ACI vs. UL: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ACI and UL, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
UL’s market capitalization of 150.76 billion USD is significantly greater than ACI’s 12.63 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.
With betas of 0.31 for ACI and 0.22 for UL, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
UL is an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), allowing U.S. investors direct exposure to its non-U.S. operations. ACI, on the other hand, is a domestic entity.
| Symbol | ACI | UL |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Albertsons Companies, Inc. | Unilever PLC |
| Country | US | GB |
| Sector | Consumer Defensive | Consumer Defensive |
| Industry | Grocery Stores | Household & Personal Products |
| CEO | Susan D. Morris | Fernando Fernandez |
| Price | 21.93 USD | 61.37 USD |
| Market Cap | 12.63 billion USD | 150.76 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.31 | 0.22 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | June 26, 2020 | March 25, 1980 |
| ADR | No | Yes |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ACI and UL by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
ACI
30.23%
Grocery Stores Industry
- Max
- 41.83%
- Q3
- 33.21%
- Median
- 17.57%
- Q1
- 4.85%
- Min
- -1.90%
ACI’s Return on Equity of 30.23% is on par with the norm for the Grocery Stores industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
UL
28.51%
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 38.00%
- Q3
- 32.25%
- Median
- 24.06%
- Q1
- 4.84%
- Min
- -18.42%
UL’s Return on Equity of 28.51% is on par with the norm for the Household & Personal Products industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Return on Invested Capital
ACI
6.91%
Grocery Stores Industry
- Max
- 9.72%
- Q3
- 6.86%
- Median
- 5.47%
- Q1
- 3.42%
- Min
- 1.05%
In the upper quartile for the Grocery Stores industry, ACI’s Return on Invested Capital of 6.91% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
UL
11.12%
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 34.47%
- Q3
- 21.03%
- Median
- 9.28%
- Q1
- 3.66%
- Min
- -4.23%
UL’s Return on Invested Capital of 11.12% is in line with the norm for the Household & Personal Products industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
Net Profit Margin
ACI
1.19%
Grocery Stores Industry
- Max
- 5.53%
- Q3
- 3.00%
- Median
- 1.73%
- Q1
- 1.16%
- Min
- -1.36%
ACI’s Net Profit Margin of 1.19% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Grocery Stores industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
UL
9.45%
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 20.09%
- Q3
- 12.77%
- Median
- 8.06%
- Q1
- 3.36%
- Min
- -6.60%
UL’s Net Profit Margin of 9.45% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Household & Personal Products industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin
ACI
2.05%
Grocery Stores Industry
- Max
- 4.30%
- Q3
- 3.63%
- Median
- 2.32%
- Q1
- 1.32%
- Min
- 0.87%
ACI’s Operating Profit Margin of 2.05% is around the midpoint for the Grocery Stores industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
UL
15.47%
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 33.32%
- Q3
- 16.82%
- Median
- 10.84%
- Q1
- 5.76%
- Min
- -4.25%
UL’s Operating Profit Margin of 15.47% is around the midpoint for the Household & Personal Products industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ACI | UL |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 30.23% | 28.51% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 3.58% | 7.20% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 6.91% | 11.12% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 1.19% | 9.45% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 2.05% | 15.47% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 27.06% | 45.05% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
ACI
0.90
Grocery Stores Industry
- Max
- 1.25
- Q3
- 1.20
- Median
- 1.00
- Q1
- 0.95
- Min
- 0.90
ACI’s Current Ratio of 0.90 falls into the lower quartile for the Grocery Stores industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
UL
0.76
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 3.05
- Q3
- 1.96
- Median
- 1.27
- Q1
- 0.84
- Min
- 0.71
UL’s Current Ratio of 0.76 falls into the lower quartile for the Household & Personal Products industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
ACI
4.19
Grocery Stores Industry
- Max
- 4.19
- Q3
- 2.56
- Median
- 1.41
- Q1
- 0.87
- Min
- 0.12
ACI’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Grocery Stores industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 4.19. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.
