Shares of Celanese (CE) plummeted 21.78% in Tuesday's pre-market trading session following the company's disappointing third-quarter profit forecast and growing concerns about weakening demand across its key end-markets. The chemicals maker's stock took a significant hit as investors reacted to the company's gloomy outlook for the second half of 2025.

Celanese projected third-quarter adjusted earnings per share in the range of $1.10 to $1.40, falling well short of analysts' expectations of $1.73. The company cited a "softening demand environment across most key end-markets in the second half of the year" as the primary reason for the downbeat forecast. This outlook suggests that despite Celanese's cost reduction initiatives, external market factors are likely to pressure profitability in the near term.

In response to the disappointing guidance, several analysts downgraded their outlook for Celanese. UBS cut its target price to $49 from $66, while Mizuho reduced its target to $48 from $59. RBC Capital Markets noted that it does not expect material earnings upside for the company in the next year due to persistent headwinds in construction, industrial, and auto sectors. The sharp decline in Celanese's stock price reflects growing investor concerns about the challenging market conditions facing the chemical industry, including higher energy costs and weak demand, particularly in European markets.