ALB vs. NTR: Albemarle vs. Nutrien Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Albemarle (ALB) and Nutrien (NTR) 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 Nutrien (NTR) both belong to the Chemicals industry, though ALB is classified under Specialty Chemicals while NTR falls under Fertilizers & Agricultural Chemicals.

Company profile comparison for Albemarle (ALB) and Nutrien (NTR)
Profile Item	ALB	NTR
Name	Albemarle Corporation	Nutrien Ltd.
Country/Region	United States	Canada
GICS Sector	Materials	Materials
GICS Industry Group	Materials	Materials
GICS Industry	Chemicals	Chemicals
GICS Sub-Industry	Specialty Chemicals	Fertilizers & Agricultural Chemicals
Market Capitalization	11.71 billion USD	33.89 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	February 22, 1994	January 2, 2018
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ALB

NTR

GSPC

Albemarle (ALB) vs. Nutrien (NTR), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Albemarle (ALB) and Nutrien (NTR). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Albemarle (ALB) and Nutrien (NTR). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Albemarle (ALB) and Nutrien (NTR)
Metric	ALB	NTR
Total Return (1Y)	1.28%	30.80%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	-3.80%	13.84%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	-17.74%	4.29%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ALB

NTR

GSPC

Albemarle (ALB) vs. Nutrien (NTR), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Albemarle (ALB) and Nutrien (NTR). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Albemarle (ALB) has an aggressive beta of 1.32, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Nutrien (NTR) is defensive at 0.64 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.

Risk profile metrics for Albemarle (ALB) and Nutrien (NTR)
Metric	ALB	NTR
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	53.59%	32.77%
Beta (5Y)	1.32	0.64
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-83.90%	-58.17%
Avg. Volume (3M)	2.40M	2.56M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

ALB and NTR are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Albemarle (ALB) and Nutrien (NTR)
Metric	ALB	NTR
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	-0.06	0.81
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	-0.08	1.18

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Albemarle (ALB) at 7.05% and Nutrien (NTR) at 8.76% 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%

NTR

Materials industry group

8.76%

Max: 52.88%
Q3: 19.49%
NTR: 8.76%
Median: 8.76%
Q1: -3.41%
Min: -32.81%

Albemarle (ALB) vs. Nutrien (NTR): A comparison of their ROE against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Albemarle (ALB) at 11.08% and Nutrien (NTR) at 8.04% 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%

NTR

Materials industry group

8.04%

Max: 38.66%
Q3: 15.98%
NTR: 8.04%
Median: 5.28%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -20.40%

Albemarle (ALB) vs. Nutrien (NTR): A comparison of their net margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Albemarle (ALB) at 11.74% and Nutrien (NTR) at 10.97% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

ALB

Materials industry group

11.74%

Max: 66.70%
Q3: 28.92%
Median: 12.56%
ALB: 11.74%
Q1: 3.28%
Min: -14.07%

NTR

Materials industry group

10.97%

Max: 66.70%
Q3: 28.92%
Median: 12.56%
NTR: 10.97%
Q1: 3.28%
Min: -14.07%

Albemarle (ALB) vs. Nutrien (NTR): A comparison of their operating margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Albemarle (ALB) and Nutrien (NTR)
Metric	ALB	NTR
ROE (TTM)	7.05%	8.76%
ROA (TTM)	3.95%	4.24%
Net Margin (TTM)	11.08%	8.04%
Operating Margin (TTM)	11.74%	10.97%
Gross Margin (TTM)	26.17%	31.60%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Nutrien (NTR) at 3.52% 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.

Albemarle (ALB) vs. Nutrien (NTR): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Nutrien (NTR) reports EPS growth of 242.65%, ranked against its industry; Albemarle (ALB) has no EPS growth figure this period.

Albemarle (ALB) vs. Nutrien (NTR): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Albemarle (ALB) and Nutrien (NTR)
Metric	ALB	NTR
Revenue Growth (YoY)	-4.37%	3.52%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	-11.10%	-10.80%
EPS Growth (YoY)	--	242.65%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	-30.99%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Albemarle (ALB) at 2.34 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Nutrien (NTR) at 1.41 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for NTR.

ALB

Materials industry group

2.34

Max: 5.96
Q3: 3.30
ALB: 2.34
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.45
Min: 0.16

NTR

Materials industry group

1.41

Max: 5.96
Q3: 3.30
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.45
NTR: 1.41
Min: 0.16

Albemarle (ALB) vs. Nutrien (NTR): A comparison of their current ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Albemarle (ALB) at 0.18 and Nutrien (NTR) at 0.55 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

NTR

Materials industry group

0.55

Max: 1.98
Q3: 0.89
NTR: 0.55
Median: 0.47
Q1: 0.13
Min: 0.00

Albemarle (ALB) vs. Nutrien (NTR): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Albemarle (ALB) and Nutrien (NTR)
Metric	ALB	NTR
Current Ratio (MRQ)	2.34	1.41
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.18	0.55
Net Debt / EBITDA	0.09	2.38

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Nutrien (NTR) at 3.03% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Albemarle (ALB) at 1.65% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, NTR the richer one.

ALB

Materials industry group

1.65%

Max: 4.52%
Q3: 1.85%
ALB: 1.65%
Median: 0.38%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

NTR

Materials industry group

3.03%

Max: 4.52%
NTR: 3.03%
Q3: 1.85%
Median: 0.38%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Albemarle (ALB) vs. Nutrien (NTR): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Albemarle (ALB) at 39.16% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Nutrien (NTR) at 47.93% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

ALB

Materials industry group

39.16%

Max: 83.62%
Q3: 41.37%
ALB: 39.16%
Median: 9.54%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

NTR

Materials industry group

47.93%

Max: 83.62%
NTR: 47.93%
Q3: 41.37%
Median: 9.54%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Albemarle (ALB) vs. Nutrien (NTR): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Albemarle (ALB) and Nutrien (NTR)
Metric	ALB	NTR
Dividend Yield (TTM)	1.65%	3.03%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	39.16%	47.93%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Albemarle (ALB) at 23.92 and Nutrien (NTR) at 15.61 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

NTR

Materials industry group

15.61

Max: 59.00
Q3: 32.93
Median: 18.82
NTR: 15.61
Q1: 11.96
Min: 3.93

Albemarle (ALB) vs. Nutrien (NTR): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Albemarle (ALB) at 1.90 and Nutrien (NTR) at 1.24 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

NTR

Materials industry group

1.24

Max: 9.62
Q3: 4.34
Median: 1.87
NTR: 1.24
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.00

Albemarle (ALB) vs. Nutrien (NTR): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

On P/B ratio, both Albemarle (ALB) at 1.41 and Nutrien (NTR) at 1.32 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.

ALB

Materials industry group

1.41

Max: 6.59
Q3: 3.55
Median: 2.08
ALB: 1.41
Q1: 1.26
Min: -0.17

NTR

Materials industry group

1.32

Max: 6.59
Q3: 3.55
Median: 2.08
NTR: 1.32
Q1: 1.26
Min: -0.17

Albemarle (ALB) vs. Nutrien (NTR): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Albemarle (ALB) and Nutrien (NTR)
Metric	ALB	NTR
P/E Ratio (TTM)	23.92	15.61
P/S Ratio (TTM)	1.90	1.24
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	1.41	1.32
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	10.67%	5.77%