Basic Materials / Chemicals

Celanese Corporation (CE)

$55.27
-0.02%
$5.8B
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
0.81
Beta
0.23%
Dividend Yield
Piotroski 4/9Altman Z 1.4 DistressBeneish M -3.04 CleanROIC−WACC -8.6%

Quantitative Summary

Deterministic

Financial health is average: Piotroski 4/9, Altman Z 1.4. DCF fair value of $60 implies 13% downside based on model assumptions.

Generated deterministically from quant metrics and financial statements. Not a recommendation.

Algorithmic Teardown

AI-Generated

The fundamental economics of Celanese Corporation currently reflect a distressed operational profile, characterized by a negative ROIC-WACC spread of -8.8% that indicates capital deployment is destroying value relative to the cost of equity and debt. This erosion is driven primarily by severe margin compression rather than leverage or turnover issues; a net margin contraction to -12.2%, combined with revenue declines of 7.0% year-over-year, has pushed the DuPont ROE into negative territory at -26.1%. While the Beneish M-Score of -3.04 suggests low earnings manipulation risk and the Value Factor score indicates a historical tilt toward value characteristics, the Piotroski F-Score of 4/9 alongside an Altman Z-Score of 1.3 signals significant financial weakness and elevated distress probability within the Basic Materials sector.

Valuation metrics further underscore the market's skepticism regarding future cash flow generation potential. The current trading multiple sits at a steep discount to both historical norms and the sector average P/E of 37.3x, yet this compression aligns with a DCF-derived fair value that implies a -23.1% downside from current levels. This pricing assumes an extremely muted ten-year free cash flow growth trajectory of merely 2.1%, suggesting the market has already priced in prolonged operational headwinds rather than anticipating a rapid recovery. The disconnect between the robust profitability factor score and actual realized margins highlights that while the stock may appear cheap on traditional value screens, the underlying fundamentals do not yet support a reversion to mean earnings power.

Risk-adjusted performance data reveals substantial underperformance relative to asset class benchmarks, with an annual Fama-French Alpha of -43.28% indicating significant negative skew against risk factors over recent periods. The absence of insider activity over the last 90 days provides no signal of management conviction amidst these operational challenges. Investors must weigh whether the current valuation adequately compensates for the high probability of continued value destruction indicated by the spread and Z-Score, or if market sentiment has overstated the severity of the margin collapse relative to long-term industry cyclicality.

Generated by LLM from quantitative data inputs. May contain inaccuracies. Not investment advice.

DCF Sandbox

Interactive
Market Price
$55.27
Fair Value
$59
Implied Upside
+7.1%
$59IMPLIED FAIR VALUEFAIRLY VALUEDOVERUNDER
Growth Rate (Y1–5)-6%
-10%20%50%
Discount Rate (WACC)6.3%
5%12.5%20%

5-year two-stage DCF. Terminal growth 3%. Default sliders match the pre-computed base case. Drag to explore scenarios. Not investment advice.

Reverse DCFMarket-Implied
1.4%annual FCF growth priced in at $55.27

The growth rate the market implicitly expects over the next 10 years to justify today's price. Compare with historical growth of -7% YoY revenue.

Sensitivity Matrix

TG ↓ / WACC →6%6.3%8.3%
2%$43$36$6
3%$71$60$15
4%$129$105$29

Center = base case. Green = >10% upside, Red = >10% downside vs $55.27.

Pre-computed DCF: WACC=6.3%, terminal growth 3%. Fair value $60 (-12.7%). Not investment advice.

