ALB vs. FCX: Albemarle vs. Freeport-McMoRan Stock Comparison
How do Albemarle (ALB) and Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Albemarle (ALB) and Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) both fall under the Materials industry group, but ALB is classified in Chemicals while FCX is classified in Metals & Mining.
| Profile Item | ALB | FCX |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Albemarle Corporation | Freeport-McMoRan Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry Group | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry | Chemicals | Metals & Mining |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Specialty Chemicals | Copper |
| Market Capitalization | 11.71 billion USD | 85.33 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 22, 1994 | July 10, 1995 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ALB | FCX |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 1.28% | 58.58% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -3.80% | 24.99% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -17.74% | 11.32% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ALB | FCX |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 53.59% | 48.40% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.32 | 1.37 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -83.90% | -51.26% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.40M | 12.34M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ALB | FCX |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.06 | 1.12 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.08 | 1.61 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Albemarle (ALB) at 7.05% and Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 15.72% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
ALB
Materials industry group
7.05%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- Median
- 8.76%
- ALB
- 7.05%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
FCX
Materials industry group
15.72%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- FCX
- 15.72%
- Median
- 8.76%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Albemarle (ALB) at 11.08% and Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 13.03% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
ALB
Materials industry group
11.08%
- Max
- 38.66%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- ALB
- 11.08%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
FCX
Materials industry group
13.03%
- Max
- 38.66%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- FCX
- 13.03%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 35.26% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Albemarle (ALB) at 11.74%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
ALB
Materials industry group
11.74%
- Max
- 66.70%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- Median
- 12.56%
- ALB
- 11.74%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
FCX
Materials industry group
35.26%
- Max
- 66.70%
- FCX
- 35.26%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ALB | FCX |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 7.05% | 15.72% |
| ROA (TTM) | 3.95% | 7.99% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 11.08% | 13.03% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 11.74% | 35.26% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 26.17% | 38.86% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 1.81% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Albemarle (ALB) at -4.37% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) reports EPS growth of 16.92%, ranked against its industry; Albemarle (ALB) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ALB | FCX |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -4.37% | 1.81% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -11.10% | 4.39% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | 16.92% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -14.00% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Albemarle (ALB) at 2.34 and Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 2.02 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.
ALB
Materials industry group
2.34
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- ALB
- 2.34
- Median
- 2.24
- Q1
- 1.45
- Min
- 0.16
FCX
Materials industry group
2.02
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- FCX
- 2.02
- Q1
- 1.45
- Min
- 0.16
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Albemarle (ALB) at 0.18 and Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 0.31 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
ALB
Materials industry group
0.18
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- Median
- 0.47
- ALB
- 0.18
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
FCX
Materials industry group
0.31
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- Median
- 0.47
- FCX
- 0.31
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ALB | FCX |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.34 | 2.02 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.18 | 0.31 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.09 | 0.60 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Albemarle (ALB) at 1.65% and Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 1.04% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
ALB
Materials industry group
1.65%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- ALB
- 1.65%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
FCX
Materials industry group
1.04%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- FCX
- 1.04%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both Albemarle (ALB) at 39.16% and Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 25.21% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.
ALB
Materials industry group
39.16%
- Max
- 83.62%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- ALB
- 39.16%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
FCX
Materials industry group
25.21%
- Max
- 83.62%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- FCX
- 25.21%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ALB | FCX |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.65% | 1.04% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 39.16% | 25.21% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Albemarle (ALB) at 23.92 and Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 24.97 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
ALB
Materials industry group
23.92
- Max
- 59.00
- Q3
- 32.93
- ALB
- 23.92
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- Min
- 3.93
FCX
Materials industry group
24.97
- Max
- 59.00
- Q3
- 32.93
- FCX
- 24.97
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- Min
- 3.93
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Albemarle (ALB) at 1.90 and Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 3.23 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
ALB
Materials industry group
1.90
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- ALB
- 1.90
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
FCX
Materials industry group
3.23
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- FCX
- 3.23
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Albemarle (ALB) at 1.41 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 3.97 carries an above-peer premium to book — FCX is pricier on assets.
ALB
Materials industry group
1.41
- Max
- 6.59
- Q3
- 3.55
- Median
- 2.08
- ALB
- 1.41
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
FCX
Materials industry group
3.97
- Max
- 6.59
- FCX
- 3.97
- Q3
- 3.55
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ALB | FCX |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 23.92 | 24.97 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 1.90 | 3.23 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.41 | 3.97 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 10.67% | 2.19% |