To be fair, the 7.84% insider figure is a conservative measure; Peter R. Huntsman, the CEO, alone holds a substantial number of shares, which gives the leadership significant skin in the game.

Huntsman Corporation's Leadership

The executive team is a mix of long-time company veterans and recent, strategic appointments, providing a blend of continuity and fresh perspective. The leadership structure is centralized, with a single person holding the top three roles.

• Peter R. Huntsman: Serves as Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), a structure that concentrates strategic power.
• Philip M. Lister: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), steering the company's financial strategy and capital allocation.
• David Stryker: Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, who is currently serving while the company searches for his successor following an announced executive change in September 2025.
• Steen Weien Hansen: Division President, Polyurethanes, appointed in June 2025, a critical segment for the company.

The key takeaway here is that Peter Huntsman holds the reins on both management and board oversight, so his strategic decisions carry immense weight. That's a powerful concentration of authority.

Huntsman Corporation (HUN) Mission and Values

Huntsman Corporation's mission extends past quarterly results, anchoring the company to a dual mandate: maximizing long-term profits while actively pursuing global sustainability and social responsibility. This cultural DNA is built on four core values that guide everything from plant safety to product innovation.

Huntsman Corporation's Core Purpose

You're investing in more than just chemicals; you're backing a company that fundamentally believes its science can solve major societal problems. Their core purpose is to provide products and solutions through the application of science that enrich lives and help create a sustainable future, all while ensuring they do no harm to people or the environment. It's a simple, powerful statement that maps their products, like insulation for energy-efficient buildings, directly to global needs.

Official mission statement

The company's formal mission is a clear roadmap for operating responsibly and profitably, balancing shareholder returns with community and employee welfare. Honestly, this is a more comprehensive view than most chemical companies offer.

• Operate safe, clean, efficient facilities in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.
• Provide a work environment that fosters teamwork, innovation, accountability, and open communication.
• Place into society assistance for those who suffer, hope for those who may need inspiration, and education for those who may feel the challenge but do not have the means.
• Maintain an aggressive growth philosophy that reflects the spirit of free enterprise and the maximization of long-term profits and mutual benefits for customers, employees, suppliers, and the communities where they operate.

What this estimate hides is the dedication to their core values: Honesty, Integrity, Respect, and Responsibility. These principles, rooted in the founder Jon Huntsman's entrepreneurial spirit, are the non-negotiable foundation for their Business Conduct Guidelines.

Vision statement

Huntsman Corporation's vision is focused on the profound impact of chemistry on the world's most pressing challenges, a defintely ambitious goal for a specialty chemical manufacturer. They see their products as essential building blocks for a sustainable future. Mission Statement, Vision, & Core Values of Huntsman Corporation (HUN).

• See chemistry as a driving force to help society meet the most pressing challenges of our time.
• Meet the world's growing needs for food, water, and reduced emissions through product innovations.
• Embrace a circular mindset, emphasizing resource conservation, sustainable sourcing, and designing out waste.

Their Horizon 2025 targets give this vision concrete metrics; as of the latest update, they have achieved 60% collective progress on their near-term goals. This includes a target for a 10% reduction in energy consumption and Scope 1 and 2 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions intensity by the end of 2025, using a 2019 baseline. That's a clear, measurable commitment. Here's the quick math: if their 2024 revenue was approximately $6.0 billion, their commitment to these non-financial goals is a strategic investment in their long-term license to operate, not just a marketing expense.

Huntsman Corporation slogan/tagline

The company's primary tagline encapsulates their product-first approach to corporate citizenship.

• Enriching Lives Through Innovation

This is a great one-liner. It connects the complex chemical manufacturing process to the tangible benefit for the end-user, whether it's through materials that enable electric vehicle batteries or insulation that saves energy in your home.

Huntsman Corporation (HUN) How It Works

Huntsman Corporation operates by converting basic raw materials into a vast array of differentiated and specialty chemical products, which are then sold globally to manufacturers that create everything from car parts to insulation. The company makes money by maintaining market leadership in key chemical intermediates like MDI and epoxy resins, focusing on higher-margin, downstream applications rather than commodity volume.

