Vanguard Group Inc. Boosts Stake in Avient Corporation $AVNT

Key Points

• Vanguard increased its stake in Avient by 0.8%, holding 10,218,398 shares (11.16% of the company) worth about $319.2 million after buying 77,246 shares in Q4.
• Avient beat Q1 estimates with adjusted EPS of $0.83 on ~$847M revenue and management reaffirmed FY2026 guidance of $2.93–$3.17 adjusted EPS while targeting more than $200M of free cash flow and setting Q2 EPS at $0.89.
• The stock trades at a market cap of $3.35B with a high valuation (P/E ≈ 41), offers a ~3.0% yield but a payout ratio of 123.6%, and carries an average Wall Street rating of "Hold" with a $47 average price target.

Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Avient Corporation (NYSE:AVNT - Free Report) by 0.8% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,218,398 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 77,246 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 11.16% of Avient worth $319,223,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its position in Avient by 54.2% in the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 967 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System raised its position in Avient by 1.4% in the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 27,085 shares of the company's stock valued at $892,000 after purchasing an additional 372 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Avient by 6.1% in the third quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 8,729 shares of the company's stock valued at $288,000 after purchasing an additional 502 shares during the period. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co raised its position in Avient by 1.0% in the second quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 52,636 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,700,000 after purchasing an additional 518 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP raised its position in Avient by 83.1% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,234 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 560 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.48% of the company's stock.

Avient News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Avient this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 adjusted EPS of $0.83 beat consensus ($0.81) and GAAP EPS improved to $0.61 from a loss a year ago — a clear earnings beat that shows underlying operating improvement. Avient Announces First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management reaffirmed FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $2.93–$3.17 and said it is targeting more than $200M of free cash flow — a positive capital-generation signal for investors focused on cash returns and deleveraging. Avient outlines 2026 adjusted EPS of $2.93 to $3.17 while targeting more than $200M free cash flow
• Positive Sentiment: Q2 EPS guidance was set at $0.890 (single point), slightly above the Street’s prior consensus — suggesting management expects stable near-term performance. Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue grew 3% to ~$847M in Q1, but that included a roughly 5% favorable impact from foreign exchange — useful context when assessing organic growth strength. Avient Announces First Quarter 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Company presentation and the full earnings call transcript are available for deeper detail on segment trends, margin drivers and capital allocation plans. Useful for investors who want to model next-12-month performance. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Although the FY range was reaffirmed, the guidance midpoint is slightly below consensus (company range midpoint ≈ $3.05 vs. consensus ~3.06), which — combined with a high P/E (~41) and modest net margin — likely disappointed investors and pressured the stock. Zacks: Key Metrics Versus Estimates

Avient Stock Performance

NYSE AVNT opened at $36.52 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $3.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $36.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $34.70. Avient Corporation has a 1-year low of $27.48 and a 1-year high of $44.85.

Avient (NYSE:AVNT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.83 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.81 by $0.02. Avient had a return on equity of 10.95% and a net margin of 2.51%.The firm had revenue of $847.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $846.35 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.76 EPS. Avient's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Avient has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.890-0.890 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.930-3.170 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Avient Corporation will post 3.05 EPS for the current year.

Avient Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th were issued a dividend of $0.275 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $1.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. Avient's dividend payout ratio is 123.60%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Avient from $42.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley set a $45.00 price objective on Avient in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Oppenheimer increased their target price on Avient from $37.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Wall Street Zen raised Avient from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $46.00 target price on Avient in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $47.00.

Avient Company Profile

Avient Corporation NYSE: AVNT is a global provider of specialized and sustainable polymer materials, delivering color, additive and engineered solutions to a wide range of industries. The company's core offerings include masterbatches, colorant systems, compounds and resins designed to enhance performance, aesthetics and environmental sustainability. Avient serves markets such as packaging, automotive, consumer goods, healthcare, electronics, and agriculture, tailoring products to meet stringent regulatory and end-use requirements.

Formed through a corporate rebranding in 2020 following the divestiture of PolyOne's specialty businesses, Avient traces its heritage to a legacy of polymer innovation spanning decades.

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