$LYB LyondellBasell moves higher as Barron's t
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LyondellBasell moves higher as Barron's touts 'plastic is fantastic'
LyondellBasell (LYB +1.2%) may be enjoying a Barron's bounce following a weekend report that said the petrochemical company is benefiting from the shale drilling boom and new fuel rules for ships.
The company had believed any decline in the price of polyethylene would be shallow and short compared with what investors were expecting... [but] now the downturn looks unlikely to happen" at all, CEO Bob Patel tells Barron's.
Jefferies analyst Laurence Alexander, who rates LYB a Buy, sees potential for EPS growth of 10%/year compounded through 2022, perhaps reaching $17.40 vs. $10.23 last year, and thinks Wall Street has been slow to factor in how the company’s growth efforts will add to profits.
“The objective isn’t size or market share,” Patel says. “It’s maximizing returns,” vowing to be careful to maintain LYB's investment-grade credit rating through the economic cycle.
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