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PureCycle Technologies (PCT)
NASDAQ:PCT
US Market

PureCycle Technologies (PCT) AI Stock Analysis

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PCT

PureCycle Technologies

(NASDAQ:PCT)

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Neutral 46 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:46Neutral
Price Target:
$6.00
▼(-4.91% Downside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:02/28/26
The score is held down primarily by weak financial performance (large losses and persistent cash burn) and bearish technicals (price below all major moving averages with negative MACD). Offsetting factors include constructive earnings-call updates on operational ramp and commercial pipeline growth, plus some balance-sheet de-risking from reduced debt and multiple stated financing pathways, though near-term funding and execution risks remain significant.
Positive Factors
Proprietary purification & certifications
PureCycle’s proprietary purification process has secured APR certification and regulatory acceptance across multiple U.S. states and Europe. Those approvals enable durable access to food‑grade and regulated packaging markets and position the company to capture long‑term mandated recycled‑content demand under EPR/PCR trends.
Operational ramp and feed flexibility
Quarterly throughput gains at Denver and record production at Ironton demonstrate repeatable operational scaling, including three‑shift running and successful high‑rate tests. Broader feedstock sourcing (15+ suppliers) and lower feed costs improve margin resilience and reduce single‑supplier risk as capacity ramps.
Gen‑2 scale economics and low‑cost path
Early Gen‑2 engineering shows no technological scaling constraints and projected sub‑virgin PP cash costs at scale. Lower per‑pound capex and operating costs create a structural pathway to durable margin expansion and improved project economics across greenfield and brownfield builds as the company scales.
Negative Factors
Heavy cash burn
The company remains a significant cash consumer with large negative operating and free cash flow. Persistent burn requires near‑term external financing to sustain project spend and ramp plans, imposing execution risk and limiting the firm’s ability to self‑fund expansions over the next several quarters.
Early revenue base and persistent losses
Revenue is emerging from a very low base while losses remain large and volatile. Modest sales versus installed and planned capacity mean profitability hinges on converting trial/qualification pipeline into stable contracted demand, a multi‑quarter structural challenge for margin sustainability.
Financing reliance and timing risk
Management relies on extensions, monetizable revenue bonds, grants and potential warrant proceeds to fund ramp and service debt. This dependence on external capital and milestone‑driven project financings creates durable timing and execution risk if markets, approvals, or counterparties shift during the multi‑year scale‑up.

PureCycle Technologies (PCT) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

PureCycle Technologies Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionPureCycle Technologies, Inc. produces recycled polypropylene (PP). The company holds a license for restoring waste PP into ultra-pure recycled resin. Its recycling process separates color, odor, and other contaminants from plastic waste feedstock to transform it into virgin-like resin. The company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.
How the Company Makes MoneyPureCycle Technologies generates revenue by selling ultra-pure recycled polypropylene resin to manufacturers and companies seeking sustainable materials for their products. Key revenue streams include long-term contracts with major corporations and partnerships with companies looking to incorporate recycled materials into their supply chains. Additionally, PureCycle benefits from licensing its proprietary recycling technology to other facilities, expanding its market reach and potential income sources. The company's earnings are bolstered by the growing demand for environmentally friendly materials, as businesses and consumers increasingly prioritize sustainability.

