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MOSCOW (MRC) -- Germany's Wacker Chemie said will increase its 2014 dividend to 1.50 euros (USD1.59) from EUR0.50 following a marked increase in sales and earnings, but full-year net profit is expected to fall below the 2014 figure due to lower special income and a tax rate of slightly more than 50%, the company said in its press release.
Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization are expected to rise only modestly, while sales should increase by a high-single-digit percentage range. The Ebitda margin, on the other hand, will be lower, largely due to start-up costs for the company's new production site in Charleston, Tennessee, U.S.
Wacker said that demand in the first two months of the year was solid, with sales across all divisions beating prior-figures. The chemical company forecasts that first-quarter sales will rise to EUR1.3 billion from EUR1.16 billion a year earlier.
"We want to continue 2014's upward trend and achieve sales of more than EUR5 billion for the first time in the company's history," said Chief Executive Rudolf Staudigl.
As MRC reported earlier, Wacker Chemie AG launched its new production plant for ethylene-vinyl-acetate copolymer (EVA) dispersions at its Ulsan site in South Korea. The additional 40,000 tonnes from the second reactor line increases the site's EVA-dispersion capacity to a total of 90,000 tonnes per year. The production capacity of the site, thus, almost doubled, making the plant complex one of the biggest of its kind in South Korea.
Wacker Chemie AG is a worldwide operating company in the chemical business, founded 1914. The company is controlled by the Wacker-family holding more than 50 percent of the shares. The corporation is operating more than 25 production sites in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The product range includes silicone rubbers, polymer products like ethylene vinyl acetate redispersible polymer powder, chemical materials, polysilicon and wafers for semiconductor industry.
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Russian market of bottle grade polycarbonate decreased by 78% in January-February 2015
MOSCOW (MRC) - Russia's demand of bottle grade polycarbonate (PC) were only 116 tonnes in January-February 2015, down 78% in the same time year on year, according to MRC DataScope report.
PC bottle sector in the Russian market completely depends on import supplies from Asia. So, with the strengthening of the dollar on world markets and the devaluation of the rouble, the domestic prices of Korean granules have been continuously growing.
Despite the fact that the price for Asian PC began to decline on lower oil prices and feedstock, large stock inventories are still available in the Russian market since the last fall. They were bought at a higher price than that is now offered now by the producers. Traders can not sell these residues because it will be at their loss. In addition, market players said, the effective demand in the segment now has dropped significantly. Converters had to use recyclable materials.
Imports of bottle grade PC in Russia will be resumed in the case of stabilising the national currency and revival of effective demand.
Perhaps of greater interest for the local converters will make European PC, as because in case of the the parity currency value, it may be cheaper than Asian material.
MRC
PC bottle sector in the Russian market completely depends on import supplies from Asia. So, with the strengthening of the dollar on world markets and the devaluation of the rouble, the domestic prices of Korean granules have been continuously growing.
Despite the fact that the price for Asian PC began to decline on lower oil prices and feedstock, large stock inventories are still available in the Russian market since the last fall. They were bought at a higher price than that is now offered now by the producers. Traders can not sell these residues because it will be at their loss. In addition, market players said, the effective demand in the segment now has dropped significantly. Converters had to use recyclable materials.
Imports of bottle grade PC in Russia will be resumed in the case of stabilising the national currency and revival of effective demand.
Perhaps of greater interest for the local converters will make European PC, as because in case of the the parity currency value, it may be cheaper than Asian material.
MRC
Polymer products output in Russia increased by 9.5% in January and February 2015
MOSCOW (MRC) - Russian companies increased production of finished polymer goods in February.
Production of polymer products in the first two months of the year increased by 9.5%, according to MRC analysts.
February's output of the key products made from the polymers in Russia rose by 9.8% compared with the January level. Local producers of pipes and films significantly increased their production volumes, while the output of plastic windows and sheets remain low.
According to the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, the February production of unreinforced and noncombined films decreased to 92,900 tonnes, compared to 74,500 tonnes in January 2014. The output of unreinforced and noncombined films over the first two months of this year totalled 167,800 tonnes, up 22.7% year on year.
February production of plates and sheets in Russia were 16,900 tonnes, compared to 17,000 tonnes in January.
Production of plates and sheets in January-February 2015 totalled 38,800 tonnes, up 20.7% year on year.
February production of plastic pipes, hoses and fittings in the country was to 26,300 tonnes, while in January it was 21,900 tonnes. Russia's output of plastic pipes in January - February 2015 totalled 48,200 tonnes, down 12.9% year on year.