Price Chart with Moving Averages

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SMA 50 SMA 200

Technical Setup

AI Generated

Celanese Corporation is currently trading at $53.50 within the Basic Materials sector, presenting a specific relative-value context when viewed against its moving average envelope structure. The price positioning suggests an assessment of whether the current level represents a potential mean-reversion opportunity or if it remains extended from recent statistical norms. If the stock sits near the lower boundary of this volatility channel, historical patterns might indicate a higher probability of upward drift toward the central tendency, whereas proximity to the upper band could signal increased pressure for consolidation or a downward correction back to equilibrium levels. This technical arrangement implies that market participants are weighing the intrinsic value against recent momentum extremes. The distance between the current quote and the moving averages serves as a gauge for potential reversal strength; significant deviations often precede corrective movements, while tight clustering suggests continued trend adherence without immediate mean-reversion signals. Observers should note that such setups do not inherently dictate direction but rather highlight zones where statistical probabilities shift based on how far price has strayed from its historical average path in the short term. Ultimately, the configuration invites analysis of whether $53.50 offers a favorable entry point for those anticipating a bounce or represents an overextended position ripe for profit-taking by contrarian traders. The interplay between current pricing and the envelope boundaries provides a framework for evaluating risk-reward asymmetry without confirming any specific outcome. Investors must consider how this relative positioning aligns with broader sector dynamics before interpreting these technical cues as actionable signals for future price behavior

RSI (14)
SMA 50
SMA 200

Quant Health Deep Dive

4/9
Piotroski F-Score
Average — mixed operational signals
1.4
Altman Z-Score
Distress Zone — below 1.8 threshold per academic model. Thresholds: >3 safe, 1.8–3 grey, <1.8 distress.
-3.04
Beneish M-Score
Below threshold — no statistical earnings quality concern per Beneish model. Threshold: <-2.22 = below threshold.

Profitability & Value Creation

20.4%
Gross Margin
-12.2%
Net Margin
-2.3%
ROIC
6.3%
WACC
ROIC − WACC Spread: -8.6%— Negative spread.
-7.0%
Revenue Growth (YoY)
+24.4%
Earnings Growth (YoY)
803.0M
Free Cash Flow
2%
FCF Payout Ratio

✅ Conservative payout — room for dividend increases.

DuPont Analysis — ROE Decomposition

Breaking down Return on Equity to see how the company generates its ROE — efficiency, margins, or leverage.

-12.2%
Net Profit Margin
NI ÷ Revenue
×
0.44x
Asset Turnover
Revenue ÷ Assets
×
4.85x
Equity Multiplier
Assets ÷ Equity
=
-26.1%
Return on Equity
⚠️ High equity multiplier — ROE is being amplified by leverage, not operational excellence.

Balance Sheet Health

3.85x
Debt / Equity
1.55x
Current Ratio
-0.7x
Interest Coverage
37.9x
Net Debt / EBITDA
4.67%
FCF Yield
267.0M
EBITDA

Earnings Surprise History

Q4
✓ Beat
Est: $0.39
Act: $0.57
+47.8%
Q3
✓ Beat
Est: $1.40
Act: $1.44
+2.8%
Q2
✓ Beat
Est: $1.22
Act: $1.34
+9.6%
Q1
✗ Miss
Est: $0.91
Act: $0.67
-26.3%

EPS estimates vs actuals for the most recent reported quarters. Source: yfinance.

Dividend History

$0.0300
Latest Dividend
$0.12
2025 Total
-95.7%
YoY Growth
Annual Dividends per Share
$0.72
2016
$1.74
2017
$2.08
2018
$2.40
2019
$2.48
2020
$2.72
2021
$2.74
2022
$2.80
2023
$2.80
2024
$0.12
2025
$0.06
2026
DateAmountChange
2026-04-27$0.03000.0%
2026-02-24$0.03000.0%
2025-10-28$0.03000.0%
2025-07-29$0.03000.0%
2025-04-28$0.03000.0%
2025-02-25$0.0300-95.7%
2024-10-30$0.70000.0%
2024-07-30$0.70000.0%
2024-04-26$0.70000.0%
2024-02-16$0.70000.0%
2023-10-27$0.70000.0%
2023-07-28$0.70000.0%

Dividend and split data from SEC filings and market data. Amounts are per share, not adjusted for splits. Source: yfinance.

Risk Profile

61.3%
Annual Volatility
0.98
Sharpe (1Y)
-43.0%
Max Drawdown (5Y)

Sharpe = risk-adjusted return (higher is better). Max drawdown = largest peak-to-trough decline. 1,200+ trading days.

