BASF Appoints Banks to Prepare Agricultural Solutions Business for Planned IPO
15 September 2026, Ludwigshafen: BASF has mandated four major investment banks, Citi, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan, to lead preparations for the planned IPO of its Agricultural Solutions business.
The move represents an important milestone in BASF Agricultural Solutions’ preparations to operate as an independent, publicly listed agricultural company. BASF is targeting IPO readiness by mid-2027, although no final decision has been made on whether or when the IPO will proceed.
As previously announced, BASF intends to list Agricultural Solutions as a Societas Europaea (SE) on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The potential listing forms a central part of BASF’s “Winning Ways” strategy, with the company aiming to unlock the value potential of its agricultural business as an independent, pure-play company.
Agricultural Solutions has a broad portfolio spanning crop protection, seeds, traits, biologicals and digital agricultural solutions, serving farmers across global markets.
BASF advances legal and operational separation
BASF said the legal and operational separation of Agricultural Solutions remains on schedule. Approximately 80% of the business worldwide has so far been transferred into separate legal entities, which are operating on a new industry-specific enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.
According to BASF, the new structure is designed to enable Agricultural Solutions to respond more effectively to the specific requirements of agricultural markets, improve organizational agility and strengthen customer proximity.
The business is also continuing to build the governance structures and capabilities needed to operate as a publicly listed company.
Agricultural Solutions strategy to be presented at Capital Markets Day
BASF is expected to provide a strategic and operational overview of Agricultural Solutions during its Capital Markets Day on November 24, 2026.
All four members of the BASF Agricultural Solutions Management Board are scheduled to present at the event, offering investors further insight into the business and its future direction.
BASF stressed that no decision has yet been taken regarding the execution or timing of the IPO. Any decision will depend on several factors, including prevailing conditions in the capital markets.
For the agricultural industry, the planned separation and potential listing could mark a significant shift for one of the world’s major integrated agricultural businesses, bringing its crop protection, seeds, traits, biologicals and digital activities under a more focused standalone structure.
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