The Canadian National Railway (CN) has just submitted an offer to purchase the Kansas City Southern Railroad (KCS) for $30 billion, starting what could possibly be a bidding war with the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) which previously offered $25 billion last month. Canada’s two biggest railroads are vying for a rail network that links their country with the U.S. and Mexico as a reworked trade alliance gets underway and the economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic gathers steam.
Wood Markets News
Canadian Housing Starts Set New Record in March
According to data released by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) on Monday (4-19-21), Canadian housing starts increased month-over-month by 21.6% in March. Setting a new all-time record high for housing starts at 335,200 units in March, well above industry expectations of 250,000 units.
Shares of Mortgages in Forbearance Decline for Seventh Straight Week in Week Ending April 11, 2021
The latest Mortgage Banker Association’s (MBA) Forbearance and Call Survey reports that the total number of loans now in forbearance decreased by 16 basis points from 4.66% of servicers’ portfolio volume in the prior week to 4.50% as of April 11, 2021. According to MBA’s estimate, 2.3 million homeowners are in forbearance plans.
Canadian Dollar Retreats from its 3-week High
On Thursday (4-15-21), the Canadian Dollar (aka Loonie) edged lower against its U.S. counterpart (USD), pulling back from an earlier 3-week high set on March 22 as domestic data showed a bigger than anticipated drop in Canadian factory sales. while Canadian investors weighted in on newly added restriction on the economy to battle the ongoing third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kandola Forest Products Purchases Assets of Closed C&C Wood Products Mill in Quesnel
The Quesnel Investment Corporation (QIC) has announced that it has sold the mill operation assets of the bankrupt C&C Wood Products Company, which they bought in 2020, to Kandola Forest Products (KFP) a Williams Lake forestry company. QCI says it intends to continue to operate the logging portion (Westside Logging) of the business separately.
Oregon State University Researchers Discover New Way to Predict Future Log Prices
Oregon State University researchers say they have discovered a new way to predict the future price of logs using readily available information. Jeff Reimer, a professor of applied economics at Oregon State said, “Log prices are really variable. That makes this a difficult business, whether you are a land manager, mill owner, timberland investor or, as we are seeing now, a home builder.”
Recently Filed Lawsuits has the Northern Spotted Owl is Back In Court
The Northern Spotted Owl, which has been listed as a “threatened” species (not endangered) since 1990 under the Endangered Species Act, finds itself back in court, the subject of several lawsuits filed against the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services (USFWS) by both preservationist groups and timber industry interest, over the proposed development concerning critical habitat acreage designed for the Owl’s protection.
State by State Construction Sector Analysis for March 2021
A deeper dive into the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) nonfarm payroll employment report, with further analysis provided by the National Association of Home Builders, reveals that 49 out of 50 states and the District of Columbia experienced an increase jobs in March 2021. Alaska was the only state to shed employment and that was just 200 jobs.
Index of Consumer Sentiment up 1.9% Month-Over-Month in April and is 20.5% Higher Year-Over-Year
The University of Michigan released today (4-16-21) its preliminary Index of Consumer Sentiment (ICS) for April. Month-over-month the ICS rose 1.9% from 84.9% in March to 86.5% in April. When compared to April 2020, the ICS increased 20.5% or 71.8% to 86.5%.
Astara Capital Partners, LLC Acquires Majority Stake in Cross City Lumber
Astara Capital Partners, LLC (“Astara”) announced on Thursday (4-15-21), that it has acquired a majority stake in Cross City Lumber (“CCL”). Based in Cross City, Florida, CCL is a Southern Pine sawmill that produces specialty and dimensional grades of lumber. Astara leveraged its network of sawmill executives to source the opportunity and to underwrite a series of capital projects that will substantially increase the capacity of CCL and significantly reduce its breakeven point.