AU vs. X: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AU and X, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
AU’s market capitalization of 23.52 billion USD is substantially larger than X’s 12.42 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
X carries a higher beta at 1.88, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AU (beta: 0.49) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | AU | X |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | AngloGold Ashanti Plc | United States Steel Corporation |
| Country | GB | US |
| Sector | Basic Materials | Basic Materials |
| Industry | Gold | Steel |
| CEO | Alberto Calderon Zuleta BA Econ, Econ, Law, M Phil Econ, | Alan Kestenbaum |
| Price | 46.71 USD | 54.84 USD |
| Market Cap | 23.52 billion USD | 12.42 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.49 | 1.88 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | August 5, 1998 | April 12, 1991 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AU and X 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.
X
0.77%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 19.41%
- Q3
- 6.56%
- Median
- 1.54%
- Q1
- -3.03%
- Min
- -12.88%
X’s Return on Equity of 0.77% is on par with the norm for the Steel 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.
X
-0.75%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 8.44%
- Q3
- 6.04%
- Median
- 2.41%
- Q1
- -2.16%
- Min
- -5.38%
X has a negative Return on Invested Capital of -0.75%. 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
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.
X
0.64%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 6.80%
- Q3
- 4.40%
- Median
- 0.88%
- Q1
- -2.05%
- Min
- -10.37%
X’s Net Profit Margin of 0.64% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Steel 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.
X
-0.70%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 17.40%
- Q3
- 7.61%
- Median
- 4.75%
- Q1
- -0.70%
- Min
- -10.86%
X has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -0.70%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AU | X |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 25.86% | 0.77% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 10.37% | 0.48% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 12.23% | -0.75% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.91% | 0.64% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 29.67% | -0.70% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 35.78% | 7.25% |
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.
X
1.45
Steel Industry
- Max
- 3.17
- Q3
- 3.03
- Median
- 2.58
- Q1
- 1.87
- Min
- 1.35
X’s Current Ratio of 1.45 falls into the lower quartile for the Steel industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
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.
X
0.01
Steel Industry
- Max
- 0.48
- Q3
- 0.45
- Median
- 0.27
- Q1
- 0.18
- Min
- 0.00
Falling into the lower quartile for the Steel industry, X’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.01 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
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.
X
-4.86
Steel Industry
- Max
- 28.82
- Q3
- 10.16
- Median
- 3.04
- Q1
- -2.82
- Min
- -8.78
X has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -4.86. 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 | AU | X |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 2.34 | 1.45 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.57 | 0.75 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.33 | 0.01 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.17 | 0.01 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 0.25 | -0.42 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 14.20 | -4.86 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AU and X. 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.
X
0.36%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 16.89%
- Q3
- 3.75%
- Median
- 1.68%
- Q1
- 1.43%
- Min
- 0.00%
X’s Dividend Yield of 0.36% is in the lower quartile for the Steel industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.
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.
X
0.00%
Steel Industry
- Max
- 222.70%
- Q3
- 39.78%
- Median
- 32.33%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
X 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 | AU | X |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.27% | 0.36% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 45.43% | 0.00% |
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.
X
127.57
Steel Industry
- Max
- 24.65
- Q3
- 23.86
- Median
- 21.78
- Q1
- 15.59
- Min
- 7.61
At 127.57, X’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Steel 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
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.
X
3.14
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
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.
X
0.82
Steel Industry
- Max
- 1.22
- Q3
- 0.82
- Median
- 0.47
- Q1
- 0.30
- Min
- 0.19
X’s P/S Ratio of 0.82 aligns with the market consensus for the Steel industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
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.
X
0.77
Steel Industry
- Max
- 2.37
- Q3
- 1.48
- Median
- 0.77
- Q1
- 0.59
- Min
- 0.38
X’s P/B Ratio of 0.77 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 | AU | X |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 16.93 | 127.57 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | -0.86 | 3.14 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.03 | 0.82 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 3.47 | 0.77 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 18.13 | -8.66 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 7.94 | 11.34 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.13 | 0.79 |