We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Plastics and Rubber Stocks to Buy According to Analysts. In this article, we are going to take a look at where LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE:LYB) stands against the other best plastics and rubber stocks to buy according to analysts.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a crucial component of the manufacturing industry, the Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing subsector produces commodities by processing raw rubber and plastic materials. Rubber Product Manufacturing and Plastics Product Manufacturing are the two primary groups that make up the industry. Since rubber is increasingly being replaced by plastics, the subsector mostly concentrates on single-material goods. First-line supervisors, team assemblers, and machine operators are important jobs in this industry. As of December 2024, the subsector employed about 718,300 people, of whom 545,300 were production and nonsupervisory workers. All employees made an average of $29.68 per hour, with production workers making $25.03. In 2023, the median yearly salary for occupations was $36,140 for hand packers and $67,440 for first-line managers.

The dynamics of the industry are reflected in workplace safety and pricing patterns. As per the aforementioned report, the subsector recorded 16 fatalities and 2.9 recordable injury cases per 100 full-time employees in 2023. As the number of enterprises steadily increased to 14,536 in Q2 2024, productivity remained a priority. While import and export price indexes showed stability in December 2024, price trends as shown by the Producer Price Index (PPI) showed a minor decline (-0.1%). By striking a balance between labor demands, safety regulations, and pricing pressures, the industry’s performance and trends highlight its importance to the economy.

According to a report by MNI, there are 13,675 businesses in the rubber and plastics industry in the United States, and their yearly sales total $553 billion. In 2023, employment increased from 846,729 to 858,177, a 1.35% growth. Public ownership is 9%, compared to 5% in manufacturing, while minority and female ownership rates are 2% and 1%, respectively. Materials are imported at a rate of 19% compared to 11% for manufacturing as a whole, while exports reach 42% of distribution, which is higher than the manufacturing average of 29%. The Midwest has 35% of manufacturers, whereas the South has 31%. This is due to the region’s close proximity to major automotive hubs like Kentucky.

The market for rubber and plastic products has expanded significantly in recent years. According to The Business Research Company, it will increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.5% by 2025. The historical period saw growth due to industrialization and manufacturing expansion, automotive industry expansion, consumer goods production, medical and healthcare sector growth, and packaging industry evolution. The market for rubber and plastic products is also projected to increase significantly during the next years. It will increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5%.

Interestingly, as per the latest report, R&D expenditure in the U.S. plastics and rubber manufacturing sector doubled the national average growth rate in 2024, rising 19.4% to $3.1 billion from $2.6 billion in 2023. After a five-year downturn in which R&D investment fell by 16.2%, this represents a recovery. Driven by improvements in polymer materials, production efficiency, and sustainable product development, this sector currently ranks twelfth in terms of R&D investment increase among all sectors in the U.S.

Jordan Fazio, senior director of R&D tax credit at Source Advisors, stated:

“Investment in R&D is no longer optional but a strategic necessity to stay ahead in the competitive landscape. We’ve seen through working with national and international firms in the plastics and rubber manufacturing sector the increased importance placed on being at the forefront of technology to improve existing services and identify new innovation routes”

Overall, the investors have witnessed financial gains as the global materials industry of the broader market has grown by 4.25% since the beginning of the year and by 6.18% in the past year.

Methodology

We sifted through online rankings to form an initial list of 20 plastics and rubber stocks. From the resultant dataset, we chose 10 stocks with a projected upside potential of at least 15% based on analyst price targets as of January 13. The stocks are ranked according to their upside potential. We also considered hedge fund sentiment around each stock using Insider Monkey’s data for Q3 2024.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here)

LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE:LYB)

Upside Potential as of January 13: 26.11%

One of the Best Plastics Stocks, LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE:LYB), a multinational chemicals firm based in the Netherlands, is the largest licensor of technologies for producing polypropylene and polyethylene, two essential building blocks used in the production of plastic products. The petrochemical manufacturer has facilities in Asia, Europe, and the United States. North American operations account for well over half of LyondellBasell’s output.

LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE:LYB) is a cash-generating powerhouse that has a track record of paying dividends to stockholders. The business may become entangled in the cyclical demand for chemicals, which tends to decline during uncertain economic times. Nevertheless, this is a diverse company that should be able to expand in response to rising demand globally.

LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE:LYB) outperformed its top-quartile rivals in the industry with a total recordable incident rate of 0.13 in Q3 2024, displaying good safety performance. Strong growth was achieved by the Olefins and Polyolefins-Americas segment, which experienced a 13% sequential EBITDA improvement to $758 million, its highest quarter since Q2 2022 and a 50% year-over-year gain.

The MoReTec-1 facility in Wesseling, Germany, is projected to be operational by 2026 after construction has begun due to a €40 million grant from the EU Innovation Fund. Over the previous 12 months, the company recorded $670 million in cash from operations and a 77% EBITDA-to-cash conversion rate. Advanced Polymer Solutions’ EBITDA has increased by more than 20% so far this year, primarily due to the packaging sector’s strong demand.

The average 12-month price objective for LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE:LYB) shares, as estimated by the 13 analysts, is $94.97; the low and high estimates are $85 and $105, respectively. The current stock price of $75.31 is expected to rise by 26.11%, according to the average goal.

Cliff Asness’ AQR Capital Management was the largest stakeholder in the firm among the funds in Insider Monkey’s database. It owns 864,370 shares worth $82.89 million as of Q3.

Overall,  LYB ranks 7th on our list of the best plastics and rubber stocks to buy according to analysts. While we acknowledge the potential for LYB to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than LYB but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.