Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (APD) vs United States Steel Corporation (X)
APD leads on 8 of 14 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. and United States Steel Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 15, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).
APD
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
$281.62Basic Materials
X
United States Steel Corporation
$54.84Basic Materials
Total return — APD vs X
growth of $100 · last 29yAPD +933.7%X +82.8%APD compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
APD X
APD vs X: by the numbers
- •APD is the larger company ($62.71B vs $12.42B market cap).
- •APD trades at the lower earnings multiple (29.79 vs 189.10 P/E).
- •APD converts more revenue to profit (16.91% vs 0.64% net margin).
- •APD grew revenue faster over the past five years (6.12% vs 4.51% CAGR).
- •APD pays the higher dividend yield (2.55% vs 0.36%).
Which is better, APD or X?
Metric tally: APD 8 · X 6It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueAPD(lower P/E)
GrowthAPD(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeAPD(higher dividend yield)
QualityX(higher ROIC)
Metrics side by side
Valuation
| Metric | APD | X |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 29.79● | 189.10 |
| Forward P/E | 19.71 | — |
| P/S ratio | 5.04 | 0.81● |
| P/B ratio | 4.01 | 0.77● |
| PEG ratio | 1.40 | — |
| EV / EBITDA | 17.66 | 10.84● |
| FCF yield | 1.76% | — |
Profitability
| Metric | APD | X |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 31.98%● | 7.57% |
| Operating margin | 18.41%● | -2.36% |
| Net margin | 16.91%● | 0.64% |
| ROE | 13.47%● | 0.61% |
| ROIC | -1.82% | 1.24%● |
Dividends
| Metric | APD | X |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 2.55%● | 0.36% |
| Payout ratio | — | 11.70% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | APD | X |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 6.12%● | 4.51% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 16.58%● | -19.55% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 6.54% | 24.58%● |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 1.21% | 47.40%● |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, APD or X?
- It depends on your goal. value: APD (lower P/E); growth: APD (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: APD (higher dividend yield); quality: X (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, APD leads 8 to 6.
- Is APD or X cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, APD is cheaper: APD trades at a 29.79 P/E and X at 189.10.
- Which has grown faster, APD or X?
- Over the past five years, APD grew revenue faster — APD at a 6.12% CAGR versus X at 4.51%.
- Does APD or X pay a bigger dividend?
- APD yields 2.55% and X yields 0.36% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is APD or X more profitable?
- APD runs the higher net margin — APD at 16.91% versus X at 0.64%.
- Which has been the better investment, APD or X?
- Over the past 10-year, APD delivered the higher annualized total return — APD at 10.26% versus X at 9.88%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Air Products and Chemicals P/E ratioUnited States Steel P/E ratioAir Products and Chemicals dividend yieldUnited States Steel dividend yieldAir Products and Chemicals ROEUnited States Steel ROEAir Products and Chemicals operating marginUnited States Steel operating marginAir Products and Chemicals revenue growthUnited States Steel revenue growthAir Products and Chemicals free cash flowUnited States Steel free cash flow
Air Products and Chemicals & United States Steel 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 15, 2026.