Grace Announces $500 Million Share Repurchase Program

COLUMBIA, Md. -- W. R. Grace & Co. (NYSE: GRA) announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program of up to $500 million expected to be completed over the next 12 to 24 months at the discretion of management.

“This program demonstrates our 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; or 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’s shares and general market and economic conditions. Repurchased shares will be held in treasury. There is no guarantee as to the number of shares that will be repurchased, and the share repurchase program may be extended, suspended or discontinued at any time without notice.

About Grace

Grace is a leading global supplier of catalysts; engineered and packaging materials; and, specialty construction chemicals and building materials. The company’s three industry-leading business segments—Grace Catalysts Technologies, Grace Materials Technologies and Grace Construction Products—provide innovative products, technologies and services that enhance the quality of life. Grace employs approximately 6,500 people in over 40 countries and had 2012 net sales of $3.2 billion. More information about Grace is available at www.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, all statements regarding Grace’s Chapter 11 case; expected financial positions; results of operations; cash flows; financing plans; business strategy; budgets; 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 the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. 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 materially differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation: developments affecting Grace’s bankruptcy, propose plan of reorganization and settlements with certain creditors, the cost and availability of raw materials (including rare earth) and energy, developments affecting Grace’s underfunded and unfunded pension obligations, risks related to foreign operations, especially in emerging region, acquisitions and divestitures of assets and gains and losses from dispositions or impairments, the effectiveness of its research and development and growth investments, its legal and environmental proceedings, costs of compliance with environmental regulation and those 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.