This blog includes data from Forisk’s North American Mill Capacity Database, a database of over 2,300 wood-using mills in North America. For more information on the mill database or Forisk’s other products, please visit  or contact Nick DiLuzio at ndiluzio@forisk.com. more… The post Forisk Market Bulletin: September 2024 Mill Update appeared first on Forisk ..read more

This post includes content from the 7th edition of Forest Finance Simplified (forthcoming) and the upcoming Timber Market Analysis course (delivered virtually on October 16th & 17th).. Investors prefer assets that do not correlate with the stock market because they more… The post Timberland Investment Correlation and Diversification appeared first on Forisk ..read more

This post includes data from Forisk’s Timberland Transactions Database and research from the Forisk Research Quarterly.   We recently reviewed timberland transaction volume going back to 2014. We noted that 2023 was a slow year with just over 1 million more… The post 2024Q3 Timberland Transactions Review appeared first on Forisk ..read more

“Nothing travels faster than the speed of light, with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws.” – Douglas Adams While attending a recent forestry meeting, I received a text message about more sawmills closing due more… The post North America’s Forest Industry Contraction appeared first on Forisk ..read more

This post includes data from the Q3 2024 Forisk Research Quarterly (FRQ) and Forisk’s new digital platform for the North American Mill Capacity Database. Over the past 50 years, major shifts in the regional distribution of lumber capacity across North more… The post Softwood Lumber Capacity Continues to Migrate Across North America appeared first on Forisk ..read more

A high interest rate environment has supported lowered expectations for housing starts this year. Seven of eight independently published forecasts revised their 2024 view of U.S. housing starts downward since last quarter, as inflation readings this year have remained above the Federal Reserve’s 2% Y/Y target. While inflation is slowing, the Federal Reserve remains steadfast in its goal to lower inflation and, as a result, mortgage rates reached 23-year highs of 7.0% throughout Q2 (and an average of 6.9% month to date). This post reviews Forisk’s updated forecast on housing starts over the nex ..read more

This post is the first in a series related to the Q3 2024 Forisk Research Quarterly (FRQ), which includes forest industry analysis and timber price forecasts for North America. The post includes excerpts from the Feature Article. Introduction Forisk’s clients have asked for an updated county-level assessment of growth-to-drain for pine in the South. In the past five years, 27 new sawmills opened (or reopened) along with 17 pellet mills, 2 OSB mills, and numerous mill expansions, increasing wood demand in those local markets. However, closures (or conversions) of 11 pulp/paper mills and 21 ..read more

This blog includes data from the Forisk Wood Fiber Review, a quarterly publication tracking North America’s major wood fiber markets. For more information, please visit www.forisk.com or contact Nick DiLuzio at ndiluzio@forisk.com. The slight increase in Douglas fir pulplog prices in Q2 2024 is not enough to offset the overall declining trend of prices returning to the historical mean after the recent peak of Q4 2022, when prices reached mid-$50/green ton due to scarce supply. One possible factor contributing to the shortage of pulplogs in Q4 2022 was the advancement of sawmill techn ..read more

Authored by Pat Jolley Forest products manufacturers continue to complete capital projects and plan new investments, while some firms are closing lower performing mills. Most of the added capacity is in the U.S. South with only a few exceptions. Western Canada and the U.S. West remain the leading regions for new and expanded mass timber mills. Recent projects completed in the U.S. South include Hood Industries in Bogalusa, LA and East Alabama Lumber Company in Lafayette, AL where both successfully reopened their lumber mills after rebuilding following fire events. Gloster Forest Products in Gl ..read more

This post includes excerpts from the Q2 2024 Forisk Research Quarterly (FRQ) feature article, “Topics on Forest Finance: Investment Criteria and Timberland Liquidity” and from the forthcoming 7th edition of Forest Finance Simplified. Liquidity – the ability to convert assets into cash – generally worries investors, from institutions to hedge funds to individuals. In my research, I find that the issue of liquidity varies significantly by investor and over time, and that we are quick to generalize about the advantages and disadvantages of liquidity, especially in forestry. In the case of timberl ..read more