Chemicals

Xinfengming held its 2026 semi-annual results briefing on October 9, responding to questions about improved first-half performance without profit distribution, and a sharp decline in operating cash flow despite a surge in net profit. In the first half, the company achieved operating revenue of 40.691 billion yuan, up 21.50 percent year on year; net profit attributable to the parent company was 1.439 billion yuan, up 103.16 percent year on year. However, net cash flow from operating activities was negative 2.788 billion yuan, a sharp year-on-year decline. The company said this was mainly related to an increase in inventory goods and reflected a phase-specific operating characteristic. Regarding the decision not to distribute profits for the 2026 semi-annual period, Xinfengming said the industry it operates in is a heavy-asset, cyclical industry, and that it will formulate a reasonable cash dividend mechanism by combining its cash dividend policy and fully considering cash flow, capital expenditure, and other factors. The company's financial expenses in the first half rose 26.05 percent year on year, mainly due to an increase in exchange gains and losses and a decrease in interest income, with relatively little impact from the progress of overseas projects. Regarding the 360,000-ton project in Egypt, the company said total investment is about 280 million US dollars, funded by its own capital plus overseas bank financing. It has completed overseas investment filings with the National Development and Reform Commission and the provincial commerce department and obtained the overseas investment certificate, though construction progress involves some uncertainty. In addition, on October 8 the company disclosed share reduction results: Vice President Shen Jianyu reduced holdings by 720,000 shares, accounting for 0.0429 percent of total share capital; Vice President Xu Jizhong reduced holdings by 120,000 shares, accounting for 0.0072 percent of total share capital; and employee representative director, vice president, and board secretary Yang Jianfei has not yet implemented any reduction.

Fulaite announced on the evening of October 9 that its wholly owned subsidiary Hangzhou Huanzhuo Digital Technology signed a Service Agreement with Client Company A for a term of 60 months, with a total tax-inclusive amount of 919 million yuan, payable monthly by the client. On the same day, the company disclosed that it signed a Maximum Amount Guarantee Contract with Zhejiang Xiaoshan Rural Commercial Bank, providing joint liability guarantee for up to 250 million yuan of financing claims for Hangzhou Huanzhuo. The service is based on the company's May disclosure of IT equipment and server procurement of no more than 850 million yuan, and a staff member from the company's securities department confirmed to reporters that the service is computing power service. Fulaite's main business is disperse dyes. In 2025, its operating revenue was 775 million yuan, down 19.66 percent year on year, and net profit attributable to the parent company was 44.86 million yuan, up 103.74 percent year on year. In the first half of 2026, operating revenue was 495 million yuan, up 28.55 percent year on year, and net profit attributable to the parent company was 40.11 million yuan, up 19.47 percent year on year. The announcement cautioned that the service period is long and does not constitute a performance commitment or forecast. If Client Company A's operations deteriorate or cash flow tightens and it is unable to pay fees on time, there will be a risk of bad debt losses.

Nissan Chemical Corporation has approved the establishment of Nissan Chemical Semiconductor materials Zhangjiagang Co., Ltd. in Zhangjiagang City, Jiangsu Province, China, to manufacture and sell anti-reflective coatings and multilayer materials for semiconductors. The new subsidiary carries registered capital of RMB 210 million, or approximately ¥5.00 billion, with initial funding set for October 15, 2026. The move deepens Nissan Chemical's presence in China's semiconductor supply chain by placing production closer to key local customers and demand centers. The roughly ¥5.00 billion capacity build is a focused addition that supports existing guidance rather than reshaping it in the near term, though it tilts the risk mix toward China-specific factors such as local competition and policy or supply chain disruptions. The company's investment case continues to rest on turning specialty chemicals expertise into steady earnings and disciplined shareholder returns, supported by high returns on equity and an active dividend and buyback program.

