Chemical Week editors Vincent Valk and Sotirios Frantzanas and S&P Global Energy price reporter Nayana Khosla join host Jameson Croteau for a discussion on second quarter chemical earnings. The panel examines how Middle East geopolitical tensions and related supply disruptions temporarily tightened global markets, lifting margins for many North American and European producers even as underlying demand remained weak. Topics include supply-chain shifts, specialty chemicals' resilience, continued weakness in housing and automotive demand, and emerging growth areas such as semiconductors, data centers, aerospace and defense.

Federico Mennella, managing director and head of chemicals and materials, DC Advisory, joins host Vincent Valk for a discussion on the chemical M&A rebound in 2026. Large deals look to be returning as companies grow more comfortable with volatility and pursue portfolio repositioning, while smaller and midsized transactions remain constrained by financing and valuation gaps. Topics include AI-linked surges, private equity hesitation and which end markets remain the most resilient for deal making.

The Chemical Week podcast is the industry's premier platform for wide-ranging discussion of issues impacting the global chemicals sector, hosted by the editors of Chemical Week and S&P Global Energy. Subscribe to the Chemical Week podcast on your favorite platform, or visit chemweek.com/podcast to view our episode archive.

Paul Kurias, S&P Global Ratings director, lead analyst, corporate ratings, and Danny Krauss, S&P Global Ratings director, join host Vincent Valk for a discussion on the 2026 credit outlook for the chemicals sector. The sector outlook remains mixed as US chemical companies may benefit in the near term from Middle East-related supply disruptions and relative cost advantages, but those same geopolitical pressures could create longer-term risks through inflation, weaker demand and stress in vulnerable end markets such as agriculture and commodities. At the same time, growth tied to AI, data centers and advanced materials provides a meaningful bright spot for specialty chemical producers. However, the industry remains exposed to high interest rates, soft housing and automotive demand.

Check out the latest ratings report here.

Hexion president and CEO, Michael Lefenfeld, joins host Vincent Valk for a discussion on how to embed AI into the day-to-day operations of a chemical company—optimizing manufacturing, supply chain logistics, and organizational processes while improving speed, precision, sustainability, and decision-making quality.

Mark Lustig, partner at consultancy PwC, joins the podcast to discuss the firm's chemicals manufacturing investment attractiveness index. Key points of discussion include which countries are the most attractive investment destinations now and in the future, the impact of industrial policy on the competitive landscape, and how supply chains and growth can figure into investment decisions.

Check out the full index here.

Solstice Advanced Materials CEO, David Sewell, joins host Jameson Croteau for a discussion on the company's spin-off from Honeywell and the high-growth sectors of semiconductor chip and data center cooling, US nuclear energy and the ongoing transition from legacy HFCs to lower-global-warming-potential HFOs.

The Chemical Week podcast is the industry's premier platform for wide-ranging discussion of issues impacting the global chemicals sector, hosted by the editors of Chemical Week and S&P Global Energy. Subscribe to the Chemical Week podcast on your favorite platform, or visit chemweek.com/podcast to view our episode archive.

Chemical Week editor-in-chief Mark Thomas, senior editor Vincent Valk and S&P Global Energy senior price reporter Mujidah Yahaya join host Jameson Croteau for a discussion of first-quarter results season, with a particular focus on the impact of the Iran conflict. The renewed importance of supply security, potential impact on the outlook, and how long disruptions may last are key topics. The panelists also discuss inflation impacts and some rare pockets of growth for the industry.

In his farewell as editor-in-chief, Chemical Week's Ian Young sits down with Vincent Valk to reflect on his 36-year career covering the chemical industry. He highlights the industry's most significant transformations, including the rise of digitalization and artificial intelligence, as well as China's rapid development from a dependent partner in joint ventures to a dominant global powerhouse across various chemical segments. Despite current regulatory and economic hurdles, Young remains optimistic about the sector's resilience and its vital role in driving sustainability and societal progress.

The Chemical Week podcast is the industry's premier platform for wide-ranging discussion of issues impacting the global chemicals sector, hosted by the editors of Chemical Week and S&P Global Commodity Insights. Subscribe to the Chemical Week podcast on your favorite platform, or visit chemweek.com/podcast to view our episode archive.

Nick Powell, CEO of Ingredients & Specialties from Univar Solutions, joins the podcast for a discussion about supply security and the state of the chemical distribution industry. Topics include the supply chain aftereffects of the war in the Middle East, the chemical end markets supporting growth in a low demand environment, and how AI use and careful M&A strategy can propel growth for distributors in 2026 and beyond.

Jay Bhatia, founder and CEO of Agilis, an AI-enabled software provider for chemicals, joins the podcast to discuss the development of outward-facing AI tools in the industry. Key topics include the importance of master data management, why context is critical for building accurate AI tools, and what the industry's customer base is looking for from AI.