https://www.avient.com/investor-center/news/avient-announces-record-third-quarter-2021-results
Pension settlement gain and mark-to-market adjustment
1) Special items include charges related to specific strategic initiatives or financial restructuring such as: consolidation of operations; debt extinguishment costs; costs incurred directly in relation to acquisitions or divestitures; employee separation costs resulting from personnel reduction programs, plant realignment costs, executive separation agreements; asset impairments; settlement gains or losses and mark-to-market adjustments associated with actuarial gains and losses on pension and other post-retirement benefit plans; environmental remediation costs, fines, penalties and related insurance recoveries related to facilities no longer owned or closed in prior years; gains and losses on the divestiture of operating businesses, joint ventures and equity investments; gains and losses on facility or property sales or disposals; results of litigation, fines or penalties, where such litigation (or action relating to the fines or penalties) arose prior to the commencement of the performance period; one-time, non-recurring items; and the effect of changes in accounting principles or other such laws or provisions affecting reported results.
Pension settlement gain and mark-to-market adjustment
https://www.avient.com/news/polyone-announces-second-quarter-2014-results
Adjusted earnings per share increased 38% to $0.51, marking the 19th consecutive quarter of double-digit adjusted EPS growth; GAAP EPS totaled $0.33 versus $0.39 in the prior year quarter
This marks our 19th consecutive quarter of year-over-year double-digit adjusted EPS growth – an impressive accomplishment reflecting the power and sustainability of our strategy."
Special items include charges related to specific strategic initiatives or financial restructurings such as: consolidation of operations; debt extinguishment costs; employee separation costs resulting from personnel reduction programs, plant phase-out costs, executive separation agreements; asset impairments; mark-to-market adjustments associated with actuarial gains and losses on pension and other postretirement benefit plans; environmental remediation costs, fines, penalties, remediation costs and related insurance recoveries related to facilities no longer owned or closed in prior years; gains and losses on the divestiture of operating businesses, joint ventures and equity investments; gains and losses on facility or property sales or disposals; results of litigation, fines or penalties, where such litigation (or action relating to the fines or penalties) arose prior to the commencement of the performance period; unrealized gains and losses from foreign currency option contracts; one-time, non-recurring items; and the effect of changes in accounting principles or other such laws or provisions affecting reported results.
https://www.avient.com/news/polyone-announces-record-first-quarter-2014-results
Adjusted earnings per share increased 42% to $0.44, marking the 18th consecutive quarter of double-digit adjusted earnings per share growth; GAAP EPS totaled $0.31 versus $0.16 in the prior year quarter, a 94% increase
Special items include charges related to specific strategic initiatives or financial restructurings such as: consolidation of operations; debt extinguishment costs; employee separation costs resulting from personnel reduction programs, plant phase-out costs, executive separation agreements; asset impairments; mark-to-market adjustments associated with actuarial gains and losses on pension and other postretirement benefit plans; environmental remediation costs, fines, penalties, remediation costs and related insurance recoveries related to facilities no longer owned or closed in prior years; gains and losses on the divestiture of operating businesses, joint ventures and equity investments; gains and losses on facility or property sales or disposals; results of litigation, fines or penalties, where such litigation (or action relating to the fines or penalties) arose prior to the commencement of the performance period; unrealized gains and losses from foreign currency option contracts; one-time, non-recurring items; and the effect of changes in accounting principles or other such laws or provisions affecting reported results.
https://www.avient.com/investor-center/news/avient-announces-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2024-results
This is due to the inherent difficulty of forecasting the timing and amount of certain items, such as, but not limited to, environmental remediation costs and associated recoveries, mark-to-market adjustments on pension and other post-retirement obligations, acquisition-related charges, and other non-routine costs.
