Abstract
The economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be gaining steam. Nearly every large chemical company posted increases in first-quarter sales and earnings from a year earlier, and double-digit sales gains were the norm. The world’s largest chemical maker, BASF, posted a 16% increase in sales for the quarter, while earnings swelled 59%. The big gainers for the German company were chemicals and materials, as well as its surface technology unit, which includes its coatings and catalysts businesses. BASF attributed the gains in all three segments to higher prices and volumes, a theme seen across the chemical industry as the economy recovers. “We had a strong start to the year,” BASF chairman Martin Brudermüller said in a statement announcing the results. “The positive earnings momentum of the fourth quarter of 2020 continued.” In late April, the largest US chemical maker, Dow, reported increases of 22% in sales and 133%
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
