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

Updated on July 9, 2025

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

Company Overview

FCX’s market capitalization of 65.78 billion USD is significantly greater than ALB’s 7.91 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.

With betas of 1.61 for ALB and 1.63 for FCX, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.

Symbol	ALB	FCX
Company Name	Albemarle Corporation	Freeport-McMoRan Inc.
Country	US	US
Sector	Basic Materials	Basic Materials
Industry	Chemicals - Specialty	Copper
CEO	Jerry Kent Masters Jr.	Kathleen Lynne Quirk
Price	67.21 USD	45.8 USD
Market Cap	7.91 billion USD	65.78 billion USD
Beta	1.61	1.63
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
IPO Date	February 22, 1994	July 10, 1995
ADR	No	No

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of ALB and FCX 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. FCX: 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.

FCX

10.07%

Copper Industry

Max: 10.07%
Q3: 10.07%
Median: 6.05%
Q1: 2.83%
Min: 2.83%

FCX’s Return on Equity of 10.07% is on par with the norm for the Copper industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

ALB vs. FCX: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Copper 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.

FCX

7.95%

Copper Industry

Max: 7.95%
Q3: 7.95%
Median: 6.86%
Q1: 3.80%
Min: 3.36%

FCX’s Return on Invested Capital of 7.95% is in line with the norm for the Copper industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.

ALB vs. FCX: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Copper 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.

FCX

7.11%

Copper Industry

Max: 7.45%
Q3: 7.45%
Median: 7.11%
Q1: 3.86%
Min: 3.86%

FCX’s Net Profit Margin of 7.11% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Copper industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

ALB vs. FCX: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Copper 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.

FCX

26.28%

Copper Industry

Max: 31.21%
Q3: 31.21%
Median: 26.28%
Q1: 22.29%
Min: 11.24%

FCX’s Operating Profit Margin of 26.28% is around the midpoint for the Copper industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

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

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	ALB	FCX
Return on Equity (TTM)	-11.01%	10.07%
Return on Assets (TTM)	-6.71%	3.16%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)	-8.62%	7.95%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	-22.39%	7.11%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	-25.05%	26.28%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	3.53%	28.83%

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.

FCX

2.32

Copper Industry

Max: 3.71
Q3: 2.32
Median: 2.32
Q1: 1.08
Min: 1.05

FCX’s Current Ratio of 2.32 aligns with the median group of the Copper industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

ALB vs. FCX: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Copper 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.

FCX

0.53

Copper Industry

Max: 0.93
Q3: 0.93
Median: 0.83
Q1: 0.53
Min: 0.45

FCX’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.53 is typical for the Copper industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

ALB vs. FCX: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Copper 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.

FCX

21.78

Copper Industry

Max: 21.78
Q3: 21.78
Median: 17.07
Q1: 5.35
Min: 1.04

FCX’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 21.78 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Copper industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

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

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	ALB	FCX
Current Ratio (TTM)	2.11	2.32
Quick Ratio (TTM)	1.26	1.13
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)	0.36	0.53
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)	0.21	0.17
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)	-2.61	0.51
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	-9.99	21.78

Growth

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

Revenue Growth

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

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

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

Free Cash Flow Growth

ALB vs. FCX: 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.

FCX

1.31%

Copper Industry

Max: 2.59%
Q3: 1.37%
Median: 0.14%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

FCX’s Dividend Yield of 1.31% is consistent with its peers in the Copper industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

ALB vs. FCX: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Copper 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.

FCX

48.93%

Copper Industry

Max: 48.93%
Q3: 43.83%
Median: 3.69%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

FCX’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 48.93% is in the upper quartile for the Copper 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.

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

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	ALB	FCX
Dividend Yield (TTM)	2.41%	1.31%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	-31.01%	48.93%

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.

FCX

37.41

Copper Industry

Max: 86.02
Q3: 49.93
Median: 31.39
Q1: 25.88
Min: 22.65

FCX’s P/E Ratio of 37.41 is within the middle range for the Copper industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

ALB vs. FCX: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Copper 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.

FCX

-0.37

Copper Industry

Max: 4.16
Q3: 3.84
Median: 3.53
Q1: 3.22
Min: 2.90

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

ALB vs. FCX: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Copper 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.

FCX

2.65

Copper Industry

Max: 3.56
Q3: 3.56
Median: 2.53
Q1: 2.19
Min: 2.01

FCX’s P/S Ratio of 2.65 aligns with the market consensus for the Copper industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

ALB vs. FCX: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Copper 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.

FCX

3.74

Copper Industry

Max: 3.58
Q3: 3.58
Median: 2.44
Q1: 2.42
Min: 1.57

At 3.74, FCX’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Copper 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. FCX: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Copper industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	ALB	FCX
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)	-6.93	37.41
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)	37.21	-0.37
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)	1.55	2.65
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)	0.79	3.74
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)	-56.65	41.21
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)	-12.35	7.87
EV-to-Sales (TTM)	1.97	2.83