Underwater (Drawdown from Peak)

How far below the all-time high the price has been over time. Deeper = more pain for holders.

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Rolling 60-Day Beta vs S&P 500 (VOO)

How the stock's sensitivity to market moves changes over time. β > 1 = more volatile than the market.

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Rolling Beta Market (β = 1.0)

Fama-French 5-Factor Exposure

Academic factor model decomposition — what's really driving this stock's returns.

2.09
Market β
Mkt-RF
+0.880
Size (SMB)
Small-cap tilt
+0.576
Value (HML)
Value tilt
+0.440
Profit (RMW)
Robust
+2.118
Invest (CMA)
Conservative
Alpha (annual): -43.28%
R²: 52.5%of variance explained by 5 factors

Fama-French 5-Factor Model. Data: Kenneth French Data Library. Regression over 3 years of daily returns.

Fundamentals

8.0
Forward P/E
1.74
PEG Ratio
1.43
Price/Book
2M
Avg Volume
$70.70
52W High
$35.13
52W Low
57%
52W Range Position

Passive Flow Attribution

ETF Draft Effect
$520M
Tracked Passive Exposure
8
ETFs Holding CE
0.14%
Avg Weight in ETFs
$360B
Total ETF AUM

When investors buy or sell ETFs like IJS or SLYV, the fund manager is mechanically forced to buy or sell CE shares regardless of Celanese Corporation's individual fundamentals. We estimate $520M of passive capital is structurally linked to CE through 8 tracked ETFs. Passive flows have a limited but growing influence on CE's daily trading dynamics.

Passive exposure = Σ (ETF AUM × stock weight in ETF) across 8 tracked ETFs. Actual passive ownership is larger (includes mutual funds). Not investment advice.

ETF Contagion Visualizer

Simulate a price drop in Celanese Corporation to visualize passive redemption contagion across ETFs and collateral stocks.

CE Shock
-0%
Est. Passive Redemption
$0
Systemic Risk
STABLE
CEEpicenterVBETFVXFETFVBRETFLINLow RiskNEMLow RiskCRHLow RiskFCXLow RiskSHWLow Risk
CE Price Drop (%)0

If Celanese Corporation (CE) experiences a significant drawdown, ETF redemptions can create collateral selling pressure on co-held stocks. Our model identifies Linde plc (LIN) as the most exposed collateral stock, sharing 1 ETFs with CE. This is the "Passive Contagion" effect described in the Inelastic Market Hypothesis.

Contagion model based on shared ETF exposure and constituent weights across 11 tracked ETFs. Estimated selling pressure is a simplified model — actual impact depends on market liquidity, ETF redemption mechanics, and market-maker activity.

CE Ownership Dynamics

Passive funds hold 1 in every 15 CE shares, reducing daily market volatility.

Ticker
CE
Total Shares
110M
ETF Lock-Up
6.7%
Display Mode
Total Float Impact
6.7%Locked Float

Celanese Corporation (CE) exerts measurable gravity on the passive index market, currently representing 0.9% of the IJS (IJS) and 0.7% of the SLYV (SLYV). Across 10 tracked ETFs, approximately 7M shares (6.7% of float) are held by passive funds and rarely trade on the open market. As passive ownership grows, index inclusion changes may increasingly drive price discovery.

Float lock-up computed from 10 ETFs tracked by SecuritiesDB. Actual passive ownership is higher (includes mutual funds, pension funds, etc.).

CE Institutional Volume Profile

252-day volume distribution by price level. The Point of Control (POC) marks the price where the most institutional volume transacted — an implicit support/resistance floor.

TICKER
CE
PRICE
$55.27
FLOOR (POC)
$41.34
STRENGTH
Medium
$36$38$40$41POC 11%$439%$459%$477%$48$50$52$54$566%$55.27$577%$596%$61$63$64$66$68$70
Focus Zone
Point of Control (POC) Support (below price) Resistance (above price) Current Price

The highest-volume price zone for Celanese Corporation over the past year sits near $41.34 (11% of 252-day volume). The current price of $55.27 trades 33.7% above this institutional floor — a sign of upside momentum, though a pullback to the POC zone is a common reversion target.

