Companies /Basic Materials

Celanese Corp - Series A

NYSE: CE Chemicals
$45.20
▼ $1.46 (−3.13%) today
Markets closed · 1:05am ET

Q1 2026 Earnings

Reported May 5, 2026, 4:24pm ET · SEC source
$0.85
Miss −3.61%
EPS · est. $0.88
$2.3B
Miss −0.41%
Revenue · est. $2.3B
−21.7%
Trailing market
CE vs S&P since report
1 quarter
Consecutive EPS beats

Market Reaction

% change · around the report
−8%−4%0May 5May 6report 4:24pm ETearnings+1.5%−10.0%
−8%−4%0May 5May 6earnings+1.5%−10.0%
CE −10.0%S&P 500 +1.5%
−8%−4%0May 5May 6report 4:24pm ETearnings+2.3%−10.0%
−8%−4%0May 5May 6earnings+2.3%−10.0%
CE −10.0%NASDAQ +2.3%
−14%−7%0May 4May 13report 4:24pm ETearnings+2.5%−13.1%
−14%−7%0May 4May 13earnings+2.5%−13.1%
CE −13.1%S&P 500 +2.5%
−14%−7%0May 4May 13report 4:24pm ETearnings+4.8%−13.1%
−14%−7%0May 4May 13earnings+4.8%−13.1%
CE −13.1%NASDAQ +4.8%
−9.98%
Day of report
−5.99%
Next session
−3.46%
One week
−20.99%
30 days

S&P 500 over the same 30 days: +0.73%.

Did CE Beat Earnings? Q1 2026 Results

Celanese Corp. delivered a mixed first quarter for 2026, posting results that showed genuine sequential momentum but fell just short of what Wall Street had expected. The specialty chemicals maker reported adjusted EPS of $0.85, trailing the consensus estimate of $0.88 by 3.61%, while net sales of $2.34 billion came in slightly below the $2.35 billion forecast and slipped 2.2% from a year earlier, weighed down by volume and pricing headwinds across both segments. The most telling pressure point was the Acetyl Chain, where adjusted EBIT fell to $131 million from $167 million a year ago as higher feedstock costs and softness in acetate tow eroded margins despite a late-quarter surge in China volumes. On the brighter side, free cash flow of $3 million marked a significant improvement from negative $73 million in Q1 2025, and net debt declined to $10.80 billion. Looking ahead, management guided Q2 2026 adjusted EPS of $2.00 to $2.40, raised its full-year free cash flow outlook to $700 to $800 million, and projected roughly $3.00 per share in the second half.

Key Takeaways
  • Favorable product and regional mix in Engineered Materials
  • Seasonal volume improvement across both segments
  • Late-quarter pricing and volume opportunities in China for Acetyl Chain
  • Cost productivity measures and value-based pricing
  • 5% sequential volume increase at the consolidated level

“We are taking decisive and intentional actions to drive business improvement. By staying ahead of dynamic global events, we were able to capitalize on opportunities while positioning the business for an improved earnings profile over the course of the year. At the same time, we are strengthening the long-term fundamentals of the business through operational improvements and increased resilience. This progress supports our decision to raise our full-year free cash flow outlook to $700 to $800 million and reinforces our confidence in the path forward.”

Celanese CEO, on the earnings call

Forward Guidance & Outlook

Celanese expects meaningful sequential improvement in Q2 2026, driven by stronger volumes, price increase realization in the Acetyl Chain, pricing improvements in Engineered Materials, and seasonal demand across both businesses. Q2 2026 adjusted EPS is guided at $2.00 to $2.40. Second-half 2026 adjusted EPS is estimated at approximately $3.00 per share. The company raised its full-year 2026 free cash flow outlook to $700–$800 million and expects to bring net debt to operating EBITDA to approximately 4.8x through continued deleveraging actions.

CE YoY Financials

Q1 2026 vs Q1 2025 · SEC filings Q1 2025 Q1 2026
$0$700.0M$1.4B$2.1B$2.4B$2.3BRevenue$476.0M$468.0MGross Profit$168.0M$214.0MOperating Income$10.7M$44.0MNet Income
$0$700.0M$1.4B$2.1BRevenueGross ProfitOperating IncomeNet Income

CE Revenue by Segment

Engineered Materials$1.3B+3.0%
Acetyl Chain$1.0B−7.0%

Figures from SEC filings and company reports. Not investment advice.