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A. Schulman Inc. Expects Q4 Results to Meet or Exceed Estimates

2 October 1998

A. Schulman Inc. Expects Fourth Quarter Results to Meet or Exceed Analysts' Estimates; Italian Acquisition Announced

    AKRON, Ohio--Oct. 2, 1998--A. Schulman Inc. today announced that it expects financial results for its fiscal fourth quarter ended August 31, 1998, which will be released on October 20, will meet or exceed the analysts' estimates of $.40 per share. Current analysts' fourth quarter earnings estimates average $0.40 per share, with a range of $0.39 to $0.42 per share. The Company earned $0.42 per share in the fourth quarter of fiscal 1997.
    "Currently, our order backlog in Europe is good," said Terry L. Haines, president and chief executive officer. "In addition, stabilization of the U.S. dollar compared to European currencies where we operate should mitigate the adverse currency translation effects of the past year."
    In North America, current order levels have improved after a decline resulting from the effects of the General Motors strike. "We have been aggressive buyers of our shares under the 6 million share repurchase authorization approved by our Board on August 21, 1998," Haines said. "Since the approval of this authorization, we have already repurchased 990,000 shares. We believe our shares represent an extremely attractive investment at current market prices."
    On September 18, 1998, A. Schulman purchased the assets of Isopolymer, Inc. of Milan, Italy, a distributor of Schulman products and a merchant of plastic resins and compounds to the Italian market. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
    Annual sales of this unit are expected to be approximately $30 million. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to earnings in the first year, although the effect on consolidated earnings will not be material.
    "Isopolymer is a strategic acquisition that will offer A. Schulman a valuable outlet for the sale of products into the Italian market, currently the second largest thermoplastic market in Europe," Haines commented.
    Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, A. Schulman is a leading international supplier of high-performance plastic compounds and resins. These materials are used in a variety of consumer, industrial, automotive and packaging applications. The Company employs 2,200 people and has 13 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe, Mexico and the Asia-Pacific region. Revenues for the fiscal year ended August 31, 1997 were approximately $1 billion. Additional information about A. Schulman can be found on the World Wide Web at www.aschulman.com.
    Statements in this release which are not historical facts are forward looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties and actual events or results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in this release. These "forward-looking statements" are based on currently available information. They are also inherently uncertain, and investors must recognize that events could turn out to be significantly different from what we had expected. Examples of such uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following:

-- Worldwide and regional economic, business and political
   conditions

-- Fluctuations in the value of currencies within the European
   Monetary System, as well as the U.S. dollar, Canadian dollar,
   Mexican peso and Indonesian rupiah

-- Fluctuations in the prices of plastic resins and other raw
   materials

-- Changes in customer demand and requirements