In this edition of Kroll's European Chemicals Update, we evaluate current trends for key raw materials, prevailing investor sentiment and valuation developments in the featured agrochemicals sub-sector.
Our top insights are detailed below.
Key raw materials in the chemicals sector trended slightly downward in Q2/Q3, following decreasing crude oil prices. Output cuts and macroeconomic concerns continued to suppress Brent crude oil prices in Q3 2019, which is a pattern likely to prevail to the end of the year.
Next, the ifo Business Climate Index for the German chemical industry turned negative in Q3 2019. Both current conditions and expectations trended downward in Q3 2019 as the outlook for the overall economy weakened.
Finally, in the agrochemicals sub-sector, market capitalization decreased for the featured companies as concerns regarding economic activity suppressed company outlooks.
