Wacker Chemie stock holds after new pet food approval
Published on 08/21/2026 at 10:46 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Wacker Chemie AG (DE000WCH8881) is getting a lift from a new European approval for fermented amino acids while the shares last closed at EUR 89.55 on August 20, 2026, and the company's market cap was listed at EUR 4.45 billion on August 21, 2026. The latest reported quarter also showed revenue of EUR 1.52 billion in Q2 2026, up 7.4 percent year over year, with gross profit rising 54.7 percent to EUR 255.7 million.
Pet food approval adds a new lane
WACKER entered the European pet food additives market after European Commission approval for L-cystine and L-cysteine products as sensory additives for all animal species, according to the approval report published on August 21, 2026. The report says the company is expanding the FERMOPURE portfolio, and that WACKER is currently the only manufacturer of L-cysteine derived from biotechnologically produced cystine approved by the EU as a feed additive.
The market angle is clearer when the approval is set against the numbers in Q2 2026: revenue reached EUR 1.52 billion, gross profit was EUR 255.7 million, and the gross margin came in at 16.85 percent. That margin compares with a weaker base in the prior year quarter, because gross profit increased 54.7 percent year over year.
What the latest quarter showed
As of the most recent reporting period, the company also carried total debt of EUR 2.40 billion, a figure that matters because WACKER's current market value is only modestly above that level. In practical terms, the Q2 2026 mix points to a business that is still tied to cyclical chemistry, but with a higher-margin biosolutions piece gaining visibility.
For investors, the key comparison is not just the approval itself but the scale next to the quarter: EUR 1.52 billion of revenue, EUR 255.7 million of gross profit, and EUR 4.45 billion of market capitalization. Those figures frame the stock more tightly than the product story alone.
FERMOPURE in focus
FERMOPURE is WACKER's biotech ingredient line for amino acids, and the August 21, 2026 approval broadens its use in pet food applications in Europe. The company says the range now includes vegan L-cysteine and natural L-cystine variants for flavor and sensory functions.
Shares and valuation
Wacker Chemie stock last traded at EUR 89.55 on August 20, 2026, with a market value of EUR 4.45 billion on August 21, 2026. The stock's next test is whether the new application area can add enough volume to matter against the EUR 2.40 billion debt load and the still cyclical core chemical mix.
Go deeper
Company: Wacker Chemie AG
ISIN: DE000WCH8881
Ticker: WCH
Exchange: Xetra
Sector / Industry: Materials / Chemicals
Index membership: MDAX