Huate Gas said at its 2026 semi-annual results briefing on October 8 that the number of products for which it has achieved import substitution has increased from 22 at the time of its IPO to 57, and that it will focus on commercializing high-end electronic specialty gases such as disilane, hydrogen bromide, and boron trichloride. In response to investor questions about continued share reductions by employee shareholding platforms and senior executives, the company said that the three entities, including Xiamen Huahong Duofu, are all pre-IPO employee shareholding platforms established in 2012, and that the reductions were driven by partners' capital planning needs. There was no cashing out at highs or lack of confidence in the company's development, and block trades with certain discounts were chosen to improve reduction efficiency and reduce the impact on the secondary market. The company said its sales pricing comprehensively considers factors such as product costs, market competition, and customers' gas consumption scale, stability, and credit periods, with pricing characterized by case-by-case negotiation. On the performance front, the 2026 semi-annual report published on August 25 showed operating revenue of 872 million yuan, up 28.95 percent year on year; net profit attributable to the parent company of 92.83 million yuan, up 19.16 percent; non-GAAP net profit attributable to the parent company of 89.94 million yuan, up 19.29 percent; and net operating cash flow of 133 million yuan, up 46.93 percent year on year. In the first half, specialty gas business revenue reached 586.04 million yuan, up 38.56 percent year on year, semiconductor segment revenue reached 342.89 million yuan, up 28.22 percent year on year, and helium and related products accounted for about 20 percent of total operating revenue, with revenue up 133 percent year on year.

Domestic prebaked anode prices have risen for the second consecutive month, reaching a near three-year high. A reporter from Cailian Press recently learned from the industry chain that a large electrolytic aluminum plant in Shandong raised its October 2026 prebaked anode procurement benchmark price by 400 yuan per tonne compared with September, implementing a cash price of 6,130 yuan per tonne. This marks the second consecutive monthly increase since the 100 yuan per tonne rise in August. Currently, prebaked anode market prices in the Shandong region have climbed to between 6,130 yuan and 6,430 yuan per tonne, up about 25 percent year on year, the highest since February 2023. The direct driver of this round of price increases is raw material costs. Coal tar pitch remains at elevated prices due to tight supply of high-temperature coal tar, while petroleum coke prices have also rebounded in some areas. Data from Longzhong Information shows that petroleum coke prices have risen from about 2,500 yuan per tonne at the start of the year to above 3,100 yuan per tonne by the end of September. Global downstream consumption continues to expand, and domestic demand in new energy sectors such as power batteries and energy storage remains strong, directly boosting domestic aluminum consumption and providing rigid support for prebaked anodes. As the world's leading commercial prebaked anode producer, Sunstone Development has 4.06 million tonnes of prebaked anode production capacity in operation in 2026, with an additional planned capacity of about 1.12 million tonnes under preparation. The company said that with cost control measures such as centralized petroleum coke procurement and intelligent blending, as well as scale advantages, its profit margin is expected to be further optimized.

Solstice Advanced Materials announced plans to invest $49 million to expand research and development capabilities at its Buffalo, New York facility. The investment is supported by up to $1.4 million in performance-based tax credits from New York State through the Excelsior Jobs Program, administered by Empire State Development. The project will establish a next-generation innovation platform at the Buffalo research campus, including expanded refrigerant and thermal management research, enhanced toxicological testing, and a new lab for advanced energy storage materials. Solstice has committed to creating 12 new full-time positions at the Buffalo facility by June 2027. The site employs approximately 180 scientists, engineers and support staff and has generated more than 3,700 patents globally since opening in 1955.

Axalta Coating Systems is positioned to potentially extend its earnings-beat streak when it reports next on October 29, 2026. The high-performance coating maker has topped consensus estimates by an average of 11.38% over the last two quarters, most recently posting $0.72 per share against an expected $0.65, a surprise of 10.77%, after an earlier $0.56 versus $0.5, a surprise of 12.00%. The company currently carries a Zacks Earnings ESP of +0.51% alongside a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), a combination that Zacks research says produces a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. Zacks notes that a negative Earnings ESP reading does not indicate an earnings miss but does reduce the metric's predictive power.

