Citigroup Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB) Stock

Key Points

• Citigroup raised its price target on LyondellBasell to $90 (from $76) and kept a "buy" rating, implying roughly a 28% upside from the stock's current level.
• Shares fell about 12.6% to $70.19; the company reported (‑$0.26) EPS last quarter, has a negative PE, and carries a MarketBeat consensus "Hold" rating with a consensus target of $68.17.
• Major shareholder Ai Investments sold 384,548 shares (≈$26.2M), reducing its stake by 6.8%, while institutional investors own about 71.2% of the company.

LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB - Get Free Report) had its price target raised by equities research analysts at Citigroup from $76.00 to $90.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the specialty chemicals company's stock. Citigroup's price objective suggests a potential upside of 28.23% from the company's current price.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on LYB. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $51.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Wall Street Zen upgraded LyondellBasell Industries from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, March 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of LyondellBasell Industries from a "sector perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $51.00 to $82.00 in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Fermium Researc raised shares of LyondellBasell Industries from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upgraded LyondellBasell Industries from an "underperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and raised their price target for the company from $38.00 to $68.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, LyondellBasell Industries currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $68.17.

LyondellBasell Industries Stock Down 12.6%

Shares of LYB traded down $10.08 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $70.19. The company had a trading volume of 1,862,617 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,867,043. The company has a market capitalization of $22.61 billion, a PE ratio of -30.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a current ratio of 1.77, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. LyondellBasell Industries has a one year low of $41.58 and a one year high of $83.94. The company's fifty day moving average price is $64.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $52.85.

LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Saturday, February 21st. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.26) earnings per share for the quarter. LyondellBasell Industries had a positive return on equity of 4.93% and a negative net margin of 2.46%.The business had revenue of $7.09 billion during the quarter. As a group, equities analysts forecast that LyondellBasell Industries will post 6.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at LyondellBasell Industries

In related news, major shareholder Ai Investments Holdings Llc sold 384,548 shares of LyondellBasell Industries stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.13, for a total value of $26,199,255.24. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,270,918 shares in the company, valued at approximately $359,107,643.34. This trade represents a 6.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. EMC Capital Management boosted its position in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 46.7% during the fourth quarter. EMC Capital Management now owns 2,200 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $95,000 after buying an additional 700 shares during the period. Flax Pond Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of LyondellBasell Industries during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,494,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Virtu Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 212.7% during the fourth quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 93,876 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock valued at $4,065,000 after acquiring an additional 63,854 shares during the period. Finally, MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in LyondellBasell Industries in the 4th quarter worth about $52,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.20% of the company's stock.

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.

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