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Chemical producer revenues and earnings climbed in 2010 on significantly improved global economic demand. BASF is pulling away from the rest of the pack, helped in part by acquisitions and [...]

The deals also provide pure-play specialty chemical firms with the edge they need to remain competitive in their core operations against large-scale diversified companies with significant specialty chemical operations including [...]

Chemical makers saw 2009 sales drop sharply as weak global economic demand diminished revenues and profits. Conditions started to stabilize by the end of the year, but the median drop [...]

BASF again secured the top spot in CW's Billion-Dollar Club, an annual ranking of companies by chemical sales, for the third straight year. The company reported 2008 chemical revenues up [...]

BASF for the second year in a row sits atop the Billion-Dollar Club, CW's annual ranking of companies by chemical sales. BASF reported 2007 chemical revenues up 13%, to $64.6 [...]

The specialty chemical sector has become fashionable again. Specialties has in recent years largely been the domain of pure-play companies, but it is now attracting producers that had been focused [...]

BASF tops CW's annual ranking of companies by chemical sales, taking back the title from Dow Chemical, which held the position last year. Acquisitions and favorable currency exchange rates helped [...]

Sustainable development (SD) was once seen as a potential market barrier and cost issue for the chemical industry, but that view is quickly changing. The term--which the United Nation's defines [...]

Specialty chemical makers are jumpstarting R&D efforts, seeking to improve the success rate of projects, speed up commercialization, and generate higher returns. Their aim is on finding the next product [...]

Major soaps and detergents producers say they cleaned up last year largely because of successful product price increases that helped to offset higher energy and raw material costs. Many of [...]

Dow Chemical reclaimed its top spot as the world's largest chemical company, dethroning BASF, which held the spot for the past three years in CW's annual ranking of companies by [...]

Obtaining or maintaining a top-three position in core markets is not getting any easier for specialty chemical producers, especially in highly competitive markets with little product differentiation. Some firms say [...]

M&A activity remains buoyant in the adhesives and sealants sector, with several major producers setting their sights on acquiring small- and mid-size producers that have a particular technology or market [...]

Chemical industry M&A activity has started off this year with a bang. Bankers had been predicting a strong M&A market this year, but 2006 has already seen an 'unprecedented' level [...]

Specialty chemical firms say that 'unprecedented' and 'catastrophic' hikes in energy, raw material, and transportation costs in the past 12-18 months hazy forced them to rethink their pricing policies. While [...]

BASF has won the Billion-Dollar Club trophy for the third consecutive year, taking the top position in CW's annual ranking of companies by chemical sales. Dow Chemical held on to [...]

The catalyst industry is benefiting from buoyant market conditions, driven by the need to supply catalysts to a wave of petrochemical plants being built in China and the Mideast, and [...]

Price increases may be improving margins in the specialty chemicals industry, but only a handful of sectors are growing at double-digit rates, 'resulting in a lack of any great specialty [...]

The outlook is bright for adhesives and sealants makers. Producers are enjoying an uptick in demand for their products, helped by an improved economy. Low interest rates are spurring demand [...]

Most U.S. publicly traded chemical companies, like their counterparts in other industries, say they have spent the last two years preparing to meet the deadline of their first audit, a [...]

BASF has held its position atop CW's annual Billion-Dollar Club ranking of companies by chemical sales. Dow Chemical and DuPont are number two and three, respectively, the same positions they [...]

Private equity firms are among the highest and most active bidders for chemical properties, and are increasing their influence with broader portfolios and greater understanding of the industry, market watchers [...]

The water treatment market is swimming with opportunities, particularly in developing regions such as China where efforts are under way to bring clean, potable water to more people, and where [...]

Public equity markets are warming to chemicals once again, and private equity owners of chemical firms are gearing up to launch initial public offerings (IPO), bankers say. Stock valuations as [...]

BASF overtook Dow Chemical and DuPont to become the top player in CW's annual Billion-Dollar Club ranking of companies by 2002 chemical sales. BASF was helped by the appreciation of [...]

Tough market conditions prevail in the custom manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and may get worse because of fewer new drug approvals and a drop-off in outsourcing by pharma [...]

Lubrizol's (Wickliffe, OH) core products--lubricant additives for the transportation market--have fueled much of its growth for the past 75 years, but a slowdown in that business has prompted the company [...]