Pension and post retirement mark-to-market adjustments and other
Special items include charges related to specific strategic initiatives or financial restructuring such as: consolidation of operations; debt extinguishment costs; costs incurred directly in relation to acquisitions or divestitures; employee separation costs resulting from personnel reduction programs, plant realignment costs, executive separation agreements; asset impairments; settlement gains or losses and mark-to-market adjustments associated with gains and losses on pension and other post-retirement benefit plans; environmental remediation costs, fines, penalties and related insurance recoveries related to facilities no longer owned or closed in prior years; gains and losses on facility or property sales or disposals; results of litigation, fines or penalties, where such litigation (or action relating to the fines or penalties) arose prior to the commencement of the performance period; one-time, non-recurring items; and the effect of changes in accounting principles or other such laws or provisions affecting reported results.
https://www.avient.com/investor-center/news/avient-announces-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2022-results
Mark-to-market on derivatives
Pension and post retirement mark-to-market adjustment and other
Special items include charges related to specific strategic initiatives or financial restructuring such as: consolidation of operations; debt extinguishment costs; costs incurred directly in relation to acquisitions or divestitures; employee separation costs resulting from personnel reduction programs, plant realignment costs, executive separation agreements; asset impairments; settlement gains or losses and mark-to-market adjustments associated with actuarial gains and losses on pension and other post-retirementbenefit plans; environmental remediation costs, fines, penalties and related insurance recoveries related to facilities no longer owned or closed in prior years; gains and losses on the divestiture of operating businesses, joint ventures and equity investments;gains and losses on facility or property sales or disposals; results of litigation, fines or penalties, where such litigation (or action relating to the fines or penalties) arose prior to the commencement of the performance period; one-time, non-recurring items; andthe effect of changes in accounting principles or other such laws or provisions affecting reported results.
https://www.avient.com/news/polyone-announces-strong-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2013-results
Pension and other post-retirement mark-to-market adjustment
Pension and other post-retirement mark-to-market adjustment
Special items include charges related to specific strategic initiatives or financial restructurings such as: consolidation of operations; debt extinguishment costs; employee separation costs resulting from personnel reduction programs, plant phase-out costs, executive separation agreements; asset impairments; mark-to-market adjustments associated with actuarial gains and losses on pension and other postretirement benefit plans; environmental remediation costs, fines, penalties, remediation costs and related insurance recoveries related to facilities no longer owned or closed in prior years; gains and losses on the divestiture of operating businesses, joint ventures and equity investments; gains and losses on facility or property sales or disposals; results of litigation, fines or penalties, where such litigation (or action relating to the fines or penalties) arose prior to the commencement of the performance period; unrealized gains and losses from foreign currency option contracts; one-time, non-recurring items; and the effect of changes in accounting principles or other such laws or provisions affecting reported results.
https://www.avient.com/sites/default/files/resources/PolyOne%25202015%2520Annual%2520Report.pdf
Altice 51 Senior Vice President, President of Designed Structures and Solutions Mark D.
Mark D.
ALTICE Senior Vice President, President of Designed Structures and Solutions MARK D.
https://www.avient.com/sites/default/files/resources/PolyOne%25202014%2520Annual%2520Report.pdf
Richardson 56 Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Mark D.
The 2014 mark- to-market adjustment was driven primarily by decreased discount rates and a change in our mortality assumptions.
BINDNER Vice President, Asia MARK D.
https://www.avient.com/sites/default/files/2023-02/AVNT Q4 2022 Earnings Press Release-1.pdf