Evonik Industries shares rose 2.6% following a Reuters report that BASF could submit a new takeover offer for the German specialty chemicals company. Reuters reported that BASF may make another bid after Evonik rejected an earlier offer of €22.15 per share in September, a proposal that represented a premium of nearly 25% to Evonik's prior three-month average share price. Citi analysts said that even at an assumed offer price of €25 per share, their model indicates average earnings per share and free cash flow accretion of approximately 20% through 2030 for BASF, though return on invested capital would fall to around 9%, which they view as a threshold given the scale, complexity and execution risks involved. The analysts added that unless major shareholder RAG opposes a transaction, Evonik management may ultimately decide to engage in discussions, and noted that RAG's most recent share placement was executed at €19.99 per share. Citi also said it currently struggles to identify a valuation scenario in which Evonik shares can sustainably exceed €22 per share absent a broader sector recovery.

Borregaard has arranged new sustainability-linked multicurrency revolving credit facilities totaling NOK 1,500 million with three banks, replacing existing arrangements that were approaching maturity. The facilities secure continued access to committed funding, with loan terms tied to environmental and safety targets including greenhouse gas emission cuts and workplace safety measures. The company operates in the chemicals sector, focusing on specialized biochemicals and biomaterials for customers across Europe, Asia, the United States, and other regions. The refinancing keeps Borregaard's debt profile aligned with its buyback-and-earnings-reset narrative, tying borrowing costs to how effectively it runs its mills rather than to market rates alone. With profit margins recently weaker than a year ago, the flexible general-purpose credit leaves room to balance capacity upgrades against authorized share repurchases without overstretching the balance sheet.

Sika has acquired Azpects Group, a leading UK manufacturer of polymeric sands for the landscaping sector, in a move the company says strengthens its position in a fast-growing segment. Azpects manufactures and distributes a range of easy-to-use polymeric paving joint compounds and complementary landscaping products for patios, pathways and driveways, serving landscaping contractors across the UK through established trade distribution channels. Sika said the deal creates cross-selling opportunities through highly complementary product portfolios and distribution channels, and that Azpects' manufacturing facility offers a platform to grow and optimize Sika's UK production footprint, with significant cost synergies expected in manufacturing and logistics. Regional Manager EMEA Christoph Ganz said Sika's distribution network can bring Azpects' product range into new channels and customer segments, and welcomed the Azpects team to the company. Sika is a specialty chemicals company with subsidiaries in 102 countries, production in over 400 factories, more than 33,000 employees and CHF 11.20 billion in sales in 2025.

Dongyue Silicone Materials released its performance forecast for the first three quarters of 2026, expecting attributable net profit of 547 million to 567 million yuan, a year-on-year surge of more than 190 times. Boosted by the positive news, the company's shares quickly hit the daily limit-up. The company said the earnings change was mainly driven by an improved market environment and better supply-demand dynamics in the industry, with prices of its main products rising. The news also lifted the broader silicone sector, with Chenguang New Materials also hitting limit-up, while Guibao Science and Technology, Hoshine Silicon, Hongbai New Materials, and Xinyaqiang followed higher. On the same day, major A-share indices opened lower, with the STAR Composite Index falling more than 1 percent and the ChiNext Index dropping about 1 percent.

Acetron announced on October 9 that the company has received the second tranche of national project special funds in cash, amounting to 20 million yuan. In the first half of 2026, Acetron achieved revenue of 783 million yuan and net profit attributable to the parent company of 36.88 million yuan.

Fiberglass giant Sinoma Science & Technology has completed its private placement, issuing a total of 87.1819 million shares to 15 investors at 51.40 yuan per share, raising 4.481 billion yuan in total. Well-known investor Ge Weidong participated in the subscription with the highest bid in the entire offering and was ultimately allotted about 700 million yuan, becoming the company's fifth-largest shareholder. Wang Ping, who entered the stock earlier and is closely associated with Ge Weidong, ranks as the company's ninth-largest shareholder.

