BASF SE BASFY recently announced that it has increased ammonium chloride production at its Ludwigshafen facility by 50% while enhancing product quality. Following the plant's successful start-up, a more efficient manufacturing process is now being used to meet the increasing demand for high-quality ammonium chloride.

The start-up of the company's expanded production plant marks a significant milestone in the future supply of ammonium chloride to its customers.

BASF demonstrates its long-term commitment to remain a dependable and world-leading supplier of ammonium chloride by investing in an advanced and highly efficient ammonium chloride process integrated into Verbund manufacturing. The enhanced process enables even higher-quality ammonium chloride manufacturing to satisfy the industry's future requirements. 

Ammonium chloride is a versatile salt that has numerous applications. It is used as a flavoring additive in food preparation as well as an acid regulator in high-quality animal feed. Industrial applications include manufacturing batteries, galvanized metals, cleaning agents and process chemicals for the chemical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical sectors. It is also used as a tanning agent in leather. BASF offers ammonium chloride in a variety of specifications to meet every application. Internal validations and certifications from testing companies and official authorities confirm compliance with food and feed safety standards. 

Shares of BASFY have lost 16.6% over the past year compared with an 8.8% decline of its industry.

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BASFY’s Rank & Key Picks

BASFY currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

Better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space include Carpenter Technology Corporation CRS, New Gold Inc. NGD and CF Industries Inc. CF. 

Carpenter Technology currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). CRS beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the last four quarters, with the average earnings surprise being 14.1%. The company's shares have soared 138.9% in the past year. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

New Gold, a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock, beat the consensus estimate in three of the trailing four quarters. In this time frame, it has delivered an earnings surprise of roughly 37.5%, on average. NGD’s shares have gained 65.8% over the past year. 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CF’s current-year earnings is pegged at $6.35. CF, a Zacks Rank #1 stock, beat the consensus estimate in two of the last four quarters while missed twice, with the average earnings surprise being 10.3%. CF has rallied around 7.8% in the past year.

 

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