Three Months Ended December 31, 2022 2021 Reconciliation to Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income $ EPS(1) $ EPS(1) Net (loss) income from continuing operations attributable to Avient shareholders $ (17.0) $ (0.19) $ 11.2 $ 0.12 Special items, after tax (Attachment 3) 38.3 0.42 23.9 0.26 Amortization expense, after-tax 14.6 0.16 11.3 0.12 Adjusted net income / EPS $ 35.9 $ 0.39 $ 46.4 $ 0.50 (1) Per share amounts may not recalculate from figures presented herein due to rounding Year Ended December 31, 2022 2021 Reconciliation to Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income $ EPS(1) $ EPS(1) Net income from continuing operations attributable to Avient shareholders $ 82.8 $ 0.90 $ 151.8 $ 1.65 Special items, after tax (Attachment 3) 116.2 1.26 50.0 0.54 Amortization expense, after-tax 49.0 0.53 44.9 0.49 Adjusted net income / EPS $ 248.0 $ 2.69 $ 246.7 $ 2.68 (1) Per share amounts may not recalculate from figures presented herein due to rounding 9 Attachment 2 Avient Corporation Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited) (In millions, except per share data) Three Months Ended December 31, Year Ended December 31, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Sales $ 790.4 $ 807.1 $ 3,396.9 $ 3,315.5 Cost of sales 618.4 590.5 2,514.2 2,371.7 Gross margin 172.0 216.6 882.7 943.8 Selling and administrative expense 171.6 166.4 639.4 664.1 Operating income 0.4 50.2 243.3 279.7 Interest expense, net (49.4) (17.5) (119.8) (75.2) Other expense, net (28.4) (5.3) (59.7) (1.0) (Loss) income from continuing operations before income taxes (77.4) 27.4 63.8 203.5 Income tax benefit (expense) 60.8 (17.1) 19.3 (51.9) Net (loss) income from continuing operations (16.6) 10.3 83.1 151.6 Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes 561.5 18.7 620.3 79.0 Net income 544.9 29.0 703.4 230.6 Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests (0.4) 0.9 (0.3) 0.2 Net income attributable to Avient common shareholders $ 544.5 $ 29.9 $ 703.1 $ 230.8 Earnings per share attributable to Avient common shareholders - Basic: Continuing operations $ (0.19) $ 0.12 $ 0.91 $ 1.66 Discontinued operations 6.17 0.21 6.80 0.87 Total $ 5.98 $ 0.33 $ 7.71 $ 2.53 Earnings per share attributable to Avient common shareholders - Diluted: Continuing operations $ (0.19) $ 0.12 $ 0.90 $ 1.65 Discontinued operations 6.17 0.20 6.73 0.86 Total $ 5.98 $ 0.32 $ 7.63 $ 2.51 Cash dividends declared per share of common stock $ 0.2475 $ 0.2375 $ 0.9600 $ 0.8750 Weighted-average shares used to compute earnings per common share: Basic 91.0 91.5 91.2 91.4 Diluted 91.0 92.4 92.2 92.1 10 Attachment 3 Avient Corporation Summary of Special Items (Unaudited) (In millions, except per share data) Special items (1) Three Months Ended December 31, Year Ended December 31, 2022 2021 2022 2021 Cost of sales: Restructuring costs, including accelerated depreciation $ (21.3) $ (6.0) $ (31.1) $ (14.6) Environmental remediation costs (0.4) (0.5) (24.2) (22.9) Reimbursement of previously incurred environmental costs — — 8.3 4.5 Acquisition related costs (23.8) 0.6 (34.1) (0.6) Impact on cost of sales (45.5) (5.9) (81.1) (33.6) Selling and administrative expense: Restructuring, legal and other (8.3) (4.2) (8.3) (5.9) Acquisition related costs (6.1) (1.1) (19.3) (8.3) Impact on selling and administrative expense (14.4) (5.3) (27.6) (14.2) Impact on operating income (59.9) (11.2) (108.7) (47.8) Interest expense, net - committed financing and debt extinguishment (16.0) — (26.0) — Mark-to-market on derivatives — — (30.9) — Pension and post retirement mark-to-market adjustment and other (28.4) (9.3) (28.4) (9.3) Impact on Other expense, net (28.4) (9.3) (59.3) (9.3) Impact on income from continuing operations before income taxes (104.3) (20.5) (194.0) (57.1) Income tax benefit benefit/(expense) on above special items 26.8 4.1 49.4 13.0 Tax adjustments(2) 39.2 (7.5) 28.4 (5.9) Impact of special items on net income from continuing operations $ (38.3) $ (23.9) $ (116.2) $ (50.0) Diluted earnings per common share impact $ (0.42) $ (0.26) $ (1.26) $ (0.54) Weighted average shares used to compute adjusted earnings per share: Diluted 91.7 92.4 92.2 92.1 (1) Special items include charges related to specific strategic initiatives or financial restructuring such as: consolidation of operations; debt extinguishment costs; costs incurred directly in relation to acquisitions or divestitures; employee separation costs resulting from personnel reduction programs, plant realignment costs, executive separation agreements; asset impairments; settlement gains or losses and mark-to- market adjustments associated with actuarial gains and losses on pension and other post-retirement benefit plans; environmental remediation costs, fines, penalties and related insurance recoveries related to facilities no longer owned or closed in prior years; gains and losses on the divestiture of operating businesses, joint ventures and equity investments; gains and losses on facility or property sales or disposals; results of litigation, fines or penalties, where such litigation (or action relating to the fines or penalties) arose prior to the commencement of the performance period; one-time, non-recurring items; and the effect of changes in accounting principles or other such laws or provisions affecting reported results. (2) Tax adjustments include the net tax benefit/(expense) from non-recurring income tax items, adjustments to uncertain tax position reserves and deferred income tax valuation allowances. 