NYSE$CE

Celanese Corp · Q4 2020 earnings

Q4 2020 earnings · · Investor relations

Briefing

Reported strong Q4 2020 earnings and outlined a strong 2021 growth outlook.

Celanese Corporation reported a strong fourth quarter with GAAP diluted earnings per share of $12.50 and adjusted earnings per share of $2.09. Net sales for the quarter totaled $1.591 billion. The company is optimistic about 2021, expecting continued demand recovery and adjusted earnings of $9.50 to $10.00 per share for the full year.

  • Closed the transaction to monetize the Company's equity investment in the Polyplastics JV for cash proceeds of $1.6 billion.
  • Signed a memorandum of understanding to restructure the Korea Engineering Plastics Co. JV as a manufacturing JV that would give Celanese and its JV partner offtake rights to POM in Asia.
  • Resumed the project to expand the Clear Lake acetic acid capacity from 1.3 million tons to 2.0 million tons.
  • Announced the intent to build a world-scale liquid crystal polymer (LCP) polymerization plant in China to come online in 2024 to support growth across 5G, 'Internet of Things' and vehicle electrification applications.

Headline financials

Total Revenue

$1.59B

Previous: $1.43B+11.1%
EPS (adj)

$2.09

Previous: $1.99+5.0%
Operating EBITDA

$387M

No prior period
Capital Expenditures

$85M

Previous: $144M-41.0%
Free Cash Flow

$181M

Previous: $179M+1.1%
Net Income

$1.45B

Previous: $45M+3131.1%
Operating Income

$203M

Previous: $68M+198.5%
Gross Profit

$376M

Previous: $316M+19.0%
Cash & Equivalents

$955M

Previous: $463M+106.3%
Total Assets

$10.9B

Previous: $9.48B+15.1%
Stock-Based Comp

$11M

Previous: $10M+10.0%

Revenue & EPS history

Celanese · Revenue · Quarterly

$1.59B

Q4 2020+11.1%vs Q4 2019
Beat estimate in 14 of 16 quarters(88%)
ActualEstimate

Revenue by segment

Celanese · $1.48B total across 2 segments · Q4 2020

  • Acetyl Chain
    $910M+18.0%
  • Engineered Materials
    $572M+6.1%

Forward guidance

Celanese expects first quarter 2021 adjusted earnings of $2.50 to $2.75 per share and full year 2021 adjusted earnings of approximately $9.50 to $10.00 per share.

Tailwinds

  • Current demand conditions, including favorable Acetyl Chain industry dynamics, will persist through the first quarter
  • Contributions from our controllable actions including productivity
  • Turnaround schedules
  • Share repurchases
  • Fundamental demand recovery to date

Headwinds

  • The pandemic remains a challenge to how we work
  • We closely monitor the current resurgence in the US and Europe
  • Unable to reconcile forecasted adjusted earnings per share growth to US GAAP diluted earnings per share without unreasonable efforts because a forecast of Certain Items, such as mark-to-market pension gains/losses, is not practical.
  • The extent to which COVID-19 pandemic continues to adversely impact the economic environment, market demand and our operations, as well as the pace of any economic recovery
  • Changes in general economic, business, political and regulatory conditions in the countries or regions in which we operate

Historical earnings impact

How earnings announcements have historically affected this stock's price.

Avg. return before/after earnings

Based on 20 quarterly earnings reports · overlaid with Q4 2020

Historical avgQ4 2020

+0.3%

Avg return

Earnings day

-1.4%

Avg return

5 days after

+1.3%

Avg return

30 days after

56%

41 / 73 earnings

Positive

+16.4%

Q1 2015

Best reaction

-27.1%

Q3 2024

Worst reaction

Earnings price reactions
QuarterReport dateReaction (Day 0)+5 days+30 days
Q1 2026+0.6%-13.9%-26.1%
Q4 2025-1.6%-6.1%+2.2%
Q3 2025+14.5%+8.3%+12.5%
Q2 2025-13.1%-10.4%-1.2%
Q1 2025+10.0%+14.4%+21.8%
Q4 2024-21.5%-24.3%-18.3%
Q3 2024-27.1%-32.1%-43.2%
Q2 2024-6.8%-10.0%-7.5%
Q1 2024-0.8%-1.5%-10.0%
Q4 2023-0.5%-1.1%+11.4%
Q3 2023-3.6%-2.0%+16.5%
Q2 2023+1.1%+1.7%+2.4%
Q1 2023-2.9%-4.9%+9.1%
Q4 2022+3.1%+1.8%-11.1%
Q3 2022-2.2%-0.2%+16.1%
Q2 2022-0.5%-5.7%-3.6%
Q1 2022+4.9%+7.3%+13.7%
Q4 2021-4.0%-1.3%-11.5%
Q3 2021+1.2%+3.0%-0.5%
Q2 2021+0.9%+1.7%+1.5%
Q1 2021-0.9%-1.3%+3.5%
Q4 2020+2.3%+4.7%+16.4%
Q3 2020-3.9%-5.6%+14.4%
Q2 2020+2.1%+2.1%+8.2%
Q1 2020+4.0%+0.7%+19.4%
Q4 2019-7.5%-4.1%-16.3%
Q3 2019-1.9%+1.6%+2.1%
Q2 2019+3.0%+3.8%+5.7%
Q1 2019+6.6%+3.2%-4.8%
Q4 2018-1.0%+1.5%+6.3%
Q3 2018-0.1%+0.3%+2.7%
Q2 2018+2.1%+2.9%+4.3%
Q1 2018+6.0%+7.2%+6.7%
Q4 2017+1.1%-0.3%-5.6%
Q3 2017-2.9%-1.6%-3.9%
Q2 2017-1.4%-3.2%+0.4%
Q1 2017-0.1%-0.9%-5.9%
Q4 2016+3.9%+4.3%+6.6%
Q3 2016+9.5%+11.5%+24.2%
Q2 2016-6.4%-9.7%-6.1%
Q1 2016+0.6%
Q4 2015+3.2%
Q3 2015+2.3%
Q2 2015-4.7%
Q1 2015+16.4%
Q4 2014-7.6%
Q3 2014+8.2%
Q2 2014-2.3%
Q1 2014+2.5%
Q4 2013-4.3%
Q3 2013+5.4%
Q2 2013+0.8%
Q1 2013+11.2%
Q4 2012+2.4%
Q3 2012+2.5%
Q2 2012+4.5%
Q1 2012+1.1%
Q4 2011-1.0%
Q3 2011+9.9%
Q2 2011-0.9%
Q1 2011+0.2%
Q4 2010+0.7%
Q3 2010+1.6%
Q2 2010-1.2%
Q1 2009-5.7%
Q1 2010+0.1%
Q4 2007+0.0%
Q4 2009+0.0%
Q3 2008+3.6%
Q3 2009+3.6%
Q4 2008+0.5%
Q2 2009+0.5%
Q2 2008+0.5%

Discussion

Share your read of this quarter. Sign-in carries your eToro identity.

Join the conversation

Sign in with eToro to post your read of this quarter and vote on others'.

Sign in with eToro