FCX vs. NTR: Freeport-McMoRan vs. Nutrien Stock Comparison
How do Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Nutrien (NTR) 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
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) and Nutrien (NTR) both fall under the Materials industry group, but FCX is classified in Metals & Mining while NTR is classified in Chemicals.
| Profile Item | FCX | NTR |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Freeport-McMoRan Inc. | Nutrien Ltd. |
| Country/Region | United States | Canada |
| GICS Sector | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry Group | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry | Metals & Mining | Chemicals |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Copper | Fertilizers & Agricultural Chemicals |
| Market Capitalization | 85.33 billion USD | 33.89 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | July 10, 1995 | January 2, 2018 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | FCX | NTR |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 58.58% | 30.80% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 24.99% | 13.84% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 11.32% | 4.29% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) has an aggressive beta of 1.37, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Nutrien (NTR) is defensive at 0.64 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | FCX | NTR |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 48.40% | 32.77% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.37 | 0.64 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -51.26% | -58.17% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 12.34M | 2.56M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | FCX | NTR |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.12 | 0.81 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.61 | 1.18 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 15.72% and Nutrien (NTR) at 8.76% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
FCX
Materials industry group
15.72%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- FCX
- 15.72%
- Median
- 8.76%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
NTR
Materials industry group
8.76%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- NTR
- 8.76%
- Median
- 8.76%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 13.03% and Nutrien (NTR) at 8.04% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
FCX
Materials industry group
13.03%
- Max
- 38.66%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- FCX
- 13.03%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
NTR
Materials industry group
8.04%
- Max
- 38.66%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- NTR
- 8.04%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 35.26% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Nutrien (NTR) at 10.97%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
FCX
Materials industry group
35.26%
- Max
- 66.70%
- FCX
- 35.26%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
NTR
Materials industry group
10.97%
- Max
- 66.70%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- Median
- 12.56%
- NTR
- 10.97%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | FCX | NTR |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 15.72% | 8.76% |
| ROA (TTM) | 7.99% | 4.24% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 13.03% | 8.04% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 35.26% | 10.97% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 38.86% | 31.60% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 1.81% and Nutrien (NTR) at 3.52% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Nutrien (NTR) at 242.65% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 16.92% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for NTR.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | FCX | NTR |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 1.81% | 3.52% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 4.39% | -10.80% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 16.92% | 242.65% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -14.00% | -30.99% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 2.02 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Nutrien (NTR) at 1.41 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for NTR.
FCX
Materials industry group
2.02
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- FCX
- 2.02
- Q1
- 1.45
- Min
- 0.16
NTR
Materials industry group
1.41
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- Q1
- 1.45
- NTR
- 1.41
- Min
- 0.16
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 0.31 and Nutrien (NTR) at 0.55 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
FCX
Materials industry group
0.31
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- Median
- 0.47
- FCX
- 0.31
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
NTR
Materials industry group
0.55
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- NTR
- 0.55
- Median
- 0.47
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | FCX | NTR |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.02 | 1.41 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.31 | 0.55 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.60 | 2.38 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Nutrien (NTR) at 3.03% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 1.04% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, NTR the richer one.
FCX
Materials industry group
1.04%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- FCX
- 1.04%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
NTR
Materials industry group
3.03%
- Max
- 4.52%
- NTR
- 3.03%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 25.21% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Nutrien (NTR) at 47.93% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.
FCX
Materials industry group
25.21%
- Max
- 83.62%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- FCX
- 25.21%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
NTR
Materials industry group
47.93%
- Max
- 83.62%
- NTR
- 47.93%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | FCX | NTR |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.04% | 3.03% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 25.21% | 47.93% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 24.97 and Nutrien (NTR) at 15.61 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
FCX
Materials industry group
24.97
- Max
- 59.00
- Q3
- 32.93
- FCX
- 24.97
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- Min
- 3.93
NTR
Materials industry group
15.61
- Max
- 59.00
- Q3
- 32.93
- Median
- 18.82
- NTR
- 15.61
- Q1
- 11.96
- Min
- 3.93
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 3.23 and Nutrien (NTR) at 1.24 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
FCX
Materials industry group
3.23
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- FCX
- 3.23
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
NTR
Materials industry group
1.24
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- Median
- 1.87
- NTR
- 1.24
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Nutrien (NTR) at 1.32 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) at 3.97 carries an above-peer premium to book — FCX is pricier on assets.
FCX
Materials industry group
3.97
- Max
- 6.59
- FCX
- 3.97
- Q3
- 3.55
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
NTR
Materials industry group
1.32
- Max
- 6.59
- Q3
- 3.55
- Median
- 2.08
- NTR
- 1.32
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | FCX | NTR |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 24.97 | 15.61 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.23 | 1.24 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 3.97 | 1.32 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 2.19% | 5.77% |