Avient (NYSE:AVNT) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.01 EPS

Avient (NYSE:AVNT) announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.55 by $0.01, FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $760.60 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $750.19 million. Avient had a return on equity of 10.95% and a net margin of 2.51%.Avient’s revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.49 earnings per share. Avient updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 0.810-0.810 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance to 2.930-3.170 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Avient’s conference call:

• Strong execution drove an 80 basis-point Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion in Q4 and a full-year record Adjusted EBITDA margin of 16.7%, with Adjusted EPS up ~6% for 2025 and +14% in Q4.
• Priority growth vectors—especially defense, healthcare, and telecom—delivered double‑digit growth in Q4, and the company commercialized innovations like GlideTech (non‑PFAS lubricious materials), non‑PFAS polymer processing aids, and a Dyneema process debottlenecking to unlock near‑term capacity.
• 2026 guidance targets continued improvement with Adjusted EBITDA of $555–$585M (+2–7% YoY), Adjusted EPS of $2.93–$3.17 (+4–12%), and expected free cash flow of $200–$220M, while CapEx is planned at ~$140M (including incremental defense investments).
• Color, Additives & Inks underperformed (CAI organic sales down ~2% for 2025; Q4 CAI organic -3%), with ongoing softness in consumer, industrial and building & construction markets that weighed on consolidated organic sales.
• Cash generation remains strong—$195M FCF in 2025 and $150M of debt paydown reduced net leverage to 2.6x; management says near‑term cash will prioritize further debt reduction (targeting <2.5x) before share buybacks or M&A.

Avient Stock Performance

NYSE AVNT traded up $0.94 during trading on Friday, hitting $42.78. 1,178,263 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 983,538. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a current ratio of 1.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.06, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.44. Avient has a 12-month low of $27.48 and a 12-month high of $44.85. The business has a 50 day moving average of $34.45 and a 200-day moving average of $33.53.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AVNT. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in Avient by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,781,099 shares of the company’s stock valued at $149,363,000 after purchasing an additional 27,251 shares in the last quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Avient by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC now owns 2,102,982 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,697,000 after purchasing an additional 7,161 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen LLC lifted its position in Avient by 7.2% in the 4th quarter. Nuveen LLC now owns 1,457,932 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,546,000 after buying an additional 98,282 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in Avient by 2.3% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,352,124 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,552,000 after buying an additional 30,047 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in Avient by 440.4% in the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,337,188 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,060,000 after buying an additional 1,089,744 shares in the last quarter. 95.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AVNT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. KeyCorp raised their price target on shares of Avient from $50.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Zacks Research raised shares of Avient from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Morgan Stanley set a $45.00 target price on Avient in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Avient in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on Avient from $37.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $47.00.

More Avient News

Here are the key news stories impacting Avient this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 adjusted results beat expectations — Avient reported adjusted EPS $0.56 (vs. $0.55 consensus) and revenue of $760.6M (above $750.2M est.), driven by organic growth in Specialty Engineered Materials and productivity gains. This beat underpins the near‑term upside in the stock. Avient Announces Fourth‑Quarter and Full‑Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Q1 guidance materially ahead — Avient guided Q1 FY2026 EPS to $0.81, well above the prior consensus (~$0.65), giving investors confidence in near‑term earnings momentum. Avient (AVNT) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: 2026 targets & strategic priorities — Management outlined a $555M–$585M adjusted EBITDA target for 2026 while committing to expanded R&D/innovation and continued debt reduction, signaling a balanced strategy of growth investment plus capital structure improvement. Avient outlines $555M–$585M adjusted EBITDA target for 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Strong cash flow & prior debt payoff — 2025 operating cash flow was $302M and the company repaid $150M of debt last year, supporting the stated debt‑reduction plan and reducing financial risk. Avient Announces Fourth‑Quarter and Full‑Year 2025 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: FY2026 EPS guidance initiated (range) — Avient set FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $2.93–$3.17. The range implies modest growth vs. 2025 but the midpoint is roughly in line with Street expectations, so investors will watch execution against the midpoint. Avient (AVNT) Q4 Earnings: Key Metrics vs Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP earnings declined year‑over‑year — GAAP EPS fell to $0.18 in Q4 (and $0.89 for the full year) from higher prior‑year comparables, which could concern some investors focused on GAAP profitability and near‑term margin pressure. Avient Announces Fourth‑Quarter and Full‑Year 2025 Results

Avient Company Profile

Avient Corporation (NYSE: AVNT) is a global provider of specialized and sustainable polymer materials, delivering color, additive and engineered solutions to a wide range of industries. The company’s core offerings include masterbatches, colorant systems, compounds and resins designed to enhance performance, aesthetics and environmental sustainability. Avient serves markets such as packaging, automotive, consumer goods, healthcare, electronics, and agriculture, tailoring products to meet stringent regulatory and end-use requirements.

Formed through a corporate rebranding in 2020 following the divestiture of PolyOne’s specialty businesses, Avient traces its heritage to a legacy of polymer innovation spanning decades.