KBC Group NV Acquires 32,118 Shares of LyondellBasell Industries N.V. $LYB

Key Points

• KBC Group NV boosted its stake in LyondellBasell by 139% in Q4, acquiring 32,118 shares for a total holding of 55,222 shares worth about $2.39 million.
• LyondellBasell reported a quarterly loss of ($0.26) EPS with a negative net margin (-2.46%) and recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.69 (annualized $2.76, 4.0% yield) while showing a -118.45% payout ratio, signaling potential financial strain.
• Shares trade near $68.63 (up ~3.6%) with a market cap of $22.15 billion; analysts are mixed with a consensus "Hold" and $71.06 target, and major shareholder Ai Investments sold 384,548 shares (~$26.2M) recently.

KBC Group NV raised its holdings in LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE:LYB - Free Report) by 139.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 55,222 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock after acquiring an additional 32,118 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV's holdings in LyondellBasell Industries were worth $2,391,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Stance Capital LLC acquired a new stake in LyondellBasell Industries in the third quarter worth $27,000. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new stake in LyondellBasell Industries in the third quarter worth $29,000. ORG Partners LLC raised its holdings in LyondellBasell Industries by 960.0% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 689 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 624 shares during the period. United Community Bank raised its holdings in LyondellBasell Industries by 83.2% in the third quarter. United Community Bank now owns 623 shares of the specialty chemicals company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 283 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP acquired a new stake in LyondellBasell Industries in the third quarter worth $31,000. 71.20% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

LyondellBasell Industries Trading Up 3.6%

Shares of NYSE:LYB opened at $68.63 on Tuesday. LyondellBasell Industries N.V. has a 12 month low of $41.58 and a 12 month high of $83.94. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $68.33 and its 200 day simple moving average is $54.30. The firm has a market cap of $22.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -29.45, a PEG ratio of 0.27 and a beta of 0.40.

LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Saturday, February 21st. The specialty chemicals company reported ($0.26) EPS for the quarter. LyondellBasell Industries had a positive return on equity of 4.93% and a negative net margin of 2.46%.The company had revenue of $7.09 billion for the quarter. As a group, research analysts forecast that LyondellBasell Industries N.V. will post 4.62 EPS for the current fiscal year.

LyondellBasell Industries Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 9th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd were issued a dividend of $0.69 per share. This represents a $2.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. LyondellBasell Industries's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -118.45%.

Insider Activity at LyondellBasell Industries

In related news, major shareholder Ai Investments Holdings Llc sold 384,548 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.13, for a total transaction of $26,199,255.24. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 5,270,918 shares in the company, valued at $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 SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.14% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on LYB shares. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $68.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $52.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, March 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "sell" rating on shares of LyondellBasell Industries in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Bank of America reiterated an "underperform" rating and issued a $55.00 target price on shares of LyondellBasell Industries in a report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Vertical Research upgraded shares of LyondellBasell Industries from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $75.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, March 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, LyondellBasell Industries has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $71.06.

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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