Celanese (CE) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $6.33B
• Dividend Yield: 0.29%
• Average Volume (3M): 2.89M
• Price to Earnings (P/E): ―
• Beta (1Y): 1.01
• Revenue Growth: -7.34%
• EPS Growth: -382.79%
• Country: US
• Employees: 11,000
• Sector: Basic Materials
• Sector Strength: 58
• Industry: Chemicals
• EPS (TTM): 0.67
• Shares Outstanding: 109,571,976
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 3,280,765
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 2,889,228
• PEG Ratio: 0.17
• Price to Book (P/B): 1.14
• Price to Sales (P/S): 0.49
• P/FCF Ratio: 5.77
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 1.00
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 0.67
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 3.32
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: 21.75
• 1Y Price Target: $62.47
• Price Target Upside: 8.19% Upside
• Rating Consensus: Moderate Buy
• Number of Analyst Covering: 16
• EPS Forecast (FY): 4.8
• Revenue Forecast (FY): $9.40B

• Rating: 58 Neutral
• Price Target: $51.00 ▼(-11.67% Downside)
• Action: Reiterated Date: 02/18/26
• Date: Action: Reiterated 02/18/26

The score is held back primarily by weak current profitability (losses and compressed margins) and only moderate balance-sheet flexibility, partially offset by resilient positive free cash flow. Technicals are supportive with the stock trading above key moving averages, though momentum is overextended (RSI/Stoch), increasing pullback risk. Management’s 2026 free-cash-flow guidance and cash-focused execution plan provide some offset, but near-term operational headwinds and pricing/volume pressure keep the overall score in the mid-range.

Positive Factors

Consistent cash generation

Trailing‑twelve‑month operating cash flow and free cash flow remain positive even with accounting losses, giving Celanese a durable internal funding source. Sustained FCF supports debt service, capex, and working‑capital needs, reducing near‑term refinancing and equity dilution risk.

Clear cash and deleveraging plan

Management has a concrete playbook—$650–$750M FCF target, $100M inventory reduction, ~$50M lower cash interest, $50–60M tax benefit and active divestitures—providing structural means to reduce leverage and improve liquidity over the next 2–6 months without issuing equity.

Stronger EM innovation footprint

The expanded Michigan Technology Center centralizes piloting, prototyping and application development, enabling faster customer co‑development and lower product qualification time. This boosts long‑term Engineered Materials competitiveness in electronics, automotive and medical end markets.

Negative Factors

Weak profitability and margin compression

Operating and net losses with meaningful margin compression reduce retained earnings and reinvestment capacity. If weak pricing/volumes persist, profitability shortfalls could force deeper cost cuts or asset sales, constraining organic growth and operational flexibility over several quarters.

Acetyl Chain structural headwinds

Overcapacity and acetate‑tow destocking in Asia compress spreads and limit contract pricing recovery. Structural spot‑market pressure and mixed China demand impair margin normalization and likely keep Acetyl Chain results depressed until supply/demand balances improve mid‑to‑longer term.

Elevated leverage and working‑capital variability

Prior elevated leverage and sizable working‑capital swings reduce financial flexibility during weak earnings. While recent refinancings help, the company remains sensitive to inventory and receivables volatility, which can quickly erode cash targets if cyclical weakness persists.

Celanese Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Celanese Corporation, a technology and specialty materials company, manufactures and sells high performance engineered polymers in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Engineered Materials, Acetate Tow, and Acetyl Chain. The Engineered Materials segment develops, produces, and supplies specialty polymers for automotive and medical applications, as well as for use in industrial products and consumer electronics. It also offers acesulfame potassium, a sweetener for use in various beverages, confections, and dairy products; and food protection ingredients, such as potassium sorbate and sorbic acid for use in foods, beverages, and personal care products. The Acetate Tow segment provides acetate tows and flakes for use in filter products applications. The Acetyl Chain segment produces and supplies acetyl products, including acetic acid, vinyl acetate monomers, acetic anhydride, and acetate esters that are used as starting materials for colorants, paints, adhesives, coatings, and pharmaceuticals; and organic solvents and intermediates for pharmaceutical, agricultural, and chemical products. It also offers vinyl acetate-based emulsions for use in paints and coatings, adhesives, construction, glass fiber, textiles, and paper applications; and ethylene vinyl acetate resins and compounds, as well as low-density polyethylene for use in flexible packaging films, lamination film products, hot melt adhesives, automotive parts, and carpeting applications. In addition, it manufactures ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. Celanese Corporation was founded in 1918 and is headquartered in Irving, Texas.

