ALB vs. DOW: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on July 7, 2025

Here’s a clear look at ALB and DOW, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

DOW’s market capitalization of 20.12 billion USD is significantly greater than ALB’s 7.91 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.

ALB’s beta of 1.61 points to significantly higher volatility compared to DOW (beta: 0.88), suggesting ALB has greater potential for both gains and losses relative to market movements.

Symbol	ALB	DOW
Company Name	Albemarle Corporation	Dow Inc.
Country	US	US
Sector	Basic Materials	Basic Materials
Industry	Chemicals - Specialty	Chemicals
CEO	Jerry Kent Masters Jr.	James R. Fitterling
Price	67.21 USD	28.46 USD
Market Cap	7.91 billion USD	20.12 billion USD
Beta	1.61	0.88
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
IPO Date	February 22, 1994	March 20, 2019
ADR	No	No

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of ALB and DOW 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.

ALB vs. DOW: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Profitability

Return on Equity

ALB

-11.01%

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max: 34.45%
Q3: 15.78%
Median: 7.65%
Q1: 2.96%
Min: -12.04%

ALB has a negative Return on Equity of -11.01%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.

DOW

1.63%

Chemicals Industry

Max: 12.03%
Q3: 11.24%
Median: 1.63%
Q1: -4.72%
Min: -26.84%

DOW’s Return on Equity of 1.63% is on par with the norm for the Chemicals industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

ALB vs. DOW: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

ALB

-8.62%

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max: 20.22%
Q3: 10.99%
Median: 5.25%
Q1: 3.06%
Min: -8.62%

ALB has a negative Return on Invested Capital of -8.62%. This indicates that its operations are failing to generate a profit on the total capital invested, signaling significant inefficiency or value destruction.

DOW

1.39%

Chemicals Industry

Max: 16.50%
Q3: 7.11%
Median: -0.79%
Q1: -3.65%
Min: -4.54%

DOW’s Return on Invested Capital of 1.39% is in line with the norm for the Chemicals industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.

ALB vs. DOW: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

ALB

-22.39%

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max: 23.23%
Q3: 10.64%
Median: 5.14%
Q1: 0.64%
Min: -8.93%

ALB has a negative Net Profit Margin of -22.39%, indicating the company is operating at a net loss as its expenses exceeded its revenues.

DOW

0.68%

Chemicals Industry

Max: 8.25%
Q3: 5.49%
Median: -1.29%
Q1: -8.40%
Min: -16.54%

DOW’s Net Profit Margin of 0.68% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Chemicals industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

ALB vs. DOW: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

ALB

-25.05%

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max: 26.42%
Q3: 15.81%
Median: 10.07%
Q1: 4.82%
Min: -7.44%

ALB has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -25.05%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.

DOW

3.25%

Chemicals Industry

Max: 13.39%
Q3: 8.15%
Median: 3.25%
Q1: -1.95%
Min: -6.64%

DOW’s Operating Profit Margin of 3.25% is around the midpoint for the Chemicals industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

ALB vs. DOW: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	ALB	DOW
Return on Equity (TTM)	-11.01%	1.63%
Return on Assets (TTM)	-6.71%	0.50%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)	-8.62%	1.39%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	-22.39%	0.68%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	-25.05%	3.25%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	3.53%	9.38%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

ALB

2.11

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max: 3.95
Q3: 2.60
Median: 2.04
Q1: 1.60
Min: 0.77

ALB’s Current Ratio of 2.11 aligns with the median group of the Chemicals - Specialty industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

DOW

1.54

Chemicals Industry

Max: 3.17
Q3: 2.36
Median: 1.51
Q1: 1.33
Min: 0.00

DOW’s Current Ratio of 1.54 aligns with the median group of the Chemicals industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

ALB vs. DOW: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

ALB

0.36

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max: 1.65
Q3: 1.10
Median: 0.73
Q1: 0.55
Min: 0.01

Falling into the lower quartile for the Chemicals - Specialty industry, ALB’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.36 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.

DOW

1.07

Chemicals Industry

Max: 1.85
Q3: 1.44
Median: 1.06
Q1: 0.80
Min: 0.45

DOW’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.07 is typical for the Chemicals industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

ALB vs. DOW: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

ALB

-9.99

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max: 13.69
Q3: 9.06
Median: 5.24
Q1: 1.68
Min: -3.09

ALB has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -9.99. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.