PureCycle Technologies Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Feb 26, 2026
(Q4-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:May 12, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call conveyed materially positive operational and strategic progress: clear quarter-over-quarter production gains, a rapidly expanding commercial pipeline (from ~100 to >170 projects), successful qualification in high-value food-grade applications, on-site compounding coming online, tangible Gen 2 economics that could put costs below virgin PP, and active international expansion (Thailand and Antwerp). Offsetting these positives are slower-than-expected commercial revenue conversion, regulatory delays (notably New Jersey), meaningful near-term cash burn and sizable project/spend and debt-service requirements that require financing execution. On balance, management presented strong technical and operational momentum and multiple financing pathways, while acknowledging timing and market-adoption risks.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Operational Ramp and Throughput Gains
Denver added a third shift and processed 44% more feed versus Q3, ramping to 14.0 million pounds (a 35% increase over the prior quarterly high). Ironton set a quarterly record with 7.5 million pounds produced and achieved higher daily records; successful rate tests were run at ~12,500 and 14,000 lbs/hour. Feed flexibility improved with purchases from >15 suppliers and procurement costs reduced by $0.06 per pound over the last 12 months.
Commercial Momentum and Pipeline Expansion
Booked $2.7 million of revenue in Q4 (fourth consecutive quarter of sequential revenue growth) and actively shipping to 11 customers. Pipeline expanded from ~100 projects a year ago to >170 today (>70% growth). Management cites 40–50 million pounds of run-rate demand they are actively shipping or expect to ship, plus an additional 20–25 million pounds at full ramp; one near-term opportunity represents ~10 million pounds annual demand.
On-Site Compounding and Application Qualifications
Phase I of on-site compounding started; Phase II mechanically complete in March with commissioning to follow. On-site compounding improves cost, carbon footprint and turnaround for high-value markets (BOPP film/stand-up pouches/thermoform). Materials qualified across flexible packaging, wrappers, pouches, closures, thermoform containers and multiple fiber applications — positioning PureCycle uniquely in food-grade recycled PP.
Regulatory Certifications and Market Position
Received APR post-consumer resin certification and has regulatory acceptance in Oregon, Colorado, California, Washington and Europe, positioning PureCycle as a scalable food-grade PP supplier under many mandates; management argues regulatory trends (EPR/PCR mandates) create hundreds of millions of mandated pounds over 5–7 years.
International Expansion and Feedstock Secured for Thailand
Rayong (Thailand) progress: 9 LOIs with feed suppliers (exceeding needs for first purification line), strong government and commercial engagement, BOI application submitted (potential ~ $100 million tax holiday benefit), expected groundbreaking H2 2026 and project completion in 2027. Antwerp project advancing (permits expected H2 2026; construction targeted 1Q 2027).
Gen 2 Engineering & Long-Term Cost Outlook
Initial Gen 2 engineering suggests no technological constraints to scale toward ~500 million pounds capacity. Preliminary economics indicate greenfield capacity cost ~ $1.50 per pound and brownfield expansion ~ $1.00 per pound, with a clear line of sight to Gen 2 cash costs potentially below virgin PP — implying materially improved future IRR and lower capital intensity.
Capital Structure Moves and Financing Paths
Repaid $20.3 million of high-cost equipment finance debt and retired $9.8 million principal on Ironton bonds. Extended warrants preserve ~ $273 million of potential proceeds (Series A ~$205M; public/private ~$68M). Secured EUR 40 million EIF grants for Antwerp and highlighted ~$75 million of revenue bonds as monetizable, giving multiple financing paths for the ramp.
Negative Updates
Slower-than-expected Revenue Ramp and Commercial Delays
Management acknowledged that 2025 experienced material commercial delays versus earlier projections; revenue ramp has been delayed by customer adoption timing despite technical successes. Q4 revenue remains modest at $2.7M and many pipeline opportunities remain in trial/qualification stages rather than fully contracted.
Regulatory Delay in New Jersey Impacting Near-Term Demand
New Jersey DEP review has slowed approvals and is estimated to affect applications representing ~15–30 million pounds of near-term demand; New Jersey overall represents ~300 million pounds per year of potential demand. The delay has pushed some conversions out of the previously anticipated timeline.
Cash Burn, Near-Term Project Spend and Debt Service
Operational and corporate costs for the quarter were $24.5 million (consistent with prior guidance of ~$8–9M/month). Q1 2026 debt service is expected to be ~ $11.1 million. Full-year 2026 project-related spend is expected to be $39–45 million (including $14–16M R&D and the planned shutdown), indicating significant near-term cash needs.
Financing Reliance and Timing Risk
Although warrant extensions, revenue bonds and project finance present multiple funding paths, continued reliance on warrant proceeds (~$273M potential) and external project financing creates execution and timing risk if markets or counterparties shift.
Adoption Friction in Some End Markets
Certain segments (e.g., fiber) exhibited slow adoption due to fragmented demand and long sales cycles and were de-prioritized. Management repeatedly emphasized the lengthy and methodical nature of brand qualification, trials, regulatory reviews and line validations which lengthen time-to-revenue.
Operational Disruption Risk From Planned Turnaround
Ironton plans a planned outage between mid-April and mid-May 2026 for inspections, cleaning and improvements. While management expects reliability and rate improvements post-turnaround, the outage entails short-term downtime and execution risk that could affect near-term production and shipments.
Company Guidance
Management guided that 2026 is about converting technical success into accelerated commercial revenue growth, citing Q4 operational progress: Denver added a third shift and processed 44% more feed vs Q3, ramping to 14.0 million pounds (a 35% increase over its prior quarterly high), while Ironton set quarterly and daily production records at 7.5 million pounds and ran successful rate tests at ~12,500–14,000 lb/hr with a planned mid‑April–mid‑May outage to improve reliability and approach nameplate. Commercially, Q4 revenue was $2.7 million (fourth consecutive quarterly growth) with shipments to 11 customers, a pipeline >170 active projects (vs ~100 a year ago), 40–50 million pounds of near‑term run‑rate demand plus an incremental 20–25 million pounds added (one near‑term ~10 million lb opportunity), and 15–30 million pounds of near‑term demand contingent on New Jersey approval (NJ applications represent ~300 million lb/yr); co‑product prices are $0.25–0.30/lb and feed procurement costs are down ~$0.06/lb year‑over‑year. Financial guidance included operating/corporate cash burn roughly $8–9 million/month (Q4 ops & corporate costs $24.5M), Q1 2026 project spend $19–20M (including $7–8M for Ironton), FY2026 project spend $39–45M (with $14–16M R&D), Q1 debt service ≈ $11.1M, Series A and public/private warrant extensions preserving ~ $273M of potential proceeds (15.7M and 5.7M shares; Series A reduced redemption $14.38), ~$75M of revenue bonds to monetize, EUR 40M EIF grants for Antwerp, a potential Thailand BOI tax holiday (~$100M avoided cash taxes), and encouraging Gen‑2 engineering showing up to ~500 million lb capacity with greenfield capex ~ $1.50/lb, brownfield ~ $1.00/lb and a line of sight to cash costs below virgin PP.

