GLG News by Chemical Industry Consultants (EU)

The banks will now only lend to some of their customers and at a hefty premium.  They will only lend to each other at a premium over Fed or Bank of England lending rates.  Meanwhile the politicians require the government-supported banks to resume normal lending while paying...

Dow's CEO says their prices have fallen 40% since September on major products. They are seeing unprecendented "global contagion" as demand falls in all major regions. Plant closures by Dow and others are inevitable, as the industry adapts to a new, lower-growth environment

The International Energy Agency says a minimum of 5.5 mbd new production is required each year, just to maintain current production levels. They have issued a new draft report, which says depletion rates are much higher than previosuly believed. But the credit crunch, and ongoing oil price volatility,...

The outlook for auto sales is getting worse This will have a major imapct on chemcial sales

Mergers and aquisitions in the global chemicals market continue to increase in size and scope. Will the BASF bid for CIBA take this to a new level of 'Mega' companies that dominate the market? Steve Burgess from UK based Rowant Consultancy rsies issues that many are thinking about in these turbulent...

The US government has finally decided to nationalise the two home loan giants.  Between them, Fannie and Freddie guarantee 47% of all US mortgages, worth around $5 trillion - equivalent to the combined GDP of the UK and France.  High leverage makes earnings and management look wonderful...

Is the proposed $19 Billion purchase of R&H by Dow is starting to raise questions in the minds of some regulators? Could this lead to the forced divestiture of certain business activities and assets? If this happens would it breach Dow's limit on divestiture level stated in the bid documents?

The example is typically synonymous for a post-merger change process and one of the most common pitfalls. However, cultural incompatibility is a catch phase and to generetic. The issue demonstrates that  more variables are effecting the problem starting with: communication, leadership, psychological...

First, Dow moved its upstream chemical businesses into a JV with the Kuwaitis, to protect itself against increasing feedstock prices.  Now it is acquiring Rohm & Haas to position itself as a downstream 'solution provider'.  Some may see this as a high-risk strategy.  But the real...

Private equity has been very active in chemicals M&A, accounting for 50% of all deals in 2006.  Now the chemicals downturn has finally arrived.  Ineos Group, the UK’s biggest private company and one of the world’s biggest chemical producers, has been listed as one of the six most vulnerable...