Seek Returns logo

APD vs. AU: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on

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

Company Overview

APD’s market capitalization of 64.95 billion USD is substantially larger than AU’s 23.52 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.

APD’s beta of 0.87 points to significantly higher volatility compared to AU (beta: 0.49), suggesting APD has greater potential for both gains and losses relative to market movements.

SymbolAPDAU
Company NameAir Products and Chemicals, Inc.AngloGold Ashanti Plc
CountryUSGB
SectorBasic MaterialsBasic Materials
IndustryChemicals - SpecialtyGold
CEOEduardo F. MenezesAlberto Calderon Zuleta BA Econ, Econ, Law, M Phil Econ,
Price291.84 USD46.71 USD
Market Cap64.95 billion USD23.52 billion USD
Beta0.870.49
ExchangeNYSENYSE
IPO DateMarch 17, 1980August 5, 1998
ADRNoNo

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of APD and AU 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.

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

Profitability

Return on Equity

APD

9.65%

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

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

APD’s Return on Equity of 9.65% is on par with the norm for the Chemicals - Specialty industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

AU

25.86%

Gold Industry

Max
25.86%
Q3
12.48%
Median
8.15%
Q1
2.34%
Min
-3.82%

In the upper quartile for the Gold industry, AU’s Return on Equity of 25.86% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

APD vs. AU: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Gold industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

APD

3.50%

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

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

APD’s Return on Invested Capital of 3.50% is in line with the norm for the Chemicals - Specialty industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.

AU

12.23%

Gold Industry

Max
20.84%
Q3
9.90%
Median
5.11%
Q1
1.36%
Min
-10.62%

In the upper quartile for the Gold industry, AU’s Return on Invested Capital of 12.23% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.

APD vs. AU: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Gold industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

APD

12.76%

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

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

A Net Profit Margin of 12.76% places APD in the upper quartile for the Chemicals - Specialty industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

AU

17.91%

Gold Industry

Max
26.48%
Q3
21.01%
Median
16.48%
Q1
8.22%
Min
-6.63%

AU’s Net Profit Margin of 17.91% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Gold industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

APD vs. AU: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Gold industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

APD

12.29%

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

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

APD’s Operating Profit Margin of 12.29% is around the midpoint for the Chemicals - Specialty industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

AU

29.67%

Gold Industry

Max
67.43%
Q3
40.39%
Median
30.64%
Q1
19.83%
Min
-9.84%

AU’s Operating Profit Margin of 29.67% is around the midpoint for the Gold industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

APD vs. AU: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Gold industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

SymbolAPDAU
Return on Equity (TTM)9.65%25.86%
Return on Assets (TTM)3.94%10.37%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)3.50%12.23%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)12.76%17.91%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)12.29%29.67%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)31.94%35.78%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

APD

1.00

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max
3.95
Q3
2.60
Median
2.04
Q1
1.60
Min
0.77

APD’s Current Ratio of 1.00 falls into the lower quartile for the Chemicals - Specialty industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

AU

2.34

Gold Industry

Max
4.98
Q3
3.76
Median
2.34
Q1
1.51
Min
0.52

AU’s Current Ratio of 2.34 aligns with the median group of the Gold industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

APD vs. AU: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Gold industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

APD

1.12

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max
1.65
Q3
1.10
Median
0.73
Q1
0.55
Min
0.01

APD’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Chemicals - Specialty industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.12. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.

AU

0.33

Gold Industry

Max
0.67
Q3
0.34
Median
0.17
Q1
0.06
Min
0.00

AU’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.33 is typical for the Gold industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

APD vs. AU: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Gold industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

APD

7.77

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max
13.69
Q3
9.06
Median
5.24
Q1
1.68
Min
-3.09

APD’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 7.77 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Chemicals - Specialty industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

AU

14.20

Gold Industry

Max
45.23
Q3
25.79
Median
13.44
Q1
2.91
Min
-6.26

AU’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 14.20 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Gold industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

APD vs. AU: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Gold industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

SymbolAPDAU
Current Ratio (TTM)1.002.34
Quick Ratio (TTM)0.851.57
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)1.120.33
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)0.420.17
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)4.190.25
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)7.7714.20

Growth

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

Revenue Growth

APD vs. AU: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

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

Free Cash Flow Growth

APD vs. AU: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

APD

2.44%

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

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

With a Dividend Yield of 2.44%, APD offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Chemicals - Specialty industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

AU

0.27%

Gold Industry

Max
3.65%
Q3
1.37%
Median
0.47%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

AU’s Dividend Yield of 0.27% is consistent with its peers in the Gold industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

APD vs. AU: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Gold industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

APD

102.68%

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

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

APD’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 102.68% 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.

AU

45.43%

Gold Industry

Max
110.70%
Q3
42.09%
Median
15.45%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

AU’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 45.43% is in the upper quartile for the Gold 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.

APD vs. AU: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Gold industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

SymbolAPDAU
Dividend Yield (TTM)2.44%0.27%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)102.68%45.43%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

APD

42.39

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max
56.68
Q3
33.75
Median
23.45
Q1
16.09
Min
7.50

A P/E Ratio of 42.39 places APD in the upper quartile for the Chemicals - Specialty industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.

AU

16.93

Gold Industry

Max
64.00
Q3
46.06
Median
29.03
Q1
16.74
Min
1.00

AU’s P/E Ratio of 16.93 is within the middle range for the Gold industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

APD vs. AU: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Gold industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

APD

6.80

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max
6.58
Q3
3.23
Median
1.64
Q1
0.96
Min
0.16

APD’s Forward PEG Ratio of 6.80 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.

AU

-0.86

Gold Industry

Max
14.01
Q3
6.52
Median
3.33
Q1
0.82
Min
0.05

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

APD vs. AU: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Gold industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

APD

5.40

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max
3.76
Q3
2.31
Median
1.38
Q1
0.89
Min
0.16

With a P/S Ratio of 5.40, APD trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Chemicals - Specialty industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

AU

3.03

Gold Industry

Max
15.12
Q3
7.63
Median
3.25
Q1
2.30
Min
0.79

AU’s P/S Ratio of 3.03 aligns with the market consensus for the Gold industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

APD vs. AU: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Gold industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

APD

4.42

Chemicals - Specialty Industry

Max
6.73
Q3
3.78
Median
1.56
Q1
1.27
Min
0.35

APD’s P/B Ratio of 4.42 is in the upper tier for the Chemicals - Specialty industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.

AU

3.47

Gold Industry

Max
6.10
Q3
3.60
Median
2.02
Q1
1.35
Min
0.26

AU’s P/B Ratio of 3.47 is within the conventional range for the Gold 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.

APD vs. AU: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Chemicals - Specialty and Gold industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

SymbolAPDAU
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)42.3916.93
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)6.80-0.86
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)5.403.03
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)4.423.47
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)-14.9918.13
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)22.337.94
EV-to-Sales (TTM)6.653.13