Shares of Avient Corp (AVNT) are plummeting 5.50% in pre-market trading following the release of its third-quarter earnings report. The specialty materials maker faced headwinds from weak consumer sentiment and geopolitical uncertainties, resulting in lower-than-expected sales figures.

Avient reported Q3 sales of $806.5 million, falling short of the analyst consensus estimate of $827.7 million. This represents a 1.1% decrease compared to the same period last year. The company attributed the sales decline to weak demand in key markets, influenced by cautious consumer spending and ongoing global economic challenges.

Despite the revenue miss, Avient managed to deliver a slight earnings beat. The company reported adjusted earnings per share of $0.70, surpassing the analyst expectations of $0.69. This represents a 7.69% increase from the $0.65 per share reported in the same quarter last year. The earnings growth was primarily driven by EBITDA margin expansion and lower interest and tax expenses.

In a move that may be seen as an attempt to reassure investors, Avient maintained its full-year 2025 adjusted EPS guidance range of $2.77 to $2.87. The company also updated its full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance to $540 to $550 million. However, the maintained outlook doesn't seem to be enough to offset concerns about the sales performance.

While some sectors such as defense, healthcare, and telecommunications showed strong sales growth, it wasn't sufficient to counterbalance the overall weak demand. Investors appear to be focusing on the revenue miss and ongoing market challenges, leading to the significant pre-market sell-off in Avient's stock.