Eastman Chemical Company (EMN) Stock Price & How to Invest

Last updated October 2026

Short answer

EMN is Eastman Chemical, a large-cap US specialty materials and chemicals company that people typically hold as a cyclical, dividend-paying value name with a molecular-recycling growth angle rather than a high-growth story. As of mid-October 2026 its appeal centers on a ~5.3% yield (a ~$3.36 annual dividend rate) backed by at least 16 straight annual raises, offset by exposure to soft chemical demand, cyclical margins and a string of recent analyst price-target cuts.

EMN stock price

As of 2026-10-23, Eastman Chemical Company (EMN) last closed at $64.93, up 3.6% over the past year. Over the past 52 weeks it has traded between $56.37 and $81.36.

EMN last close
$64.93
1 day
-0.58%
1 month
-2.80%
1 year
+3.56%
52-week range
$56.37 to $81.36
Last close
2026-10-23

Prices are daily closing prices from Yahoo Finance and may be delayed. For the live quote, check your broker or Eastman Chemical Company's investor relations page. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.

What does Eastman Chemical Company (EMN) do?

Eastman Chemical Company (NYSE: EMN) is a global specialty materials producer headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, organized into four segments: Advanced Materials (specialty films, plastics, and interlayers), Additives and Functional Products (coatings, inks, and performance additives), Chemical Intermediates (commodity and functional chemicals), and Fibers (cellulose acetate tow, largely for cigarette filters). Trailing-twelve-month revenue is about $8.9 billion, and the company has leaned into circular-economy positioning through its Kingsport methanolysis (molecular recycling) plant, which converts hard-to-recycle plastic waste back into raw materials and added roughly $60 million of incremental earnings in 2025.

The investment picture is that of a mature, cyclical chemicals company. As of October 16, 2026 the stock closed near $63.26, giving a market cap around $7.2 billion, a trailing P/E near 16.5 and a forward P/E under 10 on consensus estimates. Bulls point to the ~5.3% dividend yield, the specialty mix that is meant to be less commodity-like over time, the recycling growth optionality, and an improving earnings run: Q2 2026 revenue rose to about $2.51 billion with net income of ~$183 million and adjusted EPS of $1.97, ahead of the ~$1.82 consensus. Bears note that trailing profit margins are thin (about 5%), the payout ratio on GAAP earnings is near 87%, and several brokers have cut targets in October (JPMorgan downgraded to Neutral with a $66 target, RBC trimmed to $65). The shares are down about 1.7% year to date and up about 5.2% over one year, well below the 52-week high of ~$83.47, so the debate is still about whether specialty volumes and chemical spreads recover.

What's driving Eastman Chemical Company (EMN)?

1. Molecular recycling ramp

Eastman's Kingsport methanolysis facility is the centerpiece of its circular-economy pitch, converting plastic waste into feedstock. It contributed roughly $60 million of incremental earnings in 2025 with about $30 million more targeted for 2026, and additional planned facilities in France and the US could extend the runway if utilization and offtake demand hold up.

2. Specialty mix and pricing

The Advanced Materials and Additives and Functional Products segments are meant to carry higher, more stable margins than commodity chemicals. Q2 2026 showed the first real lift in a while: revenue of ~$2.51 billion (up from ~$2.18 billion in Q1) and net income of ~$183 million versus ~$107 million. Trailing gross margin sits near 19.7% and operating margin near 12.9%, so sustained pricing and volume gains in specialty lines remain the main earnings lever.

3. Dividend and cash returns

Eastman generated around $991 million of trailing operating cash flow and roughly $545 million of free cash flow, supporting a dividend rate of about $3.36 per share and a ~5.3% yield. The payout is about 87% of trailing GAAP earnings, a tighter cushion than earlier in the year, though consensus 2026 EPS of ~$6.32 implies much better coverage on an adjusted basis. Cash generation also funds buybacks and debt reduction (debt is about $5.5 billion against ~$0.7 billion of cash).

4. Cyclical demand recovery

Much of the earnings swing depends on end markets like autos, building and construction, coatings, and consumer durables. Analysts expect Q3 2026 EPS of about $1.92 on ~$2.4 billion of revenue (results due October 29), and full-year 2026 EPS near $6.32 rising to ~$6.67 in 2027. Recent target cuts from JPMorgan, RBC, UBS and Mizuho suggest the street sees the industrial rebound arriving slower than hoped, so a broader recovery is still the key upside lever.

What are the risks to Eastman Chemical Company (EMN)?

Eastman is cyclical and sensitive to global industrial demand, energy and raw-material costs, and destocking, all of which pressured 2025 and early 2026 results (2025 net earnings fell to ~$474 million from ~$905 million in 2024). The Fibers segment relies heavily on cellulose acetate tow for cigarette filters, a structurally declining end market. Weak Chemical Intermediates spreads, softer consumer discretionary demand, and energy-cost spikes can compress margins quickly. The recycling growth thesis carries execution and offtake-demand risk. The ~5.3% dividend, at roughly 87% of trailing GAAP earnings, depends on the earnings recovery analysts expect actually arriving, and October brought a JPMorgan downgrade plus several price-target cuts.

