ALBEMARLE CORPORATION vs AIR PRODUCTS AND CHEMICALS, INC., two Chemicals stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where ALB and APD diverge most: on operating margin, ALB reads 26.0% and APD reads -66.3%; on net margin, ALB reads 3.8% and APD reads -0.4%. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. On valuation, today's ALB price has a different growth bar priced in than APD (+12.1% implied for ALB vs +21.6% for APD); the higher figure is the steeper assumption to clear, not a better or worse stock. What ALB's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | ALB | APD |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $101.19 | $281.25 |
| Market cap | $11.9B | $62.7B |
| Sector | Chemicals | Chemicals |
| Stage | Growth | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +12.1% | +21.6% |
| P/E | 389.2 | — |
| P/B | 1.13 | 3.78 |
| P/S | 2.02 | 4.97 |
| EV/EBITDA | 13.6 | 65.0 |
| Revenue growth | +19.1% | +4.6% |
| Gross margin | 33.9% | — |
| Operating margin | 26.0% | -66.3% |
| Net margin | 3.8% | -0.4% |
| Return on equity | 2.1% | -0.3% |
| Return on assets | 1.4% | -0.1% |
| Return on invested capital | 1.6% | 2.7% |
| FCF yield | 11.2% | -2.5% |
| Dividend yield | 1.6% | 2.5% |
| Debt / equity | 0.18 | 0.01 |
| Current ratio | 2.09 | 1.08 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.08 | 2.29 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 5 / 9 | 6 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.