PKX vs. VALE: POSCO vs. Vale Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do POSCO (PKX) and Vale (VALE) 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

POSCO (PKX) and Vale (VALE) are both classified in the Steel sub-industry within the broader Metals & Mining industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Both POSCO (PKX) and Vale (VALE) trade as ADRs — their core financials are comparable, but keep FX, depositary-program fees, and dividend withholding in view for each.

Company profile comparison for POSCO (PKX) and Vale (VALE)
Profile Item	PKX	VALE
Name	POSCO Holdings Inc. American Depositary Receipt	Vale S.A. American Depositary Shares
Country/Region	South Korea	Brazil
GICS Sector	Materials	Materials
GICS Industry Group	Materials	Materials
GICS Industry	Metals & Mining	Metals & Mining
GICS Sub-Industry	Steel	Steel
Market Capitalization	14.79 billion USD	49.32 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	October 14, 1994	March 21, 2002
Security Type	ADR	ADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

PKX

VALE

GSPC

POSCO (PKX) vs. Vale (VALE), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

Loading price history…

Trailing total returns for POSCO (PKX) and Vale (VALE). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

Loading price history…

Calendar-year total returns for POSCO (PKX) and Vale (VALE). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for POSCO (PKX) and Vale (VALE)
Metric	PKX	VALE
Total Return (1Y)	-4.84%	6.20%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	-15.65%	3.12%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	-1.81%	8.31%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

PKX

VALE

GSPC

POSCO (PKX) vs. Vale (VALE), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

Loading price history…

Distribution of monthly total returns for POSCO (PKX) and Vale (VALE). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

POSCO (PKX) has an aggressive beta of 1.71, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Vale (VALE) is defensive at 0.48 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.

Vale (VALE) is heavily traded at around 32.62M shares per day, whereas POSCO (PKX) sees a more moderate 216.95K — larger orders in the latter may require more patience and tighter control over order sizing.

Risk profile metrics for POSCO (PKX) and Vale (VALE)
Metric	PKX	VALE
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	46.00%	33.88%
Beta (5Y)	1.71	0.48
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-68.71%	-49.81%
Avg. Volume (3M)	216.95K	32.62M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

PKX and VALE are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for POSCO (PKX) and Vale (VALE)
Metric	PKX	VALE
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	-0.20	0.06
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	-0.30	0.08

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both POSCO (PKX) at 2.21% and Vale (VALE) at 0.26% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

PKX

Materials industry group

2.21%

Max: 52.88%
Q3: 19.49%
Median: 8.76%
PKX: 2.21%
Q1: -3.41%
Min: -32.81%

VALE

Materials industry group

0.26%

Max: 52.88%
Q3: 19.49%
Median: 8.76%
VALE: 0.26%
Q1: -3.41%
Min: -32.81%

POSCO (PKX) vs. Vale (VALE): A comparison of their ROE against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both POSCO (PKX) at 1.89% and Vale (VALE) at 1.01% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.

PKX

Materials industry group

1.89%

Max: 38.66%
Q3: 15.98%
Median: 5.28%
PKX: 1.89%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -20.40%

VALE

Materials industry group

1.01%

Max: 38.66%
Q3: 15.98%
Median: 5.28%
VALE: 1.01%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: -20.40%

POSCO (PKX) vs. Vale (VALE): A comparison of their net margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both POSCO (PKX) at 4.26% and Vale (VALE) at 19.31% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.

PKX

Materials industry group

4.26%

Max: 66.70%
Q3: 28.92%
Median: 12.56%
PKX: 4.26%
Q1: 3.28%
Min: -14.07%

VALE

Materials industry group

19.31%

Max: 66.70%
Q3: 28.92%
VALE: 19.31%
Median: 12.56%
Q1: 3.28%
Min: -14.07%

POSCO (PKX) vs. Vale (VALE): A comparison of their operating margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for POSCO (PKX) and Vale (VALE)
Metric	PKX	VALE
ROE (TTM)	2.21%	0.26%
ROA (TTM)	1.31%	6.97%
Net Margin (TTM)	1.89%	1.01%
Operating Margin (TTM)	4.26%	19.31%
Gross Margin (TTM)	7.87%	32.06%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Vale (VALE) at 0.91% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while POSCO (PKX) at -6.09% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.

