Avient (NYSE:AVNT) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.01 EPS

Avient (NYSE:AVNT) posted its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.55 by $0.01, FiscalAI reports. Avient had a return on equity of 10.75% and a net margin of 3.49%.The business had revenue of $760.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $750.19 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.49 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. Avient updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 0.810-0.810 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance to 2.930-3.170 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Avient’s conference call:

• Strong execution drove an 80 basis-point Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion in Q4 and a full-year record Adjusted EBITDA margin of 16.7%, with Adjusted EPS up ~6% for 2025 and +14% in Q4.
• Priority growth vectors—especially defense, healthcare, and telecom—delivered double‑digit growth in Q4, and the company commercialized innovations like GlideTech (non‑PFAS lubricious materials), non‑PFAS polymer processing aids, and a Dyneema process debottlenecking to unlock near‑term capacity.
• 2026 guidance targets continued improvement with Adjusted EBITDA of $555–$585M (+2–7% YoY), Adjusted EPS of $2.93–$3.17 (+4–12%), and expected free cash flow of $200–$220M, while CapEx is planned at ~$140M (including incremental defense investments).
• Color, Additives & Inks underperformed (CAI organic sales down ~2% for 2025; Q4 CAI organic -3%), with ongoing softness in consumer, industrial and building & construction markets that weighed on consolidated organic sales.
• Cash generation remains strong—$195M FCF in 2025 and $150M of debt paydown reduced net leverage to 2.6x; management says near‑term cash will prioritize further debt reduction (targeting <2.5x) before share buybacks or M&A.

Avient Trading Up 4.5%

AVNT stock traded up $1.90 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $43.74. 244,335 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 928,117. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.44. Avient has a 52-week low of $27.48 and a 52-week high of $44.85. The business has a 50 day moving average of $34.21 and a 200-day moving average of $33.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a current ratio of 2.03.

Institutional Trading of Avient

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AVNT. Danske Bank A S bought a new stake in Avient in the third quarter worth $40,000. Quarry LP raised its stake in shares of Avient by 83.1% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,234 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 560 shares during the period. Johnson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Avient in the third quarter valued at $50,000. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of Avient in the 2nd quarter worth about $72,000. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI boosted its stake in shares of Avient by 58.3% during the 3rd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 3,070 shares of the company’s stock worth $101,000 after purchasing an additional 1,131 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Avient in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research upgraded Avient from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Oppenheimer upped their target price on Avient from $37.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Avient from $42.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, KeyCorp upped their price target on shares of Avient from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Avient has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $46.83.

Key Avient News

Here are the key news stories impacting Avient this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — adjusted EPS of $0.56 (vs. $0.55 est.) and revenue of $760.6M (beat ~$750M). Adjusted EPS rose ~14% year-over-year, showing underlying margin progress and topping consensus. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Upside to near-term guidance — Avient set Q1 2026 EPS guidance of $0.81, well above the Street’s prior ~$0.65 estimate, reducing near-term earnings risk and supporting the rally. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Management targets higher adjusted EBITDA and continued debt reduction — Avient outlined a $555M–$585M adjusted EBITDA target for 2026 while signaling continued investment in innovation alongside debt paydown, a combination investors typically view as value-accretive. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Strong cash flow / balance sheet activity — FY2025 operating cash flow was $302M and management repaid $150M of debt during the year, supporting the credibility of the debt-reduction plan but leaving leverage (D/E ~0.83) still relevant to monitor. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: FX helped top-line growth — management said foreign exchange added ~3% to Q4 sales (and ~1% for the year), a temporary tailwind that boosted reported revenue but may not persist. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP EPS declined materially year-over-year — Q4 GAAP EPS was $0.18 vs. $0.52 a year ago, reflecting items excluded from adjusted results; this contrast can concern investors focused on GAAP profitability and one-time adjustments. Read More.

Avient Company Profile

Avient Corporation (NYSE: AVNT) is a global provider of specialized and sustainable polymer materials, delivering color, additive and engineered solutions to a wide range of industries. The company’s core offerings include masterbatches, colorant systems, compounds and resins designed to enhance performance, aesthetics and environmental sustainability. Avient serves markets such as packaging, automotive, consumer goods, healthcare, electronics, and agriculture, tailoring products to meet stringent regulatory and end-use requirements.

Formed through a corporate rebranding in 2020 following the divestiture of PolyOne’s specialty businesses, Avient traces its heritage to a legacy of polymer innovation spanning decades.