PureCycle Technologies Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Revenue traction is emerging ($8.4M in 2025), but results are dominated by very large losses (2025 net loss $182.6M) and heavy cash burn (2025 operating cash flow -$142.7M; free cash flow -$183.6M). The sharp reduction in debt in 2025 is a meaningful positive, but profitability and self-funding remain key weaknesses.
Income Statement
12
Very Negative
The business is still in an early revenue stage: annual revenue was $8.4M in 2025 versus essentially no revenue in prior years, showing traction but from a very low base. Profitability remains weak, with 2025 posting a net loss of $182.6M and a deeply negative net margin, and there is no evidence yet of sustainable gross profit or operating profitability. Losses also appear volatile (net loss widened versus 2023), highlighting execution risk as the company scales.
Balance Sheet
38
Negative
Leverage appears to have improved meaningfully in 2025, with total debt dropping to $58.8M from $401.3M in 2024 and debt relative to equity improving to ~1.28x (from ~2.22x). However, equity is modest versus a very large asset base ($45.9M equity vs. $922.7M assets), and returns remain sharply negative, reflecting ongoing value erosion from losses. Overall, the balance sheet shows some de-risking on debt, but profitability and equity strength are still key concerns.
Cash Flow
14
Very Negative
Cash generation remains a major weakness: 2025 operating cash flow was -$142.7M and free cash flow was -$183.6M, indicating the business is consuming significant cash to operate and invest. Free cash flow did improve versus 2024 (less negative), but it remains deeply negative and the trajectory is inconsistent across years. While free cash flow is less negative than net income in some periods (suggesting non-cash charges help accounting losses), the company still lacks self-funding operations.
BreakdownDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue8.36M0.000.000.000.00
Gross Profit0.00-34.71M-18.86M-26.56M-10.55M
EBITDA-83.48M-197.66M-97.97M-79.54M-67.30M
Net Income-182.56M-289.14M-101.72M-84.75M-77.50M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets922.67M798.38M1.04B861.34M664.68M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments170.32M15.68M121.64M162.48M200.78M
Total Debt58.80M401.31M543.80M250.13M232.51M
Total Liabilities572.08M617.94M619.14M350.45M283.15M
Stockholders Equity45.89M180.45M420.24M510.88M381.54M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow-183.59M-200.41M-248.81M-352.67M-191.90M
Operating Cash Flow-142.74M-144.83M-94.91M-65.48M-54.51M
Investing Cash Flow-54.47M-7.01M-102.10M-218.39M-305.57M
Financing Cash Flow323.73M-109.17M272.00M247.53M293.37M

