Avient (NYSE:AVNT) Trading Up 15.7% After Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Avient Corporation (NYSE:AVNT) shares traded up 15.7% during trading on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $43.17 and last traded at $43.8810. 94,748 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 88% from the average session volume of 815,751 shares. The stock had previously closed at $37.92.

The company reported $0.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.89 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $917.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $898.53 million. Avient had a net margin of 4.81% and a return on equity of 11.11%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.80 EPS. Avient has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.100-3.250 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.800-0.800 EPS.

Avient Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 11th will be issued a $0.275 dividend. This represents a $1.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 11th. Avient’s payout ratio is currently 63.95%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently commented on AVNT shares. UBS Group set a $44.00 price objective on Avient in a report on Monday, June 8th. Robert W. Baird set a $43.00 target price on Avient in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Truist Financial started coverage on Avient in a research report on Monday, June 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $44.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Avient in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Avient presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $45.71.

Institutional Trading of Avient

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Avient in the fourth quarter worth $41,457,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in Avient by 697.0% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,442,074 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,050,000 after purchasing an additional 1,261,146 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC boosted its holdings in Avient by 440.4% in the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,337,188 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,060,000 after purchasing an additional 1,089,744 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its holdings in Avient by 96.0% in the first quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 1,411,254 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,229,000 after purchasing an additional 691,316 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Avient by 147.1% during the 4th quarter. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. now owns 799,621 shares of the company’s stock worth $24,980,000 after purchasing an additional 476,016 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.48% of the company’s stock.

Avient Price Performance

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $36.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $36.93. The firm has a market cap of $3.95 billion, a PE ratio of 25.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 1.77.

Avient Company Profile

Avient Corporation (NYSE: AVNT) is a global provider of specialized and sustainable polymer materials, delivering color, additive and engineered solutions to a wide range of industries. The company’s core offerings include masterbatches, colorant systems, compounds and resins designed to enhance performance, aesthetics and environmental sustainability. Avient serves markets such as packaging, automotive, consumer goods, healthcare, electronics, and agriculture, tailoring products to meet stringent regulatory and end-use requirements.

Formed through a corporate rebranding in 2020 following the divestiture of PolyOne’s specialty businesses, Avient traces its heritage to a legacy of polymer innovation spanning decades.