Matium Monday Vol. 14: The Magician is here!
Welcome to another edition of Matium Monday, where we delve into the latest market trends and strategic insights impacting our industry.
A few of the biggest updates on the Matium platform to date are here! The Magician email integration has been released and is ready to turn your emails directly into haves/needs within Matium. On top of that Core users can now use the Matium Matches functionality in conjunction with Network Offers. This means that every time you receive an offer it will match up against your internal needs and rank them by specs, pricing, logistics, carbon and more!
This week, we’re focusing on the latest developments in the infrastructure sector and get an update from Network company Blue Clover on the polypropylene market. Additionally, we are excited to announce Matium’s new role as an activator in the US Plastics Pact. Finally, we are excited to launch our company podcast - Talking Tomorrow - we will highlight Matium Network members to hear stories, insights, and thought leadership pertaining to the markets, technology, recycling, raw materials, and much more... On episode one we feature none other than Adam Hill of Direct Polymers!
The Magician and Network Matches
The Matium Magician email integration is a first of it's kind tool in the plastics industry. Simply forward your inbound opportunities to [email protected] and a draft opportunity is automatically generated within your platform. Now the data entry work is cut down ten fold and you are ready to evaluate even more opportunities than ever before!
Matium Matches is our proprietary match making algorithm that many Core users are used to. What this does is allow you to rank your opportunities to make sure you are always maximizing the profitability of your deals. But now - whenever you receive an inbound Network offer those offers will also rank against your Core opportunities to create matches! Learn more about matches here!
Talking Tomorrow Podcast
Matium is proud to announce the launch of our podcast: Talking Tomorrow. We have far too many incredible users on our Network to not being hearing from them often. So now we will be sitting down with people from all over the Network to bring you in depth conversations from leaders in the industry. If you want to be on an upcoming episode... let us know!
Stay tuned for Episode 1 dropping this week featuring Adam Hill of Direct Polymers !
Market Updates and Analysis
Perspectives on Global Listed Infrastructure
Morgan Stanley’s recent comprehensive report on global listed infrastructure highlights several key themes and investment opportunities. The post-COVID cycle has brought a renewed focus on physical infrastructure capex, driven by increasing global energy and power needs, AI development, and fiscal policies favoring infrastructure investments .
Key Insights:
• What is Listed Infrastructure? Listed infrastructure refers to tangible assets held within publicly traded companies that provide essential services. These include energy infrastructure, real estate, telecommunications, transportation, and utilities .
• Investment Benefits: Investing in listed infrastructure offers attractive long-term risk-adjusted returns, defensive and lower-volatility profiles, high dividend yields, and asset-level inflation protections. The global universe of investable listed infrastructure provides diversification and low correlation benefits .
• Thematic Investment in AI and Net-Zero Emissions: AI technology development impacts several infrastructure sectors, such as data centers, utilities, natural gas infrastructure, real estate, and transportation. Infrastructure will also play a critical role in achieving net-zero GHG emissions through significant investments in clean energy .
Strategic Implications for Matium:
Understanding these infrastructure trends is crucial for Matium as we build our digital supply chain infrastructure focused on sustainability. The increased demand for energy and the push towards net-zero emissions align with our goals to optimize the raw material supply chain and support eco-friendly practices. By leveraging these insights, we can better position ourselves to meet the growing needs of the industry and contribute to a sustainable future.
Market Update from BlueClover : Plastics and Feedstocks
We always look to highlight the work and insights of our Network - this week we are excited to highlight Blue Clover and their analysis of the markets particularly polypropylene. Thanks to Gerard Selvaggio, Chris Antes 〽️ , and Ryan Kenney for their thought leadership here!
Check out their full Brain Food report here...
Plastics Feedstocks (Oil, Naphtha, Propane):
• WTI Crude Oil has risen to approximately $82 per barrel.
• Propane prices in Mont Belvieu, TX, are around 78 cents per gallon.
• Naphtha prices (CIF Japan) are at $690 per metric ton .
Propylene/Polypropylene:
• Physical PGP (polymer-grade propylene) prices have surged to 49 cents per pound. Despite previous bearish expectations, the market has seen a significant upward shift. BlueClover had anticipated physical PGP pricing to be between 36-39 cents per pound in June but now estimates the contract PGP price to be around 39-42 cents per pound .
• The resilience of PGP pricing is notable, likely influenced by rising crude oil and propane prices. The average contract PGP price was about 41 cents per pound in late 2022 to early 2023, compared to 51 cents per pound in the same period a year later, despite lower feedstock costs .
• Spring and summer months have maintained tightness in PGP pricing. The May-June contract PGP price is expected to average 47.5 cents per pound, significantly higher than the 36.5 cents per pound average from the same period last year .
Matium Joins the US Plastics Pact
We are thrilled to announce that Matium has joined the US Plastics Pact as an activator. The US Plastics Pact is a collaborative initiative that brings together businesses, government entities, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to create a circular economy for plastics in the United States. The broader mission of the pact includes:
• Eliminating problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging through redesign, innovation, and alternative delivery models.
• Undertaking actions to increase the reuse, collection, and recycling or composting of plastic packaging.
• Incorporating recycled content into new plastic packaging products, with an average of 30% recycled content by 2025.
among other initiatives...
As an activator, Matium is committed to advancing these goals by leveraging our expertise in digital supply chain infrastructure and sustainability. Our involvement in the US Plastics Pact aligns with our mission to optimize the raw material supply chain and promote eco-friendly practices. By participating in this initiative, we aim to contribute significantly to reducing plastic waste and fostering a more sustainable future.
Strategic Implications for Matium
For Matium, understanding these market dynamics is crucial as we navigate the complexities of the raw material supply chain. The insights from the global infrastructure sector highlight opportunities for strategic investments in essential services, aligning with our focus on sustainability. The sustained tightness in plastics feedstock pricing emphasizes the need for strategic flexibility and a focus on quality investments.
Our role as an activator in the US Plastics Pact further strengthens our commitment to sustainability and innovation. By staying informed and adaptive, we can better manage risks and capitalize on opportunities within the evolving market landscape. Leveraging the growing infrastructure investments and addressing the challenges in the plastics market will enable us to enhance our offerings and support our clients more effectively.
Stay tuned for more updates in our next edition of Matium Monday, where we continue to provide valuable insights to help you stay ahead in the industry and on top of the big changes going on at Matium!
If you have any questions or want to learn more about the updates going on at Matium - feel free to reach out.
Mitch Best
CGO
443-758-5522