The Urethane Blog
December 28, 2025
Mortgage Rates Dip To 3-Year-Lows As Home-Sellers Outnumber Buyers
by Tyler Durden
Friday, Dec 26, 2025 – 02:15 PM
Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,
The weekly mortgage rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to 6.18 percent for the week ending Dec. 24 as the housing market continues to lean in favor of buyers.
The 6.18 percent rate is the lowest level since 2022 and a slight decline from 6.21 percent the previous week, according to Freddie Mac data. The current rate is 0.86 percentage points below the yearly peak of 7.04 percent reached in mid-January.
The recent rate decline comes as the U.S. housing market registered 37.2 percent more sellers than buyers in November, real estate brokerage Redfin said in a statement on Dec. 23.
“That’s the largest gap in records dating back to 2013 aside from this summer. It compares with 35.6 percent a month earlier and 17 percent a year earlier,” the brokerage said.
“Redfin defines a market with over 10 percent more sellers than buyers as a buyer’s market. By this definition, it has been a buyer’s market since May 2024.”
The 37.2 percent gap translates into 529,770 more sellers in the market.
Among the 50 most populous U.S. metropolitan regions, Austin, Texas, was the strongest buyer’s market last month, with 114 percent more sellers than buyers, according to Redfin.
This was followed by San Antonio, Texas; Nashville; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, each of which had sellers outnumbering buyers by more than 100 percent.
Out of the 50 metros, 36 were buyer’s markets, seven were balanced, and the remaining seven were seller’s markets.
The number of home buyers hit the second-lowest level on record in November, as many backed off amid economic uncertainty and high housing costs, the statement said.
“A modest improvement in housing affordability could bring some homebuyers off the sidelines in 2026, which could narrow the gap between homebuyers and sellers,” Redfin senior economist Asad Khan said.
“But the housing market is likely to remain in buyer’s market territory for the foreseeable future, with sellers cutting prices or offering concessions to lure buyers.”
Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes inched higher this month despite businesses facing challenges such as rising construction costs, economic uncertainty, and buyer hesitation, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) said in a Dec. 15 statement.
“In positive signs for the market, builders report that future sales expectations have been above the key breakeven level of 50 for the past three months, and the recent easing of monetary policy should help builder loan conditions at the start of 2026,” NAHB chief economist Robert Dietz said.
The Federal Reserve has cut its benchmark interest rates three times this year, pushing it down to a range of 3.5 to 3.75 percent.
In a Dec. 11 commentary, Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at real estate data company Bright MLS, suggested that even if mortgage rates were to decline further, other concerns are weighing on prospective buyers’ minds.
On the positive side, Sturtevant expects mortgage rates to fall further.
“Expect mortgage rates to ease somewhat in 2026, though Bright MLS forecasts are for rates to remain above 6 percent through the end of next year,” she wrote.
“Slightly lower rates and slower price growth should improve affordability a little, which could bring more buyers into the market.”
December 28, 2025
MOL Group Discloses Details about Fire Occurred in this October
PUdaily | Updated: December 24, 2025
On December 19, by a letter, MOL disclose the details about the fire incident which was occurred in this October.
According to the letter, On 20 October 2025, a fire broke out in the AV3 crude distillation unit at the Danube Refinery. Based on the initial damage assessment, the fire was caused by equipment failure and the consequential disintegrity of a pump.
MOL anticipates that the reparation works will be completed, enabling the refinery to resume full capacityin Q3 2026. During the refurbishment period, MOL expects an average production loss of around 30%. With the damage investigation works still ongoing, and the scheduling of the engineering, procurementand construction works mostly based on very first expert-level estimates rather than evidence, theaforementioned time need for the repair works is subject to change.
The incident and its consequences do not directly affect the ongoing commissioning work at MOL’s PolyolComplex which is set to start in the near future.
December 22, 2025
Thank you to all of our customers and suppliers for a wonderful 2025!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year – we will see you in 2026.
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December 18, 2025
Brückner Group acquires Hennecke
The Brückner Group continues to pursue its growth strategy with the acquisition of the Hennecke Group, which will expand the company’s global portfolio to include key technologies for machines, plants, and systems used in the processing of polyurethane (PUR). These technologies are the perfect complement to the existing range of services and products and will provide access to new markets.
