LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB) Issues Earnings Results

LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB) issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.26) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.18 by ($0.44), Briefing.com reports. LyondellBasell Industries had a negative net margin of 3.70% and a positive return on equity of 7.50%. The firm had revenue of $7.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.75 EPS. LyondellBasell Industries’s revenue for the quarter was down 9.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Here are the key takeaways from LyondellBasell Industries’ conference call:

• Historic safety performance: 2025 was the safest year in company history with a record low total recordable incident rate, achieved despite extensive maintenance and turnaround activity.
• Strong cash execution and higher targets: LYB generated $2.3 billion of cash from operations with a 95% cash conversion, exceeded its Cash Improvement Plan to save $800 million, and is targeting an additional $500 million in 2026 plus $1.5 billion of recurring annual EBITDA from the Value Enhancement Program by 2028.
• Deep, prolonged industry downturn: Industry margins were ~45% below historical averages in 2025 with polyolefins at decade-low margins, pressured by weak durable-goods demand, global capacity additions, trade disruptions and high European energy costs.
• Portfolio and growth actions: Progressing the divestment of four European assets on track for completion in Q2 2026, advancing MoReTec?1 (on track for 2027 startup), and prioritizing low-/no-cost efficiency projects while realigning other growth timing.
• Conservative 2026 financial posture: 2026 CapEx is guided to ~$1.2 billion (?$800M sustaining / $400M growth), year-end liquidity was $3.4 billion cash and $8.1 billion available, and the company returned $2 billion to shareholders in 2025 while the board continues to review dividend policy.

LyondellBasell Industries Stock Down 3.3%

Shares of NYSE:LYB traded down $1.63 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $48.32. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 10,442,908 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,103,247. The company has a market capitalization of $15.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -12.73 and a beta of 0.70. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $46.41 and its 200 day moving average price is $49.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 0.93. LyondellBasell Industries has a 52 week low of $41.58 and a 52 week high of $79.10.

LyondellBasell Industries Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 1st were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 11.3%. LyondellBasell Industries’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -146.13%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Kimberly A. Foley bought 5,661 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The shares were bought at an average price of $43.56 per share, for a total transaction of $246,593.16. Following the completion of the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 67,688 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,948,489.28. This trade represents a 9.13% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On LyondellBasell Industries

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in LYB. Moors & Cabot Inc. grew its holdings in LyondellBasell Industries by 5.6% in the third quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 5,495 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $269,000 after purchasing an additional 293 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC increased its holdings in LyondellBasell Industries by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 26,406 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $1,528,000 after acquiring an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC raised its position in LyondellBasell Industries by 2.7% during the third quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 11,497 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $564,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares during the period. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina lifted its holdings in LyondellBasell Industries by 0.4% during the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 119,661 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $6,924,000 after purchasing an additional 535 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. 71.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about LyondellBasell Industries

Here are the key news stories impacting LyondellBasell Industries this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue topped street estimates for Q4 ($7.09B vs. ~$6.82B) and the company said it is increasing its cash-improvement focus, which could support near-term liquidity. LYB Q4 Earnings Miss Amid Pricing, Volume Pressures
• Positive Sentiment: Management announced aggressive cost/cash measures — a $1.3B savings target through 2026 — intended to protect margins and improve free cash flow. LyondellBasell targets $1.3 billion in cost savings after surprise quarterly loss
• Neutral Sentiment: Company-issued quarter and full-year results (press release/slides) are available for detailed review of segment trends and management commentary. LyondellBasell reports 2025 earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Some market commentary frames the recent pullback as a potential buying opportunity after a prior short-term share jump — view as market sentiment, not fundamental change. Is LyondellBasell (LYB) Now A Potential Opportunity
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS missed materially (loss of $0.26 vs. consensus ~$0.18), and the company reported a surprise quarterly loss — short-term headwind for valuation and sentiment. LYB Q4 EPS Miss / Earnings Report
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and commentators flag dividend risk: LYB’s high yield (~11%) is not fully covered by free cash flow in the current market backdrop, raising the possibility of future cuts if conditions worsen. Management proposes further cost reductions and a ~$700M 2026 capex cut to shore up cash. LyondellBasell: 11% Yield In Danger?
• Negative Sentiment: Brokerage consensus is weak (average “Reduce” rating), which can amplify selling pressure after a miss and raise the bar for near-term upside. LYB Given Average Rating of “Reduce” by Brokerages

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LYB has been the subject of several research reports. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $40.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Wall Street Zen lowered LyondellBasell Industries from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 22nd. UBS Group decreased their price objective on LyondellBasell Industries from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Evercore ISI reduced their price target on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $65.00 to $57.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $45.00 target price (down from $55.00) on shares of LyondellBasell Industries in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $52.42.

About LyondellBasell Industries

LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE: LYB) is a global chemical company headquartered in Houston, Texas, that specializes in the production of polyolefins and advanced polymers. Through its extensive portfolio, the company supplies raw materials for a wide range of end markets, including packaging, automotive, construction, electronics and consumer goods. By combining proprietary process technologies with expertise in catalysts, LyondellBasell aims to deliver value-added solutions that enhance product performance and sustainability.

The company’s integrated operations encompass the manufacture of olefins and polyolefins, advanced polymer products, chemical intermediates and refining activities.