BASF stock gains as Q3 growth lifts 2026 earnings outlook

BASF reported stronger third-quarter operating performance on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, and raised the lower end of its full-year earnings forecast. In its third-quarter results release, the Ludwigshafen-based chemicals group said sales increased 14% from the prior-year quarter to EUR 16.4 billion.

The Realtime-Kurs der BASF stock lagged? No. The realtime quote of BASF stock was 53.59 EUR at Lang & Schwarz on Friday, October 30, 2026, at 09:17 Berlin time, 0.49% above the Xetra closing price of 53.33 EUR from Thursday, October 29. The real-time quote of BASF stock provides the latest trading indication.

Core businesses drive operating improvement

EBITDA before special items rose 15% year over year to EUR 1.6 billion, an increase of EUR 213 million. BASF said all core businesses contributed to the improvement. Higher prices were the main sales driver, while volumes also increased, particularly in Chemicals and Nutrition & Care. Volumes rose slightly in Industrial Solutions, Materials and Surface Technologies.

The EBITDA margin before special items was 10.0%, unchanged from the prior-year quarter. Reported EBITDA remained at EUR 1.2 billion because special items of minus EUR 437 million offset the operating improvement. BASF attributed the special items mainly to restructuring expenses, especially at the Ludwigshafen site, and a settlement in the Care Chemicals division. Depreciation and amortization also increased to EUR 1.3 billion, including an impairment of EUR 318 million in Monomers.

Adjusted earnings contrast with net income

Net income declined to EUR 155 million from EUR 172 million a year earlier, while reported earnings per share fell to EUR 0.18 from EUR 0.19. Adjusted earnings per share, which exclude special items and the amortization of intangible assets, rose to EUR 0.72 from EUR 0.52. The differing figures underline the effect of restructuring costs, legal expenses and other special items on reported profitability.

Agricultural Solutions was the main operational weak spot. Its sales declined by almost 20% in the quarter, with lower volumes weighing on performance. BASF said the segment's seasonal pattern and weaker conditions affected the result, while the Chemicals and Nutrition & Care businesses delivered substantial volume gains.

Forecast range moves higher

BASF now expects 2026 EBITDA before special items between EUR 7.4 billion and EUR 7.8 billion, compared with its previous range of EUR 6.9 billion to EUR 7.7 billion. The company raised both the lower boundary and the upper boundary as the year progressed and visibility on earnings improved.

The group kept its 2026 free-cash-flow forecast unchanged at EUR 1.5 billion to EUR 2.3 billion. Cash flow from operating activities reached EUR 1.1 billion in the quarter, EUR 275 million below the prior-year level, mainly because EUR 507 million was tied up in inventories. Free cash flow nevertheless increased to EUR 523 million from EUR 398 million.

Chief Executive Markus Kamieth said the strong year-to-date performance of the core businesses gave BASF confidence to narrow the outlook upward. The company maintained its macroeconomic assumptions, including 2.5% gross domestic product growth, 2.0% industrial-production growth and 1.8% chemical-production growth.

The German market backdrop can be followed through the DAX.

For further company-specific coverage, see More news and analyses on BASF stock.