ASHLAND INC. vs HAWKINS, INC., two Wholesale stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where ASH and HWKN diverge most: on revenue growth, ASH reads -6.8% and HWKN reads +11.1%; on net margin, ASH reads -39.1% and HWKN reads 7.5%. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. What ASH's price implies is a somewhat stretched bet versus history (whole-company basis). What HWKN's price implies is a somewhat stretched bet versus history (whole-company basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | ASH | HWKN |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $66.34 | $138.83 |
| Market cap | $3.1B | $2.9B |
| Sector | Wholesale | Wholesale |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | — | +20.4% |
| P/E | — | 35.5 |
| P/B | 1.64 | 5.42 |
| P/S | 1.69 | 2.67 |
| EV/EBITDA | 12.2 | 18.0 |
| Revenue growth | -6.8% | +11.1% |
| Gross margin | 30.5% | 20.4% |
| Operating margin | 8.1% | 8.8% |
| Net margin | -39.1% | 7.5% |
| Return on equity | -37.9% | 15.3% |
| Return on assets | -15.7% | 8.3% |
| Return on invested capital | 2.7% | 12.3% |
| FCF yield | -6.3% | 3.0% |
| Dividend yield | 2.5% | 0.5% |
| Debt / equity | 0.74 | 0.46 |
| Current ratio | 3.06 | 2.21 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 6.65 | 5.88 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 4 / 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.