Empowered Funds LLC Boosts Holdings in Eastman Chemical Company $EMN

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC increased its Eastman Chemical stake by 270.9% in the first quarter, bringing its holdings to 65,611 shares valued at approximately $5.0 million. Institutional investors collectively own 83.65% of the company.
• Eastman reported a strong quarter, with adjusted EPS of $1.97 beating the $1.82 consensus and revenue of $2.51 billion exceeding estimates; earnings rose from $1.60 a year earlier. Management guided for third-quarter EPS of about $1.97 and expects full-year operating cash flow near $900 million.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with the stock carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $80.50 versus a recent price near $70. The company also offers a $0.84 quarterly dividend, representing a 4.8% yield, though its payout ratio is elevated at 97.39%.

Empowered Funds LLC boosted its stake in shares of Eastman Chemical Company (NYSE:EMN - Free Report) by 270.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 65,611 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 47,923 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC owned about 0.06% of Eastman Chemical worth $5,007,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new stake in Eastman Chemical during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Eastman Chemical in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. raised its position in shares of Eastman Chemical by 70.0% during the 4th quarter. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. now owns 425 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the period. Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Eastman Chemical during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Eastman Chemical in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. 83.65% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Eastman Chemical News

Here are the key news stories impacting Eastman Chemical this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Eastman reported adjusted earnings of $1.97 per share, above the $1.82 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $2.51 billion versus expectations of $2.40 billion. Earnings increased from $1.60 per share in the year-ago quarter. Eastman Chemical Beats Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Higher sales volumes and mix contributed roughly 5% growth, while pricing added about 4%. Reported EBIT rose to $311 million from $222 million, demonstrating meaningful operating leverage. EMN Q2 Earnings Beat on Volume Growth and Higher Pricing
• Positive Sentiment: Management set third-quarter 2026 EPS guidance at approximately $1.97, above the $1.92 consensus estimate, and expects full-year operating cash flow to approach $900 million. Eastman Chemical Earnings Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Performance was uneven by segment: Chemical Intermediates sales surged 39%, while Advanced Materials and Additives & Functional Products each rose 5%; Fibers sales declined 11%. Eastman Chemical Q2 Earnings Snapshot
• Negative Sentiment: Operating cash flow was $224 million, slightly below the prior-year figure of $233 million, and the company remains exposed to geopolitical, raw-material and demand volatility. Commentary suggesting benefits from the Iran conflict may reflect temporary pricing or supply effects rather than durable growth. Eastman Chemical Benefits From Iran Conflict

Eastman Chemical Stock Performance

NYSE:EMN opened at $70.04 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $8.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.24, a PEG ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.07. Eastman Chemical Company has a 1 year low of $56.11 and a 1 year high of $83.47. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $70.72 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $72.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.47 and a quick ratio of 0.71.

Eastman Chemical (NYSE:EMN - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The basic materials company reported $1.97 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.82 by $0.15. Eastman Chemical had a return on equity of 9.53% and a net margin of 4.99%.The firm had revenue of $2.51 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.40 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.60 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Eastman Chemical has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.970-1.970 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Eastman Chemical Company will post 6.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Eastman Chemical Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 15th were issued a $0.84 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 15th. This represents a $3.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.8%. Eastman Chemical's payout ratio is 97.39%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently commented on EMN. Wall Street Zen upgraded Eastman Chemical from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Eastman Chemical in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Citigroup dropped their price target on Eastman Chemical from $88.00 to $85.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Eastman Chemical from $79.00 to $82.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating and set a $82.00 target price on shares of Eastman Chemical in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Eastman Chemical presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $80.50.

Eastman Chemical Profile

Eastman Chemical Company NYSE: EMN is a global specialty materials company that develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of advanced materials, chemicals and fibers. Its product portfolio spans performance additives, functional products, and engineered plastics designed to enhance the durability, appearance and performance of end products across diverse industries.

The company's main business activities include the production of specialty chemicals used in adhesives, coatings, building materials and consumer care applications, as well as high-performance plastics for packaging, automotive and electronics markets.

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