POSCO (PKX) vs. Vale (VALE): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both POSCO (PKX) at -29.00% and Vale (VALE) at -61.81% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

POSCO (PKX) vs. Vale (VALE): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for POSCO (PKX) and Vale (VALE)
Metric	PKX	VALE
Revenue Growth (YoY)	-6.09%	0.91%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	-6.72%	-4.32%
EPS Growth (YoY)	-29.00%	-61.81%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	-39.42%	-48.60%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

POSCO (PKX) at 1.98 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Vale (VALE) at 1.10 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for VALE.

PKX

Materials industry group

1.98

Max: 5.96
Q3: 3.30
Median: 2.24
PKX: 1.98
Q1: 1.45
Min: 0.16

VALE

Materials industry group

1.10

Max: 5.96
Q3: 3.30
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.45
VALE: 1.10
Min: 0.16

POSCO (PKX) vs. Vale (VALE): A comparison of their current ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both POSCO (PKX) at 0.50 and Vale (VALE) at 0.55 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

PKX

Materials industry group

0.50

Max: 1.98
Q3: 0.89
PKX: 0.50
Median: 0.47
Q1: 0.13
Min: 0.00

VALE

Materials industry group

0.55

Max: 1.98
Q3: 0.89
VALE: 0.55
Median: 0.47
Q1: 0.13
Min: 0.00

POSCO (PKX) vs. Vale (VALE): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for POSCO (PKX) and Vale (VALE)
Metric	PKX	VALE
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.98	1.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.50	0.55
Net Debt / EBITDA	2.81	1.20

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both POSCO (PKX) at 18,518.52% and Vale (VALE) at 49.02% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.

PKX

Materials industry group

18,518.52%

PKX: 18,518.52%
Max: 4.52%
Q3: 1.85%
Median: 0.38%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

VALE

Materials industry group

49.02%

VALE: 49.02%
Max: 4.52%
Q3: 1.85%
Median: 0.38%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

POSCO (PKX) vs. Vale (VALE): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Vale (VALE) reports payout ratio above 100% at 526.96%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings and sustainability needs extra context. Meanwhile POSCO (PKX) reports 51.60%, ranking against industry peers normally.

PKX

Materials industry group

51.60%

Max: 83.62%
PKX: 51.60%
Q3: 41.37%
Median: 9.54%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

VALE

Materials industry group

526.96%

VALE: 526.96%
Max: 83.62%
Q3: 41.37%
Median: 9.54%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

POSCO (PKX) vs. Vale (VALE): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for POSCO (PKX) and Vale (VALE)
Metric	PKX	VALE
Dividend Yield (TTM)	18,518.52%	49.02%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	51.60%	526.96%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

POSCO (PKX) at 15.57 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Vale (VALE) at 72.44 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for VALE’s trailing earnings.

PKX

Materials industry group

15.57

Max: 59.00
Q3: 32.93
Median: 18.82
PKX: 15.57
Q1: 11.96
Min: 3.93

VALE

Materials industry group

72.44

VALE: 72.44
Max: 59.00
Q3: 32.93
Median: 18.82
Q1: 11.96
Min: 3.93

POSCO (PKX) vs. Vale (VALE): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both POSCO (PKX) at 0.00 and Vale (VALE) at 0.23 fetch a relatively low price per dollar of sales, landing in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.

PKX

Materials industry group

0.00

Max: 9.62
Q3: 4.34
Median: 1.87
Q1: 0.73
PKX: 0.00
Min: 0.00

VALE

Materials industry group

0.23

Max: 9.62
Q3: 4.34
Median: 1.87
Q1: 0.73
VALE: 0.23
Min: 0.00

POSCO (PKX) vs. Vale (VALE): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

On P/B ratio, both POSCO (PKX) at 1.36 and Vale (VALE) at 1.27 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.

PKX

Materials industry group

1.36

Max: 6.59
Q3: 3.55
Median: 2.08
PKX: 1.36
Q1: 1.26
Min: -0.17

VALE

Materials industry group

1.27

Max: 6.59
Q3: 3.55
Median: 2.08
VALE: 1.27
Q1: 1.26
Min: -0.17

POSCO (PKX) vs. Vale (VALE): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for POSCO (PKX) and Vale (VALE)
Metric	PKX	VALE
P/E Ratio (TTM)	15.57	72.44
P/S Ratio (TTM)	0.00	0.23
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	1.36	1.27
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	-23,410.34%	17.51%