Grace Announces $250 Million Share Repurchase Program

COLUMBIA, Md., Feb. 08, 2017 -- W. R. Grace & Co. (NYSE:GRA) announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a new share repurchase program of up to $250 million expected to be completed over the next 24 to 36 months at the discretion of management. Grace has repurchased shares totaling over $960 million since February 2014. The new program is expected to begin following the completion of our existing share repurchase program, which had $34 million of remaining repurchase authorization as of December 31, 2016.

“This program demonstrates our continued commitment to increasing long-term shareholder value," said Fred Festa, Grace’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Our strong balance sheet and cash flow provide the financial flexibility both to invest in growth and return capital to shareholders.”

Repurchases under the program may be made through one or more open market transactions at prevailing market prices; unsolicited or solicited privately negotiated transactions; accelerated share repurchase programs; through any combination of the foregoing; or in such other manner as determined by management. The timing of the repurchases and the actual amount repurchased will depend on a variety of factors, including the market price of Grace shares and general market and economic conditions. The number of shares that will be repurchased is not guaranteed and the share repurchase program may be extended, suspended, or discontinued at any time without notice.

About Grace

Built on talent, technology, and trust, Grace is a leading global supplier of catalysts and engineered materials. The company’s two industry-leading business segments—Grace Catalysts Technologies and Grace Materials Technologies—provide innovative products, technologies, and services that enhance the products and processes of our customer partners around the world. Grace employs approximately 3,700 people in over 30 countries. More information about Grace is available at grace.com.

This announcement contains forward-looking statements, that is, information related to future, not past, events. Such statements generally include the words “believes,” “plans,” “intends,” “targets,” “will,” “expects,” “suggests,” “anticipates,” “outlook,” “continues,” or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, expected financial positions; results of operations; cash flows; financing plans; business strategy; operating plans; capital and other expenditures; competitive positions; growth opportunities for existing products; benefits from new technology and cost reduction initiatives, plans and objectives; and markets for securities. For these statements, Grace claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Like other businesses, Grace is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause its actual results to differ materially from its projections or that could cause other forward-looking statements to prove incorrect. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation: risks related to foreign operations, especially in emerging regions; the cost and availability of raw materials and energy; the effectiveness of its research and development and growth investments; acquisitions and divestitures of assets and gains and losses from dispositions; developments affecting Grace’s outstanding indebtedness; developments affecting Grace's funded and unfunded pension obligations; its legal and environmental proceedings; uncertainties related to Grace's ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the separation transaction; the inability to establish or maintain certain business relationships and relationships with customers and suppliers or the inability to retain key personnel; costs of compliance with environmental regulation; and those additional factors set forth in Grace's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly report on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, which have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are readily available on the Internet at www.sec.gov.  Reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on Grace's projections and forward-looking statements, which speak only as the date thereof. Grace undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revision to the projections and forward-looking statements contained in this announcement, or to update them to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this announcement.

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