Sociedad Quimica y Minera (NYSE:SQM) and Croda International (OTCMKTS:COIHY) Head to Head Comparison

Croda International (OTCMKTS:COIHY) and Sociedad Quimica y Minera (NYSE:SQM) are both materials companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk, profitability and valuation.

Profitability

This table compares Croda International and Sociedad Quimica y Minera’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Croda International	N/A	N/A	N/A
Sociedad Quimica y Minera	15.38%	11.99%	6.09%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for Croda International and Sociedad Quimica y Minera, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Croda International	0	3	0	1	2.50
Sociedad Quimica y Minera	1	8	5	1	2.40

Sociedad Quimica y Minera has a consensus price target of $73.58, indicating a potential upside of 7.08%. Given Sociedad Quimica y Minera’s higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Sociedad Quimica y Minera is more favorable than Croda International.

Volatility and Risk

Croda International has a beta of 1.13, indicating that its share price is 13% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Sociedad Quimica y Minera has a beta of 0.98, indicating that its share price is 2% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Croda International and Sociedad Quimica y Minera”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Croda International	$2.24 billion	2.79	$81.76 million	N/A	N/A
Sociedad Quimica y Minera	$4.58 billion	4.29	$588.14 million	$2.85	24.11

Sociedad Quimica y Minera has higher revenue and earnings than Croda International.

Dividends

Croda International pays an annual dividend of $0.71 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.2%. Sociedad Quimica y Minera pays an annual dividend of $2.65 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.9%. Sociedad Quimica y Minera pays out 93.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

0.1% of Croda International shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 12.4% of Sociedad Quimica y Minera shares are held by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Sociedad Quimica y Minera beats Croda International on 10 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Croda International

Croda International Plc engages in the consumer care, life science, and industrial specialty businesses in in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, Asia, and Latin America. The company offers speciality and active ingredients across beauty care, beauty actives, and home care products, as well as fragrances and flavours. It also provides biologics drug delivery, adjuvant systems, small molecule, protein, and nucleic acid delivery platforms, as well as purity materials for pharmaceutical formulations. In addition, the company offers crop protection and seed enhancement related solutions. Croda International Plc was incorporated in 1925 and is headquartered in Goole, the United Kingdom.

About Sociedad Quimica y Minera

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. operates as a mining company worldwide. The company offers specialty plant nutrients, including sodium potassium nitrate, specialty blends, and other specialty fertilizers under Ultrasol, Qrop, Speedfol, Allganic, Ultrasoline, ProP, and Prohydric brands. It also provides iodine and its derivatives for use in medical, agricultural, industrial, and human and animal nutrition products comprising x-ray contrast media, biocides, antiseptics and disinfectants, pharmaceutical intermediates, polarizing films for LCD and LED screens, chemicals, organic compounds, and pigments, as well as added to edible salt to prevent iodine deficiency disorders. In addition, the company produces lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide which are used in the production of cathode material for secondary batteries; lithium chloride; and basic lithium chemicals and lithium derivatives used in lubricating greases for heat-resistant glass, chips for the ceramic and glazing industry, and air conditioning chemicals, as well as other pharmaceutical syntheses and metal alloys. Further, it produces potassium sulfate; and potassium chloride which is used as a fertilizer for the application of potassium to different crops. Additionally, the company produces and markets industrial chemicals, such as sodium nitrate mainly used in the production of glass and explosives, metal processing and recycling, and production of insulating materials and adhesives; potassium nitrate used as a raw material to produce frits and special glass, as well as in the enamel, metal treatment, and pyrotechnic sectors; solar salts used as a thermal storage medium in solar power generation plants; and potassium chloride as an additive in oil drilling and food processing sectors. Furthermore, it is involved in the commercialization of third-party fertilizers; and exploration of copper, gold, and silver deposits. The company was founded in 1926 and is headquartered in Santiago, Chile.