Paper Industry Reports Strong Fourth Quarter 2004

A survey of 20 public U.S. forest product companies by Pulp & Paper Week indicated that the sector has had a strong fourth quarter and that, for the whole of 2004, the group has had the best financial performance in four years. Over the past decade, the industry has consolidated, capacity has been shuttered and many non-core assets have been shed. Performance over the past year suggests that the industry might finally be improving.