What is the Eastman Chemical Company (EMN) forecast?

16 analysts publish price targets on EMN, averaging $76.19 against a $62.33 price as of October 2026, or +22.2%. The published targets run from $65.00 to $87.00, a narrow spread, and the ratings split 8 buy, 9 hold, 0 sell. Over the last six months there have been 2 raises and 8 cuts among the published actions. A price target is what an analyst published on a date, not a prediction, and sell-side ratings skew positive across the whole market.

Read the full EMN forecast and price target for the target table, the recent rating actions by firm, and how the consensus has shifted.

Is EMN a buy or a sell?

We give no verdict on Eastman Chemical Company. Both cases are real, which is why the question is contested at all, so here is the strongest version of each.

The case for buying. Molecular recycling ramp. Eastman's Kingsport methanolysis facility is the centerpiece of its circular-economy pitch, converting plastic waste into feedstock. The most optimistic published target, $87.00, assumes this works close to its best case.

The case against. Eastman is cyclical and sensitive to global industrial demand, energy and raw-material costs, and destocking, all of which pressured 2025 and early 2026 results (2025 net earnings fell to ~$474 million from ~$905 million in 2024). The most pessimistic target, $65.00, is roughly what EMN is worth if this bites instead.

Read the full bull and bear case on EMN, including what would have to change to break either one. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Has Eastman Chemical Company (EMN) split its stock?

No. Eastman Chemical Company (EMN) has not split its stock in the last 10 years. That is a statement about the window we check rather than about the company’s entire history, so an older split is possible. It also matters less than it once did: fractional shares mean a high price per share no longer keeps smaller investors out, which removed most of the practical reason to split.

How is Eastman Chemical Company (EMN) valued? (approximate, October 2026)

A simple financial snapshot. These are approximations and refresh quarterly; for current figures see Eastman Chemical Company's investor relations page or your broker.

  • Revenue (TTM): ~$8.9B
  • Revenue growth (Q2 2026, yoy): ~+10%
  • Net income (TTM): ~$442M (~5% margin)
  • Q2 2026 adjusted EPS: $1.97 vs ~$1.82 est.
  • P/E (trailing / forward): ~16.5 / ~9.5
  • Dividend yield: ~5.3%
  • Market cap: ~$7.2B
  • Operating cash flow (TTM): ~$991M

Eastman closed near $63 on October 16, 2026 for a market cap around $7.2 billion, down ~1.7% YTD and ~24% below its 52-week high. A forward P/E under 10 and a ~5.3% yield price in skepticism that consensus 2026 EPS of ~$6.32 will hold, despite a Q2 beat. The Q3 report on October 29 (consensus ~$1.92 EPS on ~$2.4 billion revenue) is the next test.

Which ETFs hold Eastman Chemical Company (EMN)?

If you want EMN exposure as part of a larger bundle rather than directly, these ETFs hold it meaningfully. Weights are approximate and refresh quarterly.

ETFName% in EMNExpense ratio
IJSiShares S&P Small-Cap 600 Value ETF0.8%0.18%
SLYVState Street SPDR S&P 600 Small Cap Value ETF0.8%0.15%

What themes does Eastman Chemical Company (EMN) fit?

These are the investment theses EMN naturally fits into. Each links to a full theme guide listing every other stock that belongs and the ETFs commonly used as a passive proxy.

Who competes with Eastman Chemical Company (EMN)?

Diversified chemical majors

Large global players like BASF, Dow, and LyondellBasell compete across Eastman's coatings, additives, and intermediates lines with greater scale and broader feedstock integration.

Specialty materials peers

Celanese, DuPont, Arkema, and Huntsman overlap in specialty polymers, additives, and performance materials, competing on formulation, technology, and end-market relationships rather than pure commodity pricing.

Recycling and circular-economy entrants

As Eastman scales molecular recycling, it faces mechanical and chemical recyclers and other producers building circular feedstock capacity, where cost, offtake demand, and regulatory tailwinds shape competitiveness.

What stocks are similar to Eastman Chemical Company (EMN)?

Other names that sit close to EMN: same theme, named as a direct competitor, or held beside it in the same funds. Each entry says which. Worth a look if you are thinking about diversification within a thesis rather than concentration on one ticker.

How to invest in Eastman Chemical Company (EMN)

There are three common ways to get EMN exposure. Buy shares (or fractional shares) directly at any major broker. Hold an ETF that includes it (IJS, SLYV), which spreads the position across many companies. Or build it into a focused thematic portfolio, so EMN sits alongside other stocks that express the same thesis.

