LyondellBasell

Plastic was not the surprise star this quarter. The gasoline additives were, because they got far more valuable as global fuel supply tightened, and the company's Channelview, Texas plant ran at about 110 percent of its normal pace to keep up. That helped profit climb to 758 million dollars, up from 559 million last quarter and a loss of 890 million dollars a year ago.

The company brought in 1.7 billion dollars of cash from running its business this quarter. That paid for 303 million dollars of plant spending, 224 million in dividends, and a 500 million euro loan paid off on schedule. Even after all that, the cash pile grew by about 600 million dollars to 3.2 billion, which puts the company on firmer financial footing.

Their main plastics business earned less than last quarter as plastic prices fell in both America and Europe. Total sales slipped to 8.5 billion dollars from 9.2 billion, and profit before one-time costs dropped to 828 million dollars from 1.4 billion. Industry profits on common plastic are still about 50 percent above 2025 levels, but the spring spike is cooling.

Much of this strength comes from supply problems caused by the conflict in the Middle East, and big price swings have made customers careful about how much they buy. For the last three months of the year, management plans to run North American plastic plants at 85 percent, European plants at just 60 percent, and their fuel additive and chemical plants at 75 percent. Plants running slower usually means smaller profits.