Lyondellbasell Industries N V Stock Price, News & Analysis

LyondellBasell (LYB) reported fourth quarter 2024 results with a net loss of $603 million ($1.87 per share), including $852 million in identified items. Full-year 2024 net income was $1.4 billion ($4.15 per share). The company generated $3.8 billion in cash from operating activities with 90% cash conversion.

Key highlights include $1.8 billion in capital expenditures and $1.9 billion returned to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. The company achieved 65% year-over-year volume growth in its Circular and Low Carbon Solutions business. However, Q4 faced challenges with declining margins across most businesses due to increased NGL feedstock and natural gas costs, coupled with seasonally slower demand.

Looking ahead to 2025, LYB expects seasonal demand improvements across product lines in Q1, with planned operating rates of approximately 80% for Olefins & Polyolefins Americas, 75% for EAI assets, and 80% for Intermediates & Derivatives assets.

LyondellBasell (LYB) has announced two significant power purchase agreements (PPAs) in Europe to advance its energy transition goals. The first is a 15-year agreement with Vattenfall to secure 450 gigawatt-hours (GWh) annually of offshore wind energy in Germany, supporting LYB's MoReTec-1 plant in Wesseling, which recycles plastic packaging waste from over 1.2 million German citizens yearly.

The second is a 10-year agreement with wpd for 79 GWh annually of onshore wind power from the Licata project in Sicily, Italy, starting in 2026. This will supply renewable electricity to LYB's Ferrara site, the world's largest Ziegler-Natta catalyst development facility, which produces polypropylene and advanced polyolefin resins.

These agreements provide LYB with long-term price stability for energy costs while supporting grid infrastructure and renewable energy integration.

LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) has announced it will release its fourth-quarter 2024 financial results before U.S. market opens on Friday, January 31, 2025. The company will host a webcast and teleconference to discuss the results at 11 a.m. EST, led by David Kinney, head of investor relations.

Investors can access the webcast through www.lyondellbasell.com/earnings 10-15 minutes before the call. Presentation slides will be available at the same website. A replay of the call will be accessible from 1 p.m. EST January 31 until March 2, 2025.

LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) announced that Yvonne van der Laan, executive vice president of circular and low carbon solutions, has received the prestigious Winthrop-Sears medal from The Chemists' Club. The award recognizes her contributions to sustainable innovation and the chemical industry.

Van der Laan has led LYB's advancement in waste value extraction and circular economy promotion, notably through the proprietary MoReTec technology, which achieves 80% plastic-to-plastic yield with low energy intensity. The company is constructing its first commercial-scale MoReTec unit in Wesseling, Germany, scheduled for 2026 operations.

Since 2022, LYB's CLCS business has expanded through strategic acquisitions, including APK in Germany and a mechanical recycling facility in California, strengthening its recycled and renewable feedstocks network.

LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) announced that Michael McMurray, executive vice president and CFO, will participate in a fireside chat at the 2024 Goldman Sachs Industrials and Materials Conference in New York on December 4, 2024, at 8 a.m. EST. A live webcast will be available on the company's investor relations website, with a replay accessible within 24 hours after the event.

LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) announced that Michael McMurray will retire as executive vice president and chief financial officer effective March 1, 2025. He will be succeeded by Agustin Izquierdo, currently serving as senior vice president of Olefins & Polyolefins Americas & Refining. Izquierdo joined LyondellBasell in November 2022 and previously held various leadership positions at BASF from 2009 to 2022, as well as working in Morgan Stanley's Investment Banking Division. McMurray's five-year tenure was marked by transforming the finance function and driving shareholder returns amid challenging market conditions.

LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) has announced a quarterly dividend payment of $1.34 per share. The dividend will be paid to shareholders on December 9, 2024. Both the ex-dividend date and record date are set for December 2, 2024.

LyondellBasell (LYB) reported third quarter 2024 net income of $573 million, or $1.75 per diluted share ($1.88 excluding identified items). EBITDA reached $1.2 billion with cash from operations of $670 million. The company returned $479 million to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases.

North American operations benefited from increased integrated polyethylene margins due to favorable ethane costs and higher polyethylene prices. Market demand for polyethylene and polypropylene grew by 7% and 4% respectively. The company began construction of MoReTec-1, its advanced recycling facility in Germany, and exceeded its 2030 renewable electricity target.

LyondellBasell (LYB) CEO Peter Vanacker shares insights on addressing plastic pollution ahead of UN negotiations in Busan, South Korea. The company emphasizes the importance of plastics in modern life while advocating for sustainable solutions. Europe's plastics recycling rate is approaching 27%, with chemical recycling investments expected to reach 8 billion Euros by 2030. In the US, over 103 investments worth $11+ billion have been announced in recycling since 2017. LYB is establishing its first commercial-scale chemical recycling unit in Germany, capable of processing waste from 1.2 million citizens, and considering a second facility in Houston with double capacity.