| Factor | Score | Distribution | Value | Avg | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valuation | 79 | — | 17.8x | Top tier | |
Growth | 26 | -2.2% | 7.1% | Bottom tier | |
Quality | 19 | -3.9% | 4.5% | Bottom tier | |
Safety | 37 | 82.3x | 2.6x | Bottom tier | |
Capital Return | 12 | 0.26% | 2.12% | Bottom tier | |
Momentum | 32 | -11.3% | 2.9% | Bottom tier | |
Sentiment | 93 | 10 | 3 | Top tier |
Estimates — analyst targets and a simplified DCF, not investment advice.
Ten ratios that matter, each compared against its sector median and average — so you can see whether a number is rich or cheap relative to peers in the same sector.
Celanese Corporation operates in specialty chemicals through two main businesses: Acetyl Chain and Engineered Materials. Acetyl Chain relies on a global production and supply network and the sale of more differentiated derivatives, historically generating more than 80% of its profitability in the Western Hemisphere during 12 of the past 15 years. Engineered Materials focuses on high-value materials for automotive, electronics, data center, medical device, and drug delivery applications; electronics account for about 10% of the business’s revenue and 10% to 15% of its contribution margin, while medical applications account for less than 10% of revenue and about 20% of contribution margin.
In fiscal year 2026 quarter 2, revenue was $2.8 billion, gross profit was $618 million, net income was $125 million, and earnings per share were $1.13. This equates to a gross profit margin of approximately 22.1%, compared with about 20.3% in fiscal year 2026 quarter 1, when the company recorded revenue of $2.3 billion, gross profit of $468 million, and net income of $44 million. The improvement reflects pricing strength and product mix in Engineered Materials, along with Acetyl Chain benefiting from supply reliability and supply disruptions in Western markets.
Despite quarterly profitability, the annual earnings picture remains burdened by significant losses; fiscal year 2025 recorded revenue of $9.5 billion, a net loss of $1.2 billion, and negative earnings per share of $10.64, while the loss for the twelve months ended in fiscal year 2026 was approximately $1.1 billion. Management is targeting free cash flow of between $700 million and $800 million in fiscal year 2026 and considers this range a sustainable foundation on which to build in subsequent years.
Automated analysis for informational purposes only — not investment advice.
Analyst consensus on CE stock is Neutral, with an average price target of $60.40 and a wide range of $50 to $75; the average falls within the 52-week range of $35.13 to $70.70, while the highest target exceeds the top of that range by $4.30. No valid price-to-earnings multiple is available because of the twelve-month loss of $1.1 billion and negative earnings per share of $10.09, so the valuation is tied to the company’s ability to convert targeted free cash flow of between $700 million and $800 million into actual debt reduction, balanced against margin moderation and Chinese competition.
Figures in the text are as of 2026-08-30; the live price is shown at the top of the page.
Revenue was $2.8 billion, gross profit was $618 million, and net income was $125 million in fiscal year 2026 quarter 2. The calculated gross profit margin rose to approximately 22.1%, compared with about 20.3% in fiscal year 2026 quarter 1. The improvement came from pricing strength and product mix in Engineered Materials, and from Acetyl Chain’s ability to meet demand during supply disruptions, particularly in Europe. Engineered Materials also incurred a major outage expense of about $15 million during the quarter, but offset it through margin expansion.
The company is targeting free cash flow of between $700 million and $800 million in fiscal year 2026, which management considers a sustainable foundation for subsequent years. It expects to end 2026 with net debt of approximately $10 billion and then reduce it to about $9 billion by the end of 2027. It is also committed to total divestitures of $1 billion by the end of 2027 and has completed nearly half of that amount following the Micromax transaction. The long-term target for the net debt-to-earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization ratio remains about three times, after exceeding five times during 2026.
Celanese already sells materials used in data center servers and is working directly with customers to develop new products for advanced chip requirements. Management believes an AI data center server creates a connector opportunity equal to three times the traditional opportunity. Applications extend to signal protection, thermal management, wires and cables, and cooling systems. This opportunity is among approximately 30 subsegments targeted by Engineered Materials to improve mix and value.
Medical applications represent less than 10% of Engineered Materials’ revenue but generate about 20% of the business’s contribution margin. Growth opportunities include autoinjectors, home health monitoring, and continuous glucose monitoring devices. The company estimated the addressable market associated with GLP-1 pens at approximately $500 million and confirmed during the August 5, 2026 call that its estimates account for the impact of GLP-1 pills. Management believes additional treatments that can be administered at home through injections could expand the opportunity in subsequent years.
Management guided to adjusted earnings of between $1.35 and $1.75 per share in fiscal year 2026 quarter 3. Pressures include higher raw-material costs flowing into Engineered Materials after being delayed in inventory, and the increased inventory absorption burden associated with the accelerated Lanaken shutdown. The company also expects its Ibn Sina equity earnings to decline by about $10 million during the year, with most of the impact concentrated in quarter 3. This is compounded by continued inventory reductions among acetate tow customers, although management said the pace had clearly slowed.
The company expects annual savings of between $30 million and $35 million from Engineered Materials network actions, in addition to $20 million to $25 million from the Lanaken shutdown. About half of the nylon restructuring savings and about one-third of the Lanaken savings are expected to be realized during fiscal year 2026. Management also announced additional actions that will provide between $80 million and $100 million in fiscal year 2027 to help offset moderating business conditions. The company is considering smaller site improvements, generally ranging from $5 million to $10 million per site, along with reductions in inventory and supply-chain service costs.