How the Company Makes Money

Celanese generates revenue through the production and sale of its chemical and material products, primarily focusing on high-margin specialty products. Key revenue streams include sales from acetic acid and its derivatives, which are essential in the production of various consumer and industrial products. The company also benefits from its engineered materials segment, which provides advanced polymers and solutions tailored to specific customer needs. Significant partnerships with various companies across different sectors enhance its market reach and innovation capabilities, while ongoing investments in technology and sustainability initiatives position Celanese to capture growth in emerging markets and applications.

Celanese Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Profitability has deteriorated to operating and net losses in 2024 and TTM with modest revenue contraction and meaningful margin compression (weak income statement). The balance sheet is not distressed but prior elevated leverage reduces flexibility during losses. Cash flow is the key support, with TTM operating cash flow and free cash flow still solidly positive despite net losses.

Income Statement

TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) profitability is weak, with an operating loss and a net loss, following another net loss in 2024 after strong profitability in 2021–2023. Revenue has been drifting down (down modestly in TTM and down again in 2024), and margins have compressed meaningfully versus the prior peak years—moving from healthy gross and net margins in 2021–2023 to negative operating and net margins in 2024 and TTM. The key positive is that the business has historically demonstrated the ability to generate strong earnings in up-cycles, but the current earnings profile is clearly under pressure.

Balance Sheet

Leverage looks mixed. Reported debt-to-equity improved sharply in TTM versus 2024, but 2022–2024 show elevated leverage levels that add risk when earnings are negative. Equity remains sizeable relative to total assets, providing some balance-sheet cushion, but returns to shareholders have swung from strong positives in 2020–2023 to deeply negative in 2024 and TTM due to losses. Overall, the balance sheet is not distressed, but prior high leverage and today’s weak profitability reduce flexibility.

Cash Flow

Cash generation is a relative bright spot: TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) operating cash flow and free cash flow are solidly positive despite net losses, indicating meaningful non-cash charges and/or working-capital support. Free cash flow is down versus prior periods (negative growth in TTM and 2024), but it remains positive and materially higher in TTM than in 2024. The main concern is that cash flow covering earnings remains strained because profitability is negative, so sustaining strong cash generation will be important if the downturn persists.

Breakdown	Dec 2025	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue	9.54B	10.28B	10.94B	9.67B	8.54B
Gross Profit	1.79B	2.36B	2.60B	2.38B	2.68B
EBITDA	292.00M	503.00M	2.61B	2.30B	2.72B
Net Income	-1.17B	-1.52B	1.96B	1.89B	1.89B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	21.70B	22.86B	26.60B	26.27B	11.97B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	1.26B	962.00M	1.80B	1.51B	546.00M
Total Debt	13.13B	12.95B	14.10B	15.13B	4.20B
Total Liabilities	17.22B	17.25B	19.05B	20.17B	7.44B
Stockholders Equity	4.05B	5.17B	7.09B	5.64B	4.19B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	803.00M	531.00M	1.33B	1.28B	1.29B
Operating Cash Flow	1.15B	966.00M	1.90B	1.82B	1.76B
Investing Cash Flow	-349.00M	-470.00M	-134.00M	-11.14B	-1.12B
Financing Cash Flow	-513.00M	-1.31B	-1.46B	10.29B	-1.04B

Celanese Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Positive
• Last Price: 57.74
• 50DMA: Positive
• 100DMA: Positive
• 200DMA: Positive
• MACD: Negative
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For CE, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 57.74 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 52.92, above the 50-day MA of 49.97, and above the 200-day MA of 47.58, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 1.16 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 61.62 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 74.00 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for CE.

