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Westlake Chemical Partners LPNYSE:WLKP Stock Report

Market Cap US$802.5m
Share Price
US$22.93
US$25.5
10.1% undervalued intrinsic discount
1Y3.7%
7D1.9%
1D
Portfolio Value
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Westlake Chemical Partners LP

NYSE:WLKP Stock Report

Market Cap: US$802.5m

Westlake Chemical Partners (WLKP) Stock Overview

Acquires, develops, and operates ethylene production facilities and related assets in the United States. More details

WLKP fundamental analysis
Snowflake Score
Valuation4/6
Future Growth0/6
Past Performance4/6
Financial Health3/6
Dividends5/6

Rewards

Trading at 83.4% below our estimate of its fair value

Earnings grew by 10.3% over the past year

Risk Analysis

Earnings have declined by 8.3% per year over past 5 years

Has a high level of debt

Dividend of 8.22% is not well covered by earnings


WLKP Community Fair Values

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Westlake Chemical Partners LP Competitors

Price History & Performance

Summary of share price highs, lows and changes for Westlake Chemical Partners
Historical stock prices
Current Share PriceUS$22.93
52 Week HighUS$23.88
52 Week LowUS$17.75
Beta0.51
1 Month Change0.31%
3 Month Change4.13%
1 Year Change3.66%
3 Year Change4.04%
5 Year Change-15.01%
Change since IPO-24.45%

Recent News & Updates

Recent updates

Seeking Alpha • Jun 22

Westlake Chemical Partners: Large Dividend Yield, Growing Market, And Undervalued

Summary WLKP is undervalued, offering an 8.54% dividend yield and consistent revenue, net income, and free cash flow growth in a growing ethylene market. My conservative financial model implies a fair value of $40 per share, well above the current stock price, supporting a bullish outlook. Risks include commodity price volatility, debt exposure, interest rates, and regulatory changes, but WLKP manages these with hedging and stable operations. Given its strong cash flow, dividend history, and market position, WLKP is attractive for conservative, income-focused investors, despite potential risks. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
Seeking Alpha • Jan 16

Westlake Chemical Partners: Ethylene Prices And Lack Of Momentum Warrant Patience

Summary I rate Westlake Chemical Partners a hold due to mixed financial performance and a plateauing price chart, indicating market indecisiveness. WLKP's revenue has declined amid volatile ethylene prices, while cost control has improved profit margins, raising sustainability concerns. Despite a high dividend yield, the payout ratio exceeds earnings, questioning long-term sustainability, especially with static dividends for five years. Ethylene price volatility and a neutral market outlook suggest holding until financials stabilize and consolidation ends, with potential reassessment if prices rise. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
Seeking Alpha • Nov 04

Westlake Chemical Partners: A Value Investor's Dream With Superb Dividend

Summary WLKP’s primary business revolves around its long-term Ethylene Sales Agreement with Westlake Corporation, which guarantees that Westlake purchases 95% of WLKP's ethylene production at a fixed margin. The company offers a solid dividend track record with a 12-month yield of 8.45% and consistent growth, providing stability for investors. Despite the cyclical nature of the petrochemical sector, WLKP's fixed-margin structure and operational efficiency offer a low-risk investment opportunity. Modest debt level and strong liquidity position is a plus. The discounted cash flow (DCF) model suggests a intrinsic value of $41.32 per share, a steal considering the current market price. A strong choice for income-focused investors who are willing to hold for the VERY long term. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
Seeking Alpha • Apr 23

Westlake Corporation: Looks Attractive Even Without Momentum Assumptions

Summary Westlake Corp. is a vertically integrated company producing commodity chemicals and downstream final products for construction in residential and also infrastructure end markets. The company is facing oversupply issues in some commodity markets due to troubles in the Chinese construction space and the flood of Chinese commodities in Westlake markets. Despite challenges, WLK's less commodified business has shown resilience and strong performance, thanks to successful acquisitions and cost synergies. Taking market actor forecasts, and considering that Westlake is being compared to chemical commodities, they are trading at a relative discount. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
Seeking Alpha • Dec 19

