At a glance
LyondellBasell Industries NV is worth $21.62B. Revenue fell 9.7% to $30.15B in fiscal 2025, at a loss. It pays a 5.14% dividend yield, raised every year for at least 9 years, and returned $11.32B to shareholders in dividends and buybacks over FY2021–FY2025. The stock returned +53.1% over the past year with dividends reinvested and +0.0% a year over five years, against +11.5% and +11.7% for the S&P 500. At its worst it fell 57.5% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 34.8% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 6 months and 18 months after the lows.
The business in plain English
LyondellBasell is a global chemical company. Its large plants turn oil- and natural-gas-based raw materials, called feedstocks, into plastic resins and basic chemicals. Customers use these building blocks to make food packaging, home furnishings, car parts, and paints and coatings. It also licenses its production technology and sells catalysts, which speed up the reactions that make plastic. No single customer made up 10% or more of revenue in fiscal 2025.
Profit depends on the gap between feedstock and energy costs and the prices it can charge, so earnings swing with commodity markets. Revenue was $30.2 billion in fiscal 2025. Polyethylene made up about 24%. Polypropylene, where LyondellBasell is the world's second-largest producer, made up 19%. Oxyfuels, which are blended into gasoline, added 16%, and olefins such as ethylene 14%.
By segment, Olefins and Polyolefins–Europe, Asia, International brought in about 32% of fiscal 2025 revenue. Intermediates and Derivatives (oxyfuels, propylene oxide and other chemicals) brought in 30%, Olefins and Polyolefins–Americas 25%, Advanced Polymer Solutions (plastic compounds and colors) 11.5% and Technology 1.5%. The U.S. was the biggest single country at about 37%, ahead of Germany at 7%. U.S. plants can make up to about 90% of their ethylene from cheaper natural gas liquids, which gives them a cost edge. The company stopped running its Houston refinery in February 2025.
Price history
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LYB +53.1% over the year to Nov 2, 2026, total return with dividends reinvested.
How it makes money
By product or service
| Polyethylene | $7.20B | 23.9% |
| Polypropylene | $5.85B | 19.4% |
| Oxyfuels and related products | $4.83B | 16% |
| Olefins and co-products | $4.18B | 13.9% |
| Compounding and solutions | $3.46B | 11.5% |
| Propylene oxide and derivatives | $2.15B | 7.1% |
| Intermediate chemicals | $1.89B | 6.3% |
| Other | $596.0M | 2% |
By business segment
| O&P - EAI | $9.61B | 31.9% |
| I&D | $8.95B | 29.7% |
| O&P - Americas | $7.67B | 25.4% |
| APS | $3.46B | 11.5% |
| Technology | $463.0M | 1.5% |
By geography
| U.S. | $11.06B | 36.7% |
| Other | $8.29B | 27.5% |
| Germany | $2.20B | 7.3% |
| China | $1.78B | 5.9% |
| Mexico | $1.56B | 5.2% |
| Italy | $1.32B | 4.4% |
| Japan | $1.26B | 4.2% |
| France | $1.16B | 3.9% |
| Poland | $790.0M | 2.6% |
| The Netherlands | $731.0M | 2.4% |
Latest results
- In Q3 FY2026 (ended Sep 30, 2026), revenue was $8.50B, up 10% from a year earlier, and net income was $758.0M.
- For fiscal 2025, revenue was $30.15B (-9.7% year over year) with a -2.4% net margin.
Financial health check
| Operating margin | -1.4% weak |
|---|---|
| Free cash flow margin | 1.3% watch |
| Return on equity (FY2025) | -7.3% weak |
| Return on assets (FY2025) | -2.2% weak |
| Net cash (cash minus debt) | $-7.01B weak |
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Net income | Free cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $27.75B | $1.43B | $1.46B |
| FY2021 | $46.17B | $5.62B | $5.74B |
| FY2022 | $50.45B | $3.89B | $4.23B |
| FY2023 | $33.34B | $2.12B | $3.41B |
| FY2024 | $33.39B | $1.37B | $1.98B |
| FY2025 | $30.15B | $-738.0M | $384.0M |
Valuation snapshot
| Market value | $21.62B |
|---|---|
| P/E ratio | — |
| Dividend yield | 5.14% |
Rank among 1514 US companies
Market value at each year end
LyondellBasell Industries NV’s market value went from $34.96B at the end of 2016 to $21.62B on Nov 2, 2026, down 38%; since the end of 2025 it is up 55%.