Huntsman Corporation's Product/Service Portfolio

The company's value is delivered through three primary operating divisions: Polyurethanes, Advanced Materials, and Performance Products. These segments collectively generated a trailing twelve-month (LTM) revenue of approximately $5.78 billion ending Q3 2025. The Polyurethanes segment is the largest contributor to the LTM Adjusted EBITDA, accounting for 38% of the total $311 million.

Huntsman Corporation's Operational Framework

You're looking at a global footprint built to deliver specialized chemicals, so the operational framework centers on asset optimization and a relentless push for cost efficiency, especially during market softness. Huntsman operates over 60 manufacturing, R&D, and operations facilities across approximately 30 countries, which helps manage supply chain risks.

• Asset Rationalization: The company is actively executing a strategic cost reduction program targeting $100 million in savings, which includes the closure of seven sites, primarily in Europe, and the elimination or relocation of over 600 positions.
• Cash Prioritization: Management is focused on cash generation, delivering year-to-date free cash flow of over $100 million through Q3 2025. This includes a projected $30 million cash benefit in 2025 from optimizing the supply chain financing program and extending accounts payable terms.
• Capacity Expansion: Targeted investments, like the Geismar MDI splitter, are expected to contribute an additional $15 million in EBITDA in 2025, showing a defintely focused approach to high-return projects.
• Value Creation: The shift is decisively toward 'downstream' differentiated products-meaning they are moving away from basic commodity chemicals to more complex, formulated products that solve specific customer problems in end markets like aerospace and power.

Huntsman Corporation's Strategic Advantages

The company's long-term success isn't just about what they make, but where they sit in the market and how they manage their cost base. Their strategic edge is a combination of market position and a disciplined financial model.

• Market Leadership: Huntsman holds leading global positions in key product lines, including MDI, amines, and maleic anhydride, which provides a degree of pricing power and scale advantage in these essential industrial components.
• Diversified End-Market Exposure: Their product portfolio serves a broad range of industries-from construction and automotive to aerospace and power-which helps buffer the company against downturns in any single sector. For example, solid demand in power applications has helped offset headwinds in other industrial markets in 2025.
• Global Infrastructure: A significant global manufacturing and R&D footprint allows them to serve customers efficiently across major regions, with 39% of LTM revenue from the U.S. and Canada, 28% from Asia Pacific, and 26% from Europe.
• Financial Flexibility: Despite current market challenges, a focus on cash flow and a manageable debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86 provides the financial flexibility to pursue strategic acquisitions and partnerships that enhance their differentiated product offerings.

You can find more on the company's core principles here: Mission Statement, Vision, & Core Values of Huntsman Corporation (HUN).

Huntsman Corporation (HUN) How It Makes Money

Huntsman Corporation generates revenue by manufacturing and selling a vast portfolio of differentiated and specialty organic chemical products globally, essentially turning basic raw materials into high-value components for a diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets.

The company's income is primarily driven by the sale of specialized chemicals like Methyl diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) for polyurethanes, amines, and epoxy-based polymer formulations, which are crucial inputs for industries from construction and automotive to aerospace and footwear.

Huntsman Corporation's Revenue Breakdown

The business is structured around three core segments, with the Polyurethanes segment dominating revenue as of the third quarter of 2025.

In the third quarter of 2025, Huntsman reported total revenues of $\mathbf{\$1.46}$ billion, a $\mathbf{5.2\%}$ decline from the prior year period, reflecting challenging market conditions. The Polyurethanes segment, which includes MDI for insulation and automotive parts, contributed $\mathbf{\$956}$ million. While the segment's overall revenue declined due to lower pricing, it still saw a $\mathbf{6\%}$ year-over-year MDI volume growth in North America, which is a positive sign of market share gains in a tough environment.

Business Economics

Huntsman's business model centers on selling differentiated products-specialty chemicals with unique performance characteristics-which allows them to command a premium pricing structure over commodity chemical producers. This focus on specialization helps insulate margins, but only partially, from the volatility of raw material costs and global economic cycles.

• Pricing Strategy: The company uses a value-based pricing model, where the price reflects the superior performance and efficiency their products offer to customers in end-use applications like energy-saving insulation and light-weighting materials for vehicles.
• Cost Structure: The primary cost drivers are raw materials (like crude oil and natural gas derivatives) and energy, which are highly cyclical. To counter this, Huntsman is executing a strategic cost reduction program, aiming for over $\mathbf{\$100}$ million in savings by 2026, including the closure of $\mathbf{7}$ sites and over $\mathbf{600}$ job cuts, mostly in Europe.
• Revenue Stability: A portion of revenue is secured through long-term supply agreements, which provides a base level of income stability to manage market fluctuations.

