BASF Clears Coatings Sale, Debuts Battery Binder, and Backs Q2 View as Geopolitical and Rate Risks Persist
12.06.2026 - 03:34:17 | boerse-global.de
The chemicals heavyweight is juggling strategic progress and external pressure. European regulators have given the green light for the disposal of BASF’s coatings business to US private-equity firm Carlyle, with completion slated for June 2026. The deal, which sharpens the group’s focus on its core portfolio, is expected to ease the balance sheet of a company valued at roughly €43 billion. At the same time, BASF unveiled a new high-performance binder for solid-state batteries at the Stuttgart Battery Show, positioning itself for the next wave of electric-vehicle technology.
The stock responded by snapping back above its 200-day moving average, closing Thursday at €49.25 – a gain that leaves it about ten percent higher year-to-date and more than 15 percent above the level of twelve months ago. The advance, however, follows a near nine-percent slide in the prior thirty days, and the share price remains roughly six percent below its 50-day average. The technical picture is not yet critical: the 200-day line at €46.92 has held, and the relative strength index at 40.4 stops short of oversold territory.
Chief executive Markus Kamieth provided a dose of confidence for the current quarter. Speaking at the ribbon-cutting for BASF’s new integrated Verbund site in Zhanjiang, China, he said chemicals prices remain robust and that the company expects to meet consensus estimates of about €2 billion in operating profit for the second quarter. He tempered expectations, however, noting that the short-term demand spike seen in March – driven by supply-chain fears linked to the Iran conflict – has subsided. The full-year target of €6.2 to €7.0 billion in operating earnings remains intact.
Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying BASF?
The new binder, marketed as Oppanol N PLUS, is designed specifically for solid-state batteries. It holds battery components together while separating them electrically and absorbs mechanical stress during charging, extending cell life and improving production consistency. With battery makers struggling to reduce manufacturing variability, BASF is betting that the material can become a small but strategic part of the energy-transition supply chain.
Yet the near-term headwinds are difficult to ignore. BASF’s own management has warned that the Iran situation threatens automotive supply chains and could trigger an oil-price shock, both of which would hit a globally integrated chemical producer hard. The European Central Bank has also raised its deposit rate to 2.25 percent, lifting financing costs for capital-intensive industries and squeezing margins. These factors have kept the stock well below its April peak of €55.05, with a current price around €49.21.
Analysts see room for recovery. Kepler Cheuvreux recently upgraded its rating to “buy,” with a median price target of €52.98 – roughly eight percent above current levels. The dividend provides additional support: BASF paid €2.25 per share for 2025, and the market anticipates a slight increase to €2.28 for 2026, yielding an attractive return within the chemicals sector.
Investors will get a clearer picture when BASF reports second-quarter figures on July 29, followed by the full half-year report on July 30. Those numbers will test whether the CEO’s cautious optimism holds up against the combined drag of geopolitical tension, higher rates, and a cooling chemical cycle.
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BASF Stock: New Analysis - 12 June
Fresh BASF information released. What's the impact for investors? Our latest independent report examines recent figures and market trends.
