Top 15 Specialty Chemicals Stocks
Marvin ranks 15 specialty chemicals stocks by Overall score, which compares each company with others in its industry. Balchem, Oil-Dri and NewMarket currently sit at the top of the list.
Specialty chemicals companies make products such as coatings, adhesives, additives and cleaning ingredients. These are often sold for specific uses rather than as bulk commodities. This list shows the 15 companies in Marvin's Chemicals - Specialty industry with the highest Overall scores.
A high rank does not mean a company is strong on every measure. Some names on the list have strong profit margins but weak revenue growth. Others score well mainly because of a high Opportunity score while their Quality score is lower. Read each blurb for the strengths and the caution.
Some figures are missing for certain companies, such as operating margin or debt. We only describe the numbers that are available.
The list
How Marvin ranked these stocks
Marvin includes companies above a minimum size threshold in the Chemicals - Specialty industry and ranks them by Overall score, highest first. Marvin scores run on a scale from zero to one hundred and are relative to each company's own industry. A high score means the company compares well with other specialty chemicals companies today. It is not a comparison with the whole market and not a forecast.
Companies above about $300 million in size, ranked by Marvin scores (0-100, relative to each company's own industry). The Chemicals - Specialty industry, highest Overall score first.
The stocks, one by one
Balchem Corp BCPC
Balchem has the top Overall score (93) and a Quality score of 96. An operating margin of 20.4% and revenue growth of 8.8% suggest solid profitability with steady growth. Caution: its Opportunity score is only 36, and free cash flow and debt data are missing.
Oil-Dri Corporation of America ODC
Oil-Dri's Overall score is 87, helped by a return on equity of 19.1% and a free cash flow margin of 9.3%. Those point to decent returns and cash generation. Caution: revenue growth was only 1.7% last fiscal year, so sales barely moved, and debt data is missing.
NewMarket Corporation NEU
NewMarket pairs an operating margin of 20.0% with a free cash flow margin of 17.3% and a return on equity of 23.6%, signs of strong profitability. Debt-to-equity of 0.51 is fairly low. Caution: revenue fell last fiscal year, with growth of -2.2%.
RPM International Inc. RPM
RPM shows revenue growth of 6.7%, a gross margin of 41.2% and a return on equity of 19.8%, a reasonably healthy mix. Debt-to-equity is 0.79. Caution: operating margin data is not available, so its profitability is only partly visible.
Mativ Holdings, Inc. MATV
Mativ's Overall score of 82 leans on its Opportunity score of 95, while its Quality score is just 51. Caution: operating margin is thin at 3.5%, growth is only 0.3%, and debt-to-equity of 2.27 is on the high side.
Innospec Inc. IOSP
Innospec has a Quality score of 86, but its operating margin of 7.0% and return on equity of 9.0% are modest. Its free cash flow margin is 3.7%. Caution: revenue shrank, with growth of -3.7%, and debt data is missing.
PPG Industries, Inc. PPG
PPG has a gross margin of 41.4%, a return on equity of 19.6% and a free cash flow margin of 7.6%, suggesting healthy returns. Debt-to-equity is 0.95. Caution: revenue growth was just 0.2%, and operating margin data is missing.
WD-40 Company WDFC
WD-40 has a gross margin of 55.8%, a return on equity of 32.0% and low debt-to-equity of 0.41, a strong profitability profile. Revenue growth is 5.0%. Caution: its Opportunity score is only 51.
Perimeter Solutions, Inc. PRM
Perimeter grew revenue by 16.4% and has a gross margin of 54.7% and a free cash flow margin of 12.8%. Caution: operating margin is -50.6% and return on equity is -33.2%, both negative, meaning the company lost money on those measures.
Avient Corporation AVNT
Avient has a gross margin of 31.7% and an operating margin of 9.5%, a middling profile. Revenue growth was 0.6%. Caution: return on equity is a low 7.0%, and sales growth was close to flat.
Ecolab Inc. ECL
Ecolab's Quality score is 88, with an operating margin of 16.9% and a return on equity of 21.0%. Growth is modest at 2.2%. Caution: its Opportunity score is just 21, and debt-to-equity of 1.33 is higher than several peers here.
The Sherwin-Williams Company SHW
Sherwin-Williams has a return on equity of 69.7%, a gross margin of 49.0% and a free cash flow margin of 13.2%. Caution: debt-to-equity of 3.69 is high, which can inflate return on equity, and operating margin data is missing.
H.B. Fuller Company FUL
H.B. Fuller has a Quality score of 74 and a gross margin of 32.3%. Caution: its free cash flow margin is only 2.8%, return on equity is 9.1%, and revenue fell, with growth of -2.7%.
Eastman Chemical Company EMN
Eastman has a gross margin of 19.9% and a free cash flow margin of 6.1%, with debt-to-equity of 0.98. Caution: revenue fell the most on this list, with growth of -6.7%, and return on equity is just 7.3%.
Hawkins, Inc. HWKN
Hawkins grew revenue by 11.2%, with an operating margin of 10.7%, a return on equity of 14.7% and low debt-to-equity of 0.48. Caution: its Opportunity score is only 19, and its gross margin of 22.3% is lower than most peers.
Common questions
What are specialty chemicals?
Specialty chemicals are products made for particular uses, such as paints and coatings, adhesives, lubricant additives, food ingredients and cleaning or sanitizing products. They are usually sold on performance rather than purely on price, unlike bulk commodity chemicals.
What do the Marvin scores on this list mean?
Overall, Quality and Opportunity scores run on a scale from zero to one hundred. They show how a company compares with other companies in the same industry today. They are not predictions and not advice to buy or sell.
Why are some figures missing for certain companies?
Some companies do not have every figure available in Marvin's data, such as operating margin, free cash flow margin or debt-to-equity. When a figure is missing, we do not use it, and we note it as a limit on what the numbers can tell you.
Keep reading
- Top 15 Basic Materials Companies With the Strongest Businesses
- Top 15 Basic Materials Stocks Right Now
- Top 15 Basic Materials Stocks Ranked by Marvin Opportunity Score
- Top 25 Good Companies That Could Be About to Break Out
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Marvin's scores (0-100) compare each company with others in its industry today. Growth and margin figures come from SEC filings. This is general information, not personal investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell anything. Do your own research.