Celanese stock is coming off a free fall from its all-time-high in late 2019
Celanese Group (NYSE:CE) just added a crucial company to its product portfolio with the acquisition of Elotex. The chemical and specialty materials company will take ownership of Elotex’s facilities in Europe and Asia, which produce redispersible polymer powders, a key component for multiple growing applications. Despite this acquisition, CE stock was down 4.6% last seen trading at $68.77.
Today’s slide brings CE stock’s year-to-date deficit to 43.7%. Celanese shares have now given 59% back from its all-time-high of $128.88 on Nov. 8, with resistance emerging at its 20-day moving average. If there's one silver lining, it's that the equity landed on a list of the best S&P 500 stocks to own in April over the past 10 years. According to the list -- curated by Schaeffer's Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White -- CE sports a one-month April gain of 8.2%, good for best on the list.
Considering the recent acquisition, analysts are more bullish on their outlook for CE stock. Of the 16 analysts in coverage, 10 rate it a “strong buy.” The remaining six analysts all sport a “hold” position, with no "sells" on the books. Echoing this is the equity’s target-price of $104.05 which is a hefty 50.8% premium to the stock’s current levels.
In the options pits, calls reign supreme. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), Celanese stock sports a 10-day call/put volume ratio of 15, which sits higher than 98% of readings from the past year, suggesting calls are being ordered at a much quicker clip than usual.