February production of plastic windows and window sills rose to 1 million square meters, compared to 1.1 million square meters in January. During the first two months of the year, the total production of these products were 2.1 million square meters, which is 17.3% lower than in the same time in 2014.
MRC
Production of polymer products in the first two months of the year increased by 9.5%, according to MRC analysts.
February's output of the key products made from the polymers in Russia rose by 9.8% compared with the January level. Local producers of pipes and films significantly increased their production volumes, while the output of plastic windows and sheets remain low.
According to the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, the February production of unreinforced and noncombined films decreased to 92,900 tonnes, compared to 74,500 tonnes in January 2014. The output of unreinforced and noncombined films over the first two months of this year totalled 167,800 tonnes, up 22.7% year on year.
February production of plates and sheets in Russia were 16,900 tonnes, compared to 17,000 tonnes in January.
Production of plates and sheets in January-February 2015 totalled 38,800 tonnes, up 20.7% year on year.
February production of plastic pipes, hoses and fittings in the country was to 26,300 tonnes, while in January it was 21,900 tonnes. Russia's output of plastic pipes in January - February 2015 totalled 48,200 tonnes, down 12.9% year on year.
February production of plastic windows and window sills rose to 1 million square meters, compared to 1.1 million square meters in January. During the first two months of the year, the total production of these products were 2.1 million square meters, which is 17.3% lower than in the same time in 2014.
MRC
Index of chemical production in Russia increased by 2.5% in January-February 2015
MOSCOW (MRC) - Production of basic chemicals in Russia for the first two months of the year increased by 2.5%.
The largest increase in output occurred for the caustic soda, as per the Federal State Statistics Service.
According to the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, in February, ethylene production was 203,000 tonnes against 230,000 tonnes in January. Total production of ethylene in the first two months of the year was 433,000 tonnes, down 4.7% year on year.
Production of benzene in February decreased by 6.5% compared with January and amounted to 99,400 tonnes.
Total benzene production over the first two months of the year decreased to 205,400 tonnes, down 2.1% from the same period in 2014.
Russia's production of xylenes in February was 48,000 tonnes, compared with 51,200 tonnes in January 2015.
Production of xylenes in January-February 2015 totalled 99,200 tonnes, up 8% year on year.
February production of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) rose to 98,600 tonnes, which is 7.9% above the January level. Russia's production of caustic soda grew to 184,200 tonnes in the first two months of the year, up 11.1% year on year.
February production of mineral fertilizers was 1.6 mln tonnes (in terms of 100% nutrients), which was close to the January level. Russia's production of mineral fertilizers in the first two months of the year was about 3.2 mln tonnes, which was 4.2% lower than in 2014.
MRC
The largest increase in output occurred for the caustic soda, as per the Federal State Statistics Service.
According to the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation, in February, ethylene production was 203,000 tonnes against 230,000 tonnes in January. Total production of ethylene in the first two months of the year was 433,000 tonnes, down 4.7% year on year.
Production of benzene in February decreased by 6.5% compared with January and amounted to 99,400 tonnes.
Total benzene production over the first two months of the year decreased to 205,400 tonnes, down 2.1% from the same period in 2014.
Russia's production of xylenes in February was 48,000 tonnes, compared with 51,200 tonnes in January 2015.
Production of xylenes in January-February 2015 totalled 99,200 tonnes, up 8% year on year.
February production of sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) rose to 98,600 tonnes, which is 7.9% above the January level. Russia's production of caustic soda grew to 184,200 tonnes in the first two months of the year, up 11.1% year on year.
February production of mineral fertilizers was 1.6 mln tonnes (in terms of 100% nutrients), which was close to the January level. Russia's production of mineral fertilizers in the first two months of the year was about 3.2 mln tonnes, which was 4.2% lower than in 2014.
MRC
Johnson Matthey completes purchase of Clariant battery materials business
МOSCOW (MRC) -- Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, today announced the completion of the sale of its Business Line Energy Storage to Johnson Matthey Plc, said the producer on its site.
The sale was closed on February 28th 2015. "The divestment of the Energy Storage business with its LFP technology is part of our focused portfolio management and reallocating capital towards our core areas Care Chemicals, Catalysis and Energy, Natural Resources, and Plastics and Coatings," said Hariolf Kottmann, CEO of Clariant.
The delas was announced on October 29th, 2014. The total consideration of the sale amounts to USD 75 million.
Clariant is a Swiss speciality chemicals company which was formed in 1995 as a spin-off from Sandoz. The company has a turnover of around USD8 billion and is headquartered in Muttenz with a corporate centre in Pratteln, both near Basel, Switzerland. Clariant manufactures a range of specialty chemicals based largely on pigment, surfactant and polymer chemistry.
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