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LYB · Analysis updated Nov 10, 2026, 6:00 PM ET
Why is LyondellBasell Industries N.V. Class A (LYB) stock moving?
LYB reported Q3 2026 results on Oct 30 that missed on both lines: adjusted EPS of $2.54 against a $2.57 estimate and sales of $8.499B against $8.874B. Net income was $758M and EBITDA was $1.4B, or $1.5B excluding identified items, and the company repaid $500M of debt and raised cash by about $600M in the quarter. The stock peaked at $68.64 on Oct 30 and has since fallen about 12%, with a high-volume drop to $62.96 on Nov 4 (7.4M shares, roughly double the recent average) and a close of $60.60 on Nov 10 after a low of $57.51. Price is now near the bottom of its 30-day range, and the Nov 10 close is above the Nov 9 close on lighter volume. Since Nov 2, seven brokers (Citigroup, UBS, Deutsche Bank, Barclays, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, RBC) have raised targets to between $69 and $82, averaging about $73, roughly 20% above the current price. Their ratings are mostly Neutral-to-Overweight, so the upgrades mainly reflect higher targets rather than rating changes. The Valero refinery sale adds a $320.5M cash inflow. The La Porte court ruling lets a lawsuit over a 2024 accident continue, which is a modest legal overhang. Overall the picture is mixed: the earnings miss and the post-results selloff weigh on the short term, while analyst targets and asset sales support a more constructive medium-term view.
News behind the analysis
- Appellate Court Denies LyondellBasell's Petition in La Porte Facility LawsuitThe First Court of Appeals of Texas denied LyondellBasell's petition for a writ of mandamus, so a lawsuit over a 2024 industrial accident at its La Porte, Texas, facility can proceed.
- Citigroup Maintains Neutral on LyondellBasell Industries, Raises Price Target to $74Citigroup kept its Neutral rating and raised its price target to $74, up from $63.
- UBS Adjusts Price Target on LyondellBasell Industries to $69 From $62UBS kept its Neutral rating and raised its price target from $62 to $69.
- Deutsche Bank Adjusts LyondellBasell Industries Price TargetDeutsche Bank raised its price target for LyondellBasell from $65 to $70.
- Barclays Maintains Equal-Weight on LyondellBasell Industries, Raises Price Target to $69Barclays kept its Equal-Weight rating and raised its price target to $69, up from $66.
- LyondellBasell Analysts Boost Their Forecasts After Q3 EarningsLyondellBasell missed Q3 2026 earnings and revenue estimates, shares fell 2%, and Wells Fargo and RBC raised their price targets to $76 and $82.
- RBC Capital Maintains Outperform on LyondellBasell Industries, Raises Price Target to $82RBC Capital kept its Outperform rating and raised its price target to $82.
- Wells Fargo Maintains Overweight on LyondellBasell Industries, Raises Price Target to $76Wells Fargo kept its Overweight rating and raised its price target to $76.
- LyondellBasell Reports Third Quarter 2026 Financial ResultsLyondellBasell reported Q3 2026 net income of $758 million and EBITDA of $1.4 billion, with diluted EPS of $2.32 and $2.54 excluding identified items.
- LyondellBasell Agrees to Sell Former Houston Refinery Site to Valero for $320.5 MillionLyondellBasell agreed to sell its former Houston refinery site to Valero Energy for $320.5 million, with Valero planning to restart 165 kb/d of light sweet crude processing by year-end 2027.
About LyondellBasell Industries N.V. Class A
LyondellBasell is a Houston- and London-based chemical company and one of the world's largest makers of polymers. It is known for low-cost US Gulf Coast plants that run on cheap natural-gas feedstock, and it also licenses polyolefin technology to other producers. It is currently reshaping its business: in 2026 it sold four European sites and agreed to sell its former Houston refinery site to a Valero subsidiary.
How it makes money
Most of its revenue comes from selling commodity plastics, mainly polyethylene and polypropylene, from its olefins and polyolefins businesses in the Americas and in Europe, Asia and other international markets. It also makes money from intermediate chemicals and derivatives such as propylene oxide and oxyfuels, advanced polymer compounds, and licensing its process technology and catalysts. Profits depend on the gap between what it pays for feedstock and energy and what it gets for its chemicals. That gap swings a lot over the industry cycle. For example, it lost about $0.7 billion in 2025 (including one-time charges) but earned about $0.76 billion in Q3 2026 alone.
What usually moves LYB
- Chemical and plastics margins over the industry cycle
- US natural gas and ethane costs compared with oil-based rivals abroad
- Middle East supply disruptions and global chemical prices
- Industrial, packaging and auto demand, especially in China and Europe
- Asset sales, cost-cutting and dividend sustainability