CW75 stock performance.(Illustration)

Chemical Week, September, 2004

The CW75 Index rose 1.7% for the week ending August 25, outpacing broader markets including the Morgan Stanley global composite index and the Standard & Poor's 500, which both increased by about 1%. Chemical stocks were mostly helped by a decrease in crude oil prices, and chemical producers have been able to "quickly" pass on costs to customers, says Don Carson, analyst at Merrill Lynch (New York). Basic chemical stocks finished the week up 1.8%; diversifieds, 1.7%; and specialty chemical stocks, 1.5%.

Hercules topped the leaders list, with its stock rising 12.9%, to $13.04/share, on news that it has reached agreements with insurers that, if approved, will allow the company in settle asbestos-related liabilities. Albemarle's stock closed at its 52-week high of...

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