Trinseo S.A. TSE recorded a profit of $72 million or $1.81 per share in first-quarter 2021 against a loss of $36 million or 94 cents a year ago.Barring one-time items, earnings were $3.27 a share, up from 26 cents per share a year ago. The figure topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.42.Revenues climbed around 28% year over year to $1,092.6 million in the quarter. The top line was driven by higher prices as well as increased sales volume in all segments barring Feedstocks. Trinseo S.A. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Trinseo S.A. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Trinseo S.A. Quote Segment HighlightsRevenues at the Latex Binders segment rose 15% year over year to $251 million in the reported quarter due to the pass through of higher raw material costs and increased sales volumes.Revenues at the Synthetic Rubber segment went up 22% year over year to $124 million, aided by higher volumes. The company witnessed continued demand recovery in the tire market.The Engineered Materials segment recorded sales $66 million, up 38% year over year, driven by increased sales volume to consumer electronics applications in Asia and TPE applications in Europe.Revenues at the Base Plastics unit went up 28% year over year to $329 million on higher volume in applications like construction, higher pricing and favorable currency swings.Sales at the Polystyrene segment climbed 46% year over year to $267 million, due to the passthrough of higher styrene costs and higher sales volumes on increased demand for applications in appliances and consumer electronics.Feedstocks segment sales rose 25% year over year to $56 million as higher styrene pricing more than offset lower styrene-related sales volume.The Americas Styrenics unit logged adjusted EBITDA of $23 million for the quarter, up around 134% year over year, driven by higher styrene volume and margin in North America.FinancialsTrinseo ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $618.4 million, up around 41% year over year. Long-term debt was $1,605.1 million, up around 38% year over year.The company recorded cash flow from operating activities of $51 million for the reported quarter.OutlookFor 2021, Trinseo sees net income in the range of $303-$343 million. Adjusted EBITDA is forecast in the band of $625-$675 million.The company expects results for the second quarter to be similar on a sequential comparison basis due to the continuation of similar market trends that include strong demand and margins across many of its segments.Price PerformanceTrinseo’s shares have surged 261.1% over a year, outperforming the industry's rise of 148%. Zacks Rank & Key PicksTrinseo currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold)Better-ranked stocks worth considering in the basic materials space include Nucor Corporation NUE, Dow Inc. DOW and Impala Platinum Holdings Limited IMPUY.Nucor has a projected earnings growth rate of 228.4% for the current year. The company’s shares have rallied around 159% in a year. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Dow has a projected earnings growth rate of 261.5% for the current year. The company’s shares have shot up around 103% in a year. It currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.Impala Platinum has an expected earnings growth rate of 197.6% for the current fiscal. The company’s shares have surged around 230% in the past year. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #1.Bitcoin, Like the Internet Itself, Could Change EverythingBlockchain and cryptocurrency has sparked one of the most exciting discussion topics of a generation. Some call it the “Internet of Money” and predict it could change the way money works forever. If true, it could do to banks what Netflix did to Blockbuster and Amazon did to Sears. Experts agree we’re still in the early stages of this technology, and as it grows, it will create several investing opportunities.Zacks’ has just revealed 3 companies that can help investors capitalize on the explosive profit potential of Bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies with significantly less volatility than buying them directly.See 3 crypto-related stocks now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Nucor Corporation (NUE): Free Stock Analysis Report Dow Inc. (DOW): Free Stock Analysis Report Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. (IMPUY): Free Stock Analysis Report Trinseo S.A. (TSE): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research