Celanese (NYSE:CE) Shares Gap Up Following Strong Earnings

Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE)’s stock price gapped up before the market opened on Friday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $36.11, but opened at $39.21. Celanese shares last traded at $39.6660, with a volume of 517,478 shares changing hands.

The basic materials company reported $1.34 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.27 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $2.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.51 billion. Celanese had a negative net margin of 16.30% and a positive return on equity of 10.48%. Celanese’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.44 EPS. Celanese has set its Q4 2025 guidance at 0.850-1.000 EPS.

Celanese Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 28th will be issued a $0.03 dividend. This represents a $0.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 28th. Celanese’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -0.81%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CE has been the topic of several research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $43.00 price target on shares of Celanese in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on shares of Celanese from $55.00 to $47.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 14th. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Celanese from $50.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Zacks Research lowered Celanese from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Celanese in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Celanese has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $56.11.

Insider Buying and Selling at Celanese

In related news, Director Timothy Go bought 1,039 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 8th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $46.25 per share, for a total transaction of $48,053.75. Following the purchase, the director owned 4,415 shares in the company, valued at $204,193.75. This trade represents a 30.78% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its position in shares of Celanese by 73.2% during the 1st quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 440 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in Celanese by 111.1% during the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 513 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Celanese during the first quarter worth $30,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Celanese by 55.4% in the 2nd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 623 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 222 shares during the period. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in shares of Celanese by 140.4% during the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 827 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 483 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.87% of the company’s stock.

Celanese Trading Up 11.4%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 2.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.22. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $42.57 and its two-hundred day moving average is $48.89. The stock has a market cap of $4.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -2.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.17.

About Celanese

Celanese Corporation, a chemical and specialty materials company, manufactures and sells high performance engineered polymers in the United States and internationally. It operates through Engineered Materials and Acetyl Chain. The Engineered Materials segment develops, produces, and supplies specialty polymers for automotive and medical applications, as well as for use in industrial products and consumer electronics.