Celanese Corporation Valuation – February 2019 $CE
Company Profile (excerpt from Reuters): Celanese Corporation (Celanese), incorporated on November 3, 2004, is a technology and specialty materials company. The Company’s segments include Advanced Engineered Materials, Consumer Specialties, Industrial Specialties, Acetyl Intermediates and Other Activities. The Company’s business involves processing chemical raw materials, such as methanol, carbon monoxide, ethylene and natural products, including wood pulp, into chemicals, thermoplastic polymers and other chemical-based products. Its product portfolio serves a range of end-use applications, including paints and coatings, textiles, automotive applications, consumer and medical applications, performance industrial applications, filtration applications, paper and packaging, chemical additives, construction, consumer and industrial adhesives, and food and beverage applications. The Company operates in North America, Europe and Asia. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had 30 global production facilities, and an additional eight affiliate production facilities.
Downloadable PDF version of this valuation:
ModernGraham Valuation of CE – February 2019
Stage 1: Is this company suitable for the Defensive Investor or the Enterprising Investor?
What kind of Intelligent Investor are you?
| Defensive Investor; must pass 6 out of the following 7 tests. | ||||
| 1. Adequate Size of the Enterprise | Market Cap > $2Bil | $13,125,672,172 | Pass | |
| 2. Sufficiently Strong Financial Condition | Current Ratio > 2 | 1.62 | Fail | |
| 3. Earnings Stability | Positive EPS for 10 years prior | Pass | ||
| 4. Dividend Record | Dividend Payments for 10 years prior | Pass | ||
| 5. Earnings Growth | Increase of 33% in EPS in past 10 years using 3 year averages at beginning and end | 234.46% | Pass | |
| 6. Moderate PEmg Ratio | PEmg < 20 | 12.58 | Pass | |
| 7. Moderate Price to Assets | PB Ratio < 2.5 OR PB*PEmg < 50 | 3.84 | Pass | |
| Enterprising Investor; must pass 4 out of the following 5 tests, or be suitable for the Defensive Investor. | ||||
| 1. Sufficiently Strong Financial Condition | Current Ratio > 1.5 | 1.62 | Pass | |
| 2. Sufficiently Strong Financial Condition | Debt to NCA < 1.1 | 2.71 | Fail | |
| 3. Earnings Stability | Positive EPS for 5 years prior | Pass | ||
| 4. Dividend Record | Currently Pays Dividend | Pass | ||
| 5. Earnings Growth | EPSmg greater than 5 years ago | Pass | ||
Stage 2: Determination of Intrinsic Value
| EPSmg | $7.80 |
| MG Growth Estimate | 15.00% |
| MG Value | $300.35 |
| Opinion | Undervalued |
| MG Grade | B+ |
| MG Value based on 3% Growth | $113.12 |
| MG Value based on 0% Growth | $66.31 |
| Market Implied Growth Rate | 2.04% |
| Current Price | $98.13 |
| % of Intrinsic Value | 32.67% |
Celanese Corporation qualifies for both the Defensive Investor and the Enterprising Investor. The Defensive Investor is only initially concerned with the low current ratio. The Enterprising Investor is only concerned with the level of debt relative to the net current assets. As a result, all value investors following the ModernGraham approach should feel comfortable proceeding with the analysis.
As for a valuation, the company appears to be Undervalued after growing its EPSmg (normalized earnings) from $3.61 in 2015 to an estimated $7.8 for 2019. This level of demonstrated earnings growth outpaces the market’s implied estimate of 2.04% annual earnings growth over the next 7-10 years. As a result, the ModernGraham valuation model, based on the Benjamin Graham value investing formula, returns an estimate of intrinsic value above the price.
At the time of valuation, further research into Celanese Corporation revealed the company was trading above its Graham Number of $69.96. The company pays a dividend of $2.08 per share, for a yield of 2.1%, putting it among the best dividend paying stocks today. Its PEmg (price over earnings per share – ModernGraham) was 12.58, which was below the industry average of 22.8, which by some methods of valuation makes it one of the most undervalued stocks in its industry. Finally, the company was trading above its Net Current Asset Value (NCAV) of $-23.16.
Celanese Corporation performs fairly well in the ModernGraham grading system, scoring a B+.
Stage 3: Information for Further Research
| Net Current Asset Value (NCAV) | -$23.16 |
| Graham Number | $69.96 |
| PEmg | 12.58 |
| Current Ratio | 1.62 |
| PB Ratio | 3.84 |
| Current Dividend | $2.08 |
| Dividend Yield | 2.12% |
| Number of Consecutive Years of Dividend Growth | 9 |
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Most Recent Balance Sheet Figures
| Balance Sheet Information | 12/1/2018 |
| Total Current Assets | $2,874,000,000 |
| Total Current Liabilities | $1,779,000,000 |
| Long-Term Debt | $2,970,000,000 |
| Total Assets | $9,313,000,000 |
| Intangible Assets | $1,367,000,000 |
| Total Liabilities | $5,934,000,000 |
| Shares Outstanding (Diluted Average) | 132,100,000 |
Earnings Per Share History
| EPS History | |
| Next Fiscal Year Estimate | $9.75 |
| Dec2018 | $8.91 |
| Dec2017 | $6.09 |
| Dec2016 | $6.18 |
| Dec2015 | $2.00 |
| Dec2014 | $4.00 |
| Dec2013 | $6.91 |
| Dec2012 | $2.33 |
| Dec2011 | $2.69 |
| Dec2010 | $2.38 |
| Dec2009 | $3.17 |
| Dec2008 | $1.73 |
| Dec2007 | $2.49 |
| Dec2006 | $2.36 |
| Dec2005 | $1.67 |
| Dec2004 | -$2.01 |
| Dec2003 | $2.57 |
| Dec2002 | $2.44 |
| Dec2001 | -$7.25 |
Earnings Per Share – ModernGraham History
| EPSmg History | |
| Next Fiscal Year Estimate | $7.80 |
| Dec2018 | $6.36 |
| Dec2017 | $5.07 |
| Dec2016 | $4.47 |
| Dec2015 | $3.61 |
| Dec2014 | $4.16 |
| Dec2013 | $3.99 |
| Dec2012 | $2.51 |
| Dec2011 | $2.56 |
| Dec2010 | $2.47 |
| Dec2009 | $2.44 |
| Dec2008 | $1.80 |
| Dec2007 | $1.70 |
| Dec2006 | $1.34 |
| Dec2005 | $0.38 |
| Dec2004 | -$0.46 |
| Dec2003 | $0.06 |
Recommended Reading:
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Disclaimer:
The author did not hold a position in any company mentioned in this article at the time of publication and had no intention of changing that position within the next 72 hours.  See my current holdings here.  This article is not investment advice; any reader should speak to a registered investment adviser prior to making any investment decisions.  ModernGraham is not affiliated with the company in any manner.  Please be sure to review our detailed disclaimer.
