WLK vs CE vs SHEL Stock Comparison

Westlake, Celanese and Shell Prices as of Oct 26, 2026 Peers: Industry group
WLK Westlake Corp
$65.31 -3.6% 1M -17.6% 1Y
Market cap
$8.35B
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
$11.29B
Div. yield
3.25%
Commodity Chemicals Basic Materials
2 wins
CE Celanese Corp
$48.10 +2.2% 1M +14.0% 1Y
Market cap
$5.28B
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
$9.71B
Div. yield
0.25%
Commodity Chemicals Basic Materials
2 wins
SHEL Shell plc
$106.91 +11.6% 1M +41.0% 1Y
Market cap
$304.15B
P/E
12.9x
Revenue (TTM)
$169.08B
Div. yield
2.82%
Integrated Oil and Gas Energy
7 wins

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Shell leads on 7 of the 12 questions below (Shell 7, Celanese 2, Westlake 2). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionWLKCESHELLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $8.35B $5.28B $304.15B SHEL
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only -6.8x -4.5x 12.9x –
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 33.8x 7.6x 9.0x CE
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months -4.0% -2.2% -15.6% CE
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months -10.9% -12.0% 14.4% SHEL
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital -8.0% -4.1% 13.1% SHEL
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA -42.9x 63.7x 0.4x WLK
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 3.25% 0.25% 2.82% WLK
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -17.6% +14.0% +41.0% SHEL
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -7.4%/yr -21.7%/yr +16.4%/yr SHEL
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 43.5% 51.7% 22.8% SHEL
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 41/100 29/100 63/100 SHEL

Percentile Scorecard

WLKCESHEL

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

AxisWLKCESHEL
Valuation 46 #51 of 94 58 #40 of 94 54 #46 of 99
Growth 1 #91 of 92 23 #71 of 92 73 #27 of 97
Profitability 23 #69 of 89 32 #61 of 89 65 #34 of 96
Financial Health 53 #46 of 97 13 #85 of 97 62 #39 of 102
Shareholder Returns 84 #12 of 70 22 #55 of 70 61 #30 of 76
Overall 41 29 63
  • WLK ranked among 99 companies in Chemicals
  • CE ranked among 99 companies in Chemicals
  • SHEL ranked among 103 companies in Oil and Gas Upstream

Price Performance

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

Returns

PeriodWLKCESHELSPY
1 month -3.6%+2.2%+11.6% -0.8%
3 months -9.7%+8.4%+23.8% +3.5%
6 months -41.3%-26.1%+23.0% +7.0%
Year to date -11.7%+13.8%+45.5% +12.2%
1 year -17.6%+14.0%+41.0% +13.0%
3 years -43.0%-57.6%+61.1% +86.3%
3 years, per year -17.1%-24.9%+17.2% +23.1%
5 years -31.8%-70.6%+113.9% +68.6%
5 years, per year -7.4%-21.7%+16.4% +11.0%
10 years +27.4%-32.4%+113.5% +258.0%
10 years, per year +2.5%-3.8%+7.9% +13.6%

Risk

MeasureWLKCESHELSPY
Volatility, 1Y 43.5%51.7%22.8% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 38.5%47.1%23.1% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.460.40-0.15 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.400.271.80 1.02
Max drawdown, 5Y -65.2%-79.6%-25.0% -25.4%
From 52-week high -47.1%-30.5%-1.2% -1.8%
52-week high $123.39$69.24$108.17 $779.14
52-week low $56.38$35.53$70.31 $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.

MultipleWLKCESHEL
P/E now vs peer median -6.8xmedian 21.6x -4.5xmedian 21.6x 12.9xmedian 13.5x
P/S now vs peer median 0.7xmedian 1.4x 0.5xmedian 1.4x 1.8xmedian 2.1x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median -154.2xmedian 12.4x 95.3xmedian 12.4x 4.3xmedian 5.9x
P/FCF now vs peer median -31.5xmedian 15.8x 7.5xmedian 15.8x -3.3xmedian 11.0x
P/B now vs peer median 0.9xmedian 1.6x 1.2xmedian 1.6x 1.7xmedian 1.5x
PEG now vs peer median 0.16median 1.66 0.11median 1.66 0.93median 2.27

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 monthsWLKCESHEL
Revenue $11.29B $9.71B $169.08B
Gross profit $1.09B $2.03B $99.74B
Operating income -$1.25B -$692.00M $65.44B
Net income -$1.21B -$1.16B $17.88B
Free cash flow -$265.00M $708.00M -$92.27B
R&D – $120.00M $1.14B
EPS (diluted) $-9.61 $-10.60 $8.18
Cash & equivalents $1.64B $1.36B $31.37B
Total debt $5.07B $12.01B $73.08B
Shares (diluted) 128.50M 110.25M 2.97B
Enterprise value -$531.61M -$125.08M $234.89B

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
MetricWLKCESHEL
P/E -6.8x -4.5x 12.9x
P/FCF -31.5x 7.5x -3.3x
P/Operating cash flow 13.2x 5.4x 6.2x
P/S 0.7x 0.5x 1.8x
P/B 0.9x 1.2x 1.7x
P/Tangible book 1.0x 3.5x 1.8x
EV/EBITDA -154.2x 95.3x 4.3x
EV/EBIT -9.3x -23.0x 6.4x
EV/Revenue 1.0x 1.6x 2.0x
EV/FCF -43.6x 22.5x -3.6x
EV/Operating cash flow 18.3x 16.2x 6.8x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 0.16 0.11 0.93

