All GLG News Analyses Filed Under: Industrial

Henkel  bought the adhesives and sealants(A&S) business of National Starch and Chemical (from Akzo Nobel) This € 3.7 billion ($5.8 billion) strengthens Henkel’s position in the Asia/Pacific and Eastern European A&S  markets.

The Global agrichemical market is booming because of increased demand from emerging countries and rising biofuel demand. Producers are increasing their earnings forecasts and making investments in capacity expansion.

If scrap dealers were made to account for the purchase of their wares; i.e., to affirm that their seller had leagl title to the goods, then the US scrap industry's small, family type businesses, would fail.

Strong aggregates price increases nationwide in 2007.

The article rightfully points out to the increase in demand for steel products and metals in general and that countries as India, China and the Middle are one big construction site with high demand for raw metals thus increasing  prices of the benchmark products such as hot-rolled carbon steel...

- Raw material prices for steel makers are escalating at a very high rate - Metal scrap pricing continues to rise rapidly and it always falls before metal pricing falls at least for steel - We can expect to see continuing steel price increases in North America and Europe but what will happen in China...

Correction in Global Steel Prices may be a long drawn process, as other countries like India tighten steel exports by imposing Export Tax varying from 15% to 5% on various steel products. The infrastructure & construction investments in South East Asia, Middle East & some parts of Africa are...

Energy costs are the most important input to chlor-alkali production costs.  Companies who have advantaged energy contracts, like those with low cost hydroelectric power, have a significant cost advantage in the market.  If Ineos can secure discounted electricity supplied to their operations...

Steel is the world's most important metal. It is found in nearly every item we use in our daily lifes. Whether it be a pen to sign a check, whether it be the legs of the desk we are signing the check on. We are surrounded by steel.

While reviewing the performance of resource funds for the first quarter of 2008,  I realized that there is now an availability of buying or selling specific commodities for actual users as a 'hedge' against price volatility.