Paper Forecast — Calm Seas Ahead

"Consolidation is allowing suppliers to better control excess capacity, which in turn allows for more stable pricing in the short term. In the long term, this capacity control will likely put an upward pressure on prices," he notes. But it's not just consolidation that will make its mark on the paper market in the coming months, according to Noe. The movement toward more online paper purchasing is going to greatly impact prices in the next year or two.