Company Overview - LyondellBasell Industries N.V. is a major petrochemical and chemical company based in Houston, Texas, with a market cap of $14.3 billion. The company produces key chemical building blocks such as ethylene, propylene, polyethylene, and polypropylene, along with a variety of polymers, specialty chemicals, and fuels used in everyday applications like packaging, automotive components, construction materials, textiles, and consumer goods [1]. Financial Performance - Analysts expect LyondellBasell to report a non-GAAP profit of $0.19 per share for the fourth quarter, which represents a significant decline of 74.7% from $0.75 per share reported in the same quarter last year. The company has met or exceeded Street estimates on the bottom line twice in the past four quarters but has missed projections on two occasions [2]. - For fiscal 2025, analysts project a non-GAAP EPS of $2.22, down 65.3% from $6.40 in fiscal 2024. However, earnings are expected to rebound in fiscal 2026, with a projected increase of 61.7% year over year to $3.59 per share [3]. Stock Performance - LyondellBasell's stock has declined by 39% over the past 52 weeks, significantly underperforming the S&P 500 Index, which returned 16.9%, and the Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund, which saw a 10.9% decline during the same period [4]. - On December 15, LyondellBasell shares fell more than 2% following a downgrade by BMO Capital Markets, which changed its rating from "Market Perform" to "Underperform" and set a price target of $36. This downgrade was attributed to concerns over near-term headwinds in the chemicals and petrochemicals markets, including weaker global demand and margin pressure from rising feedstock costs [5]. Analyst Ratings - Analysts maintain a cautious outlook on LyondellBasell, with a consensus "Hold" rating. Among the 21 analysts covering the stock, there are two "Strong Buys," one "Moderate Buy," 14 "Holds," and four "Strong Sells." The mean price target of $50.70 indicates a potential upside of 14.2% from current price levels [6].