Westlake Chemical Partners: Units Near Fair Value, Yield Premium Fair

Summary The materials sector has performed well since late October, with Westlake Chemical Partners LP up over 13%. WLKP is a fixed-rate MLP with a long-term sales agreement and a modest valuation, though the current distribution yield spread over the 10-yr is near historical levels. Downside risks include rising interest rates, weak ethylene pricing, and unfavorable regulatory changes. I outline key price levels to watch ahead of earnings due out in February. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
Seeking Alpha • Oct 03

Westlake Chemical Partners: Attractive And Overlooked Income Play

Summary Westlake Chemical Partnership (WLKP) is a unique company in the chemicals industry, trading at a discount due to lack of publicity and institutional investors fleeing the asset class. WLKP has a stable earnings agreement with its parent company, providing long-term stable margins and making it an attractive income play. The possibility of future asset drop-downs and decreasing interest rates further contribute to the attractiveness of WLKP as an investment. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
Seeking Alpha • Aug 01

Westlake Chemical: Environmental Investments Could Accelerate The Demand For The Stock

Summary Westlake Chemical Partners benefits from capital expenditures and investments in environmental compliance, which may attract ESG-focused institutional investors. The company operates in the commercialization of ethylene and has three production facilities with a significant production capacity. The company's balance sheet includes debts and accounts receivable with Westlake Corporation, which may not be appreciated by minority investors. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
Seeking Alpha • Jul 24

Westlake Chemical Partners: Strategically Positioned To Benefit From Megatrends

Summary Westlake Chemical Partners LP has seen a 70% QoQ increase in net income, reaching $394 million, and maintains a robust balance sheet with $2.4 billion in cash. The company operates in two segments, Performance and Essential Materials and Housing and Infrastructure Products, with PEM generating the majority of revenues at $2.3 billion. Despite concerns over third-party ethylene margins, WLKP's strong financial position and high dividend yield make it an attractive option for investors seeking a dividend income stock. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
Seeking Alpha • Feb 20

Westlake Chemical Partners Q4 2022 Earnings Preview

Westlake Chemical Partners (NYSE:WLKP) is scheduled to announce Q4 earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st, before market open. The consensus EPS Estimate is $0.47 (-44.0% Y/Y) and the consensus Revenue Estimate is $374.23M (+13.2% Y/Y). Over the last 1 year, WLKP has beaten EPS estimates 50% of the time and has beaten revenue estimates 50% of the time. Over the last 3 months, EPS estimates have seen 1 upward revision and 0 downward. Recent earnings Analysis from our contributors:Westlake Chemical Partners: Priced Right Ahead Of Earnings, Steady Dividends Expected
Seeking Alpha • Feb 06

Westlake Chemical Partners: Priced Right Ahead Of Earnings, Steady Dividends Expected

Summary The Materials sector has underperformed lately as tech stocks return to favor. One MLP with a high yield reports results later this month, and earnings growth could be soft. With a poor EPS beat rate history and questionable technicals, the low-teens earnings multiple appears fair. Materials sector stocks have given back some relative gains lately as the dollar has perked up to near one-month highs. The high-growth tech trade has gained steam at the same time, putting high-yield names on the back burner. One Chemicals industry MLP has also pulled back ahead of an earnings report later this month. Are shares of Westlake Chemical (WLKP) now a buy? Let’s check it out. Materials Sector Falls to a Nearly 3-Month Relative Low Stockcharts.com According to Bank of America Global Research, Westlake Chemical Partners is a fixed-rate MLP that owns an interest in three ethylene production facilities with annual capacity of 3.7 billion lbs and a 200-mile ethylene pipeline. Westlake Partners has a long-term sales agreement with Westlake Corp to sell 95% of planned ethylene production at a fixed margin of $0.10 per lb. Westlake intends to drop down additional ownership interest in the OpCo over time. The Texas-based $835 million market cap Chemicals industry company within the Materials sector trades at a low 10.9 trailing 12-month GAAP price-to-earnings ratio and pays a high 8.0% dividend yield, according to The Wall Street Journal. Back in November, Westlake missed earnings estimates but beat on the top line. Rising interest rates are a key risk for the firm, but lower commodity prices could help the MLP. A pullback in rates and NG prices could be beneficial for the firm going forward, but another potential headwind is if there’s a reduced drop down of assets from WLK to WLKP per BofA. On valuation, analysts at BofA show that earnings are expected to have dropped hard in 2022 amid a rising interest rate environment. Per-share profits on Westlake are seen as recovering just modestly this year and next. The Bloomberg consensus EPS outlook is more sanguine than BofA’s downbeat forecast. Dividends, meanwhile, are expected to remain at $1.89. Both WLKP’s operating and GAAP P/Es are rather low here given the tepid growth expectation, in the low teens, while its yield should remain high. With strong free cash flow, the dividend should be ok. Overall, the valuation is low but the growth outlook is also weak, so I’m a hold here. Westlake Chemical Partners: Earnings, Valuation, Dividend Forecasts BofA Global Research Looking ahead, corporate event data provided by Wall Street Horizon show an unconfirmed Q4 2022 earnings date of Tuesday, February 21, before the open, with a dividend pay date on the 16th. The calendar is light on volatility catalysts aside from the earnings date. Corporate Event Risk Calendar Wall Street Horizon The Options Angle Digging into the upcoming earnings report, data from Option Research & Technology Services (ORATS) show a consensus EPS forecast of $0.48 which would be a sharp 43% decline from $0.84 of per-share profits earned in the same quarter a year ago. Westlake has a poor earnings beat rate history, having topped analysts’ estimates just three times in the last 11 events. Shares have traded higher following the past three releases, though, albeit with muted returns.
Seeking Alpha • Jan 23

