Celanese (NYSE:CE) Trading 6.4% Higher - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Celanese shares rose 6.4% to approximately $46.95, although trading volume was 83% below the average session level.
• Analysts have recently lowered price targets, with the consensus rating at “Hold” and an average target price of $63.71; nine analysts rate the stock Buy, seven Hold, and one Sell.
• Celanese beat quarterly earnings expectations with EPS of $2.45 versus $2.23 expected, while revenue reached $2.75 billion and increased 8.7% year over year. The company also issued third-quarter 2026 EPS guidance of $1.35–$1.75 and pays a quarterly dividend of $0.03 per share.

Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE - Get Free Report)'s stock price rose 6.4% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $46.85 and last traded at $46.9490. Approximately 354,066 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 83% from the average session volume of 2,142,779 shares. The stock had previously closed at $44.13.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on CE shares. Citigroup decreased their price target on Celanese from $80.00 to $68.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Celanese from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Celanese from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 6th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on shares of Celanese from $57.00 to $54.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Celanese from $72.00 to $63.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $63.71.

Celanese Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $5.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.36, a PEG ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.33. The stock's 50-day moving average is $45.83 and its 200-day moving average is $53.36.

Celanese (NYSE:CE - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The basic materials company reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.23 by $0.22. The firm had revenue of $2.75 billion for 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%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.44 earnings per share. Celanese has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.350-1.750 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Celanese Corporation will post 5.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Celanese Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 28th were given a dividend of $0.03 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, July 28th. This represents a $0.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. Celanese's payout ratio is currently -1.12%.

Insider Transactions at Celanese

In other news, SVP Mark Christopher Murray bought 2,153 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $45.52 per share, for a total transaction of $98,004.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 30,432 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,385,264.64. This trade represents a 7.61% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Celanese

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in Celanese by 111.1% in the 2nd quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 513 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Celanese by 100.0% during the 2nd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 662 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 331 shares during the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI acquired a new position in Celanese in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in Celanese by 175.7% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 896 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 571 shares during the period. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Celanese during the fourth quarter valued at $41,000. 98.87% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Celanese

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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