Analysis

摘要

Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in chemicals slowed during the week to 2 May, with just four new transactions an- nounced. This compares with 14 deals, the most of the year so far, during the week prior. The week's biggest deal was Anglo American's sale of its niobium and phosphates business to China Molybdenum for $1.5 billion, a mining deal which included some chemical assets. Another major transaction was the divestiture of Solvay Indupa, a chlorovinyls maker that was pre- viously on the block in 2014. That deal, between Solvay and Braskem, was thwarted by Brazilian antitrust authorites. The divestiture is part of Solvay's continuing shift away from commodity chemicals.