Helping you navigate the new normal since 2001
Its not all fun being part of the US millennial generation (those born between 1980 – 2000). They number 80 million, about the same as the BabyBoomer generation. But as the New York Times notes: “The millennial generation has less wealth and more debt than other generations did at the same age, thanks to student […]
Demographic changes hit US chlorine and caustic soda demand Read More
Companies and investors often say “we don’t need to think about demographics – its too far in the future to matter”. This might have been true 20 years ago, but not today. As European chlorine industry demand confirms, the truth is that “history catches up with us”. The reason is simple. Europe stopped having enough […]
45-year shortage of babies hits Europe’s chlorine/PVC demand Read More
Fracking has completely changed the outlook for US natural gas supplies, as the above chart from the latest Energy Information Agency 2014 annual report shows: It forecasts a 56% increase in total natural gas production from 2012 to 2040 This is largely due to growth in shale gas (green) and tight gas (brown) Shale gas output […]
US fracking demand creates price volatility for hydrochloric acid Read More
Chlorine and caustic soda are the bedrock of modern industry. They are used in everything from laundry products to pharmaceuticals. So changes in their business performance are a most valuable guide to what is happening in the real world in which we all live. The chart shows the detail of developments in the European industry, […]
European chloralkali output hit as growth slows, Ukraine volumes drop Read More