ALB vs LAC vs SLI Stock Comparison

Albemarle, Lithium Americas and Standard Lithium Prices as of Oct 23, 2026 Peers: Industry group
ALB Albemarle Corp
$93.66 -17.4% 1M -3.8% 1Y
Market cap
$11.04B
P/E
39.6x
Revenue (TTM)
$5.91B
Div. yield
0.02%
Lithium Basic Materials
6 wins
SLI Standard Lithium Ltd.
$1.43 -32.9% 1M -65.2% 1Y
Market cap
$285.83M
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
$6.02M
Div. yield
–
Lithium Basic Materials
1 win

Head to Head

7 decided of 12

Albemarle leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (Albemarle 6, Standard Lithium 1). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionALBLACSLILeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $11.04B $749.16M $285.83M ALB
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 39.6x -25.1x -6.0x –
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 8.5x — — –
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +18.3% — +575.1% SLI
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 4.7% — -791.4% ALB
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital — — — –
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA — — — –
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.02% 0.00% 0.00% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -3.8% -67.9% -65.2% ALB
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -16.6%/yr — -32.9%/yr ALB
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 55.2% 67.1% 67.1% ALB
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 63/100 — 59/100 ALB

Percentile Scorecard

ALBLACSLI

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisALBLACSLI
Valuation 93 #13 of 162 92 #14 of 162 33 #109 of 162
Growth 54 #68 of 147 – 68 #48 of 147
Profitability 69 #38 of 122 – 17 #102 of 122
Financial Health 42 #97 of 166 46 #90 of 166 79 #35 of 166
Shareholder Returns 56 #48 of 107 – 96 #5 of 107
Overall 63 – 59
  • ALB ranked among 176 companies in Metals and Mining
  • LAC ranked among 176 companies in Metals and Mining
  • SLI ranked among 176 companies in Metals and Mining

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodALBLACSLISPY
1 month -17.4%-28.3%-32.9% -1.0%
3 months -18.4%-26.2%-32.9% +2.9%
6 months -50.3%-55.2%-62.0% +6.4%
Year to date -33.8%-52.3%-68.0% +11.4%
1 year -3.8%-67.9%-65.2% +13.1%
3 years -32.7%-69.1%-50.0% +79.4%
3 years, per year -12.4%-32.4%-20.6% +21.5%
5 years -59.5%—-86.4% +67.7%
5 years, per year -16.6%—-32.9% +10.9%
10 years +13.9%—— +255.2%
10 years, per year +1.3%—— +13.5%

Risk

MeasureALBLACSLISPY
Volatility, 1Y 55.2%67.1%67.1% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 54.2%66.0%73.3% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 1.322.482.11 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.07-1.01-0.97 1.03
Max drawdown, 5Y -84.4%-82.3%-91.5% -25.4%
From 52-week high -56.6%-69.0%-74.7% -2.5%
52-week high $215.62$6.72$5.65 $779.14
52-week low $88.45$2.08$1.38 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleALBLACSLI
P/E now vs peer median 39.7xmedian 12.7x -25.9xmedian 12.7x -6.2xmedian 12.7x
P/S now vs peer median 1.9xmedian 3.1x —median 3.1x 56.9xmedian 3.1x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median —median 6.9x —median 6.9x —median 6.9x
P/FCF now vs peer median 8.2xmedian 15.1x —median 15.1x -23.4xmedian 15.1x
P/B now vs peer median 1.0xmedian 2.1x 0.4xmedian 2.1x 0.9xmedian 2.1x
PEG now vs peer median -0.66median 0.27 —median 0.27 —median 0.27

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsALBLACSLI
Revenue $5.91B – $6.02M
Gross profit $1.41B – –
Operating income – – -$22.81M
Net income $253.32M -$73.07M -$47.66M
Free cash flow $1.34B – -$14.63M
R&D – -$1.00K –
EPS (diluted) $2.04 $-0.07 $-0.23
Cash & equivalents $1.63B $822.78M $137.30M
Total debt $1.88B $1.34B –
Shares (diluted) 136.21M 401.74M 206.37M
Enterprise value $4.77B -$1.54B -$384.18M