UL
1.53
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 2.16
- Q3
- 1.78
- Median
- 0.87
- Q1
- 0.40
- Min
- 0.05
UL’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.53 is typical for the Household & Personal Products industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio
ACI
3.59
Grocery Stores Industry
- Max
- 24.50
- Q3
- 16.36
- Median
- 5.08
- Q1
- 3.73
- Min
- -0.63
In the lower quartile for the Grocery Stores industry, ACI’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 3.59 indicates a tighter cushion for servicing debt, suggesting less financial flexibility than many of its competitors.
UL
--
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 21.84
- Q3
- 12.04
- Median
- 3.71
- Q1
- 1.13
- Min
- -1.74
Interest Coverage Ratio data for UL is currently unavailable.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ACI | UL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.90 | 0.76 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.22 | 0.56 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 4.19 | 1.53 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.53 | 0.38 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 3.97 | 2.00 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 3.59 | -- |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ACI and UL. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
ACI
2.46%
Grocery Stores Industry
- Max
- 5.28%
- Q3
- 2.38%
- Median
- 1.48%
- Q1
- 0.26%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 2.46%, ACI offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Grocery Stores industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
UL
3.20%
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 5.15%
- Q3
- 3.16%
- Median
- 2.31%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 3.20%, UL offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Household & Personal Products industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio
ACI
30.78%
Grocery Stores Industry
- Max
- 4,966.68%
- Q3
- 30.78%
- Median
- 24.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ACI’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 30.78% is within the typical range for the Grocery Stores industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
UL
75.19%
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 147.82%
- Q3
- 68.54%
- Median
- 51.42%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
UL’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 75.19% is in the upper quartile for the Household & Personal Products industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ACI | UL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.46% | 3.20% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 30.78% | 75.19% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
ACI
13.26
Grocery Stores Industry
- Max
- 35.78
- Q3
- 21.80
- Median
- 18.09
- Q1
- 11.47
- Min
- 8.82
ACI’s P/E Ratio of 13.26 is within the middle range for the Grocery Stores industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
UL
22.67
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 66.72
- Q3
- 42.49
- Median
- 24.63
- Q1
- 20.39
- Min
- 5.23
UL’s P/E Ratio of 22.67 is within the middle range for the Household & Personal Products industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
ACI
17.35
Grocery Stores Industry
- Max
- 4.43
- Q3
- 3.62
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 0.83
- Min
- 0.05
ACI’s Forward PEG Ratio of 17.35 is exceptionally high for the Grocery Stores industry. This suggests its stock price is very high relative to its expected earnings growth, signaling significant overvaluation risk.
UL
4.29
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 5.42
- Q3
- 4.43
- Median
- 2.84
- Q1
- 1.79
- Min
- 0.43
UL’s Forward PEG Ratio of 4.29 is within the middle range of its peers in the Household & Personal Products industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
ACI
0.16
Grocery Stores Industry
- Max
- 0.69
- Q3
- 0.45
- Median
- 0.28
- Q1
- 0.22
- Min
- 0.14
In the lower quartile for the Grocery Stores industry, ACI’s P/S Ratio of 0.16 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.
UL
2.11
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 5.97
- Q3
- 4.00
- Median
- 2.38
- Q1
- 0.63
- Min
- 0.24
UL’s P/S Ratio of 2.11 aligns with the market consensus for the Household & Personal Products industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio
ACI
3.75
Grocery Stores Industry
- Max
- 5.54
- Q3
- 4.47
- Median
- 2.48
- Q1
- 1.04
- Min
- 0.41
ACI’s P/B Ratio of 3.75 is within the conventional range for the Grocery Stores industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
UL
6.51
Household & Personal Products Industry
- Max
- 38.54
- Q3
- 20.07
- Median
- 6.47
- Q1
- 0.97
- Min
- 0.38
UL’s P/B Ratio of 6.51 is within the conventional range for the Household & Personal Products industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ACI | UL |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 13.26 | 22.67 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 17.35 | 4.29 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 0.16 | 2.11 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 3.75 | 6.51 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 16.85 | 16.47 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 7.58 | 12.43 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 0.33 | 2.51 |