Combined sales for the top 50 US chemical companies declined 21% to $247.5 billion in 2009, reflecting the impact of the recession. Only four firms recorded revenue increases. The companies with the highest sales were Dow Chemical, Exxon Mobil, DuPont and PPG Industries, which recorded 2009 revenue changes of -22.0%, -30.1%, -14.6%, -18.3%, respectively. Sales for the fifth-largest company, Mosaic, increased 4.9% due to fiscal year that ended in May. New to the list were Arizona Chemical and SK Capital. Total operating profits for the top 50 companies declined 15% to $24.0 billion, as cost cuts and lower natural gas prices offset revenue declines. Despite the downturn, companies’ market capitalization increased. Stock prices for the 32 US publicly traded companies among the top 50 companies rose 65% to $201 billion, in part due to new issues and sell offs.

Source: Chemical & Engineering News