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Paints and coatings makers are more optimistic about growth prospects than in recent years as the construction business in North America starts to show signs of recovery and industrial end-markets, [...]

The industrial gases sector achieved robust growth in 2011, despite economic d political turmoil, and a series of natural disasters around the world. Spiritus Consulting (Truro, U.K.), an industrial gases [...]

North American chemical distributors continue to benefit from the bounceback that has continued into 2011. The first half of this year for distributors was 'solid,' says Chris Jahn, president of [...]

Chemical industry executives saw significant increases in pay as earnings bounced back from the recession. Median total compensation for chemical industry CEOs was $5.4 million in 2010, an increase of [...]

Emerging markets are shaping post-recession refinery market demand for oil products, as traditional markets, namely U.S. and Western Europe, see increasing fuel efficiency standards and high prices wipe out growth, [...]

Last year started in a frightful manner with sharp demand declines and heavy losses but ended with recovery in sight as conditions stabilized. That pattern was reflected in pay packages [...]

The global economic downturn that has swamped industry volumes and margins is also taking a toll on chemical industry executive compensation, according to CW's annual executive compensation survey. Median total [...]

The chemical distribution sector can no longer call itself 'recession resistant' as it did in fourth-quarter 2008 when the economic turmoil began to affect most of the sector's suppliers and [...]

Deals in the last year include DuPont-Danisco, Ecolab-Nalco, Ashland-International Specialty Products (ISP), Solvay-Rhodia. This year got off to a big start, with Eastman's $4.7-billion acquisition of Solutia. Other large deals [...]

Funds operated by The Capital Group (Los Angeles) are the top investors in chemical stocks, in CW's first ranking of the top institutional investors in the chemical industry. CW compiled [...]

Softening consumer demand in Europe and the U.S., coupled with ongoing financial turmoil, have put the global economic recovery at a turning point. The economy is slowing but, while odds [...]

Demand for electronic chemicals is growing again following the global recession with a surge in certain subsectors such as materials for portable electronic devices, solar cells, organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), [...]

Worldwide demand for rare earth metals is on the rise just as China, which has a near-monopoly on supply, has drastically cut export quotas. New producers have plans to challenge [...]

Recovery in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity continues, but deals are taking longer to complete than prior to the recession and conflicts over valuation persist, experts say. In the first [...]

The downturn's deep freeze began to aw in the second half of 2009 and recovery has continued so far this year, a trend reflected in firms' M&A plans. 'We are [...]

The chemical distribution sector has stabilized after a year of demand drops, but distributors remain cautious. 'Distributors seem to be doing better than producers, but there is a wide variation [...]

The global economic turmoil has created a chilly environment for industry M&A this year as companies remain pinned down by frozen credit markets. The slowdown in the economy and in [...]

Fueled by its advantaged feedstock cost position, the Mideast is awash with chemical projects. Findings of a survey by CW show that many engineering and construction companies face a gamut [...]

Chemical consultants are refocusing as they contend with a sluggish economy and clients facing uncertain markets, executives say. Though most firms have avoided major staff cuts, they are shifting personnel [...]

Chemical makers serving the personal care market are trying to keep pace with middle-class growth in developing regions, and shifting demographics and consumer preferences in developed ones. Growing middle classes [...]

Alpek, the petrochemical unit of Grupo Alfa (Garza Garcia, Mexico), has raised an estimated 10.8 billion pesos ($800 million) in its recent 27.50 pesos/share initial public offering (IPO) on the [...]

Sunoco has signed an exclusive agreement with The Carlyle Group (New York), a private equity firm, relating to a potential joint venture at Sunoco's 330,000 bbls/day refinery in Philadelphia. The [...]

Many chemical companies are looking to step into the supply gap opened by the explosion and fire at Evonik's Marl, Germany cyclodecatriene (CDT) plant (CW, April 16/23, p. 10). The [...]

Specialty chemical companies reported solid first-quarter results, with most companies beating estimates and reporting rising profits. Ashland's International Specialty Products (ISP) acquisition contributed to strong results, while Rockwood benefited from [...]

Cytec Industries has reached a deal to acquire Umeco (Leamington Spa, U.K.), a maker of advanced composite materials for industrial and aerospace applications, in an all-cash transaction valued at 274.3 [...]

Emerging markets including China and India are driving growth in the adhesives and sealants sector, producers say. Expanded purchasing power in emerging economies is driving demand for consumer goods, among [...]

Early signs of construction recovery and near-record U.S. ethylene pricing and margins offer hope for stronger industry earnings in 2012. Chemical makers continue to face weakness in Europe, however, with [...]

Chemtura has broken ground on the first facilities at its multipurpose manufacturing site in China, the company's largest-yet investment in that growing economy. The 25-acre site is located at the [...]

JPs Industries (Greenville, SC), a maker of methane films, has retained the investment bank Houlihan Lokey to explore 'strategic alternatives,' including a possible sale. Last year, the company rejected an [...]

Agrium says it has agreed to purchase 90% of Viterra's agricultural retail business in Canada, and all of its agricultural retail business in Australia. The deal is part of Glencore's [...]

Chemical companies, awash in cash, have begun returning more of it to shareholders, according to a report by Jefferies & Company (New York), an investment bank. In 2011, chemical companies [...]

Last year was, in the aggregate, a strong ear for chemicals M&A, but uncertainty from the European debt crisis and weaker demand slowed the market in the second half. The [...]

Westlake Chemical has increased its unsolicited takeover bid for Georgia Gulf by 17%, to $35/share, and also agreed to offer a portion of the purchase price in Westlake shares (CW, [...]

Praxair has sold its advanced components business, which makes and sells electrostatic chunks (ESCs) and chamber components for semiconductor processing equipment, to FM Industries (FMI; Fremont, CA). The business also [...]

LanzaTech (Auckland), a renewable chemicals and fuels firm, has raised $55.8 million in a third, or Series C, funding round, including an investment from the venture arm of Petronas, Malaysia's [...]

Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P; New York) says that North American chemical company credit ratings are on solid ground due to good pricing power, high operating margins, strong [...]

U.S. specialty chemical makers reported year-on-year increases in fourth-quarter earnings last week, beating analyst estimates. Sherwin-Williams reported fourth-quarter net income of $14.6 million, or 14 cts/share, down 80% from the [...]

U.S. Silica (Frederick, MD) says it will launch an initial public offering (IPO) worth up to $243.5 million. The 13.5 million share offering values the company at $16-$18/share. It represents [...]

A U.S. appeals court has upheld a 2010 ruling that Nova had infringed on Dow's patents for a line of polyethylene resins used in plastic bags. The court upheld a [...]

Switchable Solutions (Mississauga, ON), a green solvents start up, has hired Eric Kelusky, a former Nova Chemicals technology executive. Kelusky, formerly v.p./technology at Nova, will serve as the firm's chief [...]

Ecolab says it expects to eliminate 500 jobs as part of an effort to reduce operating costs by $250 million/year by 2014 following its acquisition of Nalco late last year. [...]

Westlake Chemical has made an unsolicited $1.1-billion bid for rival vinyls maker Georgia Gulf. The $30/share all-cash offer was 22% above Georgia Gulf's closing share price on January 12, the [...]

Sterling Group Partners (Houston), a private equity firm, has purchased Liqui-Box Corporation (Worthington, OH) from DuPont for an undisclosed sum. Liqui-Box makes bag-in-box flexible packing for use in the dairy, [...]

Earnings growth is expected to slow for U.S. chemical makers in 2012 while still remaining positive overall, according to Wall Street analysts. Deutsche Bank (New York) expects chemical companies to [...]

Economists at ACC and IHS Global Insight (Lexington, MA) have released forecasts for next year, showing an emerging consensus that global growth will slow. 'The global economy has reached a [...]

Ecolab's acquisition of Nalco officially closed on December 1, a day after shareholders of both companies approved the merger. The $8.3-billion deal creates a company, to be called Ecolab, with [...]

Honeywell has purchased Evonik's polyethylene (PE) wax technology portfolio, including patents, the company says. The PE waxes have a number of uses in applications such as paints, coatings, adhesives, and [...]

Taminco has announced plans to increase methylamines capacity in the U.S. by the end of 2014. The company produces methylamines at Pace, FL. The announcement comes on the heels of [...]

Prices for many rare earth oxides (REOs) fell by 25% between July and early November, and some have fallen by as much as 40% in just the past month, according [...]

FMC has acquired the assets of Adventus Intellectual Property (Mississauga, Ontario), an environmental technology and services company, from investment firms Covington Capital and VeutureLink Innovation Fund, the company says. Terms [...]