Bayer plans to pay 2014 dividend of EUR2.25 per share

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Germany's Bayer AG said it plans to increase its dividend for 2014, in a statement ahead of fourth-quarter results, said the company in its press release.

The drugs and chemicals company said it will propose a dividend of EUR2.25 per share for 2014, up from the EUR2.10 a share dividend paid for 2013.

"The past year was very successful for Bayer" Chief Executive Marijn Dekkers said.

With 826.9 million shares entitled to the dividend, the total dividend payment will come to around 1.86 billion euro, up 7.1% from the payout for 2013, Bayer added.

The Bayer Group’s consolidated financial statements for 2014 will be presented and discussed at the Financial News Conference on February 26, 2015.

As MRC wrote before, Bayer intends in the future to focus entirely on the Life Science businesses – HealthCare and CropScience – and float MaterialScience on the stock market as a separate company. In this way Bayer is positioning itself as a world-leading company in the field of human, animal and plant health.

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech polymer materials. As an innovation company, it sets trends in research-intensive areas. Bayer’s products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Arkema, a France-based chemical manufacturer, has developed a new grade of Kynar PVDF resin that provides a whole new set of properties for PVDF, reported the company on its site.

Kynar UHM resin has a high flexural modulus, heat deflection temperature, abrasion resistance, tensile strength, pressure capability and, at the same time, offers excellent creep resistance.

Kynar UHM thermoplastic resin was designed with the most demanding applications in mind. This high performance polymer has been specially engineered to be chemically resistant to chlorine, bromine, strong acids, strong oxidants, halogens, aromatic solvents, and aliphatic hydrocarbons. As with traditional Kynar PVDF grades, the Kynar UHM thermoplastic resin is easily melt processed by most standard methods, including injection molding and extrusion. Kynar UHM resin also provides resistance in harsh thermal, chemical and ultraviolet environments.

With its many high performance features, Kynar UHM resin can be used in a variety of industries and applications, including, but not limited to: chemical processing, petrochemical, wire and cable, electricity and electronics, high purity and transportation. Demanding industrial applications such as semiconductor, pulp and paper, nuclear waste processing, mining, general chemical processing, and tower packing will find that Kynar UHM resin is strong, reliable, long lasting, and more cost effective than other solutions.

"Arkema recognizes the global need for new, high performance materials," said Erwoan Pezron, Global Managing Director for Arkema’s Fluoropolymers business unit. "Working closely with our customers, we have been able to focus our development activities in areas that will help them grow their businesses with new, innovative materials being developed by Arkema. It is exciting to offer this material at the same time we begin to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Kynar resin."

Kynar UHM resin can be fabricated into a wide range of components, including tubes, pipes, fittings, valves, sheets, rods, stock shapes, tubing, tanks and vessels, as well as nozzles. This product is also bondable to other substrates, including a variety of polymers. Kynar UHM resin also has demonstrated excellent flame resistance capabilities as a free standing product or as a composite.

As MRC informed previously, in order to guarantee flawless bottles to bottle manufacturers, Arkema has developed major technological innovations in protective coatings, combined with an audit and training service, and a product certification that is unique in the profession. This comprehensive approach, Certin Advance, helps bottle manufacturers considerably improve the service they supply to their customers in the beverage industry.

Arkema with annual revenue of EUR7.6 billion is a leading European supplier of chlorochemicals and PVC. Kynar and Kynar Flex are registered trademarks of Arkema Inc.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has awarded a contract worth Rs. 100 crore to Petron Engineering Construction Ltd for its linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) plant in Gujarat, reported Plastemart.

The LLDPE plant is part of RIL's J-3 project in Jamnagar in the western Indian state of Gujarat.

The J-3 project boasts of a petroleum refinery and allied petrochemical plants for the production of plastics and fibre intermediates.

As MRC wrote before, Reliance Industries (RIL) will invest up to USD700 mln in its shale gas venture in the current fiscal and also ramp up spends under the USD13 bln capex programme in the petrochemical and refining business.

Besides, in October 2012, the company unveiled its plans to expand capacity at its refineries in the western state of Gujarat.

Reliance is also building one of the world’s largest ethylene crackers taking advantage of refinery integration at Jamnagar. This project will be commissioned in H2-2016 and would nearly double the ethylene capacity to 3.3 mln tpa.

Reliance Industries is one of the world's largest producers of polymers. Thus, the company produces among others polypropylene, polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Specialty chemicals company Lanxess intends to pay a dividend constant with that of the prior year, as per the company's press release.

The Board of Management of the Cologne-based enterprise plans to propose to the Annual Stockholders' Meeting on May 13, 2015, that a dividend of EUR 0.50 per share be paid for fiscal 2014. This would result in a total dividend payout of around EUR 46 million. The proposal remains subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board.

"Despite the challenges it faces, Lanxess is still following a consistent dividend policy. Even as we work on our realignment, we intend to give our shareholders an appropriate share in our company's success," said Matthias Zachert, Chairman of the Board of Management of Lanxess AG.

Key factors underlying this decision were that Lanxess was able to reduce its net financial liabilities faster than expected in 2014, to around EUR 1.3 billion, and that it has a very sound liquidity position. "We are making good progress with our realignment. Year on year, we have increased earnings and also substantially reduced our debt by around EUR 400 million," continued Zachert.

As MRC reported earlier, in January 2015, Lanxess Corporation added two new highly concentrated antioxidants to its existing range of biodiesel stabilizers. The new products - Baynox Ultra and Baynox Cargo - were introduced to the US market at the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo January 19-22 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Lanxess is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 8.3 billion in 2013 and about 16,700 employees in 29 countries. The company is currently represented at 52 production sites worldwide. The core business of Lanxess is the development, manufacturing and marketing of plastics, rubber, intermediates and specialty chemicals.
MRC

MOSCOW (MRC) -- Indorama Ventures clocked a reported earnings hike of 12% from 2013 in full year of 2014, said Fibre2fashion.

Indorama Ventures, which turned 25 this year, said its reported earnings after extraordinary and non-cash items in 2014 amounted to THB 1.48 billion, up 12% over 2013.

However, the company reported full year core earnings of THB 5.1 billion, an increase of 146% as against 2013. "The company’s strategic focus on developing a high value-added (HVA) portfolio has started to bring in rewards," CEO Aloke Lohia said.

In the same period, core EBITDA expanded by a massive 30% over its previous year at the petrochemicals manufacturer. Cash from operations in 2014 stood at THB 22.4 billion, once again a massive expansion of 114 per cent from 2013. The impact of crude oil prices falling, leading to inventory write-downs in the fourth quarter, has seen benefits in improvements to its cash flow as it used less working capital on lower prices.

Volumes at the IVL Guangdong PET plant, its state-of-the-art polyester fibres plant and at Polychem (CP4) in Indonesia have increased in the year under review. Indorama has also achieved better utilisation of other assets, such as in Poland by enhancing its capacity.

The Company expects to close a deal to acquire Performance Fibers Asia in China soon, and thereby gain synergies with its current platform of superior auto sector assets in Europe.

Another acquisition, Polyplex in Turkey, will allow it to consolidate the Southeast European market for PET and provide greater volumes in our key markets.

Indorama Ventures is a leading producer in the polyester value chain in Thailand with strong global network and manufacturing across Asia, Europe and North America. Its products serve major players in diversified end use markets, including food, beverages, personal and home care, health care, automotives, textile, and industrial. The company’s main products are PTA, PET and polyester fibre, which are distributed across the world.

MRC