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U.K. (FTSE) Chemicals Industry Analysis

UpdatedMay 25, 2026
DataAggregated Company Financials
Companies22
  • 7D5.5%
  • 3M1.8%
  • 1Y8.7%
  • YTD3.6%

Over the last 7 days, the Chemicals industry has risen 5.8%, driven by gains from Croda International of 8.5%. Meanwhile, Carclo actually underperformed within the industry, shrinking 7.5% in the last week. In the last 12 months, the industry was up 8.7%. Earnings are forecast to grow by 39% annually.

Industry Valuation and Performance

Has the U.K. Chemicals Industry valuation changed over the past few years?

DateMarket CapRevenueEarningsPEAbsolute PEPS
Mon, 25 May 2026UK£10.5bUK£16.6b-UK£140,676,975.7122.7x-74.9x0.6x
Wed, 22 Apr 2026UK£10.1bUK£16.7b-UK£20,616,170.8020.2x-491.3x0.6x
Fri, 20 Mar 2026UK£8.8bUK£16.7b-UK£20,400,826.2817.8x-429.1x0.5x
Sun, 15 Feb 2026UK£10.8bUK£16.8b-UK£37,636,291.8927.5x-286.2x0.6x
Tue, 13 Jan 2026UK£10.3bUK£16.8b-UK£32,377,877.3321.5x-318.8x0.6x
Thu, 11 Dec 2025UK£9.6bUK£16.8b-UK£41,164,451.6823.4x-233.7x0.6x
Sat, 08 Nov 2025UK£9.8bUK£16.8bUK£423.1m18.4x23.3x0.6x
Mon, 06 Oct 2025UK£10.1bUK£16.8bUK£424.2m20.8x23.7x0.6x
Wed, 03 Sep 2025UK£9.2bUK£16.7bUK£432.2m22x21.2x0.5x
Fri, 01 Aug 2025UK£9.2bUK£16.8bUK£427.6m21x21.5x0.5x
Sun, 29 Jun 2025UK£9.9bUK£16.8bUK£450.0m22.6x22.1x0.6x
Tue, 27 May 2025UK£9.6bUK£16.8bUK£448.3m21.9x21.5x0.6x
Thu, 24 Apr 2025UK£8.6bUK£17.1bUK£594.1m19x14.4x0.5x
Sat, 22 Mar 2025UK£9.1bUK£17.1bUK£579.8m20.2x15.7x0.5x
Mon, 17 Feb 2025UK£10.1bUK£17.1bUK£577.7m17.8x17.5x0.6x
Wed, 15 Jan 2025UK£9.5bUK£17.1bUK£576.2m18.7x16.5x0.6x
Fri, 13 Dec 2024UK£10.4bUK£17.1bUK£583.9m17.9x17.9x0.6x
Sun, 10 Nov 2024UK£10.7bUK£18.2bUK£164.9m23.9x64.7x0.6x
Tue, 08 Oct 2024UK£11.8bUK£18.1bUK£165.5m23.8x71.4x0.7x
Thu, 05 Sep 2024UK£11.8bUK£18.1bUK£154.8m25.9x76.1x0.6x
Sat, 03 Aug 2024UK£12.0bUK£18.2bUK£130.6m26.6x91.9x0.7x
Mon, 01 Jul 2024UK£11.9bUK£18.2bUK£189.7m29.4x62.9x0.7x
Wed, 29 May 2024UK£13.5bUK£18.2bUK£186.0m33.5x72.8x0.7x
Fri, 26 Apr 2024UK£13.2bUK£19.6bUK£286.4m23x46x0.7x
Sun, 24 Mar 2024UK£14.0bUK£19.5bUK£265.6m21.3x52.9x0.7x
Tue, 20 Feb 2024UK£13.4bUK£20.0bUK£144.2m17.8x92.7x0.7x
Thu, 18 Jan 2024UK£12.3bUK£20.0bUK£140.6m17.8x87.2x0.6x
Sat, 16 Dec 2023UK£13.5bUK£20.0bUK£140.4m19.3x96.3x0.7x
Mon, 13 Nov 2023UK£12.6bUK£20.8bUK£228.8m15.3x55.1x0.6x
Wed, 11 Oct 2023UK£12.5bUK£20.8bUK£258.0m17.1x48.6x0.6x
Fri, 08 Sep 2023UK£13.7bUK£21.0bUK£354.5m23.6x38.6x0.7x
Sun, 06 Aug 2023UK£14.8bUK£21.0bUK£337.2m27.5x44x0.7x
Tue, 04 Jul 2023UK£14.5bUK£21.2bUK£803.0m16.3x18x0.7x
Thu, 01 Jun 2023UK£15.6bUK£21.2bUK£804.0m15x19.4x0.7x
Price to Earnings Ratio

19.4x


Total Market Cap: UK£15.6bTotal Earnings: UK£804.0mTotal Revenue: UK£21.2bTotal Market Cap vs Earnings and Revenue0%0%0%
U.K. Chemicals Industry Price to Earnings3Y Average -12.3x202420252026
Current Industry PE
  • Investors are relatively neutral on the British Chemicals industry at the moment, indicating that they anticipate long term growth rates to remain steady.
  • The industry is trading close to its 3-year average PS ratio of 0.62x.
Past Earnings Growth
  • Total earnings for the Chemicals industry have declined over the last three years, with the industry now making a loss overall.
  • Revenues have also declined 7.9% per year, which is driving profits down.

