RBC Capital has increased its price target on Celanese to $55 from $48 while keeping a Sector Perform rating. The stock is trading at $54.18, and third-party analysis indicates the shares are trading above its Fair Value estimate.
RBC pointed to Celanese’s emphasis on cash generation through difficult operating conditions as a central reason for the revised target. The company’s free cash flow yield stands at 17%, according to available data. Management has set a 2026 quarterly earnings target of $1 to $2 per share, although growth in demand beyond the benefits of cost actions remains uncertain. RBC quantified those cost improvements as contributing roughly $70 million in EBITDA, which the firm said is equivalent to about $0.50 per share.
Consensus analyst forecasts currently place full-year 2026 earnings per share at $5.23. Separately, six analysts have recently trimmed their earnings estimates for the company. Additional company financial detail is available in the comprehensive Pro Research Report for investors seeking a deeper read on Celanese’s projections.
On timing, RBC expects the company’s growth profile to be weighted toward the second half of 2026, pointing to scheduled turnarounds and seasonal patterns as the drivers of that cadence. The firm added that it will likely take one to two quarters before Celanese can demonstrate material improvement from the changes it is implementing.
RBC updated its internal EBITDA forecasts when setting the new target. The firm now models first-quarter 2026 EBITDA at $445 million, up from $437 million in its prior view. At the same time, full-year 2026 EBITDA estimates were reduced to $1.975 billion from $2.05 billion, and fiscal 2027 EBITDA was lowered to $2.10 billion from $2.18 billion. The $55 target reflects a valuation multiple of 8.0 times fiscal 2026 EBITDA, an increase from the previous multiple of 7.5 times.
Those broker updates follow Celanese’s most recent quarterly results, which came in below expectations. The company reported adjusted earnings per share of $0.67 versus a projected $0.91. Revenue for the quarter totaled $2.2 billion, narrowly missing the consensus estimate of $2.25 billion and representing a 6.5% decline from the same period a year earlier. Operating profit for the quarter was $93 million, with adjusted EBIT of $251 million.
Other analyst activity has produced differing stances on valuation and outlook. BofA Securities raised its price target on Celanese to $70, citing what it described as attractive valuation, strong free cash flow generation and signs of earnings recovery. Mizuho also lifted its target to $55 while maintaining a Neutral rating, noting a price-to-earnings multiple tied to forward earnings assumptions.
Investors therefore face a range of broker perspectives: RBC’s revised target incorporates cost-driven EBITDA gains and a higher EBITDA multiple for 2026, while other houses emphasize valuation and cash flow as the basis for higher targets. The company’s recent quarterly results and the pace of demand recovery will be central to validating the more optimistic scenarios.
Where this matters: the chemicals sector and equity markets tracking industrial cyclicals will be sensitive to changes in Celanese’s cash generation, cost realization and the timing of earnings recovery. Credit markets monitoring EBITDA and free cash flow dynamics may also respond to updated projections.