CF INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS, INC. vs Element Solutions Inc, two Chemicals stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
CF Industries makes nitrogen fertilizer, and even in a commodity business its economics look sharp right now: a 28.66% net margin, a 25.71% return on equity, a 9.93% free-cash yield, and a low 9.52 earnings multiple. Element Solutions sells specialty chemistry for electronics and surface finishes, and the market treats it as a growth story, 73.68 times earnings and 4.05 times book, on a thinner 5.32% net margin and 5.41% return on equity. Element's free cash runs slightly negative at -1.28%. CF trades at 1.98 times book with light 0.39 leverage. A cash-rich cyclical priced low against a specialty name priced for expansion.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | CF | ESI |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $116.83 | $39.83 |
| Market cap | $18.1B | $9.7B |
| Sector | Chemicals | Chemicals |
| Stage | Growth | Growth |
| P/E | 10.5 | 64.2 |
| P/B | 2.19 | 3.53 |
| P/S | 2.44 | 3.47 |
| EV/EBITDA | 7.1 | 21.8 |
| Revenue growth | +20.9% | +13.4% |
| Gross margin | 37.6% | 38.4% |
| Operating margin | 43.5% | 13.3% |
| Net margin | 28.7% | 5.3% |
| Return on equity | 25.7% | 5.4% |
| Return on assets | 14.5% | 2.6% |
| Return on invested capital | 18.9% | 5.3% |
| FCF yield | 9.0% | -1.5% |
| Dividend yield | 1.7% | 0.8% |
| Debt / equity | 0.39 | 0.75 |
| Current ratio | 3.54 | 2.68 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.32 | 2.48 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 5 / 9 | 5 / 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.