Growth

14 metrics
MetricWLKCESHEL
Revenue growth (1Y) -4.0% -2.2% -15.6%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) -6.6% -1.9% 2.2%
Gross profit growth (1Y) -17.5% -5.7% 4.6%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) -26.8% -3.3% -4.5%
Operating income growth (1Y) -1,286% 11.1% 223.8%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -39.3% -39.7% 39.3%
Net income growth (1Y) -3,089% 29.1% 98.6%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -42.3% -42.8% 111.8%
EPS growth (1Y) -1,740% 29.0% 42.2%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -43.1% -42.8% 13.9%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) -34.7% -3.5% 0.2%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -39.5% -16.2% -6.7%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) -390.7% 12.0% -27.1%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -29.1% -13.2% 17.1%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricWLKCESHEL
Gross margin 9.6% 20.9% 59.0%
EBITDA margin -0.7% 1.7% 45.9%
Operating margin -11.0% -7.1% 38.7%
Pretax margin -11.4% -11.6% 23.6%
Net margin -10.9% -12.0% 14.4%
FCF margin -2.3% 7.3% -54.6%
Operating cash flow margin 5.6% 10.1% 29.1%
Return on equity -13.0% -25.4% 10.1%
Return on assets -6.1% -5.3% 4.7%
Return on invested capital -8.0% -4.1% 13.1%
Return on capital employed -7.2% -3.9% 17.8%
Asset turnover 0.6x 0.5x 0.4x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) -0.5x -0.8x 2.7x
Stock comp / revenue 0.4% 0.3% –

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricWLKCESHEL
Debt / assets 26.1% 56.1% 19.2%
Debt / equity 0.6x 2.6x 0.4x
Net debt / EBITDA -42.9x 63.7x 0.4x
Debt / FCF -19.1x 17.0x -0.8x
Liabilities / assets 52.6% 78.6% 52.5%
Equity / assets 47.4% 21.4% 47.5%
Interest coverage -6.1x -1.0x 11.0x
Current ratio 2.5x 1.4x 1.4x
Quick ratio 1.7x 0.8x 1.1x
Cash ratio 0.8x 0.3x 0.5x
Altman Z-score 1.69 1.29 –

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricWLKCESHEL
Dividend yield 3.2% 0.2% 2.8%
Net buyback yield 0.8% – 6.4%
Shareholder yield 4.0% 0.2% 9.2%
Payout ratio (earnings) -22.5% -1.1% 47.9%
Payout ratio (FCF) -103.0% 1.8% -9.3%
Dividend growth (1Y) 1.1% -91.8% -1.4%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) 14.1% -65.0% 3.1%

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.

ConsensusWLKCESHEL
Forward P/E 33.8xFY2026 7.6xFY2026 9.0xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $1.93FY2026 $6.33FY2026 $11.84FY2026
EPS growth, next FY – +59.0%FY2026 +87.9%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +20.2% -0.2% -7.6%
Revenue, next fiscal year $12.04BFY2026 $9.75BFY2026 $336.52BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +7.8%FY2026 +2.2%FY2026 +26.1%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after -3.6% +7.8% +0.1%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersWLKCESHEL
Held by institutions 31.0% 100.0% 13.0%
Institutions holding 362 458 1,522
Change in shares held, QoQ -9.9% +10.8% +0.0%
Institutions buying 199 246 679
Institutions selling 118 138 535
Buyers to sellers 1.69 1.78 1.27

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.

WLKCESHEL
WLK 1.00 0.61 0.30
CE 0.61 1.00 0.31
SHEL 0.30 0.31 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, WLK, CE and SHEL?

Shell (SHEL) is the largest by market capitalisation: Westlake (WLK) $8.35B, Celanese (CE) $5.28B, Shell (SHEL) $304.15B.

Which company is growing faster?

Celanese (CE) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Westlake (WLK) -4.0%, Celanese (CE) -2.2%, Shell (SHEL) -15.6%.

Which company is more profitable?

Shell (SHEL) has the highest net margin (Westlake (WLK) -10.9%, Celanese (CE) -12.0%, Shell (SHEL) 14.4%). On return on invested capital, Shell (SHEL) leads (Westlake (WLK) -8.0%, Celanese (CE) -4.1%, Shell (SHEL) 13.1%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Shell (SHEL) returned the most: Westlake (WLK) -17.6%, Celanese (CE) +14.0%, Shell (SHEL) +41.0%. Over five years, Shell (SHEL) compounded fastest (Westlake (WLK) -7.4%/yr, Celanese (CE) -21.7%/yr, Shell (SHEL) +16.4%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Westlake (WLK) has the highest dividend yield: Westlake (WLK) 3.25%, Celanese (CE) 0.25%, Shell (SHEL) 2.82%.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Shell (SHEL) has been the steadiest (Westlake (WLK) 43.5%, Celanese (CE) 51.7%, Shell (SHEL) 22.8%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, WLK, CE and SHEL?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Shell (SHEL) 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.