Alcoa Corporation (AA) vs Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (APD)
AA leads on 11 of 17 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Alcoa Corporation and Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 14, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).
AA
Alcoa Corporation
$68.77Basic Materials
APD
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
$281.62Basic Materials
Total return — AA vs APD
growth of $100 · last 30yAA +108.6%APD +954.8%APD compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
AA APD
AA vs APD: by the numbers
- •APD is the larger company ($62.71B vs $18.15B market cap).
- •AA trades at the lower earnings multiple (17.24 vs 29.79 P/E).
- •APD converts more revenue to profit (16.91% vs 8.17% net margin).
- •APD grew revenue faster over the past five years (6.12% vs 5.08% CAGR).
- •APD pays the higher dividend yield (2.55% vs 0.58%).
Which is better, AA or APD?
Metric tally: AA 11 · APD 6It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueAA(lower P/E)
GrowthAPD(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeAPD(higher dividend yield)
QualityAA(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | AA | APD |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 17.24● | 29.79 |
| Forward P/E | 8.77● | 19.71 |
| P/S ratio | 1.44● | 5.04 |
| P/B ratio | 2.68● | 4.01 |
| PEG ratio | 0.01● | 1.40 |
| EV / EBITDA | 11.56● | 17.66 |
| FCF yield | 1.57% | 1.76%● |
Profitability
| Metric | AA | APD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 15.20% | 31.98%● |
| Operating margin | 3.82% | 18.41%● |
| Net margin | 8.17% | 16.91%● |
| ROE | 15.15%● | 13.47% |
| ROIC | 6.12%● | -1.82% |
Dividends
| Metric | AA | APD |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.58% | 2.55%● |
| Payout ratio | 8.95% | — |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | AA | APD |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 5.08% | 6.12%● |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 20.38%● | 16.58% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 13.41%● | 6.54% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 14.06%● | 1.21% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, AA or APD?
- It depends on your goal. value: AA (lower P/E); growth: APD (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: APD (higher dividend yield); quality: AA (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, AA leads 11 to 6.
- Is AA or APD cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, AA is cheaper: AA trades at a 17.24 P/E and APD at 29.79.
- Which has grown faster, AA or APD?
- Over the past five years, APD grew revenue faster — AA at a 5.08% CAGR versus APD at 6.12%.
- Does AA or APD pay a bigger dividend?
- AA yields 0.58% and APD yields 2.55% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is AA or APD more profitable?
- APD runs the higher net margin — AA at 8.17% versus APD at 16.91%.
- Which has been the better investment, AA or APD?
- Over the past 10-year, AA delivered the higher annualized total return — AA at 13.03% versus APD at 10.26%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Alcoa P/E ratioAir Products and Chemicals P/E ratioAlcoa dividend yieldAir Products and Chemicals dividend yieldAlcoa ROEAir Products and Chemicals ROEAlcoa operating marginAir Products and Chemicals operating marginAlcoa revenue growthAir Products and Chemicals revenue growthAlcoa free cash flowAir Products and Chemicals free cash flow
Alcoa & Air Products and Chemicals appear in these rankings
Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 14, 2026.