Chemical makers have just closed out a challenging quarter with a very tough week. Shares in the CW75 index slipped 21% during the quarter and 9% for the week ended September 30... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/14587.html
The Billion-Dollar Club, CW’s exclusive ranking of chemical firms compiled by senior editor Kerri Walsh, provides a useful guide to shifts at the top of the industry’s... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/14433.html
Turmoil at Ciba Specialty Chemicals and Clariant, both based in Basel, Switzerland, underscore the pressures bearing down on certain sectors of the specialty chemical market. Clariant... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/14154.html
With the Beijing Olympics over attention now turns to whether China can sustain economic and industrial growth, one of the critical pillars of chemical industry strength in recent... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/14006.html
Chemical makers may welcome the recent retreat in energy prices but lower raw material costs are already creating downward pressure on chemical pricing. Crude oil hit $145/bbl in... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/13748.html
Mitsubishi Chemical, subject of this week’s cover story (p. 17), offers a glimpse at influences and strategies that are reshaping Japan’s chemical sector. A prolonged... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/13602.html
Those looking to make the case against decoupling—the idea that world economies can shrug off a weak U.S.—just need to look a bit north of the U.S., to Canada. Canadian... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/13381.html
As DuPont chairman and CEO Chad Holliday noted on the company’s investor call last week, U.S. housing and automotive markets will eventually recover and revert to the norm but there... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/13226.html
Soaring energy and feedstock costs, depressed automotive and housing markets, weak U.S. demand, and cratering share prices could lead some to believe that the down cycle is here for... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/13075.html
Dow Chemical’s quick strike to acquire Rohm and Haas (R&H) for $18.8 billion demonstrates that attractive assets can still draw strong prices even in turbulent times. The... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/12939.html
Dow Chemical’s move last week to lift pricing by a further 25% in July, in addition to the 20% hike it announced in May, underscores the urgent and critical situation faced by... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/12712.html
The apparent collapse of Hexion Specialty Chemicals’ $10.6-billion bid to acquire Huntsman signals the end of the “big-bang” chemical M&A environment, at least... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/12574.html
It may not have had a formal spot on the agenda, but the ongoing surge in energy and feedstock costs and industry’s response was on the minds of many at ACC’s annual... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/12442.html
Dow Chemical’s move last week to boost prices by as much as 20% on all 3,100 of its products garnered wide media coverage. Much of the focus was on what the potential impact will... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/12208.html
There is no sign that inflationary pressures in the engineering and construction (E&C) industry will ease any time soon, as our cover story this week shows (p. 20). Equipment and... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/12074.html
Chemical makers continue to post stronger than expected first-quarter earnings, despite weaker volumes and another surge in energy and raw material costs. A key factor behind the... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/11726.html
First-quarter earnings are above expectations so far, despite continued weakness in the U.S. and surging raw material costs (p. 7). Growth in emerging regions and a strong agriculture... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/11581.html
Supplier discussions about the impact of Wal-Mart for many years has centered around the Wal-Mart “cost,” or the effort and efficiency gains required across the supply... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/11428.html
Attendees at the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association’s (NPRA) International Petrochemical Conference (IPC) in San Antonio last week were a bit more cautious about the... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/11203.html
CW is pleased to announce the launch of www.chemsustainability.com, an online resource dedicated to providing essential information about the chemical industry and the environment... http://www.chemweek.com/sections/viewpoint/11092.html
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