4 stories mentioning BAS.F
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Kepler Cheuvreux on Thursday upgraded German chemicals group BASF (BAS.F) to buy from hold and increased its price target to 56.00 euros from 54.00 euros.(covers equity, commodity and economic research from major banks and research firms in North America, Asia and Europe. Research providers may contact us here: https://www..com/contact-us)
The German blue-chip DAX index recovered, closing 1.41% higher on Thursday, as investors digested the European Central Bank's latest policy decision alongside a flurry of corporate updates and economic data.In a widely expected move, the ECB kept its key interest rates unchanged as the euro area's inflation rate hovers near the central bank's 2% medium-term target. The central bank's Governing Council also reiterated its data-dependent approach to rate decisions, noting continued uncertainty amid ongoing global trade disputes and geopolitical tensions."There remains a sense of calm confidence, with references to the resilience of the economy in recent quarters and longer-term inflation expectations remaining well-anchored. But there is also a sense of rising concern the longer the conflict in the Middle East continues," Deutsche Bank Chief European Economist Mark Wall said. "Overall, this is a statement that does not pre-commit the ECB to hiking in June. But it does not stop the ECB from hiking in June either."In other economic news, provisional data from Destatis showed that Germany's gross domestic product ticked up 0.3% in the first quarter from a revised 0.2% increase in the previous three-month period, surpassing the consensus estimate from Investing.com of 0.1%"Details will only be released in a few weeks, but according to the statistical office's press release, GDP growth was driven by stronger private and public consumption as well as stronger exports. A note of caution: as this flash estimate does not include any hard data for March, a downward revision of today's data cannot be excluded," ING wrote, adding that the German economy is "defying the adverse impact of the war in the Middle East, for now at least."On the corporate front, BASF (BAS.F) was up 1.28%, as mwb Research noted that the chemicals group's first-quarter beat obscures "underlying weakness." BASF delivered sales of 16.02 billion euros and adjusted EBITDA of 2.36 billion euros, both coming in ahead of consensus estimates at 15.9 billion euros and 2.19 billion euros, respectively, despite year-over-year declines."BASF delivered a modest Q1 beat on adj. EBITDA, but the quality remains weak, driven primarily by volume growth (notably from China and the Zhanjiang ramp-up) rather than underlying demand, with continued pricing pressure (-4.8% ex-metals) and FX headwinds weighing on profitability, especially in upstream segments," mwb said.Meanwhile, Deutsche Post (DHL.F), d/b/a DHL Group, reported a higher-than-expected first-quarter group EBIT of 1.48 billion euros, up 8.3% year over year and 7.5% ahead of company-compiled consensus, according to Bernstein. The logistics group rose to the top spot, climbing 7.51% at closing.Trading venues Xetra and Börse Frankfurt will be closed on Friday for Labor Day.
German equities fell on Tuesday, with the blue-chip DAX index ending the trading session 0.60% in the red, as the market digested the latest economic sentiment survey for the eurozone's biggest economy and updates regarding potential US-Iran truce talks.The ZEW economic sentiment indicator for Germany tumbled to -17.2 points in April from March's -0.5 point, missing the consensus estimate of -6.7 points. The current situation index also fell by -10.8 points to -73.7 points, slightly behind the expected -70 points."Economic expectations are slipping into negative territory. The economic consequences of the Iran war for the German economy go far beyond price increases: Businesses are concerned about long-term shortages of energy supply, and this discourages investment and weakens the effect of government stimuli," ZEW President Achim Wambach said.Speaking of the Middle East conflict, Reuters reported, citing a Pakistani source, that momentum is building for talks to resume on Wednesday between the US and Iran, with US Vice President JD Vance expected in Islamabad. The news outlet noted comments from Tehran stating it was "positively reviewing" participation while continuing to demand the recognition of its right to enrich uranium and an end to the naval blockade of its ports, among other conditions.In corporate news, Beiersdorf (BEI.F) was one of the blue-chip index's top losers, falling 2.97%, after posting lower-than-expected first-quarter sales amid headwinds across its core brand and luxury portfolio. The German personal care products manufacturer's sales for the three months ended March 31 decreased by 4.6% on an organic basis to 2.48 billion euros, compared with FactSet-compiled consensus of 2.56 billion euros.Meanwhile, Berenberg forecasts a "surprisingly good, if volatile, 2026" for BASF (BAS.F), though it cautions that this "overdue good fortune" is already baked into the share price. Consequently, the research firm maintained its hold rating while nudging its price target up to 51 euros from 48 euros."This report is the first time in years where we have substantially raised earnings forecasts for BASF. After a decade of struggling to adapt to oversupply in the chemicals sector, the most substantive pieces of news over the last six months have all been positive. Against the backdrop of domestic German stimulus, shares have responded well to: i) potential political relief on carbon taxation and select anti-dumping investigations; and ii) increases in chemicals prices caused by Iran-conflict-induced feedstock shortages at Asian peers. We are unsure of the longevity of ii, but the self-help measures, including the sale of coatings for EUR8.7bn (13x EV/EBITDA), have left the company quite well-placed to enjoy the upswing," Berenberg said. The German chemicals company gained 1.12% at the end of the trading day.
Berenberg raised its price target and estimates for BASF (BAS.F), expecting the German chemicals company to record a "surprisingly good, if volatile, 2026" but noted that the "overdue good fortune" is already reflected in its valuation."This report is the first time in years where we have substantially raised earnings forecasts for BASF. After a decade of struggling to adapt to oversupply in the chemicals sector, the most substantive pieces of news over the last six months have all been positive. Against the backdrop of domestic German stimulus, shares have responded well to: i) potential political relief on carbon taxation and select anti-dumping investigations; and ii) increases in chemicals prices caused by Iran-conflict-induced feedstock shortages at Asian peers. We are unsure of the longevity of ii, but the self-help measures, including the sale of coatings for EUR8.7bn (13x EV/EBITDA), have left the company quite well-placed to enjoy the upswing," according to a Tuesday note.Ahead of BASF's first-quarter results on April 30, the research firm expects the recent uptick in chemical pricing to show in its profit and loss statements in March, noting the pre-release from peer Wacker Chemie (WCH.F) reflects a potential positive trend across the diversified chemicals sector.As such, Berenberg projects first-quarter EBITDA of 2.4 billion euros, surpassing the 2.32 billion-euro market forecast. Meanwhile, the research firm's EPS assumptions were revised upwards to account for strengthening upstream chemicals prices and an increased contribution from BASF's 35% interest in British oil and gas company Harbour Energy (HBR.L).On the other hand, analysts said their projections for the next two years remain largely in line with consensus estimates amid expectations that upstream chemical prices will partially retreat once the Strait of Hormuz reopens.Against this backdrop, Berenberg increased the hold-rated stock's price target to 51 euros from 48 euros.