Celanese (NYSE:CE) Shares Gap Up Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE)’s share price gapped up before the market opened on Tuesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $47.94, but opened at $50.57. Celanese shares last traded at $49.15, with a volume of 462,321 shares changing hands.

The basic materials company reported $1.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.56 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $2.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.62 billion. Celanese had a negative net margin of 12.04% and a positive return on equity of 13.04%. Celanese’s revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.34 earnings per share.

Celanese Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, November 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.03 per share. This represents a $0.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 27th. Celanese’s dividend payout ratio is -1.12%.

Celanese News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Celanese this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted EPS exceeded expectations. Celanese reported third-quarter earnings of $1.65 per share, above analyst estimates ranging from $1.52 to $1.56 and up from $1.34 in the year-ago quarter. Celanese Q3 Earnings Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Pricing strength and commercial execution supported profitability. Management attributed the earnings outperformance to pricing actions and execution, while higher cash flow improved the company’s financial position. Celanese Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates on Pricing Strength, Sales Miss
• Positive Sentiment: Full-year 2026 guidance was raised or positioned above consensus. Celanese expects adjusted EPS of $6.00 to $6.25, compared with the current consensus estimate of $6.00. The upper end of the range gives investors potential for earnings upside. Celanese Sees FY26 Adjusted EPS of $6.00 to $6.25
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue increased 5.7% year over year to $2.56 billion, indicating growth, but the result fell short of the $2.62 billion analyst consensus. Celanese Quarterly Earnings Data
• Negative Sentiment: Celanese continues to face balance-sheet and profitability concerns, including elevated debt relative to equity and a negative reported net margin, which could limit the stock’s upside despite the earnings beat.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CE has been the topic of a number of research reports. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on Celanese from $57.00 to $54.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $50.00 price target on shares of Celanese in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of Celanese in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $57.00 price objective on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Celanese from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Celanese in a research note on Friday, August 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $60.38.

Insider Transactions at Celanese

In other news, SVP Mark Murray acquired 2,153 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $45.52 per share, for a total transaction of $98,004.56. Following the purchase, the senior vice president owned 30,432 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,385,264.64. This represents a 7.61% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Celanese

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Celanese in the 2nd quarter valued at about $614,675,000. Turtle Creek Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Celanese by 18.1% during the first quarter. Turtle Creek Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,547,744 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $167,565,000 after purchasing an additional 391,204 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Celanese by 83.2% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,187,235 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $143,849,000 after purchasing an additional 993,193 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new position in shares of Celanese in the second quarter worth about $62,580,000. Finally, Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Co lifted its stake in shares of Celanese by 8.4% during the 1st quarter. Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Co now owns 836,733 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $55,032,000 after buying an additional 65,155 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.87% of the company’s stock.

Celanese Stock Up 2.5%

The company has a market capitalization of $5.39 billion, a PE ratio of -4.60, a PEG ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.33, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.45. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $46.08 and its 200 day moving average is $51.40.

Celanese Company Profile

Celanese Corporation (NYSE: CE) is a global chemical and specialty materials company headquartered in Irving, Texas. The company develops and manufactures engineered materials and chemical products used by manufacturers in industries including automotive, consumer goods, medical and healthcare, electronics, industrial equipment, energy and infrastructure.

Celanese operates primarily through its Engineered Materials and Acetyl Chain businesses. Its portfolio includes engineered polymers, thermoplastic compounds and other specialty materials, as well as acetyl products such as acetic acid, vinyl acetate monomer, emulsions and related intermediates.