tora Enso is stepping up its strategic transformation as it sharpens its focus on renewable materials and fibre-based packaging, while reshaping its portfolio to support long-term value creation. A key milestone is the planned separation of the company’s Swedish forest assets business into a new, independently listed entity. Expected to be completed in the first half of 2027, the move aims to create two companies with distinct strategic profiles: a packaging-focused renewable materials group and Europe’s largest listed pure-play forest company. In parallel, Stora Enso has launched a strategic review of its Central European sawmills and building solutions operations. Several scenarios are being assessed, including a potential divestment, as part of the group’s active portfolio management and tighter strategic focus. Packaging growth remains anchored in the Oulu site in Finland, where the ramp-up of a new consumer board production line continues. While still impacting short-term profitability, production volumes are gradually increasing, with full capacity expected in 2027. The acquisition of Junnikkala Oy further strengthens the wood supply chain supporting the site. From 2026, Stora Enso will also introduce a new reporting structure, consolidating packaging activities into Consumer Packaging and Integrated Packaging, alongside Biomaterials and Other, to reflect a more business-focused operating model.

Notable items in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 include: *Net sales of $4.4 billion were essentially flat compared to the pre-pandemic prior year quarter *Total packaging shipments increased 5%; record North American per day box shipments that increased 8% compared to the prior year quarter *Successfully started up the Company’s new 330” state-of-the-art paper machine in Florence, South Carolina; the machine’s 710k tons of annual capacity replaces three old machines *Distributed COVID-19 relief payments to employees totaling $22 million; these payments are not included in the Company's adjusted earnings per diluted share for the quarter *Generated net cash provided by operating activities of $719 million and Adjusted Free Cash Flow of $562 million compared to $431 million and $79 million, respectively, in the prior year quarter

Bain Capital weighs IPO or sale of Ahlstrom at up to €8B, targeting ESG-focused investors via Amsterdam amid rising demand for sustainable industrial assets. Bain Capital is weighing a dual-track exit for Ahlstrom, the Finnish specialty materials company it acquired in 2022. The two options on the table: a public listing in Amsterdam or a strategic private sale. The potential valuation of the business in either scenario is estimated between €7 billion and €8 billion, signaling a substantial return on Bain’s earlier investment. Ahlstrom, known for producing sustainable fiber-based materials used in filtration, medical, packaging, and industrial applications, is currently preparing IPO groundwork with Rothschild & Co, while Morgan Stanley is reportedly assessing potential sale routes.