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricALBLACSLI
P/E 39.7x -25.9x -6.2x
P/FCF 8.2x – -23.4x
P/Operating cash flow 6.1x – -23.5x
P/S 1.9x – 56.9x
P/B 1.0x 0.4x 0.9x
P/Tangible book 1.1x 0.4x 0.9x
EV/EBITDA – – –
EV/EBIT – – -6.7x
EV/Revenue 1.9x – 25.5x
EV/FCF 8.4x – -10.5x
EV/Operating cash flow 6.3x – -10.5x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -0.66 – –

Growth

14 metrics
MetricALBLACSLI
Revenue growth (1Y) 18.3% – 575.1%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) -15.1% – –
Gross profit growth (1Y) 263.2% – –
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) -28.7% – –
Operating income growth (1Y) – – -363.9%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) – – –
Net income growth (1Y) 127.9% -33.9% 69.6%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -60.3% – –
EPS growth (1Y) 121.9% 63.7% 72.6%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -60.5% – –
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 136.6% – 12.4%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -12.1% – –
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 816.8% – 32.6%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 11.5% – –

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricALBLACSLI
Gross margin 23.8% – –
EBITDA margin – – –
Operating margin – – -378.8%
Pretax margin – – -867.8%
Net margin 4.7% – -791.4%
FCF margin 22.7% – -242.9%
Operating cash flow margin 30.5% – -242.6%
Return on equity 2.7% – -13.0%
Return on assets 1.8% – -12.1%
Return on invested capital – – –
Return on capital employed – – -5.9%
Asset turnover 0.4x – 0.0x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 7.1x – 0.3x
Stock comp / revenue 0.6% – 104.0%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricALBLACSLI
Debt / assets 11.8% 27.9% –
Debt / equity 0.2x 0.5x –
Net debt / EBITDA – – –
Debt / FCF 1.4x – –
Liabilities / assets 33.8% 44.9% 7.1%
Equity / assets 66.2% 55.1% 92.9%
Interest coverage – – -950.4x
Current ratio 2.1x 5.5x 17.9x
Quick ratio 1.2x 3.5x 23.6x
Cash ratio 0.9x 3.5x 23.3x
Altman Z-score – – 7.22

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricALBLACSLI
Dividend yield 1.7% – –
Net buyback yield -0.2% – 4.0%
Shareholder yield 1.5% – 4.0%
Payout ratio (earnings) 75.3% – –
Payout ratio (FCF) 14.2% – –
Dividend growth (1Y) 0.4% – –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) 0.9% – –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusALBLACSLI
Forward P/E 8.5xFY2026 – –
EPS, next fiscal year $10.97FY2026 $-0.07FY2026 –
EPS growth, the year after -2.3% – –
Revenue, next fiscal year $5.87BFY2026 $0.00FY2026 –
Revenue growth, next FY +14.2%FY2026 – –
Revenue growth, the year after +9.5% – –

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersALBLACSLI
Held by institutions 98.1% 30.8% 31.0%
Institutions holding 947 274 137
Change in shares held, QoQ +6.8% -0.6% +2.1%
Institutions buying 449 149 60
Institutions selling 358 57 33
Buyers to sellers 1.25 2.61 1.82

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

ALBLACSLI
ALB 1.00 0.53 0.49
LAC 0.53 1.00 0.72
SLI 0.49 0.72 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, ALB, LAC and SLI?

Albemarle (ALB) is the largest by market capitalisation: Albemarle (ALB) $11.04B, Lithium Americas (LAC) $749.16M, Standard Lithium (SLI) $285.83M.

Which company is growing faster?

Standard Lithium (SLI) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Albemarle (ALB) +18.3%, Standard Lithium (SLI) +575.1%.

Which company is more profitable?

Albemarle (ALB) has the highest net margin (Albemarle (ALB) 4.7%, Standard Lithium (SLI) -791.4%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Albemarle (ALB) returned the most: Albemarle (ALB) -3.8%, Lithium Americas (LAC) -67.9%, Standard Lithium (SLI) -65.2%. Over five years, Albemarle (ALB) compounded fastest (Albemarle (ALB) -16.6%/yr, Standard Lithium (SLI) -32.9%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Only one of these companies pays a dividend: Albemarle (ALB) 0.02%, Lithium Americas (LAC) 0.00%, Standard Lithium (SLI) 0.00%. Lithium Americas (LAC) and Standard Lithium (SLI) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Albemarle (ALB) has been the steadiest (Albemarle (ALB) 55.2%, Lithium Americas (LAC) 67.1%, Standard Lithium (SLI) 67.1%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, ALB, LAC and SLI?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Albemarle (ALB) leads on 6. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.