Zacks Research Comments on Celanese’s Q1 Earnings (NYSE:CE)

Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE) – Research analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for Celanese in a research note issued on Monday, March 9th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the basic materials company will earn $0.80 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.88. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Celanese’s current full-year earnings is $8.79 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Celanese’s Q2 2026 earnings at $1.12 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $4.40 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.92 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.89 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.31 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.81 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $5.94 EPS.

Celanese (NYSE:CE) last announced 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 previous year, the company earned $1.45 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. Celanese has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.700-0.850 EPS.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on CE. Robert W. Baird set a $65.00 price target on Celanese in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Evercore set a $63.00 price target on shares of Celanese in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Celanese in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $50.00 price target on the stock. 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Celanese in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $59.39.

Celanese Stock Performance

Shares of Celanese stock opened at $50.74 on Wednesday. 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 $5.56 billion, a PE ratio of -4.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 1.07. Celanese has a 1 year low of $35.13 and a 1 year high of $63.55. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $49.57 and its 200-day simple moving average is $44.68.

Celanese Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 24th were paid a dividend of $0.03 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 24th. This represents a $0.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Celanese’s payout ratio is currently -1.13%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Celanese

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CE. Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Celanese during the 3rd quarter worth $3,171,000. AMG National Trust Bank increased its stake in shares of Celanese by 270.1% in the third 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 period. Fox Run Management L.L.C. boosted its stake in shares of Celanese by 406.9% in 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 purchasing an additional 33,854 shares during the last quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey grew its holdings in Celanese by 163.8% during the 2nd quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 42,062 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,327,000 after acquiring an additional 26,120 shares during the period. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Celanese in the 3rd quarter valued at $6,057,000. 98.87% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Celanese

Here are the key news stories impacting Celanese this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Tudor Pickering upgraded Celanese from “hold” to “buy,” signaling institutional conviction and providing upside momentum from an independent research shop. Celanese (NYSE:CE) Raised to “Buy” at Tudor Pickering
• Positive Sentiment: Vertical Research also upgraded CE to “buy” with a $60 price target (roughly mid-to-high single-digit upside vs. current levels), which can support demand from investors who follow upgrades. Vertical Research Upgrades Celanese (NYSE:CE) to Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q3 2027 EPS forecast (from $0.16 to $0.31). This isolated upward revision is small and offset by broader negative revisions, so it is unlikely to materially change near-term consensus.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research issued a series of downward revisions across multiple quarters and years (Q1–Q4 2026 and Q1–Q4 2027 and FY2026–FY2027), trimming FY2026 to $4.40 and FY2027 to $5.94 from prior levels, and kept a “Strong Sell” rating — a broad negative signal that can pressure the stock and investor sentiment.
• Negative Sentiment: Collectively, Zacks’ cuts reflect lower near-term earnings expectations versus prior forecasts and add to concerns after Celanese’s recent earnings miss and negative net margin; multiple downward revisions increase downside risk and may outweigh isolated buy-side upgrades. MarketBeat CE page

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.