Celanese (NYSE:CE) Issues Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

Celanese (NYSE:CE) updated its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 0.700-0.850 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 0.910. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Celanese Trading Down 5.5%

Shares of NYSE CE traded down $3.22 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $55.63. The stock had a trading volume of 4,848,721 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,367,228. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $46.50 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $43.99. Celanese has a 1 year low of $35.13 and a 1 year high of $70.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.66, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.63. The firm has a market cap of $6.09 billion, a P/E ratio of -1.97 and a beta of 1.12.

Celanese (NYSE:CE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The basic materials company reported $0.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by ($0.23). The firm had revenue of $2.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.25 billion. Celanese had a positive return on equity of 9.87% and a negative net margin of 31.85%.Celanese has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.700-0.850 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Celanese will post 8.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Celanese Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.03 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 24th. This represents a $0.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Celanese’s payout ratio is -0.42%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on CE shares. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Celanese in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $50.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Celanese from $56.00 to $63.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Evercore cut their price objective on shares of Celanese from $75.00 to $45.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Tudor Pickering raised shares of Celanese from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on Celanese from $49.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $55.44.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Chuck Kyrish bought 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 9th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $41.03 per share, with a total value of $205,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 10,914 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $447,801.42. This trade represents a 84.55% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Celanese

Here are the key news stories impacting Celanese this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Stronger liquidity and cash flow detail — cash & equivalents rose year-over-year and operating cash remained healthy, which supports deleveraging efforts. Quiver Quantitative: Q4 financial snapshot
• Positive Sentiment: Insider purchases reported (several senior executives buying shares), a signal management sees value at current levels. Quiver Quantitative: Insider activity
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst coverage is mixed: some recent buy/overweight calls exist, but median price targets sit near or below recent levels — signaling varied views on recovery timing. Quiver Quantitative: Analyst ratings & targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading volume is well above average, indicating the quarter and guidance moved many holders and short-term traders; this can amplify price swings. MarketBeat: intraday volume
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS missed consensus — $0.67 reported vs. roughly $0.90 expected — and revenue of $2.20B missed estimates (~$2.25B). The top-line and EPS shortfalls are the primary drivers of the negative move. Zacks: Q4 results lag estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Company lowered Q1 2026 EPS guidance to $0.70–$0.85 versus consensus ~$0.91, pointing to continued near-term pressure and prompting downward revisions. Zacks: guidance update
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability and margins weakened sharply year-over-year (operating profit and net income fell materially), raising concerns about demand/price pressure and special charges that hit net margin. Yahoo Finance: full release and metrics
• Negative Sentiment: Leverage remains elevated (debt-to-equity ~2.66), so slower earnings recovery would keep investors wary until deleveraging progress is clearer. Investing.com: deleveraging focus

Institutional Trading of Celanese

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its holdings in shares of Celanese by 13.8% during the 4th quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 27,129 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,147,000 after purchasing an additional 3,284 shares during the last quarter. Jain Global LLC boosted its stake in Celanese by 401.9% during the fourth quarter. Jain Global LLC now owns 528,537 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $22,347,000 after buying an additional 423,240 shares during the last quarter. Trexquant Investment LP bought a new position in Celanese during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $7,911,000. Sciencast Management LP grew its holdings in Celanese by 143.7% during the 4th quarter. Sciencast Management LP now owns 42,936 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,815,000 after buying an additional 25,318 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in Celanese by 17.3% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 107,277 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $4,536,000 after acquiring an additional 15,813 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.87% of the company’s stock.

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.