Celanese (NYSE:CE) Upgraded at Barclays

Key Points

• Barclays upgraded Celanese to “hold.” The broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with a consensus price target of $60.38.
• Celanese shares opened at $45.81, within a 52-week range of $35.13 to $70.70; the stock’s 50-day and 200-day moving averages were $45.32 and $51.26, respectively.
• The company’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with EPS of $2.45 versus the $2.23 consensus and revenue of $2.75 billion; institutional investors own 98.87% of the stock.

Celanese (NYSE:CE - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Barclays to a "hold" rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, Zacks reports.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of Celanese from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday. KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of Celanese in a research note on Thursday, September 10th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $57.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on shares of Celanese from $57.00 to $54.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Celanese from $72.00 to $58.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Celanese in a research report on Friday, August 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Celanese currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $60.38.

Celanese Price Performance

Shares of CE stock opened at $45.81 on Monday. Celanese has a fifty-two week low of $35.13 and a fifty-two week high of $70.70. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $5.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.29, a PEG ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 0.76. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $45.32 and its 200-day simple moving average is $51.26.

Celanese (NYSE:CE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The basic materials company reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.23 by $0.22. The firm had revenue of $2.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.75 billion. Celanese had a negative net margin of 12.04% and a positive return on equity of 13.04%. Celanese's revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.44 EPS. Celanese has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.350-1.750 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Celanese will post 5.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Celanese

In other Celanese news, SVP Mark Murray purchased 2,153 shares of Celanese stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $45.52 per share, with a total value of $98,004.56. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 30,432 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,385,264.64. This represents a 7.61% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.34% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Celanese

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CE. Mather Group LLC. lifted its stake in shares of Celanese by 6,975.0% in the 3rd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 849 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 837 shares during the period. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its holdings in Celanese by 757.7% during the third quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 669 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 591 shares in the last quarter. Sanders Morris Harris LLC purchased a new stake in Celanese during the third quarter worth $222,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in Celanese by 186.5% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,444 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $108,000 after buying an additional 1,591 shares during the period. Finally, Moody National Bank Trust Division grew its position in Celanese by 29.0% during the third quarter. Moody National Bank Trust Division now owns 29,129 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,292,000 after buying an additional 6,548 shares during the period. 98.87% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Celanese

Celanese Corporation NYSE: CE is a global chemical and specialty materials company that develops and manufactures products used in a wide range of industries, including automotive, consumer goods, medical, electronics, food, paints and coatings, and industrial manufacturing. The company serves customers through operations and commercial activities across North America, Europe, Asia and other international markets.

Celanese operates primarily through its Engineered Materials and Acetyl Chain businesses.

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