Celanese (NYSE:CE) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.03 EPS

Celanese (NYSE:CE) announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The basic materials company reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.88 by ($0.03), Zacks reports. The company had revenue of $2.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.34 billion. Celanese had a negative net margin of 11.54% and a positive return on equity of 9.74%. The firm’s revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.57 earnings per share. Celanese updated its Q2 2026 guidance to 2.000-2.400 EPS.

Celanese Stock Performance

NYSE CE traded down $2.93 during trading on Thursday, reaching $59.19. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,122,101 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,482,742. 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 cap of $6.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.91, a P/E/G ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 0.81. Celanese has a twelve month low of $35.13 and a twelve month high of $70.70. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $60.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $49.85.

Celanese Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 11th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 27th will be paid a $0.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 27th. This represents a $0.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. Celanese’s payout ratio is currently -1.20%.

More Celanese News

Here are the key news stories impacting Celanese this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management raised Q2 2026 EPS guidance to a strong $2.00–$2.40 (well above consensus ~$1.54), signaling a recovery in pricing, volumes and cash flow; that guidance is a primary reason some analysts remain constructive. BusinessWire: Celanese Outlines Strategic Nylon Uplift
• Positive Sentiment: Major analyst price‑target increases: Morgan Stanley lifted its target to $72 and highlighted upside, and other shops (BofA, Wells Fargo, etc.) have higher targets — supporting medium‑term upside expectations. AmericanBankingNews: Morgan Stanley Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Celanese
• Positive Sentiment: Operational and cash improvements: management highlighted operating‑profit expansion, improved operating cash flow and liquidity, plus targeted Nylon 66 savings (~$30M) and other engineered‑materials initiatives that should help margins over time. MSN: Celanese targets $3 EPS in 2H 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Carbon‑capture/CCU collaboration with SharpCell expands sustainability/innovation exposure in higher‑value nonwovens and pulp & paper end markets — a strategic positive for long‑term demand and differentiation. FinanzNachrichten: Celanese and SharpCell Collaborate on CCU
• Neutral Sentiment: Some brokerages raised targets but kept neutral/equal‑weight ratings (e.g., Mizuho moved PT to $65 with a neutral stance), indicating upside in price targets but limited conviction to recommend buying now. Benzinga: Analyst price‑target notes
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider purchases and mixed institutional flows: some insiders bought stock and several funds adjusted positions, showing divergent investor views; analyst target median sits around ~$68. QuiverQuant: Q1 results and ownership moves
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 results missed consensus: reported EPS missed estimates ($0.85 vs. ~$0.88) and revenue was down ~2.2% Y/Y and below some estimates — a near‑term catalyst for the share decline. Zacks: Q1 Earnings Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Performance & margin concerns: MarketWatch notes the stock underperformed peers; the company still shows a negative net margin and relatively high leverage (debt/equity), which raises sensitivity to end‑market weakness. MarketWatch: Underperformance vs competitors

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Celanese by 111.1% during the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 513 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Celanese by 100.0% during the second 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 period. National Bank of Canada FI acquired a new position in shares of Celanese during the third quarter worth about $34,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in Celanese by 175.7% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 896 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 571 shares during the period. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Celanese during the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. 98.87% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CE has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Celanese from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. Zacks Research raised shares of Celanese from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Celanese from $65.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Vertical Research raised shares of Celanese from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $60.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada set a $66.00 price objective on shares of Celanese and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $66.41.

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.