Investors Buy High Volume of Call Options on LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB)

LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE:LYB) saw unusually large options trading activity on Monday. Traders acquired 8,325 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 48% compared to the average volume of 5,611 call options.

LyondellBasell Industries Stock Up 3.7%

LYB stock traded up $1.63 during trading on Monday, hitting $46.02. 921,396 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,512,504. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $44.59 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $51.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -12.23 and a beta of 0.70. LyondellBasell Industries has a 52-week low of $41.58 and a 52-week high of $79.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00.

LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 31st. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.01 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.80 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $7.73 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.41 billion. LyondellBasell Industries had a positive return on equity of 7.50% and a negative net margin of 3.70%.The company’s revenue was down 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.88 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that LyondellBasell Industries will post 6.31 EPS for the current year.

LyondellBasell Industries Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 8th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 1st were given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 11.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. LyondellBasell Industries’s payout ratio is presently -146.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling at LyondellBasell Industries

In other LyondellBasell Industries news, EVP Kimberly A. Foley purchased 5,661 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $43.56 per share, for a total transaction of $246,593.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 67,688 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,948,489.28. This represents a 9.13% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On LyondellBasell Industries

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Capital A Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries by 6,314.3% in the second quarter. Capital A Wealth Management LLC now owns 449 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 442 shares in the last quarter. MTM Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries in the second quarter worth $26,000. Parvin Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in LyondellBasell Industries in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Hilltop National Bank acquired a new stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries during the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, EMC Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of LyondellBasell Industries in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. 71.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $59.00 to $51.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 17th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $45.00 target price (down from $55.00) on shares of LyondellBasell Industries in a report on Friday, December 19th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $43.00 to $40.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Fermium Researc lowered LyondellBasell Industries from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $50.00 to $46.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, LyondellBasell Industries currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $53.65.

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.