SQM vs. VMC: Sociedad Química y Minera vs. Vulcan Materials Stock Comparison
How do Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) and Vulcan Materials (VMC) 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
Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) and Vulcan Materials (VMC) both fall under the Materials industry group, but SQM is classified in Chemicals while VMC is classified in Construction Materials.
Vulcan Materials (VMC) trades as ordinary local shares, while Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | SQM | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. ADR | Vulcan Materials Company |
| Country/Region | Chile | United States |
| GICS Sector | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry Group | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry | Chemicals | Construction Materials |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Specialty Chemicals | Construction Materials |
| Market Capitalization | 16.43 billion USD | 36.29 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | September 21, 1993 | February 21, 1973 |
| Security Type | ADR | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | SQM | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 19.41% | 2.25% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 7.76% | 12.53% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 1.46% | 8.08% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | SQM | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 47.10% | 30.13% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.10 | 0.98 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -69.69% | -32.50% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 953.31K | 1.16M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | SQM | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.32 | -0.07 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.49 | -0.09 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 21.82% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Vulcan Materials (VMC) at 12.88% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for SQM.
SQM
Materials industry group
21.82%
- Max
- 52.88%
- SQM
- 21.82%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- Median
- 8.76%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
VMC
Materials industry group
12.88%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- VMC
- 12.88%
- 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 Vulcan Materials (VMC) at 13.78%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
SQM
Materials industry group
20.62%
- Max
- 38.66%
- SQM
- 20.62%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
VMC
Materials industry group
13.78%
- Max
- 38.66%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- VMC
- 13.78%
- 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 Vulcan Materials (VMC) at 23.95%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
SQM
Materials industry group
48.82%
- Max
- 66.70%
- SQM
- 48.82%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
VMC
Materials industry group
23.95%
- Max
- 66.70%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- VMC
- 23.95%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | SQM | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 21.82% | 12.88% |
| ROA (TTM) | 11.55% | 5.89% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 20.62% | 13.78% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 48.82% | 23.95% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 42.17% | 27.48% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 1.05% and Vulcan Materials (VMC) at 7.06% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Both Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at -14.16% and Vulcan Materials (VMC) at 18.39% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | SQM | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 1.05% | 7.06% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -24.68% | 2.77% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -14.16% | 18.39% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -46.80% | 23.46% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 2.61 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Vulcan Materials (VMC) at 1.43 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for VMC.
SQM
Materials industry group
2.61
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- SQM
- 2.61
- Median
- 2.24
- Q1
- 1.45
- Min
- 0.16
VMC
Materials industry group
1.43
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- Q1
- 1.45
- VMC
- 1.43
- Min
- 0.16
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 0.61 and Vulcan Materials (VMC) at 0.63 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
SQM
Materials industry group
0.61
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- SQM
- 0.61
- Median
- 0.47
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
VMC
Materials industry group
0.63
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- VMC
- 0.63
- Median
- 0.47
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | SQM | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.61 | 1.43 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.61 | 0.63 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 0.32 | 2.27 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 2.55% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while Vulcan Materials (VMC) at 0.72% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, SQM the richer one.
SQM
Materials industry group
2.55%
- Max
- 4.52%
- SQM
- 2.55%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
VMC
Materials industry group
0.72%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- VMC
- 0.72%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 21.19% and Vulcan Materials (VMC) at 24.26% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.
SQM
Materials industry group
21.19%
- Max
- 83.62%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- SQM
- 21.19%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
VMC
Materials industry group
24.26%
- Max
- 83.62%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- VMC
- 24.26%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | SQM | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.55% | 0.72% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 21.19% | 24.26% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 11.84 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Vulcan Materials (VMC) at 33.46 sits in the richer quartile — a clear split in what investors pay for each dollar of trailing earnings.
SQM
Materials industry group
11.84
- Max
- 59.00
- Q3
- 32.93
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- SQM
- 11.84
- Min
- 3.93
VMC
Materials industry group
33.46
- Max
- 59.00
- VMC
- 33.46
- Q3
- 32.93
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- Min
- 3.93
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 2.44 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Vulcan Materials (VMC) at 4.53 sits in the pricier quartile — VMC costs more per dollar of sales.
SQM
Materials industry group
2.44
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- SQM
- 2.44
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
VMC
Materials industry group
4.53
- Max
- 9.62
- VMC
- 4.53
- Q3
- 4.34
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) at 2.60 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Vulcan Materials (VMC) at 4.31 carries an above-peer premium to book — VMC is pricier on assets.
SQM
Materials industry group
2.60
- Max
- 6.59
- Q3
- 3.55
- SQM
- 2.60
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
VMC
Materials industry group
4.31
- Max
- 6.59
- VMC
- 4.31
- Q3
- 3.55
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | SQM | VMC |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 11.84 | 33.46 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.44 | 4.53 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 2.60 | 4.31 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 15.94% | 1.96% |