11 Attachment 4 Avient Corporation Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (In millions) Year Ended December 31, 2022 2021 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 641.1 $ 601.2 Accounts receivable, net 440.6 439.9 Inventories, net 372.7 305.8 Current assets held for sale — 360.2 Other current assets 115.3 119.9 Total current assets 1,569.7 1,827.0 Property, net 1,049.2 672.3 Goodwill 1,671.9 1,284.8 Intangible assets, net 1,597.6 925.2 Operating lease assets, net 60.4 58.2 Non-current assets held for sale — 22.0 Other non-current assets 136.2 207.7 Total assets $ 6,085.0 $ 4,997.2 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Short-term and current portion of long-term debt $ 2.2 $ 8.6 Accounts payable 454.4 429.5 Current operating lease obligations 17.0 21.1 Current liabilities held for sale — 141.3 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 395.8 340.2 Total current liabilities 869.4 940.7 Non-current liabilities: Long-term debt 2,176.7 1,850.3 Pension and other post-retirement benefits 67.2 99.9 Deferred income taxes 342.5 100.6 Non-current operating lease obligations 40.9 37.3 Non-current liabilities held for sale — 13.1 Other non-current liabilities 235.5 164.8 Total non-current liabilities 2,862.8 2,266.0 SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Avient shareholders’ equity 2,334.5 1,774.7 Noncontrolling interest 18.3 15.8 Total equity 2,352.8 1,790.5 Total liabilities and equity $ 6,085.0 $ 4,997.2 12 Attachment 5 Avient Corporation Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (In millions) Year Ended December 31, 2022 2021 Operating activities Net income $ 703.4 $ 230.6 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Gain on sale of business, net of tax expense (550.1) — Depreciation and amortization 157.6 144.2 Accelerated depreciation 5.5 1.7 Amortization of inventory step-up 34.4 1.5 Deferred income tax expense (benefit) 0.5 (27.3) Share-based compensation expense 13.2 11.2 Changes in assets and liabilities, net of the effect of acquisitions: Decrease (increase) in accounts receivable 32.6 (143.1) Decrease (increase) in inventories 14.0 (141.0) Increase in accounts payable 10.7 95.3 Increase (decrease) in pension and other post-retirement benefits 7.1 (10.9) Taxes paid on gain on divestiture (2.8) — (Decrease) increase in accrued expenses and other assets and liabilities, net (27.7) 71.6 Net cash provided by operating activities 398.4 233.8 Investing activities Capital expenditures (105.5) (100.6) Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired (1,426.1) (47.6) Settlement of foreign exchange derivatives 93.3 — Proceeds from divestiture 928.2 — Other investing activities 6.1 (2.0) Net cash used by investing activities (504.0) (150.2) Financing activities Debt offering proceeds 1,300.0 — Purchase of common shares for treasury (36.4) (4.2) Cash dividends paid (86.8) (77.7) Repayment of long-term debt (956.8) (18.5) Payments on withholding tax on share awards (4.3) (10.7) Debt financing costs (49.3) — Other financing activities — (3.5) Net cash provided (used) by financing activities 166.4 (114.6) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash (20.9) (17.3) Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 39.9 (48.3) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 601.2 649.5 Cash and cash equivalents at end of year $ 641.1 $ 601.2 13 Attachment 6 Avient Corporation Business Segment Operations (Unaudited) (In millions) Operating income at the segment level does not include: special items as defined in Attachment 3; corporate general and administration costs that are not allocated to segments; intersegment sales and profit eliminations; share-based compensation costs; and certain other items that are not included in the measure of segment profit and loss that is reported to and reviewed by the chief operating decision maker.
https://www.avient.com/sites/default/files/2025-02/News Release - AVNT-2024.12.31-News Release 2.12.25 2PM_0.pdf
This is due to the inherent difficulty of forecasting the timing and amount of certain items, such as, but not limited to, environmental remediation costs and associated recoveries, mark-to-market adjustments on pension and other post-retirement obligations, acquisition-related charges, and other non-routine costs.
