Celanese (NYSE:CE) Trading Down 7.3% – Here’s What Happened

Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE) traded down 7.3% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $49.39 and last traded at $49.1970. 877,968 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 63% from the average session volume of 2,379,445 shares. The stock had previously closed at $53.09.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on CE shares. Robert W. Baird set a $65.00 price target on shares of Celanese in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on Celanese from $48.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Celanese from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $86.00 price target on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Celanese from $45.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Celanese from $63.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $59.72.

Celanese Stock Down 5.8%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.55, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.48 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.72, a PEG ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 1.12. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $47.94 and a 200-day moving average of $44.23.

Celanese (NYSE:CE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The basic materials company reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.89 by ($0.22). Celanese had a negative net margin of 12.15% and a positive return on equity of 8.75%. The business had revenue of $2.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.25 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.45 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 6.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Celanese has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.700-0.850 EPS. Research analysts predict that Celanese Corporation will post 8.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Celanese Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 24th will be given a $0.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 24th. This represents a $0.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Celanese’s payout ratio is -1.13%.

Insider Transactions at Celanese

In related news, CFO Chuck Kyrish acquired 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $41.03 per share, with a total value of $205,150.00. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 10,914 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $447,801.42. This trade represents a 84.55% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Celanese

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CE. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Celanese by 111.1% during the 2nd quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 513 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its position in Celanese by 55.4% during the second quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 623 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Celanese by 100.0% in 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. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Celanese in the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI bought a new stake in shares of Celanese during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors own 98.87% of the company’s stock.

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.