Silicone leader Dongyue Silicone Materials issued a results forecast, projecting net profit for the first three quarters of 547 million to 567 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 19,050% to 19,750%, igniting the silicone sector. Boosted by the news, silicone-related stocks rallied against the market in early trading on October 9, with Dongyue Silicone Materials surging by the 20% daily limit, Chenguang New Materials hitting the daily limit, and Xinyaqiang, Guibao Science and Technology, and Hoshine Silicon following higher. Dongyue Silicone Materials said that in the first three quarters of 2026, thanks to an improved market environment and industry supply-demand balance, prices of its main products rose, while industrial silicon procurement costs fell year on year, lowering overall unit production costs and lifting gross margins. China's domestic silicone market has rebounded since bottoming out in the fourth quarter of 2025, and DMC prices have climbed steadily in 2026. Data from SunSirs shows that as of October 8, DMC was quoted at 14,400 yuan per tonne, up more than 10% over the past 60 days. According to statistics from Securities Times Data Treasure, institutions unanimously forecast that nine silicone-related stocks are expected to post full-year profit growth in 2026, with Sanyou Chemical, Wynca Group, Sanfu Chemical, Hoshine Silicon, and Luxi Chemical expected to lead with gains exceeding 100%.

Fulaiente announced on October 9 that its wholly-owned subsidiary Hangzhou Huanzhuo Digital Technology Co., Ltd. signed a Service Agreement with Client Company A, with a service term of 60 months and a total tax-inclusive amount of 919 million yuan.

Delta Paint Public Company Limited, or DPAINT, sees opportunity in the post-flood recovery period now entering a cycle of home repair and renovation. Demand for architectural paint and construction materials, the company's core business, will be directly supported by the renovation market, spanning walls, surfaces, and interior and exterior areas that need repainting to restore homes to a livable condition. The company said demand is not limited to new project construction but also comes from repair and renovation, which plays a greater role after natural disasters, and it expects recovery to expand from initial repairs to major home renovations. At the same time, DPAINT is laying a long-term game through its investment in The City Phuket to enter the real estate business and create a new S-Curve, adding diversity to its revenue structure while keeping architectural paint and construction materials as the core business that generates cash flow. The company views Phuket as an area with potential in tourism and real estate, and if developed according to plan, it will complement the core business and create opportunities for stable growth in the future.

Dongyue Silicon Materials shot straight up to the daily limit after the market opened on October 9, with the share price at 17.15 yuan and total market value of about 20.6 billion yuan. The previous evening, the company disclosed its performance forecast for the first three quarters of 2026, expecting attributable net profit of 547 million to 567 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 19,050% to 19,750%. Non-recurring net profit is expected to be 589 million to 609 million yuan, compared with 11.82 million yuan in the same period last year. The company attributed the earnings growth to higher prices for its main products driven by an improved industry supply-demand balance, as well as a year-on-year decline in procurement prices for industrial silicon raw materials, which lowered overall unit production costs and lifted comprehensive gross margin. The company also cautioned that the third quarter of 2025 was affected by the July 20 fire accident, resulting in a loss of 39.34 million yuan for that period, which left attributable net profit for the first three quarters of 2025 at only 2.86 million yuan, making the current profit figures not comparable with the same period last year. Excluding the impact of the fire, attributable net profit for the first three quarters of 2025 would have been about 42.19 million yuan, corresponding to a forecast profit increase of about 1,197% to 1,244% for 2026. Based on the forecast and first-half financial data, the company's third-quarter attributable net profit is estimated at 118 million to 138 million yuan, down about 41% to 49% quarter on quarter, meaning that the marginal pace of earnings growth has not expanded in tandem even as industry prices continue to rise. Dongyue Silicon Materials is one of China's largest producers in the silicone industry, with annual production capacity of 600,000 tonnes of silicone monomer and more than 600 downstream product grades as of the end of the reporting period. Since the domestic silicone DMC market bottomed out and rebounded in the fourth quarter of 2025, the supply-demand balance has continued to improve. As of October 9, the benchmark price was 14,400 yuan per tonne, up about 30% year on year. Leading suppliers reached a consensus on coordinated production cuts and price stabilization from the end of 2025, while overseas, Dow shut down its basic siloxane plant in Barry, United Kingdom, involving DMC capacity of 145,000 tonnes per year, accounting for about 30.5% of total European silicone capacity.

