LyondellBasell Expands Suzhou Technical Center With New Lab Line

LyondellBasell Industries N.V. LYB has strengthened its support for the Advanced Polymer Solutions business with the commissioning of a new laboratory extrusion line and an upgraded processing workshop at its Suzhou Technical Center. The investment will enhance compounding capabilities for polypropylene compounds and engineered plastics. The new facility will also help in the high-precision development of complex formulations.

The Suzhou Technical Center features state-of-the-art extruders, advanced product analysis and performance testing abilities. Innovation will be focused on lightweight plastic body panels, flame-retardant technologies, sustainable materials, specialty resins and color-material-finish solutions. The expansion reaffirms LYB’s commitment to aligning growth with market megatrends through increased R&D investment in the region.

Since its establishment in 2013 in Suzhou Industrial Park, the center has been nurturing customer-centric innovation. Earlier this year, it was recognized by the Suzhou municipal government as a “Foreign-Fund R&D Center,” underlining its achievements. The expansion also reinforces LyondellBasell’s broader Asia Pacific innovation network, which includes recent investments at facilities in Senai and Port Klang, Malaysia, as well as the Vadodara Technical Center in India.

LYB’s shares have lost 36.3% over the past year compared with the industry’s 18.6% decline.

LYB’s Zacks Rank & Key Picks

LYB currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

Some better-ranked stocks in the Basic Materials space are The Mosaic Company MOS, Carpenter Technology Corporation CRS and Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. ASM. While MOS sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present, CRS and ASM carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) each. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MOS’ 2025 earnings is pegged at $3.17 per share, indicating a rise of 60.10% from year-ago levels. The company’s earnings beat the consensus estimate in one of the trailing four quarters while missing it in the rest. MOS' shares have gained 36.3% in the past year.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CRS’ current fiscal-year earnings is pegged at $9.51 per share, indicating a 27.14% year-over-year increase.Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 8.38%. CRS’ shares have surged 70.5% in the past year.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ASM’s current-year earnings is pegged at 11 cents per share. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with an average surprise of 141.67%. ASM's shares have jumped 328.4% in the past year.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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