K vs. UL: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at K and UL, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
K is a standard domestic listing, while UL trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors access to its foreign-listed shares.
| Symbol | K | UL |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Kellanova | Unilever PLC |
| Country | United States | United Kingdom |
| GICS Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Staples |
| GICS Industry | Food Products | Personal Care Products |
| Market Capitalization | 27.73 billion USD | 153.29 billion USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 21, 1973 | March 25, 1980 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | ADR |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of K and UL 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.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | K | UL |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | -0.29% | -1.47% |
| 13-Week Price Return | -3.32% | -1.24% |
| 26-Week Price Return | -3.51% | 5.55% |
| 52-Week Price Return | -1.14% | -5.88% |
| Month-to-Date Return | -0.09% | 4.88% |
| Year-to-Date Return | -1.49% | 1.65% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 1.84M | 2.58M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 3.19M | 2.39M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 7.05% | 15.30% |
| Beta | 0.23 | 0.16 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
K
34.57%
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 27.15%
- Q3
- 15.66%
- Median
- 10.47%
- Q1
- 7.82%
- Min
- -2.46%
K’s Return on Equity of 34.57% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Food Products industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
UL
29.40%
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 31.59%
- Q3
- 20.42%
- Median
- 11.01%
- Q1
- 3.26%
- Min
- -18.42%
In the upper quartile for the Personal Care Products industry, UL’s Return on Equity of 29.40% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
K
10.56%
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 18.44%
- Q3
- 9.92%
- Median
- 6.38%
- Q1
- 4.13%
- Min
- -0.92%
A Net Profit Margin of 10.56% places K in the upper quartile for the Food Products industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
UL
9.29%
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 15.12%
- Q3
- 12.06%
- Median
- 9.26%
- Q1
- 5.50%
- Min
- -0.40%
UL’s Net Profit Margin of 9.29% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Personal Care Products industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
K
14.67%
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 24.83%
- Q3
- 14.27%
- Median
- 9.73%
- Q1
- 6.26%
- Min
- -0.10%
An Operating Profit Margin of 14.67% places K in the upper quartile for the Food Products industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
UL
14.58%
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 19.80%
- Q3
- 17.96%
- Median
- 13.14%
- Q1
- 7.58%
- Min
- -4.25%
UL’s Operating Profit Margin of 14.58% is around the midpoint for the Personal Care Products industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | K | UL |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 34.57% | 29.40% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 8.51% | 7.13% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 10.56% | 9.29% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 14.67% | 14.58% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 35.99% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
K
0.68
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 3.80
- Q3
- 2.40
- Median
- 1.61
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- 0.55
K’s Current Ratio of 0.68 falls into the lower quartile for the Food Products industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
UL
0.76
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 4.26
- Q3
- 2.61
- Median
- 1.74
- Q1
- 1.13
- Min
- 0.76
UL’s Current Ratio of 0.76 falls into the lower quartile for the Personal Care Products 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 (MRQ)
K
1.43
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 1.87
- Q3
- 0.90
- Median
- 0.48
- Q1
- 0.24
- Min
- 0.00
K’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Food Products industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.43. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.
UL
1.80
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 1.13
- Q3
- 0.63
- Median
- 0.26
- Q1
- 0.04
- Min
- 0.00
With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.80, UL operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Personal Care Products industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
K
49.65
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 70.39
- Q3
- 32.08
- Median
- 9.51
- Q1
- 4.55
- Min
- -1.69
K’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 49.65 is in the upper quartile for the Food Products industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.
UL
22.79
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 96.53
- Q3
- 59.91
- Median
- 22.25
- Q1
- 7.85
- Min
- -1.93
UL’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 22.79 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Personal Care Products industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | K | UL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.68 | 0.76 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.45 | 0.55 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 1.43 | 1.80 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 49.65 | 22.79 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
K
2.83%
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 7.43%
- Q3
- 4.12%
- Median
- 2.67%
- Q1
- 1.57%
- Min
- 0.00%
K’s Dividend Yield of 2.83% is consistent with its peers in the Food Products industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
UL
3.42%
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 4.08%
- Q3
- 2.46%
- Median
- 1.82%
- Q1
- 0.83%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 3.42%, UL offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Personal Care Products industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
K
59.03%
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 202.50%
- Q3
- 109.53%
- Median
- 67.28%
- Q1
- 39.33%
- Min
- 0.00%
K’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 59.03% is within the typical range for the Food Products industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
UL
79.51%
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 207.61%
- Q3
- 115.17%
- Median
- 69.37%
- Q1
- 47.71%
- Min
- 0.00%
UL’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 79.51% is within the typical range for the Personal Care Products industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | K | UL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.83% | 3.42% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 59.03% | 79.51% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
K
20.85
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 35.81
- Q3
- 22.88
- Median
- 17.13
- Q1
- 13.91
- Min
- 2.77
K’s P/E Ratio of 20.85 is within the middle range for the Food Products industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
UL
23.23
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 55.49
- Q3
- 36.75
- Median
- 26.49
- Q1
- 22.40
- Min
- 11.12
UL’s P/E Ratio of 23.23 is within the middle range for the Personal Care Products industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
K
2.20
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 3.63
- Q3
- 1.86
- Median
- 1.14
- Q1
- 0.68
- Min
- 0.12
K’s P/S Ratio of 2.20 is in the upper echelon for the Food Products industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
UL
2.16
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 5.35
- Q3
- 2.83
- Median
- 2.07
- Q1
- 1.13
- Min
- 0.00
UL’s P/S Ratio of 2.16 aligns with the market consensus for the Personal Care Products industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
K
6.72
Food Products Industry
- Max
- 5.01
- Q3
- 2.76
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- 0.52
At 6.72, K’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Food Products industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
UL
7.06
Personal Care Products Industry
- Max
- 7.32
- Q3
- 5.26
- Median
- 2.93
- Q1
- 1.84
- Min
- 1.14
UL’s P/B Ratio of 7.06 is in the upper tier for the Personal Care Products 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.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | K | UL |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 20.85 | 23.23 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 2.20 | 2.16 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 6.72 | 7.06 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 39.21 | 20.05 |