CLMT vs ESI vs IFF Stock Comparison

Calumet, Element Solutions and International Flavors & Fragrances Prices as of Oct 27, 2026 Peers: Industry group
1 more company in this comparison (DD) Create a free account to keep reading and compare up to 10 companies.
CLMT Calumet, Inc. /DE
$49.89 -7.0% 1M +148.1% 1Y
Market cap
$4.38B
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
$4.59B
Div. yield
–
Specialty Chemicals Basic Materials
3 wins
ESI Element Solutions Inc
$35.02 -1.9% 1M +32.3% 1Y
Market cap
$8.50B
P/E
41.6x
Revenue (TTM)
$3.49B
Div. yield
0.91%
Specialty Chemicals Basic Materials
3 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

International Flavors & Fragrances leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (International Flavors & Fragrances 6, Element Solutions 3, Calumet 3). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionCLMTESIIFFLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $4.38B $8.50B $23.80B IFF
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only -31.9x 41.6x 34.2x IFF
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS — 20.4x 28.4x ESI
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +12.8% +39.6% -4.6% ESI
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months -3.0% 5.9% 7.0% IFF
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 2.0% 5.4% 3.0% ESI
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA -12.3x 3.2x 3.0x CLMT
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.91% 1.72% IFF
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +148.1% +32.3% +42.8% CLMT
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +35.8%/yr +9.1%/yr -8.9%/yr CLMT
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 43.9% 46.9% 35.0% IFF
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 44/100 51/100 51/100 IFF

Percentile Scorecard

CLMTESIIFF

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

AxisCLMTESIIFF
Valuation 33 #63 of 94 39 #58 of 94 43 #54 of 94
Growth 98 #3 of 91 77 #22 of 91 82 #17 of 91
Profitability 38 #54 of 86 61 #34 of 86 59 #36 of 86
Financial Health 7 #88 of 95 48 #50 of 95 46 #52 of 95
Shareholder Returns – 30 #49 of 70 28 #51 of 70
Overall 44 51 51
  • CLMT ranked among 99 companies in Chemicals
  • ESI ranked among 99 companies in Chemicals
  • IFF ranked among 99 companies in Chemicals

Price Performance

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

Returns

PeriodCLMTESIIFFSPY
1 month -7.0%-1.9%+8.8% -0.2%
3 months +20.3%-4.1%+17.7% +3.9%
6 months +63.5%-9.7%+31.8% +8.2%
Year to date +151.1%+40.1%+38.4% +12.9%
1 year +148.1%+32.3%+42.8% +12.3%
3 years +283.5%+94.6%+37.4% +87.4%
3 years, per year +56.6%+24.9%+11.2% +23.3%
5 years +361.5%+54.3%-37.2% +67.9%
5 years, per year +35.8%+9.1%-8.9% +10.9%
10 years +1,266.8%+365.1%-30.1% +261.1%
10 years, per year +29.9%+16.6%-3.5% +13.7%

Risk

MeasureCLMTESIIFFSPY
Volatility, 1Y 43.9%46.9%35.0% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 44.2%47.4%28.6% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y -0.082.180.68 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 3.370.691.22 0.97
Max drawdown, 5Y -61.9%-40.3%-61.1% -25.4%
From 52-week high -15.5%-28.7%-0.9% -1.2%
52-week high $59.05$49.09$94.13 $779.14
52-week low $18.22$22.99$61.49 $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.

MultipleCLMTESIIFF
P/E now vs peer median -31.9xmedian 22.0x 41.6xmedian 22.0x 34.2xmedian 22.0x
P/S now vs peer median 1.0xmedian 1.4x 2.4xmedian 1.4x 2.4xmedian 1.4x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median -37.3xmedian 12.4x 17.9xmedian 12.4x 17.0xmedian 12.4x
P/FCF now vs peer median 59.6xmedian 15.1x 46.5xmedian 15.1x 44.1xmedian 15.1x
P/B now vs peer median -3.9xmedian 1.6x 2.9xmedian 1.6x 1.7xmedian 1.6x
PEG now vs peer median —median 1.66 0.75median 1.66 1.06median 1.66

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 monthsCLMTESIIFF
Revenue $4.59B $3.49B $9.98B
Gross profit $301.50M $1.28B $3.74B
Operating income $47.10M $408.70M $754.00M
Net income -$136.80M $205.20M $295.00M
Free cash flow $73.50M $182.90M $540.00M
R&D – $80.00M $684.00M
EPS (diluted) $-1.56 $0.84 $2.71
Cash & equivalents $109.80M $224.90M $569.00M
Total debt $2.26B $2.08B $5.70B
Shares (diluted) 87.59M 243.70M 257.00M
Enterprise value $4.16B $7.29B $21.50B

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
MetricCLMTESIIFF
P/E -31.9x 41.6x 34.2x
P/FCF 59.6x 46.5x 44.1x
P/Operating cash flow 30.0x 30.0x 20.5x
P/S 1.0x 2.4x 2.4x
P/B -3.9x 2.9x 1.7x
P/Tangible book -3.9x 4.5x 2.3x
EV/EBITDA -37.3x 17.9x 17.0x
EV/EBIT 138.7x 25.3x 38.4x
EV/Revenue 1.4x 3.0x 2.9x
EV/FCF 88.9x 56.6x 53.6x
EV/Operating cash flow 44.7x 36.5x 24.9x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) – 0.75 1.06

Growth

14 metrics
MetricCLMTESIIFF
Revenue growth (1Y) 12.8% 39.6% -4.6%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) – 14.4% -5.6%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 926.0% 21.5% -3.8%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) – 11.7% -0.2%
Operating income growth (1Y) 125.6% 17.6% 295.8%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) – 31.9% 35.2%
Net income growth (1Y) 69.7% -14.4% 170.2%
Net income CAGR (3Y) – 56.0% 28.8%
EPS growth (1Y) 70.0% -15.0% 900.0%
EPS CAGR (3Y) – 55.8% 32.3%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 392.2% -16.0% 5.4%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) – -4.2% 12.2%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 159.8% -32.2% -4.4%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) – -12.3% 26.8%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricCLMTESIIFF
Gross margin 6.6% 36.6% 37.5%
EBITDA margin -3.8% 16.6% 17.1%
Operating margin 1.0% 11.7% 7.6%
Pretax margin -5.9% 9.0% 3.5%
Net margin -3.0% 5.9% 7.0%
FCF margin 1.6% 5.2% 5.4%
Operating cash flow margin 3.2% 8.1% 11.6%
Return on equity – 7.2% 2.1%
Return on assets -4.9% 3.5% 1.2%
Return on invested capital 2.0% 5.4% 3.0%
Return on capital employed 3.0% 7.8% 3.6%
Asset turnover 1.7x 0.6x 0.4x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) -1.1x 1.4x 3.9x
Stock comp / revenue 0.6% 2.4% 0.9%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricCLMTESIIFF
Debt / assets 80.6% 35.5% 22.7%
Debt / equity -2.0x 0.7x 0.4x
Net debt / EBITDA -12.3x 3.2x 3.0x
Debt / FCF 30.7x 11.4x 10.6x
Liabilities / assets 140.6% 50.7% 44.3%
Equity / assets -40.6% 49.3% 55.7%
Interest coverage 0.2x – 4.0x
Current ratio 0.8x 2.8x 2.1x
Quick ratio 0.4x 1.7x 0.5x
Cash ratio 0.1x 0.4x 0.1x
Altman Z-score 1.29 2.56 1.81

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricCLMTESIIFF
Dividend yield – 0.9% 1.7%
Net buyback yield – 0.5% 0.3%
Shareholder yield 0.0% 1.4% 2.0%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – 138.6%
Payout ratio (FCF) – – 75.7%
Dividend growth (1Y) – – 0.0%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – -20.7%

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.

ConsensusCLMTESIIFF
Forward P/E – 20.4xFY2026 28.4xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $-1.93FY2026 $1.72FY2026 $3.28FY2026
EPS growth, next FY – +15.4%FY2026 -21.9%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after – +33.7% +23.5%
Revenue, next fiscal year $4.81BFY2026 $3.86BFY2026 $8.10BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +16.1%FY2026 +51.4%FY2026 -25.7%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +7.3% +2.3% -8.1%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersCLMTESIIFF
Held by institutions 52.3% 100.0% 100.0%
Institutions holding 188 499 753
Change in shares held, QoQ +1.2% +0.6% +6.0%
Institutions buying 110 269 410
Institutions selling 54 176 226
Buyers to sellers 2.04 1.53 1.81

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.

CLMTESIIFF
CLMT 1.00 0.00 -0.17
ESI 0.00 1.00 0.14
IFF -0.17 0.14 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, CLMT, ESI and IFF?

International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) is the largest by market capitalisation: Calumet (CLMT) $4.38B, Element Solutions (ESI) $8.50B, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) $23.80B.

Which stock is cheaper, CLMT, ESI and IFF?

International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Calumet (CLMT) -31.9x, Element Solutions (ESI) 41.6x, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) 34.2x). On next year's consensus earnings, Element Solutions (ESI) is cheapest (Element Solutions (ESI) 20.4x, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) 28.4x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Element Solutions (ESI) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Calumet (CLMT) +12.8%, Element Solutions (ESI) +39.6%, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) -4.6%.

Which company is more profitable?

International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) has the highest net margin (Calumet (CLMT) -3.0%, Element Solutions (ESI) 5.9%, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) 7.0%). On return on invested capital, Element Solutions (ESI) leads (Calumet (CLMT) 2.0%, Element Solutions (ESI) 5.4%, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) 3.0%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Calumet (CLMT) returned the most: Calumet (CLMT) +148.1%, Element Solutions (ESI) +32.3%, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) +42.8%. Over five years, Calumet (CLMT) compounded fastest (Calumet (CLMT) +35.8%/yr, Element Solutions (ESI) +9.1%/yr, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) -8.9%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) has the highest dividend yield: Calumet (CLMT) 0.00%, Element Solutions (ESI) 0.91%, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) 1.72%. Calumet (CLMT) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) has been the steadiest (Calumet (CLMT) 43.9%, Element Solutions (ESI) 46.9%, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) 35.0%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, CLMT, ESI and IFF?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) 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.