Celanese (NYSE:CE) Shares Up 3.6% – Still a Buy?

Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE)’s stock price shot up 3.6% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $45.85 and last traded at $46.07. Approximately 239,522 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 89% from the average session volume of 2,131,187 shares. The stock had previously closed at $44.45.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Celanese in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Celanese from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, June 20th. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Celanese from $72.00 to $63.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $50.00 price target on shares of Celanese in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Celanese from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $63.71.

Celanese Trading Up 3.7%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.33. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $45.58 and its two-hundred day moving average is $52.86. The firm has a market cap of $5.06 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.31, a PEG ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 0.76.

Celanese (NYSE:CE) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The basic materials company reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.23 by $0.22. The firm had revenue of $2.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.75 billion. Celanese had a negative net margin of 12.04% and a positive return on equity of 13.04%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.44 EPS. Celanese has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.350-1.750 EPS. Analysts predict that Celanese Corporation will post 5.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Celanese Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 28th were issued a $0.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, July 28th. This represents a $0.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Celanese’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -1.12%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Mark Murray acquired 2,153 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $45.52 per share, with a total value of $98,004.56. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 30,432 shares in the company, valued at $1,385,264.64. The trade was a 7.61% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.34% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Celanese by 111.1% in the 2nd quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 513 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Celanese by 100.0% in the second quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 662 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 331 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI bought a new position in Celanese in the third quarter worth $34,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in Celanese by 175.7% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 896 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 571 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Celanese during the fourth quarter valued at $41,000. Institutional investors 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.