So What’s the Big Deal with Chemicals?
Olin Thompson and P.J. Jakovljevic - December 24, 2007

For the chemical industry, the last decade has been a rollercoaster ride. Until two years ago or so, sales of everything from petrochemicals to paint were sluggish; inventories all but overflowed the storage tanks, and the pricing power of producers was weak. But a reversal of fortune has almost emptied those tanks, and plants are operating around the clock (and still barely meeting the increased demand). This increased demand is giving sellers the upper hand in pricing. As a result, many chemical vendors are virtually minting money—in some cases reaching historically high levels of profitability and cash flow...