Walnut takes the portfolio route. Describe a thesis where EMN fits (for example “AI infrastructure” or “dividend-growth large-caps”) and the AI proposes 5 to 6 constituents with target weights. You review the plan and fund it through your own broker when you're ready.

New to this? Start with how to invest in stocks, see how to analyze a stock with AI, or compare the best AI stock analyzers.

The bottom line on Eastman Chemical Company (EMN)

EMN is a cyclical specialty-chemicals dividend stock whose story hinges on a demand recovery and its Kingsport recycling ramp. A solid Q2 2026 beat has not lifted the shares (about $63, down ~2% YTD), so it tends to attract income and value-oriented investors rather than growth buyers, with the Q3 report on October 29 as the next checkpoint.

More on Eastman Chemical Company (EMN)

Whether EMN is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, what would have to go right, and the risks in is EMN a buy or a sell?, and where the stock could go from here in the EMN stock forecast.

For income investors, whether EMN pays a dividend and how the payout looks is covered in does EMN pay a dividend? And to weigh EMN against a peer, read the full side-by-side comparisons: EMN vs CELH and EMN vs CROX.

Wondering how EMN fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.

Investing in Eastman Chemical Company with AI

Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how EMN fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.

FAQ

What does Eastman Chemical do?

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Eastman is a global specialty materials company that makes advanced films and plastics, coatings and performance additives, commodity and functional chemical intermediates, and cellulose acetate fibers. Its products feed end markets including autos, construction, packaging, consumer durables, and coatings.

Is EMN a dividend stock?

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Yes. Eastman pays a dividend rate of roughly $3.36 per share for a yield around 5.3% as of October 2026, and it has a record of at least 16 consecutive annual increases. The payout is supported by about $991 million of trailing operating cash flow, though it equals roughly 87% of trailing GAAP earnings.

How did Eastman perform in its most recent quarter?

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In Q2 2026 (reported in July), revenue rose to about $2.51 billion from ~$2.18 billion in Q1, net income reached roughly $183 million, and adjusted EPS of $1.97 beat the ~$1.82 consensus. Revenue grew about 10% year over year. That followed a weak Q1 2026, when sales fell about 5% and net earnings were ~$107 million on Fibers destocking and higher energy costs. Q3 2026 results are scheduled for October 29.

What is Eastman's molecular recycling business?

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Eastman operates a methanolysis facility in Kingsport, Tennessee that chemically recycles hard-to-recycle plastic waste back into raw materials. It added roughly $60 million of incremental earnings in 2025, with about $30 million more targeted for 2026, and is a central part of the company's growth story.

How is EMN valued?

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As of October 16, 2026, Eastman trades near $63 per share with a market cap around $7.2 billion, a trailing P/E near 16.5 and a forward P/E near 9.5. Price-to-sales is about 0.8 and EV/EBITDA about 8.7, which places it in value-stock territory for the specialty chemicals sector, well below its multi-year highs.

Who are Eastman's main competitors?

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Eastman competes with diversified chemical majors such as BASF, Dow, and LyondellBasell, and with specialty materials peers like Celanese, DuPont, Arkema, and Huntsman. In recycling, it faces mechanical and chemical recyclers building circular feedstock capacity.

What are the biggest risks for EMN?

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Key risks include cyclical industrial demand, volatile energy and raw-material costs, customer destocking, and structural decline in the cigarette-filter tow market that Fibers depends on. Weak chemical spreads and soft consumer demand can compress margins quickly, and a payout near 87% of trailing GAAP earnings leaves less room if the expected recovery stalls.

Is EMN a growth or value stock?

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Eastman is generally viewed as a cyclical value and income stock rather than a growth name. Its appeal rests on the dividend, a specialty product mix, and recycling optionality, while earnings swing with the broader chemicals and industrial cycle.

How has EMN stock performed in 2026?

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As of October 16, 2026, EMN closed at about $63.26, down roughly 1.7% year to date and up about 5.2% over one year. It is down ~8% over three months and trades in a 52-week range of about $56 to $83. October brought a JPMorgan downgrade to Neutral ($66 target) and cuts from RBC ($65), UBS ($77) and Mizuho ($80); the 16-analyst mean target is about $76.

When does Eastman report Q3 2026 earnings?

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Eastman has scheduled its third-quarter 2026 results for October 29, 2026. Consensus expects EPS of about $1.92 on roughly $2.4 billion of revenue, compared with $1.14 in the year-ago quarter. Full-year 2026 consensus EPS is about $6.32 on ~$9.24 billion of revenue.

Guides that feature EMN

EMN is one of the names covered in these guides. Each one puts the stock next to its peers so you can see where it fits rather than judging it alone.

Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Financial figures on this page are approximations; always verify current numbers with Eastman Chemical Company's investor relations page or your broker before making investment decisions.