Celanese (NYSE:CE) Trading 8.3% Higher – Still a Buy?

Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE)’s share price rose 8.3% on Thursday . The company traded as high as $55.93 and last traded at $55.39. Approximately 1,085,450 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 55% from the average daily volume of 2,426,449 shares. The stock had previously closed at $51.15.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on CE. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Celanese from $40.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Celanese in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Celanese from $48.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Celanese from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Celanese from $45.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $59.72.

Celanese Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $5.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.09, a P/E/G ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.55. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $48.90 and a 200-day moving average of $44.53.

Celanese (NYSE:CE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 17th. The basic materials company reported $0.67 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.89 by ($0.22). Celanese had a positive return on equity of 8.75% and a negative net margin of 12.15%.The company had revenue of $2.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.25 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.45 EPS. The firm’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. On average, equities research analysts predict that Celanese Corporation will post 8.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Celanese Announces Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Celanese

In other news, CFO Chuck Kyrish purchased 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were bought at an average price of $41.03 per share, with a total value of $205,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 10,914 shares in the company, valued at approximately $447,801.42. This represents a 84.55% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.33% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Celanese

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised 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 purchasing an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. lifted its position in Celanese by 55.4% in the second quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 623 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI purchased a new stake in Celanese in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in Celanese by 140.4% during the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 827 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 483 shares during the period. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in shares of Celanese during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $36,000. 98.87% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.