Stormy Forecast for Paper Buyers

These companies are playing by new management rules. They want a prompt return on investment and, presumably, they want to sell the underlying assets as soon as they’re sufficiently buffed up. Perhaps an industry that’s struggled for so long to scratch towards decent margins should be shaken up. But it’s fair to say that the new trends in management, which may spill over to publicly traded mills, are not designed to ease the buyer’s sufferings. If a price increase can be supported, a price increase will be made.