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Article: Year of mill maneuvers: M&A activity among metals producers around the globe dominated the headlines in 2007.(2007 YEAR IN REVIEW)
- Article from:
- Metal Center News
- Article date:
- January 1, 2008
- Author:
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[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
WHILE 2007 WAS another reasonably strong year for most metals producers and distributors, slumps in the automotive and housing markets took a toll. Service centers reduced inventories and grew cautious in their buying decisions amid ongoing uncertainty about the economy and metals pricing. Orders from a surprisingly resilient manufacturing sector, however, promise to sustain service center sales into the second half of 2008, when experts predict the economy will improve.
Reviewing the headlines of the past 12 months reveals that the dealmaking was fast and furious among producers, but relatively quiet among distributors. Following ...