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Japan's industrial output collapses as exports dive

Japan has an ageing population. Since 1990, it has relied on exports to boost its economy. Yesterday , official figures showed industrial production is now being badly affected by the global recession. Output fell 3.1% in October, and a 6.4% decline is expected in November. Observers forecast the September...

Posted to ICIS Blogs (Weblog) by Anonymous on 11-30-2008
US equities and crude oil follow each other

An interesting note from PetroMatrix highlights the close linkage that has now developed between changes in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and WTI crude oil prices. The chart, showing market action on Thursday, makes the point very clearly. PetroMatrix's analysis suggests that "the correlation...

Posted to ICIS Blogs (Weblog) by Anonymous on 11-18-2008
A low-key G-20 meeting

The first-ever G-20 meeting of Heads of State was a relatively quiet event , without the presence of President-elect Obama. Two main areas seem to have been discussed : • Regulatory reform, where finance ministers have been given until the end of March to work out new rules for the world's financial...

Posted to ICIS Blogs (Weblog) by Anonymous on 11-18-2008
Dow warns of need for "radical actions"

Andrew Liveris, Dow CEO, has consistently warned that we are facing a major recession. Today , in a Bloomberg interview, he spells out the need for "radical actions" to "take out capacity". He notes that Dow's volumes are down 10%-20% this quarter, and expects this to continue...

Posted to ICIS Blogs (Weblog) by Anonymous on 11-14-2008
Survival tips for CFOs

The Financial Times series on surviving the downturn focuses this week on CFOs . It includes advice from Feike Sijbesma, CEO of DSM, who suggests that "you need to see how creditable your debtors are, very quickly", and advises that "maintaining a good relationship with your creditors...

Posted to ICIS Blogs (Weblog) by Anonymous on 11-14-2008
Russia's economy stalls

A few months ago, Russia's economy seemed to be recovering from its problems in the late 1990's. High prices meant oil revenues were increasing, and the currency was strong. Now, the combination of the oil price collapse and the credit crunch has reversed the position. Yesterday , the central...

Posted to ICIS Blogs (Weblog) by Anonymous on 11-12-2008
The blog's forecasting record

The blog's forecasting record is reviewed in ICIS Chemical Business this week . The blog's aim is to "highlight relevant information for the busy executive, and to provide relevant and actionable analysis of key issues". The article particularly notes the blog's willingness to challenge...

Posted to ICIS Blogs (Weblog) by Anonymous on 11-12-2008
G-20 tries to support growth

The G-20 was created in 1999, after the financial crises that had hit emerging countries from 1997 onwards. It includes the G7 group of major industrial companies, plus the main emerging economies, including the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China). Its ministerial meeting this weekend became...

Posted to ICIS Blogs (Weblog) by Anonymous on 11-10-2008
"A fundamental reassessment of the value of every asset"

"Our normal customers have no orders to place with us, and our credit department won't let us sell to others who might want to buy". The blog was given this plain-spoken assessment of current chemical market conditions by one of the majors yesterday. Coincidentally, US Fed Governor Kevin...

Posted to ICIS Blogs (Weblog) by Anonymous on 11-08-2008
Bank of England cuts to 3%, warns on deflation

UK interest rates have just been cut by 1.5% to 3%. The Bank of England had been very concerned about inflation, currently at 5.2%, compared to a target of 2%. But the Bank now sees no danger from inflation in the future. Instead, it is warning that there is "a substantial risk of undershooting...

Posted to ICIS Blogs (Weblog) by Anonymous on 11-06-2008

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