LyondellBasell announced a major reduction in its quarterly dividend payments to shareholders on Friday, dropping from $1.37 to just 69 cents per share. The petrochemical company cited an extended industry downturn as the reason for the dramatic cut.
A major petrochemical corporation announced Friday it will dramatically reduce payments to shareholders, blaming an extended slump in the chemicals sector.
LyondellBasell revealed its first-quarter dividend will drop to 69 cents per share, marking a steep 68-cent decrease from what shareholders received in the previous quarter.
Company CEO Peter Vanacker acknowledged the challenging business environment while defending the company’s recent performance.
“Despite one of the longest downturns in our industry, LYB was able to return approximately $2 billion to our shareholders from existing cash and operations in 2025,” Vanacker stated.
The chief executive explained the reasoning behind the dividend adjustment, pointing to continued market difficulties ahead.
“With markets expected to remain challenged, we have made the decision to recalibrate the dividend to better position the company to thrive once markets recover,” he said.
Hundreds of Buddhist monks demonstrated peacefully in Sri Lanka's capital Friday, calling for more religious influence in government decisions. The clergy delivered a formal appeal to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake requesting enhanced consultation rights and Buddhist-centered policies.
President Trump has appointed numerous officials to his administration who previously supported his disputed claims about the 2020 election results. The first major action on investigating that election involved federal authorities seizing voting materials from Georgia's Fulton County in late January.
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More than 4,000 nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian have reached a preliminary contract deal, potentially ending New York City's largest nursing strike in decades. The agreement comes after over a month of picketing in frigid conditions, with nurses demanding better staffing levels and enhanced job security.