Full-Year 2018 Reporting on February 26, 2019
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BASF posts slight increase in 2018 sales and decline in earnings due mainly to lower contributions from Chemicals
- Sales of €62.7 billion (plus 2%)
- EBIT before special items of €6.4 billion (minus 17%)
- Cash flows from operating activities of €7.9 billion (minus 10%); Free cash flow €4 billion
- Proposed dividend of €3.20 for 2018 financial year (2017: €3.10)
- Slight sales growth expected, mainly from higher sales volumes and portfolio effects
- EBIT before special items slightly above 2018 level anticipated
BASF on the capital market
Proposed dividend of €3.20 per share
At the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, the Board of Executive Directors and the Supervisory Board will propose a dividend payment of €3.20 per share. We stand by our ambitious dividend policy of increasing our dividend each year and plan to pay out €2.9 billion to our shareholders.
Based on the year-end share price for 2018, BASF shares offer a high dividend yield of around 5.3%. BASF is part of the DivDAX share index, which contains the 15 companies with the highest dividend yield in the DAX 30.
More information on dividend
Broad base of international shareholders
With over 600,000 shareholders, BASF is one of the largest publicly owned companies with a high free float. An analysis of the shareholder structure carried out at the end of 2018 showed that, at around 20% of share capital, the United States and Canada made up the largest regional group of institutional investors. Institutional investors from Germany accounted for around 13%. Shareholders from the United Kingdom and Ireland hold 10% of BASF shares, while investors from the rest of Europe hold a further 17% of capital. Approximately 30% of the company’s share capital is held by private investors, nearly all of whom reside in Germany. BASF is therefore one of the DAX 30 companies with the largest percentage of private shareholders.
BASF as a sustainable investment
- CDP includes BASF in its “Climate Change A List”
- BASF continues to be rated “AA” by MSCI ESG Research
BASF has participated in CDP’s program for reporting on data relevant to climate protection since 2004. CDP is an international organization representing more than 650 investors with over $87 trillion in assets and 115 major purchasing organizations with $3.3 trillion in purchasing power. After achieving a score of “A–” for several years, thus attaining “Leadership” status, BASF was included in CDP’s “Climate Change A List” with the highest possible rating of “A” in 2018. Companies at this level are distinguished by the completeness and transparency of their reporting, their approaches for managing the opportunities and risks associated with climate change, and clear corporate strategies to reduce emissions. BASF has also reported on water management to CDP since 2010 and was again acknowledged as a global leader in sustainable water management in 2018. The organization awarded BASF an “A–” rating in recognition of its actions to manage water more sustainably.
BASF continued to be included in the MSCI ESG Ratings in 2018 with a score of “AA.” The analysts highlighted BASF’s Verbund system as a key competitive advantage for resource-efficient processes. BASF’s emissions intensity for greenhouse gases and air pollutants – one of the lowest compared with competitors in the chemical industry – was also assessed positively.
More information on the key sustainability indexes