Industry Trends

Which industries have driven the changes within the U.K. Materials industry?

GB Market1.53%
Materials0.39%
Chemicals5.50%
Commodity Chemicals6.79%
Specialty Chemicals5.59%
Industrial Gases-0.14%
Fertilizers and Agricultural Chemicals-2.27%
Industry PE
  • Investors are most optimistic about the Commodity Chemicals industry even though it's trading below its 3-year average PE ratio of 29.0x.
    • Analysts are expecting annual earnings growth of 31.0%, which is higher than its past year's earnings decline of 81.9% per year.
Forecasted Growth
  • Analysts are most optimistic on the Fertilizers and Agricultural Chemicals industry, expecting annual earnings growth of 48% over the next 5 years.
  • In contrast, the Commodity Chemicals industry is expected to see its earnings grow by 31% per year over the next few years.

Top Stock Gainers and Losers

Which companies have driven the market over the last 7 days?

CompanyLast Price7D1YValuation
CRDA Croda InternationalUK£29.917.7%
+UK£298.0m		-2.0%PE67.5x
JMAT Johnson MattheyUK£21.903.9%
+UK£137.6m		26.6%PS0.3x
ELM ElementisUK£1.514.0%
+UK£33.2m		16.0%PE18.6x
VCT VictrexUK£6.336.0%
+UK£31.3m		-19.1%PS1.9x
ZTF ZotefoamsUK£4.169.2%
+UK£17.4m		34.0%PE9.1x

Latest News

VCT
UK£6.33
Victrex
7D
6.0%
1Y
-19.1%
Narrative Update • May 21

VCT: Margin Execution And Lower P/E Framework Will Support Future Re Rating

Analysts have trimmed their implied price target on Victrex by about £0.39, citing updated assumptions around profit margins, revenue growth and a lower future P/E multiple following recent Street research. Analyst Commentary Street research around Victrex has shifted to a more cautious stance on valuation, with the latest move being a £1.00 cut to the implied price target from JPMorgan.
DCTA
UK£0.067
Directa Plus
7D
-0.7%
1Y
-6.0%
ELM
UK£1.51
Elementis
7D
4.0%
1Y
16.0%
Narrative Update • May 17

ELM: Refined Assumptions Will Still Support Future Upside Potential

Analysts have trimmed their price target on Elementis to £2.00 from £2.05, citing updated assumptions around fair value, discount rate, revenue growth, profit margins and future P/E multiples. Analyst Commentary Bullish analysts continue to see upside in Elementis even after the price target revision to £2.00, pointing to what they view as an attractive entry point relative to their fair value work.
CRDA
UK£29.91
Croda International
7D
7.7%
1Y
-2.0%
Narrative Update • May 17

CRDA: Mixed Broker Upgrades And Execution Risks Will Shape Future P/E Expectations

Analysts have adjusted their price targets on Croda International to around £32.80. This reflects updated assumptions on revenue growth, profit margins and future P/E multiples following a series of recent rating upgrades and target tweaks across the Street.
JMAT
UK£21.90
Johnson Matthey
7D
3.9%
1Y
26.6%
Narrative Update • May 15

JMAT: Future Returns Will Reflect Reset Expectations And Large £1b Shareholder Cash Return

Johnson Matthey’s analyst price targets have been reduced by up to £550 per share to around £2,000 to £2,250, as analysts reflect a more balanced risk and reward profile and adjust assumptions on discount rates and future P/E multiples. Analyst Commentary Recent research updates on Johnson Matthey cluster around price targets in the £2,000 to £2,250 range, with several firms revising their assumptions and one major bank changing its stance on the stock.
ESNT
UK£0.86
Essentra
7D
5.1%
1Y
-10.6%
SYM
UK£0.075
Symphony Environmental Technologies
7D
-9.1%
1Y
-3.2%
ZTF
UK£4.16
Zotefoams
7D
9.2%
1Y
34.0%
ATOM
UK£0.59
Atome
7D
-5.0%
1Y
43.1%
HDD
UK£0.50
Hardide
7D
29.9%
1Y
578.0%
RIFT
UK£0.083
Rift Helium
7D
-9.0%
1Y
n/a
CAR
UK£0.34
Carclo
7D
-2.8%
1Y
-14.9%
HMI
UK£0.003
Harvest Minerals
7D
-7.7%
1Y
0%
KRPZ
UK£0.013
Kropz
7D
-3.8%
1Y
108.3%