Celanese (NYSE:CE) Trading 8% Higher – Here’s Why

Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE) shares shot up 8% on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $60.62 and last traded at $60.63. 1,066,145 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 59% from the average session volume of 2,586,925 shares. The stock had previously closed at $56.13.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CE has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Celanese from $48.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Celanese from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price target for the company from $55.00 to $70.00 in a report on Friday, March 13th. Robert W. Baird set a $65.00 price objective on shares of Celanese in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Evercore set a $63.00 price objective on shares of Celanese in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Vertical Research raised Celanese from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $60.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $60.67.

Celanese Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $6.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.76, a P/E/G ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 1.07. The company’s 50 day moving average is $52.11 and its 200 day moving average is $45.37. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.55.

Celanese (NYSE:CE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The basic materials company reported $0.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $2.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.25 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.45 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. Celanese has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.700-0.850 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Celanese Corporation will post 8.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Celanese Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 24th were issued a $0.03 dividend. This represents a $0.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 24th. Celanese’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -1.13%.

Institutional Trading of Celanese

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Celanese in the third quarter worth approximately $3,171,000. AMG National Trust Bank raised its holdings in Celanese by 270.1% during the 3rd quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 70,322 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,959,000 after buying an additional 51,322 shares during the last quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. boosted its position in Celanese by 406.9% during the 3rd quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. now owns 42,175 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,775,000 after buying an additional 33,854 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in Celanese by 21.5% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 1,214,487 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $51,104,000 after acquiring an additional 214,632 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in Celanese in the 3rd quarter worth $6,057,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.87% of the company’s stock.

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.