Volume Profile computed from 252 trading days of OHLCV data. Volume allocated to price bins proportionally based on daily high-low range. Not investment advice.

CE Capital Efficiency

How efficiently does Celanese Corporation convert operating profits into free cash? The FCF Conversion ratio measures the gap between accounting earnings and real cash generation.

Free Cash Flow
$803M
EBITDA
$267M
FCF Conversion
301%
Reinvestment Rate
-201%
301% of EBITDA → Free Cash
0% (cash burn)25% (low)50% (efficient)100% (pure cash)
ROIC
-2.3%
ROIC − WACC Spread
-8.6%

Celanese Corporation converts 301% of its EBITDA into free cash flow, an exceptional conversion rate indicating an asset-light business model with minimal capital reinvestment drag. However, the ROIC-WACC spread is negative (-8.6%), suggesting reinvested capital is destroying shareholder value.

Capital efficiency = Free Cash Flow ÷ EBITDA. Reinvestment = (EBITDA − FCF) ÷ EBITDA. Metrics from latest annual filings. Not investment advice.

Fails-to-Deliver (FTD) History

SEC-reported settlement failures. Elevated FTDs can indicate high short-selling pressure, operational settlement issues, or naked shorting activity.

DateFailed SharesClose PriceNotional Value
2026-05-13184$59.47$10,942.48
2026-05-121$59.55$59.55
2026-05-07765$62.12$47,521.8
2026-04-24278$65.23$18,133.94
2026-04-2018,584$62.03$1.2M
2026-04-0188$65.77$5,787.76
2026-03-31651$64.25$41,826.75
2026-03-2515,117$60.80$919,113.6
2026-03-2313,020$56.95$741,489
2026-03-187,364$60.18$443,165.52
2026-03-1631,236$57.74$1.8M
2026-03-1336,100$59.60$2.2M
2026-03-1010,958$51.45$563,789.1
2026-03-0976$49.32$3,748.32
2026-03-043,288$51.32$168,740.16
2026-03-033,396$49.73$168,883.08
2026-02-231,859$54.11$100,590.49
2026-02-183,494$55.74$194,755.56
2026-02-1277,151$60.56$4.7M
2026-02-059,600$52.81$506,976
2026-02-0421$48.04$1,008.84
2026-02-021,734$44.44$77,058.96
2026-01-301,134$45.44$51,528.96
2026-01-2830,686$46.86$1.4M
2026-01-2751,139$47.53$2.4M
2026-01-20896$46.94$42,058.24
2026-01-14141$45.88$6,469.08
2025-12-2919,947$42.85$854,728.95
2025-12-22700$42.29$29,603
2025-12-1518,907$43.50$822,454.5

Source: SEC Regulation SHO FTD data. Data is reported with a ~30 day delay. High FTD quantities relative to average daily volume may indicate settlement stress.

Price Correlations

Statistical correlation of daily returns with other stocks. High correlations indicate stocks that move together; negative correlations can offer diversification.

Peer252-Day (1Y)126-Day (6M)Direction
WTGXXNaNNaN
DOW0.6820.719Moderate
LYB0.6430.639Moderate
EMN0.6170.617Moderate
ITW0.5340.469Moderate
DD0.5290.383Moderate
SWK0.5240.471Moderate
DOV0.5190.460Moderate
NDSN0.4910.448Moderate
PPG0.4760.380Moderate

Pearson correlation of daily log returns. 252d ≈ 1 trading year. Computed from price history. Not investment advice.

Compare CE to Peers

Quant metrics computed deterministically from financial statements and price data. Updated: 2026-06-02.

SecuritiesDB provides programmatic data aggregation for informational purposes only. None of the metrics, summaries, or algorithmic flags constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any security.