Zacks Research Has Positive Outlook for Celanese Q2 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its Q2 2026 EPS estimate for Celanese to $2.10 from $1.12, while keeping a Hold rating on the stock. The firm also projected full-year 2026 EPS of $5.64.
• Celanese recently missed Q1 earnings estimates, posting $0.85 EPS versus $0.88 expected, though revenue matched forecasts at $2.34 billion. The company also guided Q2 2026 EPS at 2.00 to 2.40.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but generally constructive, with 10 Buy, 7 Hold, and 1 Sell ratings and a consensus price target of $67.81. Shares recently traded at $52.95, below the average target.

Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Zacks Research boosted their Q2 2026 earnings per share estimates for Celanese in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, May 26th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the basic materials company will earn $2.10 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $1.12. Zacks Research has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Celanese's current full-year earnings is $5.65 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Celanese's Q3 2026 earnings at $1.48 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $5.64 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.33 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.22 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.58 EPS and Q1 2028 earnings at $1.31 EPS.

Celanese (NYSE:CE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The basic materials company reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.88 by ($0.03). Celanese had a negative net margin of 11.54% and a positive return on equity of 9.92%. The firm had revenue of $2.34 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.34 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.57 earnings per share. Celanese's quarterly revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. Celanese has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.000-2.400 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on the company. Vertical Research raised Celanese from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $60.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Celanese from $75.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Wall Street Zen raised Celanese from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Tudor Pickering raised Celanese from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price target on Celanese from $58.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Ten investment 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 MarketBeat.com, Celanese currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $67.81.

Celanese Price Performance

Shares of Celanese stock opened at $52.95 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $61.26 and a 200 day moving average of $51.52. Celanese has a 12 month low of $35.13 and a 12 month high of $70.70. The firm has a market cap of $5.81 billion, a PE ratio of -5.29, a PEG ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a current ratio of 1.38, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.41.

Celanese Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 11th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 27th were given a dividend of $0.03 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, April 27th. This represents a $0.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. Celanese's dividend payout ratio is -1.20%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Celanese

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Celanese by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 11,840,341 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $500,610,000 after purchasing an additional 90,428 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors raised its position in Celanese by 24.0% during the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 5,565,556 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $235,312,000 after purchasing an additional 1,076,645 shares during the period. Turtle Creek Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Celanese by 21.0% in the third quarter. Turtle Creek Asset Management Inc. now owns 5,115,365 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $215,255,000 after buying an additional 887,600 shares during the period. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Celanese by 15.8% in the fourth quarter. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,094,781 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $173,127,000 after buying an additional 558,391 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Celanese by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,949,230 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $166,973,000 after buying an additional 80,242 shares during the period. 98.87% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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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