Celanese (NYSE:CE) Stock Price Up 3.6% – Here’s What Happened

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Celanese in a report on Friday, August 21st. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Celanese from $72.00 to $58.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $50.00 price objective on shares of Celanese in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Mizuho set a $50.00 target price on shares of Celanese in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of Celanese from $72.00 to $63.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $63.71.

Celanese Trading Up 3.7%

The stock has a market cap of $5.06 billion, a PE ratio of -4.31, a PEG ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.45, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.33. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $45.58 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $52.86.

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

Celanese Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 28th were given 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 payout ratio is -1.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Mark Murray purchased 2,153 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $45.52 per share, for a total transaction of $98,004.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 30,432 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,385,264.64. This trade represents a 7.61% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Celanese

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Celanese by 111.1% during the 2nd quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 513 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted 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 buying an additional 331 shares in the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI bought a new position in Celanese during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in Celanese by 175.7% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 896 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 571 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Celanese during the fourth quarter worth approximately $41,000. 98.87% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.