Celanese Corporation Raises Full Year 2018 Adjusted Earnings Per Share Growth Outlook to 12-16 Percent

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Celanese Corporation (NYSE: CE), a global technology and specialty
materials company, announced today that it has increased its 2018
earnings guidance. Based on a stronger start to the year, in both the
Acetyl Chain and Advanced Engineered Materials (“AEM”) businesses,
Celanese now expects adjusted earnings per share to grow 12-16 percent
from 2017 levels.

“Every business is performing better than we expected. The Acetyl Chain
continues to build momentum around the world and our ability to respond
swiftly to market opportunities and leverage assets is creating
additional value. In AEM, strong growth in solution demand trends, as
well as pricing improvement, are contributing to strength in earnings,
exceeding our prior expectations. Based on what we are seeing in the
quarter, we felt it was appropriate to communicate this performance
change with investors early and we will share more specifics during the
first quarter earnings call,” said Mark Rohr, chairman and chief
executive officer.

About Celanese

Celanese Corporation is a global technology leader in the production
of differentiated chemistry solutions and specialty materials used in
most major industries and consumer applications. Our two complementary
business cores, Acetyl Chain and Materials Solutions, use the full
breadth of Celanese's global chemistry, technology and business
expertise to create value for our customers and the corporation. As we
partner with our customers to solve their most critical business needs,
we strive to make a positive impact on our communities and the world
through The Celanese Foundation. Based in Dallas, Celanese employs
approximately 7,600 employees worldwide and had 2017 net
sales of $6.1 billion. For more information about Celanese Corporation
and its product offerings, visit www.celanese.com or
our blog at www.celaneseblog.com.

All registered trademarks are owned by Celanese International
Corporation or its affiliates.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain "forward-looking statements," which include
information concerning the company's plans, objectives, goals,
strategies, future revenues or performance, capital expenditures,
financing needs and other information that is not historical
information. All forward-looking statements are based upon current
expectations and beliefs and various assumptions. There can be no
assurance that the company will realize these expectations or that these
beliefs will prove correct. There are a number of risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from
the results expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements
contained in this release. These risks and uncertainties include, among
other things: changes in general economic, business, political and
regulatory conditions in the countries or regions in which we operate;
the length and depth of product and industry business cycles,
particularly in the automotive, electrical, textiles, electronics and
construction industries; changes in the price and availability of raw
materials, particularly changes in the demand for, supply of, and market
prices of ethylene, methanol, natural gas, wood pulp and fuel oil and
the prices for electricity and other energy sources; the ability to pass
increases in raw material prices on to customers or otherwise improve
margins through price increases; the ability to maintain plant
utilization rates and to implement planned capacity additions and
expansions; the ability to reduce or maintain their current levels of
production costs and to improve productivity by implementing
technological improvements to existing plants; increased price
competition and the introduction of competing products by other
companies; market acceptance of our technology; the ability to obtain
governmental approvals and to construct facilities on terms and
schedules acceptable to the company; changes in the degree of
intellectual property and other legal protection afforded to our
products or technologies, or the theft of such intellectual property;
compliance and other costs and potential disruption or interruption of
production or operations due to accidents, interruptions in sources of
raw materials, cyber security incidents, terrorism or political unrest
or other unforeseen events or delays in construction or operation of
facilities, including as a result of geopolitical conditions, the
occurrence of acts of war or terrorist incidents or as a result of
weather or natural disasters; potential liability for remedial actions
and increased costs under existing or future environmental regulations,
including those relating to climate change; potential liability
resulting from pending or future litigation, or from changes in the
laws, regulations or policies of governments or other governmental
activities in the countries in which we operate; changes in currency
exchange rates and interest rates; our level of indebtedness, which
could diminish our ability to raise additional capital to fund
operations or limit our ability to react to changes in the economy or
the chemicals industry; and various other factors discussed from time to
time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on
which it is made, and the company undertakes no obligation to update any
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the
date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or
unanticipated events or circumstances.

Non-US GAAP Financial Information

Use of Non-US GAAP Financial Information

This release uses the following Non-US GAAP measure: adjusted
earnings per share. This measure is not recognized in accordance with US
GAAP and should not be viewed as an alternative to US GAAP measures of
performance or liquidity. The most directly comparable financial measure
presented in accordance with US GAAP in our consolidated financial
statements for adjusted earnings per share is earnings (loss) from
continuing operations attributable to Celanese Corporation per common
share-diluted.

Definitions of Non-US GAAP Financial Measure

• Adjusted earnings per share is a performance measure used by the
Company and is defined by the Company as earnings (loss) from continuing
operations attributable to Celanese Corporation, adjusted for income tax
(provision) benefit, Certain Items, and refinancing and related
expenses, divided by the number of basic common shares and dilutive
restricted stock units and stock options calculated using the treasury
method.

Note: The income tax expense (benefit) on Certain Items ("Non-GAAP
adjustments") is determined using the applicable rates in the taxing
jurisdictions in which the Non-GAAP adjustments occurred and includes
both current and deferred income tax expense (benefit). The income tax
rate used for adjusted earnings per share approximates the midpoint in a
range of forecasted tax rates for the year. This range may include
certain partial or full-year forecasted tax opportunities and related
costs, where applicable, and specifically excludes changes in uncertain
tax positions, discrete recognition of GAAP items on a quarterly basis,
other pre-tax items adjusted out of our GAAP earnings for adjusted
earnings per share purposes, and changes in management's assessments
regarding the ability to realize deferred tax assets for GAAP. In
determining the adjusted earnings per share tax rate, we reflect the
impact of foreign tax credits when utilized, or expected to be utilized,
absent discrete events impacting the timing of foreign tax credit
utilization. We analyze this rate quarterly and adjust it if there is a
material change in the range of forecasted tax rates; an updated
forecast would not necessarily result in a change to our tax rate used
for adjusted earnings per share. The adjusted tax rate is an estimate
and may differ from the actual tax rate used for GAAP reporting in any
given reporting period. Table 3a of our Non-US GAAP Financial Measures
and Supplemental Information document (referenced below) summarizes the
reconciliation of our estimated GAAP effective tax rate to the adjusted
tax rate. The estimated GAAP rate excludes discrete recognition of GAAP
items due to our inability to forecast such items. As part of the
year-end reconciliation, we will update the reconciliation of the GAAP
effective tax rate to the adjusted tax rate for actual results.

Reconciliation of Non-US GAAP Financial Measures

We are unable to reconcile forecasted adjusted earnings per share
growth to US GAAP diluted earnings per share without unreasonable
efforts because a forecast of Certain Items, such as mark-to-market
pension gains/losses, is not practical.

For additional information about the Company’s Non-GAAP financial
measures, please see our Non-US GAAP Financial Measures and Supplemental
Information document filed as an exhibit to our Current Report on Form
8-K filed with the SEC on or about January 25, 2018 and also available
on our website at www.celanese.com
under Financial Information, Non-GAAP Financial Measures, or at this
link: http://investors.celanese.com/interactive/lookandfeel/4103411/Non-GAAP.PDF.

Contacts

Celanese Corporation
Investor Relations
Surabhi
Varshney, +1-972-443-3078
[email protected]
or
Media
Relations – Global
Travis Jacobsen, +1-972-443-3750
[email protected]