Celanese Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
ASIX	64 Neutral	$553.58M	9.44	6.06%	3.81%	-5.05%	35.01%
Sector *	61 Neutral	$10.43B	7.12	-0.05%	2.87%	2.86%	-36.73%
CE	58 Neutral	$6.33B	-3.97	-25.13%	0.29%	-7.34%	-382.79%
HUN	57 Neutral	$2.09B	-6.29	-10.06%	8.44%	-3.46%	-191.77%
DOW	56 Neutral	$26.28B	-6.34	-15.53%	9.17%	-5.25%	-208.14%
TROX	51 Neutral	$1.11B	-1.41	-29.85%	8.27%	-7.81%	-334.15%
BAK	47 Neutral	$1.56B	-49.30	128.17%	―	-10.68%	36.31%

Celanese Corporate Events

Celanese Announces Routine Board Transition After Director Resignation

On February 27, 2026, Celanese Corporation announced that Board member Timothy Go resigned from the Board of Directors, effective the same day. The company stated that his resignation did not stem from any disagreement over operations, policies, or practices, and expressed its appreciation for his contributions to the Board.

This board change signals a routine governance transition at Celanese rather than a response to strategic or operational disputes. Stakeholders are unlikely to infer immediate shifts in corporate direction from this development, given the explicit clarification that there were no underlying disagreements prompting Go’s departure.

The most recent analyst rating on (CE) stock is a Buy with a $70.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Celanese stock, see the CE Stock Forecast page.

Celanese to Present Q4 and Full-Year 2025 Results

On February 18, 2026, Celanese President and CEO Scott A. Richardson is scheduled to present the company’s fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 financial results to investors and analysts via a company-hosted webcast. The event materials, including a press release, management’s prepared remarks and a slide deck, will be made available on the company’s investor website, with non‑U.S. GAAP metrics reconciled to comparable U.S. GAAP measures in a supplemental information document accessible to stakeholders.

The most recent analyst rating on (CE) stock is a Buy with a $86.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Celanese stock, see the CE Stock Forecast page.

Celanese director Scott Sutton resigns for external CEO role

On January 4, 2026, Celanese Corporation announced that Scott M. Sutton resigned from its Board of Directors as he assumes the role of Chief Executive Officer at Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc., with the company formally disclosing the move in a January 6, 2026 press release. Celanese’s leadership emphasized that Sutton’s departure was amicable, not stemming from any disagreement over operations or policies, and highlighted his contributions to board oversight and the company’s strategic progress on deleveraging, cost improvements and positioning for top-line growth, signaling continued confidence in the remaining board’s ability to drive long-term shareholder value.

The most recent analyst rating on (CE) stock is a Hold with a $45.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Celanese stock, see the CE Stock Forecast page.

Celanese Completes $1.4 Billion Senior Notes Offering

On December 17, 2025, Celanese US Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Celanese Corporation, successfully completed the offering of $1.4 billion in senior notes. Proceeds from this offering will be utilized to repay existing debt, fund tender offers for outstanding senior notes, and support general corporate purposes, enhancing the company’s financial flexibility and operational strategy.

The most recent analyst rating on (CE) stock is a Hold with a $43.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Celanese stock, see the CE Stock Forecast page.

Celanese Increases Cash Tender Offers for Notes

On December 16, 2025, Celanese Corporation announced the early results and an increase in size of its cash tender offers for its 6.665% Senior Notes due 2027 and 6.850% Senior Notes due 2028. The company has successfully tendered $946,106,000 of the 2027 Notes and $675,185,000 of the 2028 Notes, with the latter being subject to a Series Cap of $254,000,000. The tender offers were fully subscribed by the Early Tender Time, and the company expects to settle the accepted notes on December 17, 2025, indicating a strategic move to manage its debt obligations effectively.

The most recent analyst rating on (CE) stock is a Hold with a $41.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Celanese stock, see the CE Stock Forecast page.