Chemicals & plastics

Corn and soy bean prices are falling sharply on weak demand. Israel Chemicals shares are down 9%.

Leader analyst Yoav Burgan: Today's notice was a legal formality.

The company's controlling shareholders purchased shares worth NIS 19.4 million this week.

The company plans to acquire 5% of its stock at a cost of NIS 3.5 billion at the current market cap.

The firm says it will buy 5% of its issued shares by mid-2009.

Fertilizer companies' aggressive pricing policies are undermining the market equilibrium and could affect demand.

Makhteshim is a top pick among crop protection chemical firms.

Pharmaceuticals and chemicals exports totaled $7.6 billion in the first half of 2008.

Analysts Richard Gussow and Dan Harverd note that recent rises in potash prices have yet to be reflected in the company's results.

Second quarter net profit beat expectations by a wide margin, and surpassed that of Teva.

Net profit soared in comparison with the first quarter, but was 25% lower than in the second quarter of 2007.

"The agrochemicals company offers better greater value than Syngenta and Bayer."

Net profit rose 28.4% to $68.8 million in the second quarter; sales for the quarter totaled $682.3 million.

"2008-2009 will be the best years yet for Israel Chemicals."

Health Ministry: We cannot determine at this time whether the mine will harm the health of area residents.

Potash Corp's profit for the second quarter more than tripled to $905.1 million.