SQM vs SSL vs LAR Stock Comparison

Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile, Sasol and Lithium Argentina AG Prices as of Oct 26, 2026 Peers: Industry group
SSL Sasol Ltd
$17.42 +24.2% 1M +165.5% 1Y
Market cap
$10.94B
P/E
15.3x
Revenue (TTM)
—
Div. yield
–
Integrated Oil and Gas Energy
2 wins
LAR Lithium Argentina AG
$4.16 -24.8% 1M -7.1% 1Y
Market cap
$729.77M
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
$225.80M
Div. yield
–
Lithium Basic Materials
2 wins

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile leads on 7 of the 12 questions below (Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile 7, Sasol 2, Lithium Argentina AG 2). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionSQMSSLLARLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $17.21B $10.94B $729.77M SQM
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 12.4x 15.3x -13.5x SQM
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 8.1x 5.3x 18.9x SSL
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +59.0% — +371.3% LAR
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 20.6% — -23.9% SQM
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 22.8% — 0.0% SQM
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 0.2x — -3.4x LAR
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +25.0% +165.5% -7.1% SSL
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +1.2%/yr +0.4%/yr -17.1%/yr SQM
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 47.0% 54.1% 74.2% SQM
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 70/100 — 66/100 SQM

Percentile Scorecard

SQMSSLLAR

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

AxisSQMSSLLAR
Valuation 81 #31 of 162 95 #6 of 99 71 #47 of 162
Growth 62 #56 of 147 – 74 #39 of 147
Profitability 81 #24 of 122 – 41 #73 of 122
Financial Health 32 #112 of 165 52 #50 of 102 74 #43 of 165
Shareholder Returns 92 #10 of 107 – 72 #31 of 107
Overall 70 – 66
  • SQM ranked among 176 companies in Metals and Mining
  • SSL ranked among 103 companies in Oil and Gas Upstream
  • LAR 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

PeriodSQMSSLLARSPY
1 month -14.8%+24.2%-24.8% -0.8%
3 months -17.2%+52.3%-29.4% +3.5%
6 months -37.6%+36.9%-58.3% +7.0%
Year to date -17.2%+167.6%-25.4% +12.2%
1 year +25.0%+165.5%-7.1% +13.0%
3 years +11.5%+32.9%-28.4% +86.3%
3 years, per year +3.7%+9.9%-10.5% +23.1%
5 years +5.9%+2.0%-60.9% +68.6%
5 years, per year +1.2%+0.4%-17.1% +11.0%
10 years +94.6%-37.0%+255.6% +258.0%
10 years, per year +6.9%-4.5%+13.5% +13.6%

Risk

MeasureSQMSSLLARSPY
Volatility, 1Y 47.0%54.1%74.2% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 43.9%55.7%72.6% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.96-0.762.59 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.533.06-0.10 1.02
Max drawdown, 5Y -73.5%-89.4%-89.5% -25.4%
From 52-week high -40.2%-3.3%-64.7% -1.8%
52-week high $95.31$18.02$11.79 $779.14
52-week low $44.36$6.00$3.72 $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.

MultipleSQMSSLLAR
P/E now vs peer median 11.7xmedian 12.8x 15.3xmedian 13.5x -12.5xmedian 12.8x
P/S now vs peer median 2.4xmedian 3.1x 0.7xmedian 2.1x 3.0xmedian 3.1x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 4.8xmedian 7.0x —median 5.9x 3.5xmedian 7.0x
P/FCF now vs peer median —median 15.2x 3.6xmedian 11.0x -33.9xmedian 15.2x
P/B now vs peer median 1.9xmedian 2.1x 1.1xmedian 1.5x 0.8xmedian 2.1x
PEG now vs peer median -0.75median 0.29 —median 2.27 0.22median 0.29

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 monthsSQMSSLLAR
Revenue $6.73B – $225.80M
Gross profit $2.83B – $110.90M
Operating income $3.11B – $256.12M
Net income $1.39B – -$18.74M
Free cash flow – – -$19.96M
R&D – – $4.53M
EPS (diluted) $4.86 – $-0.33
Cash & equivalents $3.38B $2.64B $99.72M
Total debt $19.72B $6.66B -$925.15M
Shares (diluted) 285.64M 642.00M 162.17M
Enterprise value $3.86B -$126.40M $289.36M

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
MetricSQMSSLLAR
P/E 11.7x 15.3x -12.5x
P/FCF – 3.6x -33.9x
P/Operating cash flow – – -33.9x
P/S 2.4x 0.7x 3.0x
P/B 1.9x 1.1x 0.8x
P/Tangible book 1.9x 1.1x 0.8x
EV/EBITDA 4.8x – 3.5x
EV/EBIT 5.5x – 3.6x
EV/Revenue 2.5x – 1.5x
EV/FCF – – -17.2x
EV/Operating cash flow – – -17.2x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -0.75 – 0.22

