LyondellBasell Q2 2026 Results Show Margin Surge on Supply Disruptions

LyondellBasell presented second quarter 2026 results showing margin surge on supply disruptions. The company's Advanced Polymer Solutions segment delivered $78 million in EBITDA, up $20 million sequentially, supported by disciplined pricing actions and effective cost management. The Technology segment generated $74 million in EBITDA. A central theme was the company ongoing portfolio transformation. The completion of the European asset divestiture marked a significant milestone, with the company global ethylene footprint shifting from 72% in cost-advantaged US and Middle East regions in 2025 to 80% post-divestiture, while the European footprint declined from 22% to 13% of total capacity. Key remaining European assets include construction of the first commercial-scale catalytic chemical recycling MoReTec facility integrated into Wesseling crackers, technology-advantaged PO/TBA assets in the Netherlands and France, and innovation hubs in Italy and Germany. Cash from operating activities over the last twelve months totaled $3.0 billion, producing an 80% cash conversion rate. As of June 30, 2026, net debt to EBITDA was 2.6x, cash and cash equivalents were $2.6 billion, and available liquidity was $7.1 billion. The company implemented approximately 3,400 headcount reductions (17% of the workforce) since the beginning of 2025.