Specialty chemicals
20 companies · $122B combined revenue · $5.1B operating profit
The typical US-listed specialty chemicals company grew revenue 0.3% and earnings -9.4% in its latest year, at a 14.1% operating margin, and 7 of 19 earn a return on capital above 15%. Figures from each company's latest annual filing with the SEC, refreshed daily.
Growth engines: the 4 Cylinders
All four working: 0% of companiesA company's earnings per share can grow in only four ways: more sales, profits growing faster than sales (operating leverage), wider margins, and less debt. Each bar is the share of companies where that engine worked in their latest year.
- Sales growth · Revenue up 10% or more10%
- Operating leverage · Operating income growing faster than a growing revenue26%
- Margin expansion · Operating margin up 1 point or more16%
- Debt reduction · Debt down 5% or more, or net cash30%
Combined revenue · 20 companies reporting in US dollars
Combined operating margin
All 20 companies
| Median | – | 0.3% | -9.4% | 14.1% | 11.8% | 0.74x |
| PPGPPG Industries | $15.9B | 0.2%▼ | 41.2%▲ | – | – | 0.92x▼ |
| IFFInternational Flavors & Fragrances | $10.9B | -5.2%▼ | -234%▼ | -3.5%▼ | -1.8%▼ | 0.42x▲ |
| LYBLyondellBasell Industries | $30.2B | -9.7%▼ | -154%▼ | -1.4%▼ | -1.5%▼ | 1.22x▼ |
| CSLCarlisle Companies | $5.0B | 0.3%▲ | -43.5%▼ | 20%▲ | 18.1%▲ | 1.61x▼ |
| RPMRPM International | $7.9B | 6.7%▲ | -4%▲ | 12.5%▼ | 15.6%▲ | 0.77x▼ |
| WMSAdvanced Drainage Systems | $3.1B | 5%▲ | -5.3%▲ | 20.3%▲ | 15.5%▲ | 0.87x▼ |
| ESIElement Solutions | $2.6B | 3.8%▲ | -21.9%▼ | 13.4%▼ | 7.3%▼ | 0.61x▲ |
| NEUNewmarket | $2.7B | -2.2%▼ | -9.4% | 20%▲ | 17.7%▲ | 0.50x▲ |
| WLKWestlake | $11.2B | -8%▼ | -350%▼ | -14.1%▼ | -9.2%▼ | 0.64x▲ |
| ATRAptargroup | $3.8B | 5.4%▲ | 4.9%▲ | 13.3%▼ | 12.3%▲ | 0.50x▲ |
| AXTAAxalta Coating Systems | $5.1B | -3%▼ | -3.3%▲ | 14.4%▲ | 11.8% | 1.36x▼ |
| AWIArmstrong World Industries | $1.6B | 12.1%▲ | 16.5%▲ | 26.6%▲ | 26%▲ | 0.45x▲ |
| NPOEnpro | $1.1B | 9%▲ | -44.4%▼ | 14.1% | 6.5%▼ | 0.42x▲ |
| SXTSensient Technologies | $1.6B | 3.5%▲ | 7.9%▲ | 12.8%▼ | 10.5%▼ | 0.59x▲ |
| MEOHMethanex | $3.6B | -3.5%▼ | -42.1%▼ | 12%▼ | 6.6%▼ | 1.13x▼ |
| CSWCSW Industrials | $1.1B | 23.3%▲ | -18%▼ | 15.6%▲ | 8.1%▼ | 0.83x▼ |
| CBTCABOT | $3.7B | -7%▼ | -12.9%▼ | 16.7%▲ | 21.7%▲ | 0.72x▲ |
| WDFCWD 40 | $620M | 5%▲ | 30.7%▲ | 16.7%▲ | 27.8%▲ | 0.32x▲ |
| FULFuller H B | $3.5B | -2.7%▼ | 16.7%▲ | 17.9%▲ | 14%▲ | 1.01x▼ |
| NWLNewell Brands | $7.2B | -5%▼ | – | 0.5%▼ | 0.5%▼ | 1.95x▼ |
▲ better than the median, ▼ worse. n/a: the ratio doesn't apply to that kind of business (e.g. a bank's operating margin). Sort by any column. Figures from each company's latest 10-K (or 20-F/40-F).