July 16, 2010 to August 25, 2010, Vol. 2, Issue 08 Polyethylene contract prices in August have held steady after easing in July while spot prices have firmed this month amid talk that supply is tight. Ethylene monomer prices have risen sharply while further upstream, ethane has also firmed.
June 16, 2010 to July 30, 2010, Vol. 2, Issue 07 Polyethylene spot prices eased in June and were largely steady in July while contract prices continued to slide. Ethylene spot prices were largely range-bound in the high 20s cpp-low 30s cpp while further upstream, ethane prices eased about 10 cents. Read the rest of this entry »
May 16, 2010 to June 15, 2010, Vol. 2, Issue 06 PE prices fell from the middle of May to the middle of June, pulled lower by falling ethylene monomer prices.
May polyethylene contracts fell 6 cpp from April levels, with the exception of LDPE, which was down about 4 cpp. In June participants said that producers were initially discussing an additional 4 cpp decrease in pricing Read the rest of this entry »
As the US resin markets continue to experience growing pains as they evolve and become more transparent, one thing has become clear in the domestic market: buyers are expanding their options. After several periods during the past two years characterized by high prices and tight supply, consumers are looking at not only changing the way they price resin, but in some cases, the resin itself. Read the rest of this entry »
In the past few years, we have seen the US ethylene market evolve to become a more transparent, liquid market. This has increased its usefulness as a way for many companies to manage risk. It also serves as a new foundation for those making decisions in markets all along the ethylene supply chain - most notably, in packaging. Read the rest of this entry »
April 16, 2010 to May 15, 2010, Vol. 2, Issue 05 Polyethylene prices were largely stable from the middle of April to the middle of May while upstream, ethylene monomer prices fell about 40%.
Producers were seeking to implement increases of 5 cpp in April contract prices for polyethylene. Read the rest of this entry »
Ethylene prices reached near-record levels in March and April of 2010, driving fear into the hearts of dozens of downstream markets, still smarting from the tumult of 2008. Many are expecting a replay of that time: record-high prices, a resultant demand drop and a price slide that is breath-taking and margin-erasing. There’s one major difference in the 2010 version of this scenario: ethylene is playing the part of crude oil. Read the rest of this entry »
March 16, 2010 to April 15, 2010, Vol. 2, Issue 04 Polyethylene spot prices were steady from mid-March to mid-April after moving up at the beginning of March. PE prices were supported by continued strength in ethylene monomer spot prices, while further upstream, ethane fell. Read the rest of this entry »
February 16, 2010 to March 15, 2010, Vol. 2, Issue 03 Polyethylene spot prices moved higher from the middle of February to the middle of March, driven higher by rising raw materials costs, production disruptions and tight supply. Read the rest of this entry »
The PetroChem Wire publishes daily forward curves for natural gas liquids, ethylene, and polyethylene prices on page three of the report. If interpreted properly, these forward curves provide insight into market sentiment and direction. They also have a practical application as buyers and sellers routinely use them to lock in margins into the future. Read the rest of this entry »