Sinoma Science & Technology disclosed on the evening of October 8 the results of its 2025 share issuance to specific investors. The company issued a total of 87.1819 million shares at 51.40 yuan per share to 15 investors, raising 4.481 billion yuan, of which more than 3.1 billion yuan will be used for an electronic fabric expansion project. Institutions dominated this private placement. E Fund Management was allotted 19.8833 million shares worth 1.022 billion yuan, making it the largest subscriber. Caitong Fund and Nuode Fund were allotted 485 million yuan and 427 million yuan respectively. UBS AG, Harvest Fund, and China Life Pension also participated. China National Building Material United Investment, a wholly owned subsidiary of the actual controller China National Building Material Group, was allotted 820 million yuan for 15.9562 million shares, with an 18-month lock-up period. Well-known retail investor Ge Weidong was allotted 13.6187 million shares worth about 700 million yuan. His highest bid of 59.15 yuan per share was the highest offer of the day. Retail investors Zhong Ge and Chen Xuegeng were each allotted 1.9455 million shares worth about 100 million yuan. Of the proceeds, 1.662 billion yuan is planned for a project with annual output of 35 million meters of low-dielectric fiberglass cloth, and 1.475 billion yuan is planned for a project with annual output of 24 million meters of ultra-low-loss low-dielectric fiberglass cloth.

Sinoma Science & Technology's private placement has been completed, with well-known investor Ge Weidong securing an allocation of approximately 700 million yuan at the highest bid of the session, making him the company's fifth largest shareholder. According to the company's announcement on the evening of October 8, a total of 87.1819 million shares were issued to 15 subscribers at 51.40 yuan per share, raising 4.481 billion yuan. Ge Weidong submitted three bids of 59.15 yuan, 57.85 yuan, and 56.55 yuan, with 59.15 yuan being the highest bid of the day, and was ultimately fully allocated 13.6187 million shares with a six-month lock-up period. Wang Ping, who is closely associated with him, had entered the market earlier, becoming a top ten shareholder in the first half of the year. After this issuance, the two together hold 21.0826 million shares, worth approximately 1.097 billion yuan based on the closing price of 52.01 yuan per share on October 8. Institutions were the main subscribers, with E Fund Management becoming the largest subscriber at 1.022 billion yuan, while Caitong Fund and Nuode Fund contributed 485 million yuan and 427 million yuan respectively. China United Investment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the actual controller China National Building Material Group, was allocated 820 million yuan, constituting a related-party transaction with an 18-month lock-up period.

Sinoma Science & Technology disclosed on the evening of October 8 the results of its 2025 share issuance to specific investors, issuing a total of 87.1819 million shares to 15 investors at 51.40 yuan per share and raising 4.481 billion yuan, of which more than 3.1 billion yuan will go to an electronic fiber cloth capacity expansion project. Specifically, 1.662 billion yuan of the 4.481 billion yuan is planned for a project with annual output of 35 million meters of low-dielectric fiber cloth, and 1.475 billion yuan is planned for a project with annual output of 24 million meters of ultra-low-loss low-dielectric fiber cloth. Institutions were the main force in this placement. E Fund received 19.8833 million shares worth 1.022 billion yuan, making it the largest subscriber. Caitong Fund and Nuode Fund received 485 million yuan and 427 million yuan respectively. UBS AG, Harvest Fund, Huatai Asset Management, and China Life Pension also participated. China National Building Material United Investment, a wholly owned subsidiary of the company's actual controller China National Building Material Group, received 820 million yuan for 15.9562 million shares with an 18-month lock-up period. Well-known retail investor Ge Weidong received 13.6187 million shares worth about 700 million yuan. His subscription bid at the highest tier of 59.15 yuan per share was the highest bid of the day. His wife Wang Ping had already become a top-ten shareholder in the second quarter of this year, holding 7.4639 million shares as of the end of the first half of 2026, accounting for 0.44 percent of total share capital. Retail investors Zhong Ge and Chen Xuegeng each received 1.9455 million shares worth about 100 million yuan.

Fulaite announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Hangzhou Huanzhuo has signed a Service Agreement with Client Company A, with a service term of 60 months and a total tax-inclusive amount of 919 million yuan. The agreement takes effect after being stamped by both parties and does not constitute a performance commitment or performance forecast. The company is advancing the procurement of all equipment under the agreement and will deliver and commence leasing as soon as possible. If implemented smoothly, it is expected to have a certain impact on operating performance.

