The shares of Lanxess surged on Monday after the specialty chemicals group raised its forecast for the adjusted operating profit in the fourth quarter of 2024 above market expectations. The stock rose by 5.6 percent to 25.90 euros in the early afternoon.

Lanxess now expects an adjusted EBITDA of around 159 million euros for the final quarter of last year, as the company announced based on preliminary figures. This is significantly above the previous analyst estimates of 130 million euros.

A decisive factor for the positive development was an unexpectedly strong December business, which was mainly favored by customers' anticipatory effects. In particular, demand for specialty additives and consumer protection products has risen sharply in the USA, explained Lanxess.

For the full year 2024, the group expects an adjusted EBITDA of around 614 million euros – an increase of approximately 20 percent compared to the previous year. Despite the positive development in the fourth quarter, the company emphasized that the macroeconomic environment at the beginning of 2025 remains challenging.