General Background
Chemical Intelligence collects information from a wide range of sources including producers of commodity chemicals, distributors, traders, packagers, and various consumers. Whereas some experienced consulting companies publish monthly reports, our reports are updated every two weeks giving subscribers a more timely and accurate picture of the state of particular markets. And unlike services that do publish more than one monthly report, Chemical Intelligence personnel are dedicated to a specific market and develop valuable relationships and understanding that leads to objective independent chemical information services you can actually use.
Price Quotes
Actual transactions verified by both sellers and buyers provide the foundation upon which Chemical Intelligence bases the majority of price quotes included in published reports. Unconfirmed deals from established sources are sometimes used to gauge price levels during periods of extreme inactivity and are always included as part of the market discussion in the text of the reports. Chemical Intelligence is unique in its’ ability to maintain relationships with high level personnel to gain a greater understanding of the marketplace and provide quality objective assessments.
Contract prices mentioned in reports generally refer to supply agreements extending over one or more years. Pricing is usually negotiated monthly, quarterly, or even yearly (based on a seasonal need for instance). Large buyers with established relationships are represented at the low end of the contract range, while smaller buyers are generally represented by the high end. Contract prices can also change retroactively following negotiations concerning the price or competitive situations. Nominated contract prices are released by producers and often become the subject of negotiation. Net contract prices referenced in the report refer to an estimated range of actual transaction prices, which is often a function of benchmark contract prices minus an established discount. By gathering information on discount ranges off benchmark contract prices, Chemical Intelligence is one of the only companies to publish an estimated net contract range in a number of markets.
Spot prices refer to the sale of a single shipment made during a specific time period between a willing buyer and seller. Spot quotes represent verified activity in the marketplace on the last day of the week before publication. Distressed deals not indicative of regular market activity at the time of publication are not included in spot price ranges, but are included in the report text.
For more information about specifications and market dynamics please contact us at admin@chemicalintelligence.com or call us at 281.444.2872.