Celanese Shares Rise Despite Earnings Miss and Soft Demand Outlook

Core Insights - Celanese Corporation reported fourth-quarter results that missed analyst expectations for both earnings and revenue, yet shares rose over 4% in after-hours trading [1] Financial Performance - Adjusted earnings per share for the fourth quarter were $0.67, below the consensus estimate of $0.91 [1] - Revenue for the fourth quarter totaled $2.2 billion, slightly under the forecast of $2.25 billion and down 6.5% from $2.36 billion in the same quarter last year [1][2] - The company recorded an operating profit of $93 million and adjusted EBIT of $251 million for the fourth quarter [2] Yearly Overview - For the full year 2025, Celanese generated adjusted earnings per share of $3.98 on net sales of $9.5 billion, representing a 7% year-over-year decline [3] - Operating cash flow totaled $1.1 billion, while free cash flow reached $773 million [3] Future Outlook - The company expects limited change in the demand environment during the first quarter, with seasonal volume improvements offset by the timing of dividend payments from its acetate tow joint venture in China [4] - Celanese forecasts first-quarter adjusted EPS of $0.70 to $0.85 and targets free cash flow between $650 million and $750 million for 2026 [4]