In the face of a challenging economic environment, Kem One, a significant player in the chemical industry, has made a strategic decision to temporarily suspend operations at its chlorine and caustic soda production facilities in France. This move is driven by the persistent issue of low profitability that the company has been grappling with. Kem One has announced that this shutdown is expected to endure for several months, reflecting the need to navigate through turbulent economic conditions. The primary impetus behind this challenging decision stems from the continuous deterioration of market conditions within the processing sector. Kem One has observed a disconcerting absence of signs pointing to a swift recovery in demand, while the prevailing dynamics in the market are posing considerable challenges to the profit margins of European producers. Over the preceding months, Kem One has witnessed a significant reduction in its production output, with figures showing that it has nearly ...

Rising production cost has been hampering the market dynamics of several commodities in the global market. As per the latest assessment, the global Caustic Soda market has showcased a significant price hike during September 2022, bolstered by ongoing uncertainties regarding energy prices amidst concern over the looming recession. The latest assessment shows a hike of around 8.2% in Germany by the third week of September 2022, owing to prolonged high energy prices, which has exacerbated the overall inflationary pressure in the country. According to market players, energy prices have risen effectively, affecting production costs in the country and have compelled key market players to keep revising their offers. Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, German makers have been concerned over energy supplies, which bothered the country when Russia announced supply cuts by the NS-1 pipeline. Similarly, other European nations also witnessed a similar market sentiment in the meantime, as t...

Hamburg (Germany): Sodium Hypochlorite prices continue to ease in March 24 despite the strong fundamentals recorded in the German economy in February after eleven months of downturns in manufacturing. This is also in line with the long-term historical trend, which reflects a slowdown in demand for Sodium Hypochlorite in German markets, and destocking is anticipated throughout FY24 at regular intervals, even if Germany’s manufacturing improves. Supply challenges remain minimal for Sodium Hypochlorite for German suppliers as the industry is largely domestic to Europe. In this context, ChemAnalyst remains pessimistic about the recovery of prices in Q2FY24 despite strong demand from water treatment in the summer months. Sodium Hypochlorite volumes in German markets are expected to slow down in FY24, primarily by 2 to 3% YoY.  This slowdown is reflected in easing prices, despite the demand for Sodium Hypochlorite remaining stable in the month of March. With temperatures rising, civil dema...

ThinkStock Photos Sameet Chavan of Angel Broking has a buy call on Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals Ltd. with a target price of Rs 650. The current market price of Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals Ltd. is Rs 618.0 Time period given by the analyst is Intra Day when Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals Ltd. price can reach the defined target. Sameet Chavan recommended to keep stoploss at Rs 583. Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals Ltd., incorporated in 1973, is a midcap company with a market cap of Rs 4434.86 crore. Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals Ltd. key Products/Revenue Segments include Caustic Soda Lye which contributed Rs 683.48 Crore to Sales Value (33.05 % of Total Sales), Caustic Soda (Flakes) which contributed Rs 385.51 Crore to Sales Value (18.64 % of Total Sales), Hydrogen Peroxide (100%) which contributed Rs 219.20 Crore to Sales Value (10.60 % of Total Sales), Phosphoric Acid which contributed Rs 168.49 Crore to Sales Value (8.14 % of Total Sales), Aluminium Chloride which ...