Century Aluminum Company
NASDAQ: CENX · BASIC MATERIALS · ALUMINUM
Updated 2026-04-29
Century Aluminum Company (CENX) Stock Valuation Analysis
Fair value estimate, historical valuation range, and quality signals for CENX.
Current price exceeds what fundamentals support. Risk/reward skewed unfavorably.
CENX historical valuation range
Where current P/E sits in CENX's own 5Y range.
CENX intrinsic value (DCF)
DCF-based fair value estimate vs current market price.
Intrinsic value calculated using discounted cash flow (DCF) model based on projected free cash flows, discount rate, and terminal growth assumptions. A positive margin of safety indicates the current price is below estimated fair value, providing a cushion against estimation error.
CENX valuation signals
Quick-read green flags, caution flags, and risks based on current metrics.
P/E Ratio — History
Current: 140.43x
P/S Ratio — History
Current: 2.31x
Is CENX overvalued in 2026?
Century Aluminum Company (CENX) currently trades at $58.98 per share with a market capitalization of $5,837,489,000.00. Based on our multi-factor framework, the stock appears richly valued with a Smart Value Score of 38/100. This score blends growth quality, financial health, and price attractiveness into a single institutional-grade read.
The stock trades at a P/E ratio of 140.4x, above its 5-year median of 25.7x. The PEG ratio of 0.06 suggests earnings growth is outpacing the multiple, a classic sign of undervaluation.
Looking at its own history, CENX is currently trading more expensive than 69% of the last 5Y on P/E. This places it in the 69th percentile of its historical range, a reasonable but unremarkable position.
Our discounted cash flow model estimates CENX's intrinsic value at $37.95 per share, against the current market price of $58.98. This implies a premium to fair value of -40.82%. The current price sits well above what projected cash flows justify, implying investors are paying for growth that has not yet materialized.
Financial quality is a concern. The Piotroski F-Score of 0/9 flags weakening fundamentals that deserve closer scrutiny before the valuation case can be fully trusted.
Bottom line: CENX appears richly valued on our framework, with a Smart Value Score of 38/100. At current levels the risk/reward is skewed against the buyer. A materially lower price or significant operational improvement would be needed to change the picture.
Frequently asked questions
Is CENX overvalued in 2026?
Based on a Smart Value Score of 38/100, CENX appears overvalued. Current price exceeds what fundamentals currently justify.
What is CENX's fair value?
Our DCF model estimates CENX's intrinsic value at $37.95 per share, versus the current price of $58.98. This produces a margin of safety of -40.82%.
What P/E ratio does CENX trade at?
CENX trades at a P/E of 140.4x on trailing twelve-month earnings, compared to its 5-year median of 25.7x.
Is CENX a buy based on valuation?
WallStSmart does not issue buy or sell recommendations. Our Smart Value Score of 38/100 reflects the combined read on growth, quality, and price. The profile skews cautious. Consider waiting for a better price or clearer operational improvement.
How does CENX's valuation compare to its history?
On P/E, CENX currently sits in the 69th percentile of its own 5Y range. That is above its long-run median relative to where it has traded over the period.
What is CENX's Smart Value Score?
CENX's Smart Value Score is 38/100. The Smart Value Score is a proprietary WallStSmart metric blending growth quality, financial health, and valuation attractiveness into a single 0-100 read. Scores above 75 are rare and indicate strong multi-factor alignment.