GLG News by Plastics and Resins Experts in GLG Member Programs

Jeff MoserPresidentWest Branch LLC

The Cost of Clean - $10K hike for 2010 Trucks

March 4, 2009

Analysis of:Volvo: SCR will cost $9,600 | fleetowner.com

Volvo and Navistar will see comparable ~9K - $10K cost increases for their 2010 EPA emissions systems on Heavy Duty engines.  With this significant price hike in a soft economy 2010 engine sales could suffer a meaningful drop.

Jeff MoserPresidentWest Branch LLC

Dow Ag - a Cash Crop?

March 2, 2009

Analysis of:Dow in talks to sell stake in ag business: report | www.reuters.com

Desperate for cash to close on ROH, Dow and CEO Liveris are forced to evaluate all current businesses on a ' For Sale' basis.

Jeff MoserPresidentWest Branch LLC

Bazaar Shopping: More MidEast Petrochem M&A Stewing?

February 26, 2009

Analysis of:Abu Dhabi's IPIC to buy debt-laden Nova Chemicals | www.reuters.com

Middle Eastern oil and gas producers hold most of the cards in future petrochemicals and plastics deals; more significant activity is expected on the heels of Nova.

Jeff MoserPresidentWest Branch LLC

Hitting the Gas for Diesel Sales ?

February 23, 2009

Analysis of:Diesel to dip below gas as Valero raises output, aiding VW Jetta | www.bloomberg.com

Refinery output favors gas over diesel in the US market but capacity investments may finally help shift domestic fuel mix.

Michael BrownManaging PartnerTZ Chemicals

Impact of the Economic Stimulus on Specialty Chemicals

February 19, 2009

Analysis of:US stimulus throws lifeline to construction | www.ft.com

The impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (aka "Obama Stimulus package") on the specialty chemicals industry, specifically paint and coatings, is becoming clearer as details emerge about the type, location and timing of spending.  Construction and infrastructure projects will create new surfaces that need the protection of paints and coatings. Suppliers of these specialized industrial coatings include Sherwin William, PPG, RPM, Valspar and Akzo Nobel.  Most of these coatings are based on epoxy and polyurethane chemistry, so the suppliers of these resins will also be winners including Hexion, Dow Chemical, Bayer MaterialScience and Huntsman. The roughly $300 billion of construction and infrastructure projects are expected to create $750 million to $2.25 billion of demand for paints and coatings over three years.  This equates to about 2-3%/yr of growth - only modestly stimulating in an industry that lost 9% volume in 2008 and is expected to lose another 7-10% in 2009.

Jeff MoserPresidentWest Branch LLC

Boosting Biofuels: Advanced Engine Tech Gives Ethanol a Lift

February 12, 2009

Analysis of:Ricardo Engine Technology Poses Potential Advancement for Ethanol | wardsauto.com

Ethanol suffers from a fuel economy penalty in today's engines due to its lower energy content per gallon vs. gasoline.  Optimizing engine technology specifically for ethanol fuels can close the gap and make biofuels more viable.

Jeff MoserPresidentWest Branch LLC

Dow: Cash Harvest from Ag Business to Fund ROH?

February 11, 2009

Analysis of:Dow AgroSciences Delivering Beyond Expectations | money.cnn.com

Dow must find $7 Billion in cash to replace the lost K-Dow JV investment.  With all chemical sectors in depressed condition Dow's AgroSciences Business looms large as a growing, profitable divestment prospect.

Jeff MoserPresidentWest Branch LLC

No Kuwaiti Calvary to Save Dow

February 11, 2009

Analysis of:KIA may reconsider support for Dow Chemical deal: report | www.reuters.com

Kuwaiti's Investment Authority has indicated it would chip in more funding for ROH, but only at a greatly reduced valuation.  Dow remains on the hook for the original $78 share price.

Michael BrownManaging PartnerTZ Chemicals

Too Much Focus on DOW's Near-Term

February 9, 2009

Analysis of:Paulson urges Dow to close Rohm and Haas deal | money.cnn.com

There has been considerable focus on the ROH deal and the short-term implications to DOW.  DOW had a clear strategy pre-deal to focus on specialty chemicals and to divest away from commodity chemicals.  Contract language is not the only reason this deal should go through.  Management should stick to pre-deal plan (for which they received broad support) and focus on the long-term vision for the company.  Moving away from commodity chemicals and focusing on specialty chemicals is vital to the long-term health of the company.

Jeff MoserPresidentWest Branch LLC

Dow's Hand is Forced Even Without Paulson

February 9, 2009

Analysis of:Paulson urges Dow to close Rohm and Haas deal | money.cnn.com

Dow must pursue all available avenues to address its cash shortfall - Paulson's 'advice' is taken with a healthy grain of salt but hits close to home.

Previous Page : 12345678910Next51 to 60 of 151