Albemarle Corporation vs Hexcel Corporation, two Chemicals stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where ALB and HXL diverge most: on net margin, ALB reads -4.2% and HXL reads 7.8%; on return on equity, ALB reads -2.3% and HXL reads 11.8%. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. What ALB's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). What HXL's price implies is a demanding bet versus history and the cohort (whole-company basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | ALB | HXL |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $117.68 | $102.89 |
| Market cap | $14.0B | $7.9B |
| Sector | Chemicals | Chemicals |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +22.5% | — |
| P/B | 1.38 | 6.06 |
| P/S | 2.54 | 3.98 |
| EV/EBITDA | 29.6 | 25.0 |
| Revenue growth | +9.5% | +5.4% |
| Gross margin | 35.1% | 26.1% |
| Operating margin | 16.3% | 13.7% |
| Net margin | -4.2% | 7.8% |
| Return on equity | -2.3% | 11.8% |
| Return on assets | -1.5% | 5.6% |
| Return on invested capital | -1.0% | 8.0% |
| FCF yield | 4.1% | 3.3% |
| Dividend yield | 1.4% | 69.0% |
| Debt / equity | 0.19 | 0.74 |
| Current ratio | 2.07 | 2.43 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.00 | 5.53 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 7 / 9 | 7 / 9 |
Each week boothcheck ranks the stocks whose prices are betting on the most. Read the most stretched bets archive →
boothcheck is also on Android. Get the app on Google Play →
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.