DOW

1.67

Chemicals Industry

Max: 3.78
Q3: 3.48
Median: 0.92
Q1: -0.29
Min: -0.99

DOW’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 1.67 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Chemicals industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

ALB vs. DOW: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	ALB	DOW
Current Ratio (TTM)	2.11	1.54
Quick Ratio (TTM)	1.26	0.90
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)	0.36	1.07
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)	0.21	0.31
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)	-2.61	3.65
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	-9.99	1.67

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ALB and DOW. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

ALB vs. DOW: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

ALB vs. DOW: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

ALB vs. DOW: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

ALB

2.41%

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max: 9.19%
Q3: 2.44%
Median: 1.46%
Q1: 0.25%
Min: 0.00%

ALB’s Dividend Yield of 2.41% is consistent with its peers in the Chemicals - Specialty industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

DOW

9.84%

Chemicals Industry

Max: 10.37%
Q3: 8.69%
Median: 2.57%
Q1: 0.99%
Min: 0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 9.84%, DOW offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Chemicals industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

ALB vs. DOW: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

ALB

-31.01%

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max: 163.70%
Q3: 57.04%
Median: 30.02%
Q1: 12.51%
Min: 0.00%

ALB has a negative Dividend Payout Ratio of -31.01%. This typically means the company paid a dividend despite reporting a net loss, a situation that may signal financial instability.

DOW

678.28%

Chemicals Industry

Max: 678.28%
Q3: 47.18%
Median: 21.29%
Q1: 10.87%
Min: 0.00%

DOW’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 678.28% is above 100%. This means the company is paying out more in dividends than it earned, a practice that is often unsustainable and could indicate a risk to future dividend stability.

ALB vs. DOW: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	ALB	DOW
Dividend Yield (TTM)	2.41%	9.84%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	-31.01%	678.28%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

ALB

-6.93

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max: 56.68
Q3: 33.75
Median: 23.45
Q1: 16.09
Min: 7.50

ALB has a negative P/E Ratio of -6.93. This occurs when a company has negative earnings (a net loss), making the ratio unsuitable for valuation analysis.

DOW

69.37

Chemicals Industry

Max: 10.33
Q3: 10.33
Median: 8.69
Q1: 7.64
Min: 3.94

At 69.37, DOW’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Chemicals industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.

ALB vs. DOW: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

ALB

37.21

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max: 6.58
Q3: 3.23
Median: 1.64
Q1: 0.96
Min: 0.16

ALB’s Forward PEG Ratio of 37.21 is exceptionally high for the Chemicals - Specialty industry. This suggests its stock price is very high relative to its expected earnings growth, signaling significant overvaluation risk.

DOW

0.49

Chemicals Industry

Max: 0.63
Q3: 0.57
Median: 0.49
Q1: 0.34
Min: 0.01

The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Chemicals industry.

ALB vs. DOW: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

ALB

1.55

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max: 3.76
Q3: 2.31
Median: 1.38
Q1: 0.89
Min: 0.16

ALB’s P/S Ratio of 1.55 aligns with the market consensus for the Chemicals - Specialty industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

DOW

0.47

Chemicals Industry

Max: 1.07
Q3: 0.67
Median: 0.45
Q1: 0.30
Min: 0.09

DOW’s P/S Ratio of 0.47 aligns with the market consensus for the Chemicals industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

ALB vs. DOW: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

ALB

0.79

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max: 6.73
Q3: 3.78
Median: 1.56
Q1: 1.27
Min: 0.35

ALB’s P/B Ratio of 0.79 is in the lower quartile for the Chemicals - Specialty industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.

DOW

1.20

Chemicals Industry

Max: 1.20
Q3: 1.15
Median: 1.00
Q1: 0.67
Min: 0.43

At 1.20, DOW’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Chemicals industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

ALB vs. DOW: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	ALB	DOW
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)	-6.93	69.37
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)	37.21	0.49
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)	1.55	0.47
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)	0.79	1.20
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)	-56.65	-40.64
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)	-12.35	8.11
EV-to-Sales (TTM)	1.97	0.86