Analyst Ratings February 23, 2026

Jefferies Increases Chemours Price Target to $17 Citing Opteon Support; Firm Keeps Hold Rating

Analyst upgrade to valuation leaves rating unchanged as near-term results and guidance point to ongoing headwinds

By Leila Farooq CC
Jefferies Increases Chemours Price Target to $17 Citing Opteon Support; Firm Keeps Hold Rating
CC

Jefferies raised its 12-month price target on Chemours Co. (NYSE: CC) to $17 from $14 while retaining a Hold rating, citing support from the company's Opteon product line despite weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter results and cautious near-term guidance. Chemours reported Q4 EBITDA of $128 million, missed consensus and Jefferies' forecasts by $13 million, and issued 2026 and first-quarter EBITDA targets that sit below market estimates. The company faces a heavy debt load relative to market capitalization and remains unprofitable on a trailing-twelve-month basis, though analysts anticipate a return to profitability in 2026.

Key Points

  • Jefferies raised its Chemours price target to $17 from $14 but kept a Hold rating after Q4 results that missed forecasts.
  • Chemours reported Q4 EBITDA of $128 million, $13 million below both consensus and Jefferies' estimate; the stock fell nearly 17% over the past week.
  • Company guidance shows 2026 EBITDA of $800 million to $900 million and Q1 EBITDA of $120 million to $150 million; analysts expect a return to profitability in 2026 with EPS of $1.42.

Jefferies has lifted its price target on Chemours Co. to $17 from $14, but the brokerage stopped short of upgrading its view on the chemical manufacturer's shares, leaving a Hold rating in place.

The move comes after Chemours disclosed fourth-quarter results that showed EBITDA of $128 million, a figure that trailed both consensus estimates and Jefferies' own forecast by $13 million. The miss contributed to a sharp market reaction, with the stock falling nearly 17% over the past week following the release of the results.

Fresh data from InvestingPro, which monitors more than 1,400 U.S. equities and their associated metrics, indicates the company remains unprofitable over the last twelve months with a trailing EPS of -$2.57. Analysts tracked by the same source collectively expect Chemours to return to profitability in 2026, with projected earnings of $1.42 per share that year.

Chemours provided guidance for 2026 that set EBITDA in a range of $800 million to $900 million, compared with consensus expectations of $879 million. For the first quarter, the company projected EBITDA between $120 million and $150 million, a level below the $173 million that the market had been expecting.

In its commentary, Jefferies pointed to weakness in demand from cyclical end markets as a near-term constraint on volumes for the first quarter. The firm noted, however, that the Opteon product line is likely to offer some support to both sales and EBITDA amid broader softness.

Looking further out, Jefferies suggested a broad-based demand recovery could lift EBITDA during the second half of 2026 and into 2027. The analyst also emphasized the companys focus on improving its balance sheet, stating that Chemours is expected to prioritize debt reduction through free cash flow generation and proceeds from asset sales.

Balance-sheet figures underline that challenge. The company carries $4.33 billion in total debt against a market capitalization of $2.64 billion. InvestingPro's Fair Value analysis, at the current market price of $17.63, characterizes the stock as overvalued.

Separately, Chemours' fourth-quarter 2025 results showed mixed performance on an earnings and revenue basis. The company reported EPS of $0.05, missing the $0.07 consensus by 28.57%. Revenue for the quarter came in at $1.3 billion, slightly under the expected $1.33 billion, producing a revenue surprise of -2.26%.

Other analyst activity in the wake of the quarter included Morgan Stanley, which raised its price target on Chemours to $17 from $15 while maintaining an Equalweight rating. Morgan Stanley attributed the increase in target to higher peer multiples, particularly within the Thermal & Specialized Solutions segment, even as it trimmed its EBITDA forecasts.


This coverage consolidates the most recent analyst actions, company guidance, and reported results to provide a snapshot of Chemours' current financial and market positioning.

Risks

  • Weak demand from cyclical end markets may continue to pressure volumes and near-term EBITDA, affecting industrial and materials sectors.
  • High leverage poses a financial risk as Chemours carries $4.33 billion in total debt against a $2.64 billion market capitalization, increasing sensitivity to cash-flow variability.
  • Guidance for 2026 and Q1 sits below consensus, indicating uncertainty around timing and strength of recovery in demand across the chemicals and industrial sectors.

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