PureCycle Technologies Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price6.31
Price Trends
50DMA
9.59
Negative
100DMA
10.29
Negative
200DMA
11.55
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.42
Positive
RSI
36.75
Neutral
STOCH
32.20
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For PCT, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 6.31 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 9.16, below the 50-day MA of 9.59, and below the 200-day MA of 11.55, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.42 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 36.75 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 32.20 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for PCT.

PureCycle Technologies Risk Analysis

PureCycle Technologies disclosed 31 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. PureCycle Technologies reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

PureCycle Technologies Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (63)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
71
Outperform
$551.00M24.009.41%0.10%1.50%
67
Neutral
$2.14B47.5817.71%29.86%331.33%
63
Neutral
$10.79B15.437.44%2.01%2.89%-14.66%
56
Neutral
$19.16M-1.98-73.79%10.97%44.99%
54
Neutral
$44.13M-14.49-7.10%-5.66%-397.46%
46
Neutral
$1.14B-4.38-147.56%12.57%
45
Neutral
$149.86M-37.03-1.80%7.20%-2951.61%
* Industrials Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
PCT
PureCycle Technologies
6.31
-3.99
-38.74%
ARQ
Arq Inc
3.51
-1.71
-32.76%
CECO
Ceco Environmental
60.45
35.57
142.97%
ERII
Energy Recovery
10.43
-4.53
-30.28%
FTEK
Fuel Tech
1.42
0.43
43.43%
LIQT
LiqTech International
1.99
0.51
34.46%

PureCycle Technologies Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board ChangesFinancial DisclosuresRegulatory Filings and Compliance
PureCycle Extends Warrants and Appoints New Chief Financial Officer
Positive
Feb 26, 2026

On February 25, 2026, PureCycle amended its warrant agreements to extend the expiry of its public and private PCT warrants to June 17, 2026, and, with holder consent received on February 20, 2026, extended its Series A warrants by one year while lowering the stock-price threshold for redeeming those instruments. These changes, effective March 17, 2026, give the company added flexibility in managing its capital structure and may accelerate dilution if shares trade above the reduced trigger.

The company also plans a consent solicitation to further cut the redemption trigger on PCT warrants and extend their ultimate expiration to March 17, 2027, while retaining a nominal redemption price per warrant, underscoring its intent to rationalize legacy securities as its equity story develops. Effective March 1, 2026, PureCycle will appoint Donald Carpenter as chief financial officer, succeeding retiring CFO Jaime Vasquez, a leadership change that follows a year of operational ramp-up and is set against record fourth-quarter 2025 production and revenue growth.