Growth

14 metrics
MetricSQMSSLLAR
Revenue growth (1Y) 59.0% – 371.3%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) -4.8% – –
Gross profit growth (1Y) 150.2% – 32,338%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) -9.3% – –
Operating income growth (1Y) 134.4% – 213.4%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -17.5% – –
Net income growth (1Y) 190.5% – 48.1%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -7.2% – -17.8%
EPS growth (1Y) 190.5% – 95.8%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -15.7% – -57.1%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) – – 39.6%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) – – 31.4%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) – – 43.8%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) – – 31.2%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricSQMSSLLAR
Gross margin 42.1% – 49.1%
EBITDA margin 52.7% – 43.1%
Operating margin 46.2% – 113.4%
Pretax margin 36.6% – -12.2%
Net margin 20.6% – -23.9%
FCF margin – – -8.8%
Operating cash flow margin – – -8.8%
Return on equity 16.4% – 1.6%
Return on assets 8.6% – 1.2%
Return on invested capital 22.8% – 0.0%
Return on capital employed 23.4% – 6.9%
Asset turnover 0.4x – 0.2x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) – – 1.1x
Stock comp / revenue – – 6.9%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricSQMSSLLAR
Debt / assets 31.3% 30.1% -14.7%
Debt / equity 0.6x 0.6x -0.2x
Net debt / EBITDA 0.2x – -3.4x
Debt / FCF – – 8.5x
Liabilities / assets 47.9% 53.3% 27.2%
Equity / assets 52.1% 46.7% 72.8%
Interest coverage 15.3x – 161.6x
Current ratio 2.6x 1.8x -2.0x
Quick ratio 1.8x 1.2x -0.7x
Cash ratio 1.5x 0.6x -0.7x
Altman Z-score – – 1.63

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricSQMSSLLAR
Dividend yield 4.2% – –
Net buyback yield – – -0.2%
Shareholder yield 4.2% 0.0% -0.2%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – –
Payout ratio (FCF) – – –
Dividend growth (1Y) – – –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – –

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.

ConsensusSQMSSLLAR
Forward P/E 8.1xFY2026 5.3xFY2027 18.9xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $7.03FY2026 $3.26FY2027 $0.22FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +241.3%FY2026 +37.0%FY2027 –
EPS growth, the year after -2.4% -24.5% +27.3%
Revenue, next fiscal year $8.31BFY2026 $16.51BFY2027 $0.00FY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +81.4%FY2026 -2.3%FY2027 –
Revenue growth, the year after +3.0% +7.4% –

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersSQMSSLLAR
Held by institutions 13.4% 4.7% 33.9%
Institutions holding 316 174 164
Change in shares held, QoQ -3.0% -7.6% +0.6%
Institutions buying 166 111 75
Institutions selling 100 45 48
Buyers to sellers 1.66 2.47 1.56

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.

SQMSSLLAR
SQM 1.00 0.16 0.64
SSL 0.16 1.00 0.09
LAR 0.64 0.09 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, SQM, SSL and LAR?

Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (SQM) is the largest by market capitalisation: Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (SQM) $17.21B, Sasol (SSL) $10.94B, Lithium Argentina AG (LAR) $729.77M.

Which stock is cheaper, SQM, SSL and LAR?

Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (SQM) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (SQM) 12.4x, Sasol (SSL) 15.3x, Lithium Argentina AG (LAR) -13.5x). On next year's consensus earnings, Sasol (SSL) is cheapest (Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (SQM) 8.1x, Sasol (SSL) 5.3x, Lithium Argentina AG (LAR) 18.9x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Lithium Argentina AG (LAR) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (SQM) +59.0%, Lithium Argentina AG (LAR) +371.3%.

Which company is more profitable?

Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (SQM) has the highest net margin (Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (SQM) 20.6%, Lithium Argentina AG (LAR) -23.9%). On return on invested capital, Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (SQM) leads (Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (SQM) 22.8%, Lithium Argentina AG (LAR) 0.0%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Sasol (SSL) returned the most: Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (SQM) +25.0%, Sasol (SSL) +165.5%, Lithium Argentina AG (LAR) -7.1%. Over five years, Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (SQM) compounded fastest (Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (SQM) +1.2%/yr, Sasol (SSL) +0.4%/yr, Lithium Argentina AG (LAR) -17.1%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (SQM) has been the steadiest (Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (SQM) 47.0%, Sasol (SSL) 54.1%, Lithium Argentina AG (LAR) 74.2%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, SQM, SSL and LAR?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Chemical & Mining Co Of Chile (SQM) leads on 7. 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.