Based on per-share stock prices, 2023 has been a good year for most of the materials stocks tracked by Plastics News.
Seven of those 11 firms had higher stock prices when the markets closed Dec. 13 than they did on Jan. 1. Celanese Corp. had seen the largest percentage gain in that period, with its per-share price up almost 42 percent.
Per-share prices at Westlake Corp., Hexcel Corp. and Cabot Corp. were up 19-30 percent in the same comparison. Prices at Avient Corp. were up 12 percent, while prices at Dow Inc. and Eastman Chemical Co. were up 4-7 percent.
The remaining four firms won't be sad to see 2023 come to an end. Per-share prices at Trinseo have plummeted more than 70 percent, with prices at AdvanSix Inc. down more than 25 percent. Per-share prices at Chemours Co. and Huntsman Corp. have seen smaller drops of 4-8 percent.
On the processing side, results have been more mixed, with eight of 14 firms tracked by PN showing per-share price gains. Azek Co. Inc. and Trex Co. Inc. led the way with gains of almost 80 percent. Per-share prices at Advanced Drainage Sysmtems Inc. surged almost 60 percent.
Pactiv Evergreen Inc., AptarGroup Inc., Atkore Inc. and Berry Global Inc. saw per-share price gains of 10-26 percent, while DuPont Co.'s per-share price was up about 5 percent.
Of the six processors with lower per-share prices, Sealed Air Corp. had the biggest drop, down 30 percent. Per-share prices at Sonoco Products Co., Silgan Holdings Inc., Myers Industries Inc. and Amcor plc were down 6-19 percent. Winpak Ltd.'s per-share price was down 8 percent on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
In broader economic measures, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed Dec. 13 at an all-time high of 37,090, up almost 12 percent since Jan. 1, The broader S&P 500 is up more than 22 percent in that period.