AU vs. LYB: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AU and LYB, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
AU’s market capitalization stands at 23.52 billion USD, while LYB’s is 19.93 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.
LYB carries a higher beta at 0.84, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AU (beta: 0.49) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | AU | LYB |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | AngloGold Ashanti Plc | LyondellBasell Industries N.V. |
| Country | GB | US |
| Sector | Basic Materials | Basic Materials |
| Industry | Gold | Chemicals - Specialty |
| CEO | Alberto Calderon Zuleta BA Econ, Econ, Law, M Phil Econ, | Peter Z. E. Vanacker |
| Price | 46.71 USD | 62.01 USD |
| Market Cap | 23.52 billion USD | 19.93 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.49 | 0.84 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | August 5, 1998 | April 28, 2010 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AU and LYB 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
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.
LYB
8.23%
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 34.45%
- Q3
- 15.78%
- Median
- 7.65%
- Q1
- 2.96%
- Min
- -12.04%
LYB’s Return on Equity of 8.23% is on par with the norm for the Chemicals - Specialty industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Return on Invested Capital
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.
LYB
3.39%
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 20.22%
- Q3
- 10.99%
- Median
- 5.25%
- Q1
- 3.06%
- Min
- -8.62%
LYB’s Return on Invested Capital of 3.39% is in line with the norm for the Chemicals - Specialty industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
Net Profit Margin
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.
LYB
2.80%
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 23.23%
- Q3
- 10.64%
- Median
- 5.14%
- Q1
- 0.64%
- Min
- -8.93%
LYB’s Net Profit Margin of 2.80% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Chemicals - Specialty industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin
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.
LYB
3.08%
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 26.42%
- Q3
- 15.81%
- Median
- 10.07%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -7.44%
LYB’s Operating Profit Margin of 3.08% is in the lower quartile for the Chemicals - Specialty industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AU | LYB |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 25.86% | 8.23% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 10.37% | 3.03% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 12.23% | 3.39% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.91% | 2.80% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 29.67% | 3.08% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 35.78% | 10.25% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
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.
LYB
1.83
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 3.95
- Q3
- 2.60
- Median
- 2.04
- Q1
- 1.60
- Min
- 0.77
LYB’s Current Ratio of 1.83 aligns with the median group of the Chemicals - Specialty industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
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.
LYB
1.04
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 1.65
- Q3
- 1.10
- Median
- 0.73
- Q1
- 0.55
- Min
- 0.01
LYB’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.04 is typical for the Chemicals - Specialty 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
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.
LYB
2.54
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 13.69
- Q3
- 9.06
- Median
- 5.24
- Q1
- 1.68
- Min
- -3.09
LYB’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 2.54 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Chemicals - Specialty industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AU | LYB |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 2.34 | 1.83 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.57 | 1.04 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.33 | 1.04 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.17 | 0.36 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.25 | 3.59 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 14.20 | 2.54 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AU and LYB. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
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.
LYB
8.69%
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 9.19%
- Q3
- 2.44%
- Median
- 1.46%
- Q1
- 0.25%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 8.69%, LYB offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Chemicals - Specialty industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio
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.
LYB
163.70%
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 163.70%
- Q3
- 57.04%
- Median
- 30.02%
- Q1
- 12.51%
- Min
- 0.00%
LYB’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 163.70% 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.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AU | LYB |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.27% | 8.69% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 45.43% | 163.70% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
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.
LYB
18.85
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 56.68
- Q3
- 33.75
- Median
- 23.45
- Q1
- 16.09
- Min
- 7.50
LYB’s P/E Ratio of 18.85 is within the middle range for the Chemicals - Specialty 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
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.
LYB
0.45
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 6.58
- Q3
- 3.23
- Median
- 1.64
- Q1
- 0.96
- Min
- 0.16
In the lower quartile for the Chemicals - Specialty industry, LYB’s Forward PEG Ratio of 0.45 is a positive indicator. It suggests that the stock may be attractively valued relative to its expected earnings growth.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
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.
LYB
0.52
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 3.76
- Q3
- 2.31
- Median
- 1.38
- Q1
- 0.89
- Min
- 0.16
In the lower quartile for the Chemicals - Specialty industry, LYB’s P/S Ratio of 0.52 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
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.
LYB
1.65
Chemicals - Specialty Industry
- Max
- 6.73
- Q3
- 3.78
- Median
- 1.56
- Q1
- 1.27
- Min
- 0.35
LYB’s P/B Ratio of 1.65 is within the conventional range for the Chemicals - Specialty 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 | AU | LYB |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 16.93 | 18.85 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | -0.86 | 0.45 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.03 | 0.52 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 3.47 | 1.65 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 18.13 | 13.16 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 7.94 | 10.22 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.13 | 0.81 |