The Associated Press reports that German consumer goods company Beiersdorf AG, the maker of tesa adhesive tapes, recently disclosed a 41% drop in Q2 net profit due to a decrease in consumer spending.

In a persistently difficult market environment, Henkel achieved sales of 3,485 million euros in the second quarter of 2009, 5% less than in the prior-year period.

AdvanSource Biomaterials Corp., a leading developer of advanced polymer materials for a range of medical devices, will host a conference call for investors on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009 at 2:30 p.m. EDT to discuss its fiscal first quarter results as well as recent developments.

On July 29, Congressmen Hank Johnson (D-GA) and Nathan Deal (R-GA) introduced H.R. 3382, the Home Improvements Revitalize the Economy (HIRE) Act, which calls for targeted consumer tax incentives for the purchase of home furnishings such as furniture, flooring, and other home-related products, as well as building products such as construction adhesives and sealants.

The Associated Press reports that RPM International, Medina, OH, posted a fourth-quarter profit on July 27, with net income totaling $39.3 million (31 cents per share) versus a loss of $87.6 million (73 cents per share) a year ago.

3M has announced that it recently acquired the ACE ^® branded (and related brands) elastic bandage and supports product lines and thermometer product line from BD ^TM (Becton, Dickinson and Co.).

RPM International Inc. recently reported higher net income for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended May 31, 2009.

The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register reports that Bayer MaterialScience is scheduled to close its resins operations in New Martinsville, WV, leaving 40 people without jobs.

The New York Times reports that Wall Street and European markets rose Thursday following better-than-expected earnings reports from Ford, Wyeth, and AT&T.

3M today announced second quarter earnings of $1.12 per share on sales of $5.7 billion, with operating income margins of 20.8%.