ALB vs. VMC: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ALB and VMC, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
VMC’s market capitalization of 35.17 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 VMC (beta: 0.84), suggesting ALB has greater potential for both gains and losses relative to market movements.
| Symbol | ALB | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Albemarle Corporation | Vulcan Materials Company |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Basic Materials | Basic Materials |
| Industry | Chemicals - Specialty | Construction Materials |
| CEO | Jerry Kent Masters Jr. | James Thomas Hill |
| Price | 67.21 USD | 266.24 USD |
| Market Cap | 7.91 billion USD | 35.17 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.61 | 0.84 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | February 22, 1994 | January 2, 1957 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ALB and VMC 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
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.
VMC
11.79%
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 32.32%
- Q3
- 20.74%
- Median
- 15.42%
- Q1
- 12.55%
- Min
- 11.55%
VMC’s Return on Equity of 11.79% is in the lower quartile for the Construction Materials industry. This indicates a less efficient generation of profit from its equity base when compared to its competitors.
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.
VMC
7.04%
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 15.45%
- Q3
- 12.02%
- Median
- 9.68%
- Q1
- 7.11%
- Min
- 7.02%
VMC’s Return on Invested Capital of 7.04% is in the lower quartile for the Construction Materials industry. This indicates a less efficient conversion of invested capital into profit compared to most of its competitors.
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.
VMC
12.50%
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 20.50%
- Q3
- 16.08%
- Median
- 10.94%
- Q1
- 9.16%
- Min
- 4.73%
VMC’s Net Profit Margin of 12.50% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Construction Materials industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
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.
VMC
18.96%
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 26.51%
- Q3
- 22.33%
- Median
- 18.96%
- Q1
- 12.92%
- Min
- 6.22%
VMC’s Operating Profit Margin of 18.96% is around the midpoint for the Construction Materials industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ALB | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | -11.01% | 11.79% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | -6.71% | 5.61% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | -8.62% | 7.04% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | -22.39% | 12.50% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | -25.05% | 18.96% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 3.53% | 44.35% |
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.
VMC
2.42
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 2.94
- Q3
- 2.73
- Median
- 2.25
- Q1
- 1.63
- Min
- 0.87
VMC’s Current Ratio of 2.42 aligns with the median group of the Construction Materials industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
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.
VMC
0.67
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 0.88
- Q3
- 0.71
- Median
- 0.53
- Q1
- 0.21
- Min
- 0.01
VMC’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.67 is typical for the Construction Materials 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
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.
VMC
6.72
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 32.44
- Q3
- 18.11
- Median
- 7.75
- Q1
- 5.31
- Min
- 3.30
VMC’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 6.72 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Construction Materials industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ALB | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 2.11 | 2.42 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.26 | 1.51 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.36 | 0.67 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.21 | 0.33 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | -2.61 | 2.55 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | -9.99 | 6.72 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ALB and VMC. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
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.
VMC
0.71%
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 8.35%
- Q3
- 1.57%
- Median
- 0.61%
- Q1
- 0.22%
- Min
- 0.00%
VMC’s Dividend Yield of 0.71% is consistent with its peers in the Construction Materials industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
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.
VMC
26.48%
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 86.74%
- Q3
- 26.48%
- Median
- 13.85%
- Q1
- 4.99%
- Min
- 0.00%
VMC’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 26.48% is within the typical range for the Construction Materials industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ALB | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.41% | 0.71% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | -31.01% | 26.48% |
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.
VMC
37.57
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 37.00
- Q3
- 25.95
- Median
- 18.83
- Q1
- 14.75
- Min
- 6.99
At 37.57, VMC’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Construction Materials industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
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.
VMC
2.42
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 2.56
- Q3
- 2.21
- Median
- 1.91
- Q1
- 1.46
- Min
- 0.48
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Construction Materials industry.
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.
VMC
4.69
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 5.00
- Q3
- 3.98
- Median
- 2.34
- Q1
- 1.52
- Min
- 0.50
VMC’s P/S Ratio of 4.69 is in the upper echelon for the Construction Materials industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
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.
VMC
4.33
Construction Materials Industry
- Max
- 5.60
- Q3
- 4.69
- Median
- 3.33
- Q1
- 1.80
- Min
- 0.76
VMC’s P/B Ratio of 4.33 is within the conventional range for the Construction Materials 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 | ALB | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | -6.93 | 37.57 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 37.21 | 2.42 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 1.55 | 4.69 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 0.79 | 4.33 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | -56.65 | 40.47 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | -12.35 | 19.56 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 1.97 | 5.39 |