CX vs. SQM: CEMEX vs. Sociedad Química y Minera Stock Comparison
How do CEMEX (CX) and Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
CEMEX (CX) and Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) both fall under the Materials industry group, but CX is classified in Construction Materials while SQM is classified in Chemicals.
Both CEMEX (CX) and Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) trade as ADRs — their core financials are comparable, but keep FX, depositary-program fees, and dividend withholding in view for each.
| Profile Item | CX | SQM |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Cemex S.A.B. de C.V. Sponsored ADR | Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. ADR |
| Country/Region | Mexico | Chile |
| GICS Sector | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry Group | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry | Construction Materials | Chemicals |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Construction Materials | Specialty Chemicals |
| Market Capitalization | 15.47 billion USD | 16.43 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | September 15, 1999 | September 21, 1993 |
| Security Type | ADR | ADR |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CX | SQM |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 7.57% | 19.41% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 17.84% | 7.76% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 10.81% | 1.46% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CX | SQM |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 36.82% | 47.10% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.57 | 1.10 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -53.08% | -69.69% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 7.01M | 953.31K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CX | SQM |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.09 | 0.32 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.14 | 0.49 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 21.82% sits in the top ROE quartile, while CEMEX (CX) at 5.17% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for SQM.
CX
Materials industry group
5.17%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- Median
- 8.76%
- CX
- 5.17%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
SQM
Materials industry group
21.82%
- Max
- 52.88%
- SQM
- 21.82%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- Median
- 8.76%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
Net Margin (TTM)
Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 20.62% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of CEMEX (CX) at 3.60%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
CX
Materials industry group
3.60%
- Max
- 38.66%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- Median
- 5.28%
- CX
- 3.60%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
SQM
Materials industry group
20.62%
- Max
- 38.66%
- SQM
- 20.62%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 48.82% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of CEMEX (CX) at 14.77%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
CX
Materials industry group
14.77%
- Max
- 66.70%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- CX
- 14.77%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
SQM
Materials industry group
48.82%
- Max
- 66.70%
- SQM
- 48.82%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CX | SQM |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 5.17% | 21.82% |
| ROA (TTM) | 5.07% | 11.55% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 3.60% | 20.62% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 14.77% | 48.82% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 33.48% | 42.17% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both CEMEX (CX) at 0.43% and Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 1.05% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Both CEMEX (CX) at 2.35% and Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at -14.16% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CX | SQM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 0.43% | 1.05% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 3.13% | -24.68% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 2.35% | -14.16% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 4.14% | -46.80% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 2.61 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while CEMEX (CX) at 0.95 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for CX.
CX
Materials industry group
0.95
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- Q1
- 1.45
- CX
- 0.95
- Min
- 0.16
SQM
Materials industry group
2.61
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- SQM
- 2.61
- Median
- 2.24
- Q1
- 1.45
- Min
- 0.16
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both CEMEX (CX) at 0.46 and Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 0.61 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
CX
Materials industry group
0.46
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- Median
- 0.47
- CX
- 0.46
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
SQM
Materials industry group
0.61
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- SQM
- 0.61
- Median
- 0.47
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CX | SQM |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.95 | 2.61 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.46 | 0.61 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.60 | 0.32 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
CEMEX (CX) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) reports a yield of 2.55%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CX
Materials industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- Median
- 0.38%
- CX
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
SQM
Materials industry group
2.55%
- Max
- 4.52%
- SQM
- 2.55%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 21.19% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while CEMEX (CX) at 67.86% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.
CX
Materials industry group
67.86%
- Max
- 83.62%
- CX
- 67.86%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
SQM
Materials industry group
21.19%
- Max
- 83.62%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- SQM
- 21.19%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CX | SQM |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 2.55% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 67.86% | 21.19% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 11.84 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while CEMEX (CX) at 67.00 trades above its peer range — a wide earnings-valuation gap relative to industry peers.
CX
Materials industry group
67.00
- CX
- 67.00
- Max
- 59.00
- Q3
- 32.93
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- Min
- 3.93
SQM
Materials industry group
11.84
- Max
- 59.00
- Q3
- 32.93
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- SQM
- 11.84
- Min
- 3.93
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both CEMEX (CX) at 0.89 and Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 2.44 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
CX
Materials industry group
0.89
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- Median
- 1.87
- CX
- 0.89
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
SQM
Materials industry group
2.44
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- SQM
- 2.44
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
CEMEX (CX) at 1.20 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 2.60 is valued near its industry’s middle — CX is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.
CX
Materials industry group
1.20
- Max
- 6.59
- Q3
- 3.55
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- CX
- 1.20
- Min
- -0.17
SQM
Materials industry group
2.60
- Max
- 6.59
- Q3
- 3.55
- SQM
- 2.60
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CX | SQM |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 67.00 | 11.84 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 0.89 | 2.44 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 1.20 | 2.60 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 8.86% | 15.94% |