Lumber companies face slow year

[ Washington ] U.S. lumber producers may suffer a decline in earnings during the next year because of a reduction in new home construction, ratings company Standard & Poor’s said. “Earnings for wood product manufacturers are likely to be weak this year,” S&P said, without saying which companies are vulnerable. “A longer, deeper downturn in housing than we now expect could put pressure on credit quality of those producers whose credit measures are just adequate for their ratings.”

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