APD vs. CLF: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at APD and CLF, 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 CLF’s 4.36 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
CLF carries a higher beta at 1.85, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while APD (beta: 0.87) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | APD | CLF |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. | Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Basic Materials | Basic Materials |
| Industry | Chemicals - Specialty | Steel |
| CEO | Eduardo F. Menezes | C. Lourenco Goncalves |
| Price | 291.84 USD | 8.82 USD |
| Market Cap | 64.95 billion USD | 4.36 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.87 | 1.85 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | March 17, 1980 | November 5, 1987 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of APD and CLF 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
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.
CLF
-17.59%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 19.41%
- Q3
- 6.56%
- Median
- 1.54%
- Q1
- -3.03%
- Min
- -12.88%
CLF has a negative Return on Equity of -17.59%. 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.
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.
CLF
-5.38%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 8.44%
- Q3
- 6.04%
- Median
- 2.41%
- Q1
- -2.16%
- Min
- -5.38%
CLF has a negative Return on Invested Capital of -5.38%. This indicates that its operations are failing to generate a profit on the total capital invested, signaling significant inefficiency or value destruction.
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.
CLF
-6.35%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 6.80%
- Q3
- 4.40%
- Median
- 0.88%
- Q1
- -2.05%
- Min
- -10.37%
CLF has a negative Net Profit Margin of -6.35%, indicating the company is operating at a net loss as its expenses exceeded its revenues.
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.
CLF
-6.75%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 17.40%
- Q3
- 7.61%
- Median
- 4.75%
- Q1
- -0.70%
- Min
- -10.86%
CLF has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -6.75%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | APD | CLF |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 9.65% | -17.59% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 3.94% | -5.67% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 3.50% | -5.38% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 12.76% | -6.35% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 12.29% | -6.75% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 31.94% | -3.26% |
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.
CLF
2.13
Steel Industry
- Max
- 3.17
- Q3
- 3.03
- Median
- 2.58
- Q1
- 1.87
- Min
- 1.35
CLF’s Current Ratio of 2.13 aligns with the median group of the Steel industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
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.
CLF
1.22
Steel Industry
- Max
- 0.48
- Q3
- 0.45
- Median
- 0.27
- Q1
- 0.18
- Min
- 0.00
With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.22, CLF operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Steel industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.
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.
CLF
-2.82
Steel Industry
- Max
- 28.82
- Q3
- 10.16
- Median
- 3.04
- Q1
- -2.82
- Min
- -8.78
CLF has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -2.82. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | APD | CLF |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.00 | 2.13 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.85 | 0.64 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 1.12 | 1.22 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.42 | 0.36 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 4.19 | -119.75 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.77 | -2.82 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for APD and CLF. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
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.
CLF
0.00%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 16.89%
- Q3
- 3.75%
- Median
- 1.68%
- Q1
- 1.43%
- Min
- 0.00%
CLF currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
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.
CLF
0.00%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 222.70%
- Q3
- 39.78%
- Median
- 32.33%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
CLF has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | APD | CLF |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.44% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 102.68% | 0.00% |
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.
CLF
-3.69
Steel Industry
- Max
- 24.65
- Q3
- 23.86
- Median
- 21.78
- Q1
- 15.59
- Min
- 7.61
CLF has a negative P/E Ratio of -3.69. This occurs when a company has negative earnings (a net loss), making the ratio unsuitable for valuation analysis.
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.
CLF
0.12
Steel Industry
- Max
- 3.14
- Q3
- 2.43
- Median
- 0.99
- Q1
- 0.40
- Min
- 0.10
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Steel industry.
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.
CLF
0.23
Steel Industry
- Max
- 1.22
- Q3
- 0.82
- Median
- 0.47
- Q1
- 0.30
- Min
- 0.19
In the lower quartile for the Steel industry, CLF’s P/S Ratio of 0.23 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.
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.
CLF
0.70
Steel Industry
- Max
- 2.37
- Q3
- 1.48
- Median
- 0.77
- Q1
- 0.59
- Min
- 0.38
CLF’s P/B Ratio of 0.70 is within the conventional range for the Steel 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 | APD | CLF |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 42.39 | -3.69 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 6.80 | 0.12 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 5.40 | 0.23 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 4.42 | 0.70 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | -14.99 | -4.14 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 22.33 | -189.00 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 6.65 | 0.64 |