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OECD CLI suggests strengthening growth in Europe, ACC says

The composite leading indicator (CLI) for February from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD; Paris; www.oecd.org) suggests “strengthening growth momentum in the Euro area,” according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the American Chemistry Council…

Chemical equities dip in March, ACC says

The S&P Index for chemical companies fell by 4.6% in March, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economics Report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). The decline in chemical equities is larger than the dip in…

Chemical Activity Barometer was flat during March, ACC says

 The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator developed by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), was flat in March, following stronger gains in January and February, according to the ACC’s latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report.…

Specialty chemical market volumes drop in February, ACC report says

U.S. specialty chemical market volumes fell 0.6% in February after a 1.0 decline in January, continuing the soft start to 2015, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). “The…

Economic Indicators: CEPCI

The preliminary value for the January 2015 CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; most recent available) edged downward from the previous month’s value for the fourth consecutive month. The first calculated value for 2015 sits only 0.11% higher than the year-earlier…

OECD CLI predicts growth in most major economies, ACC report says

Data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s latest composite leading indicator (CLI) indicate stable growth momentum for the most of the world’s major economies, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the American Chemistry…

Chemical equities outpace S&P 500 since start of the year, ACC says

The S&P index for chemical companies is up 5.6% from the beginning of 2015, while the wider S&P 500 Index is up only 2.2%, according to the latest Weekly Chemistry and Economic Report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington,…

Clariant completes sale of its energy storage business to Johnson Matthey

Specialty chemical maker Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.clariant.com) today announced the completion of the sale of its Business Line Energy Storage to Johnson Matthey Plc, which was announced on October 29th,2014. The sale was closed on February 28th 2015. “The divestment…

Bayer MaterialScience acquires composite materials specialist

Bayer MaterialScience (Leverkusen, Germany; materialscience.bayer.com) has concluded the takeover of Thermoplast Composite GmbH (TCG; Langenfeld, Germany; thermoplast-composite.com), a technology leader specializing in the production of thermoplastic fiber composites. Bayer MaterialScience will use the acquisition to expand its range of products…

Current Economic Trends

The preliminary value for the December 2014 CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; most recent available) inched downward compared to the final value for November, continuing a three-month trend. The index value sits at 1.45% above its level from December 2013.…