BASF SE

BASF SE

BASF SE is the largest chemical company in the world with over 300,000 customers and more than 330 production sites. BASF SE was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF SE stock is a component of the German DAX and the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market indices and it trades on the Frankfurt, London and Zurich Stock Exchanges under the ticker symbol "BAS".  

BASF SE provides customers with basic chemicals and intermediary ingredients. The company also manufactures various products such as plasticisers, solvents, raw materials for detergents, plastics, electronic chemicals, paints and coatings, textile fibres, petrochemicals, monomers, glues, vitamins, food additives and pharmaceuticals.

BASF SE has five core business divisions: The Chemicals Division, which produces solvents, electronic chemicals and plasticisers; The Oil and Gas Division, which focuses on fossil fuel exploration and production; The Performance Products Division that provides dispersions and pigments, products for the oil and gas industries, vitamins and food additives; The Functional Materials and Solutions Division, which makes battery materials, catalysts and industrial coatings; and The Agricultural Solutions Division, which produces insecticides, fungicides and herbicides.

BASF SE Market Influences

Factors affecting share price include foreign competition pushing the local segment to achieve higher efficiency and produce better products to meet the global standards.  Falling crude oil prices caused by oversupply may be a concern for oil producers but chemical industry is reaping the benefits. Cheaper oil supply has led to reduced manufacturing costs and stimulated production. Crude oil is an important driver for prices in the petrochemical industry as many key chemical building blocks (like – aromatics, ethylene and propylene) are directly derived from it. The fluctuation of the price of raw materials is majorly driven by supply and demand.