ALBEMARLE CORPORATION vs Linde plc, two Chemicals stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where ALB and LIN diverge most: on p/e, ALB reads 389.2 and LIN reads 31.2; on return on equity, ALB reads 2.1% and LIN reads 17.8%. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. On valuation, today's ALB price has a different growth bar priced in than LIN (+12.1% implied for ALB vs +17.0% for LIN); 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). What LIN'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 | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $101.19 | $483.78 |
| Market cap | $11.9B | $224.7B |
| Sector | Chemicals | Chemicals |
| Stage | Growth | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +12.1% | +17.0% |
| P/E | 389.2 | 31.2 |
| P/B | 1.13 | 5.53 |
| P/S | 2.02 | 6.34 |
| EV/EBITDA | 13.6 | 18.8 |
| Revenue growth | +19.1% | +6.6% |
| Gross margin | 33.9% | — |
| Operating margin | 26.0% | 27.5% |
| Net margin | 3.8% | 20.4% |
| Return on equity | 2.1% | 17.8% |
| Return on assets | 1.4% | 8.2% |
| Return on invested capital | 1.6% | 10.8% |
| FCF yield | 11.2% | 2.2% |
| Dividend yield | 1.6% | 1.2% |
| Debt / equity | 0.18 | 0.69 |
| Current ratio | 2.09 | 0.88 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.08 | 3.59 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 5 / 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.