Celanese Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:CE)

Key Points

• Celanese saw an exceptional surge in options activity: traders bought 20,489 call options, 963% above the typical daily volume of 1,928 calls.
• Shares fell $3.46 to $41.78, trading below both their 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Despite the decline, the company beat quarterly earnings estimates with EPS of $2.45 versus $2.23 expected, while revenue rose 8.7% year over year to $2.75 billion.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with a $65.44 target price, while institutional investors own 98.87% of the stock. Celanese also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.03 per share, representing a 0.3% yield.

Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE - Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Stock traders bought 20,489 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 963% compared to the typical daily volume of 1,928 call options.

Celanese Stock Performance

NYSE:CE traded down $3.46 on Wednesday, hitting $41.78. The stock had a trading volume of 2,856,605 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,231,865. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $48.75 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $54.00. The stock has a market cap of $4.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.27 and a beta of 0.76. Celanese has a 52-week low of $35.13 and a 52-week high of $70.70. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.41.

Celanese (NYSE:CE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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. Celanese had a negative net margin of 11.54% and a positive return on equity of 9.92%. The firm had revenue of $2.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.75 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.44 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Celanese has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.350-1.750 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Celanese will post 6.01 earnings per share for the current year.

Celanese Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 28th will be given a $0.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 28th. This represents a $0.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Celanese's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -1.20%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Celanese

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in Celanese by 111.1% in the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 513 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI purchased a new stake in Celanese in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Hartford Financial Management Inc. raised its stake in Celanese by 350.5% during the 4th quarter. Hartford Financial Management Inc. now owns 901 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 701 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Celanese by 100.0% during the second quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 662 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 331 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in shares of Celanese by 175.7% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 896 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 571 shares during the period. 98.87% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded Celanese from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, June 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of Celanese in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Zacks Research raised shares of Celanese from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Mizuho set a $50.00 target price on shares of Celanese in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Celanese from $80.00 to $68.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $65.44.

Celanese Company Profile

Celanese Corporation is a global chemical and specialty materials company that develops, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of products serving diverse industries. The company operates through two primary business segments—Engineered Materials and Acetyl Chain—offering solutions that range from high-performance polymers and specialty additives to industrial chemicals and intermediates. Its engineered materials are used in applications such as automotive components, consumer electronics, medical devices and packaging, while its acetyl derivatives find uses in coatings, adhesives, solvents and personal care products.

In the Engineered Materials segment, Celanese produces a variety of high-performance thermoplastics, polyether-block-amide (PEBA) elastomers and functional additives designed to enhance product durability, thermal resistance and sustainability.

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