Celanese (NYSE:CE) Upgraded by KeyCorp to Strong-Buy Rating

by · The Cerbat Gem

KeyCorp upgraded shares of Celanese (NYSE:CE – Free Report) to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Thursday morning,Zacks reports. KeyCorp also issued estimates for Celanese’s Q3 2026 earnings at $1.56 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.19 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $6.10 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $6.70 EPS.

CE has been the topic of several other reports. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Celanese from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $50.00 price target on Celanese in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Celanese from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th. Citigroup cut their price objective on Celanese from $80.00 to $68.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price objective on Celanese from $72.00 to $63.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $63.27.

Read Our Latest Research Report on CE

Celanese Stock Performance

Shares of Celanese stock opened at $45.83 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.03 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.29, a PEG ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 0.76. 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 company has a 50 day moving average price of $45.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $52.80. Celanese has a 52 week low of $35.13 and a 52 week high of $70.70.

Celanese (NYSE:CE – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The basic materials company reported $2.45 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.23 by $0.22. The company 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%. Celanese’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.44 EPS. Celanese has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.350-1.750 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Celanese will post 5.99 EPS for the current year.

Celanese Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Celanese

In other Celanese news, SVP Mark Murray purchased 2,153 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $45.52 per share, with a total value of $98,004.56. Following the completion of the acquisition, the senior vice president owned 30,432 shares in the company, valued at $1,385,264.64. This trade represents a 7.61% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.34% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Celanese

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 270 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI acquired a new stake in Celanese during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in Celanese by 100.0% during the second quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 662 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 331 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. raised 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Celanese in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. 98.87% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Celanese News

Here are the key news stories impacting Celanese this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp reportedly upgraded Celanese to “Strong Buy,” strengthening the bullish analyst view. The firm’s detailed research note lists an “Overweight” rating and a $57 target, implying substantial upside from the recent trading level.
  • Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp expects Celanese to earn $1.56 per share in Q3 2026 and $1.19 per share in Q4. Its longer-term forecasts call for EPS of $6.10 in fiscal 2027 and $6.70 in fiscal 2028, suggesting earnings growth beyond the current-year consensus estimate of $5.99.
  • Positive Sentiment: Options activity was unusually bullish: traders purchased 10,136 call options, more than five times the typical volume of 1,988 contracts. While options activity can be speculative, it indicates increased positioning for a potential rise in CE shares.
  • Neutral Sentiment: Celanese agreed to sell another 19% stake in Nutrinova for $152 million, reducing its ownership to 11%. The proceeds could help the highly leveraged company repay debt, but the transaction also reduces its exposure to Nutrinova’s future earnings. Celanese Corporation is Selling Another 19% of Nutrinova for $152 Million
  • Negative Sentiment: Recent market commentary indicated that CE shares edged lower following second-quarter 2026 earnings and the Nutrinova stake sale, suggesting investors remain cautious about operating results, leverage and the impact of asset disposals. Celanese Corp. stock edges lower after Q2 2026 earnings and Nutrinova stake sale

About Celanese

(Get Free Report)

Celanese Corporation is a global chemical and specialty materials company headquartered in Irving, Texas. The company develops and manufactures engineered polymers, specialty chemicals and other materials used in a broad range of industries, including automotive, medical, electronics, consumer products, industrial equipment, coatings and packaging.

Celanese operates through two primary businesses: Engineered Materials and the Acetyl Chain. Its engineered materials portfolio includes high-performance thermoplastics, engineered polymers and other specialty compounds used to replace metal and conventional materials in demanding applications.

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