The M&A market is showing signs of recovery, bankers say. More properties are going on the market, and buyers' appetite for deals is improving, they say, Private equity, firms continue [...]

Consulting budgets have been a major casualty in the chemical industry's struggle to gain control of costs in the weak economy. As chemical firms slash discretionary spending, they are becoming [...]

Chemical executives are sending out mixed signals about their plans for M&A. Some CEOs are starting to make noise about doing deals after sitting on the sidelines for the past [...]

Most U.S. companies in the CW 300 reported higher third-quarter earnings, citing volume gains and help from a weaker dollar, which boosted exports and volumes overseas. Analysts say results were [...]

Specialty chemical makers, faced with a continuing trend in which many of their products are taking on commodity-like characteristics, are fighting back to try to make their sector special again. [...]

Dow Chemical has become the grand pooh-bah of the chemical industry, ranking first in CW's annual Billion-Dollar Club ranking of companies by chemical sales, and taking the place of last [...]

Specialty chemical makers, faced with a continuing trend in which many of their products are taking on commodity-like characteristics, are fighting back to try to make their sector special again. [...]

Specialty chemical companies posted the strongest earnings gains in the second quarter, with most firms beating analysts' consensus estimates. Basic chemicals were mixed, while diversified companies' results were mostly below [...]

M&A activity slowed considerably in the first half of 2002, continuing a trend that began in first-quarter 2001 as economic uncertainty and concern over industry's earnings outlook prompted companies to [...]

The first quarter brought signs of recovery for most chemical makers in the CW 300. Year-over-year comparisons among basic, diversified, and specialty chemical companies, however, were mixed. Specialty chemical makers [...]

The annual CW 300 reflects the rough 2001 that chemical companies endured. Most reported declines in net earnings; basic chemical companies earnings fell 78%, to about $1.14 billion, on sales [...]

NATASHA ALPEROWICZ ROBERT WESTERVELT The chemical industry M&A market has turned into a private equity party over the past few year. Private equity firm stepped up their presence when strategic [...]

LAUNDRY DETERGENT MAKERS ARE under pressure to justify high-performance product claims as well as high prices, as consumers pinch pennies during this economic downturn, analysts say. Consumers are expected to [...]

To INVENT A BRILLIANT NEW product and grow it into a big, money-spinning business, has been the classic inspiration for specialty chemicals makers. The bad news is that much of [...]

DUPONT RETAINED THE WORLD heavyweight title for the sixth straight year in CW's annual Billion-Dollar Club rankings, posting chemical sales of $26.8 billion, up 6% from 1999 (table, p. 26). [...]

Chemical industry observers predict that the 1998 market will not repeat the boom year of 1997, but see some downturns along with modest growth of about 6%. The Asian economic crisis is one factor limiting growth, particularly in agricultural chemicals, plastics and specialties. Segments expecting growth include chlor-alkali, inorganics, and biotech therapeutics. Forecasts for global communities including Asia, Europe and Latin America also are examined.

Hercules' recent takeover bid for Allied Colloids exemplifies the specialty chemicals industry dilemma (CW, Dec. 3, p. 11). With mediocre growth in many specialty lines and little prospect of price [...]

The continued strength of the semiconductor industry, particularly the stabilization of dynamic random access memory chip prices, will ultimately engender increased activity among electronic chemical suppliers. The projected growth in construction of costly semiconductor manufacturing plants during 1998 is likewise spurring investment in electronic chemical suppliers. Many electronic chemical companies are expanding their regional focus and the diversity of their products lines in anticipation of such growth.

The US chemical industry's responsible care program has a voluntary program with six codes of management practice. The first five codes must be fully implemented by 1998 and the final code will be implemented by 1999. The implementation targets are expected to be reached by 90% of the 190 members of the Chemical Manufacturers Assn.

Clariant, Ciba Take the Lead The specialty chemicals industry continues in a state of dramatic change. A series of spin-offs, mergers, and acquisitions have changed the industry lineup. Activity has [...]

Global adhesives and sealants producers are mostly optimistic about market conditions for the rest of this year, taking into account a continuing rise in raw material costs. Several producers have [...]

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 [...]

Improved economic conditions have lifted sales and profits for adhesives and sealants makers this year. Growth is expected to continue into 2011, but at a more moderate rate, and consumers [...]