Market News of Note

The company states: "We continue to experience challenging SBS industry conditions, with supply exceeding demand, but we remain optimistic about the future growth prospects of paperboard packaging. We are taking actions to address the resulting near term margin pressure by reducing fixed costs, including eliminating more than 10% of all positions across the company. These combined actions should deliver $30 to $40 million in cost savings in 2025. While our industry is currently in a down cycle, we continue to invest in our assets to ensure that they remain competitive in the long-run."

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Heidi Brock issued a statement regarding President Donald Trump's announcement of 25% tariffs on all products from Canada and Mexico.

The new price is valid from March 1, 2025.

Weyerhaeuser reported a sharp drop in fourth-quarter profit on Thursday as it struggled with higher forestry and road costs in its timberlands unit due to wet weather conditions.

The Board of Directors has not yet made its decision for proposal for dividend for the financial year 2024 to the Annual General Meeting. Such decision will be communicated as soon as it has been made.

Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) announced a profit for its fourth quarter that increased from the same period last year but missed the Street estimates.

Rayonier Inc. announced the results of shareholder elections relating to the special dividend declared by its Board of Directors on December 2, 2024. The dividend of $1.80 per common share will be paid on January 30, 2025, to shareholders of record on December 12, 2024.

PotlatchDeltic Corporation reported net income of $5.2 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, on revenues of $258.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024.

Essity could move more of its production into the U.S. from Mexico and Canada if tariffs are introduced by President Donald Trump, but is not considering facility closures, CEO Magnus Groth said.

In Asia, the price increase will be $20 per ton. For Europe and North America, the price increase will be more significant, with a rise of $60 per ton.

International Paper's fourth-quarter loss narrowed as the company cut costs, but lower sales volumes in many categories of paper and packaging and the shutdown of a U.S. mill weighed on its results.

President-elect Donald Trump's threat to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian imports could significantly disrupt the U.S. lumber supply chain, according to Rajan Parajuli, an associate professor of forest economics and policy at NC State University.

SCA will increase the price on NBSK pulp (Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft) in Europe by 50 USD per tonne. The new price will be effective February 1st.

Tariffs on building materials like softwood lumber, gypsum, and steel are increasing construction costs, driving up home prices and harming housing affordability.

The Notes were offered in a private placement and there was no public offering of the Notes.

Felix Schoeller increases price for its digital media products as of 1st January 2025.

Rottneros has entered into a new loan agreement with Danske Bank and Svensk Exportkredit whereby the existing long-term facilities will be refinanced. The new facilities amount to a total of 550 MSEK divided into term loan facilities of 400 MSEK in total and a revolving credit facility of up to 150 MSEK.

Metsäliitto Cooperative has signed a new EUR 200 million sustainability-linked revolving credit facility with a syndicate of eight banks. This new credit facility refinances the existing EUR 200 million facility signed in December 2018 and will be used for general corporate purposes. The facility has a tenor of five years and includes two one-year extension options.

If the Order Sought is granted by the AMF, Smurfit Westrock will cease to be a reporting issuer in the Canadian Jurisdictions and, as a result, will no longer be subject to continuous disclosure requirements under Canadian securities legislation.

Essity has received information that a minority of investors, in some of its Luxembourg-listed bond series, have initiated proceedings in English court.

The Notes were offered in a private placement and there was no public offering of the Notes.

"As we look forward to the combination with DS Smith, we expect the transaction will close early in the Q1 2025."

The company's bottom line totaled $51 million, or $0.51 per share. This compares with $131 million, or $1.32 per share, in last year's third quarter.

The decline was driven by a $109 million impact from the divestiture of the Augusta, Georgia, bleached paperboard manufacturing facility and reduced open market sales participation, and a $35 million net decline in sales from packaging operations, where price declines were partially offset by volume growth.

U.S. containerboard production in Q3 2024 increased 3% compared to Q3 2023. It was up 6% when compared to the same nine months of 2023, according to the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA).