LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE:LYB) Stock Has Consensus Target Price of $71.50

Shares of LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE:LYB) have been given an average rating of “Hold” by the twenty-one ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $72.22.

LYB has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on LyondellBasell Industries from $70.00 to $76.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on LyondellBasell Industries from $68.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $72.00 price objective on shares of LyondellBasell Industries in a report on Monday. Barclays upped their target price on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $66.00 to $69.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of LyondellBasell Industries from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th.

Key Headlines Impacting LyondellBasell Industries

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

• Positive Sentiment: LyondellBasell returned to profitability, reporting a $758 million quarterly profit versus a loss a year earlier. Stronger cash generation and improved earnings support the company’s financial position and helped drive recent investor interest. LyondellBasell swings to a $758 million profit
• Positive Sentiment: The company agreed to sell its former Houston refinery site to Valero for $320.5 million. The transaction should streamline LYB’s portfolio, provide additional liquidity, and support its long-term transformation strategy. LyondellBasell to Sell Former Houston Refinery Site for $320.5M
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target from $68 to $82 and upgraded its view to “outperform,” implying substantial potential upside from recent trading levels. Royal Bank of Canada recommendations
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays lifted its price target from $66 to $69 but maintained an “equal weight” rating, indicating modest expected appreciation rather than a strong bullish conviction. Barclays recommendations
• Negative Sentiment: LYB reduced its dividend to $0.69 per share. Although recent cash flow appears sufficient to cover the payout, the cut may concern income-focused shareholders. Unconfirmed reports of a potential $14 billion Shell asset acquisition also raise concerns about higher debt and balance-sheet risk. LyondellBasell’s Dividend Looks Safer, But a New Risk Could Change That

LyondellBasell Industries Trading Down 2.7%

Shares of LYB stock opened at $66.82 on Friday. LyondellBasell Industries has a twelve month low of $41.58 and a twelve month high of $83.94. The stock has a market cap of $21.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.87, a PEG ratio of 0.17 and a beta of 0.30. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $62.73 and its 200-day moving average price is $63.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05.

LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 30th. The specialty chemicals company reported $2.54 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.57 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $8.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.87 billion. LyondellBasell Industries had a positive return on equity of 17.44% and a negative net margin of 1.13%. The company’s revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.01 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that LyondellBasell Industries will post 9.25 earnings per share for the current year.

LyondellBasell Industries Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 24th were issued a $0.69 dividend. This represents a $2.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 24th. LyondellBasell Industries’s dividend payout ratio is currently 69.70%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On LyondellBasell Industries

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in LYB. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its position in LyondellBasell Industries by 221.0% in the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 504 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 347 shares during the period. Kelleher Financial Advisors boosted its position in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 4,112.5% during the second quarter. Kelleher Financial Advisors now owns 674 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 658 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 148.8% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 953 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 570 shares during the period. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries in the second quarter valued at $53,000. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. grew its stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 26.0% in the third quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 965 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.20% of the company’s stock.

LyondellBasell Industries Company Profile

LyondellBasell Industries N.V. is a global chemical company that produces polymers, chemicals and related products used in packaging, transportation, construction, healthcare, consumer goods and other industries. Its portfolio includes polyethylene, polypropylene, advanced polymers, propylene oxide, solvents, acetyls and other chemical intermediates.

The company also operates businesses involved in refining and in the development and licensing of chemical and polymer technologies. Its products are used to manufacture items such as food and beverage packaging, automotive components, medical products, coatings, adhesives and household goods.