Three Months Ended December 31, 2024 2023 Reconciliation to Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income $ EPS(1) $ EPS(1) Net income from continuing operations attributable to Avient shareholders $ 48.3 $ 0.52 $ 27.8 $ 0.30 Special items, after-tax (Attachment 3) (18.0) (0.20) 5.4 0.06 Amortization expense, after-tax 14.8 0.17 15.0 0.16 Adjusted net income / EPS $ 45.1 $ 0.49 $ 48.2 $ 0.52 (1) Per share amounts may not recalculate from figures presented herein due to rounding Year Ended December 31, 2024 2023 Reconciliation to Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income $ EPS(1) $ EPS(1) Net income from continuing operations attributable to Avient shareholders $ 169.5 $ 1.84 $ 75.8 $ 0.83 Special items, after-tax (Attachment 3) 15.9 0.17 79.3 0.86 Amortization expense, after-tax 59.5 0.65 61.5 0.67 Adjusted net income / EPS $ 244.9 $ 2.66 $ 216.6 $ 2.36 (1) Per share amounts may not recalculate from figures presented herein due to rounding 8 Attachment 2 Avient Corporation Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited) (In millions, except per share data) Three Months Ended December 31, Year Ended December 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Sales $ 746.5 $ 719.0 $ 3,240.4 $ 3,142.8 Cost of sales 487.0 510.1 2,183.7 2,250.3 Gross margin 259.5 208.9 1,056.7 892.5 Selling and administrative expense 173.9 165.8 727.4 695.7 Operating income 85.6 43.1 329.3 196.8 Interest expense, net (25.5) (26.8) (105.6) (115.3) Other income, net 3.2 4.3 1.1 5.8 Income from continuing operations before income taxes 63.3 20.6 224.8 87.3 Income tax (expense) benefit (14.8) 7.0 (54.1) (11.0) Net income from continuing operations 48.5 27.6 170.7 76.3 Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes — 0.8 — (0.1) Net income 48.5 28.4 170.7 76.2 Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests (0.2) 0.2 (1.2) (0.5) Net income attributable to Avient common shareholders $ 48.3 $ 28.6 $ 169.5 $ 75.7 Earnings per share attributable to Avient common shareholders - Basic: Continuing operations $ 0.53 $ 0.30 $ 1.86 $ 0.83 Discontinued operations — 0.01 — — Total $ 0.53 $ 0.31 $ 1.86 $ 0.83 Earnings per share attributable to Avient common shareholders - Diluted: Continuing operations $ 0.52 $ 0.30 $ 1.84 $ 0.83 Discontinued operations — 0.01 — — Total $ 0.52 $ 0.31 $ 1.84 $ 0.83 Cash dividends declared per share of common stock $ 0.2700 $ 0.2575 $ 1.0425 $ 1.0000 Weighted-average shares used to compute earnings per common share: Basic 91.4 91.2 91.3 91.1 Diluted 92.2 91.9 92.0 91.8 9 Attachment 3 Avient Corporation Summary of Special Items (Unaudited) (In millions, except per share data) Special items (1) Three Months Ended December 31, Year Ended December 31, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Cost of sales: Restructuring costs, including accelerated depreciation $ (4.6) $ (2.0) $ 1.0 $ (11.9) Environmental remediation costs (6.8) (17.2) (35.0) (69.7) Reimbursement of previously incurred environmental costs 34.7 1.6 34.7 1.6 Impact on cost of sales 23.3 (17.6) 0.7 (80.0) Selling and administrative expense: Restructuring and employee separation costs (2.6) (1.1) (9.2) (14.9) Legal and other (0.3) (6.1) (10.4) (15.2) Acquisition related costs — (1.3) (2.5) (5.9) Impact on selling and administrative expense (2.9) (8.5) (22.1) (36.0) Impact on operating income 20.4 (26.1) (21.4) (116.0) Interest expense, net - financing costs — (0.1) (2.3) (2.3) Pension and post retirement mark-to-market adjustments and other 3.5 3.8 3.6 3.7 Impact on other income, net 3.5 3.8 3.6 3.7 Impact on income from continuing operations before income taxes 23.9 (22.4) (20.1) (114.6) Income tax (expense) benefit on above special items (5.8) 4.5 6.1 27.7 Tax adjustments(2) (0.1) 12.5 (1.9) 7.6 Impact of special items on net income from continuing operations $ 18.0 $ (5.4) $ (15.9) $ (79.3) Diluted earnings per common share impact $ 0.20 $ (0.06) $ (0.17) $ (0.86) Weighted average shares used to compute adjusted earnings per share: Diluted 92.2 91.9 92.0 91.8 (1) Special items include charges related to specific strategic initiatives or financial restructuring such as: consolidation of operations; debt extinguishment costs; costs incurred directly in relation to acquisitions or divestitures; employee separation costs resulting from personnel reduction