15 Dec 2025 | By Rahul Kumar
Dr Axel Von Wiedersperg, CEO of the Brückner Group
As a global market leader with expertise in the field of reactive plastics, Hennecke brings additional material-based, high-tech solutions to the Group. This technology is suitable for use in many industries like construction, furniture, and refrigeration and creates new diversification potential. The agreement between the Brückner Group and a fund advised by Capvis AG, Switzerland, as the majority owner of the Hennecke GROUP was concluded on 3 December 2025. The transaction will be completed at the beginning of January 2026.
“With Hennecke, we’ve gained a highly specialized addition to our portfolio. Acquiring another market leader in technology enhances the Brückner Group’s product range in a sensible way and provides Hennecke with access to innovation power and a global presence,”
Dr Axel Von Wiedersperg, CEO of the Brückner Group, said.
Hennecke has an international network of sites in Germany, Italy, the US, and China, an industry-leading product portfolio of global, innovative systems and technologies with extraordinary economic and environmental benefits, and an excellent reputation in the plastics industry — especially outside of the packaging sector. This will ultimately allow the Brückner Group to tap into new product segments and reinforce its global base of expertise.
“The merger will not only result in bundled technological expertise and a global market presence, but also allow us to form the basis for expanding our position in the international PUR market. This step represents a natural progression of our Hennecke Business System and the FOCUS2030 strategy for sustainable growth. Working with the Brückner Group, we’ll be able to capitalize on innovation and growth potential much faster in the future,” Thomas Wildt, CEO and Hennecke Group.
Following completion of the transactions, the Brückner Group will consist of five business units – Brückner Maschinenbau, Brückner Servtec, Kiefel, PackSys Global, and in the future Hennecke PUR Solutions. The business units and our global network together ensure our financial strength, growth, and long-term stability. In this context, partnerships built on trust and our employees’ expertise are the cornerstones of our success. We operate in an agile and forward-looking manner to achieve our ultimate goal: making the manufacture of plastic products and packaging solutions sustainable. As one of Germany’s most sustainable medium-sized corporate groups, we conduct our business responsibly and in the interests of our global society and our international workforce.
https://www.printweek.in/news/br%C3%BCckner-group-acquires-hennecke–61418
December 17, 2025
FXI Holdings Discloses Proposed Debt Exchange to Extend Maturities, Boost Liquidity With Debt Balance Increase
October 23 2025
Reporting: Harvard Zhang, Patrick Fitzgerald
Privately held FXI Holdings disclosed the terms of its anticipated out-of-court transaction to address roughly $1.2 billion of bond borrowings due November 2026, with the company receiving some new money, pushing out maturities and increasing its debt balance, according to sources.
The proposed deal by the One Rock Capital Partners-backed manufacturer of polyurethane foam and polymer products has received the support of holders of 81% of the bonds, the sources said.
The proposed transaction envisions a $50 million capital infusion from certain bondholders in the form of super senior debt, the sources said. Bondholders would exchange their holdings into 61.8% of new 11% first lien debt due 2030 and 39.7% of new second lien debt due 2029, the sources said.
The new second lien paper will pay 16% PIK through November 2028 and shift to a 14% cash coupon thereafter, the sources said. The company is also required to raise $140 million of junior capital in November 2027 to pay down the new second lien debt, they added.
Octus previously reported about negotiations between the company and its bondholders that centered on providing bondholders with takeback paper and longer-dated maturities at par.
FXI was advised by Latham & Watkins, Perella Weinberg Partners and AlixPartners, while an ad hoc group of bondholders was represented by Paul Weiss and Houlihan Lokey, as reported.
The company disclosed second-quarter 2025 results in mid-August, reporting that adjusted EBITDA fell 10% on a year-over-year basis to $36 million as revenue decreased 11% to $288 million. FXI finished the period with $2.2 million in cash and $21 million of availability on its revolving credit facility.
Profitability has declined amid multiyear cyclical volume declines in the mattress market and weakness in demand for autos, Moody’s Ratings noted in May.
www.octus.com/resources/articles/fxi-holdings-discloses-proposed-debt-exchange/
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