Element Solutions Inc vs LINDE PLC, two Chemicals stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where ESI and LIN diverge most: on fcf yield, ESI reads -1.5% and LIN reads 2.1%; on net margin, ESI reads 5.3% and LIN reads 20.4%. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. What ESI's price implies is a somewhat stretched bet versus history (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 | ESI | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $39.83 | $529.65 |
| Market cap | $9.7B | $247.0B |
| Sector | Chemicals | Chemicals |
| Stage | Growth | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | — | +22.3% |
| P/E | 64.2 | 35.1 |
| P/B | 3.53 | 6.16 |
| P/S | 3.47 | 7.13 |
| EV/EBITDA | 21.8 | 20.8 |
| Revenue growth | +13.4% | +5.0% |
| Gross margin | 38.4% | — |
| Operating margin | 13.3% | 27.8% |
| Net margin | 5.3% | 20.4% |
| Return on equity | 5.4% | 17.7% |
| Return on assets | 2.6% | 8.2% |
| Return on invested capital | 5.3% | 10.9% |
| FCF yield | -1.5% | 2.1% |
| Dividend yield | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Debt / equity | 0.75 | 0.66 |
| Current ratio | 2.68 | 0.83 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 2.48 | 3.95 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 5 / 9 | 8 / 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.