Show as a table
| Year end | Market value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2, 2026 | $21.62B | +55.1% |
| 2025 | $13.94B | -42.2% |
| 2024 | $24.12B | -21.8% |
| 2023 | $30.84B | +14.1% |
| 2022 | $27.04B | -11.9% |
| 2021 | $30.69B | +0.3% |
| 2020 | $30.61B | -2.8% |
| 2019 | $31.50B | -1.3% |
| 2018 | $31.90B | -26.7% |
| 2017 | $43.52B | +24.5% |
| 2016 | $34.96B |
Price behavior
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LYB price data to Nov 2, 2026 | +59.6% | +53.1% | -4.0% | 0.0% | +4.3% |
Show as a table
| Year | Price data |
|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +59.6% |
| 2025 | -35.9% |
| 2024 | -17.4% |
| 2023 | +20.7% |
| 2022 | -0.8% |
| 2021 | +5.0% |
| 2020 | +2.6% |
| 2019 | +19.4% |
| 2018 | -21.7% |
| 2017 | +33.7% |
| 2016 | +2.9% |
| 2015 | +13.2% |
| 2014 | +1.7% |
| 2013 | +44.7% |
| 2012 | +94.5% |
| 2011 | +10.4% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 49.9% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 57.5%, back to its old high 6.1 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 9.9% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 34.8%, back to its old high 18 months after the low |
Insider activity
Form 4 filings from 2025-10-31 to 2026-10-31 (25 read): 0 open-market purchases and 7 sales ($27.0M).
| Date | Insider | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 9, 2026 | Ai Investments Holdings Llc 10% owner | sell | $12.9M |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Ai Investments Holdings Llc 10% owner | sell | $7.9M |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Ai Investments Holdings Llc 10% owner | sell | $5.4M |
| May 13, 2026 | Jeffrey A Kaplan EVP, Chief PC, Leg & Corp Ofc | sell | $742K |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Ai Investments Holdings Llc 10% owner | sell | $28K |
Who owns it
Large shareholders (13G filings)
| Vanguard Capital Management | 6% | Mar 31, 2026 |
ETFs with the most weight in LYB
| WBIY WBI Power Factor High Dividend ETF | 3.92% |
| FXZ First Trust Materials AlphaDEX Fund | 3.48% |
| TBG TBG Dividend Focus ETF | 3.42% |
| RSPM Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Materials ETF | 3.29% |
| DIVY Sound Equity Dividend Income ETF | 3.08% |
| NDIV Amplify Natural Resources Dividend Income ETF | 2.74% |
| IYM iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF | 2.47% |
| PEY Invesco High Yield Equity Dividend Achievers™ ETF | 2.45% |
What could go wrong
- U.S. cost edge depends on oil versus gas. North American plants benefit from cheap natural gas-based raw materials, while many rivals use oil-based ones. If crude stays cheap relative to U.S. natural gas, or demand for gas liquids rises, that edge shrinks.
- Boom-and-bust chemical cycles. The industry swings between shortages that lift prices and profits and oversupply from new plants that squeezes them. Net income went from $5.6 billion in fiscal 2021 to a $738 million loss in fiscal 2025.
- Costs it can't always pass on. Raw materials and energy are a large share of costs, and increases can't always be passed to customers. Rivals with cheap gas in the Middle East and North America can squeeze its profits in Europe.
- Heavy debt and costly plants. The business needs costly plants and relies on operating cash and borrowing to fund growth and dividends. As of June 30, 2026, debt was $12.9 billion against $4.1 billion in cash and investments.
