Gasgoo Munich- On October 28, BASF Group released its third-quarter 2026 financial results. The company posted quarterly sales of €16.4 billion — a 14% jump from €14.3 billion a year earlier.
Image Source: BASF
Higher prices drove the growth. Average selling prices climbed 12%, while volumes edged up 2%. By division, Chemicals, Materials, Surface Treatment Technologies, and Industrial Solutions led the price gains. Nutrition & Care saw modest increases, and Agricultural Solutions posted a slight decline.
On the volume front, Chemicals and Nutrition & Care posted notable growth, while Industrial Solutions, Materials, and Surface Treatment Technologies saw slight gains. Agricultural Solutions, however, recorded a significant drop, dragging on overall sales. Currency effects — particularly from the US dollar and the Chinese renminbi — provided a tailwind across all divisions.
On the profit side, core EBITDA — earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, excluding special items — reached €1.6 billion, up 15% year on year. All core business divisions contributed, yielding a return rate of 10.0%, flat with the prior year. Strong earnings gains in Chemicals, Nutrition & Care, Materials, and Industrial Solutions offset declines in Agricultural Solutions and Surface Treatment Technologies. The "Other" segment, meanwhile, saw its earnings fall sharply.
Including special items, reported EBITDA stood at €1.2 billion, unchanged from a year earlier. Special items totaled negative €437 million, primarily reflecting restructuring expenses at the Ludwigshafen site and a legal settlement in the Care Chemicals division.
EBIT swung to a loss of €98 million from a profit of €232 million a year earlier. Depreciation and amortization totaled €1.3 billion, up from €976 million, including a €318 million impairment in the Monomers division.
Net income slipped to €155 million from €172 million, with earnings per share dropping to €0.18 from €0.19. Adjusted for special items and intangible amortization, EPS came in at €0.72, up from €0.52.
Operating cash flow was €1.1 billion, down €275 million from a year earlier. Higher raw-material prices tied up €507 million in inventory, compared to a €6 million inventory cash release a year ago. Investing cash flow improved to negative €89 million from negative €767 million. This was boosted by €434 million from the sale of Harbour Energy shares and a €401 million reduction in capital expenditures. The reduction was largely tied to lower spending at the Zhanjiang integrated site. Free cash flow rose €125 million to €523 million.
Building on its first-nine-months performance, BASF raised its full-year outlook. For fiscal 2026, it now expects core EBITDA between €7.4 billion and €7.8 billion, up from a prior range of €6.9 billion to €7.7 billion. The company maintained its free cash flow forecast at €1.5 billion to €2.3 billion and its CO₂ emissions target at 17.2 million to 18.2 million metric tons.