Westlake Chemical Partners declares $0.4714 dividend

Westlake Chemical Partners (NYSE:WLKP) declares $0.4714/share quarterly dividend, in line with previous. Forward yield 7.36% Payable Feb. 15; for shareholders of record Feb. 2; ex-div Feb. 1. See WLKP Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth.
Seeking Alpha • Nov 14

Westlake Chemical Partners Benefits From Retreat In Natural Gas Prices

Summary Westlake Chemical Partners is essentially a cash flow vehicle based on an incestuous procurement agreement between WLKP and WLK, the building finishing company that uses WLKP ethylene. Last quarter was its weakest due to inflation of natural gas prices putting pressure on WLKP margins. The Q3 looks solid thanks to the retreat in those prices, and with CPI data beginning to look like it's topping out, a dividend like WLKP might be attractive. Published on the Value Lab 11/11/22 Westlake Chemical Partners (WLKP) sells ethylene for PVC production to Westlake (WLK), which is a producer of finishing for housing. The CEO of WLKP is the CEO of WLK as well, and the vast majority of the ownership of WLKP is in the hands of WLK - about 80%. There is a procurement agreement that will run until 2026 that guarantees prices for the ethylene that WLKP produces and sells to WLK. This allows WLKP to pay a stable dividend, and with CPI data showing that inflation is slowing, and perhaps rates too, we think that it might be an attractive moment to lock in the WLKP dividend yielding around 8%. With natural gas also retreating in price, which was a headwind for WLKP margins, we are even more convinced of the WLKP dividend. CPI Note The CPI report has shown that inflation has moderated slightly from its high levels. Going from 8.2% to 7.7% is a relief for markets because it tells us that this inflation isn't impossible to tackle. While headline figures were helped by lower oil and gas prices, core figures also retreated from highs. Ultimately, whether this had anything to do with rate rises is a little unclear. Perhaps a cooling off took the pressure off bottlenecks, and that certainly has had a beneficial impact from the supply side, but job creation continues and demand drivers in the US seem strong still. Europe has more of a supply-side issue than the US, where signs of a recession are there, but inflation remains troubling. With peak interest coming into sight, bond or bond-like cash flows with longer durations may be more interesting now. We like WLKP which has super stable cash flows and a strong dividend yield of 8% in order to make a longer duration cash flow play while prices are discounted and rates possibly peaking soon. Q3 Review WLKP looks promising from a dividend safety point of view. The retreat in natural gas prices is making their ethylene production more profitable. From a volume point of view, they are guaranteed procurement from WLKP at fixed markup for volumes even greater than what they currently produce. There is very little scope for volatility, with the only real volatility coming from volumes. This procurement agreement is in force till 2026, and there's not much incentive for things to change at that point either because WLKP is already owned mostly by WLK, essentially their only customer who similarly reaps the earnings that come into WLKP. WLKP IS (sec.gov) Thanks to reduced pressure from gas prices, gross profit grew YoY this quarter, where last quarter it shrunk by quite a lot, more than 20%. Indeed, the declines on a 9-month basis are coming from the particularly weak Q2 that took the brunt of the pop in gas prices. Gas Price (oilprice.com)
Seeking Alpha • Oct 31