programs, plant realignment costs, executive separation agreements; asset impairments; settlement gains or losses and mark-to- market adjustments associated with gains and losses on pension and other post-retirement benefit plans; environmental remediation costs, fines, penalties and related insurance recoveries related to facilities no longer owned or closed in prior years; gains and losses on facility or property sales or disposals; results of litigation, fines or penalties, where such litigation (or action relating to the fines or penalties) arose prior to the commencement of the performance period; one-time, non-recurring items; and the effect of changes in accounting principles or other such laws or provisions affecting reported results. (2) Tax adjustments include the net tax impact from non-recurring income tax items and certain adjustments to uncertain tax position reserves and valuation allowances. 10 Attachment 4 Avient Corporation Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (In millions) Year Ended December 31, 2024 2023 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 544.5 $ 545.8 Accounts receivable, net 399.5 399.9 Inventories, net 346.8 347.0 Other current assets 131.3 114.9 Total current assets 1,422.1 1,407.6 Property, net 955.3 1,028.9 Goodwill 1,659.7 1,719.3 Intangible assets, net 1,450.4 1,590.8 Operating lease assets, net 89.1 65.3 Deferred income tax assets 81.3 92.3 Other non-current assets 153.2 64.3 Total assets $ 5,811.1 $ 5,968.5 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Short-term and current portion of long-term debt $ 7.7 $ 9.5 Accounts payable 417.4 432.3 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 331.0 331.8 Total current liabilities 756.1 773.6 Non-current liabilities: Long-term debt 2,059.3 2,070.5 Deferred income taxes 260.4 281.6 Other non-current liabilities 405.7 504.8 Total non-current liabilities 2,725.4 2,856.9 SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Avient shareholders’ equity 2,313.8 2,319.2 Noncontrolling interest 15.8 18.8 Total equity 2,329.6 2,338.0 Total liabilities and equity $ 5,811.1 $ 5,968.5 11 Attachment 5 Avient Corporation Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (In millions) Year Ended December 31, 2024 2023 Operating activities Net income $ 170.7 $ 76.2 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 179.7 188.8 Increase in environmental insurance receivable (34.0) — Deferred income tax benefit (23.8) (61.3) Share-based compensation expense 15.4 13.2 Changes in assets and liabilities, net of the effect of acquisitions: (Increase) decrease in accounts receivable (15.2) 38.6 (Increase) decrease in inventories (13.7) 24.3 Increase (decrease) in accounts payable 0.3 (22.2) Decrease in pension, retirement benefits and deferred compensation (34.3) (8.7) Taxes paid on gain on sale of business — (104.1) (Decrease) increase in environmental obligations (11.2) 38.9 Accrued expenses and other assets and liabilities, net 22.9 17.9 Net cash provided by operating activities 256.8 201.6 Investing activities Capital expenditures (121.9) (119.4) Net proceeds from divestiture — 7.3 Proceeds from plant closures 3.4 7.6 Other investing activities (2.1) 10.3 Net cash used by investing activities (120.6) (94.2) Financing activities Proceeds from long-term borrowings 650.0 — Payments on long-term borrowings (660.9) (105.8) Cash dividends paid (94.0) (90.2) Payments on withholding tax on share awards (6.4) (3.4) Debt financing costs (9.6) (2.3) Net cash used by financing activities (120.9) (201.7) Effect of exchange rate changes on cash (16.6) (1.0) Decrease in cash and cash equivalents (1.3) (95.3) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 545.8 641.1 Cash and cash equivalents at end of year $ 544.5 $ 545.8 12 Attachment 6 Avient Corporation Business Segment Operations (Unaudited) (In millions) Operating income and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) at the segment level does not include: special items as defined in Attachment 3; corporate general and administration costs that are not allocated to segments; intersegment sales and profit eliminations; share-based compensation costs; and certain other items that are not included in the measure of segment profit and loss that is reported to and reviewed by the chief operating decision maker.