Avient (NYSE:AVNT) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.07 EPS
by Amy Steele · The Cerbat GemAvient (NYSE:AVNT – Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.96 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.89 by $0.07, FiscalAI reports. Avient had a net margin of 5.10% and a return on equity of 11.64%. The business had revenue of $917.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $898.53 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.80 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.8% on a year-over-year basis. Avient updated its FY 2026 guidance to 3.100-3.250 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance to 0.800-0.800 EPS.
Here are the key takeaways from Avient’s conference call:
- Avient raised its 2026 outlook, now expecting adjusted EBITDA of $575–$603 million, adjusted EPS of $3.10–$3.25, and free cash flow of $210–$230 million.
- Second-quarter adjusted EPS was $0.96, $0.09 above expectations, supported by 4.3% organic sales growth, double-digit adjusted EBITDA growth, and record 18.3% adjusted EBITDA margins.
- Growth was broad-based, with particular strength in Asia, packaging, building and construction, electronics, high-performance computing, and defense; management expects volume growth to become the primary driver by the fourth quarter.
- Strong cash generation enabled $50 million of debt repayment in the quarter, while full-year debt reduction is expected at $100–$150 million, bringing year-end net leverage to 2.2–2.4 times.
- Transportation remains weak because of lower vehicle production and marine demand, while healthcare is being pressured by customer inventory rebalancing; management does not expect transportation conditions to improve materially in the second half.
Avient Stock Performance
Shares of NYSE AVNT traded up $3.28 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $45.93. 1,664,732 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 750,505. Avient has a 52 week low of $27.48 and a 52 week high of $46.53. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $36.89 and a 200 day moving average price of $37.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.90 and a quick ratio of 1.29. The company has a market cap of $4.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.83, a PEG ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.27.
Avient Dividend Announcement
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Friday, September 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.275 per share. This represents a $1.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 11th. Avient’s payout ratio is currently 63.95%.
More Avient News
Here are the key news stories impacting Avient this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q2 results exceeded expectations: Avient reported adjusted EPS of $0.96, above the $0.89 consensus estimate and up 20% year over year. Revenue rose 5.8% to $917 million, surpassing the $898.5 million consensus estimate, supported by organic growth in both business segments. Avient Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results; Increases Full-Year Guidance
- Positive Sentiment: Full-year outlook increased: Management raised 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $3.10-$3.25 from $2.93-$3.17, implying 10%-15% growth from the prior year and slightly exceeding the $3.08 analyst consensus. The company also generated strong cash flow and repaid $50 million of debt during the quarter, with $100 million-$150 million of repayment expected for the full year. Avient Second Quarter Results and Guidance
- Positive Sentiment: Q3 guidance also topped expectations: Avient provided adjusted EPS guidance of $0.80 for the third quarter, above the $0.74 consensus estimate, reinforcing expectations for continued earnings momentum.
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts became more bullish: Truist raised its price target from $44 to $50 and upgraded Avient to “buy,” while Wells Fargo increased its target from $47 to $48 and maintained an “overweight” rating. These targets indicate further potential appreciation based on the cited current price. Analyst Price Target Updates
- Neutral Sentiment: Valuation requires monitoring: After the recent rally, Avient trades near its 52-week high at roughly 26.7 times earnings. While improved guidance supports the valuation, some of the positive earnings news may already be reflected in the stock.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Avient
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AVNT. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in Avient by 697.0% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,442,074 shares of the company’s stock valued at $45,050,000 after buying an additional 1,261,146 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in Avient by 440.4% in the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,337,188 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,060,000 after acquiring an additional 1,089,744 shares in the last quarter. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Avient by 147.1% in the fourth quarter. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. now owns 799,621 shares of the company’s stock worth $24,980,000 after acquiring an additional 476,016 shares in the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in Avient by 962.3% in the 3rd quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 379,113 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,492,000 after acquiring an additional 343,424 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Scopus Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Avient in the 2nd quarter valued at about $8,908,000. Institutional investors own 95.48% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Avient from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Seaport Research Partners restated a “buy” rating and issued a $54.00 target price on shares of Avient in a research report on Friday. Robert W. Baird set a $43.00 price target on shares of Avient in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Avient in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, UBS Group set a $44.00 price objective on Avient in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $46.71.
About Avient
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.
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