Element Solutions Inc (NYSE: ESI)

Sector: Basic Materials Industry: Specialty Chemicals CIK: 0001590714
Market Cap 7.05 Bn
P/B 2.84
P/E 30.76
P/S 3.08
ROIC (Qtr) 5.77
Div Yield % 1.06
Rev 1y % (Qtr) 1.72
Total Debt (Qtr) 1.63 Bn
Debt/Equity (Qtr) 0.61

About

Element Solutions Inc. (ESI) is a prominent player in the global specialty chemicals industry, providing a diverse range of solutions that enhance the functionality of everyday products. The company's operations span various key sectors, including consumer electronics, power electronics, semiconductor fabrication, communications and data storage infrastructure, automotive systems, industrial surface finishing, consumer packaging, and offshore energy. Element Solutions Inc.'s main business activities revolve around supplying specialty chemicals...

Read more

Price action

Investment thesis

Bull case

  • Operating cash flow of 337.40M provides exceptional 1687x coverage of minority interest expenses 200000, showing strong core operations.
  • Operating cash flow of 337.40M provides strong 17.66x coverage of stock compensation 19.10M, indicating sustainable incentive practices.
  • Robust free cash flow of 270.70M exceeds capital expenditure of 66.70M by 4.06x, indicating strong organic growth funding capability.
  • Cash position of 594.30M provides exceptional 2971.50x coverage of minority interest expenses 200000, indicating strong liquidity.
  • Operating cash flow of 337.40M provides solid 0.90x coverage of current liabilities 376.70M, showing strong operational health.

Bear case

  • Operating cash flow of 337.40M provides thin coverage of dividend payments of (77.80M) with a -4.34 ratio, suggesting potential dividend sustainability issues if operational performance deteriorates.
  • Operating earnings of 355.60M show weak coverage of depreciation charges of 151.80M, with a 2.34 ratio indicating high capital intensity and potential reinvestment needs.
  • Free cash flow of 270.70M represents just -0.88x of debt issuance (306.50M), suggesting concerning reliance on leverage rather than internal cash generation for growth.
  • High depreciation of 151.80M relative to operating cash flow of 337.40M, which is 0.45x suggests significant maintenance capital requirements affecting free cash flow.
  • R&D investment of 64.60M represents just 0.10x of SG&A expenses of 637.90M, indicating potential underinvestment in innovation relative to administrative overhead.

Geographical Breakdown of Revenue (2024)

Segments Breakdown of Revenue (2024)

Peer comparison

Companies in the Specialty Chemicals
S.No. Ticker Company Market Cap P/E P/S Total Debt (Qtr)
1 LIN Linde Plc 218.63 Bn 38.41 6.61 25.93 Bn
2 SHW Sherwin Williams Co 110.34 Bn 170.54 11.54 13.58 Bn
3 ECL Ecolab Inc. 80.35 Bn 80.18 5.93 8.67 Bn
4 APD Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. 56.37 Bn 48.29 5.86 18.31 Bn
5 PPG Ppg Industries Inc 34.00 Bn 31.05 2.58 7.91 Bn
6 LYB LyondellBasell Industries N.V. 17.46 Bn 5.03 0.49 13.22 Bn
7 DD DuPont de Nemours, Inc. 16.63 Bn 3.65 0.32 8.90 Bn
8 ALB Albemarle Corp 14.44 Bn 48.94 6.36 3.63 Bn

Industry comparisons

Current Valuation Value Ind Avg Percentile
EV to Assets EV to Assets 1.63 1.52
EV to Cash from Ops. EV/CFO 27.39 12.52
EV to Debt EV to Debt 5.08 13.65
EV to EBIT EV/EBIT 24.27 21.45
EV to EBITDA EV/EBITDA 17.15 14.82
EV to Free Cash Flow [EV/FCF] EV/FCF 30.97 29.24
EV to Market Cap EV to Market Cap 1.17 3.84
EV to Revenue EV/Rev 3.60 89.11
Price to Book Value [P/B] P/B 2.84 5.48
Price to Earnings [P/E] P/E 30.76 16.02
Dividend Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Dividend Coverage Ratio Div Coverage (Qtr) 3.08 -5.31
Dividend Payout Ratio % Div Payout % (Qtr) 32.30 -75.74
Dividend per Basic Share Div per Share (Qtr) 0.32 1.25
FCF Dividend Payout Ratio % FCF Div Payout % (Qtr) 28.57 23.50
Interest Coverage Int. cover (Qtr) 6.54 -8.92
Growth Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Capex Growth (1y) % Capex 1y % (Qtr) -6.72 -1.67
Cash and Equivalents Growth (1y) % Cash & Equiv 1y % (Qtr) 58.06 72.99
Dividend Growth (1y) % Div 1y % (Qtr) 0.00 -3.00
EBIAT Growth (1y) % EBIAT 1y % (Qtr) -12.47 -31.21
EBITDA Growth (1y) % EBITDA 1y % (Qtr) 2.65 51.49
EBIT Growth (1y) % EBIT 1y % (Qtr) 13.36 0.57
EBT Growth (1y) % EBT 1y % (Qtr) 16.29 -80.35
EPS Growth (1y) % EPS 1y % (Qtr) -10.00 -90.82
FCF Growth (1y) % FCF 1y % (Qtr) -0.70 -50.40
Gross Profit Growth (1y) % Gross Profit 1y % (Qtr) 4.99 219.02
Liquidity Ratios Value Ind Avg Percentile
Asset Utilization Ratio Asset Util Ratio (Qtr) 0.50 0.70
Cash Payout Ratio Cash Payout (Qtr) 0.19 0.41
Cash Ratio Cash Ratio (Qtr) 1.58 1.28
Current Ratio Curr Ratio (Qtr) 4.05 3.42
Debt to Equity Ratio Debt/Equity (Qtr) 0.61 0.92
Interest Cover Ratio Int Coverage (Qtr) 6.54 -8.92
Times Interest Earned Times Interest Earned (Qtr) 6.54 -8.92
Profitability Value Ind Avg Percentile
EBITDA Margin % EBITDA Margin % (Qtr) 20.30 -333.97
EBIT Margin % EBIT Margin % (Qtr) 14.23 -374.34
EBT Margin % EBT Margin % (Qtr) 12.05 -379.75
Gross Margin % Gross Margin % (Qtr) 42.00 29.26
Net Profit Margin % Net Margin % (Qtr) 9.60 -380.67