LyondellBasell earnings date and guidance
MyStockButler's October 2026 analysis: LyondellBasell's next results are expected on January 29, 2027. Watch whether LyondellBasell turns the recovery into reliable cash generation.
What has LyondellBasell guided for 2026?
An operating rate measures actual production against a plant’s stated capacity. Running below full capacity can be sensible: a bakery that expects to sell 85 loaves should not automatically bake 100, because the extra bread may require discounts. LYB expects its North American olefins and polyolefins plants to run at 85% in the fourth quarter of 2026. It expects Europe at 60% and intermediates and derivatives at 75%. High European costs, low Rhine water levels and planned work at Lake Charles help explain the differences.
The spending plan protects the plants first. LYB guides to $1.2 billion of 2026 capital spending, including $800 million for sustaining assets and $400 million for profit-generating projects. Planned maintenance is expected to reduce 2026 EBITDA by $155 million in Americas olefins and polyolefins. EBITDA excludes interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, so it can look healthy while the company still spends heavily to remain capable of producing.
| Period guided | Low | High | Date given | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total CAPEX | Year to Dec 2026 | 1,200 | 1,200 | Jul 31, 2026 |
| Sustaining CAPEX | Year to Dec 2026 | 800 | 800 | Jul 31, 2026 |
| Profit Generating CAPEX | Year to Dec 2026 | 400 | 400 | Jul 31, 2026 |
| Cash Improvement Plan incremental cash | Year to Dec 2026 | 500 | 500 | Jul 31, 2026 |
| Cash Improvement Plan cumulative target | Year to Dec 2026 | 1,300 | 1,300 | Feb 20, 2026 |
| North American O&P assets, operating rates | Quarter to Dec 2026 | 85.0% | 85.0% | Oct 30, 2026 |
What this means. MoReTec-1's planned annual capacity is the facility's maximum design output, not how much it will actually produce in 2027.
Did LyondellBasell keep its promises?
The guidance record is mixed: four of six comparable operating-rate forecasts landed within guidance and two were below it. That earns a 3/5 assessment.
| What management forecast | Checked | Above | Within | Below |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North American olefins and polyolefins (O&P) assets operating rate | 6 quarters | 0 | 4 | 2 |
What this means. The overall score of three out of five is separate from this row, which shows that operating rates were within forecast in four of six quarters and below forecast in two.
What happened to LyondellBasell revenue and profit?
The third quarter of 2026 showed a sharp recovery. Revenue was $8.499 billion and continuing operating income was $1.067 billion. Continuing net income was $774 million, or $2.38 per diluted share. Adjusted EBITDA rose to $1.512 billion from $835 million a year earlier. Middle East disruption tightened supply, strong gasoline economics lifted oxyfuels and the Bayport restart improved reliability. I&D accelerated, while Americas O&P weakened sequentially and APS produced $37 million of EBITDA. The European asset sale reduced volumes and left a low-rate, pressured business.
| Sep 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Revenue | 8,499 |
| Gross margin | 17.6% |
| Operating income | 1,067 |
| Continuing net income attributable to shareholders | 774 |
| EPS, diluted, continuing operations | 2.38 |
What this means. Earlier revenue includes the sold European operations, but September 2026 revenue does not, so the periods are not directly comparable.
What should I watch in LyondellBasell's next results?
The fourth quarter will show whether LYB achieved its guided plant rates, cash-improvement target and refinery closing. The first quarter of 2027 will test liquidity when debt repayment and seasonal working-capital needs arrive together.