Sinocera Materials announced on October 9 that as of September 30, 2026, the company had repurchased 3.27 million shares, accounting for 0.3276% of total share capital, with a repurchase amount of 100 million yuan and a repurchase price range of 29.88 yuan to 31.93 yuan per share. In the first half of 2026, Sinocera Materials achieved revenue of 2.513 billion yuan and net profit attributable to the parent company of 363 million yuan.

On October 9, the A-share silicone concept sector continued to strengthen. Dongyue Silicone hit the 20cm daily limit-up, Chenguang New Materials also hit limit-up, and Guibao Science and Technology, Xinyaqiang, and Hesheng Silicone followed with gains. Behind the sector's sustained strength are multiple factors including improved industry supply-demand dynamics, recovering product prices, and earnings repair at listed companies. At the end of 2025, the silicone industry's anti-involution conference was held, where companies reached a consensus to cut production by 30%, and silicone prices gradually recovered. Entering 2026, leading companies continued to reduce output and raise prices, effectively easing inventory pressure. Affected by the EU REACH environmental regulations and high energy costs, international chemical giants such as Dow and Wacker have announced shutdowns or reductions in silicone capacity, and the accelerated clearing of overseas capacity has provided market space for domestic companies with cost advantages. Taking the key intermediate product DMC as an example, the price was around 13,600 yuan per tonne in early September, rose to about 14,700 yuan per tonne in mid-September, and after entering October, mainstream market negotiation prices remained in the range of 14,400 to 15,000 yuan per tonne. On the evening of October 8, Dongyue Silicone disclosed its performance forecast for the first three quarters of 2026, expecting net profit attributable to the parent company of 547 million to 567 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 19,050% to 19,750%, mainly driven by improved industry supply-demand dynamics that lifted prices of major products. In addition, expanding applications in semiconductors, data center cooling, and new energy are creating new growth opportunities. Jianghan New Materials' production facilities with annual capacity of 10,000 tonnes of 6N-grade silicon tetrachloride and 5,000 tonnes of 9N-grade TEOS are currently in the equipment installation stage and are expected to begin trial operation in early 2027. Industry insiders caution that whether new demand layouts can translate into actual performance still depends on the progress of project commissioning, customer certification, and demand realization at the relevant companies.

Dongyue Silicone Materials opened sharply higher on October 9 and quickly rose to the 20cm daily limit, after the company disclosed its performance forecast for the first three quarters of 2026. It expects attributable net profit of 547 million to 567 million yuan, an increase of more than 19,000% compared with the same period last year. The company said the change was mainly driven by the market environment and an improved industry supply-demand structure, with prices of its main products rising. However, Dongyue Silicone Materials stressed that in the third quarter of 2025, affected by the July 20 fire accident, it recorded a loss of 39.3374 million yuan, which left attributable net profit for the first three quarters of the prior-year period at only 2.8567 million yuan. Therefore, the profit figures for the first three quarters of 2026 are not comparable with the same period last year. Based on earlier half-year report data, the company achieved attributable net profit of 429 million yuan in the first half of 2026, up 916.22% year on year. From this, third-quarter net profit this year is estimated at 118 million to 138 million yuan. Dongyue Silicone Materials focuses on the research, development, production and sales of silicone materials. Wind data shows that since its high point in July this year, the company's share price has fallen by more than 35% cumulatively.

Verbio SE outlined its next development phase at its Capital Markets Day in Bitterfeld, marking the commissioning of a new ethenolysis plant for bio-based speciality chemicals as a milestone in the expansion of its renewable-molecule production platform and biorefineries. After years of high investment, the company said its focus is now increasingly on utilizing the capacity it has created, optimizing existing production plants and increasing earnings and cash flow. The event covered the market and competitive positioning of Verbio's existing business divisions, the further development of its business base in the USA, and the commercial ramp-up of its new chemical products. Verbio pointed to the resurgence of biomass as a raw material revitalizing the biofuels market while opening new value-creation opportunities beyond it, including expanded trading activities and additional revenue potential from the utilization and storage of biogenic CO2. Chief Executive Officer Claus Sauter said Verbio has developed over two decades from a biofuel producer into an integrated platform for a wide range of renewable molecules, with the company's twentieth flotation anniversary days away, and that it will now harness that platform's potential to generate value, cash flow and long-term returns for shareholders. Verbio also reaffirmed its commitment to disciplined capital use and a balanced approach between profitable growth, financial stability and sustainable value creation.