Westlake Chemical Partners declares $0.4714 dividend

Westlake Chemical Partners (NYSE:WLKP) declares $0.4714/share quarterly dividend, in line with previous. Forward yield 8.21% Payable Nov. 28; for shareholders of record Nov. 10; ex-div Nov. 9. See WLKP Dividend Scorecard, Yield Chart, & Dividend Growth.
Seeking Alpha • Aug 25

Westlake Chemical Partners Getting Crimped By Feedstock But Still Cheap

Summary Westlake Chemical Partners is dealing with higher natural gas and naphtha prices which are hurting margins. While cash flows are pretty safe on the demand side thanks to sales agreements with affiliated Westlake, the elevated energy costs are a problem for them in the meantime. Prices of energy are unlikely to go higher at this point, and WLKP stock still trades pretty cheaply. Dividend is entirely covered by FCF without problems, a great pick for dividend investors. Published on the Value Lab 19/8/22 Westlake Chemical Partners LP (WLKP) is run by the same people that run their primary customer, Westlake (WLK), which has been a beneficiary of recent construction trends and efforts to finish incomplete houses and get them on the market. WLKP benefits from a very stable relationship with WLK that provides a lot of cash flow certainty. Those agreements will eventually expire, but they are rather likely to be renegotiated on similar terms. Regardless, ethylene markets aren't too bad to have commodity exposure to in the worst case. This doesn't gel with a rather high yield for the company and the fact that feedstock inflation headwinds are not likely to get much worse. Even at these trough EBITDAs, the company trades cheaply with a 7.4% FCF covered dividend. A nice buy for dividend investors. Westlake Chemical Partners' Cash Flow Review WLKP benefits from a sales agreement with WLK which owns the majority of the company, however it doesn't control the assets. This incestuous arrangement is the reason why WLK has an obligation to buy almost all the ethylene that WLKP produces on a determined, cost plus basis. The demand side is well protected by the solvency of a very vigorous WLK business until 2026, when the agreements expire. Again, due to the ownership of WLK in WLKP, they are likely to establish similarly favourable agreements again, likely for more output if WLKP decides to use CAPEX to expand capacity. For now, they run on a maintenance CAPEX basis. Their sales are well protected, and their CAPEX regime predictable. The volatility can only come from the supply side through COGS which have grown substantially YoY due to elevation in feedstock prices of natural gas and naphtha. IS Snippet (WLKP 10-Q) Income from operations have come down substantially on account of that. Worst Case We think that energy prices are unlikely to rise higher due to both demand destruction and also latent problems in the economy. Consumers are less confident while corporates are more confident. Corporates sell to consumers down the line so this cannot last. Unemployment will come if not from that reckoning then from continued Fed action. At least the COGS issue should reverse. On the demand side there is the concern that once 2026 comes the new agreement with WLK could be worse. Because it owns 80% of the company we doubt they will shortchange WLKP and annoy unitholders, it would cost more than it's worth as they only give away 20% of the value from a favourable agreement. We think that the reason the agreement is set to expire is for WLKP to plan new capacity so the next agreement can incorporate that new potential output. Nonetheless, even if the agreement falls through and all purchasers become third parties, spot prices for ethylene aren't too volatile for an intermediary, and the markups on contracts are probably better nowadays than how they were when the WLK agreement was brokered.
Seeking Alpha • Jul 27

