Polymer Prices Standard Thermoplastics

Standard Thermoplastics Trend November 2015: Prices oblivious to cost movements / Market situation dictates / PE prices move up / Producers gain margin improvements with PP and styrenics

Polyethylene October 2015: Producers defend their margins again / Price declines largely limited to cost reduction / Imports fill many European gaps / Stability on the horizon

Polypropylene October 2015: Producers pass on all of their cost relief / Pressure from global upstream markets / Price slide likely to slow in November

Styrenics October 2015: Crash in SM takes notations down by triple digits / PS and EPS insulation producers improve margins / Costs mostly passed on / Additional downtrend expected

PVC October 2015: Notations continue to fall / Ethylene and additive costs down / Market balanced despite production outages / Only compounds prices expected to drop further in November

Standard Thermoplastics Trend October 2015: Declines at best equal to cost reduction / PP producers restrict output to pocket some of the lower costs / PS could slip further

Polyethylene September 2015: Notations fall significantly more than the monomer reference price / HD grades tend somewhat firmer / Many converters hold back with their buying activities / Price decline in October likely to be less marked than before

PVC September 2015: Producers pass on ethylene cost relief / Margins successfully defended / Cheap olefins pressure additives / Tough negotiations on the table in October

Styrenics September 2015: Standard grades mostly follow SM reference / EPS and ABS also pulled down / Significant acceleration in October caused by styrenics monomer crash

Polypropylene September 2015: Rebates for standard grades exceed monomer's fall / Downswing loses momentum / Prices to continue downward in October / VW crisis clouds compound outlook

Standard Thermoplastics Trend September 2015: Fall in polyolefin notations exceeds cost reduction / PVC and PS declines in line with the feedstocks / Demand more subdued than expected

Polyethylene August 2015: Price cuts slightly exceed cost reduction / Market situation returning to normal / Imports improve supply situation / Specified HD types remain short / Further significant reductions expected in September

Styrenics August 2015: Notations give way / Rebates mostly exceed cost relief / Summer lull and expectations of price drop curb demand / Fresh SM decline will trigger further concessions

Polypropylene August 2015: Price reductions slightly greater than price relief / Producers‘ margins still well-padded / Market trending long / Downslide will gather speed in September

PVC August 2015: Producers pass on proportionate cost rise / Tough price round ends in a stalemate / Fall in titanium dioxide impacts rigid blends / Additional declines expected in September

Standard Thermoplastics Trend August 2015: Price cuts for PE and PVC still smaller than cost reduction / PP often a little higher / PS follows closely in the footsteps of SM / Imports more plentiful / Continuing price pressure

Polyethylene July 2015: Weak rollover dominates / Supply not yet sufficiently balanced / An improvement is nevertheless evident / Prices expected to fall in August / Demand will dictate the size of the reductions

Polypropylene July 2015: Standard grades tumble farther than monomer / Supply mostly back to normal as imports pad / Base compounds regather momentum / Price plunge in August

Styrenics July 2015: Fall in PS notations exceeds monomer slide / EPS decline not as steep / ABS moves into a rollover / Price pressure will continue into August

PVC July 2015: Rollover for base and emulsion grades / Slight downward corrections for compounds / Supply improves considerably / Price declines likely in August

Standard Thermoplastics Trend July 2015: Supply situation on the road to recovery / PE rolls over / PP follows the monomer down / PVC trending stable to slightly upward / PS takes its cue from the monomer trend

Polyethylene June 2015: Increases once again reach triple digits / Margins at record levels / Improvement slowly coming into sight / Notations likely to roll over or even fall in July

Polypropylene June 2015: Hikes continuously diminished / Prices barely exceed cost increase / Supply improves / Some relief likely in July / Compounds still firm

PVC June 2015: Producers once again achieve significant margin improvements / Tight market drives prices up / Supply situation appears to be easing / Notations could stabilise in July

Styrenics June 2015: Price boom comes to an end / Only ABS pointing up slightly / PS already crumbling / EPS rolls over / Holiday season will dampen demand in July / Discounts expected across the board