Supply-driven price gains power LyondellBasell's Q2 earnings surge, offsetting European divestiture loss
LYB sits 48% above its 52-week low of $41.58 on light trading volume (0.4× avg).
Summary
LyondellBasell reported Q2 2026 net income of $559 million ($1.71/share), a nearly fivefold increase from the prior year, driven by higher prices from Middle East supply disruptions. The quarter included a $734 million loss on the divestiture of European assets.
Key Events · Earnings and Guidance · LYB
-
Q2 Earnings Surge
Net income reached $559 million ($1.71 per share), compared with $115 million in Q2 2025, as higher product prices—fueled by Middle East supply constraints—drove the increase.
-
European Divestiture Loss
A $734 million pre-tax loss was recognized on the sale of select European olefins and polyolefins assets, a transaction that included a $310 million cash contribution.
-
Cash Flow Turnaround
Cash from operations swung to $483 million for H1 2026, a sharp reversal from the $228 million use of cash in H1 2025, supported by higher earnings and working capital management.
-
Capex Reduction
Sustaining capital expenditures for 2026 were reduced by $100 million, contributing to improved free cash flow.
Analysis · LYB · Industrial Applications And Services
A massive Q2 beat saw net income jump to $559 million from $115 million a year ago, as industry supply constraints tied to the Middle East conflict drove sharply higher product prices. While the quarter included a $734 million loss on the sale of European assets, underlying operating performance was strong across all segments. Cash from operations turned positive at $483 million for the first half, and the company reduced sustaining capex by $100 million. The results confirm that LyondellBasell is capitalizing on tight markets while executing its portfolio restructuring.
How filings like this one have moved
In the 30 days to Oct 5, 2026, 36.9% of the 966 measured filings Wiseek scored 8 moved their stock by 5% or more by the next session's close. The median move was -0.66%. These are measured outcomes after filings of this importance, not a forecast for this one.
Measured one observation per ticker per day, after exclusions. Current figures: Filing Impact Tracker · open dataset
At the time of this filing, LYB was trading at $61.64 on NYSE in the Industrial Applications And Services sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $19.9B. The 52-week trading range was $41.58 to $83.94. This filing was assessed with positive market sentiment and an importance score of 8 out of 10.