Celanese (NYSE:CE) Stock Price Target Raised at Citigroup

Key Points

• Citigroup raised its Celanese price target from $58 to $65 and maintained a Buy rating, implying 30.74% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst views are mixed but lean positive: MarketBeat reported a Moderate Buy consensus and an average target of $61.88; JPMorgan raised its target to $77, while Barclays raised its target to $57 and kept an Equal Weight rating.
• Celanese’s quarterly adjusted EPS of $1.65 beat the $1.56 consensus, but revenue of $2.56 billion missed estimates of $2.62 billion. The company also raised its FY2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $6.00–$6.25.

Celanese (NYSE:CE - Get Free Report) had its target price lifted by Citigroup from $58.00 to $65.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the basic materials company's stock. Citigroup's target price would indicate a potential upside of 30.74% from the company's previous close.

Several other research firms also recently commented on CE. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Celanese from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Celanese from $76.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday. KeyCorp assumed coverage on Celanese in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $57.00 target price on the stock. Barclays increased their price target on Celanese from $49.00 to $57.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Celanese in a report on Friday, August 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Celanese has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $61.88.

Celanese Price Performance

Shares of Celanese stock traded down $0.64 on Wednesday, hitting $49.72. 2,049,664 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,073,868. Celanese has a 52 week low of $35.13 and a 52 week high of $70.70. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $46.17 and a 200 day simple moving average of $51.42. 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 has a market capitalization of $5.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 0.72.

Celanese (NYSE:CE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, November 2nd. The basic materials company reported $1.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.56 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $2.56 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.62 billion. Celanese had a net margin of 2.66% and a return on equity of 13.72%. Celanese's revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.34 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Celanese will post 6.00 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Celanese

In other Celanese news, SVP Mark Murray bought 2,153 shares of Celanese stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $45.52 per share, for a total transaction of $98,004.56. Following the acquisition, the senior vice president directly owned 30,432 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,385,264.64. This represents a 7.61% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CE. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Celanese in the 2nd quarter worth about $614,675,000. Turtle Creek Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Celanese by 18.1% during the 1st 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 grew its holdings in Celanese by 83.2% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,187,235 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $143,849,000 after purchasing an additional 993,193 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Celanese during the 2nd quarter valued at about $62,580,000. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new position in Celanese during the 2nd quarter valued at about $44,564,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.87% of the company's stock.

More Celanese News

Here are the key news stories impacting Celanese this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Celanese reported Q3 adjusted EPS of $1.65, above the $1.56 consensus, and raised its FY2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $6.00–$6.25 from a consensus of $6.00. Celanese Q3 earnings beat estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management is targeting $700 million–$800 million in 2027 free cash flow, with cost reductions and lower interest expense expected to help. Delivery against this target could support the company’s financial position. Celanese 2027 free cash flow target
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target to $77 and maintained an Overweight rating; Barclays raised its target to $57 while keeping an Equal Weight rating. The higher targets provide a more favorable analyst outlook, though Barclays’ rating remains cautious.
• Neutral Sentiment: Celanese and Röchling are working to expand lower-carbon POM applications using captured CO₂. The partnership could support sustainable product development, but its near-term financial impact is unclear. Celanese and Röchling partnership
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 revenue of $2.56 billion fell short of the $2.62 billion consensus. The sales miss, alongside questions about converting improved guidance into cash flow, may be tempering the positive earnings and outlook news.

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.

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