Westlake Chemical Partners Has Solid Margins Till 2026

The company generates almost all its revenue selling ethylene to Westlake on a cost-plus basis with an agreement since 2014 to mark up $0.1. The assets are extremely cash generative, with a FCF yield of around 7% incidentally equal to the dividend yield. The agreements supporting this cash flow are in force till 2026, and with NGLs being expensive since gas is expensive, the agreements are very favorable right now. Longer-term, the current agreement is not likely to be substantially eroded since their main customer, Westlake, owns the majority of the assets as limited partners. With markets likely to be recovered if not rosy by the time those agreements expire, the 10x P/E seems quite cheap given the limited risks. Published on the Value Lab 22/7/22 An interesting idea we came across was Westlake Chemical Partners LP (WLKP). This is an ethylene play in principle but has characteristics that makes its cash flows exceptionally stable. Moreover, from a game theory point of view we can expect the contracts that offer them this stability to endure even after expiry. The stock can almost be treated like a perpetuity where income comes from the dividend which yields substantially above risk-free rates despite little counterparty risks and very limited commodity risk with only upside on volumes. We think that this company is rather attractive for dividend investors. Overview Westlake, which is the company who avails of the ethylene produced by the WLKP ethylene production facilities and pipelines, owns a majority of the interest within the assets of WLKP. However, technically WLKP fully controls the assets as the 100% owner of the general partnership, therefore exercising control over the distribution, where WLK's exposure to WLKP's assets is through limited partner assets, owning around 80% of the LP units, where the balance is again owned by WLKP in addition to their GP shares. These LP shares are the securities that entitle owners to the cash flows produced by the ethylene production facilities, and shareholders in WLKP see their cash flows coming from the 22.8% that WLKP owns in the ethylene production facility OpCo. Ownership Structure (SEC.gov) Dead-safe Cash Flows Why would ownership of units in an ethylene facility OpCo constitute a special opportunity? The cash flows are extremely safe, both for a guaranteed period based on sales contracts, but also for the longer-term based on very clear incentives by stakeholders. Sales Contracts The ethylene sales agreement went into force at the WLKP IPO in 2014 and remain in force till 2026. This is a cost-plus pricing agreement where on the feedstock and other operating costs WLKP charges $0.1 in markup. WLK has to buy 95% of the ethylene produced by the OpCo, with the balance going to third-parties. The only time this agreement might not guarantee a markup on 95% of production is if the facilities produce more than 3.8 billion in output. Then WLK has an option to purchase 95% of the increment beyond the 3.8 billion maximum commitment. In any case, the capacity of the facilities is ordinarily around 3.7 billion so there's not even a risk of WLK not exercising that option and forcing WLKP to sell at worse conditions to third parties. Therefore, the cash flows, especially as the company is riding on current assets more than buying or developing new ones, are massive as it racks up depreciation and FCF. Easy Incentive Considerations The other concern investors might have is around what happens in 2026 when the agreements need to be renewed. Firstly, we've covered Westlake before and it is a profitable company with attractive markets. They've compounded a lot of value and have made excellent corporate strategy choices over the last many years. The CEO of WLK is also the CEO of WLKP. Moreover, WLK owns most of the share in the revenue generating assets. So, if WLKP is currently operating with a good deal, most of that value is anyway captured by WLK. In any case, the deal is likely rather fair, and similar conditions are reasonable to expect at the rollover. Valuation and Conclusions With the housing shortage creating secular tailwinds for WLK, there is even the chance that WLKP grows its asset base. For now, the company produces about $350 million in cash flows which on a conservative balance sheet but considering minority interests constitutes a FCFY equal to the dividend yield at a 7.5%, where all the FCF is paid out.
Seeking Alpha • May 06

Westlake Chemical Partners: More Of The Same In 2022, Downgrading

Apart from temporary working capital movements, Westlake Chemical Partners produced solid cash flow performance for 2021 and the first quarter of 2022. Given their steady nature, nothing appears set to change materially during 2022 with no meaningful events on the horizon. Despite their ample free cash flow, management seems reluctant to boost their distributions, oddly because there have not been adequate capital flows into their units. I feel this runs contrary to creating value since in my view, distributions should be based upon returning excess capital and not necessarily dependent upon their unit price. Their unit price is already trading around its all-time high anyway and thus I now feel that downgrading to a hold rating from my previous buy rating is now appropriate.

Shareholder Returns

WLKPUS ChemicalsUS Market
7D1.9%-1.1%1.5%
1Y3.7%6.3%28.6%

Return vs Industry: WLKP underperformed the US Chemicals industry which returned 7.7% over the past year.