The Advanced Materials segment is a clear example of this strategy working, showing revenue growth in Q3 2025 due to higher average selling prices, even as others struggled. That's the power of specialty chemicals.

Huntsman Corporation's Financial Performance

The company is currently navigating a period of economic headwinds, with recent financial results reflecting a strong focus on cash preservation and operational efficiency over top-line growth.

• Revenue (LTM): Trailing twelve months (LTM) revenue ending Q3 2025 stood at approximately $\mathbf{\$5.8}$ billion.
• Profitability Challenge: For Q3 2025, Huntsman reported a net loss of $\mathbf{\$25}$ million, an improvement from the $\mathbf{\$33}$ million loss in the same period last year. However, the Adjusted EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) for Q3 2025 was $\mathbf{\$94}$ million, a notable drop from $\mathbf{\$131}$ million in Q3 2024.
• Cash Flow Strength: Despite the profitability challenges, cash generation remains a bright spot. Free cash flow from continuing operations for Q3 2025 was strong at $\mathbf{\$157}$ million, up significantly from $\mathbf{\$93}$ million in Q3 2024, reflecting effective working capital management.
• Capital Allocation: The company is conserving cash, evidenced by the $\mathbf{65\%}$ reduction in the quarterly dividend to $\mathbf{\$0.0875}$ per share, which aims to save approximately $\mathbf{\$115}$ million annually.
• Liquidity: As of September 30, 2025, Huntsman had approximately $\mathbf{\$1.4}$ billion of combined cash and unused borrowing capacity, providing a solid cushion for the near term.

The current financial picture shows a company tightening its belt, sacrificing some near-term profitability and dividends to bolster cash flow and fund restructuring, which is defintely the right move in a cyclical downturn. You can get a deeper look into who is betting on this turnaround by Exploring Huntsman Corporation (HUN) Investor Profile: Who's Buying and Why?

Huntsman Corporation (HUN) Market Position & Future Outlook

Huntsman Corporation is currently navigating a cyclical downturn by aggressively prioritizing cash flow and operational efficiency, aiming to stabilize its financial position despite a 2025 TTM revenue of approximately $5.8 billion. The company is strategically repositioning itself to capture growth in high-value, differentiated markets like specialty polyurethanes and advanced materials, even as it faces near-term market demand softness and financial distress signals.

Competitive Landscape

Huntsman competes in the highly fragmented, trillion-dollar specialty chemicals market, but its core strength lies in Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate (MDI), a key polyurethane component. The MDI market is an oligopoly, with Huntsman, Dow, BASF SE, and Wanhua Chemical controlling over 70% of global production capacity.

Opportunities & Challenges

The company's focus is on cost discipline and leveraging its differentiated product lines for growth in niche applications. Here's the quick math: the restructuring is designed to free up cash, so they can invest in the best growth areas.

Industry Position

Huntsman's industry standing is defined by its strategic shift from commodity chemicals to differentiated specialty products, which generally command higher margins. The company is a top-tier global producer of MDI, a material critical for insulation and light-weighting in vehicles.

While larger competitors like Dow and DuPont De Nemours have significantly higher overall revenues, Huntsman maintains a strong competitive edge in its core segments through its global network of over 60 manufacturing and R&D facilities in approximately 25 countries, allowing for tailored customer solutions.

• Maintain MDI leadership: Focus on formulated systems for high-performance applications like aerospace and power transmission.
• Cost structure realignment: The $100 million cost-cutting program, including a 65% dividend reduction, is defintely a necessary move to protect the balance sheet in a soft demand environment.
• Leverage global footprint: Use the extensive network of downstream formulation facilities to provide differentiated, bespoke solutions close to customers.

Understanding the company's core values is key to anticipating its long-term strategy. You can review the Mission Statement, Vision, & Core Values of Huntsman Corporation (HUN). for more detail.

The company is spending between $180 million to $190 million on capital expenditures in 2025, prioritizing environmental, health, and safety upgrades, plus essential facility maintenance and upgrades. [cite: 1, first search]