Europe has been built through crisis since the end of World War 2. Today’s economic and political crises require a similar focus on reinvention.
Chemicals and the Economy
Companies need to refocus to avoid over-capacity problems ahead
Today’s population growth is mainly due to increasing life expectancy, not babies being born. And these Perennials 55+ are the most under-served generation in history. Companies who pivot to meet their needs are likely to be very successful
Chemicals must respond to demographic destiny
Demographic changes are now transforming the nature of demand in chemicals and other industries. Far-sighted companies around the world are already adapting their strategies for success in today’s New Normal.
NVIDIA moves to new highs, while nearly half of major US companies have no earnings
Markets are finally rediscovering their core role of price discovery. The US 10-year rate has risen 0.5% since the Fed cut its rate by 0.5%. And so the clock is now ticking for the biggest stock market bubble of our lifetimes.
Chemicals industry starts to focus on Reinvention options at Berlin conference
The key is to rethink the business and become demand-led. And the good news is that companies are now starting to explore this option.
Currency wars kick off as Japanese yen tumbles close to 38-year low
This is the 3rd time we have forewarned of an approaching crisis. Both previous times, ahead of the Great Financial Crisis and the Covid pandemic, we were told we “didn’t know what we were talking about”. Let’s hope its “3rd time lucky” and that “this time is different”.
“Gradually, then Suddenly” – Hemingway’s insight starts to apply to the New Normal’s arrival
As Hemingway noted, everyone is your friend when things are going well. But as countries and individuals are now starting to discover, the hangover when the party ends can be a painful experience.
US Treasury Secretaries change their minds on trade and inflation policies
Policymakers in the West and the East now find themselves adrift in increasingly stormy seas, without a compass. Their 2 key policy tools on trade and inflation have proved to be wrong. New thinking on the role of central banks is urgently required.
Oil and financial markets start to wake up to geopolitical reality
The oil price has rallied 22% over the past 4 months, since it bottomed at $74/bbl. And slowly but surely, traders are being forced to realise that geopolitics are replacing economics as the key driver for world markets.
Risks mount for US ethylene exports
Future Winners in today’s New Normal world will be those companies that realise that the key question is no longer, “Do we have low-cost supply?” It is instead “Do we have a customer who is willing and able to buy from us”.