APD vs. RIO: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at APD and RIO, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
APD’s market capitalization stands at 64.95 billion USD, while RIO’s is 95.89 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.
With betas of 0.87 for APD and 0.63 for RIO, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
RIO is an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), allowing U.S. investors direct exposure to its non-U.S. operations. APD, on the other hand, is a domestic entity.
| Symbol | APD | RIO |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. | Rio Tinto Group |
| Country | US | GB |
| Sector | Basic Materials | Basic Materials |
| Industry | Chemicals - Specialty | Industrial Materials |
| CEO | Eduardo F. Menezes | Jakob Stausholm |
| Price | 291.84 USD | 59.02 USD |
| Market Cap | 64.95 billion USD | 95.89 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.87 | 0.63 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | March 17, 1980 | June 28, 1990 |
| ADR | No | Yes |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of APD and RIO 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.
RIO
19.46%
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 65.76%
- Q3
- 10.57%
- Median
- -1.72%
- Q1
- -27.14%
- Min
- -46.81%
In the upper quartile for the Industrial Materials industry, RIO’s Return on Equity of 19.46% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
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.
RIO
11.70%
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 15.63%
- Q3
- 0.20%
- Median
- -4.84%
- Q1
- -14.55%
- Min
- -25.65%
In the upper quartile for the Industrial Materials industry, RIO’s Return on Invested Capital of 11.70% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
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.
RIO
19.84%
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 21.18%
- Q3
- 9.37%
- Median
- -6.02%
- Q1
- -57.39%
- Min
- -67.38%
A Net Profit Margin of 19.84% places RIO in the upper quartile for the Industrial Materials industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
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.
RIO
27.18%
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 40.67%
- Q3
- 20.05%
- Median
- -2.46%
- Q1
- -56.36%
- Min
- -86.58%
An Operating Profit Margin of 27.18% places RIO in the upper quartile for the Industrial Materials industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | APD | RIO |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 9.65% | 19.46% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 3.94% | 10.46% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 3.50% | 11.70% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 12.76% | 19.84% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 12.29% | 27.18% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 31.94% | 31.14% |
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.
RIO
1.63
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 6.52
- Q3
- 3.10
- Median
- 1.63
- Q1
- 0.70
- Min
- 0.01
RIO’s Current Ratio of 1.63 aligns with the median group of the Industrial Materials 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.
RIO
0.25
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 0.60
- Q3
- 0.48
- Median
- 0.25
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
RIO’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.25 is typical for the Industrial 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
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.
RIO
--
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 6.50
- Q3
- 1.51
- Median
- -2.20
- Q1
- -13.60
- Min
- -32.99
Interest Coverage Ratio data for RIO is currently unavailable.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | APD | RIO |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.00 | 1.63 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.85 | 1.13 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 1.12 | 0.25 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.42 | 0.13 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 4.19 | 0.36 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 7.77 | -- |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for APD and RIO. 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.
RIO
7.27%
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 8.97%
- Q3
- 1.63%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 7.27%, RIO offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Industrial Materials industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
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.
RIO
64.19%
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 194.54%
- Q3
- 62.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
RIO’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 64.19% is in the upper quartile for the Industrial Materials 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.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | APD | RIO |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.44% | 7.27% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 102.68% | 64.19% |
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.
RIO
8.84
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 164.90
- Q3
- 74.63
- Median
- 12.91
- Q1
- 8.46
- Min
- 2.25
RIO’s P/E Ratio of 8.84 is within the middle range for the Industrial Materials industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
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.
RIO
5.39
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 5.44
- Q3
- 5.44
- Median
- 1.31
- Q1
- 0.46
- Min
- 0.31
The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Industrial Materials 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.
RIO
1.77
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 34.66
- Q3
- 19.76
- Median
- 2.28
- Q1
- 1.04
- Min
- 0.23
RIO’s P/S Ratio of 1.77 aligns with the market consensus for the Industrial Materials industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
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.
RIO
1.72
Industrial Materials Industry
- Max
- 11.64
- Q3
- 5.46
- Median
- 1.94
- Q1
- 1.04
- Min
- 0.01
RIO’s P/B Ratio of 1.72 is within the conventional range for the Industrial 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 | APD | RIO |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 42.39 | 8.84 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 6.80 | 5.39 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 5.40 | 1.77 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 4.42 | 1.72 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | -14.99 | 13.40 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 22.33 | 5.23 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 6.65 | 1.90 |