In the fourth quarter of 2025, PureCycle produced a record 7.5 million pounds of PureFive® recycled polypropylene, grew feedstock throughput at its Denver, Pennsylvania sorting facility by 44% to 14 million pounds, and achieved its fourth straight quarter of sequential revenue growth with $2.7 million in sales. Management highlighted improved feedstock pricing, ongoing ramp-up at the Ironton facility and a strengthening commercial pipeline, including technical wins in food-grade and flexible packaging applications.

The company ended 2025 with $181.6 million in cash and marketable securities, repaid higher-cost equipment debt and Ironton bonds, and kept core operating spend within prior guidance. Internationally, its Thailand project remained on track for 2027 mechanical completion with sufficient feedstock lined up and potential tax holidays, while permitting and construction timelines for the Antwerp, Belgium plant and early Gen-2 design work pointed to larger-scale, lower-cost future capacity aimed at capturing demand in a roughly 200-billion-pound polypropylene market.

The most recent analyst rating on (PCT) stock is a Hold with a $10.50 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on PureCycle Technologies stock, see the PCT Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and Strategy
PureCycle Revises Augusta Recycling Facility Milestones and Obligations
Negative
Jan 13, 2026

On December 29, 2025, PureCycle Technologies entered into a Construction Progress Agreement with the Development Authority of Augusta, Georgia to revise and supplement construction milestones and obligations for its second-generation polypropylene recycling facility in Augusta. Under the new terms, PureCycle will pay a total of $500,000 to the authority in two $250,000 installments starting by January 9, 2026, and has waived its option to lease an additional 50 acres under a previously contemplated Phase II expansion, concluding that the existing Phase I site is sufficient for higher-capacity second-generation purification lines capable of producing 300 million pounds of recycled polypropylene pellets. The agreement also sets a revised construction timeline, including a requirement to start construction by March 2028, and introduces penalties and termination rights for the local development authority if PureCycle fails to meet specified pre-construction and construction milestones, tightening project execution obligations and potentially affecting the company’s development schedule and local economic commitments.

The most recent analyst rating on (PCT) stock is a Hold with a $9.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on PureCycle Technologies stock, see the PCT Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and StrategyPrivate Placements and Financing
PureCycle Extends Bond-Financed Project Timeline and Governance
Neutral
Dec 30, 2025

On October 7, 2020, the Southern Ohio Port Authority issued revenue bonds and loaned the proceeds to PureCycle: Ohio LLC to help finance the acquisition, construction and equipping of PureCycle Technologies’ first commercial-scale recycling facility in Lawrence County, Ohio. On December 26, 2025, PureCycle and related affiliates entered into a Seventh Supplemental Indenture with the issuer and trustee, extending the project’s outside completion date to December 31, 2029 and revising the definition of majority bondholders, changes that reshape project timelines and governance for bondholder decision-making around the financing structure.

The most recent analyst rating on (PCT) stock is a Hold with a $9.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on PureCycle Technologies stock, see the PCT Stock Forecast page.

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
PureCycle Technologies Adds Valerie Mars to Board
Positive
Dec 18, 2025

On December 18, 2025, PureCycle Technologies announced that its board of directors appointed veteran executive Valerie Mars as a director, effective January 1, 2026, and determined she qualifies as an independent director under Nasdaq rules. Mars, a former Senior Vice President and Head of Corporate Development at Mars, Incorporated and current board member at the Mars family office and Ermenegildo Zegna NV, will serve on PureCycle’s Audit and Finance Committee and was designated to the board by major shareholder Sylebra Capital under an existing board representation agreement. She will receive prorated restricted stock units under the company’s standard non-employee director compensation program and enter into a standard indemnification agreement, moves that integrate her into PureCycle’s governance framework. Management highlighted her long track record in global growth initiatives and corporate sustainability, including work on Mars’ ‘Sustainable in a Generation’ plan, underscoring that her appointment is intended to bolster PureCycle’s strategic execution and sustainability credentials as it scales its recycling operations, which stakeholders may view as strengthening oversight and industry positioning.

The most recent analyst rating on (PCT) stock is a Hold with a $9.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on PureCycle Technologies stock, see the PCT Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Feb 28, 2026