LyondellBasell dividend: cash, history and yield
MyStockButler's October 2026 analysis: LyondellBasell paid $5.45 per share in 2025, then cut its quarterly dividend from $1.37 to $0.69 per share on February 20, 2026. LyondellBasell's cash did not cover its 2025 distributions after capital spending: it generated $2.3 billion from operations, spent $1.9 billion on capital expenditures, and returned $2.0 billion to shareholders.
How much does LyondellBasell pay per share?
Capital allocation exposes the difference. LYB says it prioritizes safe maintenance, a stronger balance sheet, dividends and selective investment. Its dividend was $5.45 per share in 2025, while distributions exceeded cash from operations after capital spending that year. Liquidity can fund that gap temporarily, but not indefinitely.
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend per share | 5.45 | 5.27 | 4.94 | 9.90 | 4.44 |
What this means. The 2022 dividend per share shows only regular dividends and leaves out the separately declared special dividend of US$5.20 per share.
Does LyondellBasell's cash cover its dividend?
The 2025 squeeze makes the capital-allocation problem clear. LYB generated $2.3 billion from operations and spent $1.9 billion on capital expenditures. It returned $2.0 billion to shareholders, so distributions exceeded the cash remaining after investment. On February 20, 2026, LYB cut the quarterly dividend from $1.37 to $0.69 per share and made no buybacks in the first nine months of 2026. The cut preserved flexibility, but reduced shareholders’ income.
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| − Dividends paid | 1,764 | 1,720 | 1,610 | 3,246 | 1,486 |
| − Share buybacks | 201 | 195 | 211 | 420 | 463 |
| − Investments bought | 14 | 551 | 102 | 4 | 106 |
| − Debt repaid | 492 | 776 | 625 | 4 | 4,221 |
| Paid to shareholders | 1,965 | 1,915 | 1,821 | 3,666 | 1,949 |
What this means. A blank cell means the report did not show a number, not that the company spent or received nothing.
What could change LyondellBasell's dividend?
The base dividend holds at $2.76 through 2028 and rises to $3.00 in 2029. The bear case cuts it to $1.38 and then suspends it. The bull case reaches $3.45. These choices reflect the February 2026 reduction from $1.37 to $0.69 quarterly, followed by management’s continuing commitment to an attractive dividend.
The forecast would move toward the bear case in 2027 if weaker resin spreads, lower utilization or normalized fuel markets reduce operating profit. Weak cash after sustaining investment would also limit dividend growth and buybacks.
What is LyondellBasell's dividend yield today?
The weighted forecast is weak in the first year but improves materially by the third. The weighted price is $47.09 in October 2027, a 27% loss with dividends. It reaches $62.59 in October 2028, almost flat against today’s $68.64. By October 2029, it reaches $80.54, a 28% gain with dividends.
| Today (Oct 31, 2026) | |
|---|---|
| Share price | 68.64 |
| Market value (calculated) | 22,187.36 |
| Dividend yield (calculated) | 4.0% |
What this means. The price-to-earnings number uses predicted profit, so it can be wrong if the analysts’ forecast is wrong.