RPM declared a quarterly dividend of $0.57 per share, a 5.6% increase from its prior dividend of $0.54. The dividend carries a forward yield of 2.3% and is payable October 30 to shareholders of record as of October 20, with an ex-dividend date of October 20. The increase marks the company's 53rd consecutive year of raising its cash dividend.

RPM International Inc. announced the election of Jeffrey D. Rowe to its board of directors, bringing the total to 12 members following the annual meeting of stockholders. Rowe currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Archer-Daniels-Midland Company, where he oversees three business units, four regions and global operations, R&D and sustainability functions. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Syngenta Group and spent more than two decades at DuPont Pioneer in executive leadership roles. Rowe will serve on RPM's governance and nominating committee. RPM Chairman and CEO Frank C. Sullivan said Rowe's global leadership experience and operational expertise across manufacturing, supply chain and innovation align with the company's strategic goals.

Avient Corporation declared a quarterly cash dividend of US$0.2825 per share, payable on January 7, 2027, to shareholders of record as of December 11, 2026, marking its sixteenth consecutive annual increase and lifting the annualized payout from US$1.10 to US$1.13 per share. The company reported US$917.0 million in sales and US$64.8 million in net income in its recent Q2 2026 results, with higher net profit margins than a year earlier. Avient's narrative projects $3.7 billion in revenue and $338.5 million in earnings by 2029, requiring 3.9% yearly revenue growth and roughly a doubling in earnings from $170.0 million today, and yields a $50.86 fair value, a 24% upside to its current price. Some analysts expect revenue of about US$3.9 billion and earnings around US$312.5 million, while another fair value estimate puts the stock at just $66.96. The extended dividend streak reinforces the income side of Avient's story but does not materially change the near-term catalyst in electronics and high performance computing or the risk that weaker transportation and other cyclical end markets could weigh on revenue and margins.

AkzoNobel is expected to offer divestments in its planned $25 billion purchase of Axalta Coating to try to allay concerns from European Union regulators. The remedies, expected to be filed next week with the European Commission, would involve the sale of certain overlapping businesses in the vehicle refinish market, according to a Bloomberg report on Thursday citing people familiar with the matter, while the EC's issues over the combination's impact on the powder coating markets have been dropped. The EC declined to comment to Bloomberg, and both AkzoNobel and Axalta didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Separately, Reuters reported that EC regulators will approve the deal with the remedies, and the filing from the companies next week will extend the current EC's Oct. 22 deadline by 10 working days. The EC has until Oct. 22 to decide if it will approve the deal or open an in-depth probe. AkzoNobel said on Monday that it agreed to sell its Southeast Asian decorative paints business to Nippon Paint for $1.35 billion, concluding its strategic review of its Asian decorative paints portfolio, and Axalta in November announced an all-stock merger with AkzoNobel to create a global coatings company valued at approximately $25 billion.

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. has entered a definitive agreement with PG Cold Energy 1 Sdn. Bhd. to design, build and operate Malaysia's first LNG-based air separation unit, located at the Pengerang LNG regasification terminal in Johor and expected to come online by early 2027. The facility will produce more than 600 tons per day of liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon, supplying the merchant market and rising demand from the electrical and electronics, petrochemical, aerospace and manufacturing sectors. The unit will use cold energy generated during LNG regasification to liquefy air at low temperatures, cutting energy consumption and production-related emissions. The project reinforces Air Products' long-standing relationship with PETRONAS Gas Berhad and adds to its LNG-based air separation units in Asia, with operations in Malaysia dating back to 1974. APD shares have gained 5.8% in the past year against the industry's 0.3% decline in the same period.