Plastics are ubiquitous. From packaging to household goods to building materials to automotive components, there seems to be no limit to where plastics are found in our day-to-day lives.
With so much demand, there are many public companies focused on plastics from which investors can choose. It’s a massive market opportunity: Global total plastic sales were estimated at $647 billion in 2024, and the market is forecast to grow at a compound annualized rate of 4.6% through 2033.
Investors can select from companies that make the raw ingredients used to make plastics, companies that make the end products we use as consumers, and a few that do a bit of both. Here’s a look at some of the top names in plastics for investors to consider.
Top plastics stocks to invest in for 2026
| Name and ticker | Market cap | Dividend yield | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) | $610.2 billion | 2.76% | Oil, Gas and Consumable Fuels |
| Dow (NYSE:DOW) | $25.6 billion | 4.92% | Chemicals |
| LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB) | $21.4 billion | 7.24% | Chemicals |
| Amcor Plc (NYSE:AMCR) | $19.4 billion | 6.14% | Containers and Packaging |
| AptarGroup (NYSE:ATR) | $8.3 billion | 1.42% | Containers and Packaging |
| Trinseo Plc (NYSE:TSE) | N/A | N/A | Chemicals |
1. ExxonMobil
NYSE: XOM
Key Data Points
ExxonMobil (XOM -3.65%) is best known as an oil and gas company, but it is also a major producer of specialized polypropylene, a raw material used in plastics. Propylene is a molecule produced as part of the oil-refining process, making it a natural offshoot of ExxonMobil’s core business.
ExxonMobil significantly boosted polypropylene production in 2020 to meet increased demand for masks and medical supplies to support the COVID-19 pandemic response.
This company is deeply entrenched in the fossil fuel economy, but plastics offer some diversification from the oil giant's core petroleum offerings.
2. Dow
NYSE: DOW
Key Data Points
Today’s Dow (DOW -10.82%) is the product of a megamerger between DuPont (DD +1.28%) and legacy Dow Chemical that resulted in the two companies combining similar businesses and then splitting off into three more focused companies. While DuPont still has some plastic operations, Dow is the pick for this list.
Dow makes a range of plastics, adhesives, sealants, and additives used in building, automotive, personal care, packaging, and industrial end markets. Investors get this plastics business housed within a massive and diversified materials sciences portfolio that generated $42.9 billion in net sales in 2024.
3. LyondellBasell Industries
NYSE: LYB
Key Data Points
Lyondell (LYB -11.98%) is a Dutch multinational chemicals company that ranks as the largest licensor of technologies to produce not just polypropylene but also polyethylene, two of the basic building blocks that go into making plastic goods.
LyondellBasell is a cash-generation machine and has a history of returning that cash to shareholders through dividends. The company can get caught up in cyclical demand for chemicals, which tends to ebb during periods of economic uncertainty. Still, this is a diversified business that should be able to grow with increasing global demand and provide a steady source of income for your portfolio.
4. Amcor
NYSE: AMCR
Key Data Points
5. AptarGroup
NYSE: ATR
Key Data Points
NYSE: TSE
Key Data Points
Tips for investing in plastic stocks
Investing in plastics in 2026 requires moving beyond the "commodity" mindset. With the market divided between traditional giants and high-growth sustainability pioneers, your strategy should focus on resilience and regulatory positioning.
Investors use a "barbell strategy" to balance risk and reward, investing in both value names, such as large, established plastics manufacturers, and higher-growth sustainable materials companies.
Are plastic stocks right for you?
Environmentalists criticize plastics due to concerns about their fossil fuel-intensive production processes and the long time it takes for them to degrade, but there are no good alternatives for many applications. All of the companies on this list are exploring how to manufacture plastics from more environmentally friendly sources and create products that degrade faster when possible. Despite the concerns, plastic demand should continue to grow for the foreseeable future.
Plastics aren’t likely to match other sectors, such as tech, in terms of massive growth potential, but these companies should be reliable performers selling into stable, growing markets that can provide ballast in a tech-heavy portfolio.
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FAQ
Plastics stocks FAQ
About the Author
Lou Whiteman has positions in Amcor Plc. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amcor Plc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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