Return vs Market: WLKP underperformed the US Market which returned 28.4% over the past year.

Price Volatility

Is WLKP's price volatile compared to industry and market?
WLKP volatility
WLKP Average Weekly Movement2.7%
Chemicals Industry Average Movement7.4%
Market Average Movement7.2%
10% most volatile stocks in US Market16.8%
10% least volatile stocks in US Market3.0%

Stable Share Price: WLKP has not had significant price volatility in the past 3 months compared to the US market.

Volatility Over Time: WLKP's weekly volatility (3%) has been stable over the past year.

About the Company

FoundedEmployeesCEOWebsite
1991n/aJean-Marc Gilsonwww.wlkpartners.com

Westlake Chemical Partners LP acquires, develops, and operates ethylene production facilities and related assets in the United States. It’s ethylene production facilities which primarily convert ethane into ethylene. The company also sells ethylene co-products, such as propylene, crude butadiene, pyrolysis gasoline, and hydrogen directly to third parties on either a spot or contract basis.

Westlake Chemical Partners LP Fundamentals Summary

How do Westlake Chemical Partners's earnings and revenue compare to its market cap?
WLKP fundamental statistics
Market capUS$802.55m
Earnings (TTM)US$57.92m
Revenue (TTM)US$1.23b
14.0x
P/E Ratio
0.7x
P/S Ratio

Is WLKP overvalued?

See Fair Value and valuation analysis

Earnings & Revenue

Key profitability statistics from the latest earnings report (TTM)
WLKP income statement (TTM)
RevenueUS$1.23b
Cost of RevenueUS$847.22m
Gross ProfitUS$387.53m
Other ExpensesUS$329.61m
EarningsUS$57.92m

Last Reported Earnings

Mar 31, 2026

Next Earnings Date

n/a

Earnings per share (EPS)1.64
Gross Margin31.39%
Net Profit Margin4.69%
Debt/Equity Ratio50.4%

How did WLKP perform over the long term?

See historical performance and comparison

Dividends

8.2%
Current Dividend Yield
115%
Payout Ratio

Does WLKP pay a reliable dividends?

See WLKP dividend history and benchmarks
When do you need to buy WLKP by to receive an upcoming dividend?
Westlake Chemical Partners dividend dates
Ex Dividend DateMay 14 2026
Dividend Pay DateJun 01 2026
Days until Ex dividend16 days
Days until Dividend pay date2 days

Does WLKP pay a reliable dividends?

See WLKP dividend history and benchmarks

Company Analysis and Financial Data Status

DataLast Updated (UTC time)
Company Analysis2026/05/29 06:51
End of Day Share Price 2026/05/29 00:00
Earnings2026/03/31
Annual Earnings2025/12/31

Data Sources

The data used in our company analysis is from S&P Global Market Intelligence LLC. The following data is used in our analysis model to generate this report. Data is normalised which can introduce a delay from the source being available.

PackageDataTimeframeExample US Source *
Company Financials10 years
  • Income statement
  • Cash flow statement
  • Balance sheet
Analyst Consensus Estimates+3 years
  • Forecast financials
  • Analyst price targets
Market Prices30 years
  • Stock prices
  • Dividends, Splits and Actions
Ownership10 years
  • Top shareholders
  • Insider trading
Management10 years
  • Leadership team
  • Board of directors
Key Developments10 years
  • Company announcements

* Example for US securities, for non-US equivalent regulatory forms and sources are used.

Unless specified all financial data is based on a yearly period but updated quarterly. This is known as Trailing Twelve Month (TTM) or Last Twelve Month (LTM) Data. Learn more.

Analysis Model and Snowflake

Details of the analysis model used to generate this report is available on our Github page, we also have guides on how to use our reports and tutorials on Youtube.

Learn about the world class team who designed and built the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Industry and Sector Metrics

Our industry and section metrics are calculated every 6 hours by Simply Wall St, details of our process are available on Github.

Analyst Sources

Westlake Chemical Partners LP is covered by 11 analysts. 1 of those analysts submitted the estimates of revenue or earnings used as inputs to our report. Analysts submissions are updated throughout the day.

AnalystInstitution
Richard GrossBarclays
Michael LeitheadBarclays
Jonas OxgaardBernstein