Wood Bioenergy: Impacts on Timberland Investors from Biofuels Projects

| no comments in Wood Bioenergy

Questions and comments regarding a study we published with the Schiamberg Group have focused on (1) why a given wood-using transportation fuel project is different or “special” and (2) potential impacts to timberland investors and managers.   The study – Transportation Fuels from Wood: more…

Wood Transportation Fuels: Study Finds 11-Year Gap Between Announced Production and Viability of Technologies

| no comments in Wood Bioenergy

Our team just published a study with the Schiamberg Group that evaluates the wood-based transportation fuel sector in the United States.  The study builds on Forisk’s tracking and screening of all operating and announced wood-using bioenergy projects in the US (453 projects more…

Timber REITs: Weyerhaeuser Timber Segment Positioned to Outperform South-wide Average

| no comments in Stumpage Forecasting, Timber REITs

Two-thirds of the nearly 6.2 million acres that Weyerhaeuser (WY) owns and leases in the United States are located in the South.  Our Equity Research team matched WY’s timberland acres to Forisk’s state-by-state forecast of stumpage prices and wood demand more…

Public Timber REITs Report Mixed Results in First Quarter of 2011

| no comments in Forest Finance & Economics, Timber REITs, Wood Demand & Procurement

Between April 25th and April 29th, all four public timberland-owning REITs reported their Q1 2011 financial performance.  Three of the four firms reported earnings per share below Wall Street consensus expectations: Overall, results continue to reflect the US housing downturn more…

Potential Impacts on Timberland Investors from FDIC Proposals on Risk Retention and Mortgage Markets

| no comments in Forest Finance & Economics, Stumpage Forecasting, Timberlands

Recent comments by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Chairman Sheila Blair regarding minimum down-payments of up to 20% for “qualified residential mortgages” (QRM) echoed discussions about residential housing markets at the UGA Timberland Investment Conference.  Our Equity Research Team (Neena more…

Timber REITs Outpace S&P in 2011 Based on Long and Short-Term Market Factors

| no comments in Timber REITs, Wood Bioenergy

From the desk of Neena Mishra, Director of Equity Research: The Forisk Timber REIT (FTR) Index of public timberland-owning real estate investment trusts (REITs) continues to outpace the overall market in 2011, returning 23.78% year-to-date compared with 6.19% for the more…

Wood Bioenergy: 55% of Announced Demand Considered Viable; New Study of Cellulosic Ethanol Projects Provides Insights

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As of March 30, 2011, Wood Bioenergy US tracked 451 wood-consuming, announced and operating bioenergy projects in the continental US.  Electricity (biopower) and wood pellet projects dominate the Forisk database (see table), while cellulosic ethanol projects continue to pursue multiple technologies more…

Cellulosic Ethanol Projects Enhance Viability Through End-Market Flexibility

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Regardless US Department of Agriculture efforts to continue funding for biofuel programs (“USDA opens application window for biofuel funding programs”), individual projects associated with cellulosic ethanol have expanded their end-market options to increase their probability of operational viability.  In short, more…