- Rules and backlash against plastic. Plastic regulations, or customers moving away from plastic, could slow demand growth for polyethylene and polypropylene, about 24% and 19% of fiscal 2025 revenue. Missing recycling or emissions goals could hurt its reputation.
- Accidents and plant outages. Chemical plants carry safety risks, and Gulf Coast sites face natural disasters, water shortages and shipping disruptions. Outages cut output and could create liabilities that insurance may not fully cover.
Recent events
- Quarterly results released; Other company announcement
- Quarterly results released
- Major agreement signed; New debt or financial obligation
- Executive or board change; Shareholder vote results; Other company announcement
- Quarterly results released; Other company announcement
- Quarterly results released
- Major agreement signed; New debt or financial obligation; Other company announcement
- Major agreement signed; Quarterly results released
For income and retirement investors
LyondellBasell raised its regular dividend at least 9 years in a row through fiscal 2025. Dividends per share rose from $4.20 in fiscal 2020 to $5.45 in fiscal 2025, about 5.3% a year. The yield was 5.12% as of October 28, 2026. But fiscal 2025 strained that record. The company posted a net loss, so earnings did not cover the dividend. The $1.76 billion it paid equaled about 459% of free cash flow (cash left after running the business and investing in plants). Buybacks were small: $1.49 billion over fiscal 2021–2025, against $9.83 billion in dividends. Dividends declared since fiscal 2025 are worth checking against this record.
The shares have fallen hard in downturns. They dropped 57.5% in the 2020 COVID crash and recovered in about six months. In the 2022 bear market they fell 34.8% and took 18 months to recover. A single stock carries more risk than a diversified fund.
Questions investors ask
Does LyondellBasell raise its dividend every year?
Through fiscal 2025, yes. LyondellBasell raised its regular dividend at least 9 years in a row, and the streak may be longer. Dividends per share rose from $4.20 in fiscal 2020 to $5.45 in fiscal 2025, about 5.3% a year. Past increases don't guarantee future ones: in fiscal 2025 the company lost money, and dividends paid were several times its free cash flow.
How does LyondellBasell make money?
LyondellBasell makes money by turning natural gas liquids and oil-based raw materials into plastics and chemicals, then selling them to makers of packaging, car parts, furnishings and coatings. In fiscal 2025, polyethylene brought in about 24% of its $30.2 billion revenue, polypropylene 19%, oxyfuels 16% and olefins such as ethylene 14%. Profit depends on the gap between raw material and energy costs and selling prices. A Technology segment, about 1.5% of revenue, licenses production processes and sells catalysts.
Is LyondellBasell profitable?
Not for fiscal 2025 as a whole. The company reported a net loss of $738 million, or $2.34 per diluted share, and revenue fell 9.7% to $30.2 billion. Results improved in the quarter ended June 30, 2026: revenue rose 19.8% from a year earlier to $9.18 billion, and net income was $559 million. Profits at commodity chemical makers like LyondellBasell tend to swing widely with industry cycles.
Is LyondellBasell's dividend safe?
It is under strain. In fiscal 2025 the company posted a net loss, so earnings didn't cover the dividend. Free cash flow, the cash left after running the business and investing in plants, was $384 million. Dividends paid totaled $1.76 billion, about 459% of free cash flow. As of June 30, 2026, debt stood at $12.9 billion against $4.1 billion in cash and investments. The yield was 5.12% as of October 28, 2026, and dividends declared after fiscal 2025 are worth checking.
How has LyondellBasell stock performed over the long term?
Weakly over the past five years, with sharp swings. Based on market prices as of October 28, 2026, the stock gained about 4% a year over 10 years (48% in total). It lost 0.3% a year over five years and 3.3% a year over three. It fell about 17% in calendar 2024 and 36% in 2025, then rebounded about 60% in 2026 through October 28. Its largest peak-to-trough drop over about 16.5 years was roughly 68%.