Comparing ICL Group (ICL) and Its Rivals

ICL Group (NYSE:ICL) is one of 295 publicly-traded companies in the “Chemicals” industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its peers? We will compare ICL Group to similar companies based on the strength of its profitability, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk and valuation.

Risk and Volatility

ICL Group has a beta of 0.97, meaning that its stock price is 3% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, ICL Group’s peers have a beta of 0.93, meaning that their average stock price is 7% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

13.4% of ICL Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 47.4% of shares of all “Chemicals” companies are owned by institutional investors. 0.3% of ICL Group shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 13.7% of shares of all “Chemicals” companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares ICL Group and its peers revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Net Income	Price/Earnings Ratio
ICL Group	$7.71 billion	$226.00 million	19.52
ICL Group Competitors	$6.76 billion	$222.31 million	8.00

ICL Group has higher revenue and earnings than its peers. ICL Group is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry.

Profitability

This table compares ICL Group and its peers’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
ICL Group	3.95%	8.40%	4.19%
ICL Group Competitors	-59.14%	-0.41%	-1.37%

Dividends

ICL Group pays an annual dividend of $0.17 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. ICL Group pays out 70.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, “Chemicals” companies pay a dividend yield of 3.1% and pay out 105.7% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. ICL Group is clearly a better dividend stock than its peers, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for ICL Group and its peers, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
ICL Group	0	2	0	0	2.00
ICL Group Competitors	3248	12212	14131	519	2.40

ICL Group presently has a consensus target price of $6.00, indicating a potential upside of 28.07%. As a group, “Chemicals” companies have a potential upside of 8.89%. Given ICL Group’s higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe ICL Group is more favorable than its peers.

Summary

ICL Group beats its peers on 10 of the 15 factors compared.

ICL Group Company Profile

ICL Group Ltd, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty minerals and chemicals company worldwide. It operates in four segments: Industrial Products, Potash, Phosphate Solutions, and Growing Solutions. The Industrial Products segment produces bromine out of a solution that is a by-product of the potash production process, as well as bromine-based compounds; produces various grades of potash, salt, magnesium chloride, and magnesia products; and produces and markets phosphorous-based flame retardants and other phosphorus-based products. The Potash segment extracts potash from the Dead Sea; mines and produces potash and salt; produces polysulphate; produces, markets, and sells magnesium and magnesium alloys, as well as related by-products, including chlorine and sylvinite; and sells salt. The Phosphate Solutions segment uses phosphate commodity products to produce specialty products; produces and markets phosphate-based fertilizers, as well as sulphuric acid, green phosphoric acid, and phosphate fertilizers; and manufactures thermal phosphoric acid for various industrial end markets, such as oral care, cleaning products, paints and coatings, water treatment, asphalt modification, construction, and metal treatment. It also develops and produces functional food ingredients and phosphate additives for use in the processed meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, beverage, and baked goods markets; and produces milk and whey proteins for the food ingredients industry. The Growing Solutions segment develops, manufactures, markets, and sells fertilizers based primarily on nitrogen, potash, and phosphate, including water soluble specialty, liquid, soluble, and controlled-release fertilizers. It sells its products through marketing companies, agents, and distributors. The company was formerly known as Israel Chemicals Ltd. and changed its name to ICL Group Ltd in May 2020. The company was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel.